Government

The Grace Whittier Fund Committee was created in 1988 as a result of a gift from long-time Northfield resident Grace Whittier. The purpose of the fund is to support recreational opportunities for Northfield youth. The City of Northfield has established a process to award grants from the Grace Whittier Fund to Northfield area organizations that provide recreational activities for youth and children. The grant application for the current year can be obtained here: Grace Whittier Fund Grant Application

Marjorie Jobson, human rights activist  who has been contributed in many ways to  the  STO programs in S. Africa since will receive the degree of Doctor of Human Letters, honoris causa,  from ST. Olaf during chapel on Thursday March 11  at 11 a.m. Also on Thursday,  Dr. Jobson will  give a public lecture "Living with Legacies of Trauma:  Healing and Reconciliation in Post-Aparteid South Africa" at 4 p.m. in Viking THeater (Buntrock Commons).

City Councilor Erica Zweifel will discuss land use with the public at her Third Ward Meeting on Monday, March 1st at 7:30 p.m. in the Valhalla Room, Buntrock Commons on the St. Olaf Campus.  Zweifel notes that the St. Olaf students chose the topic which has relevance to not only the campus, but the larger Northfield Community. The city is undergoing a study to determine how the recently annexed 530 acres west of the hospital should be developed. In addition, several landowners in Bridgewater Township have requested annexation of property west of town and south of highway 19. This area has some sensitive natural areas, including the only trout stream in Rice County. Finally, the Northfield Planning Commission is working on revisions to the city code to implement the recently adopted Comprehensive Land Use Plan. 

Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to U.S. Congress, spoke Friday afternoon at Carleton College about the state of religious tolerance in America. Despite public controversies over his swearing in to office using the Koran [the central Islamic holy text], Ellison was largely optimistic about religious tolerance in the United States, saying, “Americans in general are tolerant of other peoples’ religious belief… These news-gathering events that smack of intolerance are actually the exception. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be concerned… but the fact is, we are way ahead in the struggle for religious tolerance in the United States.”

Ellison’s speech on Friday afternoon was casually structured and often conversational in tone, yet his speech nonetheless touched on weighty themes, including the importance of diplomacy and education in fostering greater understanding and peace, and his role as a United States politician given his identity as a Muslim.

Early in his speech, Ellison firmly asserted that in his role as a House Representative, his duty was first and foremost to serve his constituents, Muslim and non-Muslim alike. He repeatedly drew a distinction between his personal identity as a Muslim and his role as a public official, and dismissed the idea that he would decide on important issues based on his religious background.

 The City is seeking candidates for the open seat on the Economic Development Authority, the seven-member board whose purpose is to improve the economic condition of Northfield. Working in partnership with such organizations as the Chamber of Commerce, the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation and the Northfield Enterprise Center, the EDA provides loans and grants to support appropriate local commercial and industrial development. Currently, they are guiding the City’s master planning for the recently annexed acreage in Greenvale Township, and will also begin similar work in Bridgewater Township once the city and township complete their annexation agreement.

Google plans to deploy a competitively priced superfast fiber to the home (FTTH) network to between 50,000 and 500,000 people - they have invited communities to apply for consideration.

Perhaps Northfield should be among the applicants.

The plan is for a network that supports speeds of 1 gigabit per second, "100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today."

 According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, several local waterways,  Wolf Creek, Heath Creek, Rice Creek (Spring Brook), and the Cannon River, are on the Minnesota list of impaired waters. In view of this, The Bridgewater Township Planning Commission invites the public to a review of stream protection measures at their meeting on Saturday, February 13, from 8:30-11:30 at the Bridgewater Town Hall, 500 Railway Street, Dundas.

The three major parties will hold precinct caucuses, kicking off the 2010 election Tuesday evening, beginning at 7:00. This is the first step in nominating candidates for the legislature and constitutional offices and in determining party platforms. Residents of Northfield and surrounding townships eligible to vote in Minnesota by November 2, 2010, may participate. For more information about what happens at a caucus visit: http://www.lwvmn.org/EdFund/caucus.asp  Republican and Independence parties will meet at the Northfield High School, Democratic party at the Northfield Middle School.  To check on the location of your caucus, visit:

Andrew Carnegie (aka Jim Young) made an appearance at the Northfield City Council Meeting on Tuesday, and read a proclamation declaring 2010  the Carnegie Centennial Celebration year in Northfield. The resolution outlines the history of the public library, which began in 1898 when the Hiram Scriver Library became a tax-supported public library.

The Library Board and Friends of the Library have planned a year of exciting events to celebrate this milestone.  A calendar of events can be downloaded from the city website.

Watch northfield.org for future stories about the Carnegie Centennial Celebration.

Rice County Public Health is pleased to introduce Healthy Rice County: Achieving Wellness in the Workplace.

The purpose of Achieving Wellness in the Workplace is to engage employers in developing or enhancing worksite wellness. The goal is to build a culture of health at the workplace that supports healthy behaviors. A team of wellness experts will provide consultation through two new employer coalitions for both the Faribault area and the Northfield area.

Employers are being recruited now to participate. Whether your organization has an employee wellness program in place or is new to this type of work – you are invited to learn more and participate. The project runs from early 2010 through June 2011. The registration deadline is February 26, 2010.

Young people experience what it’s like to run the state for a few days.

How would you like to serve as a legislator, judge, attorney, lobbyist, cabinet member, media rep, and/or governor for a four day trial period? Nearly 1,400 high school students recently found out what it is like to run the State of Minnesota.

Twenty- eight youth participated in the YMCA Youth in Government Model Assembly (YIG) January 7-10, 2010. It is held at the Hilton Hotel in Minneapolis and the State Capitol Complex in St. Paul.

“Watching those kids on Thursday - and seeing them literally transform by Sunday is simply amazing.They are smart, curious, hard working and very passionate,” says Virginia Kaczmarek, Northfield YMCA Executive Director and adult advisor.

On Tuesday, January 5, 2010, ARTech Charter School will host a discussion with State Senator Kevin Dahle and State Representative David Bly about K-12 education funding.  The discussion will begin at 6:30 pm at the ARTech School building at 1719 Cannon Road (behind the Perkins on Hwy 3) in Northfield.  The discussion will focus on the impact that the hold back of 27% of per pupil education funding by the State of Minnesota is having on charter schools, on the prospects for additional cuts in funding, and on ways for charter schools to work with the legislature on these issues.

Mark Henke will be the next president and CEO of Northfield Hospital & Clinics.

The hospital board of directors, by unanimous vote, offered Henke the position December 22. He accepted the next day.

“We are delighted Mark has accepted the position,” said John Lundblad, chair of the board of directors and chair of the executive search committee. “He is an excellent fit based on the criteria the search committee developed for this position. We look forward to working with him to continue the work of providing quality healthcare services to the communities we serve.”