by Rich Larson
Nine months after a fire destroyed the interior of the Archer House, the building itself remains a crumbling eye sore on Division
Street, surrounded by concrete barriers and chain link fence. A statement issued yesterday by Rebound Partners, the company that owns the land and the building, cast some doubt on any sort of expedient resolution to the situation.
The statement addressed a number of issues, including concerns about the state of the building as it stands, the process necessary to get the proper permits from the city, and how the company intends to proceed with design and redevelopment of the area.
After a lengthy insurance investigation, during which time the building suffered even more damage as a commercial oven hood was removed, and a portion of the front porch collapsed, Rebound was able to come to a settlement in the early summer with the insurance company and begin the process of moving forward. The group is proceeding with its request to the City of Northfield and the Northfield Heritage Preservation Commission to issue the necessary permits so that what remains of the structure can be removed safely. However, the statement said, the process is a slow one and they do not anticipate receiving the proper approval until October at the earliest. Once the city has signed off on everything, that statement said, the structure will be demolished and cleared.
As for the future of the area, the statement said Rebound is committed to both “honoring the past and ensuring what comes next serves to strengthen downtown Northfield and the community for generations to come.” To that end, the company is forming a task force of “community stakeholders,” to provide advice on the best use of the property.
Masking policy detailed for school activities, athletics and spectators
During the school board meeting on Monday Night, Superintendent of Northfield Public Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann detailed the Covid-19 protocols and policies that will be applied to athletics and other student activities.
First, he reminded that the mask mandate is only an indoor policy, so sports like soccer and football will not require athletes to be masked. The indoor policies he said, are based on guidance from the Minnesota State High School League. Student athletes who are actively participating in a competition or in a drill on the court will not be required to wear a mask. All other people involved in the proceedings, including coaches, referees, and student athletes not on the court will be required to wear a mask.
Hillmann said that the district waited to hear from the MSHSL before setting the policies, in order to keep things relatively uniform from school district to school district.
The issue of spectators was also addressed during the meeting. Hillmann said there will be no mask requirements for those watching a game or a match but hopes that those in the crowd will share a sense of personal responsibility.
“We did create an exception for spectators at interscholastic activities, because there are people coming from all sorts of places and it is a true choice for whether you attend those choices or not, so that’s the one case where, indoors, we are strongly recommending, but not requiring, face coverings.”
Non-MSHSL sanctioned activities will be taken on a more case by case basis, Hillmann said. Chess, for example, is not a sanctioned activity and is performed indoors, therefore members of the chess team will most likely be required to wear masks. The indoor activity on which the district has yet to make a decision is the High School’s fall play. Hillmann said that determination will come in the next few weeks.
Garcia working to create more inclusivity
As Northfield’s Spanish speaking population has grown, so has the need to expand city services to serve that segment. To that
end the city hired a translator last February to help with communications both written and spoken.
Claudia Garcia is a Faribault native who grew up in a family of Mexican and Cuban heritage. A graduate of Minnesota State Mankato, she worked in the non-profit sector before joining the city’s communications department. Since she started, Claudia has received high praise from all corners of city government for her ability to translate and bridge the communication gap.
“There’s been a lot of work to do,” said Garcia. She has spent time translating press releases and written communication to and from the city. And her person-to-person translation services are in high demand.
“I really work for every department of the city,” she said, “so if anyone with the city needs interpretive services, that’s what I’m there for.”
Mayor Rhonda Pownell said the addition of Garcia and her role was an important move for the city.
“[The Hispanic population] is a growing community,” she said. “Sometimes you have to evolve and change as a community to ensure that everyone feels welcome here. That communication piece is so vital. If you don’t have that in place, people can just feel like they are on the outskirts.”
Garcia said part of her role has been community outreach. She has been at several city events just to let people know that she is in place and the city is offering interpretive services. And the more people know that she is there, the more demand she is seeing for her help. She said the ability to help so many people has been very rewarding.
“Learning a second language is a very difficult thing. And so, a lot of people don’t transition even though they’ve been here for many years. So, there is a sizable population, a sizable number of people. So, my services are needed, I’ve been called down many times to go and do in-person interpretation and it’s been wonderful.”
Garcia’s regular hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9am-3pm. She can be contacted through the Communications section of the Northfield City website under Translation and Interpretation.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him rich@kymnradio.net
