“Open Mic” at Locally Grown

soapboxBehind the scenes, the Triumvirate has been discussing ways to hear more voices in and from the LoGroNo community. Because this is a three-person blog with Griff as Emperor, right now only the three of us can create posts for discussion; everyone else is restricted to comments. (We’ll have more news about that soon – we’re looking at changes to the status quo there too.) So I thought, why not create a catch-all post to serve as “open mic”?

What are you thinking about? What would you like to talk about? No such thing as “thread drift” on this post, but if you try to sell me cheap Viagra, I’ll delete your comment.

13 Comments

  1. Julie Bixby said:

    Tracy,
    This is a great idea! A topic I would like to discuss is the Building Code Board of Appeals. Why is it taking so long to put together? I would really like to know what people think it is for and how it will be used.
    Thanks,
    Julie

    January 22, 2009
  2. Tracy Davis said:

    Julie, that’s a good suggestion for a separate post topic. Maybe Ross will pick that up, hint-hint.

    January 22, 2009
  3. I’d like to see more national discussions with a list being provided like at http://www.whitehouse.gov

    However, I would also like to see a less competitive room in favor of a more, this is what i think and this is what you think and it’s all good medicine. I’m not a guy and I don’t appreciate getting beat up for my questions or opinions or factual statements, I don’t think many of us do.
    Thanks for the opportunity to contribute.

    January 23, 2009
  4. Arlen Malecha said:

    In Early February, members of the Red Bull division of the National Guard — 10 of which I understand are Northfielders — will be deploying to serve in the war.

    How can we as Northfielder’s best support these brave men & women and their families while they are gone?

    It would be great if someone from the LoGroNo staff could contact the soldiers and their familes and ask them what they feel they will need in the form of support both here and abroad.

    January 25, 2009
  5. kiffi summa said:

    I think a good discussion for this “open mic” section of LG might center on the drug dog searches at the highschool.
    The NF News has an editorial on this subject today which I frankly think is a very shallow comment on this important event.
    I don’t view the search as one which has any value except to say to those who are uniformed by a realistic youth perspective, and who want to have simple assurances, that “something is being done”.
    In many various meetings, in many various venues, the kids have essentially said, “wha d’ya think, we’re stupid? Kids don’t keep drugs in their lockers, which they know can be searched!”
    I would feel better about the school district taking the drug issues seriously, if they would listen to the kids, and stop acting defensively.
    These drug dog searches are promoting a false sense of reality; a false sense of security.

    And on a purely $$$ point, what is the cost of these searches? the dogs belong to Rice County I believe, and they and their handlers have an assignable cost ( although I asked what that cost was at a follow up meeting to the big drug conversations last year, I could not get an answer, even asking repeatedly). It became quite obvious the cost was not going to be discussed.

    Is the cost of these searches borne by the school dist? What is the cost per hour, dogs and handlers, and for the entire event? And is that cost covered by the NF payment of $4500 annually to the Rice County Drug Task Force? I would imagine it is not.

    For these reasons, and more, I think a larger and more factual exploration of the subject is warranted.

    January 28, 2009
  6. Curt Benson said:

    Kiffi, I agree that this a subject worth discussing. I was told that Rice County has one dog. The other dogs (and handlers I presume) were borrowed from other counties for this last search.

    I remember you asking about the cost of the first search at the meeting you reference and remember that you weren’t satisfied with the answer. I didn’t think the officers were being purposely misleading. It was hard for them to put a price tag on the searches because the counties already had dogs–and they were used for other purposes besides searching schools. And the counties help each other out as sort of a professional courtesy. I do remember being told that the school system did not have to write a check for the search.

    Obviously, the dogs and handlers aren’t free. Somebody, somewhere pays for them. But I can see why it would be hard to put a valid number on what a single search of a school costs.

    January 28, 2009
  7. John S. Thomas said:

    Griff,

    Contact the First Sergeant or Unit Administrator at the Armory. You should get better progress than going through the Public Affairs officer in Rosemount.

    January 29, 2009
  8. Tracy Davis said:

    I’m loving this…. keep the topics and discussions coming! Thank you for the post ideas, too.

    January 30, 2009
  9. Griff Wigley said:

    John, I’ve emailed the Nat’l Guard state contact listed on their web site. If you have a Northfield Armory email address, let me know.

    January 31, 2009
  10. John S. Thomas said:

    Due to Operational Security (OPSEC), I do not think you are going to see those publicly listed.

    I will try to find you a phone number, and pass it to you.

    January 31, 2009

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