A new generation of combat ship will be christened by Jodi Greene, Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy. A Northfield native. She explains the ship is about 390 ft. long, 58 ft. wide, it has a very shallow berth, is fast and agile and able to get close to shore, it’s also very high tech. The ship will be named the Mpls/St. Paul. She called it a great moment for Minnesota. The stealth ship is being built in Wisconsin and will be christened in 2019. Greene is the sponsor of the ship and will be breaking the bottle of champagne on her side. She said it’s clearly a unique honor. Every ship has just one sponsor and they are the sponsor for the life of the ship. She said it’s like being the “mother of the ship” including the crew. The commissioning will take place in 2020. The LCS ship is smaller,
faster and more agile and designed to neutralize small boats, quiet diesel electric submarines and mine threats closer to shores. Her entire interview is online under “Morning Show”. Here’s a link for more information and a 360 degree tour of the ship.
NAUW grants to 16 local non-profits
Donations made by more than 1,000 individuals and businesses during the 2017–2018 United Way campaign will enable Northfield Area United Way to make grants totaling $263,000 to 16 nonprofit agencies providing critical services to area residents. The grant-making process was advised by panels made up of 24 community volunteers who reviewed the applications and had the opportunity to ask the applicants questions during panel presentations. Seven local financial professionals also donated their time and expertise to conduct financial reviews of the organizations applying for grants. Funding priority was given to programs that serve the greatest needs and help the greatest number of community members. Among the recipients, in the basic needs category; the CAC and Hope Center. In Education, PRIMEtime which offers free tutoring to kids in K thur 8th grade and in the Health category, Exchange Club Center for Family Unity, a child abuse prevention agency. Executive Director Penny Hilleman will be in studio June 6th to talk more about the grants.
NDDC announces Northfield a “Main Street Community”
Northfield is the newest Designated Main Street community in Minnesota. The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) applied for designation with the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota in March and has been accepted into the program at the Big City Affiliate community level. Main Street Programs are local, volunteer-driven downtown revitalization programs coordinated by a local staff person. Each program follows the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Four Point Approach® of historic preservation based community development. The Four Points are Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion, and Organization which help volunteers to improve the district physically, economically, in its marketing, and to bring enough resources to the effort. To assist local programs with their work, Minnesota Main Street provides approximately $7,000 in technical assistance funds annually, complimentary training registrations, networking with other communities, and consultation from state program staff. Northfield joins nine other Minnesota Main Street communities: Red Wing, Winona, Faribault, Mankato, New Ulm, Owatonna, Shakopee, Willmar and Wabasha. The public is invited to attend a special announcement in Downtown Northfield on June 1, 2018 at 5pm on Bridge Square.
