West metro town briefs

Humane Society volunteers needed The Animal Humane Society needs volunteers, especially at its Buffalo facility. The society has opportunities for volunteers ages 16 or older who are willing to make a one-year commitment of at least six hours a month.

Jobs range from dog walking to cat socializing, from administrative support to gardening. Foster care volunteers also are needed for sick, nursing and young animals being readied for adoption.

To register as a volunteer, e-mail volunteer@animalhumanesociety.org or call 763-432-4833 . Volunteers need to attend a volunteer information session where applications will be available. Information is available at www.animalhumanesociety.org.

The society has five locations in the Twin Cities, including Buffalo, Coon Rapids, Golden Valley, St. Paul and Woodbury. The Buffalo site is at 4375 Hwy. 55 SE.

The Animal Humane Society also is holding its 14th annual book sale Feb. 5-8 at both its Golden Valley and Woodbury locations. Proceeds will go to support the care of animals at all five of the society's facilities.

Available will be thousands of hardcover and paperback books including fiction, nonfiction. CDs and DVDs, VHS tapes and vinyl records will also be on sale. Most items will be priced from $1 to $3.

Hours are 5 to 8 p.m. On Feb. 5 a $5 admission will be charged for opening night only. Other days the hours are 12-8 p.m. Feb. 6; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 7, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 8.

For more information, call 763-432-4842 or e-mail infoevents@animalhumanesociety.org.

Recipes for love The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is sponsoring cooking classes this winter.

• Love in the Garden on Valentine's Day at the Arboretum's Marion Andrus Learning Center features "Love-enhancing" cooking classes including Luscious Chocolate Truffles, 1-3 p.m., $30/$40, a hands-on class with truffle connoisseur Eric Borm; Body Butter, 3:30-5 p.m., $25/$35, a class onhow to create your own body butter from an assortment of oils, shea butter, beeswax, herbs and aromatic essential oils; Aphrodisiacs pour l'Amour Dinner Demo, 5:30-8 p.m., $40/$50, a tutorial on how to woo your sweetheart with a dinner of "love foods."

• Skin Spa Morning, Feb. 21, 9-11 a.m. at the Marion Andrus Learning Center. Learn how to de-stress yourself with herbal spa treatments you can make. $30 member/$40 nonmember.

Call 952-443-1422 to register or visit the website at www.arboretum.umn.edu for more information about these and other classes at the arboretum.

Young's self-published Christian book has become a phenomenon in the 18 months since its publication. There are 3 million copies in print, it has been No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list of paperback trade fiction for 34 weeks, and it soon is to be published in 30 languages.

The event is part of a series called "Nudge the World" organized by Terry Esau. Admission is $10 at the door. For more information, contact Esau at www.terryesau.com or call 952-457-4858.

Summer Arts Camp for Kids The Minnetonka Center for the Arts has begun registration for its 2009 Summer Arts Camp for Kids visual arts program.

The 12-week summer program June 8 through Aug. 28 includes 56 visual arts classes for kids age 5 to 12, with 33 new classes this year.

There also will be nine Summer Arts Camp classes for teens ages 13 to 15.

Classes are age-appropriate for girls and boys.

Campers can participate in half-day or full-day sessions.