South news briefs: Historic Northfield post office is still for sale

Historic post office is still for saleAlthough Northfield lost its bid to keep its historic downtown post office, the office remains in business as the U.S. Postal Service awaits a better offer.

So far the Postal Service has rejected one bid and a second is pending, said Keith Covey, chairman of the Save Our Post Office task force. The pending bid is from a group of local investors who would like to get the 1936 building "into friendly local hands," he said.

Peter Nowacki, Minneapolis spokesman for the Postal Service, said the Northfield post office is listed with a nationwide real estate broker and will not be demolished. "We don't plan to move until the building sells," Nowacki said.

When it sells, the service plans to move its retail business to the postal annex on the south side of Northfield. The annex would need remodeling for a postal window, he said, but there are no plans for that yet.

Covey noted that because the post office is part of a nationally designated historical area, the Postal Service is required to consult with the task force, the city, its Heritage Preservation Commission and the state Historical Society about how to reduce the local impact of closing.

"They have not talked to us about mitigation," Covey said. He said a real-estate agent told him that the service was sitting on the second offer while hoping for a better one.

Free holiday party for seniorsThere's a free holiday party this morning at Club Prior, the city of Prior Lake's activity center for seniors.

Open house honors departing leadersAn open house will be held at Prior Lake City Hall on Monday in honor of two city officials whose time in office is about to end.

Mayor Mike Myser served from 2010 to 2012 and he opted not to run again, saying he couldn't manage the duties of office along with his day job. Council Member Warren Erickson, after six years in office, will depart after voters chose a newcomer instead in the November election.

The open house takes place at 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 4646 Dakota St. SE., prior to the City Council meeting, which begins at 7.

Holiday light contestResidents have until Friday to nominate a home or neighborhood for a holiday lighting contest that will net the winners gift cards or zoo passes.

Displays can qualify in three categories: single-family houses, neighborhoods of 20 homes or fewer, or townhouse, apartment and condo complexes. All must be within city limits and visible from the street.

Nominations will be judged Dec. 13 by the Burnsville Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) board of directors, and the three prizes will be awarded in each category: A $100 Visa gift card for first place, a $50 gift card to a Burnsville restaurant for second place and a pair of passes to the Minnesota Zoo for third place. The Visa cards were donated by Dakota Electric Association, which is co-sponsoring the contest with the CVB.

Winners will be announced at the Burnsville City Council meeting Dec. 18.

See http://burnsvillecity tour.com for more information and complete rules.

Gingerbread houses, history and teaMake a gingerbread house to take home at this year's Family Christmas Tea at the Stans House in Shakopee this month.

The Scott County Historical Society is hosting the tea Dec. 15 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. In addition to house making, there will be tea and holiday treats.

The museum is at 235 Fuller St. S. The Stans House is across the alley from the society's museum on 2nd Avenue.

Want to farm a park? Act nowAlthough it's moving fairly quickly these days to turn parkland into real parks, Scott County still has plenty of land awaiting that status. And it wants to make some money in the meantime by offering acreages for farming.

The county is offering hay and cropland in three regional parks:

• Four fields to be treated as one parcel within the future Doyle-Kennefick Regional Park in Cedar Lake Township;

• Six fields that can be treated as one or two parcels at Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park in Helena Township;

• Three crop fields to be treated as one parcel at the future Blakeley Bluffs Park Reserve in Blakeley Township.

There are lots of terms to look over, including the period of lease. To learn more, send an e-mail to pfreeman@co.scott.mn.us.