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Membership Sideblog

  • The Marcus Welby of law, by Lance Heisler | Lampe Law Group
    July 31, 2010 | 7:45 pm

    Growing up in North Dakota during the 50s and 60s, I was privileged to experience something that's all too rare now - the old-fashioned family doctor. "Doc" delivered babies, set broken bones, treated pneumonia, and helped Grandpa with his newfangled hearing aid. Doc knew the community, the families, and the individuals whose basic medical needs he treated from birth through the end of life. Some of you who grew up in that time, and perhaps in smaller communities, may remember a Doc of your own. . . . → Read More: The Marcus Welby of law, by Lance Heisler | Lampe Law Group

  • Kitty Mania at the Prairie’s Edge Humane Society, by Sandy Vesledahl
    July 28, 2010 | 10:51 pm

    Let’s talk about cats, cats and more cats! Why?? Because Prairie’s Edge Humane Society is full of cats and we have many more arriving daily. As of today, there are 44 cats on the adoption floor with more awaiting their surgeries so they are ready for adoption. There are cats in every corner of the shelter who need homes! We are in desperate need of homes for these cats. We cannot emphasize this enough. So we are having a cat sale and we are calling it Kitty Mania !

    Kitty Mania is this weekend, beginning Thursday, July . . . → Read More: Kitty Mania at the Prairie’s Edge Humane Society, by Sandy Vesledahl

  • On Watermelons and Widgets, by Tom Swift
    July 12, 2010 | 11:50 am

    The free market does many things well, but we know it does not do everything. Even market fundamentalists concede that the public must build roads, put out fires, police streets, and provide national defense. Most people, at least those to the left of the Tea Party edge of political spectrum, accept that the government must also be involved in education, disaster relief, and health care. That is, certain services must be rendered — necessary services, universal services — whether or not those services are financially profitable. If your house is on fire, you do not have time to . . . → Read More: On Watermelons and Widgets, by Tom Swift

  • Vintage Band Festival Contra Dance, by Dan Bergeson
    July 12, 2010 | 10:56 am

    Okay, so most of the news about the Vintage Band Festival so far has been about the bands. But there’s a number of other events during the weekend. Like the VBF Contra Dance, for instance.

    The Vintage Band Festival Contra Dance will feature music by The Dodworth Saxhorn Band of Ann Arbor, Michigan and will be led by dance instructor/caller Robin Nelson.

    Dancing will begin at 8:30 p.m. with a “Grand March” led by 60 costumed members of the 1st Wisconsin Infantry Brigade, followed by a variety of period dances including polkas, contra dances, schottisches, reels and waltzes.

    . . . → Read More: Vintage Band Festival Contra Dance, by Dan Bergeson

  • The Animal-Cruelty Syndrome, by Tom Swift
    June 27, 2010 | 8:00 am

    Even before I read the first word of this article I had a visceral reaction to it. The accompanying photographs — my eyes tend to skip over photographs in magazines — affected me in a manner that is difficult to articulate. I knew, immediately I knew, I was not going to like what I was about to read. In fact, for that reason I put the piece aside. Not now, I thought. Maybe tomorrow, I said to myself. But, then, I couldn’t not read it, either. If you have not done so already, I hope you will read . . . → Read More: The Animal-Cruelty Syndrome, by Tom Swift

  • Puppies! Puppies! Puppies! by Kathy Jasnoch
    June 27, 2010 | 7:54 am

    June may be Adopt A Cat month here at Prairie’s Edge Humane Society and we have lots of wonderful cats, but we also have PUPPIES!

    We have a male Newfoundland mix named Chong who is 6 months old, he was a stray so we don’t know a lot about him.  He loves to play! We also have three Australian Cattle Dog mixes who are two months old.  Marcia, Bobby and Cindy were born at the shelter and spent some time in one of our fabulous foster homes.  They are now back at the shelter and ready to find . . . → Read More: Puppies! Puppies! Puppies! by Kathy Jasnoch

  • Relay for Life of Rice County, August 6th, Rice County Fairgrounds. By Sandy Vesledahl
    June 23, 2010 | 9:35 pm

    The American Cancer Society Relay for Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay for Life, teams of people camp out at local parks or fairgrounds and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events.

    Relay for Life of Rice . . . → Read More: Relay for Life of Rice County, August 6th, Rice County Fairgrounds. By Sandy Vesledahl

  • Critter Cam live from Prairie’s Edge Humane Society, by Sandy Vesledahl
    June 16, 2010 | 9:04 am

    Now Showing! Live Kittens playing! You can now watch our adoptable animals at Prairie’s Edge Humane Society (PEHS) live 24/7 on the new Critter Cam installed in conjunction with KYMN Radio. Thanks to the fine folks at KYMN radio we now have a live feed of our adoptable animals showing on our website and KYMN’s website, Tim and Jeff are AWESOME!

    Currently the Critter Cam is featuring kittens available for adoption. Watch them play, sleep, eat, and everything else they do 24 hours a day 7 days a week! It’s better than anything you can see on TV! . . . → Read More: Critter Cam live from Prairie’s Edge Humane Society, by Sandy Vesledahl

  • Save the Northfield Depot: fundraising help needed. By Lynn Vincent
    June 11, 2010 | 11:34 am

    A BIG Thanks to all of you who came to last Monday’s Volunteer Organization Meeting, and to those who contacted us saying you wanted to help but could not make the meeting.

    We have pretty full support for Communications and Design and Build sub-committees, and we got a web graphic designer to help with the site.  Alice Thomas is facilitating the Communications group, and Steve Edwins is facilitating the Design and Build group.

    What we are missing and really need are Fund Raising people.  We have two grant writiers, but we need folks who are committed to the . . . → Read More: Save the Northfield Depot: fundraising help needed. By Lynn Vincent

  • Photo albums: 2010 Prairie’s Edge Humane Society Walk for the Animals, by Bridgette Hallcock Photography
    June 11, 2010 | 8:09 am

    Thank you to all of those who came to Alexander Park on a beautiful Saturday morning in May to help support Prairie’s Edge Humane Society!

    I have placed all of the fun photographs on my Bridgette Hallcock Photography Facebook page so that everyone can see how much fun we had!  See the two 2010 Walk for the Animals albums here and here.

    If you would like a print, please contact me, as the proceeds will benefit the animals at PEHS.

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    Tree removal happening soon on MTT connection through Riverside Park?

    Trees at Riverside Park and 5th St. Bridge Trees at Riverside Park and 5th St. Bridge  Trees at Riverside Park and 5th St. Bridge  
    The routing of the new trail ($245,000 from the City’s Master Development District Fund) from the Mill Towns Trail bridge through Riverside Park will evidently necessitate the removal of (some? all?) the trees along the river adjacent to the 5th St. bridge. Among the larger trees there are three Norway (red) pines, an ash, a Chinese elm, and a diseased American elm.

    7 comments to Tree removal happening soon on MTT connection through Riverside Park?

    • 1
      Patrick Enders says:

      Can anyone tell me what the plan is here? Are they trying to put the bike trail under 5th, or have a crosswalk here? When I looked at that tree-lined spot a couple weeks ago, it didn’t look like there’d be much room for the bike trail to go through this narrow area.

      Unfortunately, I’m afraid it will indeed take removal of all the trees to get a trail through there.

    • 2

      Patrick, the intention is for the trail to route people onto the new 5th Street bike lanes. It gets hazier from there — I think the idea was to bring people up to Union Street, over to 4th, and then out of town somehow. However, the 4th Street lanes are narrow, in poor condition, and don’t connect to the 5th Street lanes.

      In any case, there’s no need for the trail to go under the 5th Street bridge.

    • 3
      Griff Wigley says:

      In the [Sept. 18 Friday Memo][1], Brian O’Connell writes:

      The bid documents for the construction of the Riverside Trail project are nearing completion so that this project can be put out to bid. It is anticipated that bids for this trail construction should be received in early October with actual construction on portions of the trail beginning in late October. Since the start of the construction of this project is so late in the construction season, it is certain that the completion of the construction of the trail will be during the summer of 2010.

        [1]: http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/assets/0/091809-JW.pdf

    • 4
      Griff Wigley says:

      I’ve edited the blog post headline, appending the phrase “on MTT connection through Riverside Park?”

    • 5
      Griff Wigley says:

      Here’s a PDF sketch of the proposed trail through Riverside Park, connecting the MTT with downtown. Unfortunately, it’s upside down so you have to download it and then rotate it.

      Brian O’Connnell wrote:

      Griff,

      Attached is the most comprehensive plan drawing I have of the proposed trail.  This drawing shows the trail corridor, lighting locations, retaining walls, landscaping and other features associated with the trail construction.  Hope this works for your needs.

      We do not post construction documents like this on the city web site.  Contractors have to come to the city and obtain a copy of the plans and specifications which is a huge document.

    • 6

      The transition to the sidewalk and then bike lanes seems a bit janky — get off your bike, walk a quarter of a block, cross the street, then get on the bike lanes again. I can see a lot of bicyclists ignoring that “dismount warning sign” and simply riding on the sidewalk for that short distance.

      I think it would have been preferable to extend the bike lanes west of Water so that exiting bicyclists could immediately turn onto the lanes.

      Otherwise it looks very nice, though. I’m impressed that they were able to maintain almost-full width through the whole trail (10′ is what the city considers optimum, though most of the MTT is 8′).

    • 7

      [...] The trees have been removed (see this July blog post for background) and construction has begun on the Mill Towns Trail segment through Riverside Park [...]