West metro town briefs

Air quality forum set for Feb. 24Air quality, indoor and outdoor, will be the subject of a free public forum from 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 24 at Plymouth Congregational Church, Franklin and Nicollet Avenues in Minneapolis.

Mayor R.T. Rybak will give the keynote address. Other speakers will include Greg Pratt, a research scientist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Paul Kubic, a respiratory and critical care doctor, and Jean Johnson of the Minnesota Department of Health, who will discuss health implications of polluted air; and Kathleen Schuler of the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy, who will discuss consumer product questions.

The forum is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Minneapolis and the Caring for Creation Working Group at Plymouth Church, along with other participating groups.

Libraries' program for homebound laudedThe Hennepin County Library system last week received a national award for delivering books and materials to patrons who can't get to the libraries due to disability or confinement.

The 2011 Exceptional Service Award from the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies will be awarded to the Hennepin library's Outreach Services division at a national library conference in New Orleans this summer.

The award recognizes service "to persons who are homebound, to inmates, to older adults, and adults with a physical or mental disability, who live in group homes or residences," according to the association.

Outreach Services provides small library collections at senior assisted-living homes, nursing homes and rehab centers. The At Home Service mails or delivers library materials to homebound residents who are often disabled and don't have Internet access. About 825 readers checked out more than 40,000 books and other materials last year.

For more information on Outreach Services, click on www.hclib.org/pub/info/outreach.

Forums to spread word on recyclingHennepin County will hold three community forums in coming weeks on how to do more recycling and composting. County research indicates that residents are recycling slightly more than half of what they could.

The forums will be held:

• 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Hamel Community Building, 3200 Mill Drive, Medina;

• 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at Bloomington Civic Plaza, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington;

If you want to attend one of the forums, call 612-348-4168. Registrants will receive a reusable cloth bag. For more information, click on www.hennepin.us/recycling.

Foundation accepting funding applicationsMarch 25 is the deadline for applications for the Eden Prairie Foundation's grants and scholarships.

The foundation offers grants to encourage the development of nonprofit or tax-exempt programs that will "make Eden Prairie a better place to live and work."

Scholarships are awarded for post-secondary education to graduating high school seniors who are residents of Eden Prairie or graduating from Eden Prairie High School. The foundation encourages students who might not be in line for other scholarships to apply. High GPA and class rank are not required, though steady or recent improvement in grades will be emphasized, along with setting goals, overcoming obstacles and success through hard work.

Application forms are available at the Eden Prairie City Center front desk and at www .edenprairiefoundation.org. Scholarship applications also are available in the Career Resource Center at Eden Prairie High School.

The foundation's biggest fundraiser each year is the annual Eden Prairie Foundation Ball, which this year will be held at 6 p.m. March 26 at the Minnetonka Marriott Southwest. This year's ball will mark the foundation's 30th anniversary with the theme "Rockin' Eden," a black-tie rock 'n' roll event.

For tickets or more information, go to www.edenprairie foundation.org.

Bocce tournament for Special OlympicsA bocce tournament on ice is being organized as a fund-raiser for Special Olympics Minnesota at 3 p.m. Saturday at Pinstripes Bowling Bistro, 3849 Gallagher Drive in Edina.

The event will feature teams competing on the frozen surface of Centennial Lakes.

Registration, which will cost $80 per team, will begin at 2 p.m. at the restaurant, or go to www.kfan.com or www.specialolympicsminnesota.org to register online.

Heart health lecture at The Marsh Feb. 22The Marsh Physician Lecture Series will feature Dr. Robert Schwartz discussing "What You Need to Know about Coronary Disease" at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Schwartz is a senior consulting cardiologist for the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. He will focus on causes of coronary artery disease and discuss how a heart attack happens while providing tips for creating an action plan to keep hearts healthy. Cost will be $10 per person. Register online at www. themarsh.com or by calling 952-935-2202.

Park board OK's master trail plan draftThe Three Rivers Park District board has approved a draft master plan for its Twin Lakes Regional Trail. Now the public can weigh in.

The plan was developed for the 4.5-mile multi-use trail from the Crystal Lake Regional Trail in Robbinsdale through Brooklyn Center. The trail will connect to the Shingle Creek Regional Trail and North Mississippi Regional Park. Some segments of the trail already are complete, while others are under construction and some are still in the planning stages.

The Twin Lakes Regional Trail Task Force guided the planning process. Copies of the master plan are available at www.threeriversparks.org or at the park district's administrative center at 3000 Xenium Lane N. in Plymouth. They also are available at the Brookdale and Rockford Road libraries.