Did You Hear?

Gift shop & flee market to open next weekTreasure Gifts and Flea Market is scheduled to open next week on Luverne’s Main Street.Owners, Richard and Nancy Waddington, Luverne, will open the new store at 210 E. Main, in the Shear Reflection’s building.The space was formerly occupied by Brother’s Vacuum.The couple will sell new items including decorator accent pieces and NASCAR collectables.The store will rent booths for the flea market part of the business.The flea market booths which have already been rented will sell products which include crafts, antiques and clothing. As of press time, five booths were still available to rent.Hours for the new business will be Tuesday through Saturday, and closed on Sunday and Monday.Troopers stop 120 vehicles during Child Passenger Safety weekParents who didn’t put their kids in proper child restraint seats were the targets of state patrol’s Safe and Sober Campaign over Valentine’s weekend.Additional troopers from the Marshall office of the Minnesota State Patrol took part in the campaign.The purpose of the campaign was to give parents and caregivers education in the proper use of restraint devices for their children.The campaign coincided with National Child Passenger Safety week.In 2002, 2,200 injuries and deaths to children under the age of 15 cost the state $33 million.In Minnesota, 76 percent of child safety seats are used incorrectly.During the recent campaign, 120 vehicles were stopped for various violations resulting in 36 speeding and 32 seatbelt violations.AARP offers tax help for low-income and elderlyAARP tax aides will again provide tax-filing help to the low-income and elderly.Julie Schuur, Luverne, and Marilyn Sudenga, Windom, are the volunteer tax preparers and have been involved in the program since it started in 2000.The word about the service must be getting out. In 2003, 15 to 20 people came in to take advantage of the service. So far this year, 43 people have already participated.The next dates for tax help are March 15 and April 5, in the Rock County Community Library.Call 283-2555 to make an appointment, or just drop in.ARC starts annual rose saleIn conjunction with National Mental Retardation and related Disabilities month, you can now order long-stem roses, until March 18.The pickup date for orders is March 30.ARC Southwest helps individuals with developmental disabilities live, learn, work and play in their own communities.If you would like to help their cause by purchasing a dozen roses, contact Bernadine Merrill at 283-8769.The Minnesota Bookstore has 2004 maps availableThe Minnesota Bookstore, a division of the Minnesota Department of Administration, now has the updated list of Minnesota maps.An updated list of these has been compiled in a new 24-page catalog that can be requested by phone or printed from the bookstore’s Web site at www.minnesotasbookstore,comMaps featured in the catalog include:
Lake depth maps from the Department of Natural Resources
County maps from the Department of Transportation
County plat booksIf you want to order a free printed copy of the catalog, call 800-657-3757.The bookstore sells publications produced by Minnesota state agencies. Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com