Briefs: Construction on Valley Creek Road set to begin on Monday

Construction on busy Valley Creek Road, also known as County Road 16, will start one week later than expected.

Washington County will start work Monday on a project to improve deteriorated pavement and upgrade traffic signals on Valley Creek Road from Bielenberg Drive to Woodbury Drive.

Business and residential areas will be accessible but restricted at times during construction, the county said. No permanent changes to those streets will be made.

Northbound and southbound Radio Drive, also known as County Road 13, will be closed for a short time while pavement at the intersection with Valley Creek Road is replaced.

More information can be found at www.startribune.com/a1544. Questions pertaining to the project and the upcoming meetings can be directed to Jacob Gave, Washington County project manager, 651-430-4316, or Jacob.Gave@co.washington.mn.us or to Lyssa Leitner, Washington County business liaison, 651-430-4314 or Lyssa.Leitner@co.washington.mn.us.

City teams up with Xcel to cut energy Woodbury Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens met recently with representatives of Xcel Energy for a new initiative, "Powering Your Community."

The city is working with Xcel to help residents and businesses manage energy-saving programs in the coming months, said the mayor and Al Krug, director of customer and community affairs for Xcel Energy.

Grant money will pay for portico restoration The Huelsmann Foundation has awarded a $40,000 grant to pay for the restoration of the north portico of the Historic Courthouse in Stillwater.

The portico is one of the most prominent and historic features of the Historic Courthouse. Over the years, weathering has caused damage to the decorative railings, parks planning manager Peter Mott told the County Board recently. Money will be used to restore the railings to near-original condition, preserving as much of the old wood as possible, he said.

The foundation honors the memory of Richard Huelsmann, a lifelong resident of Stillwater. He supported the Stillwater Public Library, ArtReach Alliance, Dunrovin Retreat Center and St. Mary's Catholic Church, among other organizations.

Lakeview Hospital lauds 30-year workers At a time when the median time that American workers spend with an employer is 4.4 years, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29 employees have worked at Lakeview Hospital for 30 years or more: Dawn Sundmark (30 years), Lillian Trenda (30 years), Sandra Austin (31 years), Judy Eldredge (32 years), Debra Adamic (33 years), Nancy Glaser (33 years), Sharon Kludtke (33 years), Sandy Steinkraus (33 years), Denise Swager (33 years), Mary Helen Syverson (33 years), Kate Belkey (34 years), Alyce Brekke (34 years), Agatha Forsblad (34 years), Karen Hielsberg (34 years), Linda Olson (34 years), Kelly Riemenschneider (34 years), Janie Binkowski (35 years), Joyce Edstrom (36 years), Shirley Bushman (37 years), Sue Peterson (38 years), Sheila Shaffer (38 years), Sally Sletten (38 years), Mary Wihren (38 years), Nancy Dennis (39 years), Judy Kinning (39 years), Norma Henning (42 years), Linda Marty (42 years), Reggina Brandl (43 years) and Charles Litchy (44 years).

They were recognized at an employee awards ceremony recently.

The job fair is hosted by Washington County Veterans Services, Veterans Linkage Line, Washington County WorkForce Center, and the Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Employers can meet and recruit veterans. About 2,700 veterans have recently returned to Minnesota, with more than 500 of them looking for work.

For more information about employer sponsorship and registration, contact Clarice Olson, Business Services Specialist, Washington County WorkForce Center, at 651-275-8670 or clarice.olson@state.mn.us.

Employers can find the registration form on the Washington County website or go to www.startribune.com/a1543.

The Prom Center is at 484 Inwood Av., Oakdale.

Stev Stegner was named the club's Lion of the Year. Stegner has been a member for more than 20 years and was lauded for chairing the city banner project and a painting project with the Scandia-Marine Lions Club at the Forest Lake Area Community Helping Hand. Stegner is past president of the club.

Others who received honors were Donna Mathias, Rookie of the Year; El Ewert, the Helen Keller Award; Norman Anderson, a Melvin Jones Award and Spectacle Award; Howard Lestrud, a Minnesota Lions Diabetes Foundation Dream Catcher Award.

Bob Beattie was inducted to the District 5M Hall of Fame.

Student gets rare perfect score on ACT Forest Lake High School senior Ryan Sudo scored a perfect 36 on his ACT test, a feat accomplished by only about 700 of the 1.6 million students who take the test each year.

The ACT consists of tests in English, reading, science and math. Each test is graded on a scale of 1 to 36, with a student's composite score being the average of the four tests. ACT scores are accepted by all major colleges and universities in the United States.

Sudo is a member of the National Honor Society and student council, and is involved in theater and speech. He is considering attending Georgetown University or Columbia University in the fall of 2013.

ASL classes being added at Century American Sign Language I will be offered during fall semester of the 2012-13 school year at Century College. The class will held from 6 to 7:50 p.m. on Mondays. American Sign Language II will be offered during the spring semester, said Patty Secrest, a sign language interpreter at the state's largest two-year college.

Students who take the courses will fulfill a second language requirement for graduation. It also will bring opportunities for community service, Secrest said.

Century's fall semester begins Aug. 27.