… we have begun to build in an experiential component to the program. The students’ experiential work is designed to help them better engage with the community beyond St. Olaf’s boundaries and to explore the many dimensions of a key theme in American life.
In this case, students will explore the historical, ethical and political dimensions of citizenship in both their academic and experiential learning.
AmCon has the students paired up with engaged/active Northfield area citizens and I guess I’m one. Other "American Conversations Community Partners" participating: Beth Berry, David Bly, Ray Cox, Dennis Dempsey, Sandi Gerdes, Bonnie Jean Flom, Erin Mayberry, Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, Kari Nelson, Rhonda Pownell, Susan Sanderson, Jessica Peterson White, Erica Zweifel.
During the fall semester, we expect that students will meet and conduct interviews with community members.
In the spring, the American Conversations students will collaborate with a digital photography class to create photo/audio essays that will be used by the League of Women Voters to encourage informed and lively participation in public and civic life.
See the American Conversations Program web page for more, as well as an article in the 2009 issue of the St. Olaf Magazine about the program titled What Makes America America? which is where I got "sitizens vs. citizens" for the title of this blog post.
LWV and Carleton are co-hosting this film screening on Monday the 7th, and I thought you might be interested — perhaps even interested in posting about it on Locally Grown? Here’s the trailer. (There’s a shorter one you can watch here, too, if you have 3 minutes but not 8.)
It’s a really important topic, and a very cool film. And an amazing set of panelists for the discussion afterwards, to boot! Let me know if you have questions.
Jessica stopped by my office at GBM this morning with her daughter Astrid for the requisite photo op.
Also see Citizens for Quality Education (CQE). They are “a volunteer group dedicated to supporting Northfield Public Schools. CQE’s focus is to ensure passage of the Northfield School District levy referenda.” There is a CQE Facebook page.
The Nfld News has published 6 of a planned 8 articles about the levy election. They don’t make it easy to find them and the headlines for some make them sound like opinion pieces, but here’s what I’ve found thus far:
One of the new initiatives that this group developed was alumni entrepreneur recruitment. In addition to promoting downtown Northfield as a marketplace, we wanted to promote it as a business location, particularly to the graduates of Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges. We introduced the concept for the first time at this year’s Homecoming Weekends.
I knew this poster was in the works because back in early August, Ross had asked me to contribute photos for it and they needed one additional: a photo of creative class types working in a coffeehouse.
All month long, I kept watching for a good photo op from my early morning corner office at GBM but it never quite came together.
So on Aug. 29, noticing that I had the raw material for a photo, I asked the laptop users to switch tables. I then asked Nancy Amerman who was sitting with a group of runners to sit at my laptop for the photo. Perfecto.
It should be noted that Nancy felt no shame over helping to perpetuate this fraud, whereas at least I felt conflicted. And yet she calls herself a Christian. Go figure.
Director of Human Resources and Technology Matt Hillmann presented a status report on the 2007-2011 District technology plan, shared some examples of success/challenges/opportunities with District technology, and previewed the process for developing the 2011-15 District technology plan.
The link to the PDF of 2007-2011 District technology plan on the Technology Policies page is broken fixed. And But there’s no information there about a 2011-15 District technology plan, process or otherwise.
From what little I know thus far, I’m inclined to support the capital projects levy for maintenance of the District’s facilities.
But I’m not sure I like including instructional technology in that mix, especially without knowing the District’s instructional technology philosophy, how much is spent on it, what impact it’s had over the years, etc. All the capital projects levy page says is:
This funding would allow the school district to replace the instructional materials and technology necessary to maintain and support quality learning in each building.
Not much in the way of fall colors in the above photos I took this morning adjacent to Carleton College’s Lyman Lakes but the monarch butterfly and the bees took priority.
A little more color in the photos below. I’ll try again later this week.
It seems like our fall colors came on fast last week. I took these photos yesterday morning on the St. Olaf campus along Hwy 19 where some of the trees are have red vines wrapping their trunks and hanging like garlands from their branches.
I hope to get out again this week for more. Know of other fall color photos of areas around Northfield?
I missed most of the action for Carleton College’s second wind turbine installation this past week. With one exception, whenever I was on site, the wind was blowing too hard for workers to hoist the pieces in place.
But there were still plenty of other photo ops, including (L to R): land owner Hazel Peterson; some of the crew from the Mullen Crane and Transport Company in Soda Springs, Idaho; and of course, the turbine.
I am attaching a release [PDF] about our Eat Local Challenge event tomorrow. I would love it if you would come have lunch on us!
If you have not visited our Dining Hall recently, tomorrow is a great opportunity to see what we are all about, as we will be showcasing our efforts to support eating locally.
So Robbie and I took him up on the offer. How could we not have a free lunch at the best college food program in the USA?
L to R: Randy introduced me to Bob Appetit Executive Chef Mathew Fogarty; I got a free pass from Northfielder and Just Food Co-op member/fan Marlys Proehl; I got served Thousand Hills Cattle Company beef by company rep and Northfielder Todd Lien; and then I sat down and pigged out with my sweetie.
So yes, Locally Grown won the 7th Annual Eat Local Challenge, along with a few thousand other Oles, and a long list of those who produce locally grown (heh) food. Yum.
I’m intrigued by yesterday’s NY Times Magazine cover article: What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?A radical rethinking of how students should be taught and evaluated, by Paul Tough.
In most societies, Seligman and Peterson wrote, these strengths were considered to have a moral valence, and in many cases they overlapped with religious laws and strictures. But their true importance did not come from their relationship to any system of ethics or moral laws but from their practical benefit: cultivating these strengths represented a reliable path to “the good life,” a life that was not just happy but also meaningful and fulfilling.
Six years after that first meeting, Levin and Randolph are trying to put this conception of character into action in their schools. In the process, they have found themselves wrestling with questions that have long confounded not just educators but anyone trying to nurture a thriving child or simply live a good life. What is good character? Is it really something that can be taught in a formal way, in the classroom, or is it the responsibility of the family, something that is inculcated gradually over years of experience? Which qualities matter most for a child trying to negotiate his way to a successful and autonomous adulthood?
Also mentioned in the article: Character Education Partnership, "the leading national advocate for character education. Our goal is to strengthen our communities, nation, and democracy by empowering teachers, schools, and school administrators."
In 2008, a national organization called the Character Education Partnership published a paper that divided character education into two categories: programs that develop “moral character,” which embodies ethical values like fairness, generosity and integrity; and those that address “performance character,” which includes values like effort, diligence and perseverance.
The CARE program falls firmly on the “moral character” side of the divide, while the seven strengths that Randolph and Levin have chosen for their schools lean much more heavily toward performance character: while they do have a moral component, strengths like zest, optimism, social intelligence and curiosity aren’t particularly heroic; they make you think of Steve Jobs or Bill Clinton more than the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. or Gandhi.
The selected photos are now part of an exhibition called Frames of Engagement that runs through Sept. 25 in the White Spaces at the Weitz Center for Creativity which opens to the Northfield community today with an open house, 3-6 pm.
This exhibition highlights civic engagement between Carleton, the Northfield community, and beyond. Situated in Northfield’s former middle school, this exhibition demonstrates Carleton’s desire to preserve and commemorate elements of the community’s past while also offering it a vast arena for future collaboration and connection.
I submitted six photos and when I visited the exhibition last night, was delighted to find out that they were all on display. I’ve added the originals to this album of photos of the walls of the exhibit.
See the large slideshow (recommended) or SLOW CLICK this small slideshow:
I hesitated to write into this blog, but I did feel that there are some wrong facts in your reporting of the prayer meeting that need to be brought to light.
First, it was not Dan Clites, Rejoice!, or TN that organized this prayer walk at the school. It was a 16 year old junior girl who attends Emmaus that organized it. In fact, the same thing was done last year around the same time of year, also organized by her. She called me (I am the youth pastor at Rejoice!) a week before the date to ask if we would promote it via our email and our website. I believe she called other churches including her own and did the same. She told me it was opened to youth, parents and anyone else who would like to pray for the school. Afterwards, they were invited to her house for a bonfire. I was not there because I forgot (great youth pastor) but it also was not one of my youth leading the group and technically not a Rejoice! youth function.
The only connection she has to TN and Rejoice is that I went to school with her dad. Their family attends Emmaus and they have never attended a TN meeting. This is a pretty typical youth group activity in many cities throughout the US and world…
Griff, I appreciate your blog but you are in left field here. The girl who organized the prayer walk this is a friend of my wife’s and very sweet. Her father has a campus mission to St Olaf…
Last week, Rejoice! pastor Dan Clites posted this on the church’s website (since removed):
THIS FRIDAY! DO YOU CARE ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS? Of course you do! So, let’s pray walk the grounds of Northfield High School and start seeing the spiritual climate change for our students, faculty and administration! THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 26th…meet at 7:00 pm sharp in front of the NHS Auditorium entrance. We will pray walk for 45-minutes. If you feel uncomfortable praying out loud— then just walk along in agreement! It will make a difference because the Bible says God hears our prayers!
Any message, direct or indirect, that homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals are somehow under the influence of demonic forces, is not only hurtful and destructive but dangerous. It can have a corrosive effect on the morale of LGBT employees who work for the city and school district.
And for any LGBT youth in our schools who are struggling to come to terms with their sexual identity, it can exacerbate their pain, lead to depression, or worse.
It concerns me that some teachers and coaches who are members of TN might convey this belief to the youth they work with. And it concerns me that some of the youth involved with TN, who are urged to live their calling in the marketplace of school, could fall into demonizing other youth.
I assume the prayers were generic/innocuous, judging from the video they posted on Northfield Patch. But for Clites to say that "We’re here to simply pray blessing and let God’s Holy Spirit move," is more than a little disingenuous. Judging from his writings and those of his mentors , his unstated belief is likely that demonic forces inhabit the building and some of the faculty, staff and students who are LGBT.
Ms. RACHEL TABACHNICK: I would say the basic beliefs began with the idea of dominionism, and dominionism is simply that Christians of this belief system must take control over all the various institutions of society and government. They have some unusual concepts of what they call spiritual warfare that have not been seen before in other groups.
Spiritual warfare is a common term in evangelicalism and in Christianity, but they have some unique approaches and unique spins on this that distinguish them from other groups.
GROSS: And that literally have to do with casting demons out of people and religions and…
Ms. TABACHNICK: They use this in terms of evangelizing. So whereas we might be accustomed with the idea of saving souls, of missionaries or evangelical work to save individual souls; they believe that they can, through this demon warfare, take control over entire communities, or perhaps nations or people groups, an ethnic group, a religious group and so forth, because they believe that they are doing spiritual warfare at this higher level against these demonic principalities, what they call demonic principalities.
And I care a lot if a candidate is going to be a Trojan horse for a sect that believes it has divine instructions on how we should be governed.
So this season I’m paying closer attention to what the candidates say about their faith and what they have said in the past that they may have decided to play down in the quest for mainstream respectability.
Of course, I’ve got no problem with any group trying to affect public policy by getting elected. But tactics and transparency matter and I object to how Clites demonizes people (‘principalities of opposition’) and how he and some members of TN and Rejoice! aren’t transparent about some aspects of their agenda.
But then, what do I know? According to Clites (twice in my conversation with him last Friday), I can’t be expected to understand these things because I’m an atheist.
Update 8:39 PM: I’ve amended the 3rd to the last paragraph above to read:
…an unstated plan is to get more people (they already have two, Jeff Quinnell on the Northfield School Board and Rhonda Pownell on the Northfield City Council) elected to public office.
The original version left out Rhonda Pownell, an oversight on my part.
I’m nearing completion of proofreading and editing the latest work by my 8th grade SCOPE students. As a result of the past two years of research and writing, selected eighth grade students have written a book about the history of Northfield.
This book (which will be published this fall) will be used as a textbook in the Northfield area elementary schools. We have 42 chapters that go back to before Northfield was a town to projections about the future of Northfield. In each chapter we have interesting tidbits or trivia in little boxes to accompany the text.
I’m writing to you because, in writing the chapter on the history of Northfield Medical Care, my students had difficulty finding any "fun facts" to go with the text. I was thinking that perhaps I could use Locally Grown to solicit long-time residents to contribute a "home remedy" that they were administered as a child growing up here (we talk about the reliance of home remedies in early medical history). The idea is, hopefully, to have your contributors jot down a few of the more interesting remedies they were "subjected" to that we could include in the Medical History chapter.
I want to get this to the layout artist by September…so time is limited…but I thought it might be a fun for students to read what the locals had to do in the hopes of "curing" an illness or malady. Of course, it must be made clear that what they contribute would be subject to this publication. I would like to use their names as well, unless they have an objection. If you think this sort of inquiry is an appropriate use of your blog, please feel free to submit this appeal on your site.
At the end of his speech, after citing the wonder of elliptical orbits and how they are used in everyday technologies, he said:
I don’t believe the earth, the planets, and the solar system just happened. I believe there is one overall. As you watch the miracle of a newborn baby, I don’t believe it all just happens.
So I tried to gain that inner contentment that only comes from the one above. He designed me, my brain, my heart, and all that I am. And all he’s looking for is love. I’d like to leave you with some verses from the good book that help explains my thoughts.
Bengston then quoted from the bible, including Psalm 46:10; John 14; and Corinthians 2.
I think Bengston was way out of line for including his beliefs about intelligent design and his supporting quotes from the bible. It seemed totally out of place and ruined an otherwise good commencement address.
I’m guessing most members of the School Board, Supt. Chris Richardson, and High School principal Joel Leer are not happy with Bengston for this but, alas, there’s been no public comment on it that I’m aware of.
Update 06/08 10 am: Here’s a more complete transcription of Bengston’s remarks at the end of his address:
In that class, we studied topics with a solid mathematical basis. The mathematics are circles, parabolas, and ellipses didn’t just happen. It’s always been there. We just happened to discover the stability of what those elliptical orbits offer.
Consider the satellites and how we use them with our national defense. And, oh no, you wouldn’t be able to use your cellphone to call a friend on the other side of the planet.
I don’t believe the earth, the planets, and the solar system just happened. I believe there is one overall. As you watch the miracle of a newborn baby, I don’t believe it all just happens.
So I tried to gain that inner contentment that only comes from the one above. He designed me, my brain, my heart, and all that I am. And all he’s looking for is love. I’d like to leave you with some verses from the good book that help explains my thoughts.
Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” In John 14, “Thomas, a disciple, asked, ‘How do we know the way?’ Jesus says, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” And Paul in writing to the Philippians and to us Minnesotans [ph] in Chapter 2, “That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
Class of 2011, be content with who you are, find the inner peace that will get you through every difficult time and have a joyous life.
In preparing this little message, I came across the quote from Maya Angelou in which she said, “I have learned that people will forget what you said. People will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Live the life you love, love the life you live and may God bless you. Thank you.
The bike repair stand (Dero Fixit) includes an air pump with a gauge, and seven tools, all tethered with security cables. You can hang your bike on the stand by its seat post so you can more easily work on it.
Northfield’s downtown Streetscape Task Force should consider installing one or more of these downtown.
Update Aug. 13:
Jim Fisher alerted me to another bike repair he installed at one of the St. Olaf dorms, this time with new bike racks… with an artistic flair.
On Tuesday, Northfield High School hosted a mock crash in which two cars collided. In the scenario, one driver was drinking. The driver made it out of the wreck unscathed, but two were dead and others were severely injured. The driver was later arrested for criminal vehicular homicide.
High school juniors and seniors watched the hour-long event as it went from the initial wreck to one of the passengers being put in a body bag. The event also had speakers discuss the issue of drinking and driving. Speakers included Rice County Attorney Paul Beaumaster and Kelly and Ron Landsverk of Faribault, whose daughter, Brittney, drowned last year after the car she was in went into the Cannon River.
Hi Griff, I am attaching some information and pictures regarding the volunteer awards that I will be giving out at the May 17th council meeting at 7PM. Please let me know if you would like any further information. Also you are invited to join the ribbon cutting at Lashbrook Park to celebrate the new woodland trail.
I got there for the woodland trail opening and was delighted to meet Helen Lashbrook Olson whose parents owned a farm in the area.
St Olaf Environmental Studies majors Mary Coulson, Lisa De Guire, Mary Morris, Katelyn DeRuyter are receiving an award for their work planning and building a woodland trail in Lashbrook Park.
These students worked with The Friends of Lashbrook Park, The Northfield Park Board, and the City of Northfield to design the trail, get approval for their plan and arrange for help with brush and tree removal.
The path is located in the wooded section at the North end of the park. This project is an excellent model of collaboration and community volunteerism.
St. Olaf students studying social work or environmental studies have been working to develop the new path this semester, designing the trail, weeding the area and picking up garbage. Erica Zweifel, research assistant at St. Olaf and City Council member whose district includes the park, is directing the environmental studies students. She said the project enables students to get out of the classroom and apply what they have learned in the classroom in a practical setting.
Around five years ago, a handful of locals with a mission to keep native plants intact in our city organized themselves into the group, Friends of Lashbrook Park, which later changed over to Prairie Partners of Cannon Valley. Now, with the backing of a larger national organization called Wild Ones, this still small, yet growing group has become Northfield Prairie Partners Chapter of the Wild Ones.
Update 10 am: I got an email from Erica, correcting the info in the above Nfld News article re: the Friends of Lashbrook Park and the Prairie Partners of Northfield:
The Friends of Lashbrook Park is alive and well and is a very separate group from the Prairie Partners of Northfield. The Prairie Partners did not have anything to do with the path project, but they are responsible for the work being done at GLONA near Greenvale School. About two years ago two members of the "Friends" group split off because they wanted to focus more on the prairie specific issues and the "Friends" group remains committed to the entire Lashbrook Park.
The Northfield Ballroom Dance Club (NBDC) Youth Team recently returned from New York City where they performed in ICONS, a show produced by Melanie LaPatin and Tony Meredith. The event was a fundraiser for the ASPCA, an organization very near to Melanie’s heart.
Melanie LaPatin, world renowned dancer and choreographer, best known for her work with the hit TV show, So You Think You Can Dance, invited the NBDC youth to perform in the ICONS show after receiving a message via Facebook about the group. The group performed a routine choreographed by their instructor, Lindsey Rebecca Hall, to a medley of songs celebrating icon, John Travolta. The first song, “Welcome Back, Kotter” (a foxtrot) was selected to start the dance since it was the theme music for the show that launched Travolta’s career. Other songs in the medley included “Staying Alive,” (a hustle) from Saturday Night Fever, “Born to Hand Jive” from Grease, and “Grease Lightning,” (a cha cha) also from Grease.
The team left Minnesota on Thursday, leaving Northfield at 3:30 a.m. and arriving at the airport at 4:30 a.m. Even though it was far too early in the morning to be awake for most of these young people, they could not help be excited about the trip. After arriving in New York, the team took some time to familiarize themselves with the locations where they would be performing and rehearsing. The show was held at the Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse, located at Hunter College, part of City University of New York, one of the oldest public colleges in the United States. The Kaye Playhouse is located on the east side of central park, north of the Times Square area about two miles.
After finding the Kaye Playhouse, the NBDC team went to Dance Times Square, the studio owned by Melanie LaPatin and Tony Meredith. The studio is located right in the heart of the Times Square area on the third floor of a building that was formerly a cabaret theatre.
The level of preparation in the production of this show was new to this team. On Friday the team spent a few hours at the studio rehearsing, with over an hour spent working directly with Melanie and Tony. The coaching was invaluable and resulted in instant improvements, particularly helping the students make the routine into more of a performance, by changing facial expressions, adding “attitude” to their cha cha, and making the body roll look more like a “dolphin.”
David Ludescher, assistant chess coach at Northfield High School, invited me to play chess against members of the Northfield Chess Team today. I barely know a rook from a bishop so I took photos instead.
I just discovered that Rebecca Messer had sent me photos of the 2009 Northfield Chess Team at the state championships that I never published. Some familiar faces:
After seeing a Tweet from Ross on Saturday, Robbie and I wandered through the Upper Arb to catch part of the baseball double header between Carleton and St. Thomas at Knights Field, the Carls’ new baseball facility northeast of the Recreation Center. Saaaaweeeeet.
A college club hockey game at Northfield’s ice arena was the scene of an ugly incident a month ago involving Carleton and St. Olaf students, both players and spectators. I just found out about it this week when a LoGro reader alerted me.
Having behaved badly at times during my college days at St. Thomas, I’m not quick to make a big deal over college kids doing stupid or offensive stuff. But this was over the top.
As far as I know, there have been no public statements about this incident from the administrations of either St. Olaf or Carleton.
Spectators howled and jeered as game play took a violent turn in the St. Olaf versus Carleton club hockey game on Friday, March 4 at the Northfield Ice Arena. The stands were packed with students, predominantly Oles, many of whom began the evening shouting profanities and other negative cheers, including the standard “Carleton sucks!”
The St. Olaf players were just as rambunctious as the fans. “St. Olaf had about as many penalty minutes as they had game minutes,” spectator Thomas Hegland ’13 said. When the crowd threw soda cans and bottles onto the ice, St. Olaf was penalized, and additional bottles and cans along with zamboni tires were thrown onto the ice in retaliation.
After several minutes the fight finally ended, leaving gear strewn across the ice. There were drops of blood from a referee, who had been “seriously injured,” as the St. Olaf student announcer stated over the loud speaker. The referee attempted to pull players apart. As he skated to the bench the fight left a deep sense of shame and disappointment in me.
Not only did I feel shame because of the fight, but also because of the cheers of “F— you, Carleton,” “F— you, Olaf,” “ugly b—-es,” etc., and because of the constant throwing of trash onto the ice. I was even more surprised that one of the St. Olaf students on the bench threw tires onto the ice and then walked out of the arena.
There were several other incidents that weren’t in the articles. I have no idea what happened in the St. Olaf locker rooms, but I do know that one of the Carleton players asked the police to watch the Carleton locker room, because St. Olaf fans were lined up outside the locker room when they went back in between periods. My friend’s stick and gloves were stolen when he was in the bathroom. I don’t know what happened in the Ole locker rooms, but I’m sure it wasn’t exactly peaceful either.
Lastly – the fight was ugly and intense. In addition to the players, several spectators actually jumped over the glass onto the ice so that they could join the fight – it was ridiculous. I have no idea who hit the ref, but both schools were equally at fault and it was really startling. I wasn’t aware that the game was called a draw, but it doesn’t surprise me.
In short, it was an ugly game. There were a lot of drunk fans from both schools, and the tensions elevated really quickly. I don’t expect another Carleton-St. Olaf game for a while.
The question may remain unsolvable. For the more immediate future, one of the written-up students suggested that the school warn students if there is knowledge of likely increased police activity. “I think the school really made a faux pas in this circumstance,” said the student. “A heads-up could have gone a long way… the school knows that students go to the hockey games inebriated.”
Produced by Sung Hyo Kim, a Carleton senior, this video can be seen by anyone visiting our website to find out more about our facility and our programs. It will be playing in our lobby for visitors to the shelter to watch, we can use it at events and for other promotional purposes as well.
We are so excited to be one of the recipients of a video from this wonderful program for non-profits in our community. PEHS could never afford to hire a professional to produce a video of this quality.
Hyo spent many hours at the shelter, attending events, interviewing staff, filming volunteers and visiting with adopters. From these many hours of filming he was able to edit it down to a high quality video that tells the viewer about PEHS, our mission, programs and services in just over four minutes. He also filmed actual spay and neuter surgeries performed by our shelter veterinarian, Dr. Charlie Gumbusky and then produced two more videos for us, in which you are able to watch a narrated dog and cat spay and a dog neuter. All of these videos can be found on our PEHS website under the Video Library tab. You can also find them on YouTube.
Hyo was such a pleasure to work with on this project. He was genuinely interested in our organization and was very professional, polite and accommodating in regards to filming during the times that would fit our staff schedules as well as the shelter schedule and working to really get to know about his video subject. I cannot say enough about how much we enjoyed working with this Carleton student. He is very talented and we hope to keep in touch with him in the future, as our staff grew to respect and enjoy his presence at the shelter. Hyo is from South Korea and he will be returning there once he graduates from Carleton College. He is a very ambitious young man and we know he will do well in whatever he decides to pursue after his graduation.
This class is a great gift to the non-profit organizations in the area who are picked by these students to produce a video each year. I believe there were 5 or 6 groups who benefited from this class in our community. Thank you to Paul Hager and Carleton College for teaching not only the professional production of these videos to these students and allowing our non-profits to benefit from it, but for also instilling in them the responsibility of giving back to a community and giving these students the opportunity to experience the benefits of the non-profits in this area.
Alas, I didn’t make to the dress rehearsals this week for Northfield High School’s Rock ‘n Roll Revival show, "Reelin’ and Rockin’." Shows are March 11, 12, 13, 17, 18 and 19 and there are a few tickets still available according to Tom McKown. See:
Nfld Patch has an 8-part video series on the show. See part 1 here, with links to the others in the right sidebar.
kiffi summa: I’m known… or thought to be… pretty tough on ‘doing the right thing’, i.e. as much transparency as possible. But I don’t require, or even feel the need of any more info from the Fire Relief Assn; I...
Griff Wigley: Nfld News editorial: Public, city of Northfield deserve transparency by Fire Relief Association It doesn’t appear that the Relief Association has done anything illegal, as the organization is not required to release documents to city...
Griff Wigley: Suzy Rook has a sidebar to today’s Nfld News update on last night’s Council meeting. Excerpt: The city administrator and finance director say they have asked for the information on several occasions, including last month...
john george: Peter- I was just thinking that I would enjoy a cup of coffee with you sometime. You can ask Grifff- I don’t bite! My days off are Monday & Tuesday. I’ve bee a little tied up recently with new grandchildren being born...
Peter Seebach (Seebs): I think we are probably pretty close to agreement on that one. One of my hobbies is nudging things along to get people out of some of the various poverty loops. It is amazing how little money it takes to move someone from...
Peter Seebach (Seebs): A clarifying note: Consequences of Gay Marriage. No one is proposing making homosexuality a civil right. Marriage is already a civil right, and gays are already a protected class for discrimination purposes in most cases....
john george: Sorry, I did not answer your question about “feel good” videos. That is what I call these types of videos because they are all emotional appeal. Look how bad the curent circumstances made the participants...
john george: Peter- I’m not sure you representation of the Power of Attorney is correct. I know of a Navy Seal, unmarried, who, when he is deployed on a mission, registers his current girlfriend with Power of Attorney fro hi affairs just...
Barry Cipra: Hayes, I agree. I remember thinking Wallace’s work would fit wonderfully well in Northfield’s historic downtown.
Hayes Scriven: Barry, that is great idea! It pulls together both history and art!
Barry Cipra: A few years ago I saw a striking sample of sidewalk art in San Antonio, Texas (whose River Walk, I understand, was cited as a model for Northfield’s own stretch along the Cannon). An artist there named Anne Wallace took a...
Curt Benson: If this is an ongoing project, I would suggest sandblasting the poetry into the existing concrete with the next round. This is not difficult. One could have the sandblasting stencil mask cut at a sign shop, like Graphic Mailbox. I bet...
Hayes Scriven: Griff, the money the Arts and Culture Commission got from SEMAC is to go for projects like this! That is why the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment was passed! Now, yes there are some programing projects I have heard bout that I...
Tom Kotula: Despite rumors you may have heard to the contrary, I have not thrown my hat into the ring.
Sean Hayford Oleary: I was glad to hear Erica Zweifel is running again. She’s done an excellent job and has advocated well for her ward. I’m eager to see some filings for mayor.
Griff Wigley: Good turnout last night for the Cannon Valley Mountain Bike Team meeting at the high school. I’ve blogged a summary with the ppt presentations.
Griff Wigley: Jordan Osterman, the new Sports Editor for the Northfield News, scooped me on Saturday. I’m glad! Northfield high school mountain bike team forming As a club sport, mountain biking would have no official affiliation with either...
Griff Wigley: Good suggestion, Curt. I’ll do that for next week’s blurb. I have been verbally emphasizing the importance of having girls on the team, especially since their points on race days count more than boys’ points. Other...
Curt Benson: Hey Griff, I wonder if you shouldn’t put a bit more emphasis on the idea that you’re recruiting both boys and girls for this team. And that the scores for both the boys and girls make up a team score. I think that in the...
Griff Wigley: It should be noted that this team does not yet exist! So this meeting is for those student-athletes (and their parents) who might be interested in joining this new team.
john george: Living where we do, it is only a few blocks walk to North Street and a grand view of the sunsets. Also, with our neighbors’ mature white pines & spruce, our covered deck affords outdoor enjoyment with a fair amount of...
Griff Wigley: Props to the newspaper and Suzy Rook for mentioning LoGro twice in the story: Fire Department officials, including Fire Chief Gerry Franek, did not respond to several requests from the News for association financial records or...
Griff Wigley: Posted to Northfield News at 1pm: Ethical questions arise over Northfield Fire Relief Association expenses Donations made to Northfield Fire Relief Association aren’t public dollars, but that hasn’t extinguished city...
Griff Wigley: Curt/Robert, There’s a summary of the Rescue Squad on Page 21 of the 2009 NFD report to the City. It doesn’t mention that there’s a Rescue Squad Association. The last paragraph states: The Northfield Rescue Squad is...
Robert Palmquist: If Hvistendahl’s motivation was to keep the financials from getting known, his submitting a memo like that just really backfired. I agree, why would these financials be such a secret??? And why did the NRSA hire a lawyer to...
Curt Benson: So Hvistendahl has found another place to wet his beak. You ask a good question, “Why is it important that the City not know the Northfield Rescue Squad Association financials?”
Jim Haas: Happens to me a lot. So much that my lovely wife had to coin a term for it: she says I have datelexia.
norman butler: Since coming to my adopted country 16 years ago I have observed, amongst other things, that not putting the day with the date is both common and peculiar to Northfield (MN? USA?).
John Thomas: Just a reminder, advance tickets for Girls Night Out 2012 can be purchased on The Grand’s website at http://www.thegrandnorthfield. com/public-events. Your tickets will then be available at a special “Will Call” at...
Liz Reppe: This is a great place to buy plants! Jeni is very knowledgeable and they are both really helpful. You get great service and plant expertise, but the prices are not higher than other places in town.
bill metz: While most of how Jake is being remembered revolves around, and rightly so, his great and wonderful talent as an artist and teacher and the works of sculpture he has left for our and the next generations enjoyment, I have had the...
Ross Currier: It was an honor for me and the NDDC to work with Jake. His pieces of sculpture in our community send a powerful visual message that Northfield is an Art Town. I still marvel at his clever and creative approach to building social and...
paul krause: The memorial service will be held at 11am. Doors to the Chapel will open at 10am for a chance to visit with family members and friends to share memories of our dear friend. Anyone who would like to view the documentary Harvest (which...
kiffi summa: Come on, Griff… you say you’re “more than a little clueless about about investments” but you “just happened to notice”… and from what you said, were reading analytically, etc etc… Once...
Griff Wigley: I’m more than a little clueless about investments but I noticed on page 14 in the April 24 Council packet that the Fire Relief Association has 85% of its pension portfolio in stocks. Isn’t that a bit risky/aggressive for...
Griff Wigley: Has there been any media reporting on the intergovernmental meeting in Bridgewater Township that was held on April 25 re: the Rural Fire Protection District and the City of Northfield?
Vicki Serreno: I wish I’d known – this is my neighborhood since I left Northfield in 2010. I’d have shown up to support them.
Kathie Galotti: My neighbor and sometimes babysitter Maggie Kennedy appears in this video as well! Go Maggie, and Cliff and Sophie and Parker and everyone else! Well done, guys!
Peter Seebach (Seebs): Heh, we had those when I was in college. Guess we’re making progress, they’re starting years earlier now!
Sandy Vesledahl: Thanks for blogging our garage sale Griff! We are at 2018 Jefferson Rd, Suite 1, thanks to the Jasnoch Family for allowing us to use the space. We will be there until 5:00 today and again from 8-2 on Saturday. We’ve had a...
Bright Spencer: I have an 8 year old dog that has not been neutered, has not reproduced and never been out unleashed except in our yard. It costs nothing to care for your pet properly.
Arlen Malecha: I wish more establishments had outdoor seating & dining. Now that our offices (Coldwell Banker South Metro www.CBSouthMetro.com are downtown, I love to see people sitting and dining outside. It is fun to walk up and down...
I met with two St. Olaf students yesterday, Casey Groskreutz (Madison, WI) and Zaq Baker (Eden Prairie, MN). … we have begun to build in an experiential component to the program. The students’ experiential work is designed to help them better engage with the community beyond St. Olaf’s boundaries and to explore the many dimensions of a key theme in American life.
During the fall semester, we expect that students will meet and conduct interviews with community members.
It’s an issue that’s relevant to Northfield because the 
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