Government

CHANGE IN MEETING TIME FOR NORTHFIELD JOB CLUB MEETINGS

                            JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST, 2012

The Northfield Public Library hosts a bi-weekly meeting of the Northfield Job Club in the library meeting room on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month

During the months of June, July and August meetings will be held from 2:30 – 3:30 PM.

As always, job club meetings are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and advance registration is not required.

Call the library at 645-1802 for further information about the Northfield Job Club, or to make disability accommodations.

At the May 15 city council meeting, Councilor Betsey Buckheit recognized two students for their contributions to the city’s Complete Streets policy development. Ben Hellerstein, a Carleton senior, was instrumental in organizing the citizen group, which met for several months soliciting community support, and drafting the resolution which the council passed to direct the drafting of a policy. He had read about the Complete Streets Task Force in the Northfield News, contacted Councilor Buckheit and then scheduled meetings, provided agendas, brought in other Carleton students and generally kept the group on task.

This Week at the Northfield City Council Meeting

The Economic Development Authority (EDA) of the City of Northfield recently approved a budget of $16,100 to support the promotion and marketing of Riverwalk Market Fair in 2012. Established in 2010, Riverwalk Market Fair provided the opportunity for 60 local artists and 40 farmers and food artisans to sell their products and generate $240,00 in new revenue in the past two years. Last year Riverwalk Market Fair drew an estimated 20,000 visitors from around the region and across the United States.

“EDA support of the Riverwalk Market Fair will help make Northfield a magnet as a regional center for the arts, which is part of the city’s plan for economic development,” said Jack Hoschouer, EDA president. “Riverwalk Market Fair gives visitors from southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities a unique opportunity to get to know what our city has to offer: our talented and friendly people, interesting and charming shops and restaurants. We hope that visitors to the Riverwalk Market Fair will find Northfield a great destination for a future day trip or an overnight visit.  I hope that some visitors may also be impressed with Northfield as a great place to do business.”Thegoals of the Riverwalk Market Fair align with the city’s comprehensive plan to promote arts-related tourism, encourage the creation of new businesses and attract more businesses to downtown retail shops and restaurants. The funding provided by the EDA enables Riverwalk Market Fair to increase publicity and advertising to attract more visitors from the region and the Twin Cities.            

This Week at the Northfield City Council Meeting:

    Council Meets with Fire Relief Association
    Rural Fire Protection District and Council Discuss Negotiations
    Charter Commission Suggests Subcommittee
    Rental Ordinance Changes Considered

This Week at the Northfield Hospital Board Meeting:

    Board appoints 3 to Council-Board Task Force
    Financial results down from last year
    CFO says hospital triages first, then collects info.
    Gina Franklin elected Board Chair

At their April 2012 board meeting, the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) Board approved mini-grants to support eight projects and activities designed to benefit Northfield youth.  Funded projects included:

Writers’ Workshop Poetry Book.  ARTech students participating in the Writers’ Workshop group are compiling prose and poetry they have authored throughout the school year and are putting it into one publication, a poetry book.  Several copies of this journal will be given to the Key and area businesses who have hosted the writers during writing sessions this school year.

Latino Play Festival.  Students in the ESL (English as a Second Language) Performing Arts class at Northfield High School have spent the year writing and preparing plays.  Planned performances will be held at Carleton College and at the Northfield High School.  There will also be special performances for middle school students.  Evening performances at the Northfield High School are scheduled for May 11th and 12th.

Rachel Matney and Fritz Bogott are the March/April 2012 recipients of the Healthy Community Initiative’s “Making a Difference” award.  The award celebrates those groups and individuals in the community who have a positive influence on Northfield youth.

After reading reports about the achievement gap in Minnesota and Northfield, Matney started thinking of local solutions.  She wondered:  are there willing and interested volunteers in Northfield who could be asked to assist in closing this gap?

She approached her husband, Fritz Bogott, with the question, and they sprang into action.  They contacted Northfield Public Schools, HCI, St. Olaf College and Carleton College.  Bogott reported that from the first meeting, the enthusiasm from the partners was “irrepressible.”   A new pilot initiative – Accelerate Northfield – was born, aiming to recruit volunteers to work in the Northfield schools primarily with youth who are struggling academically.  Matney and Bogott have played key roles in designing the Accelerate Northfield model and recruiting community volunteers.

At their meeting on Thursday evening, April 19, the Northfield Parks and Recreation Advisory Board voted to recommend Riverside Park as the location of a temporary skate park for the 2012 season.  Riverside Park is the home of a preexisting asphalt pad on which (after sealcoating) the skateboard equipment can be temporarily installed.

The vote came after a discussion in which some residents of the Village on the Cannon (VOC), which adjoins Riverside Park, voiced concerns about locating a skatepark near senior citizens housing. Some of the residents of VOC fall into the category of vulnerable adults. Skateboarding advocates said they understood these concerns, and promised to work together with residents of VOC, with The Key, and with city officials, to educate skateboarders about their responsibilities.

The Parks and Recreation Board is scheduled to take up the issue of the location of a skatepark at their meeting on Thursday, April 19, at 7:00 pm in the Northfield Public Library meeting room.

Discussions about a permanent skateboard park in Northfield began six years ago, in June 2006, when a group of local youth organized the Northfield Skateboard Coalition. The Coalition, spearheaded by Joe McGowan, pitched their idea to the Northfield Parks and Recreation Board, and began fundraising for a skatepark. Between October 2006 and April 2007, $10,000 was raised through a matching grant from the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative.  In 2011, the Northfield Union of Youth acquired equipment for a skateboard park, which is currently being stored by the city. With equipment in storage, and funding due to expire, 2012 seems to be the year for a decision on a location for the skatepark.

Click "Read more" for a list of links to resources for understanding this issue.

The League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) met with people from Northfield and across the state to look at the future of Minnesota cities.   People shared their preferences, ideas and concerns about what city services and funding should look like. This is an opportunity for you to hear what our friends and neighbors had to say about this important topic, weigh-in on what was learned, and give input on the issues affecting our city.

The meeting will be held at the NCRC at 7pm on April 19th.  Space is limited – please RSVP directly todreeder@lmc.org or 651-215-4031. 

Up to 15 paid, full-time AmeriCorps positions will be available working with youth and families in the Northfield community for 2012-13.

Click HERE for information on the current postings, including contacts and the processes for applying.  Questions?  Contact HCI (507.664.3524; info@northfieldhci.org).

Positions currently accepting applications:

• AmeriCorps VISTA with Growing Up Healthy
• AmeriCorps VISTA with the HealthFinders Collaborative
• Accelerate Northfield VISTA
• VISTA with Northfield TORCH (Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes)
• Reading Corps Tutor — Greenvale Park Elementary School
• Reading Corps Tutor — Sibley Elementary School
• Math Enrichment Corps Tutor — Northfield Middle School (two positions!)
• Math Enrichment Corps Tutor — Greenvale Park Elementary School
• LINKing Youth & Families VISTA
• Promise Fellows — up to six positions at school and community sites

On Thursday, April 12th Dr. Edward Ehlinger, Commissioner of Health for Minnesota, will describe what the Affordable Care Act means for Minnesotans at a Health Care Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Northfield - Cannon Falls.  The public is invited to hear his talk, “Health Care Reform in Minnesota: The Realities and the Promise,” and join the discussion at 7 p.m. on April 12th, at St. John’s Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall in Northfield.

For more information on the event, Dr. Ehlinger, and the Affordable Care Act, visit the League of Women Voters Northfield - Cannon Falls site.