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I don’t have time to summarize what happened (hopefully, ED Megan Tsui will do that!) but I’m guessing there will be a website within a month, as Sean Hayford O’Leary and I volunteered to get that going.
The Northfield Enterprise Center is hosting a Coworking Incubator/Accelerator Community Brainstorming Session on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2-4 pm in the Archer House lower level conference room. In related news, according to Megan Tsui, NEC’s executive director, "the EDA approved the NEC’s request for $20,000 in matching funds for a grant from SMIF (also $20,000)" for the "design and development of an Incubator/Accelerator (I/A) space in Northfield. The NEC will use a Co-working model with a membership structure to help make the project sustainable for the long-term." See pages 7-14 of last week’s EDA mtg packet. And last Friday, "Councilwoman Rhonda Pownell and several NEC Board members took a tour of CoCo Minneapolis," according to this post on the NEC Facebook Wall. If you’re new to coworking, see all the blog posts about it here. I entered Cannon River Watershed Partnership’s photo contest this year and whaddya know, I placed. Here are the winners in the three categories (thumbnails are linked to the large originals on the CRWP site but they still display in a slideshow here in the blog post): Category: Family and Friends in the Outdoors Category: Working for Our Watershed Category: Nature in Our Watershed Yes, I’ve blogged this before, but it bears repeating since tonight is the night. Our NCO/Northfield.org colleagues are having a big birthday partaaaaay tonight at the Grand Event Center.
See:
There are many animals who pass through the doors of Prairie’s Edge Humane Society and while they are all special in their own way, every once in a while, there comes along an “extra” special one. “Rhonda” is a Finnish Spitz mix dog who came to the PEHS shelter as a stray back in September. She was found injured, scared and wandering by an area farmer. Rhonda had an injury to her hip and her knee on her rear right leg. It was obviously an old injury that had never been treated as she had lost a lot of muscle mass in her hip and leg. It was very quickly discovered what a sweet personality this dog had and a face that looked as if she was smiling at us. She seemed to be saying to us "help me". It was obvious her name at that point would be "Rhonda", derived from the Beach Boy’s song "Help Me Rhonda".
As the lyrics of the song go "well Rhonda you caught my eye, and I can give you lots of reasons why"…Rhonda caught not only our eyes, but our hearts as well and the reasons are many. Rhonda was in much pain. She had a dislocated hip and a torn ligament in her knee. She would need extensive surgery and rehabilitation. Her medical costs would be expensive. But as soon as we met her, we were all amazed by her happy and hopeful attitude even though she was in so much pain. This attitude has remained throughout her long stay at the shelter. So the decision was made to surgically repair her injuries and give Rhonda the chance she deserved.This dog was very obviously full of love to share and we needed to give her the opportunity to share it. The call went out to our donors via emails and our website that we needed to raise funds to help this sweet girl. And our donors responded as they so often do for us. So Rhonda’s journey with us had begun. She was immediately put on medication to control her pain, while decisions were made for her treatment. Upon an examination by our shelter veterinarian, some more x-rays and consultations with other area veterinarians, it was determined that the best option for Rhonda would be two surgeries; one to repair her hip and a separate surgery to repair the knee. Rhonda came through both surgeries like a trooper, always a tail wagging for us and that “smiling” face looking at us as if to say “thank you”. Rhonda received therapy each day from our staff and as her stay with us grew longer we began to realize how Rhonda was also helping us. As the lyrics of the song go on to say “well Rhonda you look so fine, and I knew it wouldn’t take much time, for you to help me Rhonda”….Rhonda began to help us with other animals at the shelter. Each animal is given a behavior test when they come to the PEHS shelter. One of the aspects of this test helps us to determine their behavior towards other animals in order to help with their adoptability. Sometimes it is very difficult for us to determine this as we don’t always have the opportunity to safely introduce animals to each other in order to see the reaction as we don’t always have another dog that is able to calmly meet the dog which is being tested. Rhonda is such a gentle soul who seems to want to make friends with every creature she comes in contact with and she is able to do so calmly and without causing added excitement or stress to the other animal. She has been helping with these behavior tests during her rehabilitation by greeting other dogs through a fence, for the safety of both animals, and she seems to understand that she needs to be calm and even ignore what the other dog’s reaction is by simply turning away from them if they become excited or anxious during the meeting. She actually seems to understand what she is doing for us and the other animal. Rhonda’s help does not only extend to the other dogs at the shelter. Rhonda is also making friends with the cats. Rhonda has helped us to learn the behavior of some of the cats around dogs as well, which will help us to inform possible adopters whether or not the cat will be comfortable living with a dog in the home, making these cats more adoptable as well. While recuperating at the shelter Rhonda has been spending time hanging out in the business office. Her favorite place is to lie under the table in the office and just watch the activities and perhaps steal a snack or two off our desks when we are not looking (and actually sometimes while we are looking). Chicken in a Biscuit crackers seem to be her favorite guilty pleasure to steal. Rhonda likes nothing better than to just hang out with people and every now and then she will come up to you and paw gently at your leg as if to say, “you have worked enough, time for a break”, when she wants your undivided attention which of course she gets every time! When she sees people she knows she softly dances back and forth on her front paws until that person stops and pays the appropriate amount of attention to her, earning her the nickname “the tap dancer” from the kennel staff at the shelter. Rhonda is walking a little more on her leg each day and she is now off of the pain medication. She does take a joint supplement each day for her knee and as normal with Rhonda; she is wonderful about taking her pill for us. We are very happy to report that after nearly a four month stay with us, Rhonda is now available for adoption! Rhonda is going to have some special requirements of her new home and our staff will cover those prior to her adoption. Rhonda has had a long journey with us. We are very hopeful that we will be able to find that special person or family who will adopt Rhonda and give her the loving home she deserves. We want nothing more than to be able to continue to help other animals in need such as Rhonda. In order to do so we need your help. Please consider giving a donation to Prairie’s Edge Humane Society in honor of Rhonda so that we can help the next “Rhonda” who comes to the shelter. You can donate on line via our website www.prairiesedgehs.org or by mailing a check to 1201 Cannon Circle, Faribault, MN 55021. As you can tell, Rhonda has stolen everyone’s heart at the shelter and she is very special to all of us. While it will be hard for us to say goodbye to her, we want nothing more than for her to have her own forever home where she will be loved. And so the lyrics of the Beach Boy’s song continues…”You gotta help me Rhonda, help me get her out of my heart… help me Rhonda, help, help me Rhonda”. Rhonda, I know you will always be in the hearts of the staff and the other animals at the Prairie’s Edge Humane Society. You are a very special girl. We may have “helped” Rhonda, but she definitely helped us as well.
The conversation is being sponsored by a wide range of grassroots citizen groups, farm groups, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and InCommons. The purpose of the meeting is to explore how citizens, businesses and government can share leadership by collaborating to restore water quality in the four river systems. The meeting will feature a meal and round table discussions facilitated by InCommons – a community-based initiative that connects Minnesotans to share tools, knowledge and resources to address complicated problems. The Owatonna dialogue will be patterned after a similar round table discussion held in Mankato on December 6, 2011, More than 130 people attended the discussion that featured farmers, environmental advocates, government agency workers and recreational users of the river all sitting at the same table to discuss the issues and seek common ground. The public is invited and welcome to attend. Farmers and landowners are especially encouraged to participate. To register for the meal and dialogue or for more information, call 1-877-269-2873 by January 25, 2012. Seating is available for 80 people on a first come, first served basis. Organizers are expecting a full house, so don’t delay.
I got this email from staffers Linda Oto and Cheryl Strike yesterday:
See the Northfield Public Schools Community Services Facebook page and the national I Am a Mentor Day Facebook page.
For more, see all my mentoring blog posts. Join us for a fun afternoon sampling local wine, local foods, bidding on auction items to include dinners, tours, art and more while supporting clean water and the Cannon River Watershed Partnership. Tickets are $30 each or 2 for $50. Contact Leslie at leslie@crwp.net or call (507) 786-3915.
Can’t make it to the event but still want to bid on auction items? We’ll be posting many of the items on the CRWP website the week of January 23rd so you can bid before the event. Our NCO/Northfield.org colleagues are having a big birthday partaaaaay on Jan. 20th at the Grand Event Center.
See:
Bridgette Hallcock volunteered her photography services and her photos of the evening are now posted to both her Bridgette Hallcock Photography Facebook page and in a blog post by LBSA’s Jane Fenton. Jane says:
See Jane’s blog post of all the sponsors of the Gala, most of them Northfield organizations and Northfielders. Then see the large slideshow of Bridgette’s photo album or SLOW CLICK this small slideshow:
I toured all three floors of the Aldsworth Building at 19 Bridge Square yesterday, courtesy of Leah Rich at Neuger Communications Group. The Aldsworth is connected to their new space at 25 Bridge Square, formerly the Community Resource Bank. The Aldsworth seems ideal for a coworking space: smack in the middle of downtown, many small offices, two kitchens, an elevator, and several larger conference-type rooms, two of which overlook Bridge Square (above photos). Here’s the floor plans PDF:
and a few more photos:
Are there other spaces in Northfield that would be ideally suited for a coworking space?
I asked Earl for the text of his remarks about Heather. Here’s the transcript:
My favorite subjects: the roving gangs of Xmas carolers and the kids gathered around the model railroad train displays at Northfield Public Library. The animated faces are a hoot.
There will also be a Dickens Christmas Village with 55 illuminated, hand-painted, porcelain buildings, and more than 100 “accessories” (people, animals, trees, etc.). In addition, several residents will have their apartments open for viewing, each with a different floor plan.
It is located at 888 Cannon Valley Drive (Cannon Valley Drive and Lincoln Parkway). Saturday, December 10th is the date for the 10th Annual Northfield Jingle Bell Run/Walk.
They’re hoping that they’ll be one of the ten groups selected to designate a charity of their choice. I hope to have identified those groups by sometime tomorrow. See:
 ,000 each from Saturday’s 10th annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk">One comment  Civic Orgs, Volunteerism  5th Bridge, Carlson Capital Management, Jingle Bell Run, Kris Estenson, Laura Tiano, Linda Tollefson, Mary Carlson, Mary Loven, Nancy Carlson
Other attendees: Ross Currier (NDDC), Tami Enfield, Rick Estenson (First National Bank Northfield, NEC, Chamber), Kathy Feldbrugge (Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce), Jody Gunderson (City of Northfield), Beth Kallestad (CRWP), Julie Kildahl, Dave Neuger (Neuger Communications Group, Chamber), Rhonda Pownell (Northfield City Council), Donna Rae Scheffert, Mary Schmelzer (Northfield Enterprise Center), Justin Volling (St. Olaf student), and Erica Zweifel (Northfield City Council). Tentative next steps include a community awareness meeting in January, as well as a couple of coworking jellies. After the meeting, I attended an event at CoCo MSP’s new space in the Grain Exchange Building in downtown Minneapolis. Here are some photos of what it now looks like, with its:
11 comments Businesses, Civic Orgs accelerator, Beth Kallestad, co-working, coworking jelly, Dave Neuger, Donna Rae Scheffert, Eric Zweifel, incubator, Jody Gunderson, Julie Kildahl, Justin Volling, Kathy Feldbrugge, Mary Schmelzer, Megan Allen Tsui, Megan Tsui, Neuger Communications Group, Northfield Enterprise Center, Rhonda Pownell, Rick Estenson, Ross Currier, Tami Enfield
Dr. Michael Osterholm, epidemiologist and trout-fishing enthusiast, will share the story of rehabilitating three trout streams on his Prairie Song Farm in Iowa.
Dr Osterholm is director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
I’ve long thought about how economically beneficial (and cool) it would be to have a co-working space in Northfield, ever since Tracy Davis blogged here about the idea back in 2008. I’ve been to the 3rd Place coworking space in St. Anthony Park in St. Paul for meetings. I’ve been to CoCoMSP‘s Lowertown location in downtown St. Paul several times for meetings and conferences. Next week I’ll attend a conference at their new downtown Minneapolis location in the Grain Exchange building. See this Oct. 28 WCCO-TV story (text and video) about coworking there (the ‘brain exchange’ as Mpls Mayor RT Rybak evidently calls it) titled CoCo Reinvents Office Space In Twin Cities:
Earlier this week I met with Megan Allen Tsui, the new Executive Director of the Northfield Enterprise Center (NEC). She’s been exploring the coworking idea with the NEC board and has a new blog post about it titled Coworking as Business Accelerator In Northfield? A couple of excerpts:
I think the economics of a co-working facility are looking brighter, as more small organizations decide to locate in them. For example, the Citizens League recently announced that they’re moving their headquarters to CoCoMSP St. Paul in January. What small Northfield organizations could benefit from doing likewise? What seem to be the pros and cons of a coworking space in Northfield? What questions and concerns do you have? I’m planning to be an informal champion for it but I’m not business-savvy enough to know whether it would work here. So let the discussion begin.
"Since it’s the busiest shopping day of the year, our customers—sometimes known as citizens—are demanding that we be responsive," Madagascar said. " Northfield Target is opening at midnight and we want to be ready to serve those folks who might want to apply for a license, make a reservation, or submit an application for the council vacancy when they’re done shopping. It’s part of our mission—striving for excellence, committed to service." On Tuesday, Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Katarina Fellbore announced that their Northfield Convention and Visitors Bureau office at 205 3rd St. West would open just after midnight on Black Friday as well.
When asked whether it might be more cost-effective for the City and the Chamber to be offering these services via their websites 24X7, both indicated that e-commerce was something they’d be adding in the next five years or so. "Online shopping is likely to catch on with the public by then and when it does, we’ll be ready for it," said Fellbore. Marika Christofides, student journalist for Northfield.org, interviewed me a couple weeks ago for her piece that was published this week: Happy Anniversary, Northfield.org.
Although we started organizing in 1992, the earliest photo I have of those involved back then is this one of Northfield Citizens Online board members at GBM in 1996: L to R, Steve Hatle, Bob Courchaine, Bruce Morlan, Tracy Davis, Andrea Christianson, me, and John Hatch. Not pictured: Lynne Young and George Kinney. Others who were involved in the early stages: Kent Rabehl and Dave Diehl. For more photos, see our Historical roots of Locally Grown page. I got an email earlier this week from Emily Monaghan, Vice Chair of the Northfield Area Family YMCA board:
Other links:
Update Nov. 19, 7:30 am:
Update Nov. 25, 8 am: I’ve been sent additional photos of the sign’s dedication ceremony from last Sunday so I’ve put all the photos into an album. See the large slideshow (recommended) or SLOW CLICK this small slideshow:
A group of Northfield area non-profits are staffing a Give to the Max table at GBM all day today, part of GiveMN Day. (Details here on Nfld Patch). During my office hours this morning were:
Others scheduled:
Meet Rhonda, a Beautiful Finnish Spitz mix dog currently at Prairie’s Edge Humane Society
There are many other animals such as Rhonda at Prairie’s Edge Humane Society who need your help! Please consider a donation on Give to the Max Day, Wednesday, November 16th.
Here are some ways to stretch your donation and help PEHS even more! Win a Golden Ticket and Super Size It! One donor will be randomly chosen every hour to have $1,000 added to their donation. This could be you! And, one $10,000 Super-sized Golden Ticket will be drawn from a donation made sometime during the 24 hours of giving. You could win Prairie’s Edge Humane Society a $10,000 jackpot! So consider donating at an “off” time, such as early in the morning or late at night to increase your odds in the drawing. If you plan to give a larger amount, break it up into smaller donations throughout the hour; that will increase PEHS’s entries in the drawing! There is a $10 minimum donation on line so if you plan to donate $100, break it up into ten $10 donations in one hour instead! Help Prairie’s Edge Humane Society Win the Grand Prize This year nonprofits will compete for prize grants on three leaderboards based on the number of dollars raised on Give to the Max Day. Your donation could put Prairie’s Edge Humane Society in the running to win $15,000, $10,000, $7,500 or $5,000. The more you give the better chance we have to win even more money! It’s easy to help the homeless animals at Prairie’s Edge Humane Society…just click on the Give to the Max logo and donate! I got this email from Justin Stets late last night, asking me to post the info below.
I’m a great singer, as my children will attest but I decided instead to take photos this morning when students from Bridgewater, Sibley, and Northfield High School were packing food. See the large slideshow of 16 photos (recommended) or SLOW CLICK this small slideshow:
Here’s the background info from Justin:
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Griff: Mea culpa. Mea culpa. We/I have failed to keep you (as the leader in the Northfield online community) in the loop about the
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