Shakopee seeks public input on Community Center plans

The Shakopee Police Department is holding its 12th annual Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit Special Olympics on June 17. The public is invited to participate in the run and help raise funds.

Special Olympics athletes will kick off the run at 9 a.m. at the Police Department, 475 Gorman St. The course, about 4 miles, will take runners, bikers and Rollerbladers through Shakopee. A bus will be available for anyone who needs a rest.

The registration fee is $25 ($20 for law enforcement) and includes a T-shirt. Register online at http://shakopee.kintera.org/. All proceeds go directly to the Special Olympics.

The Special Olympics will be donating three used bicycles as door prizes. Anyone who participates will be eligible to win.

The Shakopee Senior High School Wind Ensemble will begin the 2015 Huber Park Performance and Events series at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The series provides free family entertainment Thursdays and some Saturdays through August. Events include concerts, entertainment, movies in the park and more along Shakopee's riverfront.

Residents are invited to share their thoughts on proposed improvements to the Shakopee Community Center at three open houses.

Options being discussed include building a new two-sheet ice arena, remodeling the community center and constructing an aquatic facility. For more information, check the city website, www.shakopeemn.gov.

People who want to take part in a youth fishing contest June 6 must register by Friday.

The contest will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 6 at Lake Rebecca on Lock and Dam Road in Hastings.

There will be a free fishing presentation from 10 to 10:30 a.m. The first 50 participants will get a free rod/reel combo.

There will be medals for first-, second- and third-place finishers in each division. Children will be in groups of pre-K to kindergarten, grades 1 to 4, and grades 5 to 8. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to fish with their children.

To download the registration form, go to http://tinyurl.com/mynz7rc. The form should be mailed to the Hastings Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 563, Hastings, MN 55033, e-mailed to info@hastingsmn.org or faxed to 651-437-2697.

A public hearing will begin at 7 p.m. Monday in the council chambers at Hastings City Hall, 101 E. 4th St.

The hearing is about whether the City Council should consider an amendment to the city code to include sidewalk cafes. More information on proposed sidewalk cafe rules is available on the city website www.hastingsmn.gov.

Residents of Savage, Shakopee and Prior Lake can drop off yard waste free of charge Saturday at the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community's Organics Recycling Facility, 1905 Canterbury Rd., Shakopee. This is the last free Saturday. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Employees from each of the cities benefiting from the service staff the site. People visiting the facility outside the designed times and dates will be charged a minimum fee of $10.

The Scott County Library's Bookawocky 2015 summer reading program starts June 6 and runs through Aug. 8.

Children and teenagers, pre-K to age 18 can participate in events, programs and rewards that celebrate reading. Participants can track activities like minutes of reading, writing reviews and going to library events, and then get awards when they complete 10 and 20 activities. They also can win prizes like tickets to the State Fair.

The first day of the program at the New Prague, Prior Lake, Savage and Shakopee libraries is June 6. The Jordan and Elko New Market libraries start on June 8. The Belle Plaine library begins on June 9.

A workshop on "Essential Computer Basics for Building Job Skills, Part 2," will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. June 9 at the Scott County Government Center's Professional Development Center, 200 4th Av. W. in Shakopee.

The class is for current Window users who want to get a better understanding of what their computers can do and will include tips and shortcuts to increase efficiency.

Call any Scott County Library to register. Space is limited to 16 people per class.