West news briefs: Energy experts to speak to GOP seniors

Energy policy experts William Glahn and Peter Nelson will speak to the Republican Seniors of Minnesota on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Their topic will be national energy policy and its effect on Minnesota.

Also speaking will be Keith Downey, chairman of Minnesota's Republican Party, who will present his analysis of the past election cycle.

The group meets at 10 a.m. at Poor Richard's Commonhouse, 8301 Normandale Blvd., for a business meeting, followed by a discussion period and coffee, then lunch at noon.

For more information, call 952-828-1943 or e-mail repseniorsmn@gmail.com.

South Lake Minnetonka Police Chief Bryan Litsey is retiring after three decades with the department.

He announced his retirement last week. An open house will celebrate his retirement from 3-7 p.m. Dec. 1 at Southshore Center, 5735 Country Club Rd. in Shorewood.

The department serves the cities of Excelsior, Greenwood, Shorewood and Tonka Bay. Litsey, who's been an officer for 37 years — 33 years with South Lake Minnetonka and 16 years as chief — will work full-time at Metropolitan State University's School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.

The event will take place from 3 to 6 p.m., with kiddie train rides, hot chocolate and cookies, visits with Santa, bonfires and a musical show on the train from Home Free, a Minnesota a cappella group that won NBC's "The Sing-Off" recently and country singer Kira Isabel​la.

There will also be reindeer sleigh rides from 3:30-5:30 p.m. All the events are free and open to the public, and all of the donations go directly to local food shelves. Since 1999, the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train has raised more than $9.5 million and 3.3 million pounds of food for food shelves across the United States and Canada.

For a list of the full schedule in Minnesota, go to cpr.ca/en/community/holiday-train.

The city is seeking residents to serve on the Planning Commission, Heritage Preservation Commission and Parks Commission. There is one open position on the Planning Commission and three each on the Parks and Heritage Planning Commissions. The deadline for applications is Dec. 3. Applications can be obtained at City Hall or online at cityofcarver.com/application-form-to-city-board-or-commission.

Carver County has closed some lanes on County Hwy. 61 over the Chaska Creek Diversion Channel west of Hwy. 41. The two north lanes of the four-lane bridge are closed due to significant deterioration on that portion of the bridge. Traffic has been shifted to the south half with only one lane for each direction.

The Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District will host its annual "Evening with the Watershed" on Dec. 2. The event, which starts at 7 p.m., will take place at the American Legion located at 290 Lake Dr. E., in Chanhassen. It includes an update from the watershed, talks on water resources and appetizers. The event is free and open to the public. The watershed district covers parts of Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Chaska, Chanhassen, Deephaven, Minnetonka and Shorewood. For more information, go to rpbcwd.org.

The Chanhassen City Council recently approved new fees at the Chanhassen Pioneer Cemetery and plans to approve an expansion that will add 324 grave sites. The cemetery, which dates back to the 1860s, currently has 612 grave sites, all sold or occupied. The new grave fees are $400 for residents and $600 for nonresidents. Grave fees for both had been $200. The new interment fee is $150 per burial, up from $50.

The Showtime Chorus, which performs at community events, senior residences, nursing homes, churches and other functions, extends an invitation to singers 55 and older. All it takes is an enjoyment of singing, as reflected in the group's questions: "Do you sing in the shower, hum along with CDs, sing in your church choir?"

Practices are held Thursday mornings at 9:15 at Sandburg Learning Center, 2400 Sandburg Lane, Golden Valley. For more information, call Linda at 612-250-1417 or go to www.showtime-seniors.org.

Minnetonka celebrated the grand opening of a new medical center last week that initially drew opposition from nearby residents. The Minnetonka Medical Center, part of North Memorial Health Care, held a grand opening Nov. 22, celebrating a new urgency center, primary care clinic, imaging center, lab, ambulatory surgery center and a multispecialty clinic. The facility opened Nov. 4. The 63,000-square-foot building, located at 15450 Hwy. 7, initially spurred opposition from nearby residents who pushed for the building to be scaled down from its initial nearly 67,000-square-foot space.

Participants also will get to see a kicksled and learn how it's used in winter.

The cost for the class is $5, and reservations are required. Call 763-559-6700 to make a reservation and reference activity #411301-08. There is a 20 percent discount for groups of four or more. This program is for ages four and older.