North news briefs: Free rides to Holidazzle Parade

Free rides to Holidazzle ParadeMetro Transit is offering free rides on buses and light rail trains to the Target Holidazzle Parade in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday.

The free-ride offer is not available on Northstar trains, but Northstar will provide an extra special-event train for service to the parade on Saturday and again Dec. 22. Regular weekend fares will apply.

The special-event train will leave Big Lake Station at 3:06 p.m. on those Saturdays, and after stops at Elk River, Ramsey, Anoka, Coon Rapids and Fridley will arrive in downtown Minneapolis at 3:55 p.m. Northstar customers can connect with Hiawatha light rail for service to and from Nicollet Mall Station.

Extra return Northstar service will leave downtown at 8 p.m.

Visit metrotransit.org/holi dazzle for more information.

High school to host 'Homeless for a Night'Students at Andover High School will sleep outside for a night to raise awareness about homeless issues.

The "Homeless for a Night" event starts at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20, when students arrive at the school, and ends at 6:45 the next morning. Students will also fast for the night, beginning at 5 p.m.

During the 2011-12 school year, the Anoka-Hennepin School District had 581 students experiencing homelessness; so far during this school year, there are 300 homeless students. For more information about the "Homeless for a Night" event, contact Anna Wilken, a student learning advocate at Andover High, at 763-506-8495.

Volunteers needed for advisory boardsThe Hennepin County Board is seeking community applicants to serve on seven citizen advisory boards.

Boards with vacancies are the Adult Mental Health Advisory Council, Community Action Partnership for Suburban Hennepin, County Extension Committee, Human Resources Board, Library Board, Three Rivers Park District Board and Workforce Investment Board.

Deadline to apply is Dec. 31, and interviews will be conducted in January. More information is available at www.hennepin.us/advisory boards.

City seeks input on farmers marketMaple Grove is seeking residents' input on the city's farmers market in an online customer survey that will be open until Dec. 21.

The indoor market's last day this year is 3-6 p.m. Dec. 20 inside the Maple Grove Community Center. For more information, go to www.maplegrovefarmersmarket.com.

Open house for public works, police buildingThe City of St. Francis will hold an open house at the city's new public works/police facility from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday.

The new building is located at 4058 St. Francis Blvd. in St. Francis.

Community funding help is availableSocial service providers and nonprofit groups serving Brooklyn Park that are interested in applying for 2013 Community Development Block Grant funds should attend a pre-application meeting at 9 a.m. next Tuesday at City Hall.

The money is part of a federal Housing and Urban Development program that can be used for a variety of activities benefiting low- to moderate-income households in Brooklyn Park. Last year, Brooklyn Park's City Council approved more than $60,000 in grants to area groups.

Staff reports

Annual holiday train fundraiser is ThursdayThe Holiday Train run by the Canadian Pacific Railroad will once again be stopping in Loretto at 4:15 p.m. Thursday. Tracey Brown and the Claytones will perform.

Activities begin at 3 p.m. on W. Railway Street. A visit from Santa, rides on a kiddie train and hay wagon, and free hot chocolate and cookies will be available.

Parking will be provided at the Loretto Softball Fields and at the Saints Peter and Paul Church parking lot, with a shuttle service to W. Railway Street.