West news briefs: Boschwitz to speak to Republican seniors

Former U.S. Sen. Rudy Boschwitz will speak to the Republican Seniors of Minnesota at their monthly meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Also appearing will be Patricia Boyd Peerson, who represents the Minnesota Fallen Heroes Remembered calendar program. The 2015 edition will be available for purchase.

The Republican Seniors of Minnesota, a long-established group of Republicans aged 50 plus, convenes on the first Tuesday of every month for a 10 a.m. meeting, a featured speaker and lunch. They meet at Poor Richard's Commonhouse, 8301 Normandale Blvd. For more information, call 952-828-1943 or e-mail repseniorsmn@gmail.com.

The Charles H. Burwell House in Minnetonka will open for the holiday season next month.

The house, at 13209 E. McGinty Road, will be open for holiday tours on Sundays, taking place from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. Reservations aren't required and tours are free, though donations are appreciated. For groups of 10 or more people, advance notice is appreciated. For details, call 952-939-8207 or e-mail jlarson@eminnetonka.com.

The Carver County Board has approved a grant agreement with WeCAB, a nonprofit organization that currently provides transportation for residents of Mound, Minnetrista, Navarre, St. Bonifacius, and Maple Plain.

WeCAB will now provide transportation services not available through the public transit services of SmartLink and SouthWest Transit to the Chaska/Chanhassen/Victoria areas of eastern Carver County.

WeCAB operates using volunteer drivers and donations from riders. Riders must preregister with WeCAB before using the service. Suggested donations for rides are $2.50 per one-way trip in the service area and 50 cents per mile outside the service area. Drivers do not collect fares; instead, a piece of mail is delivered once a month asking for donations.

For more information on using WeCAB or becoming a volunteer driver, call 952-472-3222 or go to www.wecab.org.

Twin Cities Citizens' Climate Lobby meetings on Saturday, Nov. 1, will feature a presentation (by national conference call) by Charles Kennell, former director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Kennell recently co-authored an article in the journal Nature titled, "Climate Policy: Ditch the 2 °C Warming Goal." The article says, "New goals are needed. It is time to track an array of planetary vital signs — such as changes in the ocean heat content — that are better rooted in the scientific understanding of climate drivers and risks. Targets must also be set in terms of the many individual gases emitted by human activities and policies to mitigate those emissions."

Citizens' Climate Lobby is an organization with chapters across the United States and Canada. Locations of meetings across Minnesota are listed at www.citizensclimatelobby-mn.org.

Excelsior will celebrate a groundbreaking for the Kowalski's grocery store Oct. 30.

The much-anticipated grocery store, the first in the city since the mid-1980s, was announced in July. Construction started soon after, and now leaders will celebrate the official groundbreaking at 11 a.m. Oct. 30, 440 Water St.

The 14,994-square-foot building, which is expected to open March 1, will include the grocery store, a wine shop and Starbuck's where the former Mason Motors car dealership was located before closing after more than eight decades in business.

Facing the new grocery store will be a 20,000-square-foot retail and office building, at 400 Water St., which will house offices for Oppidan Investment Co., the developer for the property, on the upper level and retail on the first level.

Plymouth police are warning residents of two scams that have recently become common throughout the state.

A second scam, the black money scam, includes scammers in person or through an e-mail showing victims "black money" — which is the size and shape of U.S. currency. Scammers tell victims the money was painted in order to get it through customs undetected, and ask victims to purchase expensive chemicals from an accomplice in order to clean the paint off the money and, in exchange, offer a percentage of the money to the victim. Once a victim pays for the expensive fake chemical, the scammers leave them black money to clean, but the black money is only black carbon paper.

To report a scam, call the Plymouth Police Department at 763-509-5160 or e-mail police@plymouthmn.gov.

The city of Plymouth will host its annual "Halloween at the Creek" event this week.

The event will take place from 6-8:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Plymouth Creek Center, 14800 34th Av. The event will feature activities geared toward preschool- to early elementary-age children, including carnival games, inflatables, music, entertainment, prizes and treats. Costumes are encouraged, but the city requests no scary costumes.

Cost is $8 per person in advance, for children and adults, or $10 per person at the door. There is no cost for children ages 2 and younger. The event is sponsored by Abbott Northwestern WestHealth, Park Dental and TCF Bank. To register in advance, call 763-509-5200 or go to plymouthmn.gov, course No. 45796.

Teens Alone provides mental health and homeless support services in the west metro. The 915 and its services are aimed at youths who are homeless or from unstable family situations. The center runs on donations, and would particularly appreciate gifts of personal toiletry items.

Richfield United Methodist Church will host its second annual craft fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, in the fellowship hall of the church at 5835 Lyndale Av. S. The fair will feature many handmade crafts, as well as cash and carry items from home-based businesses, such as Tupperware, Thirty-one Gifts, Scentsy & Norwex and others.

Food will be available during the fair. Also open during the fair will be God's Hands Thrift Store, located inside the church, where all items are 25 cents.

The fair is hosted by the church's United Methodist Women group, which provides support to many organizations, including Emma Norton Services and Walker Methodist Services.

For more information, call 612-861-6086.

Laurie Hokkanen, assistant city manager in Chanhassen since 2006, will start her new job in Victoria Nov. 10. She succeeds Don Uram, who left in August to become director of administrative services in Wayzata. Ed Shukle, former city manager in Jordan, has been serving as Victoria's interim city manager until a permanent replacement was found.

Hokkanen was one of five candidates for the Victoria job. The others were Shukle; Kris Wilson, assistant city administrator in Shakopee; Mike Funk, former city administrator in Minnetrista, and Steven Wilke, city manager in Lake Mills, Wis.

Lowry Nature Center in the Carver Park Reserve in Victoria is hosting a moonlit walk from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 6.

Learn why some birds migrate for the winter and some stay. Look and listen for birds and other nighttime creatures on the guided walk.

The cost is $5, with a 20 percent discount for groups of four or more. This program is for ages 6 and over.