West news briefs: Volunteers needed for Kite Day in Bloomington

Volunteers are needed to help with kite-making, registration and other duties on Kite Day, from 1-4 p.m. May 4 at Valley View Play Fields, 90th Street and Portland Avenue.

New to this year's event will be bol kite races with the Minnesota Kite Society and a kite-making workshop for all ages.

Bol kites are often made to rotate. Participants will design, create and fly their kites. Prizes will be awarded for highest flying kite, the youngest kite flyer and the unique kite.

For more information on volunteering go to www.star tribune.com/a2182 or call Melissa at 952-563-4950.

The public is invited to Edina's commemoration of Arbor Day on Friday, April 26, with the planting of three evergreen trees at 10 a.m. in Garden Park, 5520 Hansen Road. City Forester Tom Horwath will be available to answer questions about tree care or issues relating to the city's tree program. In the case of bad weather, the event will be held May 3. For more information, call the Edina Parks & Recreation Department at 952-826-0367.

Kids and adults can get an up-close look at city vehicles like fire trucks and police cars at the second annual "Vehicle Day — Wheels About Town," sponsored by Bloomington, Richfield and Edina from 10 a.m.-noon on May 4 in the parking lot of the Southdale Center Herberger's.

Drivers will be on hand to answer questions about their jobs and vehicles that include a ladder fire truck, an ambulance, a tanker truck, vintage school buses, a garbage truck, a backhoe and Hennepin County Sheriff's vehicles. Children are welcome to the free event, but they must have an adult with them.

For more information, call the Edina Parks & Recreation Department at 952-826-0367 or visit www.EdinaMN.gov.

St. Louis Park Friends of the Arts will present its strategic plan for the arts in the city and get public feedback at a forum scheduled for 7 p.m. May 2 in the banquet room at the Rec Center, 3700 Monterey Drive.

Friends of the Arts has been working on plans for expanded programming and community partnerships. The group is a nonprofit designated by St. Louis Park to support, organize, enhance and promote all art forms.

For information, go to www.SLPFriendsoftheArts.org.

Unique handmade wares by local artists will be featured at the third annual J'Outique event from 4-8 p.m. May 6 at Sabes Jewish Community Center, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road in St. Louis Park.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 952-381-3416 or go to www.sabesjcc.org.

Golden Valley, New Hope and Crystal will sponsor their annual Bike Rodeo from 6 to 8 p.m. May 1 at the Golden Valley City Hall complex, 7800 Golden Valley Road.

Highlights include free bike safety checks, bike skills tests, a demonstration on proper fitting of bike helmets, complimentary refreshments, music, door prizes and appearances by McGruff the Crime Dog and Sparky the Fire Dog.

Plymouth Firefighters and the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund will host their fourth annual waffle breakfast fundraiser in May.

The event will take place from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. May 5 at Fire Station III, 3300 Dunkirk Lane.

An event to raise funds for the Fourth of July fireworks in Excelsior — "Bingo & Burgers by the Bay for Fireworks" — is scheduled for May 4 at the corner of Water Street and Lake Street in Excelsior.

Bingo games will run from 3-7 p.m., followed by live music from BoRiddley. The event will be held rain or shine. The Lake Minnetonka Excelsior Rotary Club, Maynard's restaurant and the Excelsior Brewing Co. are hosting the event to raise money for the Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Chamber of Commerce's celebration.

The Retreat, a Wayzata-based alcohol and drug addiction recovery organization, cele­brated its 15th anniversary this month. In those 15 years, The Retreat has served more than 13,000 people.

It's a nonclinical, community-oriented model that has more than 300 volunteers from more than 40 Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon groups.

For more information, go to www.TheRetreat.org.

The plant sale will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. both days.

The sale offers hard-to-find varieties and University of Minnesota introductions. A plant list is available at the arboretum information desk or by mail for $2; write to "Plant List," 1605 Fairway Lane, Minneapolis, MN 55426.

Admission is $12 for adults, and for ages 12 and under it is free. Plant sale customers will receive a voucher good for one return visit within 30 days. Sale proceeds benefit the Arboretum.

The sale had been planned to coincide with National Public Gardens Day on May 10.

The other events on that day still include:

• Spin the Garden Wheel prizes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• A book signing by Jim Gilbert at 2 p.m. at Arboretum Gift Store.

• A story time at 10:30 a.m. on the Visitor Center balcony.

Admission is free on National Public Garden Day. For more information, go to www.arboretum.umn.edu or call 952-443-1400.

The Eden Prairie Community Foundation annual event will take place from 6-11:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Green Acres Event Center, 14150 Pioneer Trail in Eden Prairie.

There is room for just 299 people, and the foundation expects a sellout. Tickets are $100, of which a portion may be tax deductible. For tickets or more information, go to epcommunityfoundation.org.

There is no parking onsite at the Green Acres Event Center, so park at Grace Church and catch the SouthWest Transit Trolley to the center.

Bridging, which provides help to families moving out of poverty into their first homes, is seeking donations this weekend of furniture and housewares.

The collection is scheduled for 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, April 27, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 2060 6th Av. N. in Long Lake. Needed are items such as bookcases, desks, dressers, dishes, pots, pans and toys. Donations can be tax deductible. For more information, go to trinitylonglake.org.

The Minnetonka Rotary is hosting an open house and mixer for Hopkins and Minnetonka residents or employees.

The Minnetonka Rotary is dedicated to "Building Responsible Youth" locally and around the world, contributing time and money to Hopkins and Minnetonka high school scholarships, music and instruments, food shelves and other local programs.

Weekly rotary meetings are held at 7:15 a.m. on Wednesdays at the Eisenhower Community Center at 1001 Hwy. 7.

Enjoying lakes and caring for them is the theme for an afternoon of discussions and demonstrations on April 25 at the city of Independence community center at 1920 County Road 90 in Hennepin County.

Educational seminars on the hour begin at 1 p.m., and will present information about aquatic invasive species, weed control, boat ramp surveillance, rain gardens, erosion strategies and sources of funding for various projects.

Vendors and agencies will have booths and provide information. The fair lasts until 8:30 p.m. and includes food and door prizes. Admission is free.