ANOKA COUNTY

Compost sites open Anoka County's compost sites are scheduled to open today. Residents using the sites at Bunker Hills Regional Park in Coon Rapids or at the Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park in Lino Lakes will be charged $4 per vehicle fee for up to four cubic yards of waste. An additional 50 cents will be charged for yard waste in excess of four yards.

Service projects to honor Earth Day The Anoka County Parks and Recreation Department will celebrate Earth Day, Saturday, April 18, with countywide service projects from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Call 651-429-8007 for details to register groups.

Learn about Alaska, Minnesota animals On Thursday you can learn how Minnesota and Alaska animals are linked through a slide show at Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park Visitor Center. The fee is $4 per person. Go to www.anokacountyparks.com.

Orders for trees and shrubs due April 17 Orders are due by April 17 for the annual tree sale held by the Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County. Buy a tree or shrub for your yard, or your favorite park. The city of Arden Hills has a wish list for trees in Hazelnut Park and Floral Park, both of which need more trees because of buckthorn removal, and Sampson Park.

To find an order form or donate online, go to www.friendsoftheparks.org. The tree pickup is set for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at the Ramsey County Parks and Recreation Garage, 2015 N. Van Dyke St. in Maplewood, or the Highland Park Pavilion, 1200 Montreal Av. in St. Paul. For more information, call 651-698-4543.

Free remodeling fair Plymouth, Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, New Hope, Robbinsdale and Osseo will sponsor a free Northwest Suburban Remodeling Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Crystal Community Center, 4800 Douglas Drive N., Crystal.

The fair features advice by 85 contractors and workshops on how to select a contractor, basement refinishing, kitchen remodeling, landscaping, bathroom projects, window replacement and kitchen cabinet refacing.

Unemployed students still qualify for grant Anoka-Ramsey Community College will continue to offer half-priced tuition grants to unemployed students during the summer semester.

The college, located in Coon Rapids and Cambridge, began offering the tuition grant for unemployed students for the spring semester. Anyone eligible for unemployment benefits and has documentation from the Minnesota Workforce Center is eligible for the half-priced tuition option.

Seniors, disabled can get home makeovers Low-income seniors and disabled homeowners are eligible to have the exterior of their homes spruced up this August in the metrowide Paint-A-Thon.

Homeowners must live in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington county; be older than 60 or have a permanent disability; and meet income limits to qualify. For example, monthly income can not exceed $1,735 for a one-person household or $2,335 for a two-person household. There's no cost to the homeowners, though applications are ranked according to financial need, condition of the home and availability of volunteers.

The application deadline is May 8. Applications are available online at www.gmcc.org/paint-a-thon/paint-a-thon. Contact Deidre Pope at 612-721-8687 for more information.

The performance begins at 6:30 p.m., and seating is limited. Singer Ross Sutter will perform with the Night Scotsman and Highland and Scottish country dancers in the library auditorium, and Jack Barker will deliver the "Address to the Haggis," Burns' poetic salute to the famed Scottish meatloaf.

Burns, Scotland's national poet, wrote the lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne" as well as other well-known poems and songs. The program is presented in collaboration with the Twin Cities Scottish Society. For more information, call the Central Library at 612-630-6000 or Audrey McClellan at 612-729-7270.

New county library phone numbers As part of the ongoing consolidation of the Minneapolis and Hennepin County library systems, phone numbers for Minneapolis libraries will change to Hennepin County Library's 952 area code numbers this year.

Libraries will change over throughout the year, in order of library size from smallest to largest. Customers who dial a library's old phone number will automatically be forwarded to the new number. For up-to-date numbers, check the library website at www.hclib.org.

Order trees by April 13 The ordering deadline is April 13 for the city of Andover Spring Tree Sale. Northern pin oak, quaking aspen, red maple, American linden and showy mountainash are available at 5 to 8 feet. Prices range from $16 for a 5- to 6-foot linden to $27 for a 6- to 8-foot oak. The sale is for Andover residents only. Pickup is May 2, at City Hall. For more information, and a printable order form, go to the city website, www.ci.andover.mn.us.

The commission's members would like to work individually with residents who would like to enhance their wildlife habitat or restore the natural features of their properties. For more information, visit the city website at www.ci.andover.mn.us.

Register soon for senior wellness fair Preregistration ends April 21 for the 2009 Senior Safety and Wellness Fair, which is 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at SBM Fire Station 3, 11920 Ulysses St. A $10 fee includes admission to all sessions and speakers, vendor exhibits, refreshments and lunch. This year's event includes a presentation by author and psychologist Joe Bailey. Download a registration form at www.ci.blaine.mn.us, or call 763-767-4003.

Summer rec expo Parks and recreation staff will be on hand to offer information about summer recreation opportunities for kids, adults, seniors and families at the Summer Recreation Expo, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 18, at City Hall, 10801 Town Square Drive. Program brochures and fliers will be available, and interested residents can sign up early for programs at the Expo.

City taking orders for Arbor Day Tree Sale The city forester is taking orders for the 2009 Arbor Day Tree Sale. Coon Rapids residents can purchase up to two trees for their properties at a nominal cost. Orders are being taken on a first-call, first-served basis. For a list of trees and prices, visit the city website, www.ci.coon-rapids.mn.us. For more information, or to place an order, call city forester Tom Schibilla at 763-767-6455.

Softball leagues open Coon Rapids softball leagues are forming now. Residents who are interested in joining as pick-up players should send an e-mail to rgunderson@ coonrapidsmn.gov, and indicate whether they are interested in playing on a coed, women's or men's team.

Two meetings will be held next week: at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Woodland Elementary, 4501 Oak Grove Pkwy.; and 7 p.m. Thursday at Brooklyn Park City Hall, 5200 85th Av. N. The final meeting will be held at 7 p.m. April 16 at Zanewood Recreation Center, 7100 Zane Av. N.

For more information, contact the Assessor's Office at bpassess@brooklynpark.org or call 763-493-8175.