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South metro news briefs: Rosemount dedicates Greystone, newest park

November 4, 2017 at 4:02AM

Rosemount dedicated its newest park, Greystone, Oct. 28 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The 6-acre park at 1268 138th St. E. will serve some of the city's newest neighborhoods, including the Greystone development by CalAtlantic Homes.

The park includes a pollinator garden, a picnic shelter and a playground.

Greystone is the city's first park to have a community garden installed as it was built, so it has a dedicated water source for the garden, said Tom Schuster, parks supervisor.

The playground was designed to have shaded areas, including a shade canopy to be installed in the spring. Fourteen larger trees will be planted at the park this fall if conditions permit, Schuster said. The city now has 28 parks.

Erin Adler

Burnsville

Hearing scheduled on bridge replacement

The Burnsville City Council will conduct a public hearing on replacement of the I-35W bridge over the Minnesota River between Bloomington and Burnsville.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday at Burnsville City Hall, 100 Civic Center Parkway. Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) officials will explain the project and answer questions.

MnDOT is planning to reconstruct the bridge and parts of I-35W starting in 2018, including rebuilding I-35W from Cliff Road to 106th Street, raising the road's grade out of the flood plain, adding another northbound lane and adding a pedestrian and bike trail over the river. Work is expected to be completed in fall 2020.

Erin Adler

Inver Grove Heights

Preventive gas station fraud program set up

The Inver Grove Heights Police Department is teaming with local gas stations to stop identity theft through the Skim Stop program, which ensures customers' credit card information isn't stolen — or skimmed — when they pay for gas at the pump.

Credit card skimming happens when thieves install a card reader on gas pumps to collect credit card information and then sell the data or use it to commit fraud.

City Council Member Paul Hark noticed that Skim Stop seemed to be working inexpensively and effectively in Eagan and asked the police department about using it in Inver Grove Heights. Other suburbs' gas stations, including Plymouth and Bloomington, use the devices, though gas stations aren't required to participate.

To participate, tamper-proof tape is placed on gas pumps every day and the stations must check to see that it hasn't been compromised. Workers must log a record of their inspection, which the police department will check. A sticker on the pump shows that a gas station participates.

Erin Adler

County seeks input on trash, recycling plan

A draft of Dakota County's solid waste master plan is available for review through Dec. 1. Comments are encouraged.

The plan will guide waste management through the next two decades, including expanding recycling programs and developing policies that will affect everyone in the county. Strategies include ways to meet the state's requirement of recycling 75 percent of its waste by 2038 and align with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's plan for the metro area.

An open house to discuss the draft plan is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon on Nov. 18 at Burnhaven Library, 1101 County Road 42 West, Burnsville.

Erin Adler

County parks schedule deer hunts

The county will close three parks this fall at selected times to hold controlled archery, muzzleloader and shotgun deer hunts. The hunts help control the deer population, reducing damage to crops and gardens, the number of car-deer collisions and the spread of deer-borne diseases.

They also reduce the amount of native ground plants and shrubs the deer eat. More diversity in those plants improves habitat for other wildlife, according to a county news release. Hunt participants are picked by lottery and must attend an orientation.

Lebanon Hills Regional Park will be closed all day Nov. 6, Nov. 13 and Nov. 20 and reopen at noon on Nov. 7, Nov. 8, Nov. 14, Nov. 15, Nov. 21 and Nov. 22.

Miesville Ravine Park Reserve will close all day from Nov. 18-26 and Dec. 2-10.

Spring Lake Park Reserve will close on the park's west end from Nov. 10-12 and Nov. 17-19. The Schaar's Bluff area will stay open on these dates.

Erin Adler

Dakota County

Rotating winter shelter needs volunteers

The county hired Matrix Housing Services to run a homeless shelter this winter for single adults over 18, from Nov. 1 through March 2018. The shelter, which will rotate among several south metro churches, needs volunteers to serve dinner, help out in the evening or overnight, or donate supplies or money.

The shelter needs groups to plan, buy and make meals for 60 people, to be served at 7 p.m. To sign up, go to: http://bit.ly/2A79aBU.

Aides are necessary to help out at the shelter between 5:45 p.m. and 10 p.m. and overnight between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. Evening aides open the shelter, check in guests, distribute supplies, talk with guests and help with cleaning. Overnight aides set out breakfast, wake up guests, do laundry and close the shelter. There is usually some time to sleep.

Aides must pass a background check and attend training. To sign up, go to: http://bit.ly/2iSW0oa

Supplies and monetary donations are also needed, as it costs $1,300 to run the shelter every day. To see what is currently needed, go to: http://bit.ly/2lBxBV0.

People seeking shelter should call 651-319-2153 to be screened for a bed.

Erin Adler