West news briefs: Chanhassen commission seeks to fill vacancies

The city of Chanhassen is seeking applications from residents to fill vacancies on planning, environmental, senior, and park and recreation commissions for terms beginning in April. No experience is required.

Applications and more information about the commissions — including the length of terms for each — are available on the city's website. Applications are due Feb. 6.

Edina is seeking candidates for the city's 10 citizen boards and commissions. Applicants must be at least 18 and Edina residents; applications are due by Jan. 30. Interviews will be held in February, with terms beginning in March. Most terms are three years.

To learn more or to apply, go to EdinaMN.gov/advisory-boards-commissions.

The 2015 North American Pond Hockey Championship will take place on Lake Minnetonka Jan. 23 to 25.

The seventh annual tournament, presented by Cambria, features up to 70 men's and women's hockey teams and raises money for several local charities. It will take place on Lake Minnetonka's Excelsior Bay just outside Maynard's Restaurant. The tournament also will include live music.

Money raised by the hockey games and concerts will benefit Defending the Blue Line, a nonprofit that helps children of military members, and the Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota chapter of the ALS Association. The Flurry Scurry 5K walk/run on Jan. 25 will support DinoMights, a Minneapolis nonprofit.

Registration has begun for the Hennepin County Citizens Academy, a free seven-session course designed to give residents an overview of the county's work. Participants must be at least 18.

Citizens Academy participants learn about county services, meet county leaders and elected officials, and get behind-the-scenes tours of facilities, including a public safety facility, a library and the public works facility.

Sessions will be held at locations throughout the county and run weekly on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m., March 25 to May 13.

For more information or to register, go to www.hennepin.us/citizensacademy. Registration will end Feb. 23 or whenever the session fills.

The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove will host a kickoff event Feb. 5 for the Twin Cities Heart Walk on April 25.

The cost is $10 per piece; 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the American Heart Association. For preregistration, which is required, call 763-424-0504, extension 0.

The Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners raised more than $2 million in its recent annual "Sleep Out" campaign, which supports providing.

The nonprofit said the campaign will allow the organization to help 1,875 west metro families with housing, employment, child care, food and transportation needs in the coming year.

To learn more, go to iocp.org.

The Minnetonka Fire Department will host a free CPR and AED training class on Feb. 9.

Residents interested in learning the skills can also attend a walk-in session between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Feb. 13, 18, 23 at the Ridgedale Service Center, 12601 Ridgedale Dr.

Hennepin County is accepting applications for two openings on the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District board.

The positions — Jeff Casale's and Sherry Davis White's, both of whom are seeking reappointment — start in March. The deadline to apply is Feb. 19.

The watershed district, one of Minnesota's largest financially, is run by a district administrator and governed by a seven-person board of managers. Hennepin County commissioners appoint six managers and Carver County appoints one manager. The openings, which are three-year terms, are part of broader leadership changes in the watershed, including a new district administrator and citizens advisory committee.

Applicants may not be a public officer of the county, state or federal government, but must live in the watershed district, which covers parts of Excelsior, Greenwood, Long Lake, Minnetonka Beach, Mound, Orono, St. Bonifacius, Spring Park, Tonka Bay, Wayzata, Deephaven, Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Independence, Maple Plain, Medina, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Minnetrista, Plymouth, Richfield, St. Louis Park, Shorewood and Woodland.

Israeli singer-songwriter Yehuda Katz will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at Beth El Synagogue.

Katz' mix of world music and soulful melodies modernizes Hassidic rock with a Grateful Dead twist.

Katz was the founder and leader of a popular Israeli rock and soul band called Reva L'Sheva.

The synagogue is at 5225 Barry St. W., St. Louis Park. Tickets and more information are available at www.besyn.org/yehudahkatz.

The 28th Annual Victoria Fire Relief Ice Fishing Contest will be held from 12:30 to 2:20 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1 on Steiger Lake.