by Rich Larson, News Director
The pedestrian tunnels under the roundabout at Highway 246 and Jefferson Parkway will be periodically closed beginning this week so that artists
can install the murals that are part of the project’s original design. The four tunnels will be closed one at a time allowing pedestrians and bicyclists to safely detour around the areas being painted.
The Northfield Public Art Review Committee (PARC) selected Twin Cities-based artist Adam Turman to create the murals in the four tunnels. The theme of the artwork is the natural areas surrounding Northfield—the Cannon River, Nerstrand Big Woods, Oak Savannah, and Prairie.
This project is funded by the 1% for the Arts program, which mandates that one percent of construction costs of a city capital improvement project is dedicated to public art.
Weather permitting, the project will be completed by late July.
Union of Youth is seeking host families for The Wallflower Project
The Northfield Union of Youth is looking for families who would be interested in volunteering to be a part of their Wallflower Project, which provides stable housing for Northfield youth who are experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness.
Northfield Mayor Rhonda Pownell said that the problem of youth homelessness and the need for a program like this in Northfield can “fly under the radar.” It’s not an obvious problem, and most Northfield residents don’t necessarily see it. But, she said, the people who work locally with young people do know that something like the Wallflower program is necessary.
Jaiden Bilotta, the Community Development Coordinator with the NUY said as we move out of the pandemic, the need for more host families is growing. The Wallflower Program looks for homes in the Northfield community, so youths aren’t displaced and do not have to change schools. She said separate space is very important for young people in this situation, so the homes also must offer the youth their own room with their own bed.
There are challenges for the host family in this program, said Bilotta, and she likes to talk with potential hosts before anyone makes a commitment.
“Part of my position is I meet with the people in the community who are interested in being part of our program. We sit down and we talk through some of the situational things and barriers and all of those different things. We break down what it looks like without actually being involved, because sometimes it can be hard to explain what the ins-and-outs are without actually going through the situational things.”
She went on to say that they understand how situations and dynamics can change, and part of her role is to serve as support to the host families. She said this is not something that just anyone can offer, and it takes special people in special circumstances, but when someone emerges from the program having graduated from high school or after achieving a long-term goal, the rewards are self-evident.
Those interested in the Wallflower program, The Key or any of the Northfield Union of Youth’s programs, should contact Bilotta via the Northfield Union of Youth website at unionofyouth.org.
Rice County Law Library is back open to the public
Brad Frago, the president of the Rice County Law Library said yesterday that the with the Rice County Courthouse back open and the state emerging
from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rice County Law Library is open to the public.
The Law Library is available to anyone looking for resources when researching Minnesota state law. Frago said the library is filled with statute and case books, as well as a terminal to access the online research database operated by Westlaw.
According to Frago, the library is not just for attorneys. In fact, he said, its main purpose is to offer resources to people who have a case, but do not have a lawyer. The library offers information about all the common things a person would encounter in a Minnesota State Courtroom.
He said it’s also a great resource for historians, as the statute books can date back to 1862.
Those doing research have the opportunity to check many of the resources out. A printer and a photocopier are available for use as well at a cost of $.15 per page.
Frago, an attorney who practices family law with Frago and Lasswell in Northfield, said the library is probably one of the best kept secrets in Rice County.
“It’s on the bottom floor of the Rice County Courthouse. We don’t get the word out. We have a really nice facility, we have a lot of resources, quiet place for people to come and do research, whether they’re attorneys or the general public. We just don’t tell people about it.”
He said they are still working out some kinks from being closed for so long. For example, sometimes the courthouse staff forgets to unlock the doors, but they are indeed open.
The Rice County Law Library is open to the public Mondy-Friday from 8am – 4:30 pm. It is staffed most days by a research aid from 2:30-4:30. For more information call 507-333-3761.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with attorney Brad Frago can be heard here
