Anytime Fitness of Eden Prairie will be holding a School Supply Drive during the month of August to benefit the Eden Prairie School District teachers and students.

The business, at the southwest corner of Highway 5 and Mitchell Road, will have drop-off hours from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3:30-6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays.

Those dropping off school supplies will get a free seven-day pass to teh club. For more information, call 952-562-8702 or e-mail edenprairiemn@anytimefitness.com.

Congressman Erik Paulsen, R-Third District, will host a town hall meeting from 7-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2, at the Southview Middle School auditorium, 4725 Southview Lane, Edina.

"Paulsen will provide an update on recent legislation in Congress and share information on some of his other initiatives while taking questions and comments from constituents attending the forum," according to a news release.

The public is invited to meet Minnesota DFL gubernatorial candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher and other political leaders at Glen Lake Golf and Eden Wood Center this Saturday, July 31. The golf, social and dinner event is hosted by Eden Prairie and Minnetonka Democrats. Reps. Maria Ruud (42A) and John Benson (43B), Sen. Terri Bonoff (43), and candidates Ray Daniels (District 42B) and Ron Case (Senate District 42) are among those slated to attend.

Wendi Russo, 2010 Mrs. Minnesota U.S.A. came close, very close to winning the Mrs. U.S.A. title at the national pageant in Las Vegas last Thursday.

Russo is an Eden Prairie resident, and an on-air TV host at Shop NBC, a TV shopping network, broadcast from Eden Prairie. She won the Mrs. Minnesota U.S.A. pageant in May, winning the opportunity to compete in the national pageant.

Russo, 43, was first runner-up in the pageant, one of three national pageants that celebrate family and married women.

Though the middle of 2013 may be the earliest possible start date, Eden Prairie could see some major work on its electrical capacity if Xcel receives approval for a replacement transmission line project.

During the July 20 Eden Prairie City Council meeting, City Manager Scott Neal updated the council on the Xcel transmission line project, which would cut through northwest Eden Prairie. The replacement lines would be installed starting at a substation just off of Highway 5 and Martin Drive.

Just Between Friends will host an all season sale in Eden Prairie Aug. 12-14 at the Eden Prairie Community Center, Rink 3, 16700 Valley View Road.

Consignors and shoppers are encouraged to bring a new backpack with school items (pencils, notebooks, glue, etc) for PROP (the local foodshelf). For each stuffed backpack, their name will go into drawings for prizes like four passes to Water Park of America.

Sales offer clothing, baby equipment, toys, DVDs, books, crafts and more. Sellers earn up to 70 percent on their sold items and volunteers help run every aspect of the sale.

’60’s pop icons perform this weekend

By Unsie Zuege

As a 10-year old, Gail Wartman Bollis was so enamored with teen heartthrob and pop star Fabian, that she scrawled across one of his cherished albums, “To Gail.”

“I thought about signing it, ‘Fabian,’ but decided not to,” Bollis explained. Still, it didn’t detract from the fantasy.

More than 56 percent of dogs that are homeless are euthanized, most likely being unadoptable due to age and/or health issues, according to a news release.

Top Dog Foundation is planning a new sanctuary to provide shelter, food, health care, love and respect to dogs like these. Plans for the sanctuary are underway, with a site donated, the release said.
A golf tournament, wine tasting and auction are planned Aug. 16 at Bearpath Country Club in Eden Prairie. Founder, Jean Beuning, is finding support and funds to fill out her commitment to animal care, the release said.

Motorists will experience delays and a detour at the Fish Lake Interchange in Maple Grove as the ramp from northbound Interstate 494 to westbound Interstate 94 closes at 10 p.m. Friday, July 30, according to a news release.

The release said: Posted detours will direct motorists to follow eastbound I-94/I-694 and use the loops at the Highway 169 interchange to travel westbound on I-94/I-694. The ramp will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 2.

The Rasmussen family had to say goodbye to their six hens recently. They won’t be getting them back anytime soon. During last week’s Eden Prairie City Council meeting, the council decided to keep in place the ordinance that prohibits chickens in residential areas.
The Rasmussen family had wanted to keep the hens as pets and to produce eggs.

“The eggs are so much better for you,” said Jill Rasmussen, in an interview. “That’s kind of out right now. They’re not going to change the ordinance at all.”