West news briefs

Trees sales extended for city residents St. Louis Park has extended the deadline for purchasing trees through its program with Tree Trust, a local nonprofit group. Together they have offered 200 trees for sale to residents at a cost of $35 each.

Because trees are still available, the ordering period has been extended through Friday, or until the trees have sold out.

Residents who buy trees must pick them up at the St. Louis Park Municipal Service Center, 7305 Oxford St., on Saturday, May 1, between 8 a.m. and noon.

Varieties available are sugar maple "Fall Fiesta," Black Hills spruce, red splendor crabapple, white oak, quaking Aspen and river birch. Trees are between 6 and 10 feet tall. St. Louis Park residents may purchase up to two trees to plant on their own property.

Trees may be ordered online at www.treetrust.org/orderhere. Order forms also are available at the Nature Center at 8300 W. Franklin Av., City Hall at 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., and the St. Louis Park Recreation Center at 3700 Monterey Drive.

Hospital seeks hospice volunteers Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital's hospice program is seeking volunteers to begin training in April.

The volunteers will visit terminally ill patients in their homes and help provide them with quality care.

Time commitment is up to four hours per week. Volunteers are needed weekdays during normal business hours.

Training is scheduled for April 14, 22, 29 and May 6, and participants need to attend all four sessions. If you are interested in volunteering, call Swanson at 952-993-5381.

Birthday fund-raiser scheduled for MOA Cheerful Givers, a south-metro nonprofit that supplies toy-filled birthday bags to kids from low-income families, will hold its annual "Great Minnesota Birthday Party" from 1-3 p.m. March 27 at the Sears Court on the east side of the Mall of America.

The event will feature music, kids' activities, cheerleading competitions, a book fair and celebrity appearances by former Viking Matt Blair, the Minnesota Rollergirls, the Vikings cheerleaders and others.

Since it was founded in 1994, Cheerful Givers says it has distributed more than 320,000 birthday bags.

"Seniorcize to the Core" focuses on strengthening the body core -- abdominals and back -- which also can improve flexibility and balance. The class meets from 9 to 10:05 a.m. every Monday at the Lenox Community Center, 6715 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park.

Also, a Senior Aquasize Class provides low-impact exercises in the water. It meets from 1 to 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at the center's pool, which also is open for adult lap swimming from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Senior program members can receive a discount on fees. For more information, call 952-928-6444.

Fundraiser for ICA at Bayside Grille The Bayside Grille, 687 Excelsior Blvd. in Excelsior, is planning a "March Madness" fundraiser for the Intercongregation Communities Association food shelf from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served, with all of the proceeds to go to the ICA.

Firefighters collecting food shelf donations The Minneapolis Fire Department is joining forces with the Salvation Army this month to collect food donations.

The city's 19 fire stations will serve as drop-off points where the public can take non-perishable food items.

The donations collected during this drive will go to Minneapolis food shelves.

Learn how police promote senior safety A lecture on "How Police Support Senior Safety" will be presented from 2:30-3:30 p.m. today at the Parkshore Senior Campus, 3663 Park Center Blvd., St. Louis Park.

The Hopkins Police Department's police services liaison, Anne Marie Buck, will discuss police department programs that can help keep seniors safe.

Kids' maple syruping class at French Park Kids ages 7 to 12 can learn how maple syrup is made at a class from 9 to 11:30 a.m. March 29 at French Regional Park, 12605 Rockford Road, Plymouth.

Participants will collect sap from maple trees and watch it cook down to syrup. They also will get a chance to make maple sugar and taste maple candy.

Cost of the class is $10 for residents of New Hope, Crystal and Robbinsdale and $16 for others. To register or get more information, call the New Hope recreation office at 763-531-5151.