West news briefs: Nonprofit leader gets lifetime award

FamilyWise, a Twin Cities-based nonprofit, recently honored Arlene Nystuen, a Minnetonka resident and one of the founders of the organization.

She received its Lifetime Mission Award last month. Nystuen helped start the nonprofit in 1976, helping women make the transition from prison. Now, the organization serves nearly 2,800 vulnerable residents, with more than half of them children. For more information, go to FamilyWiseServices.org.

Book collection is underway for the 23rd annual Bloomington Crime Prevention Association sale in June. Donated used books, CDs, DVDs, games and puzzles will be sold in June to benefit the association's annual grants.

The annual Book 'Em sale is scheduled for June 6 to 20, with a preview night on June 5, at 1901 W. American Blvd. (the former Home Valu site between Savers and Kia).

Donations can be dropped off at the sale site through June 12 on Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. They also will be accepted at several locations through June 4, including Bloomington Civic Plaza, Bloomington elementary schools, Jefferson and Kennedy High School activity centers, and Southtown and Valley West shopping centers. A list of sites is at bcpamn.org. For more information, call 952-220-2537 or e-mail bookem@bcpamn.org.

Explore the 2.2-mile adaptive trail at Elm Creek Park Reserve built specifically to accommodate wider and more stable arm-powered bikes.

The open house for adaptive mountain bikes will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Meet at the trailhead for an open ride. This program, sponsored by Three Rivers Park District, is free and open to all ages.

Candidates must be 18 or older, be a high school graduate or equivalent, hold a valid Minnesota driver's license and live within 10 minutes of the fire station. Applicants also must pass a thorough background check and the department's stress test, pulmonary function test, physical exam and psychological evaluation.

The department offers a paid training program for recruits on basic firefighting techniques and emergency medical response procedures. Recruits are expected to complete Firefighter I and II courses within the first six months of acceptance, and emergency medical responder/CPR within 12 months. A weekly two-hour business/training meeting is held every Monday evening.

For information, contact Chaska Fire Chief Tim Wiebe at 952-227-7457 or Twiebe@chaskamn.com. Applications are available at www.Chaskamn.com and should be submitted by May 22 to the fire station, 285 Engler Blvd.

A service for Memorial Day (May 25) and Holocaust Remembrance Day (May 17) will be held at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 17, at Adath Chesed Shei Emes Cemetery, 3740 Winnetka Av. N., Crystal.

The service at the cemetery, which is that of the Adath Jeshurun congregation in Minnetonka, will honor the memory of Holocaust victims and survivors and local Jewish veterans. The service is free and open to all.

The service will conclude with the mourners' Kaddish and memorial prayers. All veterans' graves will be decorated with U.S. flags, and Holocaust survivors' graves will be decorated with Shoah flags.

The Hamel Lions Club flea market, one of Hennepin County's largest outdoor flea markets, will open Sunday, May 17, at the Medina Entertainment Center. The open-air market is open every Sunday from 6 a.m. to noon through September.

Antiques, collectibles, bargains, crafts, produce, plants, and treasures will all be present — as well as a concession stand with hot and cold choices — at this free weekly event. Vendors supply their own tables and rent space at $20 a spot.

The University of Minnesota prostate cancer support group will meet May 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hope Lodge, 2500 University Av. SE., Minneapolis. Susan O'Connor-Von, an associate professor at the U, will discuss spirituality and palliative-care topics related to prostate cancer. Family and friends are welcome. For more information, call 612-388-3588.

Plymouth is starting a new youth gardening program this month. The "Plant + Play" program is geared for children ages 6 to 10, with one phase starting May 21 at Prairie Ponds Park Garden, 5150 Dunkirk Lane N.

For more information, call 763-509-5200 or go to plymouthmn.gov/recreation.

The Plymouth Fire Department will host a "Home Alone Workshop" from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Thursday, May 28, in the second-floor training room of the Plymouth Public Safety Building, 3400 Plymouth Blvd. The program is geared toward children ages 8 to 10. Cost is $5. To register, call 763-509-5200 or go to plymouthmn.gov using course number 47796.

Plymouth will offer two new high-school-age slow-pitch softball leagues this summer. Deadline to register is May 29. The eight-week leagues include coed and boys leagues for students in grades 9 to 12. Games will be held Tuesday evenings from June 9 to July 28 at Elm Creek Playfields, on the west side of Wayzata High School. Each team must have an adult organizer and should supply bats and gloves. The city will supply balls, fields, field preparation and umpires.

Cost per team is $200. For more information or to register, call 763-509-5200 or go to plymouthmn.gov.

STAFF REPORTS