South metro town briefs

Assistant city manager leaving for Oregon job Scott Somers, assistant city administrator in Savage, is leaving to become the city manager of Reedsport, Ore., on the Pacific coast near Eugene.

The city council there approved his hiring by a vote of 5 to 1 over two finalists who were from the area; Somers' city government experience was a key factor.

"I've checked the websites to see where I might want to live," Somers told the local paper, the Umpqua Post. "But I was careful not to fall in love with anything for fear I might jinx myself."

Proof that Oregonians talk a lot like Minnesotans: A city council member told the paper, "I think he'll do pretty good."

He'll be leaving a town of about 25,000 for a town closer to 5,000.

Somers' last day in Savage will be Dec. 23. There are no plans at present to replace him, a city spokesman said; it is hoped his duties can be absorbed by others.

Bricks still available for Savage center Sales of engraved bricks as a fundraiser for Savage's soon-to-open McColl Pond Environmental Learning Center fell short in November, so the offer of matching funds from the Jeffers Foundation has been extended through the end of this month.

The sale of bricks to be placed on a walkway outside the building will take place until March, though not with the matching funds. Jeffers, which helped pay for the building, will match the sales of up to 100 bricks. More information is available on the city's website at www.cityofsavage.com.

Arts Center offering seat sponsorships The nonprofit Friends of the Burnsville Performing Arts Center is promoting "Sponsor a Seat" for Burnsville's new performing arts center, which opens Jan. 24 with national recording jazz artist Nick Colionne. The program allows you put a name on a seat in the main stage theatre. Seats are available for $500 and are good for five years. The plaques with the names will be on the bottom front of each seat near the seat number, and will provide enough space for two engraved lines of characters, said Roger Swanson of VenuWorks of Burnsville LLC, which manages public facilities.

Donors can purchase sponsorships online at www.fobpac.org. Donors sponsoring a seat before New Year's Eve also will be permanently honored as a charter member of the Performing Arts Center on a large panel on the donor wall in the main lobby.

The center also will serve as home for arts groups and will provide exhibition space for local artists in a special gallery, as well as hosting touring concerts, Broadway theatricals, dance recitals, comedy shows and more. Visit the center's website at www.burnsvillepac.com for an events calendar and information on sponsorships and tickets.

Later this month, tickets will go on sale for a Broadway musical, "Church Basement Ladies," running Feb. 3-8, which will feature William Christopher, who played Father Mulcahy on the TV show "M*A*S*H."

The church also hosts a military support group for families whose loved ones are on deployment in all branches of the service. Packages are prepared for troops serving overseas during some meetings. Everyone is welcome. The group meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. the second and fourth Monday of each month.

Applications accepted for senior housing Senior citizens with limited incomes looking for a new place to live can start applying for a spot at Crossroads Commons, under construction in Lakeville.

The Dakota County Community Development Agency is accepting applications for the 87-unit affordable senior housing development on Glasgow Avenue behind the Crossroads Shopping Center east of Cedar Avenue and south of Dodd Boulevard. The building, set to open by fall 2009, will feature underground heated parking, a community room with a kitchen, a fitness room, a club room and a screened porch. The entire building and grounds will be smoke free.

Eligible seniors must have a maximum income of $43,050 for a one-person household or $49,200 for a two-person household. Rents, which include heat, water, sewer and trash fees, will be $542 for a one-bedroom apartment and $664 for a two-bedroom apartment.

To receive an application by mail, contact the Dakota County Community Development Agency at 651-675-4440 or visit the agency's office at 1228 Town Centre Drive in Eagan. Applications received by Dec. 31 will be entered in a drawing for placement on a waiting list. After that, applications will be placed on the waiting list in the order they are received.

The passes, which cost $5 for a day or $15 for the season, are required for everyone age 18 and up to use the county's cross country and skate-ski trails. Money from the sale of the passes will support grooming and maintenance for county ski facilities.

Seasonal and day passes can be purchased on the Dakota County website and during business hours at the county's Western Service Center and the Lebanon Hills Visitors Center. Seasonal passes can also be purchased by phone at 952-891-7000. Pay boxes will be available for day pass purchases at the Schulze Lake and the Schaar's Bluff Gathering Center trailheads.

Alaskan adventurer shares his stories Visitors to Lebanon Hills Regional Park on Jan. 13 can get a taste of the Alaskan wilderness.

Willie Karidis, former executive director of the Denali Education Center, will share his story about living among wolves in freezing temperatures in Denali National Park for 61 days in 2007.

Karidis' adventures were inspired 20 years ago by naturalist Charles Sheldon's book "The Wilderness of Denali" based on Sheldon's winter stay in Denali. Like Sheldon, Karidis took daily temperature readings, observed animals and kept a journal. He also photographed and recorded his experience on video.

Bluegrass group plays for the holidays The bluegrass group Monroe Crossing, recently inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, will be performing at the Lakeville Area Arts Center on Dec. 27. The show is one stop on a tour promoting their latest album, "Live From Silver Dollar City." The performance will also include seasonal samplings from Monroe Crossing's "Happy Holidays" album.

Tickets are on sale now for $17 at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, 20965 Holyoke Av. Or call 952-985-4640.

City recognizes two employees The city of Rosemount held a public reception Tuesday to say farewell and thanks to two departing city council members, Mike Baxter and Phillip Sterner.

Baxter resigned last month from his positions on the council and as chairman of the Rosemount Port Authority to become a district judge with chambers in Le Center, Minn. Sterner will leave the council at the end of this month and will be sworn in as a Minnesota state representative early in January.

Their replacements, Kurt Bills and Jeff Weisensel, were elected to four-year terms and will take office Jan. 6 at the first council meeting of 2009.