Chris Jenkins' mother to discuss new book

Chris Jenkins' mother to discuss new book Jan Jenkins, mother of Chris Jenkins, a 21-year-old University of Minnesota student who was found dead in the Mississippi River in 2002, will speak about her new book, "Footprints Of Courage, Our Family's Struggle For Justice," from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, at the Marsh, 15000 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka.

Chris Jenkins left a downtown Minneapolis bar on Halloween 2002 and was found dead in the Mississippi four months later. Police initially said his death appeared to be a suicide.

But in 2006, the case was reopened, and in 2007, the Hennepin County attorney's office announced that the "case is not chargeable at this time." It was returned to the Minneapolis Police Department for further investigation as a homicide.

Jan Jenkins will talk about why she wrote the book. She has said she hopes to create awareness about recurring suspicious deaths of young men found in water in several states; offer hope and suggestions to families who wake up one day to learn a son has disappeared, and help families prevent similar tragedies. For more information go to www.footprintsofcourage.com.

Share comments on Hyland Park plan People interested in parks are invited to an open house Wednesday to comment on the draft Hyland-Bush-Anderson Lakes Regional Park Reserve Master Plan. The open house is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Park Reserve in Richardson Nature Center, 8737 E. Bush Lake Road.

The plan is an update of the existing 1983 Hyland-Bush-Anderson Lakes Joint Master Plan and guides park improvements, natural resource management and future acquisition as well as park operations and management.

To view the draft master plan, go to the city of Bloomington website at www.ci.bloomington.mn.us and use keywords "park reserve master plan."

Enjoy winter activities during Night Out Edina's third annual Winter Neighborhood Night Out will be held on Friday in Normandale, Pamela and Weber parks.

From 7 to 8:30 p.m., there will be ice skating, campfires, free coffee and hot cider, snowshoe demonstrations and quinzee (snow shelter) building, as well as other special activities.

For more information, call 952-826-0433 or 952-826-0432.

Learn how to use an ethical will An ethical will can help you pass on your values, wisdom and life lessons to future generations.

Catherine Manning, an independent insurance agent and ethical will facilitator, will discuss ethical wills from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Parkshore Senior Campus, 3663 Park Center Blvd., St. Louis Park.

For more information, contact Joy Gordon, NORC community specialist, at 952-542-4819. No pre-registration is required.

Call for sculptors for outdoor exhibit The Edina Public Art Committee is accepting proposals from artists who would like to loan their sculptures for an outdoor exhibit on the Edina Promenade and at Grandview Square Park from June 2010 through May 2011.

An honorarium of $500 will be paid to each exhibitor. If funding is available, "People's Choice" awards will be offered, with cash prizes for the winners.

Sculptors may submit proposals for up to two of their original sculptures. Artists must be willing to install and remove the work and must insure or self-insure it.

Applications must be postmarked by March 31. The Public Art Committee will notify artists selected for the exhibit by April 16.

Benefit concert for family center A benefit concert is planned for the Southside Family Nurturing Center in Minneapolis at 7 p.m. Feb. 12 at St. Therese of Deephaven, 18323 Minnetonka Blvd., Wayzata.

Marty Haugen, Michael Joncas and Tony Alonso will present the concert as a fundraiser for the family center located at 2448 18th Av. S. in Minneapolis.

Joncas is probably best known as composer of "On Eagle's Wings," while Haugen has written such songs as "Shepherd Me, O God," "Gather Us In" and "All Are Welcome." Alonso has been described as "the most promising voice of a new generation of church composers." The three will be joined by the combined choirs of St. Therese of Deephaven and St. Hubert's of Chanhassen.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $10 for seniors and children, and are available from Southside at 612-721-2762 or from St. Patrick Guild outlets in St. Paul and Richfield at 651-690-1506.

For more information, go to www.martyhaugen.com.

The first four will focus on the books "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl," "Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife" by Frances Prose, "Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing" by James Waller, and "If the Whole Body Dies: Raphael Lemkin and the Treaty Against Genocide," a play by Robert Skloot.

To register, send an e-mail with your contact information to world.invite@gmail.com. Include "book club" in the subject line. Book clubs will be organized according to your zip code.

In Edina, the group will meet on the fourth Monday of each month from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in the Celtic Center at 6820 St. Patrick's Lane, Edina.

World Without Genocide began in 2006 with the goal of empowering individuals and communities to prevent genocide. For more information, go to www.worldwithout genocide.org.

LAURIE BLAKE,

HERON MARQUEZ ESTRADA,

MARY JANE SMETANKA