Local Issues
Northfield Area Community Solar Invites Conversations During Winter Walk
Submitted by Jane B McWilliams on Mon, 12/08/2014 - 11:08pm
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.
NOMINEES SOUGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
Submitted by Corinne Smith on Sat, 11/15/2014 - 10:59pm
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.
Candidate Forums Available Online
Submitted by Jane B McWilliams on Fri, 10/31/2014 - 10:37pm
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
Carleton Hosts Northfield City Council Candidate Forum
Submitted by Jessica Paxton on Thu, 10/30/2014 - 2:08pm
Are you familiar with the many local races that will be on the ballot come November? Want to meet the candidates who may end up deciding Northfield's future? Join us on Thursday, October 30th from 7:00-8:00pm in the Carleton College Boliou Hall Auditorium for a public forum with all your local city council candidates. Audience members will have the ability to submit questions during the forum and hear how potential City Councilors would respond to issues that are important to them.
There will four candidates present from the two contested city council races in town. Running for the Ward 1 City Council position will be Joe Gasior and Incumbant Suzie Nakasian. Running for an At-Large City Council position will be Dale Gehring and Incumbant Rhonda Pownell.
Thank you, Northfield
Submitted by Erin Carson on Thu, 10/23/2014 - 11:34am
HealthFinders Shoe Drive. Ever try working out in sandals? Not Good. Donate your gently used athletic shoes to patients who need them!
Submitted by katy hargis on Wed, 10/22/2014 - 10:21am
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!
Volunteer puts brakes on Meals-On-Wheel route
Submitted by Scott Richardson on Fri, 10/17/2014 - 2:18pm
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.”
Northfield Reads Hosts First Amendment Conversation
Submitted by Jane B McWilliams on Thu, 10/09/2014 - 5:53pm
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.
Northfield Shares Grant Application Deadline Approaching!
Submitted by Becky Carlson on Thu, 09/25/2014 - 12:14pmNonprofit 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.
TORCH awarded College Ready Grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation
Submitted by Zach Pruitt on Thu, 09/25/2014 - 9:03am
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.
Discover why some of the richest people in the world are not millionaires, they are volunteers.Volunteer for HealthFinders Collaborative!
Submitted by katy hargis on Tue, 09/02/2014 - 3:27pm
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.
Summer PLUS and BLAST Programs Engage Record Numbers of Youth
Submitted by Zach Pruitt on Thu, 08/21/2014 - 9:58pmBy JoyRiggs, freelance journalist
More Northfield students attended free programs this summer designed to support academic achievement and enrichment – and these programs expanded their offerings thanks to increased community involvement.
“The kids seem to be enjoying it,” said Daryl Kehler, coordinator of Northfield Public Schools Targeted Services. “We’ve had new students, and new referrals, well into the program. Word is spreading.”
In past years, Summer PLUS provided academic instruction and enrichment activities for students in grades K-8 at one site for six weeks during the summer. The program is free, but students must qualify for Targeted Services or be referred by a teacher.
Northfield community benefits from HCI’s latest “Investing in Youth” grants
Submitted by Zach Pruitt on Thu, 08/21/2014 - 9:30am
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.
Skatepark Update: Benefit Concert and Design Meetings
Submitted by Rob Hardy on Tue, 07/29/2014 - 8:25am
A lot has happened on the skatepark front in the past couple of days. On Sunday, July 27, the Skateboard Coalition hosted a benefit concert at The Key, featuring local acts BK, E-Man, Dewi Sant, El Triunfo, and The Cutters. The concert was held in the back yard of The Key, with bands setting up on the new stage constructed by Key members.
You can find photos here on Flickr.
The Skateboard Coalition raised $425 on concert admissions and t-shirt sales. At last week's Coalition meeting, we also sent out thank you notes to twelve different contributors who gave a combined total of $450 through GiveMN.org in June. We're making good progress on fundraising, but we need to keep the momentum going and pick up the pace if we want to start construction next spring. You can donate to the Skateboard Coalition through GiveMN.org, or by sending a check made out to Northfield HCI, 1651 Jefferson Parkway Suite HS 128, Northfield, MN 55057 (write "Skateboard Coalition" in the memo line).
City Council Candidate Forum - July 30 at City Hall
Submitted by Jane B McWilliams on Tue, 07/22/2014 - 10:55am
Make an informed choice in the August 12th Primary Election: Come to the City Council Candidate Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters! All At Large and Ward One Candidates have been invited to participate in a Forum on Wednesday, July 30th, in Council Chambers at City Hall. It will begin at 6:00 pm with the candidates for the At Large position on the Council. Invited candidates are: Jon Dennison, Dale Gehring, Rhonda Pownell, and Nika Sharp. At 7:00 pm, the candidates for First Ward Councilor are invited to participate. Invited candidates are: Jeremy Bishop, Joe Gasior, and Suzie Nakasian.
