North news briefs: West Fire Station will hold open house

An open house is set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at the West Fire Station, 6250 Brooklyn Blvd. The event is free and open to the public and will include the following highlights:

• a visit from a Hennepin County sheriff's deputy and K-9 partner;

• North Memorial Medical Center trauma helicopter

• North Memorial Medical Center ground ambulance

• Gopher State fire equipment (fire extinguisher demonstrations)

• A "Five Alarm Fire Moonwalk" bounce house for kids

• Brooklyn Center Police, including the Emergency Operations Unit

• H. O. M. E (Household & Outside Maintenance for Elderly) information booth

• CenterPoint Energy

• Brooklyn Center Fire Department public education for CO/smoke alarm program and safety information

• Fire Truck rides, free with one nonperishable food item per ride donated to CEAP.

Brookdale Park will be the setting for a dog expo from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 (weather permitting). The "Bark Park Expo" will include veterinarians, vendors, a police dog demo, animal rescue organizations, a dog tricks contest and a lot more. Admission is free. The park is located at 7650 June Av. N., just south of Brookdale Drive in Brooklyn Park. For more information, go to www.brooklynpark.org or call 763-493-8333.

The crime rate dropped by 7 percent from 2012 to 2013, according to data from the 2013 Uniform Crime Report. The number of serious crimes committed was down in several categories, including robbery, burglary and auto theft. However, the number of rapes climbed from 14 to 31 in a year's time but were still below the 37 reported in 2011.

"Thanks to a great partnership with our community, we can continue to make our city an unwelcome place for criminals," said Police Chief Brad Wise, in a written statement. "I am happy to see another seven percent decline in our crime rate and I hope to see it go down even further. The public must continue to be the Police Department's eyes and ears in the community; call 911 if you see suspicious activity and together we can continue to keep our community a safe place."

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety compiles The Uniform Crime Report. The data is also submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

Skating lessons will be offered this fall at the Coon Rapids Ice Center for figure and hockey skaters ages 4 and up, of all abilities. Lessons follow the Basic Skills graded program and run for 12 weeks; classes last 30 minutes, with an additional 30 minutes of practice time.

Schedules are as follows:

• Mondays, Sept. 22-Dec. 8, from 6:40-7:10 p.m. for Basic 3-5 and Hockey 3. (This is also practice time for Basic 1/Hockey 1, Basic 2/Hockey 2 and Basic 6-7.)

• Saturdays, Sept. 20-Dec. 13, from 10:35-11:05 a.m. for adults, Hockey 3 and Basic 3-5. (Practice time for Basic 1/Hockey 1, Basic 2, Basic 6-8).

• Saturdays, Sept. 20-Dec. 13, from 11:05-11:35 a.m. for Basic 1/Hockey 1, Basic 2/Hockey 2 and Basic 6-8. (Practice for adults, Hockey 3 and Basic 1-5.

For information, a fee schedule and registration materials, go to www.coonrapidsicecenter.com/skateschool.htm

Efforts to start a co-op in the northwest suburbs are moving forward. Robbinsdale Food Cooperative is now established as a legal entity, kicking off fundraising efforts and a membership drive before the end of the year.

Since the city's only grocery store, Rainbow Foods, closed in 2013, a group of residents and city leaders have worked to start a co-op, hoping to draw members from nearby cities like Brooklyn Park and Crystal. But it's still a ways from becoming a reality. Bakken said they need 300 to 400 members and a feasibility study before looking at possible locations to house the co-op — at least a year away, she said.

The next meeting, which is open to the public, is 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at 4101 Hubbard Av. N. For more information, go to www.robbinsdalefoodcoop.org.

"King Arthur: A Picnic Operetta" will be presented at 4 p.m. Saturday at Robbinsdale Community Garden, 4239 Halifax Av. N., Robbinsdale. The performance by the Mixed Precipitation theater company is a whimsical retelling of the 1684 opera by Henry Purcell, served up along with food. A minimum donation of $10 is requested. For more, including information for making a reservation, go to http://mixedprecipitation.org/

An afternoon of team lawn bowling this month will raise money for the Empty Bowls hunger-fighting initiative. The event will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Brookview Lawn Bowling Course, 200 Brookview Pkwy., Golden Valley.

The cost is $60 for four-member teams (organizers ask for team registrations only). To register or get more information, go to http://tinyurl.com/nonrm8b or call 763-504-6990.

The University of Minnesota prostate cancer support group will meet from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11 at Hope Lodge, 2500 University Av. SE, Minneapolis. A discussion of managing prostate cancer by using nutrition and diet will be offered by U registered dietitian Kate Zavadil. Wives, family and friends are welcome. There is no charge, parking is free, and light refreshments will be served. For further information, call 612-388-3588.

Green Step Cities — a voluntary initiative that helps cities adopt cost-effective programs to protect the environment — will be a focus of the Sept. 16 meeting of the Roseville-Maplewood- Falcon Heights chapter of the League of Women Voters.

The meeting, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. in the Fireside Room of the Roseville Oval, 2661 Civic Center Dr., Roseville.

The guest speaker will be Diana McKeown, director of the Metro Clean Energy Resource team at the Great Plains Institute.

The institute, based in Minneapolis, works with cities to implement the Green Step program. McKeown also works to help cities implement Solar Garden programs.