West metro town briefs

The Bloomington Housing and Redevelopment Authority is running free home improvement seminars on July 10 and Aug. 7.

The July session is about options for indoor and outdoor LED lighting, including how to install it and use it under cabinets, in rooms and in the landscape. In August, the topic will be tile, including how to choose and install tile for floors and backsplashes.

Experts run these hands-on sessions, which will be held at 7 p.m. in the Rehearsal Hall at Bloomington Civic Plaza, 1800 West Old Shakopee Road The seminars last about 1 to 1½ hours. Drawings for door prizes follow the seminars.

For more information, visit www.BloomingtonMN.gov and search for "HRA workshop." Or contact Brian Duerwachter at 952-563-8939 or at bduerwachter@ BloomingtonMN.gov.

Bloomington's Human Services Division is hosting the exhibit "Homeless is My Address, Not My Name," from July 7 to Aug. 7.

The collection of 50 photos shares the first-person accounts of homeless Minnesotans. Twenty-five photos are accompanied by phone numbers that allow viewers to call to hear people's stories.

The exhibit is co-sponsored by St. Stephen's Human Services and will be located in the lobby of Bloomington Civic Plaza, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road

For more information, visit the city's website at http://bloomingtonmn.gov/ and search for "homeless" or call 952-563-8733.

Edina's Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC) is looking for volunteers to serve as facilitators at six Community Conversations to be held this fall.

Volunteers need to attend three two-hour training meetings over the summer and help facilitate three conversations, beginning in October. The conversations will help identify areas where Edina succeeds as a supportive community and areas where the city could improve. People from diverse economic, racial and social backgrounds are encouraged to attend. Information gathered from the sessions will go to the HRRC.

To learn more, contact Arnie Bigbee at arnieb1@me.com or 612-804-4660. Interested volunteers should submit an application at www.EdinaMN.gov/advisory-boards-commissions.

The Golden Valley Golf Classic, a major fundraiser for the city fund that helps needy residents, needs volunteers who can greet and register players, monitor golf holes and register scores, help with refreshments, take photos and clean up.

For more information, contact Sandy Werts at swerts@goldenvalleymn.gov or 763-512-2341.

The design of a Maple Grove truck station has earned a Minneapolis architectural company a 2014 Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects' Minneapolis chapter (AIA Minneapolis).

The award went to the Kodet Architectural Group for its design of the Minnesota Department of Transportation Maple Grove Maintenance and Truck Station. The award considers the design, the client/team satisfaction, technical innovation, environmental responsibility and community impact. The 108,000-square-foot MnDOT station in Maple Grove was completed in August 2013 as a hub for MnDOT.

The University of Minnesota prostate cancer support group will meet from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, at Hope Lodge, 2500 University Av. SE, Minneapolis. Dr. L.C. Cho, radiation oncologist from the university, will speak to the group, and a question-and-answer segment will follow. Wives, family members and friends are welcome. There is no charge, parking is free and light refreshments will be served. For more information, call 612-388-3588.

The 2014 Biennial Show at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts runs through July 31.

Featured artists include Michèle Coppin (http://michelecoppin.be), Nicolas Darcourt (http://nicolasdarcourt.com), Michael Eble (http://www.michaeleble.com), Raelee Edgar (http://www.raeleeedgar.com), Joan Bemel Iron Moccasin (http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=11294), Keren Kroul (http://www.kerenkroul.com), Polly Norman (http://www.pollynormanart.com), Tom Nye, Alonso Sierralta (http://www.alonsosierralta.com), Dieterich Spahn (http://dieterichspahn.com), Brooke Vertin (http://brookevertin.com).

For more information, go to www.minnetonkaarts.org.

Maps are on sale now for the Beautiful Garden Tour, which runs from 1 to 5 p.m. on July 12 and is sponsored by the Richfield Federated Garden Club and the city of Richfield.

The self-guided tour includes a community vegetable garden, a native plant garden, a straw bale garden, a garden with a water feature and more. Maps are $5 at Richfield community buildings and liquor stores. For more information, call Susan Rosenberg at 612-866-2683.

The Wayzata Library will host the Manduhai Circus on July 2. The local circus performers will present juggling, unicycle riding, acrobatics and hula hoops in the Mongolian circus tradition. Shows will be at 4 p.m. and at 5:30 p.m. at the library, 620 Rice St., with circus activities from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the garden. Attendees can bring lawn chairs or blankets. For information, contact the library at 612-543-6150.