Stephan Koplowitz has an ambitious arts project for Northfield. As a veteran director/choreographer/media artist, Koplowitz was first invited to Northfield four years ago by the two colleges to create a shared project with them, but after touring the City, he said the one thing the two colleges share is the City. So, in a sense, it’s their shared campus. So he suggested that rather than create a project for each side, they create a project that has Northfield as it’s subject matter. The Northfield Experience will come to the City in May of 2018. He explains that the team is creating, “a special tour of Northfield and it will begin at The Grand and there will be two artistic events in there, media will be projected inside and then there will be a short theatrical presentation that will be based on the history of Northfield, sort of a fractured history”.
The audience will be divided into groups with simultaneous spaces for dance, visual media, and music. The Depot, the Bank, the Hvistendahl attorneys offices, the Library, the Northfield Arts Guild theater and gallery will all be involved. The finale will be a place central to the City. There will be 5 full performances the first weekend in May. Koplowitz and a host of others have spent 3 years in pre-production. He said, “and the idea is to both recontextualize and give Northfield residents, sort of, new eyes on their own City and to attract people to come to Northfield and see just how special it is”. And to have the students and faculty collaborate together. All the arts will be involved. Community members will also take part in the performances. Koplowitz full interview is on kymn.net under “Morning Show”. Koplowitz received a grant to create the Northfield Experience.
County levy set higher as State aid not “looking so great”
5.89{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9}, that’s Rice County’s preliminary levy. Last year it was 3.49{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9}. Commissioner Galen Malecha explains, “originally we had talked 4.89 but we’re hearing some rumblings out of St. Paul that the incomes to the State of MN through sales tax, the forecast for the State of MN isn’t looking so great at this point”. County and City aid could be cut, those numbers will come out before the final levy is set in December. The County budget is $74 million, of that, $25 million is taxpayer dollars. There will be a public budget hearing on December 7th at 7pm at the Rice Government Building.
A liquor store, gateway landscaping and Strategic action plan
The Northfield City Council has some important items on their agenda tonight including direction on concepts for a new municipal liquor store, an enhanced landscaping plan for the renovated Fire Station at Hwy 3 and 5th street and acceptance of their action plans for their newly approved 3 to 5 year Strategic Plan. Council meetings begin at 6pm and you can stream them live from the City’s website. (scroll down to “View agenda and watch a meeting”, click there and then click on the appropriate date of the meeting and/or work session). You can also attend the meetings at City Hall and comment there. Mayor Pownell and Administrator Martig will be in studio at 7:20 tomorrow morning with a recap. Fire Station plans Strategic Plan action Plan implementation The Liquor Store plans are in yesterday’s news.
