South town briefs

Welcome spring The Velvet Tones will play a free public concert to herald spring's arrival. The show begins at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 15, at the Eastview High School Performing Arts Center, 6200 W. 140th St. in Apple Valley. The 60-member senior citizen choral group will perform its annual spring concert, along with 80 children in the Greenleaf Elementary Da Capo Choir. For more information, call 952-432-1081 or e-mail velvet.tones@gmail.com.

'Cabaret' at the PAC The Chameleon Theatre Circle will make its debut on Feb. 13 with "Cabaret," performed in the Black Box in the new Burnsville Performing Arts Center. The show will run through March 8.

Cabaret is set in the early 1930s, "when Germany is balanced on the edge of a bloody sword and a new regime is poised for a rise to power," according to a press release from VenuWorks of Burnsville LLC.

"But, inside Berlin's fashionable, if tawdry, Kit Kat Club, life is merry, the entertainment is superb, and the girls are beautiful," the release says. "When the lives of a young American writer and the club's most popular singer become hopelessly intertwined, the Kit Kat Club becomes the setting for romance, political intrigue and heartbreak.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors, and may be bought online at Ticketmaster or in person at the box office. For box office hours, call 952-895-4680.

For more information about Chameleon Theatre Circle, contact Nigel Linden at 612-747-6378 or go to www.chameleontheatre.org.

Job connections For those hunting for jobs, the Community Action Council is offering a place to foster new relationships and pursue a variety of volunteer opportunities while networking.

The free locations, open to the public, are in Burnsville at 501 E. Hwy. 13 (across from Burnsville High School), in Lakeville at 20730 Holyoke Av. and in Rosemount at 14551 Cimarron Av.

To learn more about the Community Action Council, call 952-985-5300 day or night, or go to www.community actioncouncil.org.

From village to 'burb Anyone curious about Lakeville's history is invited to a presentation by the local historical society.

"Lakeville Through the Years" will be presented at 7 p.m. on Monday at the Historical Society building at 210th Street and Howland Avenue. The PowerPoint and narrative lesson will cover the city's history from its origins as a mid-1800s village to the growing suburb it is today. It will also highlight the Lakeville Fire Department's history.

The event is part of the "One Book, One Lakeville" program that encourages everyone in the community to read and discuss a particular book. This year's book is "Population 485: Meeting your neighbors on siren at a time" by Michael Perry, who tells of his experience as a volunteer firefighter in a small town.

Test for radon gas Residents are being encourage to test their homes for radon gas, which has been found at unsafe levels in one in three homes that have been tested in Dakota County.

Radon gas occurs naturally in soil or rock and can seep into a home through cracks or small holes in the foundation. It is colorless, odorless and does not cause immediate symptoms of illness, but prolonged exposure can increase the risk of lung cancer.

Radon gas can be found in a variety of homes, old or new, well-sealed or drafty and with or without a basement. If radon tests reveal a problem, county staff members can make suggestions to address it and keep people safe.

Kits will be for sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 25 at the Dakota County Administration Center at 1590 Hwy. 55 in Hastings. The kits cost $5 to $10. For more information about radon or indoor air quality, visit www.dakotacounty.us or call 952-891-7552.

New use for building Arts advocates, musicians and the public are invited to a Feb. 19 open house at the former St. Joseph's church and school to give the city ideas about how to use the building.

The open house from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. will give the public a chance to view the buildings and give suggestions about its future. For more information, call Lisa Maurer at 651-322-6003.