Locally Grown - Ross Currier, Tracy Davis, Griff Wigley

   
I got my hair cut in Salon Synergy‘s new location yesterday, directly across Water St. from their previous location. Proprietor Lana Huberg appeared to be quite happy with her new space. No, I didn’t bring her the flowers.

   
I noticed this week that First National Bank of Northfield installed a 24 hour ATM sign at its downtown location.  Very cool. It’s evidently part of the ATM upgrade that Ray Cox wrote about in his Northfield Construction Company blog last week.

Now is the time for CEO Dave Shumway, who knows how to screw in a light bulb one-handed at the top of a step ladder in front of handicap-access entrance/exit door, to grab his ladder and remove the graffiti that’s been on the upper level of the building since March of 2008.

No, this is not a faux news piece. I heard this story on PRI’s The World a month ago, Why Germans Don’t Like Bicycle Helmets, and started poking around to learn more.

It turns out that the promotion of the wearing of bike helmets, and especially helmet laws, reduces bicycling and the public health benefits of cycling.

The best site I found for research: The Bicycle Helmet Research Foundation in the UK.

So while wearing a bike helmet might be good for you personally (I always do but even the research on that is questionable), it’s bad public policy to promote the wearing of bicycle helmets.

If you’re a parent and insist that your young kids wear helmets, realize that you’re likely creating a strong incentive for them to abandon bike riding when they become teenagers and to see driving a car as the only socially acceptable form of local transportation.

The Northfield Hospital, Northfield Community Services, the City of Northfield, and other organizations in the area concerned with the health and safety of the citizenry should quit the bike helmet safety promotions.

May 23 8 am update: I’ve changed the name of the blog post from “Bike helmets are bad for the public health of Northfield” to “Bike helmet promotions are bad for the public health of Northfield.” See the discussion below.

As the new mountain bike ride coordinator for the Cannon Valley Velo Club (CVVC), I’m planning to lead some rides starting in June.

To help me plan the rides, please fill out this form. (You don’t need to be a member of the CVCC to fill out the form.)

I’m especially interested in beginners, even if you only own a hybrid bike.

Got questions or suggestions? Attach a comment (preferred) or contact me.

 
Newcomers to Northfield probably don’t wonder why there are no lions lounging along the river when visiting Northfield’s Riverside Lions Park.

But how did that word ‘Lions’ get in the name?

I’m assuming that the Northfield Cannon Valley Lions Club (Facebook page) did something generous to have their organization incorporated into the official name of the park.

But what was that the Lions Club did? When?  And might this option be available to other non-profit organizations?

  
While riding my bike though Riverside Park last night, I noticed that the blacktop pad has been recently seal coated.  A few minutes later, I got the official word from these skateboarders that the temporary skate park will open sometime this week.

May 24 update:  Installation began yesterday afternoon. See these photos:

 
Cecilia Cornejo was capturing video of the process. More about her work in this Nfld News article: Northfield Skate Park Coalition becomes subject of documentary.

  
Signs and a website for Carbone’s Pizza & Sports Bar in River Park Mall are now up.  The site says they’re opening on Aug. 1 and they’re hiring now.  The description of the restaurant:

Carbone’s Pizza & Sports Bar in Northfield, MN is a full-service, pizza-themed, casual dining restaurant and sports bar offering incredible gourmet pizzas, along with a wide variety of other great dishes, such as wings, ribs, burgers, pasta, sandwiches and wraps. Carbone’s Pizza & Sports Bar offers a contemporary, sit-down family dining atmosphere with a separate sports bar featuring a large outdoor patio. With close to 20 large flat screen TV’s, you can’t miss the action. The result is a fun, high-energy setting for families and sports enthusiasts alike.

Nfld News reporter Suzy Rook posted an opinion piece on Thursday titled Northfield Planning commissioners behaving badly.

Two different sources tell me that two Planning Commission members are, well, behaving badly. One, it seems, took it on him or herself to remove signs they felt were illegally placed. Come to find out, the signs were completely legal and placed in the right-of-way by city workers… The second commissioner cranked things up a few dozens notches, apparently dislodging a bench cemented into a Division Street sidewalk and moving to another location down the street.

Members of the City of Northfield Planning Commission-Zoning Board of Appeals (PC-ZBA):

• Thomas Bisel
• James Herreid
• Alice Thomas
• Steve Rholl
• Richard Schulte
• Jay Jasnoch
• Joey Robison

Um, anyone know what is going on?

Feel free to speculate while I work on the blog post.

   
I missed the imprinting of the sidewalk poems yesterday morning so see the short Nfld News video here and the story with more photos at Nfld Patch:  Northfield Sidewalk Poetry Installation

The first two pieces of sidewalk poetry were imprinted in the sidewalks (one on Third Street and another on Division Street) around the Northfield Public Library on Wednesday morning.

They included a piece from Lily Hanlon, a Prairie Creek Community School student, and Anne Running Sovik. These are selections from the first sidewalk public poetry contest from last year, which was sponsored by the Arts & Culture Commission and the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library. More poems from the 2011 selections will be imprinted at a later date.

I chatted with Library Director Lynne Young as I was taking photos and asked her about the funding for the project. She said that the Northfield Streetscape Task Force contributed $5,000 last year and that the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC) awarded a grant this year. I see on the SEMAC page of recent grants that the

City of Northfield Arts & Culture Commission received a $7,100 Arts & Cultural Heritage grant for Sidewalk Public Poetry Project.

"Arts & Cultural Heritage grant" is Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment money. Not counted in the total is City of Northfield staff time (public works, engineering).

I love public art and I think sidewalk poetry is cool.  But I think it’s worth discussing whether $12,000 of taxpayer money for this project is a good investment. I’m undecided.

Update May 22: Some additional photos:

Left: I don’t understand why only one poem was installed in this new section.

Right: This section of sidewalk appear to be relatively new. Why weren’t poems installed here?

Louise:  Amended

“A  massive  brain  trauma  robbed  fashionable  young  Louise  of  the  shallow  currency  she’d   banked  on  all  her  life,  and  the  resulting  struggle  is  a  page?turner  in  which  a  person’s  very   soul  deepens  before  your  eyes.  Louise:  Amended rewards  a  reader’s  time-­?a  must  read.” —Mary  Karr, New York Times bestselling author of The Liars’ Club

A  beautiful  young  woman  from  Kansas  is  about  to  embark  on  the  life  of  her  dreams (California! Glossy  journalism! French boyfriend!) only  to  suffer  a  brain  bleed  that  collapses   the  right  side  of  her  body,  leaving  her  with  double  vision,  facial  paralysis,  and  a  dragging   foot.  An  unflinching,  wise,  and  darkly  funny  portrait  of  sudden  disability  and  painstaking   recovery,  the  memoir  presents  not  only  Louise’s  perspective,  but  also  the  reaction  of  her   loved  ones–we  see,  in  fictional  interludes,  what  it  must  have  been  like  for  Louise’s   boyfriend  to  bathe  her,  or  for  her  mother  to  apply  lipstick  to  her  nearly  immobile  mouth. Now,  six  years   later,  Louise  has  astounded  doctors  and  loved  ones  by  recovering  not  only  much  of  her   vision  and  mobility,  but  a  ferocious  spirit  and  enviable  grace.

At age twenty-two, Louise Krug suffered a brain bleed and underwent an emergency craniotomy that disrupted her ability to walk, see, and move half her face. Now, six years later, Louise has astounded doctors and loved ones by recovering not only much of her vision and mobility, but a ferocious spirit and enviable grace. She currently lives with her husband Nick and daughter Olive in Lawrence, Kansas, where she’s a PhD candidate and teacher.

The book is available at Monkey See Monkey Read in downtown Northfield.

Here’s the Dylanfest ’12 press release that I sent out earlier this week.

See Griff’s photo album from Dylanfest ’11 and let me know if you have questions.

The Contented Cow announced today that they will once again host Dylanfest on Thursday, May 24th at 6 pm on their outdoor Riverside Stage. More than two dozen different performers will play songs written by and associated with Bob Dylan in a celebration of his 71st birthday, which is also the 24th.

“We’re really looking forward to Dylanfest again this year,” said Contented Cow owner Norman Butler. “It’s going to kick off both Memorial Day Weekend and our annual Mayfly Music Festival. Dylanfest is a special event because it brings so many different people from the community together to celebrate some fantastic music. When we did this last year the response was overwhelmingly positive. So many people have asked if we planned to make it an annual event, that we really had no choice. And, of course, we’re thrilled to be doing it.”

The show will feature performers from all around Southern Minnesota, as well as the Twin Cities. “The thing that really gets me excited about the bill this year is the diversity,” says show producer Rich Larson of Left-Handed Entertainment. “We have more women playing this year, and we have more participation from the student population. There’s an all women a cappella group from Carleton called the Knightengales who will be singing. The styles that will be presented – from bluegrass to rock to electronic – are going to make this a fascinating show.”

This year, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Northfield youth center The Key. “There is no cover charge for the show. It’s free to attend, but there are some avenues that give us a good opportunity to help out the community,” said Larson. “We’re all big fans of The Key and what it represents. (Local artist) Nick Sinclair has designed a commemorative poster for the night. We’ll be selling limited edition prints at the show and donating the proceeds. Folks will be able to make a direct donation to The Key as well. “

Bob Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman on My 24th, 1941 in Duluth, MN and grew up in Hibbing. His music earned him such popularity in the 1960’s that he earned the name “The Voice of a Generation.” He has won numerous awards, including multiple Grammies, a Kennedy Center honor, and a Pulitzer Prize. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and just last month was named one of thirteen honorees to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. For more information on Dylanfest, please contact Rich Larson at rich@left-handedentertainment.com.

At last night’s City Council meeting (Nfld News story here), 3rd Ward Council Erica Zweifel announced her intent to file for re-election.

Two weeks ago, Nfld News reporter Suzy Rook mentioned some filing-related rumors, one of which was squelched by Councilor Betsey Buckheit, i.e., that she’s not considering a run for Rice County commissioner.

Other Council seats expiring this year:

• Mayor (currently Mary Rossing)
• 2nd Ward (currently Betsey Buckheit)
• At-Large (currently Ivan Imm)

The City’s Candidate Filing page says that the “filing period for Northfield Council positions will begin on Tuesday, May 22 at 8:00 am and continue through Tuesday, June 5 at 5:00 pm in the City Clerk’s office. The filing fee is $5.00.”

Prairie’s Edge Humane Society’s “Walk for the Animals” is only a few days away, coming up on Saturday, May 19th at the PEHS shelter, 1201 Cannon Circle, Faribault, MN 55021. There will be a contest for the most funds raised, with a prize awarded in the adult and 16 and under categories. Will you be the winner? Ask your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and anyone else you know for a donation and you could be the winner of some fabulous prizes! You can download a pledge form by clicking here or set up your own on line fundraising page by clicking here. Turn in your collected donations at the registration desk on the day of the walk. If you collected on line donations, simply print out a copy of your donation page and bring with you. Everyone who raises at least $50 will receive a free Walk for the Animals T-shirt as well as a dog or cat treat bag (while supplies last). Can’t make it the day of the walk? You can still donate by clicking here.

All Walk routes start at the PEHS shelter and are marked for ½ mile or 1 mile lengths, you may turn around at any time during your walk or you may walk further if you like, simply walk the route several times. You may walk anytime between the hours of 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM or join in the group walk led by our Celebrity Grand Marshall, Scooby Doo at 9:30 AM. If you do not have your own pet to walk, we will rent you one! For a $5 donation, you can walk one of the shelter dogs for ½ hour.

This year we will once again have games and raffles for you and your pet, so make sure you bring the entire family for a fun filled morning. Is your dog artistic? For only $5 you can find out when your pet paints his/her own project for you to take home, with their paw using safe, washable ink. There will also be vendors, rescue groups and a food booth for your lunch or a snack.

The Prairie’s Edge Humane Society shelter will open at 10:30 AM on the day of the walk so that you can visit the shelter animals, inquire about adoption, or shop our retail area. Don’t miss out on all of the great activities for the “Walk for the Animals”. Help us make this our largest Walk ever and raise funds for the homeless animals of the PEHS shelter!

Link to set up fundraising page http://www.razoo.com/

Link to donate http://www.razoo.com/story/Sandy-Walkfortheanimals-Fundraisingpage

Saturday’s Northfield News carried a front page story titled Concerns arise over Fire Department expenses; Northfield officials fear funding is going toward non-firefighting expenses.  (The headline used for the online version: Ethical questions arise over Northfield Fire Relief Association expenses.)

I’ve done four fire department/association-related blog posts since January (here, here, here, and here) as well as a three more on attorney David Hvistendahl (here, here, and here) who’s representing the fire and rescue squad associations. It’s a complex and constantly evolving issue.

So it’s really helpful to have a someone else, in this case, Northfield News reporter Suzy Rook, digging into the story, too.   And for the first time, the paper cited Locally Grown (twice) in a story:

Fire Department officials, including Fire Chief Gerry Franek, did not respond to several requests from the News for association financial records or comment. Assistant Fire Chief Tom Nelson at an April 24 City Council meeting said documents posted on the blog Locally Grown are 2010 and 2011 relief association check registers. But those registers don’t clearly state how and where monies were spent, and are likely a listing of transactions from several accounts compiled into a single document…

The association had a net revenue of $14,263 in 2011, according to a Gambling Control Board report to the Legislature. Of that, $4,110 was used for what’s termed lawful purpose expenditures. In 2010, its net receipts were $17,730. Of that, $8,354 was used for lawful expenditures. Figures provided to the state Gambling Control Board don’t match the association’s 2010 tax return, a document Assistant Fire Chief Tom Nelson says he provided Locally Grown. According to that document, the association lost $2,209 in 2010.

I appreciate that. Follow Suzy Rook on Twitter @rooksuzy.

  
Longtime City of Northfield Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) member George Kinney stopped by my corner office at GBM last week to alert me to a solar energy workshop coming up on Saturday. See the flyer (PDF) and the press release below (links added):

Solar Workshop: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Solar Energy But Were Afraid, Or Didn’t Know Who To, Ask

A workshop on residential and commercial solar energy opportunities will be held at the Just Food Community Room (Just Food Co-op, 516 Water Street South, Northfield) from 1:00 to 4:00 pm Saturday, May 19th. The workshop, sponsored by RENew Northfield and the Southeast Clean Energy Resource Teams (SE CERT), will cover currently available active solar technologies, the economics of solar installations, and the experiences of local homeowners and business owners with recent solar projects.

Presenters include representatives of three solar energy vendors, who will discuss solar air heating, solar water heating, and solar electric systems for homes and businesses. The head of the Minnesota Solar Energy Industry Association will present an overview of solar energy opportunities in the state, and a Minnesota Division of Energy Resources representative will discuss current solar rebates and financial incentives. A panel of local homeowners and small business owners will talk about their experiences in selecting and working with solar contractors, and the performance of their systems.

The solar vendors will have informational displays, and will be available for one-on-one discussion after the formal presentations.  Attendees will also be invited to view a nearby solar installation after the workshop.

The workshop is free. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required. For more information, contact SE CERT at Joe@cleanenergyresourceteams.org 952-406-1215.

I’m appreciative of Northfield’s media organizations who have been very helpful in drawing attention to Tuesday night’s (May 15) information meeting for the new Cannon Valley Mountain Bike Racing Team for area high school students.

Northfield News reporter Jordan Osterman: Northfield high school mountain bike team forming

KYMN News Morning Show host Jeff Johnson: Griff Wigley and Peter Behm on C.V. Mountain Bike Racing (blog post with streaming audio). Alternate: download/listen to MP3.  (Peter Behm is a student at ARTech.)

Northfield Patch reporter Michael Garlitz: Cannon Valley Biking Team Pedaling Toward Starting Line

One point Wigley stresses when talking about forming the team is that the activity is open to girls, as well as boys.

“The big push nationally is to get girls involved,” he said. “And, there is an incentive for having girls on your team. Points earned by girls are worth more, which helps in recruiting.

Can’t make the May 15 meeting? Area student-athletes who are interested can now fill out a form on the CVMTBT website to be kept informed on next steps on the team’s formation.

The Cannon River Watershed Partnership (CRWP), the Friends of Way Park and the City of Northfield are teaming up for two events to help people learn about and install rain gardens.  Rain gardens filter runoff, create habitat, and are beautiful. 

May 17th – 7:00 – 8:00 PM  – Blue Thumb class to learn about rain gardens

Location: St. John’s Lutheran Church, 500 West 3rd St. Northfield

The class will cover: Rain garden basics; Design and installation for your property; Maintenance.

Bring a rough sketch of your property layout and downspouts for more site specific advice. Northfield residents may qualify for a $250 grant to install their own rain garden. Attendance is free but registration is requested. 

Please contact Leslie at 507-786-3915 or leslie@crwp.net

May 19th – 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Way Park Community Planting Day

Location:  Way Park, 720 West 1st St., Northfield

Join us for a community planting day for the new rain gardens in Way Park.  Come for 15 minutes or stay the whole day!

No gardening experience necessary.  Bring gloves and a shovel if you have them.  Please wear comfortable clothing and sturdy footwear. Snacks and refreshments provided.

Questions? Contact Leslie at 507-786-3915 or leslie@crwp.net.

  
Last night, Robbie and I enjoyed some wine with dinner at our outdoor fire pit in our Valley Pond Townhome Association backyard for the first time this spring. It was a perfect spring evening: warm, clear sky, no wind, no bugs, and a symphony of nature sounds coming from Hidden Valley Park.

Enjoying food and conversation in front of a campfire makes me feel rich, even though it can be done very cheaply.

What are some of your favorite spring-related simple pleasures?  Get some ideas here: 75 Simple Pleasures to Brighten Your Day.

   
Mr. Ed Kuhlman stopped by my morning office at GBM on Friday to show me a newspaper called the National Public Opinion that he found in a recent batch of collectibles he’d purchased. This edition was Volume 1, No. 4, published on July 16, 1927.  In true yellow journalism fashion, the headlines scream:

FARIBAULT, MINNESOTA, IS 48 PER CENT TAX-EXEMPT!

NORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA, HALF TAXED—HALF FREE

Faribault, Minnesota, is tied for first place with Northfield, in matter of tax exemptions

The Limit to Tax Exemptions in Northfield, Minnesota is the Sky With the Roof Knocked off

Carleton College seems to run the city.

We laughed because Carleton was in the news this past week for acquiring a commercial property downtown. The Nfld Patch article, Carleton College Purchases Building at 200 Division St., includes an email by Carleton’s VP Fred Rogers. Excerpt:

We believe this is a win for Carleton and a win for Northfield’s downtown. The College will effectively acquire new space in central campus, much cheaper than we could construct it. The office and professional uses of this important downtown building will be reinforced and increased. We intend to honor all existing leases and to leave the building on the tax roll at this time.

If Carleton does take the building off the tax roll, I predict the publisher of the National Public Opinion will turn over in his grave and come back to life as an angry blogger.