West news briefs: Roundabouts coming to 494/169 interchange

Roundabouts coming to 494/169 interchangeDrivers who frequent the intersection of Interstate 494 and Hwy. 169 may want to attend an Oct. 15 open house about roundabouts -- a traffic control device that features prominently in the new interchange under construction.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is hosting the open house from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Braemar Golf Course, 6364 John Harris Drive in Edina, to discuss roundabout design, use and safety. There also will be a roundabout simulation set up in the parking lot for interested drivers.

Four roundabouts will open this winter on the newly reconstructed "ring road" around the 494/169 interchange. Two more will open in 2012 when the frontage roads are complete.

For more information about the interchange project, call the project hotline at 1-877-563-4768, send an e-mail to Hwy169-I494@rranow.com or go to www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/169.

Forum on Met Council sponsored by leagueThe "New Metropolitan Council" is the topic for an Oct. 15 forum by the League of Women Voters. Metropolitan Council member Jennifer Munt will speak beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the council chambers at Minnetonka City Hall, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd. The session will run until noon.

Munt was among 16 newcomers appointed to the Met Council by Gov. Mark Dayton. She will discuss the issues facing the seven-county regional planning council. The event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters/Council of Metropolitan Leagues.

Medicare overview forum on Oct. 12The Vital Aging Network and the city of Bloomington will hold a forum on understanding Medicare from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. next Wednesday, Oct. 12, at Bloomington Civic Plaza, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road.

'Tour de Edina' ride scheduled for SundayBicyclists will celebrate healthy lifestyles and promote bike transportation with a 5-mile bike tour of Edina beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Advance registration is available until the end of the day on Friday at www.tourdeedina.org. Cost is $5 per person or a maximum of $10 per family. On the day of the bike ride, registration is $10 per person or $20 per family.

Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Courtney Fields parking lot at Braemar Park, 7351 McCauley Trail. Helmets are required.

Open house on bikeway improvementsThe city of Edina will host an open house at 7 p.m. Thursday to review proposed bikeway improvements on W. 54th Street, Wooddale Avenue and Valley View Road.

The meeting will be held at the Public Works building at 7450 Metro Blvd.

For more information, contact the Edina engineering department at 952-826-0371.

Summerhill Co-op open house is Oct. 16Summerhill Cooperative of Eden Prairie is planning an open house from noon-4 p.m. Oct. 16 at the coop, located at 7610 Smetana Lane in Eden Prairie.

Summerhill is a senior living community featuring large homes for residents 55 and up. For more information,

For more information, go to www.summerhillep.com.

Classes for seniors at Lenox CenterThe St. Louis Park Senior Program is sponsoring a two-part class on Nordic walking from 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. on Fridays, Oct. 14 and 21. A free demonstration class will be offered on Friday.

Classes will be held at the Lenox Community Center, 6715 Minnetonka Blvd. in St. Louis Park, and are being offered in collaboration with the city's Parks and Recreation Department and Park Nicollet's Successful Aging Initiative. For more information, call 952-928-6444.

Estate planning is topic of seminarAscension Lutheran Church at 46th Avenue N. and Vicksburg Lane in Plymouth is hosting an estate planning seminar on at 7 p.m. Tuesday. It will deal with ways to plan for the future, including what to do with personal assets you'll leave behind.

Attorney Sean Dillon will lead the estate planning discussion. Ascension Pastor Bruce Janisch also will lead a discussion regarding spiritual matters and how they can help guide estate planning.

The evening will begin with coffee and registration at 6:30 p.m. To attend, RSVP at www.ascensionplymouth .com/HopeSeminar or call 763-559-0579.