North news briefs: 5K Fun Run/Walk for Literacy set in Anoka

The 15th annual Bill Gallagher Memorial 5K Fun Run/Walk for Literacy will take place on Saturday, April 11, at Anoka High School. The event is sponsored by the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation, and all proceeds go to support literacy.

Registration is $20 for adults and $10 for students and pre-kindergartners, with a household cap of $50. Children who participate receive a free book.

Registration can be done online at www.anoka.k12.mn.us/ahef or by filling out and mailing the registration form available there. Participants also can register at the Educational Foundation's office, at the Educational Service Center, 2727 N. Ferry St., Anoka.

Same-day registration is available and begins at 8 a.m. at Anoka High School, 3939 7th Av. N., Anoka. A short toddler and preschooler run/walk begins at 8:30 a.m., and the 5K run/walk starts at 9.

For further information, call the Educational Foundation office at 763-506-1105.

"Symphonic Rock," an annual concert that benefits Anoka High School's Sharing and Caring Fund, is set for the weekend of April 17-19. Performances on Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, are sold out, but another has been added for 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at the high school, 3939 7th Av. N., Anoka. The concert features the high school's concert choir and concert orchestra, as well as Staff Infection, a classic rock band made up of faculty and staff.

The Sharing and Caring Fund provides support to families and students in need at the school.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Fridley tornadoes, author Al Taylor will give a presentation at the Anoka County History Center on Thursday, April 16, at 7 p.m.

Taylor has written two books about the tornadoes: "The Night the Sirens Blew" and "Hidden Revealed: A Sequel Account of the May 6, 1965 Tornado Outbreak."

Taylor will read from his books and answer questions. The program is free and open to the public. No registration is required, but seating is limited.

The Blaine Safety Services Division will hold bicycle helmet fittings and sales on Tuesday, April 14, and on Tuesday, May 5. Each session will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. at Blaine City Hall, 10801 Town Square Drive NE.

Helmets will be sold while supplies last for $10 each (cash or check only). They'll be available in sizes ranging from toddler to adult. The Bell helmets comply with U.S. consumer safety standards, the city says.

The events are open to all and no appointments are necessary. For further information, call crime prevention specialist Andrea Hunt at 763-785-6113 or e-mail her at ahunt@ci.blaine.mn.us

"Manomin on the Mississippi," a history tour and lunch that made its debut last year during Fridley 49er Days, will be back this year on June 28. The event looks at Fridley's river history, with stories told by costumed residents portraying early settlers. (The area that includes Fridley was originally called Manomin.)

Participants will travel aboard a vintage transit bus, and there will be narrated stops along the way before a lunch at the Riedel House in Riverfront Park wraps things up. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting and finishing at the Fridley History Center, 611 Mississippi St.

There's room for 48 people, and the cost is $23 per person. To register or get more information, call Fridley Recreation at 763-572-3570 or go to www.FridleyMN.gov

Maple Grove Transit is sticking its toe into the world of bus wrap advertising, covering one of its motor coaches with an ad promoting an orthopedic clinic that recently opened in the city.

Other agencies such as Metro Transit have wrapped buses and trains for years, and "there is some acceptance and familiarity with it," said Maple Grove Transit Administrator Mike Opatz.

However, the iconic maple leaf that signifies the agency's buses will be featured above the front passenger door with the words "Maple Grove Transit."

The Coon Rapids Police and Fire departments will hold two free car seat clinics this month, with more to come. Car seat technicians will provide tips.

Clinics will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on April 15 and April 29 at the Police Department. The service requires an appointment, and these clinics are available only to Coon Rapids residents, although others are available through Safe Kids Anoka County and other operations (see Page AA1).

To schedule an appointment or get further information, call 763-767-4680, ext. 680.

STAFF REPORTS