Town briefs

City says 'heads up' on behalf of pedestrians Burnsville is launching a public campaign aimed at getting drivers to pay more attention to people on foot seeking to cross the street -- especially kids.

An "I Brake for People" bumper sticker is among the more visible elements of an information campaign that includes brochures in water bills and messages in the city newsletter and on cable TV.

The heart of the message, officials say: "Drivers need to slow down and stop for pedestrians at both marked and unmarked crossings and allow children, older adults and all members of our community adequate time to safely cross the street."

The campaign asks motorists to pay particular attention to kids, whom it describes as "particularly vulnerable in traffic due to developmental factors that limit their ability to determine the speed of a vehicle or direction of a sound."

For more information or to get a bumper sticker, contact Bonnie Buck at 952-895-4536.

Ex-superintendent joins action council Retired schools superintendent Ben Kanninen has taken on a new role with the Community Action Council. Kanninen, who formerly held the top job in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District, will be the senior director for school success at the nonprofit organization, which provides a variety of family and community support services in Scott and Dakota counties.

Boat launch closing next month for work The Sand Point Beach boat launch in Prior Lake is to close early in September and will remain closed until November.

Work is going to be done on both the approach road and the ramp. A precise date of closure will be posted at the access area in the weeks to come.

Contact Martha Reger, Department of Natural Resources Area Trails and Waterways Supervisor, 952-826-6769, to learn more.

Pros and amateurs at city dance festival Local students and professional dancers will perform today at the Lakeville City Ballet's fifth-annual summer dance festival. The event begins at 7 p.m. at Lakeville South High School, 21135 Jacquard Av. It's open to the public with a $5 donation at the door. An ice cream social and silent auction will follow the performance.

For more information, call 952-432-7123.

Celebrating the joy of smoke-free air To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the state's smoke-free law, a Dakota County group is inviting local artists to show their support for the Freedom to Breathe Act by submitting original artwork. The contest is dubbed "Smoke-Free in Symbols: A Creative Expression Challenge."

The artists can express the importance and benefits of smoke-free air through original works in theater, dance, writing, words, drawing, sculpture, paint, photography or another medium, organizers said.

Winners will be recognized at a reception in October and will be invited to exhibit locally from Oct. 17 through Nov. 21, though the group does not help sell the art.

Contestants must live in Dakota County. The deadline is Sept. 23. For more information and an entry form, go to www.smokefreedakota.org. You can also e-mail organizer Diane Tran at dtran@ smokefreedakota.org, or call 651-789-0036.

FROM STAFF REPORTS