The Northfield School District continues to buzz with activity with several hundred attending summer school. Some for enrichment, some who may be at-risk. Programs offered include some specialized academic support to make sure kids maintain their skills. Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann said they also offer a “credit recovery” for high school students to earn credit toward graduation. There are 92 days between the end of the school year and the beginning of the next. Among the student activity is a thorough cleaning of the buildings by the
custodial crew. Work will take place at the Middle School where they will add parking spaces near the main entrance. In the loop where there’s an island, they’ll add some handicapped spaces. Traveling staff will also be able to park there as well as parents dropping kids off. There will be some work done on the Middle School pool, the High School tennis courts will be resurfaced, a wheelchair lift will be installed on the side of the gymnasium that leads to the weight room, along with concrete work at some of the schools. Tech and finance departments are at work. Hillmann said while there’s a different cadence without the 4,000 students and parents dropping kids off, “it is certainly not quiet!”.
Councilor considers options for million $ trail
The price tag to pave Spring Creek Road from Superior Drive to Huron Ct. in Northfield and bring it up to standards doubled from $1.6 million to $3.3 million. The design put forth by staff was to create 12 foot driving lanes in both directions with a trail and 8 foot paved shoulder on the west “urban” side and a 5 foot paved shoulder on the East “rural” side with a ditch. Costs for the work on the west side included 4 retaining walls. SEH Consultant Aaron Ditzler told Councilors at their meeting last week, “approximately a million dollars of that cost increase was due to the retaining walls and the associated earthwork that would be able to put those walls in”. This week, Councilor Ness said that he favors, “put the path or trail on the east side or get rid of the path and use the one that is already existing down by Spring Creek (about 100 yards away) to consider that the trail connection”. Adding, “leave the road as rural on both sides, ditches on both sides”. Four alternatives were presented at council’s meeting last week. This will come back to them in July to give further direction to staff.
Dundas Council will decide at their next meeting on referendum
Dundas Council heard from Northfield Administrator Ben Martig Monday night, along with proponents of an Ice Arena/Civic Center who presented their case to add a ½ cent sales tax to Dundas’s November ballot. Administrator John McCarthy said Council will make their decision at the first meeting in July. 70{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} of the funds raised would go to the Civic Center, 30{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} would go to their parks and trails system.
