Parks activist Peter Gove receives conservationist award

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) recently honored Peter L. Gove with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Award for his commitment to protecting national parks in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Douglas was a Minneapolis native and famed conservationist and lifelong Everglades advocate.

Gove, as chairman of NPCA's Upper Midwest Regional Council, has led advocacy for the protection of resources and increased federal funding for parks.

Together with NPCA, Gove has advocated for the closure of the Upper St. Anthony Falls lock in Minneapolis as a critical measure for keeping carp from advancing farther up the Mississippi River. He is the principal founder of Friends of the Mississippi River and worked with former Vice President Walter Mondale to expand the St. Croix River Association. He has been an outspoken supporter of protecting Midwest national parks from cellphone towers and gravel mines. Gove opposed the St. Croix River bridge as too big and said it would compromise the scenic values of the St. Croix River National Scenic Riverway.

"Peter Gove has worked tirelessly in support of America's national parks for nearly 40 years," said Christine Goepfert, Upper Midwest program manager of the NPCA.

Washington County is celebrating 25 years of household hazardous waste collection with an open house at its Environmental Center from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18. The Environmental Center is at 4039 Cottage Grove Drive, Woodbury.

Washington County started its program in 1989 to remove toxic, poisonous and hazardous materials from the waste stream. Since that time, collection sites have served 388,405 participants and collected more than 20.3 million pounds of hazardous waste. They also have collected more than 8.9 million pounds of electronics, a service that was added in 2008.

The Environmental Center is open Tuesdays noon to 7 p.m., Thursdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The center also has a free product room where residents can take home paint, stain, automotive supplies, household cleaners and other products. For more information, see the Washington County website at www.co.washington.mn.us and search "Environmental Center."

Homestead classification will affect the amount of property tax paid in 2015, and it may affect eligibility for a property tax refund, the county said. Call the Washington County Assessment Division at 651-430-6175 for more information.

The Woodbury Tip-A-Cop event will take place Thursday, Nov. 20, from 5-8 p.m. at Famous Dave's, 1940 Donegal Drive. The event will benefit Special Olympics Minnesota. For more information, contact Chad Trench at chad.trench@somn.org.

Law enforcement officers, including Washington County deputies, will volunteer their time as servers alongside Famous Dave's wait staff to collect tips from guests for Special Olympics.

Tip-A-Cop is a component of the Law Enforcement Torch Run program. Law enforcement representatives for more than 25 years have raised money for Special Olympics programs in their areas. More information about Tip-A-Cop and other Special Olympics Minnesota events can be found at www.specialolympicsminnesota.org.

Bielenberg Sports Center in Woodbury, newly expanded, now can be rented by teams or groups on weekday afternoons and later evening times, the city said. The fields can be rented hourly for $275 for the full field or $150 for a half field (55 by 35 yards). Bielenberg also can be rented for holiday gatherings, hobby groups, business meetings, employee appreciations, retirement celebrations and other functions, the city said.

After serving the city of Oakdale as an elected official for more than 20 years, Mayor Carmen Sarrack will retire at the end of the year. An open house in his honor is set for Dec. 9 from 4-6 p.m. at Oakdale City Hall, 1584 Hadley Av.

Conway and Katherine Olson of Cottage Grove have donated $5,000 to the city's Public Safety Department for providing 149 Combat Application Tourniquets (CATs) for first responders in Cottage Grove, Newport and St. Paul Park.

Conway Olson called Public Safety Director Craig Woolery after recently learning about CAT tourniquets and how useful they have become in saving lives in the battlefield. The field tourniquet has been identified as a safe and effective means of hemorrhage control in the extremities. They can be self-applied with one hand when carried by first responders who may be injured in the line of duty.

This is not the first donation by the Olsons. In 2007, they donated $25,000 for the purchase of CPR training mannequins for paramedic and EMT training. The training equipment is utilized on a regular basis during EMS training.