West metro news briefs: Plymouth hosts jazz event

Plymouth and the Plymouth Arts Council will hold an adult-only fine jazz performance Oct. 25.

"Jazz Impressions" will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Plymouth Creek Center Black Box Theater. It will feature the jazz group Shoop! as well as chocolate, wine and other beverages for sale.

Tickets cost $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Preregistration is appreciated. Attendees must be 18 or older. To register, call 763-509-5200 or visit www.plymouthmn.gov.

The Plymouth Parks and Recreation Department will hold its second-annual Plymouth Pet Expo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Plymouth Creek Center Fieldhouse, 14800 34th Av. N.

The expo will feature more than 30 vendors specializing in pet care, pet rescues, merchandise and other products and services.

Twin Cities Disc Dog Club will hold the Skyhoundz DiscDogathon, a Frisbee competition, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Plymouth Police Department will hold K-9 demonstrations at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The event will also feature rabbit agility. Bouncy inflatables will be available for children, and Jake's City Grille will sell food.

Cost is $3; ages 12 and younger free. Proceeds will benefit the Plymouth Dog Park. For safety reasons, no pets will be allowed. For more information, call 763-509-5200 or go to www.plymouthmn.gov/PetExpo.

The musical based on Victor Hugo's classic story of the French Revolution will be presented with a full orchestra. Shows are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (except Nov. 16, when the show will be at 2 p.m.) and at 2 p.m. Sundays.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for seniors and $28 for ages 25 and under. Call 952-563-8575 or order online at btacmn.org.

The arts center is located at 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road in Bloomington.

The 37th Annual Members' Juried Art Exhibition opens Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Bloomington Art Center and runs through Nov. 24.

Always a varied and eclectic collection show, the event features many mediums, styles and techniques. Artwork will be juried by Groveland Gallery Director Sally Johnson, who will select pieces for awards, including Best of Show Award. An opening reception with awards is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m.

A free two-part class, "Story and Memory Writing," will be taught next week by award-winning fiction writer Alida Winternheimer in St. Louis Park.

The first class will be held at the St. Louis Park Library on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and the second will be held at the Lenox Center on Wednesday, Oct. 23. Both classes will run from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Registration deadline for the class is Oct. 16. For more information, go to www.slp communityed.com.

The Garden by the Woods is planning fall events to take place in October, with a weekend of family activities scheduled Oct. 18-19 in addition to classes and weekend movies.

A petting zoo will open at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, followed by two spooky movies — "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" and "Shaun of the Dead" will begin at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 19, there'll be family activities throughout the day.

The Maple Grove Farmers Market wraps up this month with special events.

The market is open outside the Community Center from 3 to 6 p.m. on two Thursdays, Oct. 17 and Oct. 24. Special events include free pumpkins provided with donation of a fresh or canned item to the CROSS Food Shelf on Oct 17, and a pumpkin decorating contest 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 24; prizes will be awarded for best-carved and best-painted pumpkins.

Moving is not easy, especially for seniors and their families. So the Calvary Cooperative Center, a senior living community in Golden Valley, is offering a seminar, "Senior Moves Made Easy," from noon to 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24.

A panel of experts will address concerns about moving, packing, staging, real estate and other factors in making a move. The free seminar will be followed by a complimentary lunch.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Calvary Center Cooperative at 763-544-1090 or www.calvarycooperative.org.

Keenan was a Minnetonka school board member and treasurer, and helped pass an $81 million referendum. She also served on the board of the WCA Foundation, which supports women's self-sufficiency, and Teens Alone in Hopkins, which provides free counseling to teens in crisis.

The ICA Food Shelf is a social service agency offering food, financial assistance, job counseling and referrals to families in the western suburbs of Minneapolis. For more information, go to www.icafoodshelf.org.

Plymouth police will hold a "Home Alone" session for parents to learn how to evaluate whether a child can be left home alone and how to prepare homes for child safety.

The event will take place from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Plymouth Public Safety Building. Cost is $5 per adult. Class size is limited to 30 participants. Register by calling 763-509-5198.

Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive magazine, will speak on at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, at the Annual Peace Celebration of the Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Av. in Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers, founded in 1995, describes itself as "a nonpartisan coalition of over 70 peace, justice, environment and UN-advocacy organizations." Its website is www.mapm.org.