South news briefs: Open house on trails off County Road 42

Dakota County is throwing an open house next Monday, Sept. 22, to share plans for biking and walking improvements on County Road 42.

The county, with Burnsville and Apple Valley, is working on about two miles of off-road trails along the north side of 42 from Nicollet Avenue in Burnsville to Elm Drive in Apple Valley.

The open house is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Monday at SouthCross Community Church, 1800 County Road 42 E., Burnsville.

Dakota County has $2.9 million in federal funds to design and construct what it's calling the County Road 42 Bikeway/Walkway Connection Project.

It will help, for instance, with passage over Hwy. I-35E.

For more information, visit www.dakotacounty.us and search County Road 42 trail.

Registrations are being accepted for the annual Scott County Senior Expo in October.

Keynote speakers are naturalist and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela and humorist Joan Kennedy. Kennedy will speak on "Rules of the Game of Life: As We Grow Older."

A fee of $12 includes continental breakfast, lunch, vendor booths and a chance to win prizes.

Here's how to register:

Online: http://parksandrec.ShakopeeMN.gov

In person: Forms are available at the Shakopee Community Center

Phone: Request a registration form by calling 952-233-9508

The annual Fall Festival stages by St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Jordan is coming up this weekend.

Events are Saturday and Sunday on the church grounds, 210 N. Broadway St.

Saturday begins with a 5K Jogging for Jesus run/walk at 8 a.m. Register with Yvonne Sopata at 952-492-3869 or y.shells@rocketmail.com. Registration is $20 and includes a T-shirt.

The band "Tone Control" will play from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., with refreshments.

A Polka Mass is at 10 a.m., and a dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets for adults are $12, for children $6.

Handmade quilts will be auctioned off at 3:30 p.m.

A day of free fun will be offered next week at the Scott County Historical Society, thanks to Smithsonian Magazine's "Museum Day Live" program.

The day will also include a reduced cost to visit the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley.

At the Shakopee museum, the event is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Saturday, Sept. 27. Activities include a make-and-take craft for kids, and a guided tour of the historic Stans House at 1 p.m.

As part of the same promotion, the zoo will offer a free child admission with any paid adult on that same day, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The zoo is touting "adorable fall babies," including moose calves, beaver kits, a porcupette, and lynx kittens.

Shakopee

The Canterbury Park Expo Center, 30,000 square feet for special events, trade shows and exhibits, is open.

Its first event, last week, was an Indian Market featuring Native American arts and crafts.

Canterbury Park attracts more than a million visitors annually, officials say, between its card casino, seasonal horse racing, concerts, craft shows and other special events.

The new space enables Canterbury to host multiple events at once, officials stressed.

The Indian Market took place at the same time as an Indian Horse Relay and the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby.

Upcoming events for the $2.5 million facility include a sports memorabilia show, the Twin Cities' Women's Expo, the Great Train Expo, and mixed martial arts events.

The Expo Center was designed by Out Of The Box Architecture of Lake Elmo.

Burnsville's City Council has approved an archery deer hunt in one park this fall.

Kelleher Park, in southwest Burnsville, was selected.

Coordinators are the Metro Bowhunters Resource Base, a nonprofit formed to assist metro officials with deer control while giving members a chance to hunt.

All participants have been selected, and officials assure the public that all hunters will have taken bow hunter training, passing a proficiency test before being allowed to hunt.

Hunts are from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 24-26; Oct. 8-10; Oct. 23-25; and Nov. 13-15.

For information, call 952-895-4574.