South metro town briefs

Learning center will get statewide award Savage's new McColl Pond Environmental Learning Center will get a statewide award on Thursday as the most innovative parks and recreation initiative of the year.

The Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association will give its Tommy Johnson Award to the city at its annual awards luncheon. The award is given to the best among seven "awards of excellence" winners handed out previously.

The center opened in 2009, thanks in part to a $500,000 grant from the Jeffers Foundation, in the city's Community Park. It's made of recycled materials and features a green roof and rain gardens to filter water, and geothermal and passive solar devices to heat and cool it. It's surrounded by native prairie grasses, walking trails, a playground and picnic shelter, woods and a pond with a fishing pier.

For rentals for events or other information, go to www.cityofsavage.com or call 952-224-3420.

New fares, rules for dial-a-ride service The dial-a-ride transit service in Scott County has a host of new hours and new rules, now that it has merged with Carver County's.

Dubbed SmartLink Transit, the new service is now:

• Doing pickups and drop-offs as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 7 p.m. weekdays.

• Providing a pickup window of up to 30 minutes, a wait time of three minutes, and cancellations until one hour before pickup.

There's also a new system of fares, based on distance. The one-way fares: Trips of less than 10 miles cost $2.25, 10 to 20 miles is $4.50, and over 20 miles is $6.75. Group discounts are available.

The number for rides is 952-496-8341.

Meanwhile, officials say, the conventional express service to downtown Minneapolis from Scott County, BlueXpress, is adding new routes and pickup times. Visit www.bluexpressbus.com or call 952-496-8800 to learn more.

Winter reading The county libraries are encouraging adults to curl up with a good book through the Winter Jackets reading program.

The Winter Jackets program also includes discussions with authors, including a session on mysteries with William Kent Krueger and Mary Logue at the Heritage Library in Lakeville from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 6. On Feb. 21, Dr. Paul Linde, author of "Danger to Self: On the Front Line with an ER Psychiatrist" will be at the Pleasant Hill Library in Hastings from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Participation in Winter Jackets is free. For more information go to the libraries' website, www.dakotacounty.us/library or call 651-450-2943.

Electronics recycling fee lifted for residents Electronics recycling is free once again for Dakota County residents who drop items off at the Recycling Zone in Eagan.

The county dropped its 35 cents-per-pound charge Jan. 2, saying it will make it easier for people to comply with a state law requiring that old electronics be recycled. Electronics, such as televisions, mp3 players and computers, contain a variety of hazardous materials, including lead and mercury.

Businesses will still be charged 35 cents per pound.

Tryouts for teen talent show are Jan. 26 Teens in grades 6-12 are invited to audition for the Mid-Winter Fest talent show in Apple Valley.

Signup will begin at 6:30 p.m. and auditions will start at 7 p.m. on Jan. 26 at the Apple Valley Community Center, 14603 Hayes Road. Performers and groups, which can have a maximum of 15 members, can sign up for 5-minute time slots to audition. The talent show finals will be held Feb. 6 at the community center. There is no fee to audition, but performers who make the cut will be asked for a $20 deposit to hold their place in the show.

Call Apple Valley Parks and Recreation at 952-953-2300 for more information.

Jazz performance The 10-member jazz group "Shoop!" will perform at the Lakeville Area Arts Center at 7:30 p.m on Saturday, promising "jazz standards in fresh, complex harmonies and arrangements," according to a news release.

Tickets are $15 and are available at the arts center, 20965 Holyoke Av. Call 952-985-4640 for more information.

Tickets are on sale for $25 and $38 for reserved seating. To order, see www.ticketmaster.com, call 1-800-982-2787, or visit the PAC box office at 12600 Nicollet Av. The PAC is online at www.burnsvillepac.com.

Screening of film on kids with disabilities A free screening of a documentary about school and social inclusion of kids with disabilities will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 28 at St. John's Lutheran Church, 500 W. 3rd St.

The showing of "Including Samuel," an award-winning film that chronicles a family's efforts to include their disabled son in every facet of their lives, is sponsored in part by the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative and is presented by Parents Meeting Parents, a program of the Northfield Area Family YMCA.

Discussion groups for kids, teens, professionals, businesses and parents will follow the 58-minute film. Free child care will be offered, but parents must register by Jan. 25 to ensure the availability of staff. Call 507-645-0088 or see www.northfieldymca.org to register for child care. For more information about the event, call Lisa Malecha at 507-663-8806, extension 203, or e-mail lmalecha@artech.k12.mn.us.

Snocross racing The Air Force National Snocross event will be held Jan. 22-23 at Canterbury Park.

Tickets for full weekend passes are $15-$40 in advance and $20-$40 at the gate. Single day passes and group rates also are available. For more information or to buy tickets, call 1-877-497-0823 or see www.isocracing.com.