North/East metro area briefs: Champlin church plans family fun festival

Author Zuckoff will talk at county library

Washington County Library will host author Mitchell Zuckoff from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at the R.H. Stafford branch in Woodbury. This event is part of Club Book, a program of the Metropolitan Library Service Agency. Zuckoff is a veteran journalist and historian, and his two-decade career as a roving correspondent for the Boston Globe won him a Pulitzer Prize nomination. As an author, he has written several books, including two World War II aviation thrillers that landed on New York Times bestseller lists: "Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II," and "Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II." Zuckoff's journalism background contributed to his most recent book project, "13 Hours," which describes the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack in Libya on the U.S. State Department compound in Benghazi. The R.H. Stafford library is at 8595 Central Park Place, Woodbury.

Kevin Giles

Riverway Church will hold a Family Fun Fest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, featuring giant inflatables, a rock-climbing wall, a power bungee, an obstacle course, face painting and food. To get free tickets, attend the 10 a.m. service that morning. At the end of the service, a prize will be given out — a two-night stay at Water Park of America and a $500 shopping spree at the Mall of America. The church meets at Champlin Park High School, 6025 109th Av. N.

The North Metro Mayors Association will host an afternoon of golf and locally brewed beer with community leaders on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Bunker Hills Golf Course. The event is open to the public.

It will start with an optional nine holes of golf at 2 p.m. Association members and sponsors will gather at 4:30 p.m. The doors will open to the public at 5:30 p.m. Three local breweries will be featured. A $50 ticket includes beer or wine and appetizers; golf is another $30.

The association works to encourage private and public investments in the north suburbs and Minneapolis. To register or get more information, go to northmetromayors.org.

The facility includes two gyms, each of which can be converted into a full-sized basketball or volleyball court. The gyms are available for community use on weekdays after 6 p.m. from September through the end of the school year, and 24 hours a day on weekends, holidays, and during the summer.

For more information or to reserve time, call 763-531-5155.

The Treble Tones women's chorus will hold a guest night for those interested in joining from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Holy Nativity Lutheran Church, 3900 Winnetka Av. N., New Hope. Rehearsals are held every Tuesday from September to May. The group sings at community events, nursing homes, senior events and other venues. For more, go to www.facebook/trebletones or e-mail joan2stmartin@yahoo.com.

The North Memorial Medical Center prostate cancer support group will meet from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, at the main hospital building, 3300 Oakdale Av. N., Robbinsdale. This meeting will be an open discussion and welcome back from summer break. Family and friends are welcome, and there is no charge. For more, call 612-388-3588.

An "edible operetta" is being staged at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at Roseville's Muriel Sahlin Arboretum. It's a retelling of "Alcina," Handel's 1735 opera, as Chef Nick Schneider crafts a five-course sampling menu. The Mixed Precipitation Theater Company is behind the event. The suggested donation is $10 to $20 per person. Tickets are from mixedprecipitation.org.