West news briefs: Lattier to speak to Republican seniors

Daniel Lattier, vice president of Better Ed, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing public awareness about the American education system, will speak to the Republican Seniors of Minnesota on Tuesday, April 7. His topic will be "Common Core: The Good and the Bad."

The Republican Seniors of Minnesota meets for a speech, a lively discussion and lunch on the first Tuesday of every month at Poor Richard's Commonhouse, 8301 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington.

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

The second annual forum on local shallow lakes will take place April 25 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

The forum, which will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., will discuss the challenges and benefits of Minnesota's shallow lakes — lakes that average 15 feet or less in depth, which account for about one-third of Minnesota's lakes.

The cost to attend is $15 for arboretum members and sponsor affiliates and $20 for nonmembers. For more information or to register, go to arboretum.umn.edu/ShallowLakes2015.aspx.

Carver County Parks is looking for volunteers to assist with year-round outdoor recreation programming. Learn moreat an open house from 6 to 8 p.m. April 7 at Baylor Regional Park.

For more information, contact Carver County Parks at 952-466-5250 or online at parks@co.carver.mn.us.

Edina's Energy & Environment Commission is presenting the first installment of its 2015 Environmental Film Series. The documentary, "Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret," will be shown at 7 p.m. Friday, April 17, at Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. Admission is free.

"Cowspiracy" follows filmmaker Kip Andersen as he investigates animal agriculture. Attendees are invited to stay for a discussion after the movie. For more information, contact Ross Bintner at 952-903-5713 or RBintner@EdinaMN.gov.

The Friends of the Edina Library will offer for sale thousands of used adult and children's hardcover and paperback fiction books from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 25.

A bag sale (all the books that fit into a bag for $5) will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 26. The event will take place at the Edina Community Library, 5280 Grandview Square.

The Rotary Club of Golden Valley is hosting an evening of food and games beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Brookview Community Center, 200 Brookview Parkway. Highlights of the evening will include Bunco and Beer Pong, with Root Beer Pong for kids and others.

The event also features a Balloon Raffle and Marketplace. Proceeds will support the Golden Valley Rotary Club's contributions to charities. The club has funded PRISM, Crisis Nursery, Tree House, Feed My Starving Children and the Golden Valley Historical Society.

Tickets are $40 per person and $20 for age 12-18. RSVP by April 12 to Julie at 612-889-6544 or JMP762@gmail.com. More information is at www.GoldenValleyRotary.org.

At the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District's annual "Save the Lake" Banquet March 20, two representatives from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office were awarded for their work on the lake.

John Feyder, a Hennepin County Sheriff's Office special deputy, was named the "Special Deputy of the Year" for his work during last spring's high water declaration on Lake Minnetonka. Special deputies are civilian volunteers who, after training, are sworn in to conduct patrols on land and water, help with community outreach efforts and provide safety education.

Learn map and compass skills from Minnesota Orienteering Club experts noon to 3 p.m. April 11 at French Regional Park.

Families and people of all abilities will learn through classroom instruction, skill stations geared for beginners, guided practice courses, and an official "sprint" course with electronic punching. The clinic is co-sponsored by the orienteering club and Three Rivers Park District.

Children 17 and younger must be accompanied by a registered adult. Register at threeriversparks.org/events/O/orienteering-skills-clinic.aspx.

The Heart of Robbinsdale Community Foundation will hold its Denim Dazzle 2015 on April 18.

The event, which will take place from 7 to 11 p.m. in North Memorial Medical Center's outpatient atrium, will include a silent auction, a "Heads and Tails" game, light appetizers and a cash bar. The event supports KidPack, a local program that partners with community organizations to help needy elementary school students. Tickets are $30. For more information and to register, go to heartofrobbinsdale.org.

Races will kick off at 8 a.m. May 16 at Lakeview Terrace Park and run through downtown Robbinsdale. For more information and to register, go to thebirdtown.zapevent.com.

Registration is open for the summer arts camp at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts.

The arts camp runs from June 15 through Aug. 28 and is for children ages five to 15. To get a catalog of all classes or to register, go to minnetonkaARTS.org/SAC or call 952-473-7361, extension 16.

The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded a one-year $10,000 Arts Engagement in American Communities grant to the Minnetonka Center for the Arts.

The grant will allow the Partners in Art exhibition program at the Ridgedale Center in Minnetonka to expand, doubling in size and scope. The program changes visual arts exhibits throughout the Ridgedale shopping center, providing its 14.5 million average annual shoppers to connect with diverse works of art.

The meetings will feature a presentation via national conference call with author George Marshall, who will discuss why there is such a big gap between what scientists tell us about climate change and what the public believes. The meetings will take place at 11:45 a.m. at the Edina Community Library, the Plymouth Library, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie and at Linden Hills Park in Minneapolis.

For more information, go to citizensclimatelobby-mn.org.

An information session will be held Thursday, April 2, from 5:30 — 7 p.m. for the Healthy Living Hub program.

Community groups and organizations within the cities of Bloomington, Edina and Richfield can apply for up to $22,000 in grant money. Proposed projects must focus on providing a variety of opportunities for community members that can be sustained over time to access culturally appropriate health activities that include healthy eating, physical activity, breast-feeding support or tobacco cessation resources.

The session will be held at the Creekside Community Center in Bloomington, 9801 Penn Av. S., Room 106.