* The public is invited to attend the third-annual fund-raiser of the Barbara Schneider Foundation from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Bayview Event Center, 687 Excelsior Blvd. in Excelsior. Titled "My Big FAT Greek Fund-raiser," the special event will feature Greek food, dancing and music.
International accordionist Mark Stillman, "Zorba," and other Greek characters will be on hand for a lively evening of entertainment.
The Barbara Schneider Foundation was formed after the death of Barbara Schneider in Minneapolis on June 12, 2000, in a confrontation with police during a mental health crisis call. This grass-roots organization works for the improvement of mental health crisis response and the prevention of mental health crisis.
For the past five years the Barbara Schneider Foundation has worked with the Minneapolis Police Department to train officers for its Crisis Intervention Team Unit and to provide training to officers from over a dozen other police departments in Minnesota and North Dakota.
For reservations or more information, contact Theresa Carufel at 612-767-2070 or [email protected].
* Orono author Matt Sanford will read from "Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence" at 6:30 p.m. at Excelsior Bay Books, 35 Water St., in Excelsior. The event is free. Call 952-401-0932 for more information.
Thursday, July 27
* Enjoy the elegance and tradition of an early 20th century garden party during Noerenberg Gardens' annual "Garden Party" from 5:30-8:30 p.m. During this relaxing evening program, participants may enjoy soft music while strolling through beautiful gardens overlooking Lake Minnetonka's Crystal Bay. Garden visitors can walk the gardens on their own or with a tour guide.
There will also be a rare opportunity to tour the Noerenberg family's historic barn. The garden party also will feature refreshments, guest presenters, children's activities and door prizes. Those who attend are invited to add to the festive atmosphere by wearing a garden hat. Admission to the garden party is $5 per person.
Noerenberg Gardens is operated by Three Rivers Park District. It was donated to the park district by the family of Frederick Noerenberg, founder of the Grain Belt Brewery. For more information, visit www.ThreeRiversParkDistrict.org or call 763-559-9000.
* The Plymouth Skate Park, 14900 23rd Ave., will host a Skate Jam event from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Skate Jam is open to all ages. It will include skate demos, skate competitions, snacks and beverages.
Young people ages 9-14 who want to participate in the skate competition must pre-register. Registration is not necessary to attend the Skate Jam. There is a $4 registration fee for the competitions. People who want to participate are encourages to register early, because a limited number of positions are available. Prizes will be awarded to the top skaters.
Call Plymouth Parks and Recreation at 763-509-5200 to register or for more information. Skate Jam is co-sponsored by Plymouth Parks and Recreation and 3rd Lair Skate Park.
* A woman's chance of having breast cancer during her lifetime is one in seven. To educate women on how prevention, early detection and improved treatment of the disease can increase survival rates, Ridgeview Medical Center will host a free event titled "Exceptional Breast Health Care: More than the Best Treatment and Technologies," from 5:30-8 p.m. at the BayView Event Center in Excelsior.
"We are committed to help women navigate through their midlife years by offering them health education in the company of others," said Theresa Pesch, vice president of marketing and development at Ridgeview. "These women will be getting the latest and greatest information on breast cancer detection and prevention, while simultaneously receiving the emotional support that they need."
Mary Sladek, a breast care nurse specialist at Ridgeview's Women's Imaging and Breast Center, will educate women on various prevention techniques. Dr. Steven Rousey, an oncologist with Minnesota Oncology Hematology, P.A., will share the latest findings in breast cancer research. Dr. David Gross, a radiologist with Consulting Radiologists Ltd., will discuss early detection topics. Patricia Ahrens, a private-practice behavior-health therapist, will instruct attendees on how to effectively support those battling breast cancer.
To register for the free event, call the Ridgeview event registration line at 952- 442-8084. The BayView Event Center is located at 687 Excelsior Blvd., in Excelsior. At the event, gourmet appetizers will be served and a cash wine bar will be available.
* The Lake Country Progressives DFL will meet from 7-9 p.m. at the Excelsior Elementary School Media Center. The school is located at 441 Oak St., in Excelsior. Warren Blechert is host for the meetings, which are open to the public.
For more information, call Sue at 952-474-6392.
* The last Mound Music in the Park event will begin at 7 p.m. Wendy's Wiggle Jiggle and Jam will provide family music and entertainment from 7-8 p.m. Beneficial Belly Dance will present its debut performance at 8 p.m. The founder and instructor of Beneficial Belly Dance Fitness Sindi Dossett will dispel some misconceptions about bellydance. Three of her students will perform bellydance routines and demonstrate various movements. The audience will have opportunities to participate.
Music in the Park is held at Mound Bay Park at Cook's Bay on Lake Minnetonka. Freewill donations will be accepted.
Saturday, July 29
* The Minnetonka All School Reunion will be held in Excelsior. For more information, call 952-401-5115, visit www.minnetonkaalumni.com or e-mail [email protected].
Sunday, July 30
* The First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band will perform from 7-8 p.m. at the Excelsior Commons Bandshell. The band, comprised of 40 volunteer musicians, was formed in 1970 by students at Edina High School. Sponsored by the city of Edina, the band generally plays about 12 concerts every summer, most of which are performed in Edina.
The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the South Lake-Excelsior Chamber of Commerce at 952-474-6461.
Monday, July 31
* Acoustic Daisy Dillman will perform at the Old Log Theater at 8 p.m. The Daisy Dillman Band began in Tonka Bay in the mid-1970s and rose to national prominence in the 1980s. The Daisy Dillman Band included Steve "Stymie" Seamans, Steve "Feagan" Solomonson and Pat Frederick. As Acoustic Daisy Dillman, they will be joined by Tim Snow, Brian Peters, Lee Blaske and Peter Johnson. The Bistodeau Family will also perform as part of the show.
Tickets are $22. For tickets or more information, call the theater at 952-474-5951.
Tuesday, Aug. 1
* The Plymouth Entertainment in the Parks series will feature "Banjo Bandits," performing Dixie and ragtime at 7 p.m. at Parkers Lake Park, County Road 6 and Niagara Lane. The evening's entertainment also includes the Plymouth Puppet Playhouse performance at 6:30 p.m.
Those who attend are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnic suppers. The park concession stand will be open.
For more information, call 763-509-5200. In case of rain or severe weather, call 763-509-5205 for a recorded message.
* From 7-9 p.m., Dr. Amy Ollendorf will present a program on Tel Miqne (biblical Ekron) the largest Iron Age site excavated to date in Israel. The program will explore some of the questions archaeologists ask, especially in Israel, and the tools they use to answer them. The program will also consider some of the political considerations about doing archaeology in the region. The cost is $10, and may be paid at the door. For more information, call Adath Jeshurun at 952-545-2424.
Friday, Aug. 4
* Fairview Covenant Church's Heavenly Blend Coffeehouse will host the return of The Westside Worship Band from 7-9 p.m. The church is located at 1175 County Road 19, in Minnetrista. A light supper, beverages and desserts will be available for a free-will offering. For more information, call 612-849-3487.
* This year's Jazz in Plymouth event will be held at the Hilde Performance Center, 3500 Plymouth Blvd.
The music of Higher Ground will kick off the evening with traditional jazz at 6 p.m. Starting at 7 p.m., The G Naturals, an eight-piece group featuring Plymouth's Michael Ballard on the saxophone, will step up the pace with a variety of jazz selections.
From 8:15-9:45 p.m., Marquis, featuring vocalist Cynthia Johnson, will perform. Marquis, under the direction of keyboardist Mark Bloom, will feature a range of jazz music from smooth and straight-ahead to ethnic and some R&B. Bloom, a Plymouth resident, has been featured locally at the Dakota and Rossi's Blue Star Room as well as experiencing mainstream success as musical coordinator and director for Joan Rivers, producer for Peter Mimmelman and Second City, and as composer and arranger for the Guthrie, The Illusion, The Great American History, and New Classic theaters.
Those who attend are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnic suppers. The park concession stand will be open.
For more information, call 763-509-5200. In case of rain or severe weather, call 763-509-5205 for a recorded message.
Saturday, Aug. 5
* The Andrews Sisters Trail dedication will be held at 10 a.m. at the Lost LakeÊGreenway and Pier and the segment of the trail named for them.ÊThe public is invited.
Sunday, Aug. 6
* The Children's Home Society & Family Services Polo Classic presented by Target will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Twin Cities Polo Club at West End Farm, located at County Road 90 and Turner Road, in Maple Plain.
This public event features a professional polo match with local and national players, an amateur exhibition match and family activities.
Admission to the Polo Classic is $25-$30 for adults, $10 for children ages 12-18, and free for children under age 12. Tickets are available at the gate or in advance at www.poloclassic.org or by calling 651-255-2304.
Monday, Aug. 7
* Butch Thompson will perform at the Old Log Theater beginning at 8 p.m. Known for his tenure on "A Prairie Home Companion," he will play a cross section of early jazz music for the piano. For reservations or more information, call the theater at 952-474-5951.
Aug. 7-10
* Children entering the second through fourth grades may take part in "Farm Explorers Day Camp" from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Thursday, Aug. 7-10, at Gale Woods Farm. They will feed farm animals, tend the vegetables and flower gardens, harvest and cook with farm produce and make a wool craft to take home.
They may also enjoy a wagon ride, play farm games, explore the pastures, fields and woods of the farm.
The cost for the camp is $145, and scholarships are available for those needing financial assistance. Reservations, pre-payment and health waiver are due in advance of the camp start date - early reservations are recommended. Call 763-559-6700 or visit www.threeriversparkdiatrict.org. For more information or to register.
Tuesday, Aug. 8
* Dr. Jonathan Paradise will lead a program at Adath Jeshurun from 7-9 p.m. focusing on poet Dan Pagis. Those who attend will sample Pagis' work (in English) as he explored questions rooted in the Holocaust, human psychology and even the philosophical implications of space travel. Pagis used irony, word-play and kabbalah in his short poems. Paradise is professor emeritus of Hebrew at the University of Minnesota. Pagis lived from 1930-1986. The cost is $10, and may be paid at the door. For more information, call Adath Jeshurun at 952-545-2424.
Wednesday, Aug. 9
* The non-profit Hazelden Foundation announced today it is offering a free seminar on smoking cessation. The program will discuss the process of quitting tobacco (smoking or chewing), how to determine if a person is ready to quit and how to prepare to quit. The free seminar will be led by Barry McMillen, supervisor of Nicotine Services for Hazelden.
The event will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Hazelden Center for Youth and Families, 11505 36th Ave. N., in Plymouth.