Treats owner meets with CAIR
The owner of a family restaurant in Lonsdale got a visit from members of the Council on American Islamic Relations yesterday afternoon. Dan Ruedinger, owner of Treats Family restaurant has received harsh criticism after placing the words “Muslims Get Out” on his sign. Underneath it read “In Support of St. Cloud”. He put the words on the sign Sunday after 10 people were stabbed and ISIS claimed responsibility. Small
protests have been happening off and on but social media blew up, prompting the administrators of the Lonsdale Happenings facebook page to close the group. A source was at the restaurant when the 3 men from CAIR arrived. Ruedinger was reportedly cordial and offered them food but he declined to remove the sign. He told the Star Tribune that the men had good intentions and invited him to a mosque, but, “people need to again understand that our problem isn’t with the entire Muslim population. It is with the extremists and the nutjobs”. CAIR representative, Jaylani Hussein said that hundreds of thousands of muslims that live in Minnesota are, “shocked, appalled about the incident and the tragedy that took place in St. Cloud. And these types of messages do not help to bring us together instead they create a more anxiety and that’s something we don’t want to happen”. 
Police continue to keep an eye on the situation. Many Lonsdale residents said they were embarrassed and wouldn’t eat at the establishment. Ruedinger took over the restaurant a couple of years ago.
Nfld set’s levy and budget at 2{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9}
The Northfield Council set the City’s 2017 preliminary levy and budget at 2{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} last night by a 6 to 1 vote, DeLong wanted 1{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9}. Administrator Ben Martig said, “we can decrease this tax levy… but we can’t increase it”. The budget corresponds to the levy but it can go up and down, it’s the tax levy that has to be fixed. Staff recommended a 3{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} increase. A public hearing will take place December 6th and final levy will be required at the end of December. Martig explains how City taxes are figured, “the way it’s determined is set by the State of Minnesota. It’s a combination of the value of your property, so if you do improvements you’re value goes up which means somebody else potentially pays less dollars then so it’s all kind of distributed out and then there’s also tax rates where a commercial/industrial property pays a higher tax rate than residential homeowners”. In mid-October the Council will be discussing the budget further, including possibly removing the $35,000 allocated to the NDDC. Martig’s interview is online at kymn.net. He’s filling in for Mayor Dana Graham during the election season.
Froggy’s bags up for flood watch
Flash flooding is a possibility as heavy rains are expected. Froggy’s Pub is already preparing with piles of sandbags. Northfield Police Chief Monte Nelson issued a press release which is posted on kymn.net. He’ll be in studio tomorrow morning at 8:45.
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