North news briefs: Andover bike helmet-fitting, car-seat clinics are set

The program Safe Kids Anoka County will hold a bike helmet-fitting clinic and a car seat clinic on consecutive Tuesdays in early April.

The bike helmet event will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. April 2 at the Anoka County Sheriff's Office, 13301 Hanson Blvd. NW. in Andover. Bike helmets will be fitted for free. New Bell helmets also will be available for $12, in toddler through adult sizes. No appointment is necessary for this event.

The car-seat clinic will be held from 4-7 p.m. on April 9, at Andover Fire Station No. 1. It will give people a chance to see if their car seats are installed correctly. An appointment is necessary for this clinic; call Laura Landes at 763-767-4664.

Andover's Parks and Recreation Department is considering adding features to the skateboard park at Sunshine Park over the next few years and is turning to the experts for input. Skateboarders or their parents are invited to join a task force that will study the issue.

If interested. contact Todd Haas by March 21 at 763-767-5131 or t.haas@andovermn.gov.

The Anoka County Parks and Recreation Department has announced its day camp offerings for this summer.

Camps are available for kids from prekindergarten through seventh grade, and there are a couple that children age 5 and up can take with grandparents.

The 13h Annual Bill Gallagher Memorial 5K Fun Run/Walk for Literacy will be held April 6. The event is hosted by the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation and will be held at Anoka High School, with registration starting at 8 a.m.

Entry fees are $20 per adult, $10 per student, with a household cap of $50. Proceeds will go to Anoka-Hennepin schools to support literacy. Each school will receive proceeds in proportion to the number of participants from that school. Children who take part will receive a free book.

Registration forms are available at Anoka-Hennepin school offices. You can also register online at www.anoka.k12.mn.us/ahef. If you've got questions, call Tess DeGeest at 763-506-1105.

The Anoka Police Department's Community Service Unit will hold a pet vaccination clinic from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 13.

Owners should bring their pets to the animal containment center next to the Greenhaven Golf Course. Dogs and cats must be on a leash or in a pet carrier, and animals must be at least three months old.

For more information, call 763-576-2850.

Jim Meyer, principal at Elm Creek Elementary School in Maple Grove, has won the 2013 Leadership Achievement Award, sponsored by the Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association.

The honor recognizes principals whose leadership and efforts have made noteworthy contributions to improving education, their communities and their profession.

The public can view and vote for their favorite snapshots in Brooklyn Parks's first "Picture in the Park" photo contest. Photos are on display through April 1 at City Hall, 5200 85th Av. N.

Voting will determine the People's Choice winners. Voting forms are available at the customer service counter. A panel of expert judges already has selected its top choices.

The Anoka Technical College Foundation will host its second industry forum, Health Care Innovations, on April 25 at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest in Brooklyn Park.

The event, aimed at helping to address business and training needs, includes dinner and an expert panel with participants from Allina Health, Mayo Clinic, Medtronic, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and Top Tool Co.

Individual tickets are $75. Sponsorship levels range from $1,000 to $10,000. For further information, go to www.Ano kaTech.edu/alumni_friends/alumni/newsandupdates or contact Cheryl Kish, foundation executive director at 763-576-4755 or CKish@anoka tech.edu.

Officials from Crystal, New Hope and Plymouth will discuss the state of their cities at 7 p.m. next Wednesday at New Hope City Hall, 4401 Xylon Av. N. City managers will present overviews of projects and provide other information.

The event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters.