North metro town briefs

Historical Society seeking farm owners The Anoka County Historical Society is looking to honor families who have owned farms in the county for at least a century. To be eligible, a farm must have at least 40 acres of original land continuously owned by a bloodline family member for 100 years or more.

Special recognition will be give to these families during the Anoka County Fair, which runs from July 21 to 26. Century farm owners will receive a plaque, free admission to the fair for the day, and have their family's farm recorded in the Historical Society archives.

Call the Historical Society at 763-421-0600 for an application, which is due before July 8.

Young drivers can learn key safety skills Newly licensed drivers ages 15-19 are invited to learn to become better, safer drivers through the Ford Driving Skills for Life this weekend at the State Fairgrounds.

The four key driving skills to be covered are hazard recognition, vehicle handling, speed and space management. Participants must have a valid driver's license or learner's permit and a minimum of 30 hours of training behind the wheel.

Space is limited so register at www.drivingskillsforlife .com. Morning sessions will run from 8 a.m. to noon; afternoon sessions run from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The training will be in the Robin Lot on the fairgrounds, at 1265 Snelling Av. N., St. Paul.

The seminars are sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund, the Governors Highway Safety Association, Westfield Insurance and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

Eighty to 90 percent of a mattress' weight can be recovered or recycled, including steel springs, cotton, foam padding and wood.

This is the third mattress recycling program in the United States. The other two are in Duluth and in Oakland, Calif. For more information, call 612-348-3777 or go to www.hennepin.us/dropoffs.

Youth Safety Camp for third- to fifth-graders The cities of Spring Lake Park, Mounds View and New Brighton are hosting a two-day Youth Safety Camp for kids in third- through fifth-grades.

The camp will cover a variety of topics, including swimming safety, bike safety, self-defense, and fire and poison safety. It will be held 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Aug. 12 and 13 in Long Lake Regional Park in New Brighton.

The $30 fee covers lunches, snacks, bike helmet, T-shirt and the awards barbecue on Thursday. Registration ends Aug. 1 and only 50 campers will be accepted. To register call the YMCA at 763-717-4036.

The event, now in its 29th year, features a golf tournament, a kiddie parade and grand parade, street dances, and fireworks.

For a complete list of times and locations for all Stockyard Days activities, go to www.stockyarddays.org and click on "events."

Family Service Center closing for repairs The New Brighton Family Service Center will be closed starting Monday through July 4 so that annual maintenance can be performed. Phones will be answered 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 651-638-2130, and the building will reopen Sunday, July 5.

Teens can learn about video at film camp North suburban teenagers interested in learning video skills can sign up for a local film camp.

North Suburban Access Corporation is holding a "Short Film Camp" in August for students, ages 14-19. The camp is scheduled for Aug. 3-14 and sessions will be held from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, go to www.ctv15.org or contact Shannon Hunter at 651-792-7523 or via e-mail at hunter@ctv15.org.

Golf tournament will benefit needy children This year's Golf for Joy Tournament is set for 1 p.m. Monday, July 13, at Greenhaven Golf Course in Anoka. It's $75 for 18 holes of golf, and $25 for dinner afterward. There will be prizes, snacks and two chances to win a hole-in-one prize of $10,000.

All funds raised will benefit Toys for Joy, which provides gifts and meals to needy children in the county during the holidays. Toys for Joy is a charitable foundation of the North Metro Realtors Association. Find the registration form online at www.northmetro.com or call Laura Wiener at 763-757-7230 for more information.