By Rich Larson, News Direct
On Tuesday, the City of Northfield announced its plans for the local Independence Day celebration. 
After a year without fireworks due to the Covid-19 pandemic and some question as to whether there would be fireworks again this year, the city has announced that the 4th of July fireworks will display will be held at 10pm on Saturday, July 3. During the Tuesday night City Council meeting, City Administrator Ben Martig explained that the fireworks company the city had traditionally contracted with for fireworks went out of business earlier this year, so the city was left scrambling to find another contractor. With every fireworks company booked at least a year in advance for the 4th of July, the city was able to find a new contractor, but only for July 3rd.
Should a rainout occur on July 3rd, the city has scheduled a fireworks makeup day on July 5th.
They also reminded the public that Northfield city offices will be closed on Monday, July 5th in observance of Independence Day. The Northfield Public Library will be closed on Sunday, July 4, but will open during their normal business hours on July 5. The Northfield Liquor Store will be open during their normal business hours on July 4 and 5. Old Memorial Pool will be open during their regular hours on July 3, 4, and 5 from noon to 8 p.m.
Park project priorities spark questions of equity
On Tuesday night during the city council meeting, city staff asked the council for some guidance in prioritizing parks and projects for the Riverfront Enhancement Action Plan. Community Development Director Mitzi Baker presented the council with a sequenced list of recommended projects and asked the council for approval.
The first priority would be design work and improvements to Bridge Square, which will most likely include permanently closing the section of Water Street currently blocked off, along with re-finishing the Pickleball courts in Riverside Lions Park, followed by some early design work at Ames Park.
While most members of the council were very happy just to see the plan moving into action, Mayor Rhonda Pownell questioned why the full build out of Riverside Lions Park was not a higher priority. She pointed out that neither the pavilion nor the restroom facilities in the park are ADA compliant, and that the playground has not been finished, and said, from an equity point of view the park should receive more attention sooner.
It is the mayor’s opinion that Riverside Lions Park, which is in a lower income neighborhood, does not receive the advocacy it deserves, putting the area further toward the back of the line. But the development that is needed there is no less important than some of the higher profile projects.
“From an equity standpoint, I personally felt that should come as a higher priority. Equity is really important to the council, and this was an opportunity for us to show that. And people had some different perspectives.”
The mayor was very quick to say, that this was only her opinion, and the fact that the majority of the council disagreed with her was okay.
A resolution for support of the priorities as presented by staff passed, 5-2. Councilor George Zuccolotto was the other dissenting vote.
Civil Air Patrol open house at Stanton Airfield on Tuesday night
And next Tuesday Night, the local Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, based out of Stanton Airfield, will host an open house. The public is invited to
come learn about the Civil Air Patrol, what they do, how they help, and how anyone can get involved.
Both adult and cadet members of the squadron will be on hand to talk about their aerospace education programs, emergency services programs, and their various cadet programs as well. Attendees will be able to learn about rocketry, drones, CAP aircraft, and flight simulation. The Stanton Composite Squadron Color Guard will present the colors and there will be a demonstration of military drill.
Civil Air Patrol is the longtime auxiliary of the United States Air Force. The organization operates a fleet of nearly 2500 single-engine and small unmanned aircraft and is responsible for nearly 90% of all continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions. The 60,000-member organization also performs homeland security and disaster relief missions. Operating as a nonprofit organization, CAP also plays a leading role in STEM and aerospace education, and its members serve as mentors to about 25,000 young people in the CAP Cadet Program.
While the Civil Air Patrol isn’t the best-known organization, Second Lieutenant Curt Johnson said the services they provide touch millions of people.
“We exist because we can do many of the things that the Air Force needs to have done a lot cheaper. We’re an all-volunteer force. We maintain the largest fleet of single engine aircraft in the country. So we have all these pilots trained to do things like search and rescue for much cheaper than if the Air Force had to dispatch a helicopter or a large airplane.”
The Civil Air Patrol Open House is this Tuesday, June 22nd, at Stanton Airfield. It will run from 7-9pm.
