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
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 !
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Mayor Lee Lansing spoke of his candidacy with me on Tuesday morning in the office of his Division Street business. I hope to videotape interviews of each of the candidates in the coming weeks.
I was very surprised to see that there were no comments on this interview with the Mayor. It’s well known that I am a supporter of the Mayor, so one might say I’m “biased” (aren’t we all?), but I thought he sounded actually very “Mayoral”. For this type of interview a nice mix of general, and more specific, and certainly not focussing on the struggles of the last year.
I do think it is very important for people to remember the first two years of the Mayor’s term and not evaluate his term ONLY in reference to this last year.
Lansing’s interview here came off well, I thought. He did say that the first two years of his term were productive, then took a downturn. I can’t help but think the police chief’s disclosure of a drug problem in the area and his call for an investigation of Roder seemed to be the turning point. Then the finger pointing was conveniently turned in the direction of the mayor, and the media willingly went along.
After all he’s endured this past year, one has to admire the fact that he is running again. I have not decided which of the 7 candidates to support, but certainly Lee is in the top 3.
I haven’t commented because I’d rather see it in print, so I can read it quickly. I am a busy woman these days. And I didn’t know it was up til just now. If I get a chance I’ll listen to it and comment. Others hopefully will, too.
While polite and reasonably professional, his interview didn’t address any of my (and others’) concerns about his prior actions.
Prior actions are generally a better indication of how any incumbent might act in a second term than anything they might say in an interview. Given that, in the interview he showed no insight in to the past that suggests he’ll act any differently in a second term.
Okay, I listened, and what I think is that the Mayor needs a new PR person.
He is not all that good at self promotion and he never mentions anything in particular that may get the votes of new comers not familiar with the history of the last few years. He’s nice and pleasant, though.
Perhaps no one has commented because no one believes the mayor; no one trusts the mayor. He violated the public trust with his actions and behavior. He should have resigned back in December 2007 and he certainly should not be running for re-election if he wants this community to mend.
We have a mayor who is under criminal investigation running for re-election! If the voting public is looking for 10 to 12 good reasons NOT to vote for Lansing I would suggest that the they read the Everett Report. Which, by the way, I have read and do no share your interpretations of the facts, Kiffi.
This is not nor has it ever been about personalities on the council or staff at city hall. It has been about the mayor abusing the power of his position for his own gain. For you, Victor or any one else to refute this is pure bunk.
The city of Northfield needs a change, a breath of fresh air.
Last month I found out that my own maternal grandmother
was born in St. Paul…I guess that accounts for my
own personal 25% niceness. I could run for Quarter Mayor of Southern Northfield.
OK, Bonnie: Now that I’ve put myself in harm’s way, once again, and gotten some comments for you to evaluate … I think you owe me a coffee! Iced, please!
P.S. Note the rationale for “Minnesota Nice” … ‘Nuff said.
Maybe, if for some unseen, below the horizon, never heard of reason Obama would not become president, maybe we could entice him to settle here in Northfield and become mayor. He is all for change. Perhaps one of the colleges could offer him a lucrative professorship to fill in above the mayor’s salary. (Just trying to add a little humor to an otherwise morose subject here!)
Kiffi- Don’t give up your support of Lee. You an Victor have been been faithful friends for a long time. It is times like these that friends are most needed. I am serious here!
Interesting discussion folks! I have a lot to learn in a short time here in Northfield. My video interviews might not dig deeply here, but it helps me and hopefully a few others learn a little bit more about the candidates. My next scheduled interview is with Jon Denison, to appear next week. I’ll take suggestions for questions for Mr. Denison as well.
Griff Wigley: This is comment #35,085 made on the last of 2,976 blog posts, with 187 podcast episodes tossed in for good measure. Now shut down for August. The LoGroNo office at GBM is vacant. But you can follow Ross, Tracy, and I on our...
Griff Wigley: Jane/William, I’m pretty sure I’ve trained you both to behave but I’d have a hard time during the sabbatical not paying attention to see if that was actually the case. I think the more places in Northfield...
Griff Wigley: Jeez, Ross. You adopted Chance? Now we’re going to have to add your new PEHS dog to our About page. No, we’re not changing from the Triumvirate to something four-related, ie, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Phil Poyner: Yes, but where would we put all the egos?
Phil Poyner: Ray, I believe 11 states or so have full military pension exemption, but many others (including MN) have some sort of partial exemption or tax credit. But I know for many veterans taxes are not the number one factor when...
Barry Cipra: Ray, here’s a thought that ties these threads together (and which I think will appeal to Paul): Let’s not tax the income of people with PhDs from accredited universities. When you don’t tax PhD income, you tend...
Ross Currier: Sorry Griff, but that article concludes with the inside-the-same-old-box type of ideas. I suppose that’s what you get when you ask people inside-the-municipal-box for solutions. Hopefully, there will be citizens,...
kiffi summa: Norman and Ross… let me be so bold as to add an observation about this ‘opportunity’̷ 0; I find it so bizarre that mr. Walinski would come up with this staff consolidation plan as a ‘going away...
Griff Wigley: Here’s a silent video of me walking the area around the Scriver Bldg. Note: * the cozy canopy that the trees provide * that there’s only one small tree nearby in Bridge Square * how nicely the two trees frame and...
norman butler: Hayes: Many thanks for the ADA costs, almost $750,000. I assume that additional to this is the remodelling of the second floor etc, at a total cost of, say, $1,000,000 to make this wonderful, ancient, iconic, historic,...
Griff Wigley: I’ve added a straw poll on the trees. See the upper left sidebar.
Griff Wigley: Straw poll results: How should the City solve the geese poop problem along the Cannon River in downtown Northfield? * Harvest the geese for area food shelves (36%, 24 Votes) * Use border collies to chase the geese away (24%, 16...
David Ludescher: Griff: It doesn’t make sense to me that we spent a half of million dollars on places where geese like to sh*t.
Phil Poyner: Excerpt from “Development of a Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard Program at Langley AFB, Virginia.” Canada geese- In June 1999, more than 225 resident Canada geese were molting at Eaglewood golf course adjacent to the...
Michelle Hawkins: As far as Mr Denison and past records of those serving or wishing to serve in public office, I think the public is smart enough to judge for themselves rather than rely on only what they find in a newspaper, for their...
Michelle Hawkins: If a person lives in a drug infested,alcoholic ridden apartment complex and also works on a one to one basis with such while at the same time receives threats as a result of that volunteer work and their work with battered...
Patrick Enders: Carol, Jerry was a plaintiff in a lawsuit in California which Scott found interesting. Scott posted about it here on LGN, and Jerry (Jerold) answered about it here.
Griff Wigley: I’ve added photos I took at the League of Women Voters candidates forum on 7/29 to the blog post above.
Griff Wigley: KYMN Radio video: 07/29/10 League of Women Voters Candidate Forum (Archived)
Griff Wigley: Nfld News: Council candidates weigh in at forum During the first half of the forum, which focused on the Fourth Ward candidates, Gehring expressed his support for an aggressive plan laid out by Mayor Mary Rossing to hire a new...
Sandy Vesledahl: Don’t miss out on “Kitty Mania” today at Prairie’s Edge Humane Society. If you have been thinking about adopting a cat now is the perfect time to do so!
Griff Wigley: Thanks, Tracy. I’ll look at that City Mgr blog in Ventura, CA. I’ll be interested to see if he’s better blogger than former Northfield City Administrator Scott Neal who’s been a blogger client of...
Jerry Bilek: I look at all of this technology as a tool. it has the potential to do good things or is a huge time waster. some blogs are amazingly helpful while others just a way to kill time. For business use, it can be beneficial, but it...
Bright Spencer: orange and yellows are the colors that draw people in, and stimulate intellectual inklings. But, like the sun, too much is not so good.
Bright Spencer: orange and yellows are the colors that draw people in, like the sun, too much is off putting though
Griff Wigley: Would there be a combination of colors that might make the site more agreeable to the eyes? Lots of gray and blue now. Tracy, want to take a whack at it?
norman butler: Tracy; the article you quoted above made mention of the city of Maywood’s services now being provided by a neighboring city: “…The [parking] ticket was issued by enforcement clerks for the neighboring city of...
kiffi summa: If you look at the disbursements in the Council packets, you will see the janitorial work IS being contracted out; here’s some numbers from the July 6 disbursement list: 6/11/10 May City Hall Cleaning – 1282.50...
Tracy Davis: From the Wall Street Journal, 7/19: Cities Rent Police, Janitors to Save Cash
Griff Wigley: A competitor to SeeClickFix is CitySourced: http://www.citysourced.com/
Griff Wigley: Phil, services like SeeClickFix take that into account, ie, people can weigh in to endorse what someone else has submitted. For example, see the service in action at this CT newspaper: http://www.journalinquirer.com / Click...
Phil Poyner: I see a downside to what you’re saying. Theoretically it may make sense to have a single problem submitted just once. But my experience has been that until a group of people submit the same problem, the problem can be...
Griff Wigley: Hey Don, great to hear from you… and that you’re still doing the outdoor thing. I’d never heard of water cycling.
Don Haugo: Cycle America was started in 1988. In 1997 Greg Walsh took it over and has been running it since. I live in Bloomington, Minnesota and am about to start marketing a couple of new outdoor adventure events for next year, the...
Sean Hayford O'Leary: That’s a shame, Erica. But since we now know that a (brief) crossing period can be accommodated without interrupting traffic at that particular intersection (which has the shortest crossing distance and relatively...
Erica Zweifel: It appears that the automatic crossing was temporary, this Saturday I had to push the button to get the pedestrian signal at 5th Street.
Griff Wigley: Sean, I’ll try to capture the audio at a low traffic time so everyone can hear the loud beep-beep and the quiet messages. And I’ll check the 5th St. intersection but all the improvements there look to be the same as...
Griff Wigley: MPR’s Question of the day: Do you depend on sirens to alert you to severe weather?
Griff Wigley: Jane/Josh, thanks for the reports. I’ve blogged your comments with some photos at: http://locallygrownnorthfield. org/post/18720/
Josh Dale: I live on the north-east corner of St. Olaf property, off Highland Ave. The power went out shortly after 1am. No power=no warnings, other than a lightning strike, blown transformers or downed power lines…it was a good...
Griff Wigley: You’re welcome, Jeanette. The slimy handshake was memorable!
Jeanette Nelson: Hi Griff, Thanks so much for receiving so graciously, however reluctantly, a hug from a fellow Norwegian! Oh, and also for the wet slimy handshake.
Kathie Galotti: What Rob said–about Crazy Days. I kinda like the new layout of LoGroNo, though, myself.
Rob Hardy: No. I LOVE downtown Northfield, but I prefer its charming everyday self, not the hyped-up crazy version. I grinchily observed Crazy Daze this year by riding my bike out to Target. Also: while I’m being a Grinch, I hate the...
Bright Spencer: You mean have Crazy,Crazy Daze? Always have a plan B and maybe even C. C?
kiffi summa: Jane: you are correct about the randomness of the discussion that followed… in some ways that is understandable as someone (MNDOT) had just thrown a big wrench into the works of the Council’s fast moving train. I...
Jane McWilliams: I was pleased to read that the council has decided against a November referendum, but I was dismayed at the randomness of the discussion which followed. It would serve them well to put the whole project on ice for a few...
David Ludescher: Ray, It might happen now with a number of new Council members and a new City Administrator, especially if this Division Street site is a real, and not a fanciful, option. It sounds as if the City Council still doesn’t...
Sandy Vesledahl: We will be selling luminaria’s on Bridge Square during Crazy Daze for Relay for Life of Rice County. If you would like to purchase one to be lit at this year’s event to honor a loved one who has been affected by...
kiffi summa: Forgot to mention that I believe this agenda item was titled specifically to avoid controversy. It is true that the position also entailed the Welcome Center duties , that may have been the majority of the job’s hours, but...
kiffi summa: Was doing the Observing for the LWV… so yeah… Council voted 4-3 to table ’til the Aug 3 meeting. C. Pownell had asked C. Zweifel to table the issue (Zweifel had asked for the reconsideration) because C. Pownell...
Tracy Davis: Funny, Griff, I posted this link on the wiki thread before I saw you put it here!
David Henson: Tom, food prices have fallen for years and years (decades and decades) in the USA (free market). And the government in every country mentioned for riots has grown so your cause and effect seems either driven by an emotional...
Griff Wigley: I forgot to tell Tom to link to his Writer’s Notebook blog: http://tom-swift.com/weblog/ I’ve added it to the bottom of his blog post above.
Griff Wigley: Kaufman has a blog and he’s got the pdf of his Food Bubble article on it. His blog has links to other media that have covered the article.
Tom Swift: Here’s one response to those numbers, Griff: “If we use the ratio from the last quarter, it implies Amazon has sold around 22 million Kindle books so far this year. That’s just the equivalent of 6 percent of the...
Griff Wigley: NY Times: E-Books Top Hardcovers at Amazon Amazon.com, one of the nation’s largest booksellers, announced Monday that for the last three months, sales of books for its e-reader, the Kindle, outnumbered sales of hardcover...
Bright Spencer: Rob, I read about half and skimmed thru the other, I have never liked to read through the excess of words that are often set before us because people are getting paid by each word they write. I will give myself a chance to...
Tracy Davis: I met with Rhonda Pownell yesterday on another issue and asked her about this. From her comments I wondered again whether the Council was given adequate and thorough enough information upon which to base their decision....
Jessica Paxton: Wow. These are stunning. Too bad the City didn’t consider looking in its own back yard and hire someone like Mark to produce its promotional video….
but I’d have a hard time during the sabbatical not paying attention to see if that was actually the case. I think the more places in Northfield...
I was very surprised to see that there were no comments on this interview with the Mayor. It’s well known that I am a supporter of the Mayor, so one might say I’m “biased” (aren’t we all?), but I thought he sounded actually very “Mayoral”. For this type of interview a nice mix of general, and more specific, and certainly not focussing on the struggles of the last year.
I do think it is very important for people to remember the first two years of the Mayor’s term and not evaluate his term ONLY in reference to this last year.
What do others think?
Lansing’s interview here came off well, I thought. He did say that the first two years of his term were productive, then took a downturn. I can’t help but think the police chief’s disclosure of a drug problem in the area and his call for an investigation of Roder seemed to be the turning point. Then the finger pointing was conveniently turned in the direction of the mayor, and the media willingly went along.
After all he’s endured this past year, one has to admire the fact that he is running again. I have not decided which of the 7 candidates to support, but certainly Lee is in the top 3.
I haven’t commented because I’d rather see it in print, so I can read it quickly. I am a busy woman these days. And I didn’t know it was up til just now. If I get a chance I’ll listen to it and comment. Others hopefully will, too.
Well, Kiffi, since you asked…
While polite and reasonably professional, his interview didn’t address any of my (and others’) concerns about his prior actions.
Prior actions are generally a better indication of how any incumbent might act in a second term than anything they might say in an interview. Given that, in the interview he showed no insight in to the past that suggests he’ll act any differently in a second term.
Okay, I listened, and what I think is that the Mayor needs a new PR person.
He is not all that good at self promotion and he never mentions anything in particular that may get the votes of new comers not familiar with the history of the last few years. He’s nice and pleasant, though.
May the best person win!
Kiffi,
Perhaps no one has commented because no one believes the mayor; no one trusts the mayor. He violated the public trust with his actions and behavior. He should have resigned back in December 2007 and he certainly should not be running for re-election if he wants this community to mend.
We have a mayor who is under criminal investigation running for re-election! If the voting public is looking for 10 to 12 good reasons NOT to vote for Lansing I would suggest that the they read the Everett Report. Which, by the way, I have read and do no share your interpretations of the facts, Kiffi.
This is not nor has it ever been about personalities on the council or staff at city hall. It has been about the mayor abusing the power of his position for his own gain. For you, Victor or any one else to refute this is pure bunk.
The city of Northfield needs a change, a breath of fresh air.
Martha
…and Martha also has a plausible explaination for the lack of comments. We do, after all, generally have a tendency to be “Minnesota Nice.”
But you did ask.
Last month I found out that my own maternal grandmother
was born in St. Paul…I guess that accounts for my
own personal 25% niceness. I could run for Quarter Mayor of Southern Northfield.
OK, Bonnie: Now that I’ve put myself in harm’s way, once again, and gotten some comments for you to evaluate … I think you owe me a coffee! Iced, please!
P.S. Note the rationale for “Minnesota Nice” … ‘Nuff said.
Maybe, if for some unseen, below the horizon, never heard of reason Obama would not become president, maybe we could entice him to settle here in Northfield and become mayor. He is all for change. Perhaps one of the colleges could offer him a lucrative professorship to fill in above the mayor’s salary. (Just trying to add a little humor to an otherwise morose subject here!)
Kiffi- Don’t give up your support of Lee. You an Victor have been been faithful friends for a long time. It is times like these that friends are most needed. I am serious here!
Interesting discussion folks! I have a lot to learn in a short time here in Northfield. My video interviews might not dig deeply here, but it helps me and hopefully a few others learn a little bit more about the candidates. My next scheduled interview is with Jon Denison, to appear next week. I’ll take suggestions for questions for Mr. Denison as well.
But whenever will Bonnie interview me and get to the questions Northfielders really want to ask?
Like…
What?
and…
Huh?
and…
Seriously?