Briefs: Burnsville seeks nominations for Community Builder Award

Do you know a person, a community group or a business that helps "build a brighter future for Burnsville"?

If so, you can nominate them for the Burnsville City Council's Community Builder Award.

Nominees' "community building" can include helping the environment, volunteering, working with children, coaching or other work that helps build community pride. There is no age limit and the nominee does not have to be a Burnsville resident.

The deadline for nominations if Sept. 4. Awards will be presented at the Oct. 20 council meeting. For more information, call 952-895-4490 or e-mail machael.collins@burnsvillemn.gov.

Recreational tennis players can participate in a five-week social league starting Aug. 9 at the Scott Highlands Middle School courts.

Players will be matched by ability while playing singles or doubles matches each week. All skills levels are welcome, but players should have a basic understanding of the rules of the game. Prizes will be awarded for most sets won in various categories at the end of the session.

The league will be held Aug. 9, 16, 23 and 30 and Sept. 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The cost is $60. Tennis balls and scorecards will be provided; players should bring their own racquets.

Volunteers are needed to help recycle more waste at the Dakota County Fair, which runs from Aug. 10 to 16 at the fairgrounds in Farmington.

The recycling is a joint project — now in its second year — between the fair and Dakota County Environmental Resources.

Organic materials such as food scraps and some paper products will be collected in food vendor areas of the fair and taken to a facility for composting. Volunteers are needed at the waste stations to instruct fairgoers on what to recycle and to educate them about recycling.

Training will be provided. Volunteers get free admissions to the fair on the day they work.

For more information, contact Jenny Kedward at 952-891-7043 or e-mail jennifer.kedward@co.dakota.mn.us.

The plan is available at the Cedar Avenue Transitway website, www.cedartransitway.com. It reviews existing transit service and sets priorities for future improvements and expansion through 2040.

Comments can be e-mailed to cedartransit@co.dakota.mn.us through Aug. 28. For more information, call Joe Morneau at 952-891-7986.

The Rosemount Police Department is now accepting applications for its annual Citizens Police Academy to be held this fall.

The program will run from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday evenings from Sept. 24 through Nov. 12.

The academy gives participants a chance to see how a real police department works and includes a review of patrol operations, drunken-driving arrests, investigations, crime-scene processing, the use of force/self-defense, school liaison duties and a narcotics presentation.

For more information, go to www.ci.rosemount.mn.us/cpa or call community service officer Julie Pulkrabek at 651-322-2012.

Farmers and other agricultural professionals can earn continuing-education credit at the Rosemount Research and Outreach Center's "Field Day," from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 25.

The event led by specialists from University of Minnesota Extension will provide updates on crop pests and diseases, and forage and cover crops. Topics will include current research on soybean sudden-death syndrome and corn rootworm, soybean aphids, alfalfa cutting management, and cover crop planting technology.

The event will be held at the Outreach Center, 16975 Arkansas Av. in Rosemount. It is free and lunch will be provided. Registration is required. Call Neith Little at 651-481-7723.

Inver Grove Heights is holding a food drive and cellphone drive as part of its Night to Unite event on Tuesday.

The food drive is for Neighbors Inc., a local nonprofit serving Inver Grove Heights. The cellphone drive is for 360 Communities, which provides support and advocacy for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

For more information, call 651-450-2525.