North news briefs: Hennepin Co. seeks volunteers to fight aquatic invasive species

Hennepin County is piloting a new volunteer program to train residents to identify aquatic invasive species not yet found in Minnesota lakes. The goal is to detect those species early, when management options are still available.

The county says ideal volunteers include people who enjoy spending a lot of time on or near lakes in the county, including people who boat and fish, and who live, walk or run near lakes.

Monitoring for signs of aquatic invasive species can be incorporated into these activities. Participants should be able to contribute at least 15 hours from July through November.

Volunteers will be trained at a session on June 30, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., at the Hennepin County Sheriff's Water Patrol in Spring Park. The session is limited to 30 participants.

For more information, call Tony Brough at 612-348-4378 or go to www.hennepin.us and search for "volunteer."

A variety of activities are set for Saturday and Sunday at the Crystal Airport, 5800 Crystal Airport Road. A kickoff party, featuring a spaghetti dinner followed by live music, is scheduled for 5-11 p.m. Saturday at Hangar 60. Tickets are $15 at the door. On Sunday, activities will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., including a pancake breakfast from 8 until noon. At 11 a.m., there will be a memorial ceremony and "missing man" formation flyover. There will also be numerous vendors on hand, along with displays of aircraft and vehicles, as well as airplane and helicopter rides.

Guardian Angels Senior Services of Minnesota will hold its "First Annual Golf Tournament" from noon to 6 p.m. Monday, June 22, at Riverwood National Golf Course, Otsego.

Coon Rapids and Ramsey have another round of free outdoor concerts this week. The lineup:

• Backyard Band (variety), 7 p.m. Thursday at Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, 9750 Egret Blvd., Coon Rapids.

• Shane Martin Band (modern country rock), 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday at 7401 E. Ramsey, Pkwy., Ramsey.

The main water line from Minneapolis to Crystal's reservoir under County Road 9 is being repaired, with construction in Robbinsdale from June through September. It's a permanent fix to a 2-mile water line that serves Crystal, New Hope and Golden Valley. The line burst twice going through Robbinsdale, flooding the city's streets thanks to soils around the line causing it to deteriorate. Now, a new line will be installed inside the old one on the west side of County Road 81. One lane of traffic will remain open in each direction throughout the project.

A prostate cancer support group will meet from 5:30-7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, at North Memorial Medical Center, 3300 Oakdale Av. N., Robbinsdale. The session, in the Vance DeMong classroom at the main hospital building, will be an open discussion offering participants a chance to talk about their experiences with prostate cancer to learn, support and connect as a group.