West metro town briefs: Bloomington seeks community center volunteers

The city's Human Services Division is seeking volunteers for a variety of positions, including lunch servers, flower club helpers, walking club leaders and Fare for All food program workers. The positions are at Creekside Community Center, 9801 Penn Av. S. and have time commitments ranging from three hours once a month to two to four hours per week.

A volunteer application and criminal background check are required. To apply or for more information, call 952-563-4944 or e-mail humanser vices@ci.bloomington.mn.us.

As part of Older Americans Month, Bloomington will host a seminar on arthritis with specialists from Abbott Northwestern Hospital and the Arthritis Foundation on Tuesday, May 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Creekside Community Center, 9801 Penn Av. S.

The free seminar will include presentations by a doctor and a Tai Chi instructor from Allina Health. Registration is required by calling 952-563-4944 or e-mailing reserva tions@ci.bloomington.mn.us.

Eden Prairie is accepting applications until May 23 from students who want to be part of the commissions program.

The 2014-15 program is open to any high school junior or senior who lives in Eden Prairie. It gives students an opportunity to learn about local government by serving on one of the five city commissions — the Conservation Commission, Flying Cloud Airport Advisory Commission, Heritage Preservation Commission, Human Rights and Diversity Commission and the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission.

Students can apply for a four-month term or a combined eight-month term. Applications are available online at www.bit.ly/1lzeKkk or at Eden Prairie City Center.

The task force is a six- to eight-month project, starting in July. Members will help with the proposal/development process, the selection of a consultant, presentation of the master plan before the Park Board and City Council, and other duties.

Interested residents should apply online at www.edinamn.gov/jobs. For more information, contact Ann Kattreh at 952-826-0430 or akattreh@EdinaMN.gov.

The Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society is seeking volunteers to help this summer.

Training will be provided by the museum; volunteers are needed from 3 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The museum opens June 7 and remains open into September. Contact Kathy Endres at 612-419-7296 or endreska@yahoo.com to volunteer.

More information is online at www.elmhs.org.

The session features a half-hour video by Twin Cities Public Television followed by a panel discussion and questions.

Panelists include Lauren Nietz, a licensed social worker with Washburn Center for Children; Renelle Nelson, coordinator of the Children's Mental Health and Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Project at PACER Center; and representatives from the Silver Ribbon Campaign, a student-led group from Minneapolis South High School that provides information, support, and stigma-busting regarding mental health issues.

The public is invited to two hearings and open houses this week on the Bottineau light-rail draft environmental impact statement.

Federal and state rules require that an environmental-impact statement be prepared for the proposed project. The statement discusses the purpose and need for the project and the alternatives being considered.

The proposed light-rail line would run 13 miles from Minneapolis through north Minneapolis to Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park.

Hennepin County and Three Rivers Park District are updating a countywide bicycle plan that reflects the growing popularity of cycling in the region, and are inviting residents to learn more this week.

Work on the plan began last year. County and park district staff will discuss the plan on Wednesday, May 7, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd., and Thursday, May 8, in the Doty Board Room at Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall.

For more information visit www.hennepin.us/bikeplan.

The Hopkins fire and police departments will host a child safety event on Saturday, May 17.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the Hopkins Fire Department, 101 17th Av. S. It will include child seat installation and inspection (call ahead for an appointment at 651-357-2798), water safety, bike safety (including bike helmets for $10), fire safety and Internet safety.

The once-a-year Special Cleanup Day for Minnetrista and Mound will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, at the city of Minnetrista administration office, 7701 County Rd. 110 W. Use this event to conveniently dispose of your spring-cleaning-related items.

There are small fees associated with recycling some items. The following items will be accepted: appliances ($10 each for most); batteries (no charge for household or car batteries); carpet ($1.25 per square yard); electronics ($5 to $20, depending on type and size); fluorescent bulbs (price based on size of bulbs); old furniture ($5 to $25 depending on type and size); scrap metal; used tires (price dependent on type and size), and household items.

Items not accepted are regular biweekly recycling items (newspaper, cans, cardboard, glass containers), yard waste, construction waste, hazardous waste (paint, oil thinners), insulation, wood and treated wood.

For more information, call 952-472-0603.

A University of Minnesota prostate cancer support group will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at Hope Lodge, 2500 University Av. SE, Minneapolis.

WeCAN invites the public to an open house celebrating 25 years of service in western Hennepin County.

It will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, May 16, at WeCAN, 5213 Shoreline Dr. The event will feature light appetizers, wine and punch, a wine cork pull and facility tours.

Donations will be welcome. All donations made by May 31 will be matched. See the www.wecan-help.org website for information.

WeCAN (Western Communities Action Network Inc.) is a nonprofit that provides basic human services to low-income individuals and families in Greenfield, Independence, Loretto, Maple Plain, Minnetonka Beach, Minnetrista, Mound, Rockford, Spring Park, St. Bonifacius, Tonka Bay and Orono.

Plymouth's Hilde Performance Center will host its first-ever paid outdoor concert next month.

Tickets cost $37 for general admission, $52 for VIP and $77 for VIP Golden Circle tickets, plus fees. To purchase tickets, call 1-800-514-3849 or go to www.suemclean.com or www.etix.com; tickets are also sold at the Electric Fetus, 2000 4th Av. S., Minneapolis.

For more information, call 612-343-8662 or go to suemclean.com/hilde.

On May 2, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office started enforcing a no-wake rule on Medicine Lake in Plymouth because of high water levels caused by recent heavy rains.

Signs will be posted at public access areas on the lake and the order will remain in effect until the water levels decrease and remain below an established high water mark of 889.4 feet for three consecutive days.

The cities of Plymouth and Medicine Lake adopted the slow/no-wake ordinance in 2001 to help protect the shoreline when water levels are unusually high.

The event will feature an alpenhorn and accordion church service and a schnitzel dinner served with spaetzle and red cabbage, grilled brats from Kramarczuk's served on Mackenthun's buns with Bavarian sauerkraut. Specialty beers also will be available.

There will be lots of children's activities and an eclectic market.

For more information or to order your schnitzel dinner tickets in advance, go to www.stpeterlc.org.