By Rich Larson, News Director
The location of the Northfield Rotary Halloween Drive Through has been changed, due to the snowy and wet conditions. Originally scheduled to take place at Estenson farm, it will now be held at the Northfield area YMCA on Saturday from 3-6 pm. The free event provides a safe alternative to traditional trick or treating during the pandemic. Families will be able to drive through the event with the kids in costumes, and treats will be delivered to your car. Attendees must register for a time slot and the last day to register for the event is tomorrow. A cursory look at the sign-up sheet showed that there are still several slots that are available. You can register for the event HERE.
Chief Elliott offers tips on keeping your business secure
The Northfield Chamber of Commerce sponsored an online presentation given by Northfield police chief Mark Elliott on several topics, chief among them was advising business owners on how to keep their businesses safe. He said that business owners are uneasy enough right now during the pandemic. His tips were meant to give business owners just a little peace of mind.
Elliott said finding a routine is the best way to ensure that nothing is being forgotten or missed when you are locking up for the night. “We tell people even in these uncertain times, try to have a routine. If your routine before was ‘I check every door before I leave,’ even though you might not think you had a door open, maybe you opened a door to take out the garbage or something, and then forgot to lock it. So, we’re really advising people to try to get back into that routine, just to try to keep things as normal as possible so you can secure the business.”
Elliott suggested the use of lights and timers, remarking that just because it was an old-school idea, it’s still a good one. Alarms are a great tool, he said, but make sure that the list of people who can do something about an alarm going off is always up to date with the police. He also advocated for Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPED). This involves lighting on the exterior of your building, proper use and placement of landscaping. And taking advantage of structures close by your building. And he spent some time talking about the benefits of video cameras in a building, encouraging their use because not only are they helpful in catching thieves, they are also helpful when prosecuting them as well.
Finally, Elliott said the Northfield police department can send an officer to your business to evaluate things and make some suggestions in the interest of crime prevention.
Carleton cancels winter sports
Carleton College announced this morning that the school has decided to cancel all in person winter sports. 
The decision was made due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
In a release to the public, the school said that officials took public health risks, the need to curb the number of visitors to campus, and the fact that athletes need to know whether or not they will be playing in order to organize their winter schedules all into account when making this decision.
The affected sports include men’s and women’s teams in basketball, swimming & diving, indoor track & field, and tennis. There remains a possibility that swimming and diving could happen in virtual meets, but those events would still need to adhere to Carleton, MIAC, NCAA, and Minnesota Department of Health guidelines.
Carleton Athletic Director Gerald Young, said in the statement that he is heartbroken. “This is the third time we’ve had to make this decision,” he said, “and each time we did so with sadness because we know how much competition means to our student-athletes. However, the health and safety of the entire campus community is the most important thing, and this continues to be the right decision.”
Director Young will be on with Jeff Johnson Thursday morning to discuss the school’s decision.
