Conexiones Comunitarias es un boletín mensual que ofrece información sobre servicios y actividades disponibles en Northfield. Este boletín es cortesía del Centro LINK y puede pinchar aquí para acceder a los boletines anteriores.

Conexiones Comunitarias: Noviembre 2012 (.pdf)

At the Northfield Library you'll find,
With poems, some piece of mind,
In the Poetry Patch,
For young poets, a match,
And a place where your words can shine!

If you're a K-5 kid that loves Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, or 
maybe even Shakespeare, you're invited to join members of the 
St. Olaf Poetry house for Poetry Patch, a bi-monthly program 
for aspiring young poets. 

Rhonda Pownell, City Councilor, mother, and St. Olaf grad, has devoted her life to service. She graduated from St. Olaf with a degree in Social Work, making a firm commitment to changing lives. Today, she works extensively within her church and the Northfield community as a whole. For Mrs. Pownell, our goal as community members should be to serve others, even in the smallest of acts. From her work as City Councilor to inspiring her children through homeschooling, Rhonda Pownell is a leader.

See the photo essay covering Rhonda on the League of Women Voters Northfield - Cannon Falls Website

The Tavern Lounge is presenting another fantastic line-up of live entertainment this weekend (and there's never a cover charge!).

Thursday, Nov. 15 from 8:30 to 11 pm, everybody's favorite "piano man" Mark Mraz tickles the ivories and performs all your favorite sing-along songs, along with a trove of golden oldies and classic covers from the pop music archives.

Friday, Nov. 16 from 8 to 11:30 pm, it's a not-to-be-missed evening of foot-stomping Americana and blues from award-winning Twin Cities singer/songwriter, Jeff Ray. Ray performs regularly throughout North America and Europe and has shared the stage with the likes of Chris Smither, Justin Townes Earle, Spider John Koerner, Pat Donohue, Retribution Gospel Choir, Dawes, Charlie Parr, and James Hunter. Get a sneak peek at www.jeffraymusic.com.

The Northfield Swedish Club is preparing for its 37th annual Lucia celebration and is looking for girls and boys interested in participating as attendants.  The event is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Northfield.  

Area residents of Swedish descent – or those simply interested in a night of fun, food and music – are invited to attend this annual celebration marking the beginning of the Swedish Christmas season.  It includes a potluck supper, a Lucia processional and pageant, live fiddle music, singing, and folk dancing around the Christmas tree.

The Northfield Youth Choirs’ Concert Choir will perform Saturday, Nov. 17, as part of the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota’s 50th Anniversary concert weekend.

The Concert Choir, made up of 58 singers from Northfield, Webster, Lonsdale and Cannon Falls, will sing at the Tribute Concert at Bethel University in St. Paul. The concert also will include performances by the St. Olaf Choir; the Twin Cities-based Angelica Cantanti Youth Choirs’ Concert Choir; Magnum Chorum, a Twin Cities-based chamber choir; and organist David Cherwien. Craig Hella Johnson, the founder and director of Conspirare, an Austin, Texas-based virtuoso choir, will lead the combined featured choirs.

The Northfield Roundtable invites the community to another workshop with urban designer, Bill Johnson, on Friday, November 16 in the Lower Level of the Archer House from 8 AM – 12 noon and again on Saturday, November 17 from 8:30 – 10 AM. 

This is the fifth workshop facilitated by Johnson to assist the community to envision what “could be” regarding current and future uses and configurations in key areas of the city. This session will focus on the Highway 3 South corridor from the Cannon River bridge south of 5th Street to Menards in Dundas. 

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 – 7:30-8:30   NHS Auditorium -- public welcome     

Intervention Games and Activities for Beginning and Struggling Readers

Montessori Children's House and The Northfield School District invite you to a literacy presentation for parents and community educators about beginning reading skills, phonemic awareness, and games and activities that promote literacy in the home.

Northfield Retirement Community (NRC) announced recently that it would be hosting Caregiver Support Groups, a series of gatherings designed to help caregivers let go of stress, support loved ones and find ways to care for themselves in the process. The sessions are designed to be safe places to share with one another and learn helpful tips on how to juggle a caregiver role with other responsibilities during the holidays.

The groups will meet for five sessions on Thursdays before the holidays – November 8, 15 and 29; and December 6 and 13 at the following sites:

• Noon–12:45 p.m. – St. Olaf College, Buntrock Commons, Room 145A
• 4:30–5:30 p.m. – Northfield Retirement Community, Buckeye Conference Room
• 6–7 p.m. – Northfield Senior Center, Room 106
  

This article was written by Joan Janusz, a member of the Northfield Mayor’s Task Force on Youth Alcohol and Drug Use.

Mind Altering Drugs-Old or New-Prevention the Key

Marijuana and the newer synthetic drugs promoted as “Incense” and “Bath Salts” have caused a lot of concern and received a lot of attention. There is a lot of misinformation about these drugs. Is marijuana a dangerous drug or a medical miracle? Is “Incense” a safer, legal form of marijuana? Are “Bath Salts” safer, legal forms of cocaine, LSD, or ecstasy?

“Creative Critter Creations” is the theme for this month’s edition of Kids Night at the Y, set for Friday, Nov. 9, at the National Guard Armory, 519 Division St.

Kids Night at the Y—an evening of fun conducted by the Northfield Area Family YMCA—is open to children ages 3 to 10.

Kids Night features games, crafts, music and dinner. The program runs from 5 to 8 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m.

YMCA members pay $10 for the first two children in the family – a fee that include dinner – and $5 for each additional child. Nonmembers pay $15 for the two children in the family, $10 for each additional child.

Results:

• MN Senate: Kevin Dahle (DFL). The results were close enough to trigger a recount. See the story on Northfield Patch.
• MN House: David Bly (DFL)
• Northfield Mayor: Dana Graham
• Council At-Large: David Ludescher
• Council 2nd Ward: David DeLong
• Council 3rd Ward: Erica Zweifel
• Northfield School Board: Ellen Iverson, Anne Maple, Noel Stratmoen, Rob Hardy

Artist Call: Apply to have your work featured in one of the Northfield Senior Center (NSC) Gallery exhibits for 2013.  Send 3 examples of your work, plus a brief statement about your work, to Patsy Dew by November 15.  (patsydew@nscmn.org, 507-664-3708)

The NSC Gallery was founded in the fall of 2010, and has shown the work of many fine artists since, including John Maakestad, Mac Gimse, Judy Saye-Willis, Tom Willis, Dennis McClintock, Riki Kolbl Nelson, Marsha Kitchel, Julie Fakler, Pearl Tate, and Kathy Miller.  Exhibits run 4-5 weeks long.  Because the Gallery is located in the Northfield Community Resource Center, the artwork receives a lot of exposure.