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In the Pipeline - 03 March 2020Over March/April City Council regular meetings: March 9 and 23, April 13 and 27 at 7 p.m. City Council work sessions: March 16 and April 20 at 6:30 p.m. Citizen Advisory Commission meetings: March 10 at 7 p.m. (no April mtg.) Human Rights Commission meetings: March 2 and April 6 at 7 p.m. Planning Commission meetings: April 7 at 7 p.m. (no March mtg.) Board of Appeal and Equalization meeting: April 2 at 7 p.m. All activities are at City Hall, 4401 Xylon Ave. N. unless otherwise indicated. Agendas and minutes for meetings are available at newhopemn.gov. Schedule is subject to change. Call 763.531.5100 for more information. West Metro food drive West Metro Fire’s seventh-annual “Firefighters Fighting Hunger!” food drive is March 1-21. Firefighters are collecting non-perishable food items and monetary donations to ben- efit The Food Group. Items can be dropped off at Station 3 in New Hope, 4251 Xylon Ave. N., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on weekdays or anytime crews are present. The highlight of the food drive will be an event on Saturday, March 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. West Metro firefighters will be collecting food with fire vehicles at Almsted’s, Aldi and Target in Crystal, Hy-Vee in New Hope, and Cub Foods in Crystal and Plymouth. For more information, visit wmfrd.org or call 763.230.7007. It’s that time of year when many are working on filing their state and fed- eral taxes. Preparing your taxes can be a daunt- ing task at times, but it’s one that not everyone needs to face alone. Here are two programs available to New Hope residents: Prepare + Prosper is offering free tax preparation and e-file services to individuals with an annual income of $35,000 or less, families with an income of $55,000 or less, or self- employed individuals making $55,000 or less. Services at Prepare + Prosper are provided by a team of 500+ IRS- certified volunteers. All tax returns are doubled checked for accuracy to ensure those filing returns receive the maximum possible refund. Prepare + Prosper provides assistance with federal and Minnesota returns, including property tax refunds for renters and homeowners. For additional details, site locations, or to schedule a tax assistance ap- pointment, call 651.287.0187 or visit prepareandprosper.org. Please allow 2-4 hours to have your taxes com- pleted. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide also offers free tax preparation to low-to moderate-income taxpayers, with special attention to those 60 years of age and older. Upcoming Tax-Aide dates include: ➤ Crystal Community Center 4800 Douglas Dr. Crystal, MN 55429 Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Now through April 14 ➤ Dover Hill Midrise 2400 Rhode Island Ave. N. Golden Valley, MN 55427 Tuesdays (every other week), 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Now through April 14 ➤ Maple Grove Community Center, 12951 Weaver Lake Rd. Maple Grove, MN 55369 Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Now through April 15 For more details about other Tax- Aide sites and hours, visit aarp.org/findtaxhelp. Tax preparation assistance Primary election The Presidential Nomination Primary election will be held on Tuesday, March 3. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit the Secretary of State’s website at mnvotes.org for helpful informa- tion. Residents can confirm that they are registered, check their polling location, view a sample ballot, and request an absentee ballot. Prior to Election Day, absentee voting is available at city hall during regu- lar business hours and on Saturday, February 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday, March 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 763-531-5160 with election-relat- ed questions. Property value concerns Do you think the 2020 estimated market value for your property is too high or too low? Call the Hennepin County Assessor’s Office first at 612.348.3046. Property owners who still have con- cerns should attend the New Hope Board of Appeal and Equalization on April 2 at 7 p.m. at city hall. Recreation Corner Spring break activities New Hope Parks and Recreation has several fun programs planned during spring break. Youth ages 4-12 will learn how to put together a professional show at the Snow Queen Musical Theater Camps March 23-26 from 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. (ages 4-8), and 1-4 p.m. (ages 7-12). Kids ages 7-12 can also register for the Three Rivers Explorer Camp March 23-26 to learn about nature, make crafts, and participate in outdoor recreation activities. Youth ages 6-12 can participate in several sports camps, including Basketball and Baseball on March 23, and Lacrosse and Soccer on March 24. Families with kids in grades 3-8 can attend Open Gym Basketball on March 25 beginning at 10 a.m. Register for spring gymnastics Your kids will flip for the spring gymnastics classes offered by the New Hope Parks and Recreation Department. Classes are scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for kids ages 4 and up. The session begins March 11 through 21, and continues through mid-May. Class sizes are limited. Fees range from $68 for 4 and 5 year old beginners to $150 for an advanced session. Gymnastics classes are held in Gym D at Sandburg Middle School, 2400 Sandburg Ln. N. in Golden Valley. Call for details. Family Fun Night Families with kids ages 4 and older, beat the winter blues with this great fam- ily event coming to the Crystal Community Center, 4800 Douglas Dr., on Friday, March 6 from 6-8:30 p.m. Everyone can bounce, jump, joust, run in an inflatable hamster ball, and bungee run on bouncers provided by Bounce on Air. Plus, try a game of Bingo and win prizes. One adult can supervise up to five children. Adults who do not plan to participate do not need to pay. Tick- ets are $6 in advance (by March 1) or $10 at the door. Tripsters - Chocolate Tasting Tour Our first stop will include lunch and sampling chocolates at the historic Afton House Inn. The second chocolate tasting will take place at the Phipps Inn, a luxurious 1884 Victorian mansion in Hudson, WI. The last stop will be at The Outing Lodge at Pine Point, a European country home surrounded by acres of wooded rolling farmland. Cost is $70 which includes transporta- tion, lunch, tours, tax, gratuity, and escort. Register by March 13. For more information about these programs or to register, call the New Hope Parks and Recreation office at 763.531.5151. damage caused by snowplows with black dirt and grass seed. Once the repair has been made, homeown- ers are responsible for watering and maintaining the new grass. Due to limited resources, it is difficult for the city to repair boulevard damage as quickly as it would like. Residents can help by replacing pieces of sod that have been ripped out. The sod will usually reroot and, if the divot is picked up in a timely manner, the grass underneath it does not die. If your lawn was damaged by a snowplow this winter, please call the New Hope Public Works Department at 763.592.6777 as soon as possible. Residents who live along county roads should contact Hennepin County for assistance at 763.745.7700. Hiring for pool season Applications are now being accepted for summer employment at the New Hope Aquatic Park. Positions include assistant managers, lifeguards, water safety instructors, guest services, concessions, and maintenance. Ap- plications are available at city hall or newhopemn.gov/aquatics. The city’s snowplow drivers take every precaution they can while keeping the roads clean and safe, however, snow removal equipment occasionally tears up some turf. Pub- lic works staff often begin repairing snowplow damage in early May. Nearly all of the damage caused by snowplows occurs in the city-owned boulevard, typically the first 12 to 15 feet behind the curb. Residents who place irrigation systems, trees, shrubs, flower beds, brick, stone or other items in the boulevard do so at their own risk. New Hope repairs boulevard turf Call to report damage caused by snowplows Register for summer fun! The spring/summer issue of In Motion, the New Hope recreation program brochure, will be mailed in March. Watch for it in your mailbox, and stay up to date with the latest programs at newhopemn.gov/rec. Safety tip of the month March 15-21 is Poison Prevention Week. The information below is from poison.org What is a poisoning? A poison exposure occurs when a person swallows, breathes, touches, or gets splashed in the eye with something that can cause sickness or death. Poisoning is a matter of dose – too much of anything can be dangerous. Most consumer products are safe if label directions are fol- lowed, but some can be poisonous if used incorrectly. Where can people get help? Dialing 1.800.222.1222 will con- nect you to your local Poison Center, which is staffed by nurses, pharma- cists, and physicians. Poison Centers are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The call is free and confiden- tial. You can also visit poisonhelp.org. Report a pothole Spring is the peak season for pot- holes. As soon as hot-mix asphalt is available, New Hope’s street crews will be out regularly to fill potholes. Residents can report a pothole by calling New Hope Public Works at 763.592.6777 or by using the “report an issue” feature on the city’s website, which can be accessed at newhopemn.gov/reportanissue.