Government

The Board of Directors of the Cannon River STEM School will hold a special meeting on Sunday, June 21 at 7:00 pm.  The meeting will be held at the Hideaway in Northfield.  The public is invited to attend. An agenda can be found on our website.

 City Councilors Betsey Buckheit and Jim Pokorney held their joint ward meeting in the bay of the Northfield Fire Department on Saturday, June 6. Not surprisingly, the city’s analysis of the future of the Safety Center was the main topic of the morning.

Chief of Police Mark Taylor outlined the limitations of the space of his department which include pressures created by a staff increase of 83% in the past 10 years. Gary Franek, Fire Chief said while the present location of the department is at the city’s mid point, there is no room to expand on the present site. He urged participants to tour the bay to see how tightly packed the vehicles and equipment are there. The group did not tour the rest of the building.

Northfield City Council representatives Jim Pokorney, Ward 1, and Betsey Buckheit, Ward 2 will host a joint ward meeting at the Northfield Safety Center this Saturday morning, June 6, from 9-10 am.   Residents of any part of Northfield are welcome and encouraged to come see the current Safety Center and get an update on the process for developing a larger public safety center facility. 

Police Chief Mark Taylor, Fire Chief Gary Franek, and City Administrator Joel Walinski will be there provide information about the Safety Center and public safety in Northfield.  Your comments, questions and concerns on any city topic are also welcome.

Four students in St. Olaf College Professor of Anthropology Chris Chiappari’s class have spent this semester studying the effect of the economy on the Public Library’s Booker Bus. Interviewing library staff and patrons, as well as traveling with the bus as it made its rounds in Northfield and Lonsdale, the students prepared a report, which they presented in the library meeting room on Wednesday afternoon.

The 2008 Annual Report for Northfield Hospital & Clinics is now available on the hospital website.

If you go to www.northfieldhospital.org, it can be accessed from the drop-down menu under "News" by clicking on the front page of the report.

The report provides a summary of activity during 2008, including longitudinal data on key activities, expenses and revenue and community benefit.

If you have questions, please contact Scott Richardson, director of Community Relations, at 507-646-1034.

It is my pleasure to invite you to a Third Ward Meeting Saturday May 16th at Emmaus Baptist Church from 9AM to 10AM.  The meeting will focus on current city council topics and issues related to the spring and summer seasons.  We will start with awards given out for volunteerism in the Third Ward, followed by an update from the non-motorized task force and of course there will be time for your questions.  I would encourage you to use non-motorized transportation to attend this meeting.  After the meeting, I will be biking to Lashbrook Park and I invite you to join me for a walk in the park.  Erica Zweifel, City Councilor, Third Ward.

 Like all public services funded by the legislature, Minnesota’s court system has had reduced resources in past funding sessions and is likely to experience further reductions this biennium. Third District Judge William Johnson illustrated for the audience at the Annual Meeting of the League of Women Voters of Northfield and Cannon Falls Area the effects in the Third District of the present funding level. Despite the population growth in the district, it is operating with 23 of 25 assigned judges. Reduction in the number of public defenders means caseloads have been doubled. When state funds ran out, the Rice County Commissioners voted not to pick up the cost of public defenders for parents in child custody cases. Delays in case filing, hearings and dispositions are happening here and throughout Minnesota.

The public is invited to a spaghetti dinner and annual meeting at the Eagles club on Thursday, April 30.

After a brief business meeting at 6:45, guest speaker and Northfield resident Judge William Johnson will discuss the current status of the Minnesota Judicial System which, like all Minnesota’s public services, is feeling the stress of being under funded.

In a recent statement, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Eric Magnuson noted the difficulty the legislature has funding core governmental services with severely limited resources. “Of great concern to me is the fact that during economic downturns, court business goes up as conflicts and crime tend to increase. The Minnesota Judicial Branch is already at a tipping point, operating short nine percent of our staff need and having cut services dramatically throughout the state.

Ever considered the ecological impact of your yard?  The choices you make in your yard are far more than aesthetic: they affect the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the health of your family and our ecosystem. To help you make your yard as environmentally-friendly as possible, this Arbor Day the Northfield Environmental Quality Commission will present a free workshop on eco-savvy landscaping. This information-packed workshop will cover “green” lawn care, native plants, trees, and fruit and vegetable gardening.  We’ll end with an informal seed swap (bring any extras you’d like to give away) and time for you to talk to college student farmers interested in helping you get started on your yard projects!

Presented by the Northfield Environmental Quality Commission in partnership with Just Food Co-op

When: April 25, 11am-12:30 p.m., No Charge
Location: In the Just Food Event Space, 516 Water St. S.

Northfield's new "Cat Park" on the corner of Jefferson Rd, Jefferson Lane, and Jefferson Court, is not doing as well as city officials had hoped.  "The city paid thousands to open this up.", said one city official who did not want to be named, "I mean, I'm for equality and all but the lawsuits are starting to pile up."

Indeed, it was hard to hear the official at all over the howling and hissing noises coming from the park.  Visitors huddled in the far corner, waving sticks to try and keep the cats at bay. 

 The Northfield Area Citizens for Universal Health Care are meeting Tuesday March 31st 7pm at the Northfield Library meeting room. The community is invited to come and learn more about what is happening at the state and federal levels with health reform. After the meeting we will adjourn to St.Olaf College, Buntrock Commons – Viking Theater to view the new PBS Frontline program “Sick Around America” which begins at 9pm.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776).

These words written by our founding fathers still ring true today. Surely, good health is one of the unalienable Rights (of all) to ensure Life---and the pursuit of Happiness.

 On Friday, February 13, members of the Northfield League of Women Voters were hosts to a lively gathering at Village on the Cannon to honor local elected officials.  Members of the State Legislature, Northfield City Council, Northfield School Board, Dundas City Council, Rice County Board of Commissioners and several of the city's advisory boards and commissions joined League members for the opportunity to sample snacks and visit. 

Erica Zweifel, Northfield Third Ward Councilor and Rhonda Pownell and Kris Vohs, Northfield at Large Councilors will meet constituents in the Northfield Retirement Community Chapel Saturday. All are invited to find out who will get an award for volunteerism in the third ward, hear about the YMCA Wellness Center, Kildahl Pointe, meet your city council representatives and ask your questions. 

Nineteen active and engaged Northfield High School students recently took part in the Minnesota YMCA Youth in Government program held at the State Capitol and Minneapolis Hilton. They participated in the Model Assembly Session, where they got the chance to see what it’s like to run the State of Minnesota for a few days. Through hands-on experience playing various roles, they simulated real-life government and tackled current issues.