Local briefs

The Brainerd Regional Human Services Center will conduct its 42nd annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday to mark National Volunteer Week April 22-28.

Volunteers and interns from all work areas, including Green Thumb, Senior Companions, MnCEP, Canteen, Volunteer Council and Wise Guyz will receive awards and recognition at a special luncheon.

People interested in volunteering at the center may contact Carol Rose, volunteer coordinator, at 828-2420.

Howes lists survey results

Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker, Thursday announced the results of his 2001 legislative questionnaire. He received several hundred responses to the annual survey.

Taxes, education and senior prescription drugs drew strong opinions from survey respondents. An overwhelming majority agreed that cutting personal income tax would be the best way to attract and retain a highly skilled work force in the state. Cutting property taxes and ending school funding through property taxes were also favored among constituents who responded.

A copy of the results may be obtained by contacting Howes' office at (651) 296-2451 or e-mailing him at rep.larryhowes@house.leg.state.mn.us.

Crow Wing SWCD

to hold meetings

The Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District will host two meetings next week.

The personnel committee will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday to review applications for district technician. At 9:30 a.m. April 27, the board of supervisors will meet to conduct interviews for the district technician position.

Both meetings will be held at the SWCD office at 512 C St. N.E. in Brainerd.

Backus EDA to meet

BACKUS -- The Backus Economic Development Authority and the city council announced public hearings.

The EDA board hold a hearing at 7 p.m. April 30 at city hall to receive public comment and authorize selling up to $275,000 in general obligation revenue bonds for a senior housing project.

The council will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. May 7 at city hall on the same issue and consider authorizing the EDA to sell bonds.

At 6:30 p.m. May 7, the city council will hold a public hearing to consider adopting the state building code for the city.

Residents and contractors are encouraged to attend and comment on the proposed building code. Anyone wishing to submit written comment before that hearing may mail their comments to Mayor Mike Nethercutt, City of Backus, P.O. Box 44, Backus, MN 56435.

W-H-A School Board

to consider contracts

WALKER -- The Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School Board will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the high school cafeteria to consider awarding building project contracts.

The board also will consider awarding school portable buildings to qualified parties.

The district plans to build a new high school and remodel the existing Walker School complex to move all students in the district to Walker. Currently, three grades attend school in Akeley.

Biopiracy is CLC forum topic

Antonio Perez Mendez, a Tzeltal indigenous doctor/herbalist from Chiapas, Mexico, will be the featured speaker Wednesday at Central Lakes College in Brainerd in a forum on biopiracy.

The 7 p.m. forum in the college cafeteria is a free, public event sponsored by People Uniting for Peace, the Great Earth Club and the Anishinabe Club, all student organizations at CLC.

Mendez, known as a healer by his people, will give a first-hand testimony on the adverse impacts to biodiversity and the corporate impact on the environment related to biopiracy in the rain forest.

Biopiracy is the illegal appropriation and patenting of life -- plants, animals, soils, humans -- by transnational corporations, universities and governments using indigenous knowledge to facilitate their research.

According to organizers of the event, biopiracy is an often-overlooked violation of the human rights and autonomy of indigenous peoples all over the world.

Accompanying Mendez will be Ryan Zinn, an analyst with Global Exchange who has researched the impacts of World Bank projects on indigenous communities.

Zinn will discuss threats to biodiversity and local communities in Mexico with a special focus on the conflict-ridden state of Chiapas. He will examine the underlying causes of the conflict in diverse countries such as Mexico and Colombia.