by Rich Larson, News Director
The State of Minnesota is sounding the alarm bell as we head into summer, asking people to be more cautious on the roads.
Northfield Police Chief Mark Elliott said that the number of traffic fatalities in the state this year is at 177, a full 40% ahead of this time last year. Of those fatalities, 40% of those were due to excessive speed. He said 70 people have died in speed related accidents this year. At this time last year that number was 38, and in 2019 through the same time period, the number was 25.
Chief Elliott said the Minnesota State Patrol has written more than 500 tickets for speed over 100 mph this year, and that is only the State Patrol, so the number does not include tickets written by local police and sheriff’s deputies. Another disturbing fact is that this is not just happening on the interstates. He said law enforcement is seeing excessive speeds on county roads and trunk highways, which are not designed to handle those kinds of speeds.
Elliott said the trend might be coming from some bad habits people developed during the pandemic.
“We’re asking people to slow down out there. They’re making poor choices and driving too fast. We know that we saw part of this expand last year during the pandemic when there weren’t as many cars on the road. Some people felt like there weren’t any cars around so they could drive faster. But we’re seeing deadly implications for people making those choices.”
The Chief also reminded people using non-motorized transportation to be safe as well. Motorists need to be aware of kids on their bicycles, or skateboards, or scooters, he said. But also, anyone on a bike or any other sort of transportation must follow traffic laws. They need to make themselves visible, and most importantly, they must wear a helmet. The Northfield police will be interacting with young people this summer encouraging them to practice bike safety. Officers will be handing out coupons for a small Dairy Queen ice cream cone to kids who are wearing their helmets.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Police Chief Mark Elliott can be heard here
City weighs acquisition of MnDot property
The Northfield City Council was approached by City staff at the regular meeting on Tuesday night trying to gauge the amount of interest the city might have in acquiring the piece of land at 510 Woodley Street currently occupied by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
MnDot intends to vacate the area sometime in 2023 and has initiated conversations with the city about a possible transfer of ownership. Community Development Director Mitzi Bake gave a short presentation on the area and said the estimated market value for the 2.3 acres is just under $740,000. She said there could possibly be a no cost transfer, depending on the purpose for which the city might use the land.
Different ideas were floated during the discussion about how the property could be used. The idea of affordable, or multi-family housing was brought up. The site is adjacent to Riverside Lions Park, so some wondered if it could be used to expand that area. Councilor Brad Ness suggested that it be used to resolve a long-standing desire by the city to relocate the Municipal Liquor Store. Councilor Ness’ feeling is that location, set right on Highway 3, but also within the confines of a neighborhood, would be an ideal setting for such a project.
Another idea is for the city to acquire the land for with the intent to re-sell, allowing for some city control over what would go into the space. Some members of the council felt that was exactly what should happen, while others were not convinced. Councilor Ness said that he does not think the city should be in the “real estate inventory business.”
Martig acknowledged that there is no immediate or obvious purpose for the city to make use of the land.
“I don’t think there’s a real clear perspective for re-use of what should be there. The council did give some direction, though that they wanted more information. We don’t have an immediate need, but we’re going to probably have to make some decisions in the next few months about whether we want to take a harder look over whether we want to take ownership of this area or not.”
Martig went on to say that staff did not want to spend a lot of time on the question if there was no city interest in the land and was therefore looking to the council for some guidance.
Preparations underway for 2022 State Baseball Tournament
Next Summer, the Dundas Dukes, along with the Faribault Lakers and the Miesville Mudhens, will host the State Amateur Baseball Tournament. It
will be the first time Dundas has hosted a state tournament since 2003.
In preparation for the tournament next year, the Dukes have made sizable upgrades to Memorial Park. Already considered one of the finest amateur ballparks in the state, the Dukes have rebuilt the grandstand, all told adding more than 200 stadium-style seats. The press box has been moved and extended. A new sound system has been installed and there are ongoing improvements to an otherwise excellent playing field.
Dundas city administrator Jenelle Teppen said that the City of Dundas is partnering with the Dukes to update Memorial Park, although the upgrades they are responsible for may not be quite as flashy.
“Our work is replacing the driveway and maybe adding some trail segment down there. It makes it more aesthetically pleasing and a little bit easier to get around. But it’s not as glamorous as a new grandstand or anything like that.”
Teppen also said the playground equipment at Memorial Park will be replaced this summer.
The 2022 State Amateur Baseball Tournament will take place over three weekends next year, August 19-21, 26-28, and September 2-5. The Dukes’ next home game at Memorial Park is on Wednesday, versus the Lyon’s Pub Warriors.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with City Administrator Jenelle Teppen can be heard here
