South metro briefs: Shakopee mayor lobbies for transit tax in Scott County

Shakopee Mayor Brad Tabke has stepped up his campaign to bring Scott County into the metro area's sales tax scheme for transit.

Armed with his City Council's support, Tabke has posted a video explaining his reasons and added a pair of videos of metro mayors addressing the issue at a news conference.

"We need to make this happen," he says, while conceding that "the details of who will levy the tax and how it will be utilized are yet to be sorted out" — the problem that is keeping Scott County from declaring itself so far.

Dakota County joined the quarter-cent tax from the start.

The material can be found online at www.startribune.com/a2095.

Shakopee is hiring for seasonal and part-time recreational jobs.

Seasonal jobs include summer work in parks and rec, while part-time openings include personal trainers, group fitness instructors and water safety teachers.

People who are interested may also call the city's Human Resources Department at 952-233-9320.

Residents and nonresidents interested in softball or kickball leagues in Savage this spring and summer may sign up during March and April.

Softball registration for residents ended last Friday, but nonresidents my apply until March 15. Games start at the end of April.

Kickball registration runs March 18 through April 5, with games on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

For more information, call 952-224-3420.

Last year the campaign yielded nearly $100,000 in cash and food for neighborhood food shelves.

Valley Natural Food's effort is for 360 Communities in Burnsville, serving residents of Dakota County.

The store will charge $5 for food worth $20 or more for the food shelf, thanks to donations from FIG Foods, Mary's Gone Crackers, Bob's Red Mill and Annie's Homegrown. The bags will have soup, crackers, macaroni and cheese and granola cereal.

Other coops involved include Bluff Country, Winona; City Center Market, Cambridge; Cook County Whole Foods Co-op, Grand Marais; Eastside Food, northeast Minneapolis; Just Food, Northfield; Lakewinds Natural Foods, Chanhassen and Minnetonka; Linden Hills, Minneapolis; Mississippi Market, St. Paul; People's Food, Rochester; River Market Community, Stillwater; Seward, Minneapolis; St. Peter Food, St. Peter; Wedge, Minneapolis, and Whole Foods Co-op, Duluth.