West metro town briefs: Bridging needs furniture donations

Bridging, a local nonprofit group that is the largest furniture bank in North America, needs gently used or new dressers, kitchen tables, night stands, end tables, coffee tables, bookshelves and upholstered furniture for families and people who are transitioning out of homelessness and poverty.

Those items are at a critical shortage this spring. Donors can drop items off or schedule a pickup for a fee.

Items can be dropped off at 201 W. 87th St. in Bloomington or at 1633 Terrace Drive in Roseville Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Pickups can be arranged by visiting bridging.org or calling 952-888-1105.

Bridging serves over 4,000 households each year. Over half of Bridging's clients were homeless, 85 percent have an annual household income under $15,000 and 60 percent of clients are families with children.

Rene Lynch, president of the Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota, will present "Make Your Own Fairy Garden Container" at 7 p.m. Monday, April 7, at St. Mark's United Church of Christ, 8630 Xerxes Av. S. This is a hands-on program, so preregistration is required by calling 952-361-6393. The registration deadline is Monday, March 31. The $12 fee covers the cost of plants and materials. Participants are asked to bring their own containers. The program is sponsored by Bloomington Affiliated Garden Clubs.

Chuck Slocum, president of the Williston Group and former executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership, will speak Tuesday, April 1, to the Republican Seniors of Minnesota at Poor Richard's Commonhouse, 8301 Normandale Blvd.

The long-established group of Republicans age 50 and up meets on the first Tuesday of each month. Coffee and discussion begin at 10 a.m., followed by the speaker, with lunch at noon. For more information, call 952-828-1943, or e-mail repseniorsmn@gmail.com.

The Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District is accepting comments and questions until April 7 from the public about new proposed rules.

The watershed district released proposed rules for its regulatory permitting program on Feb. 20. The rules apply to land and water resource-disturbing activities, and cover such areas as buffers for wetlands/lakes/creeks, flood plain management, erosion and sediment control, dredging and sediment removal, appropriation of surface and groundwater, stormwater management, shoreline and streambank stabilization and waterbody crossings.

Comments can be submitted before April 7 by e-mailing cbleser@rpbcwd.org or attending a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. March 19 at the City Center. For more information, go to www. rpbcwd.org or call 952-294-5976.

KSTP-TV sportscaster Joe Schmit will speak at the Edina Rotary meeting at noon Thursday, March 27, about his new book, "Silent Impact."

Meetings are open to the public and no registration is needed. The program fee of $18 includes lunch. For more information, go to edinarotary.org.

Representing the United States for the eighth consecutive year, Team Braemar won silver at the 2014 Spring Cup Synchronized Skating Competition in Italy last month.

Thirteen teams from around the world competed in the junior division. The Edina team finished behind a team from Finland.

The city of Plymouth and the Plymouth Arts Council will hold its 18th annual event, "Primavera Celebration of the Arts" April 4-7.

The free annual art exhibition will take place at the Plymouth Creek Center, 14800 34th Av. It will include fine art and entertainment by local and regional adult and high school artists. Exhibit viewing will be available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 5, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 6 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 7. A free opening reception will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. April 4, when winners of the juried mixed-media art show will be announced and musical entertainment will be provided by treVeld.

Medicine Lake Drive in Plymouth will be closed in both directions from 12th Avenue N. to 18th Avenue N. until the end of June.

The city closed the section starting Monday to replace the 1,100-foot retaining wall along Medicine Lake, which was built in 1989 and is in poor condition. The project is expected to wrap up by June 21 and until then, traffic will be detoured from Hwy. 55 to 26th Avenue N. and then back onto Medicine Lake Drive. Trail users have to use the Luce Line Trail near 12th Avenue N. and Forestview Lane. The retaining wall will be replaced with a new steel sheet pile wall that will allow the trail's width to be expanded from 8 feet to 10 feet in certain sections.

The additional width on the trail will improve safety along the heavily traveled roadway and trail. For more details, call 763-509-5200.

STAFF REPORTS