Town briefs

Local fashion shop goes nationwide Lillians, a purse and accessories shop nestled into the Main-Street settings of more than a dozen Midwest cities -- including Hopkins, Buffalo, Anoka and Waconia -- is now a national franchiser.

Co-owners and sisters Cindy Deuser and Sue Olmscheid, of St. Cloud and Buffalo, respectively, opened the first shop in 2005. After a quick succession of new openings -- at one point, they averaged an opening a month -- they began considering what it would take to franchise.

The shops, which sell reasonably-priced and "designer-inspired" purses, shoes and other accessories, are open just one weekend a month. They also host "diva dates" -- private in-store parties the week before a sale.

For more information about the franchises, visit www.lilliansshoppe.com/franchise.

Lions are gearing up for annual smelt fry The Brooklyn Park Lions Club is planning to order more than 2,100 pounds of smelt for its annual smelt fry in late April. The group bills the annual event as the world's largest smelt fry and says 1,888 people showed up last year. This year, the 46th, the Lions are planning for 2,000 people.

Lions Club secretary Andrew Reinhardt said that the smelt fry used to draw heavily on an older crowd but that attendance has risen in recent years, with more younger people coming.

Tickets are $9 to $9.50 or $5 for kids 12 and under. Proceeds go to the Lions, which funds several causes including the youth outreach group Treehouse. The smelt fry is to be held 5-8 p.m. April 23-25 at the National Guard Armory, 5500 85th Av. N, Brooklyn Park.

Ridgeview Foundation adds board members The Ridgeview Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia, has elected two new board members: Dr. Katherine Hacket of Lakeview Clinic and Keith Rachey, president of Inetium, LLC., a Pohlad family company.

Hacket is a graduate of Northwestern University Medical School and did her internship and residency at the University of Minnesota Pediatrics Program. She was selected as one of the "Top Doctors in the Twin Cities" in Mpls. St. Paul magazine's 2007 and 2008 listings.

Rachey founded Inetium, a provider of information technology strategy, solutions and services, in 1998. Before that, he spent more than 10 years in various leadership roles at General Mills.

Annual report is out Hopkins' 2007 Annual Report is now available on the city's website, which can be accessed through www.startribune.com/a4220, and at City Hall, 1010 S. 1st St.

Multicultural board to aid Hopkins police Hopkins is creating a police multicultural advisory committee as part of a partnership between Hennepin County and the Hopkins Police Department.

The committee will give advice and assistance to the Hopkins Police Department "to aid them in better serving, communicating with, and understanding the [people of] many cultures that reside in, work in, or visit the Hopkins area," according to an e-mail from the city.

The city seeks commission members who live or work in Hopkins, have experience with diverse populations, can bridge cultural gaps and have a "network within an ethnic or cultural community in the area," the e-mail said.

For more information, visit www.startribune.com/a4221 or contact Tsehai Wodajo at 952-584-6428 or tsehai@hopkinsmn.com.

HERÓN MÁRQUEZ ESTRADA, JENNA ROSS