By Rich Larson, News Director
Capital Construction has announced that they are going to help the Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service acquire a much-needed new Heavy Rescue vehicle by offering a substantial match donation.
The Heavy Rescue Vehicle carries all the hand tools that firefighters use, powers the hydraulic extrication tool used to help people out of severely damaged vehicles, and serves as a mobile command unit. At more than twenty years old, the problems with the current vehicle are many. The chassis is rusting, neither the air conditioning nor the defrost systems work, and the extrication tools on the truck were designed for cars built in the 1990’s. The vehicle is outdated and losing operational relevance and needs to be replaced.
Capital will match all donations made to NAFRS between December 15th and January 15th, up to $15,000 dollars. The Fire and Rescue Squad has been working for more than two years to replace their current Heavy Rescue truck, and will soon take delivery of a new vehicle, but their fund-raising efforts remain about $60,000 short.
Those wishing to donate during the match period can click on the Rescue Truck Replacement Fund line on the NAFRS website, which will take them to a Go Fund Me page set up for the cause. Or they can contact Andrew Tussing of the Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service, by calling (507) 581-1312.
Lynette Peterson is the new Northfield City Clerk
With longtime City Clerk Deb Little set to retire at the end of the year, Northfield is welcoming in Lynette Peterson to take the role of City Clerk in January.
Peterson has deep roots in Southern Minnesota.
“I grew up in Baloton, Minnesota which by Tracy and Marshall, on a farm in a family of five children. My brother still farms there. Then I moved to North Mankato where I was Deputy City Clerk for 14 years, then I worked at Nicollet County for five years, and then the City of Excelsior as their city clerk for a couple of years.”
Peterson said she and her family visited Northfield many times before she came to work here. Her children played in both soccer and lacrosse tournaments in Northfield, and she and her husband have always appreciated the friendly character of the town.
While the job of City Clerk is best known for running local elections, Peterson said she has plenty of other duties as well.
“City clerks really are the heart of elections and they really try to put their best foot forward during them. Right now we’re working on tobacco licensing. After the first of the year, we’ll do the liquor licensing for the city. We are also in charge of all the city’s insurance and risk management. And our office gets council packets ready, and just getting the council agendas ready and then attending the council meetings.”
Peterson said she is the co-chair of North Mankato Fun Days, and has a great love and appreciation for city celebrations, but has never attended the Defeat of Jesse James Days and is looking forward it.
Nine Northfielders awarded grants by the Minnesota State Arts Board
Nine different Northfielders received grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board last week. The projects those grants will fund range from filmmaking to dance to musical composition.
Among the recipients are Gao Hong. A Chinese born educator at both Carleton College and Northfield High School, Gao is a World Class musician who is recognized as virtuoso on the Pipa. The State Arts Board has given Gao $6000 to go towards the pipa concerto she is currently composing and will premier with the Minnesota Orchestra.
Cecillia Cornejo, an instructor in Cinema and Media Studies at both Carleton and St. Olaf, received $5400 dollars to expand her Wandering House Project, which takes oral testimony from people talking about the concept of home and what it means to them. Cornejo began the project in the summer of 2019 and will now expand it “in light of the global pandemic and the uprising that followed the killing of George Floyd.”
Wendy Placko, a local filmmaker, and the Director of Sales at Neuger, received $5800 to fund the short films she makes and to help expand her audience through storytelling and virtual discussions.
Judy Saye Willis received $6000 to identify and implement methods to engage with students and area residents who are interested in learning how to use materials from nature for dyes, paint and ink colorants.
Other locals who received a State Art Board grant are musician Paul Dice, Filmmaker Carl Elsaesser, choreographer Paula Mann, poet and songwriter Andrea Mazzariello, and the host of KYMN’s Super Barrio Latino, Mar Valdecontos.
