by Rich Larson
The Northfield school year got underway yesterday, and while the energy and excitement of a new school year is certainly there,
there is also disappointment due to the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic and the renewed health safety measures that have been put in place. Anyone entering a district building or riding a school bus will be required to wear a mask, and there are quarantine requirements in place for anyone who does test positive for Covid-19.
Having measures in place to combat a temporary, albeit long-term, situation begs the question, how long will they be in place? Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said the district will use three criteria in judging the relative safety of the students as well as district faculty and staff.
The first thing they will look at is the infection rate, or the number of positive cases both in Rice County and in the zip codes that make up the Northfield School District. They will look at the illness rate, which measures the number of people in the same area are experiencing covid or influenza type symptoms. And finally, they will look at the vaccination rate within the district. Dr. Hillmann said at last count approximately 54% of all eligible students in the district had been vaccinated.
He stopped short, however, of saying exactly what numbers the district would need to see in order to remove the safety requirements because looking for specific pieces of data has only caused frustration during the pandemic. In the next few weeks, he said, he expects to have a range of data to work within that will help the district to adjust their safety measures one way or the other. However, he said it is important to take things slowly and allow for measured steps within this process.
“We’re intentionally taking it slow because we want to be clear with people what those metrics are, and that they are a range. It’s not ‘Here’s the data point and everything goes back to normal.’ We’d be fooling ourselves. And I don’t want to put our community in that circumstance where we make some kind of promise and the game changes again.”
Dr. Hillmann reiterated that the district is committed to the goal of keeping students in full time, in-person learning all year, and that the measures are in place in order to meet that goal.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann can be heard here.
Clean River Partners carries on with new name, same mission
Many people around Northfield have noticed the sudden appearance of a very active non-profit organization called Clean River Partners. Fewer know that the organization is what used to be known as the Cannon River Watershed Partnership. CRP Community Engagement Coordinator Kevin Strauss said that the organization remains exactly the same, but now they have a name that does not cause quite as much confusion.
The decision to change the name of such a well-known organization that has been operating in the area for thirty years, was not one that was made lightly. But the members of the organization found it necessary due to the word watershed. According to Strauss, the word is used almost exclusively by government agencies across the state of Minnesota. Because of that, there was a widely help assumption that the organization was a government agency. Strauss said they have, for years, fielded questions about needs for permits for river use, or even more problematic, donations were hampered because people did not think it appropriate to donate to the government.
At the same time, the six counties through which the Cannon River flows, created comprehensive watershed management plan, and formed a committee to oversee that process called the Cannon River Watershed Joint Powers Board.
Seeing the potential for more confusion on the horizon, the organization’s board worked with Nueger Communications for almost a year to find the right name before settling on Clean River Partners. Strauss said things have gone well with the name change, with just a few hiccups.
“We are excited. We loved the acronym, CRWP, though. It worked really well. We had a really short URL for the website. And so, there’s a little bit of re-adjusting now, as the changes go on. But we’re really happy with the shift.”
Strauss said the name helps the organization to focus on its mission, which is cleaner rivers and drinking water. From a programming standpoint, he said, the organization remains exactly the same, pointing to upcoming annual events like the Cannon River Cleanup and The Downstream Environmental Film Festival. He said the organization will continue to to do the work it has always done to promote cleaner water and healthier soils. For more information on Clean River Partners, visit their website at cleanriverpartners.org.
DJJD rodeo looks to ‘Give Cancer the Boot’
And the Defeat of Jesse James Days continues today with several events that are considered hallmarks of the celebration. 
There will be two of the world-famous Bank Raid Re-Enactments tonight at 6pm and 7pm, each lasting about thirty minutes. The rodeo will start at 8pm, for Give Cancer the Boot Night. All proceeds will go to the Northfield Breast Care Center and the Northfield Hospital Infusion Center. Attendees are encouraged to park in the Post Cereal plant east parking lots and walk across the pedestrian bridge to the rodeo grounds.
The Entertainment Center will open at 4pm this afternoon, and the band Smokescreen will play at 8:30. The carnival will open at 5:30, and Bingo on Bridge Square will run tonight from 6:30 until midnight.
For more information visit djjd.org
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
