by Rich Larson
Last night during the public comment portion of the Northfield School Board meeting, the board heard from several concerned 
parents and community members on the topic of the mask mandate that has been installed for the beginning of the school year as part of the Covid-19 health protocols.
During the August 9th meeting, the board voted to require masks for all people over the age of two years old who enter a district building, as the Delta Variant of the Covid-19 virus continues to cause an increase in positive cases. The meeting last night was the first time the general public had an opportunity to directly address the board since that vote.
Opinions both pro and con were presented during the meeting. Five of the of the people who spoke were physicians, at least four of whom also have students in the Northfield school district. All spoke in favor of the mandate and were grateful to the board for taking that step.
Three speakers expressed dismay and disappointment, at times emotionally so, with the mandate. A petition has been circulated among the families of district students asking that the mandate be rescinded. Of the 4,023 students enrolled in the district, 520 families have chosen to sign that petition, which equates roughly to 12% of the district enrollment. The concerns raised by the parents who spoke against the mandate ranged from mental anguish to physical concerns to the disadvantage masks put on students who are hearing impaired.
Conflicting opinions and statistics were shared by both sides. A suggestion of the relatively low child mortality rate caused by Covid-19 was greeted with concerns about Covid positive children infecting others in the community. Another parent said the mandate was an overreach of the board’s authority. Still another parent pointed out that the dress code could be interpreted to allow for required masking.
Many of the physicians who spoke stressed the importance of vaccinations for all who are eligible. Superintendent of schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said the district data shows approximately 54% of all students ages 12-17 have been vaccinated. With yesterday’s announcement by the FDA of the full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, Dr. Hillmann said he was hopeful that number would increase.
Steps taken to reach Climate Action Plan goals
Earlier this month the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report that said some effects of greenhouse gas emissions are now permanent fixtures of the environment. Others, however, can be reversed if immediate action is taken.
While the report calls for large scale, international action, it also pointed out that all climate change mitigation begins with the individual and their community.
Beth Kallestad, the Northfield City Program Coordinator, whose job is to focus on climate change mitigation initiatives, said the city is always looking for ways to do its part.
Northfield has adopted the Climate Action Plan, which calls for the city to run on carbon free electricity by 2030 and to be 100% carbon free by 2040.
Among the ways the city is working toward those goals is through policies like the forthcoming local sustainable building code, and by encouraging more energy efficiency in homes through collaborations like Xcel Energy’s Home Energy Squad program.
There are business initiatives, as well, she said. Through the end of September, Northfield is working with the Minnesota Center for Energy and the Environment to offer a free energy evaluation with a focus on lighting. MCEE’s One Stop Program will offer a comprehensive lighting audit for businesses that will both drop their energy bills and allow them to collect rebates from Xcel Energy.
Kallestad said there are other areas where a business can look to improve energy efficiency as well.
“For restaurants and places like that, refrigeration is a big piece of things, otherwise it really does kind of depend on your operation. But there are a variety of options – whether it’s through this One Stop Program or a few other ways, having an energy audit done is the best thing. They’ll be able to help you figure out what you can do.”
She said the city is also looking at upgrading its fleet to electric vehicles wherever it can, and it is working with several organizations to sponsor an EV Ride-and-Drive event on October 23.
For more information on the Northfield Climate Action Plan visit the Northfield City Website.
To see the UN IPCC Report click here
Franek praises NAFRS crews for a busy night
The lightning storm on Sunday night created a busy evening for the Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service. 
Chief Gerry Franek said he and his crew received three separate calls on Sunday night, that included a fairly serious house fire at 1000 Forest Avenue. Chief Franek said the homeowner called and said he smelled smoke in his house but could not find any other sign of a fire. Upon arrival the firefighters discovered active flames coming from the attic and onto the roof, due to an apparent lightning strike. Franek said the fire was contained within about two hours, and while the homeowners will not be able to live in the house for some time, mostly due to heavy water damage, there were no injuries due to the fire.
Chief Franek said his crews did a “marvelous” job handling all of the calls they received, and he was especially pleased with the new recruits who were able to respond and lend a hand. Franek said NAFRS has recently added six new recruits to the staff, five of whom were on hand Sunday night. While they have not received any formal training, and will not until later this fall, he said they were able to be involved in supplementary assistance roles.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
