Local Issues

In solidarity with the growing national movement #BlackLivesMatter, Carleton College invites the public to a campus dialogue on racial justice in America. On Tuesday, Jan. 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Skinner Memorial Chapel, Carleton will host “BlackLivesMatter: Conversations for Change,” a panel discussion with faculty and guest speakers followed by a Q&A session.

Across the nation, the tragic deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner  has mobilized communities to respond to individual and collective loss as well as to pave the way for racial justice, a world where #BlackLivesMatter.  

Join BikeNorthfield and representatives of local bike groups and bike-interested community leaders Thursday, January 15, 2015 from 6:00-9:00 pm at Carleton College's Weitz Center (Room 236) for soup, socializing and strategizing.

We'll celebrate the successes of 2014 and explore how we might work together in 2015 on projects relating to bike education, infrastructure and bike/recreational tourism. Tandem Bagels will provide soup (and bagels), local bike shops will be on hand with bike demos (6:00-7:00 pm), local bike groups (CROCT, Northfield Pedalers, Friends of the Milltowns Trail, Bike Northfield and more) will present updates (7:00-8:00), and then your input is needed for planning for a more bike-friendly Northfield (8:00-9:00)

Northfield Area Ccmmunity Solar will have a table with information about the proposed solar garden at Winter Walk on Thursday evening outside Goodbye Blue Monday Coffee House.  Winter Walkers are invited to stop by and talk about the proposed Northfield solar garden and to grab a brochure. Anyone in the Xcel service area is eligible to subscribe, whether in Rice County or any adjacent county. The NACS goal is to subscribe one megawatt of solar generation locally.

With Thanksgiving approaching, this is a good time for the Northfield area to consider those in the community who have served generously in the area of Human Rights.  Each year, the Northfield Human Rights Commission gives an award to an individual, group, or organization that has contributed to the advancement of human rights.  The award is presented during the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Community Celebration held in January.

The Northfield Human Rights Commission is actively soliciting nominees for this award. Community members are encouraged to think about those in the area who have contributed locally to the cause of human rights.  A diverse slate of nominees is sought. The Northfield Human Rights Commission will evaluate all nominees, and is ultimately responsible for choosing the award recipient.

Archived videos of the League of Women Voters of Northfield/Cannon Falls candidate forums are now available.

•    Northfield City Council Candidates - At-Large
Dale Gehring & Rhonda Pownell


•    Northfield City Council Candidates - Ward 1
Joe Gasior & Suzie Nakasian


•    Rice County Attorney Candidates
Paul Beaumaster & John Fossum


•    Northfield School Board Candidates
Fritz Bogott, Margaret Colangelo, Julie Pritchard & Jeff Quinnell

Many underserved members of our HealthFinders community have been exercising in inadequate footwear, resulting in painful and expensive injuries! Especially affected are Somali women, who work out in sandals very similar to flip-flops. Imagine running on a treadmill in sandals!

Guy Kalland won’t be hitting the road again anytime soon, at least not for Northfield’s Meals-On-Wheels program.

After 20 years of owning the Tuesday “Blue Route” September through May, he is rolling to a stop.

“It was always an enjoyable hour,” said the long-time varsity basketball coach at Carleton College as he reflected on his weekly regimen. “I couldn’t wait to get to Tuesdays. It was a mini-sabbatical for me, especially if we were coming off of a Monday night loss.”

Have you been mulling over issues of Free Speech as they relate to the public use of Bridge Square?  Have you been debating the concept of Freedom of Religion as it relates nationally to issues of health care?  If so, Corinne Smith invites you to  join with your neighbors for a Northfield Reads! on these subjects.  This will be a time to read, discuss, connect, and learn.

Nonprofit organizations seeking grant funding from Northfield Shares in 2015 are encouraged to submit their applications soon. The deadline to apply is October 1. Formed as a result of the merging of 5th Bridge and Northfield Area Foundation, Northfield Shares disbursed over $38,000 in grants in its 2014 cycle.

The start of the new school year brought news of an exciting wave of additional resources for Northfield students.  The Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes (TORCH) initiative was among the 10 recipients of the $1.3 million in College Ready grants awarded by Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation. A $55,660 grant will fund rigorous extracurricular instruction in math and English to help 56 Northfield high school juniors and seniors ultimately pass college-level courses.  The 56 students will be members of the TORCH cohort, which serves youth who are low-income, students of color, and/or potential first-generation college attendees.

HealthFinders Collaborative is seeking volunteer nurses, providers, interpreters (Spanish and Somali), and receptionists.  

Who are we? HealthFinders is a non-profit located in downtown Faribault and Dundas dedicated to providing quality healthcare, advocacy and wellness education to people with limited healthcare alternatives.

At their recent board meetings, the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) Board approved seven grants to support several projects and activities designed to benefit Northfield youth.

Funded projects included:

8th Grade Farewell Fest
All Northfield Middle School 8th graders were invited to the 1st annual 8th Grade Fun Night held in late May.  There was music, carnival games, mini-golf, karaoke, fun with inflatables, and refreshments.  Fun Night was a time of celebration for the 8th graders as they completed their middle school education.