Arts and Entertainment

Award winning composer/lyricist Gary Rue is offering an intensive professional level songwriting class in Northfield, June 13 through August 8 at Hot Spot Music, 801 Division Street, Northfield. The class focuses on songwriting as a craft, employing the major elements of the American popular song:  lyric, melody and harmony, in a lecture/workshop environment. The course is recommended for artists who are currently writing and/or performing their own work and who want to broaden their work to film, music theater, jingles, composing for other artists, paid commissions, etc.

Teen H.E.A.T. (Healthy Eating Active Teens) Program
Ages 13-17

A different theme each week - aquatic, fitness, sport, or nutrition.  This program is aimed at keeping teens active and giving them some knowledge about healthy eating as well.  Come one, two, or the whole summer!  This program will help teens create a healthy lifestyle through eating healthy and physical activity.  Each week there will be something new to learn from nutrition to pool activities. Each week will be a different activity so it will always be something new to try.

The Y is hosting a sale site during the city-wide Goods for Good garage sale weekend.  Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Y Scholarship Fund.  Come shop the sale for good deals and a great cause. 

Donate your gently used household goods and furniture (no clothing please) to our sale:  Drop-off is on Friday, May 13th at the Y. 

YMCA Goods for Good Garage Sale Details: 

The Northfield Public Library will emerge from its construction cocoon this Saturday, May 7th at 10 am everyone is invited to the Grand Re-Opening ceremonies beginning at 10 am with a formal ribbon cutting.  In the meantime the library at City Hall and the 210 Washington site are closed as library & city staff move the remaining materials and shelves and to prepare the new space.  Neither bookdrop is available during this time, please keep your items until we open.

We will have new hours beginning May 9 with Sunday hours from 1 -5 pm running through June 5.  New weekly hours are Monday through Thursday 9 am to 8 pm, Friday 9 am to 6 pm, Saturday 9 am to 5 pm.  Our contact numbers and email remain the same.  For more information call 507-645-6606.

Vintage Band Festival will present its latest Enrichment Series installment twice on Monday, May 9, 2016. The program will be given first at the Northfield Retirement Community Chapel (900 Cannon Valley Drive West) beginning at 3:45pm. The Northfield Senior Center (1651 Jefferson Parkway) will host the second presentation at 7pm.

The featured guest will be Dr. Paul Niemisto speaking on the topic “Vintage Band Festival: Ten Years of Music and Memories.” Dr. Niemisto will address such questions as “What is a Vintage Band?” “How do we locate and select the vintage bands that play at the festival?” “What can listeners look forward to at the 2016 Vintage Band Festival?” Niemisto will also perform a demonstration on the helicon, a low brass instrument that is a precursor to the modern-day Sousaphone. He will have three helicons from his personal collection on display at the event.

 Northfield poet, Leslie Schultz, will read from her recently published collection of poems, Still Life with Poppies: Elegies at Content Bookstore on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Her reading is part of Content’s series of poetry readings. The public is invited to this opportunity to enjoy hearing in the author’s voice selections from her book.

Published byKelsay Books, Still Live with Poppies is the latest of Schultz’s works which, in addition to poetry, include fiction and essays. Beginning in 2013, three of Schultz’s poems were selected by the Northfield Arts and Culture Commission to be published in the Sidewalk Poetry series.

To see examples of her work, including photography, visit Schulz’s website at:  www.winonamedia.net.

The Northfield Area Family YMCA's Registered Dietitian, Curwin Gett has some great advice on protein this week.  Visit the Y website for more QuickBites Tips from Curwin. 

QuickBites Tip

        How much protein do we need, and what are the best sources?

Although protein is an important part of a healthy diet, the truth is most Americans actually eat about twice as much protein as we need.  Protein is a very important nutrient and is part of every cell in the body.  Therefore, it is vital for the building and repair of the body’s tissues.  

Is it harmful to eat too much protein? 

This week marks the fourth year of Northfield’s Arts and Culture Commission’s participation in the national Poem in Your Pocket Day, as established by the Academy of American Poets. In twelve locations, Northfielders will have the opportunity to select poems to take with them for sharing with others - friends, family, co-workers and even strangers.  Included in the boxes are not only poems penned by the winning poets in Northfield’s Sidewalk Poetry Competition, but those of well-known poets of long ago, as well.

The Northfield Y is seeking caring, enthusiastic candidates who want to make a difference in kids' lives. If you like being active, spending time outdoors, and working with youth, we invite you to join our Day Camp Staff Team for Summer 2016! Check out the job description details and download our application at www.northfieldymca.org or stop by the Y to pick one up.

The YMCA is so excited for another summer at the new Northfield Y facility.  At Y Navigators, kids get to be kids. Whether it’s sliming their favorite counselor, learning a new stroke in swim lessons, collecting cool bugs or simply making a friend, Y Navigatros is a place for everyone to feel like they belong. We are here to welcome each kid for who they are and to help them grow mentally, physically and emotionally. Each day will bring fun and exciting opportunities for your child to try new things, get outside their comfort zone and walk away with a sense of accomplishment.

Our Y Navigator program is based on the Y’s Core Values of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility. We are here to help kids understand what it means to live with character in their life and how to do so through relationship-building games, teamwork challenges, and camper-to-camper recognition.

Personal Nutrition Training at the Northfield Area Family YMCA helps you function at peak performance by properly fueling your body.  Eating well leads to more energy, improved performance and increased immunity. A healthy diet combined with regular exercise aids in treating and preventing Diabetes, heart disease and more. And you’ll just feel better. Our Registered Dietitian Nutritionist will work with you to identify eating strategies that will enable you to control your weight, reach your wellness goals and enjoy a healthier life. Affordable, one-on-one training sessions are held at the Y and are available to members and non-members.    

The Arts and Culture Commission (ACC) of Northfield, in partnership with the Friends and Foundation of the Library, is pleased to announce the winners of the City’s sixth annual Sidewalk Poetry Contest and congratulate them for their efforts.  Chosen from among 102 poems submitted for judging, nine poems have been selected for imprinting in city sidewalks.  

The ACC applauds and thanks the many local poets who submitted their poetry to the competition.  We are pleased to announce the following winners, in alphabetical order, of Northfield’s 2016 Sidewalk Poetry Contest:

                        Barbara Belobaba

                        Becky Boling

                        Julia Braulick

                        Steven McCown (2 poems)

                        Orick Peterson

                        Anne Running Sovik

                        Lori Stoltz

                        Richard Waters

You can read the winning poems here.