West news briefs: Chanhassen mayor won't run again

Chanhassen Mayor Tom Furlong has announced that he will not run for another term as mayor. He was first elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2004, 2006 and 2010.

Council Member Denny Laufenburger has filed to run for mayor. He has served on the council since 2011.

During Furlong's tenure, Standard & Poor's upgraded the city's bond rating from A to AAA — the best rating available and a rating that fewer than 20 cities in Minnesota currently have. Money Magazine has consistently ranked Chanhassen among the top 10 on its "Best Places to Live" list. And in a recent citizens' survey, 97 percent of the respondents rated the city's quality of life as excellent or good.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum will salute its neighbors on Friday, when Carver County and Chanhassen residents can get in free all day with proof of residency.

The day will begin with a welcoming ceremony with refreshments at 9:45 a.m. in the Great Hall of the Oswald Visitor Center. Local government and Arboretum officials will offer brief remarks, followed by the distribution of gift bags on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors can enjoy the following offerings:

• "Nature in Glass: The Wonders of Craig Mitchell Smith": Thirty-two glass sculptures.

• "Butterflies: Beauty in Flight": An exhibit of live butterflies in the Snyder Building's Conservatory (fee is $3).

• Gardens of roses, perennials, hostas and annuals.

• The Maze Garden on Three-Mile Drive.

• Free guided walking tours of the gardens, departing the Oswald Visitor Center at 10:30 a.m.

A Golden Valley car dealership will host a free car show Aug. 16 of classic British cars.

The Royal British Car Show will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jaguar/Land Rover of Minneapolis, located at 8905 Wayzata Blvd. in Golden Valley.

The city of Eden Prairie is honoring 24-year-old Mandy Matula with a memorial in Miller Park.

The Eden Prairie woman disappeared in 2013 and her remains were found nearly six months later in a Stearns County Park. Authorities believe her ex-boyfriend shot her before killing himself.

Now, the city has put up a plaque honoring Matula in Miller Park, where she used to play softball and one of the last places she was alive. Next to the plaque will be a purple bench — Matula's favorite color —with a softball and her favorite No. 14. Matula had worked for the city as a seasonal park maintenance worker after graduating from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where she was a pitcher on the softball team.

The city of Plymouth is hosting a free "Kids Koncert" on Aug. 13, featuring a performance by musical group AlphaBits.

The event will take place at 11 a.m. at Parkers Lake Park, located at County Rd. 6 and Niagara Lane in Plymouth. AlphaBits, a musical duo of Chris and Sandy Hinding, performs songs geared toward preschool children.

The city of Plymouth will host four free movies at city parks this month and through September.

The family-friendly movies will start at dusk and are shown each year as part of the city's parks and recreation department's free "Entertainment in the Parks" series. The movies are sponsored by Abbott Northwestern- WestHealth. Curfew laws still apply and the movies could be canceled in inclement weather; call the weather hot line for more information at 763-509-5205.

The next two movies are:

• "Little Big League" on Aug. 15 at Zachary Playfield, 4355 Zachary Lane N. Attendees are encouraged to wear their Twins gear for a chance to win prizes. Rated PG.

• "Wizard of Oz," on Aug. 22 at the Parkers Lake Park Stage, 15500 County Rd. 6 and Niagara Lane. Rated G.

The University of Minnesota prostate cancer support group will meet from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14, at Hope Lodge, 2500 University Av. SE, Minneapolis. This session will be an open discussion forum. There is no charge. For more information, call 612-388-3588.