North/East metro briefs: Open houses to be held for Red Rock Corridor plans

Cottage Grove and St. Paul Park will host open houses to acquaint the public with the proposed Red Rock Corridor station areas. Plans will look at land use, economic development and redevelopment.

• Cottage Grove: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Park Grove Library, 7900 Hemingway Av. S.

• St. Paul Park: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Paul Park City Hall, 600 Portland Av.

Red Rock is a proposed 20-mile bus rapid transit route that would connect southeastern metro suburbs with Union Depot in downtown St. Paul.

The transitway would originate in Hastings and stop at several locations.

For additional information, go to www.redrockcorridor.com.

Kevin Giles

The potential implications of an effort to unclog railway corridors flowing into St. Paul will be the topic of an open house next week.

Ramsey County is working with railroads and others on the East Metro Rail Yards Improvement Project, which stretches from Union Depot in downtown St. Paul to Interstate 494.

The goal of the project is to reduce the number of blockages and waits owing to the convergence of three major national rail lines in the same area.

A study, still in its early stages with no formal recommendations, is being overseen by the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority.

It builds on a 2012 rail capacity study compiled by a number of outside consulting firms.

The solution could include grade separations.

The public's interest concerns the potential for more passenger rail service at the depot, including high-speed service to Chicago.

The event will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 24 at the Battle Creek Recreation Center, 75 Winthrop St. S., St. Paul.

David Peterson

Roseville is partnering with the Center for Energy and Environment to offer free assistance to residents wishing to upgrade their homes.

They will also do free energy audits.

For information on housing and loans, go to mnlendingcenter.org/RSVL or call 612-335-5884.

For information on energy efficiency audits, go to cityofroseville.com/energyauditwaiver, call 651-328-6220 or contact hesscheduling@mncee.org.

David Peterson

Six local vintage baseball clubs will gather July 22 to play one-hour exhibition matches.

Participating teams include the St. Croix Base Ball Club, an educational outreach program of the Washington County Historical Society. The St. Croix club, in its 19th season, has been Minnesota's reigning vintage baseball champion since 2002.

The schedule:

• Rum River Rovers vs. Afton Red Socks, 11 a.m.

• La Crescent Applejacks vs. Arlington Grays, noon

• Quickstep Base Ball Club vs. St. Croix Base Ball Club, 1 p.m.

• Quickstep Base Ball Club vs. Rum River Rovers, 3 p.m.

• St. Croix Base Ball Club vs. La Crescent Applejacks, 4 p.m.

Kevin Giles

Brooklyn Park is updating its 10-year park system plan and looking for residential feedback.

A community meeting is planned for 6 p.m. on Friday at Zanewood Recreation Center, 7100 Zane Av. N.

A park system plan survey is also available online.