Griff Wigley

Published January 14, 2010 by Griff Wigley

The fight with Waterford Township: communication and transparency issues again bite City of Northfield in the ass

Five items to suggest that the City hasn’t yet learned the importance of communications and transparency:

Posted to the Nfld News at 7 pm yesterday: City may have violated Open Meetings Law. “Five City Council members have now confirmed that they met individually with the city administrator to discuss withholding tax reimbursements from Waterford Township, an apparent violation of state Open Meetings Law.”
Wed. Nfld News: Fighting words arise over 30-year-old annexation agreement: “The city’s decision to review the agreement at next Tuesday’s city council meeting is “unethical,” since it doesn’t provide enough time for Waterford to weigh its legal options, Dudley said after discussing the issue with city officials at the township’s regular meeting on Monday night.”

City

Waterford Township

Published January 14, 2010 by Griff Wigley

Former City Attorney hired to fulfill Goodhue Cty data request on Lansing investigation

dollars flowing out

More dollars are going to be flowing out the door at a time when the City of Northfield can least afford it.

Jane McWilliams, observer for the Northfield League of Women Voters, has blogged her report on Tuesday’s City Council Work Session. The last paragraph (links are mine):

City

Goodhue County Jane McWilliams Lansing investigation League of Women Voters

Published January 14, 2010 by Griff Wigley

Haiti earthquake: How you can help

MPR has a page listing “aid organizations accepting donations for earthquake relief for Haiti.” Two of them have a Northfield connection:

Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) has been the focus of Northfield-based 5th Bridge. See the FMSC Haiti Earthquake Response page.
Northfield native Gary Dahl works for the American Refugee Committee Int’l (ARC). He’s the Country Director for Thailand and was the project leader for the Fishing Boat Project “which distributed more than 360 boats to fishermen in Thailand who lost their fishing boats in the tsunami.”

Also, Jane McWilliams has a Haitian Relief blog post on Northfield.org. Northfielder Paul Miller recommends donations to Partners in Health, as does book author Tracy Kidder whose op-ed piece in today’s New York Times is titled Country Without a Net:

Civic Orgs

American Refugee Committee Feed My Starving Children Haiti earthquake

Published January 12, 2010 by Griff Wigley

Podcast: Northfield Second Ward City Councilor Betsey Buckheit

Our guest this week was Northfield Second Ward City Councilor Betsey Buckheit. We discussed her reflections of her first year on the Council, which she wrote about on her blog last month in a post titled What I’ve learned so far.

Click play to listen. 30 minutes:

City Podcasts

Betsey Buckheit Blogosphere Northfield City Council

Published January 12, 2010 by Griff Wigley

Photo album: winter in the Arb

Sunday was a perfect day for cross country skiing in the Carleton Arb. Sunny, light wind, about 15 degrees F. It ended with a fabulous sunset.

See my album of 18 photos, the large slideshow, or this small slideshow:

Photos

Carleton Arb cross country skiing

Published January 9, 2010 by Griff Wigley

Public toilets and more emerging at Archer House

Workers at Schmidt Homes Remodeling, a division of Steven Schmidt Construction, have been bearing down hard at the Archer House in recent weeks. It’s partially the result of the…

Businesses City

Archer House public toilets Steven Schmidt Construction

Published January 9, 2010 by Griff Wigley

Apply now for the Blandin Community Leadership Program

I saw Jane McWilliams’ blog post on Northfield.org about the Blandin Community Leadership Program (BCLP) information sessions held last night in Northfield and Dundas. I attended the one at the Northfield Public Library, along with about 40 other interested folks. Blandin’s Leadership Recruitment Coordinator Becky Adams presented.

Two teams will be selected from the area:

Civic Orgs

Becky Adams Blandin Community Leadership Program

Published January 9, 2010 by Griff Wigley

What the hell is Al Quie afraid of?

I’ve long been a fan of Al Quie, a moderate Republican congressman and governor whose legacy of bipartisan problem-solving is one I admire. But his letter to the editor in the Strib yesterday fussing over the ELCA vote last summer to allow gays and lesbians, in committed relationships, to serve as clergy makes me wonder: What is he afraid of? As a letter writer in today’s paper states: “no congregation will be forced to call a pastor it deems unfit.”

Worse, he states “Think about our youth. The ELCA decision is a travesty upon our youth.” That’s bullshit, and even most evangelical youth would agree with me. See this for example:

Religion

Al Quie ECLA gay clergy

Published January 7, 2010 by Griff Wigley

Lost your marbles? Studio Elements can help

I was listening to Jessica Paxton’s All Wheel Drive show on KYMN late yesterday afternoon on my way home from snowshoeing in the Carleton Arb and heard her yammering with…

Businesses

Jessica Paxton Jill Enestvedt Krin Finger KYMN Rare Pair Studio Elements

Author: <span>Griff Wigley</span>