South metro town briefs

Skating club seeks more members The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is taking advantage of Winter Olympics awareness to invite its neighbors to join a new figure skating club at its ice center near the Mystic Lake casino.

The nonprofit Dakotah! Figure Skating Club, just a few months old, is being led by figure skating coach Trudy Oltmanns.

Oltmanns' 12-year-old daughter Olivia is a club member, and with former partner Tyler Broderick, Olivia was national intermediate pairs champion at U.S. junior nationals in 2008 and 2009. She and new partner Joshua Santillan competed at the U.S. Figure Skating Nationals in Spokane this year, placing sixth.

Memberships cost $150 a year. The tribe says it hopes to offer sponsorships to talented skaters who can't afford to pay the full price.

Contact Trudy Oltmanns at 952-496-6856 or Tina Van Cleve at tina6797@aol.com for more information.

A chance to meet the 'Voice of the Gophers' Gopher sports aficionados may want to stop by the Robert Trail Library in Rosemount on March 2 to meet Ray Christensen -- the longtime voice of Minnesota Gophers football and basketball.

Christensen will be at the library at 6:30 p.m. to speak about his sports writing and announcing career. He is the author of "Ray Christensen's Gopher Tales" and an autobiography, "Golden Memories."

SmartLink transit service now available Scott and Carver Counties have launched their new SmartLink transit service, a revised version of a dial-a-ride service that can transport any resident of either county anywhere they want to go in the seven-county metro.

One big change in the new merged service is that fares are based on mileage traveled, officials say.

Up to 10 miles, it's $2.25 one-way. Between 10 and 20 miles, it's $4.50. For 20 or more miles, it's $6.75. That means a Prior Lake resident heading to Rainbow Foods in Savage, who used to pay $3.50 (the price for seniors) or $4 (full freight), now will pay just $2.25.

Persons getting Medical Assistance may check to see if they can get free transport to medical appointments. That can cover your own mileage, transportation provided by a friend, or a county bus. To learn more, call 952-496-8341 or visit www.smartlinktransit.com.

Gear up for spring with 'Garden Fever' The arrival of spring next month will bring the Scott/Carver Master Gardeners' 12th annual "Garden Fever" event.

Keynote speaker will be Bud Markhart, a professor at the University of Minnesota, who will address "growing, buying and supporting organic food," including hints on ways to cut down on pesticides in your garden.

Other topics will include native wildflowers, creating garden art from prunings, garden design, stretching the gardening dollar and ornamental containers. A continental breakfast and lunch are included in the $30-per-person fee. To sign up, contact the Scott County Extension Office by March 12 at 952-492-5410.

Coping if city services should be cut off Residents of Shakopee and nearby townships are invited to take part in a training exercise to learn what to do if a major emergency were to cut off city services.

The registration deadline is March 4 for a nine-week series hosted by the Shakopee Fire Department's Community Emergency Response Team program. Training will include disaster preparedness, basic medical operations, light search and rescue, and terrorism. And there will be a simulation exercise.

The classes will take place at the Shakopee Fire Station, 2700 Vierling Drive E., on Thursdays beginning March 11 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Learn how real police work compares to TV Police will contrast entertainment with reality at an event dubbed "CSI: Lakeville," to be held at the Heritage Library on Monday.

Dakota County prosecutor Cheri Townsend, Lakeville Police Chief Tom Vonhof and Sgt. Andy Bohlen will discuss "the expectations that cutting-edge scientific techniques place on local law enforcement."

The event is free. See www.dakotacounty.us/library or call 952-891-0370 for more information. The library is located at 20085 Heritage Drive.