Local briefs

The National Association of Letter Carriers' food drive collected more than three times the amount of food as last year.

The May 12 food drive collected 5,900 pounds of non-perishable items for the area food shelf. In 2000, the drive collected 1,260 pounds of food.

Region 5 board to meet STAPLES -- The Region 5 Commission will meet at 7 p.m. May 24 at the Region 5 office in Staples.

Family Fun Carnival set The Garfield Elementary School Parent Teacher Association is sponsoring a Family Fun Carnival from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday at the school.

Tickets are on sale at the carnival. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Y to train lifeguards

The Brainerd Family YMCA will hold a Red Cross lifeguard training class beginning June 4.

Participants will gain a general knowledge of lifeguarding and will be qualified to lifeguard at most pool facilities. Cost including books and CPR mask is $178.

Registration deadline is May 30. Register soon because class size is limited. Call or stop by the YMCA at 602 Oak St. for a complete class schedule and to register.

For more information contact Kristi at 829-4767.

Plants go on sale

The Northland Arboretum will hold its annual plant sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

The sale will take place at the arboretum and will feature bulbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees and houseplants. Sale plants come from the arboretum gardens and the gardens of friends and members. Many plants are rescued from development sites.

If you have plants to donate, contact the arboretum at 829-8770. The Northland Arboretum is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization and is located behind Herberger's on Northwest Seventh Street. Members and non-members are welcome and there will be no gate fees on the day of the sale.

Weight limits expire

BAXTER -- Truck axle weight restrictions that have been in place for eight weeks on selected state highways in Minnesota expire this week. In the central zone of the state, weight restrictions were removed Monday. In the north zone they are no longer in effect as of today, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Unless posted otherwise, weight restrictions on all city, township and county streets and roads with gravel surface or blacktop pavement also will be lifted within the zone and time frame set by MnDOT's spring road restrictions.

First aid class set

The Brainerd Family YMCA will be offering an American Heart basic first aid class from 5:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. June 5 at the YMCA.

Participants will receive certifications upon completion of the course. Cost is $45 for YMCA members and $50 for community members. The first aid manual is included in the cost. The class must be paid for at the time of registration.

For more information, call Christa at the YMCA at 829-4767.

Deadline extended

The sign-up deadline for the 2000 crop disaster program has been extended until further notice. Contact the Aitkin-Itasca Farm Service Agency office about eligibility requirements and to apply for the crop disaster program.

Contact the Aitkin-Itasca FSA office at 927-2912 or stop in at the office, located 1.1 miles south of the stoplight in Aitkin.

Bicycle clinic planned

The Brainerd Parks and Recreation Department will host a bicycle clinic featuring instruction on the rules of the road and safety procedures at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Memorial Park parking lot across from Potlatch.

Children are required to bring their bicycles and wear a helmet if they have one. Helmets will be available to those who do not have one.