Misc

In a cooperative initiative, the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (HCI), with financial support from WINGS (Women In Northfield Giving Support), agreed to fund six mini-grants to aid service projects developed by students at Northfield High School.  All students are enrolled in Sarah Swan-McDonald’s Service Learning Class, which concludes its semester with group service projects designed by the students.

Bullying prevention was a major theme that the students wanted to address with this year’s projects.  Funded projects included:

The Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) has released its 2010-11 Mini-Grants Report.  The document highlights results from the over 70 projects that HCI helped to support through its mini-grants program during 2010-11.  For a copy of the report, click HERE.

Funded HCI mini-grant projects:

• allow Northfield young people to develop positive intergenerational relationships with caring adults and/or
• connect Northfield youth with their communities (ex. neighborhood, school, greater Northfield)

A record number of projects — nearly 70% — were designed and/or implemented by youth themselves.

The holidays are coming up, and with them, another long break from school.  This is a great opportunity for youth to relax and spend time with friends and family.  As adults in the community, we want to accommodate our children and their friends with fun and safe activities.  Unfortunately, school breaks can also be a time when underage drinking parties occur more frequently.  According to national surveys conducted by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 53% of youth ages 12-20 who drank in the past month did so in someone else's home, and more than 30% drank in their own home.

Come to the library meeting room to play games of all sorts with Library Pages and other kids! Wii, board games, Reindeer Bingo and more!  First Steps play area will be available for the littlest reindeer and elves.

Dec. 27, 28, 29 & 30. 10 am to 1 pm. Northfield Public Library 210 Washington St.

645-1804 www.northfieldmn.info

No charge. Bring a new game for us to try if you'd like!

The Northfield Area Family YMCA’s popular School’s Out Days program will be in session during Winter Break next week. All-day sessions of School’s Out Days are planned for Monday, Dec. 26, through Friday, Dec. 30, at the Northfield National Guard Armory, 519 Division St.

Parents can register their children for one day or all five days. The program is open to children in kindergarten through third grade and runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each day, participants will take part in games, crafts, sports and other fun activities in the morning, then head out for a field trip in the afternoon.

Cost for the program is $25 per day for YMCA members, $30 for non-members. That includes the field trip, admission, two snacks a day and all program supplies.

Looking for an upbeat way to start the New Year? A new class offered by Laura Baker Services and the Northfield Area Family YMCA might be what you are looking for.Registration is under way for Drum Making and Group Drumming, a class in which participants will build their own drums and engage in group drumming experiences.The five-week class—open to people of all ages and abilities—starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, and will be conducted at Laura Baker Service’s Millis Dining Hall, 211 Oak St., Northfield.

Jennifer Pelletier, a music therapist at Laura Baker Services who has experiences working with people of all ages and abilities, will lead the hour-long class. She will be assisted by Laura Baker volunteers and YMCA staff. Each week, participants will work on drums they will design themselves and take home on the final day of class, which is Feb. 25.  Participants will also have a chance to work with others in group drumming exercises.

Cost of the class is $55, which covers drum-making materials and instruction.

Bob Gregory-Bjorklund and Ann Gregory-Bjorklund are the November recipients of the Healthy Community Initiative (HCI)  “Making a Difference” Award.  The award celebrates those groups and individuals in the community who have a positive influence on Northfield youth.

The Gregory-Bjorklunds were recognized for encouraging and supporting youth through the arts.  Bob, who recently directed a cast of more than 50 teens in the Northfield High School production of West Side Story, is the arts coordinator and an adviser at the Northfield School of Arts and Technology (ARTech).  His wife, Ann, has been involved at ARTech in several roles, including show costumer, Poetry Out Loud judge and substitute teacher.  Both of them have been active for more than a dozen years with the Northfield Arts Guild’s Young People’s Theater Workshop.

Full disclosure: Yes, I had a tiny part in this but I'm super-lazy and a majority of the work wasn't done by me. ;)

The Northfield Historical Society and Hayes Scriven, in association with Tim Freeland, have produced a really neat video showcasing a then-and-now video photo essay.  Here's a blurb from the write-up on KYMN:

The basic idea behind the project is that you take a historical photograph and overlay it on a present day view.  I showed Hayes Scriven of the NHS some of the stills around town that I had started to shoot and he decided to create a video utilizing various historical photos framed over modern day Northfield .  [...] We hope you enjoy!

Click here to read the entire story and watch the (really really cool) video.  Do it!  It's great and only takes a few minutes!

A total lunar eclipse was visible in many places throughout the world this morning. Here in Northfield, the shadow of the earth began to pass over the face of the moon at about 7:00 a.m. Unfortunately, the eclipse was only visible for about ten minutes because of a band of clouds near the horizon. Below (click "Read more") are two photographs that I took from near the Northfield water tower on Spring Creek Road. The temperature was 7°F, with a wind chill in the negative single digits, making it difficult to hold the camera still! If you have photographs of the eclipse you'd like to share, email them to contactus@northfield.org and I'll post them here.

Northfield Public Schools Community Services winter/spring 2012 brochure will hit mailboxes soon. All upcoming classes are online now and registration for programs begins Friday, Dec. 16.

Community Services winter/spring classes will feature favorites as well as new programs for all ages. Some of the highlights include: “Nifty Number Nonsense” for ages birth to 5 years, “Teen Weight Training” in partnership with the Northfield Athletic Club, “Family Science” for kids grades 2 through 5 and an adult, and cross country skiing workshops for adults.

Visit Community Service online, or call 507.664.3649 to view all classes, get information or register. Also like us on Facebook.

Northfield Public Schools Community Services includes recreation and enrichment programming, Early Childhood Family Education, driver education, KidVentures, EarlyVentures Learning Center, Connected Kids, Middle School Youth Center, Hand-in-Hand Preschool, Adult Basic Education and Project ABLE.

“Explore the United States” is the theme for the final Kids Night at the Y of the calendar year, set for Friday, Dec. 16, 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 child in the family – a fee that include dinner – and $5 for each additional child. Nonmembers pay $15 for the first child in the family, $10 for each additional child.

Additional information about Kids Night is listed in the Y’s Fall Program Brochure, which is available online at www.northfieldymca.org.

Obtaining the schedule for group exercise and swim programs conducted by the Northfield Area Family YMCA is as easy as clicking a mouse pad. The schedule—which contains days and times for the Y’s wealth of fitness programs, as well as class descriptions and hours of operation for the Y’s Health and Wellness Center—is available on the Y’s website, www.northfield.org. The wellness center is at 900 Cannon Valley Drive, on the campus of the Northfield Retirement Center. Check the schedule often, as it is updated monthly to reflect the YMCA’s ever-increasing number of class offerings.

In addition to the Y’s website, copies of the group exercise and swimming schedule are can be picked up at:

• The Y’s office, on Highway 3, just south of the Quarterback Club.
• The Northfield National Guard Armory, 519 Division St.
• The Y’s Health and Wellness Fitness Center.
  

The Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) has been selected for a fantastic opportunity by Northfield’s Wireless World.  Note the new dates!

Now through December 10, please visit Verizon Wireless World (400 W. 5th Street – next to Caribou Coffee).  All proceeds (100% of retail value) from accessory sales during these three days will be donated to HCI.  100%!  Thus, if you buy a $20 cell phone cover, HCI will receive all $20!

This is a great chance to do your holiday shopping and benefit a local nonprofit at the same time.

For an informational flyer from Verizon Wireless World, click HERE.

Don’t forget to visit Verizon Wireless World from now through Saturday, December 10, 2011!

HCI has been selected for a fantastic opportunity by Northfield’s Wireless World.  Note new dates!

On December 8, 9, and 10, please visit Verizon Wireless World (400 W. 5th Street – next to Caribou Coffee).  All proceeds (100% of retail value) from accessory sales during these three days will be donated to HCI.  100%!  Thus, if you buy a $20 cell phone cover, HCI will receive all $20!

This is a great chance to do your holiday shopping and benefit a local nonprofit at the same time.

For an informational flyer from Verizon Wireless World, click HERE.

Don’t forget to visit Verizon Wireless World from Thursday, December 8 through Saturday, December 10, 2011!

What do you call someone who has helped provide support for a healthier life in our community by reducing risk factors for alcohol and drug abuse, supporting recovery and building assets for our youth and other community members?

The Rice County Chemical Health Coalition calls them Project Prevention Champions. The Coalition will be honoring six individuals and one organization that have made significant contributions to the prevention, treatment and recovery from drug and alcohol abuse for residents in Rice County.

The 2011 Project Prevention Champions were nominated by fellow community members and chosen by a committee of individuals with close ties to local prevention efforts.