Edina officials have appointed a task force to look at ways of improving operations at Edina Liquor, the city-owned liquor business.
"Edina Liquor is still profitable. However, we want to get back to the higher level of profitability seen in recent years," said City Manager Scott Neal. "With the task force, we'll get a fresh perspective on operations and on what we can do differently to continue to make Edina Liquor succeed."
Task force members David Burley, Ed Cracraft, Mike Lynch, Nick Pahl and Birdie Rand all have experience in hospitality, retail or marketing. Their report is expected in August.
The city owns three liquor stores and has a monopoly on off-sale liquor in the city. The recent opening of several liquor superstores in the Twin Cities market has cut into Edina's business.
Residents with ideas or comments may contact Assistant City Manager Lisa Schaefer at lschaefer@EdinaMN.gov.

JOHN REINAN

GOLDEN VALLEY

Library to reopen after renovation

The Hennepin County Library in Golden Valley is reopening this weekend after a $1.4 million renovation.

The library, at 830 Winnetka Av. N., was closed for four months to add a new periodicals area and update the public meetings rooms, restrooms and children's area.

Carpeting has been replaced, walls removed to add natural light, and power outlets increased. Lighting and electrical upgrades were done, and new seats, shelves and computer tables were added.

In conjunction with the reopening, the city and library are launching the first-ever Golden Valley Reads program. Residents are encouraged to read "Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Krueger, and attend an event featuring the author on May 9.

Kelly Smith

EDEN PRAIRIE

Ice castles returning to Miller Park

Ice castles are returning to Eden Prairie's Miller Park this weekend and will be at the park through March 5.

The attraction drew more than 80,000 people last winter, bringing money to the city and drawing visitors from across Minnesota.

It was staged by Utah-based Ice Castles, with whom the City Council approved an agreement to return this year. The company "grows" thousands of icicles a day to create ice castles across the country.

Ice Castles will cover all water costs and pay Eden Prairie $3,500 a month and an additional $3,000 for every 10,000 visitors over 40,000 people.

The acre-sized Eden Prairie attraction will be open 3 to 9 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 3 to 10 p.m. Fridays, noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays. For more details or tickets, go to icecastles.com.

Kelly Smith

PLYMOUTH

Keller wins award for literacy work

Maria Keller, a 15-year-old Plymouth resident, was named one of five national winners of a $10,000 college scholarship in the Montage Memory Makers contest.

As founder of Read Indeed, a nonprofit literacy organization, Keller has spent the past six years promoting literacy. Through her work, Read Indeed has collected and given away more than 1.7 million books to underprivileged children and teens.

Keller, a sophomore at Orono High School, has won several other national honors for her work with Read Indeed. She started the group at age 8 with the goal of distributing a million books by the time she was 18. She passed that milestone three years ago.

The contest, sponsored by Montage Hotels & Resorts, honors creativity, ingenuity and service among teens ages 13 to 17.

JOHN REINAN

HENNEPIN COUNTY

Program aims to help movers recycle

Hennepin County has introduced a pilot program that enables residents who are moving to easily recycle household items such as furniture and clothing.

The county is partnering with local reuse retailers and townhouses and apartment buildings on the free program, hoping to encourage residents to donate items such as chairs, dishes, lamps and other bulky items instead of trashing them. Crews from Goodwill, Salvation Army and Arc's Value Village will pick up the items.

Since the county launched the program in June, nine apartment buildings have signed on and set up containers for donated items.

To learn more about the program, contact kirsten.wahlberg@hennepin.us or go to hennepin.us/.

KELLY SMITH