ANOKA COUNTY
Park passes available Anoka County Parks and Recreation park passes are available at all Anoka County License Centers. The passes allow entry into all Anoka County parks, as well as parks in the Carver and Washington County systems.
Passes, good for 12 months, cost $25 for the first vehicle and $15 for a second and third vehicle. License centers are located in Blaine, Columbia Heights, Coon Rapids, Ham Lake and Ramsey. Passes may also be purchased at Bunker Hills Activity Center in Andover, the Coon Rapids Dam Visitor Center, and the Wargo Nature Center in Lino Lakes.
CIRCLE PINES
H&R adviser will answer tax questions An H&R Block tax adviser will be on hand to answer income tax questions at Centennial Branch Library on Thursday, which is National Tax Advice Day.
One or two tax advisers will be available from 10 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. to answer tax questions and help taxpayers choose the correct forms, which will be provided. But the adviser won't fill out or file tax returns. The library is at 100 Civic Heights Circle, Circle Pines.
For more information call H&R Block at 763-795-8590 or Centennial Branch Library at 763-717-3294.
BLAINE
Follow Capitol news on state rep's website State Rep. Tim Sanders, R-Blaine, has launched a website to keep constituents abreast of events at the Capitol. Folks who visit www.house.mn/51A can sign up for e-mail updates and eventually download Sanders' podcasts and find other contact information.
Waste Management will pick up last carts Waste Management is set to pick up the last of its garbage carts from Blaine residents by regular garbage day this week. Veolia Environmental Services, which recently won the Blaine contract, should have completed the dropoff of its new carts by the end of last month. Residents who want to change their cart size should call Veolia at 763-786-7233.
Free event to collect electronic waste Green Lights Recycling is sponsoring a free event to collect electronic waste from residential customers. The event continues 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. daily through Friday. Participants should take unwanted televisions, computers, laptops, computer monitors, VCRs, printers, cell phones and all types of consumer electric items to GreenLights Recycling, 10040 Davenport St. NE., Blaine.
For more information, visit www.greenlightsrecycling .com or call 763-785-0456.
DAYTON
Observe deer at Eastman center Do you or your kids like watching deer? Then head to Elm Creek Park Reserve's Eastman Nature Center in Dayton.
Deer Watch is held at the center's viewing areas any Saturday in January from 4 to 5:30 p.m. In February the time will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Observe the subtle and not-so-subtle behaviors deer use to communicate with one another. Touch and examine deer antlers and pelts. Be prompt and quiet as you enter the nature center so you don't scare off the deer. The program is free. Eastman is at 13351 Elm Creek Road. For more information call 763-694-7700.
RICE CREEK WATERSHED DISTRICT
Public meetings on lakes' water quality The Rice Creek Watershed District will host a series of public meetings to discuss the Southwest Urban Lake Study, meant to address water quality issues in those lakes. Meetings will go over goals and plans, and solicit feedback from participants. The meetings are scheduled for:
• 7 p.m. Thursday, at St. Anthony City Hall, 3310 Silver Lake Road NE., St. Anthony, to discuss Lakes Hart, Jones, Langton, Pike, Poplar and Walsh.
• 7 p.m. Jan. 19, at the New Brighton Family Service Center, 400 10th St. NW., New Brighton, to discuss Lakes Locke, Long, Moore, Round, Rush and Spring.
• 7 p.m. Jan. 20, at the Blue Room, Northwestern College, 3003 Snelling Av. N., St. Paul, to discuss Lakes Johanna, Josephine, Little Johanna, Little Josephine, Island and Zimmerman.
• 7 p.m. Jan. 22, at Room CLC109, Bethel College, 3900 Bethel Drive, St. Paul, to discuss Lakes Karth, Martha, Marsden, Sunfish, Turtle and Valentine. Please park in the West Parking Lot.
For more information, contact Matthew Kocian, at the district, 763-398-3070 or mkocian@ricecreek.org.
SHOREVIEW
Four classes will cover how to live greener Shoreview's Environmental Quality Committee (EQC) will host a series of four classes, the second Wednesday of each month, to help residents look for ways to live greener. January's class, "Green Building and Remodeling," will be held at 7 tonight in the City Council chambers, 4600 Victoria St. N.
For details on other classes, which include landscaping for water quality, low chemical living and building a rain barrel, visit www.ci.shoreview.mn.us. Each of the classes, except the April rain barrel class, is free and open to the public. To reserve a spot in the latter seminar, which will cost about $50, call 651-490-4650.
ST. FRANCIS
Water treatment plant will have open house The city of St. Francis will host an open house at its new water treatment plant, which went online Dec. 10. The open house will run from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 24, at 3921 Stark Drive.
RAMSEY COUNTY
Kleinschmidt named county manager The Ramsey County Board unanimously approved the appointment of Julie Kleinschmidt as county manager during its Jan. 6 meeting.
Kleinschmidt, who had been the county's finance director, replaces David Twa, who left in September to become the county administrator in Contra Costa, Calif.
Commissioners selected her from a pool of seven finalists. She has worked for the county since 2000 and is the first woman to take over as Ramsey County's top administrator. Her base salary is $157,542.
Also during the meeting, Jan Parker was reelected as chairwoman of the board.
ROSEVILLE
Winter Jazz Blast features all ages The Roseville Winter Jazz Blast, a day-long event featuring high school, college and other jazz ensembles, will be held Saturday. The concerts will be held at Marantha Hall at Northwestern College, 3003 Snelling Av. N., Roseville.
The jazz blast begins at 8:25 a.m. with performances by area high school and middle school bands. It ends with a 7:30 p.m. performance by the Roseville High School Jazz Band, the Northwestern College Jazz Ensemble and the JazzMN Big Band.
The daytime performances are free, while the evening performances cost $17 for the general public, $9 for senior citizens and $7 for students. For more information, call 651-631-5151 or go www.nwc.edu.
Compiled by staff writers Jim Adams, Maria Elena Baca, Chris Havens and Jean Hopfensperger.
