by Rich Larson
The City Council on Tuesday Night voted to establish a special advisory committee that will offer guidance on how best to 
distribute the money that the city will receive from the federal American Rescue Plan.
The American Rescue Plan is the $1.9 trillion Dollar Covid-19 relief package passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden last January. The plan established a Local Relief Fund that will distribute money to communities all over the country to help get cities back on their feet, and Northfield will receive $2.3 million dollars from that fund, in two separate disbursements.
City Administrator Ben Martig said, the idea is for the communities to use that money the best way they see fit.
“It’s really all about responding to the pandemic, coming out economically strong, and trying to rebound our communities. It really gives a lot of discretion locally, and our council are the policy makers who decide how best to use those dollars. And they are going to be looking to get some input on that.”
The advisory committee will be made up of Mayor Rhonda Pownell, three members of the city council and other members of the community all appointed by the mayor. The board will work collaboratively with city staff to best determine how to utilize the federal dollars for Northfield’s specific needs. The committee will investigate areas of the community that were hardest hit by the pandemic and use the money to try and resolve whatever issues were created by.
The council will be looking for input from the public on this issue and made that point very clear during the meeting. Those with suggestions on how best to use the money should contact their city councilor and the mayor. Their email addresses can be found on the city council section of the Northfield website.
Slumberland opens with a donation
Slumberland celebrated the grand opening of their brand-new store in Dundas on Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony that was attended by many members of the community and executives from Slumberland, including Slumberland’s President and CEO Kenny Larson.
During the ceremony Slumberland donated 40 mattresses, box springs and frames – essentially 40 beds – to four area non-profit groups, the Northfield Community Action Center, The Hope Center in Faribault, the Northfield Union of youth and the Northfield Women’s Center.
The beds were donated through a program run by Slumberland’s 40 Winks Foundation, whose mission is to give beds to children that do not have one. Greg Novachek, the owner of the new store in Dundas said it is common practice for Slumberland to identify non-profits and charities in an area where they open a new store and make a donation like this one. Those charities then identify people with the strongest need for the beds.
Scott Wopata, the Executive Director of the Community Action Center, said the donation is a positive development on many levels.
“First of all, we now have fresh, clean beds for ten more members of the community that will now be able to get a decent night’s sleep. Secondly, having a partner who values the community, and their role in it, is a really wonderful thing. And finally, this will hopefully inspire more partners, both corporate and individual, to look for more ways they can make more of a difference in the community.”
Novachek said this is not the only time Slumberland will want to help out.
“This is something that we do all year ‘round. Throughout the year, we give mattresses away to needing families. They don’t work directly with us; there are a number of non-profits that we will work through. They will screen the candidates out. But we do give throughout the year.”
The new Slumberland store is located at 404 Schilling Drive North, next to the Cannon Valley Cinema.
Olympics look a bit more Minnesotan
While competition in various sports has been underway for a few days, today is the official beginning of the long-delayed Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
With fourteen Minnesota athletes qualifying for the US Olympic team, and three more with strong ties to Minnesota, the state is sending one of its largest contingents ever to the Summer Games.
Northfield author and Olympic historian Patrick Mader said there are a couple of Minnesotans who have a very good chance to medal during the games. He said gymnasts, Grace McCallum of Isanti and Sunisa Lee of St. Paul, have an excellent chance to win a team gold medal, and Lee, he said could also very well medal in individual events.
The Women’s Basketball team is also expected to do well. The roster features Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles, and forward Napheesa Collier. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve is an assistant coach on the Olympic team.
And the Minnesotan with perhaps the best chance to bring home a gold medal is Regan Smith of Lakeville. Smith is the world record holder in the 200-meter Backstroke yet failed to qualify in that event. She will compete instead in the 100-meter Backstroke and the 200-meter Butterfly. There is a strong possibility she will also compete on one of the relay teams as well.
Mader said that he has interviewed Smith, and she is a very level-headed down to Earth young woman. And, he said, she has a trait that might give her a bit of an advantage over the other Olympic swimmers.
“Part of the reason she’s really successful besides her talent and her effort, is she has hyper-extended elbows. That’s a benefit to a backstroker, because they can reach more directly back. She demonstrated it to me, and it looks painful. It just looks excruciating when she’s doing it.”
Mader has published two books about Minnesota Olympians, Minnesota Gold and More Minnesota Gold. They are available through his website patrickmader.com.
The Olympic opening ceremonies began at 6am local time and will be rebroadcast tonight at 6:30pm.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with author and Olympic Patrick Mader can be heard here.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
