Downtown

On Thursday, February 9, at 7:00 p.m.  Minnesota Book Award winning author Doug Ohman will present  Just Down the Road: Historic Churches of Minnesota at All Saints Church.  The talk is presented by the Northfield Public Library, co-sponsored by All Saints Church, and is part of an Author Tour sponsored by SELCO (Southeastern Libraries Cooperative).

Doug Ohman is a freelance photographer, writer and public speaker who has traveled throughout the Midwest photographing architecture.  His work has been widely published in magazines, calendars and books.  Over the past seven years, he has been working with the Minnesota Historical Society on a popular books series,  “Minnesota Byways.”

Doug will take you on a journey around Minnesota exploring the history of many of the state’s oldest churches.  He is excited to give this talk in Northfield’s oldest church.

The One Acts Plays at the high school continue this weekend with performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm.

Also on Friday, the Cow is having a Winter Dance Party at 7pm, and Ben Aaron is playing the Tavern Lounge 8-11:30pm.

A Chess Tournament is taking place in the middle school media center on Saturday 9am-12pm. The Cow is hosting Jon Larson's Neil Diamond Tribute 8-11pm, and Lonesome Dan Kase is playing the Tavern Lounge 8-11:30pm.

Head to Froggy Bottoms on Sunday for special deals during Super Bowl Sunday at the Frog!

Marion, Susan and David Hvistendahl, three long-time supporters of Northfield Historical Society, will be the honorary chairs at the society’s annual meeting Saturday evening, March 17, at Carleton College’s Great Hall.

Marion retired to Northfield in 1990 with her husband, Jake, following rich and varied college teaching careers. She volunteered in the Museum Store and brought local historical figure Ann North to life as part of her Women in History presentations. Marion has also teamed with Brad Ness to present Ole and Lena Night, an NHS benefit.

Civil War enthusiast and amateur historian Jim Stark will discuss the origins of the American Civil War in his presentation, “Why the Civil War was Fought: The Antebellum Period,”Thursday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. at the newly renovated Northfield Historical Society. The event, sponsored by KYMN Radio and the Northfield News, is the first of a series of discussions about the Civil War during the war’s ongoing sesquicentennial.

The City of Northfield and the Streetscape Task Force will host a Public Open House and Input Gathering Session on Monday, January 30th, 5 to 7 p.m., in the Riverview Conference Room of the Archer House, 212 Division Street.

This is the second in a series of three open house events for the public. The first session focused on the seven Gateway Corridor Areas identified for study. These Areas were the western portion of Highway 19, the eastern portion of Highway 19, the southern portion of Highway 3, the northern portion of Highway 3, Highway 246 at the south of town, Highway 23 at the northwest of town, and County Road 78 at the west of town. Initial concept drawings can be viewed and downloaded from the City’s website.

The high school's One Act Plays are finishing up this weekend, with performances on Friday and Saturday 7-10pm in the Northfield High School Auditorium.

Also on Friday, Kinda Kinky is playing the Contented Cow 8pm-12am while Mike Pattinson plays the Tavern Lounge 8-11:30pm and Whiskey Trick begins their set at Froggy Bottoms at 9:30pm.

The Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault is holding January Thaw on Saturday, an evening of music and dancing that begins at 7pm. The Cow's music includes The RCAs 8-11pm followed by Fristad Jazz Combo 11:30pm-1am, and Jeff Ray is playing the Tavern lounge 8-11:30pm.

Lin Bruce has been a Northfield resident for over 40 years.  In those years, she has led her own version of an ordinary life; raising four children, creating a business as a massage therapist, accompanying her globe-trotting librarian husband on various adventures.
 
Lin has ridden her bicycle across the United States three times in the last twelve years.  She will share how this came to be, and some of the nitty-gritty she deals with, as well as conquering her fear that she's made a big mistake each time she is about to begin.
 
Come hear a bit about Lin's experiences; and how she makes each journey one  pedal stroke at a time.
Thursday, January 26th at 7 pm. Northfield Public library’s meeting room.  No charge.

Reason #1 to go to Northfield.Org's Birthday Bash January 20th at 20:00.  (8 pm)  

"It’s tonight– don’t miss it!" 

The United Nations (UN) has declared 2012 the "International Year of Cooperatives,"and Just Food Co-op is joining other cooperatives locally, nationwide and across the globe in marking the occasion. Titled "Cooperatives in Social Development," UN's resolution recognizes the diversity of the cooperative movement around the world, and the economic and social contributions cooperatives make. This includes the many co-ops in the Northfield area.

Just Food Co-op is kicking off the year of celebration with a starring role in the premiere of “Lights, Cameras, Co-ops.” Kevin Gillespie, celebrity chef from the Woodfire Grill in Atlanta and sixth season Top Chef finalist, has been traveling around the country with a film crew, exploring farm fields and co-op grocery aisles as part of this year’s celebration of the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives. On Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 7 p.m., grab your favorite movie snacks and visit www.strongertogether.coop/premiere to take part in an online streaming "premiere party" featuring the first three videos in the thirteen-episode series featuring co-ops from Vermont to California.

Head to Artech on Friday at 7pm for Arts for Martin: Gathering Community, Creating Art, Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. The Northfield Arts Guild is having an opening reception for the exhibits Surfacing and One Stroke at a Time 7-9pm. Live music at the Contented Cow includes Occasional Jazz 5-7pm, and The Beguine Brothers 8-11pm, and Matthew Griswold is playing the Tavern Lounge 8-11:30pm. The Rueb 'n' Stein is hosting The 8th St. Band at 9pm and Mark Mraz is playing Froggy Bottoms at 9:30pm.

The second annual Winter Scream is happening on Bridge Square 12-2pm on Saturday. The Cow is hosting New Moon Trio 5-8pm followed by Spruce Top Review 8-11pm and Dirty Petrov and the Gentilionaires 11pm-1am. Relativity is playing the Tavern Lounge 8-11:30pm, and Froggy Bottoms is hosting Whiskey Trick at 9:30pm.

FYI- New Parking Restrictions!

A recent vote by the City Council now limits how long drivers can park on the west side of Washington between Second and Third streets to two hours. The change, endorsed by the city’s public works and library directors, should better accommodate library users, who are often boxed out of those spaces by cars parked along that block for extended periods of time.  Tickets for violating the city’s two-hour parking ordinance are $10 if paid within 10 days after issuance. The fine rises to $30 if paid after that.  Proper signage has just been installed. 

Don’t forget that other big change in parking on Washington Street near the library:  the new bus stop on the southeast side of Washington at the corner of Third Street.  You can check out the new transit schedule here http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/cityservices/transit

Finally, we're getting a taste of Winter just in time for Winter Scream, the NHS declaration of independence from winter’s grip. This year’s event, the second annual, will be Saturday, January 14, from noon to 2 p.m.on Bridge Square. 

Besides the traditional communal sing of the Winter Scream Anthem and ice cream social, this year there will be hot chili from the Reub-N-Stein. The coloring contest winners will be announced. Bring the family, friends and your appetite! Come do the Winter Scream with Northfield's Most Dangerous Choir.

For more information, contact Hayes Scriven at 507-645-9268 or e-mail at scriven@Northfieldhistory.org. 

Fred the Bear is playing the Contented Cow on Friday night 5-8pm, and the Grand Event Center is hosting Michael Perry and the Long Beds Featuring Andy Dee at 7:30pm for a night of stories, humor, and music. Ben Aaron is playing the Tavern Lounge 8-11:30pm, and Midnight Collision is playing the Cow 11pm-1am.

The AAUW is presenting Women in Minnesota Politics - Unique Challenges on Saturday at 10am at St. John's Lutheran Church. Top Shelf is playing the Cow 8-11pm followed by Alluvion 11pm-1am, and  the Tavern Lounge is hosting Steve Howard's "Hillbilly Music for the Soul" 8-11:30pm.

For more happenings pick up a copy of the Northfield Entertainment Guide, or check it out online. Have a great weekend!

Northfield native Don Peterson will share recollections of growing up in the 1930s and ‘40s and his experiences serving in the Korean War Thursday, Jan. 19, 6 p.m. at the Northfield Historical Society, 408 Division.

Peterson’s talk will be accompanied by a book signing of “Dear Folks,” a self-published work based on letters he wrote home during his tour of duty in Korea and Japan.

“Don offers a unique and extremely personal perspective on the Korean conflict and the times that surrounded it,” says Hayes Scriven, executive director of Northfield Historical Society. “Fortunately, his mother saved all of his hand-written letters from overseas. We are grateful Don has decided to share them with us.”

Hot Reads for Cold Nights returns to the Northfield Public Library this winter.  During the cold, snowy months of January and February, curl up and read some books and win prizes at the library!  Join the library Hot Reads program starting Monday, January 9 and read for prizes until Friday, March 2.

After reading a book, each patron will fill out a slip with their name and phone number and a few lines describing the book.  The name and phone number section of the paper will be cut off and put in a fishbowl.  The comment section of each slip will be posted on the bulletin board downstairs, near the new books.  Patrons will be able to browse each other comments for ideas of new books.  From the names in the fishbowl, 3 winners will be drawn each week.  Each winner will receive $5.00 Northfield Chamber of Commerce dollars. 

On Thursday, February 9, at 7:00 p.m. Minnesota author Doug Ohman will talk about his book Just Down the Road; Historic Churches of Minnesota.  He will speak at All Saints Episcopal Church, 419 Washington Street.