West metro briefs: Nine Mile Creek Watershed District unveils its new Eden Prairie headquarters

Watershed District to unveil new headquarters

The Nine Mile Creek Watershed District will unveil its new headquarters in Eden Prairie on Thursday, Sept. 24. The district will hold a grand opening, which is free and open to the public, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the new headquarters called Discovery Point, 12800 Gerard Dr. A free shuttle will be available at City Hill Church. The event includes food, kids' crafts, activities and tours. The property and original 1950 facility are on 5 acres overlooking the Cardinal Creek Conservation Area, which drains into Nine Mile Creek. The watershed district covers 50 square miles in the cities of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Richfield. For more details, go to ninemilecreek.org.

The 18th annual Plymouth on Parade will be held Saturday, Sept. 26. The free event will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a parade down Plymouth Boulevard from 34th to 37th Avenues, followed by free entertainment and family activities from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Hilde Performance Center. The events are organized by the city's Parks and Recreation Department and sponsored by Allina Health/Abbott Northwestern-West Health, Renewal by Andersen, Park Dental-Plymouth East & West, Life Time Fitness and Channel 12.

The Plymouth Fire Department will hold its 11th annual Firefighter 5K run/walk at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. Proceeds go to the Plymouth Firefighters Relief Association.

The race will start at 9 a.m., followed by a free kids' fun run at 10 a.m. at Fire Station II, 12000 Old Rockford Rd. Race-day registration and check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. Cost is $25. To register, pick up a form at City Hall, 3400 Plymouth Blvd., or go to active.com (query "Plymouth Firefighters").

For more information, call 763-546-9220 or e-mail pfdr5k@gmail.com.

A new police chief started the top job at the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department on Sept. 14.

Meehan, who spent two decades with Golden Valley police before Crystal, will oversee the 14-member department just after it has faced one of the most difficult crimes in its history — the murder/suicide of a Greenwood family.

Meehan grew up in Mound and was one of three finalists for the top police job.

The St. Louis Park Police Department invites you to enjoy coffee with a cop on Thursday, Oct. 1, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the McDonald's at 6320 W. Lake St. Ask questions, voice concerns and get to know the officers in your neighborhood. McDonald's is providing the coffee at no cost.

For more information, contact Officer Erin Nordrum at enordrum@stlouispark.org or call 952-924-2661.

Embrace the change of seasons Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lowry Nature Center in Carver Park Reserve, Victoria. Celebrate fall colors and migrating birds while taking a tractor-drawn wagon ride.

Wayzata's City Council picked a firm last week to lead design plans for the city's lakefront improvement project, the Lake Effect.

The city chose the Denver landscape architecture and urban design firm Civitas. The lakefront improvement project will be a "unifying destination project" encompassing the area between an old railroad building called the Section Foreman's House and Shaver Park, and between Lake Street and Lake Minnetonka.

The City Council will be asked to approve a contract with Civitas on Oct. 6; the proposed fee is $310,000.

The small city's downtown is cut off from its lakefront by BNSF tracks, so it's working to make the area more accessible and safer. To learn more, go to wayzatalakeeffect.com.