Summer is just a couple of weeks away, and with it comes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the
most dangerous time of year for traffic safety. With more people on the roads from June into October, there is more opportunity for accidents and dangerous conditions. And, since the beginning of the pandemic, those conditions have only gotten worse.
Last week the NHTSA issued its report on traffic fatalities. The report showed a 10.5% increase over 2020, which itself had seen a dramatic increase over the previous year. According to the report, nearly 43,000 people died on American roads last year. Within that, there was a 13% increase in fatalities involving crashes with a pedestrian, a 9% increase in fatalities in crashes involving a motorcycle, and a 5% increase in fatalities in crashes involving a bicycle.
It is the largest increase reported since 1976.
Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott is asking everyone to please take note. Law enforcement authorities throughout Rice County have been discussing an increase in traffic problems for two years, and the NHTSA numbers are bearing those warnings out.
Elliott said, considering the safety improvements that have been made in roads and in vehicles, these numbers come down to driving behavior.
“I’m asking folks to just please monitor your driving behavior. Monitor the driving behavior of the people you’re riding with. Just try to take those few extra seconds to slow down, pay attention, stay off of your phones, and really try to make our roads safer.”
Elliott also expressed concerns for bicycle safety as well, referencing the crash last week that left 44-year-old Mark Ring seriously injured. Initial reports show the crash happened when Mr. Ring failed to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic. Chief Elliott said that bicycles are permitted to travel in the same lanes as vehicles, that they have the same rights, and they have the same responsibilities.
Northfield, he said is known to be a very bicycle friendly area, which attracts even more bicyclists. He said safety with both vehicles and bicycles should always be the top concern.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott can be heard here
Wehling to give a master bowmaker presentation at Maker’s Space on Sunday
On Sunday, internationally renowned violin bowmaker, and Northfield resident, Matt Wehling will give a presentation on the history of the modern violin bow and his interest in incorporating the use of modern tools in his craft.
Wehling calls the world of bows “the poor cousin that’s way more interesting,” compared to the companion world of instruments. He began building guitars in his garage when he was in his early teens and has been working at his creating and crafting bows for nearly thirty years. He spent five years in France as an apprentice to two traditional masters, and came to Northfield in 2002, shortly after his return to America. He has set up a workshop here, from which he services a high caliber, worldwide clientele
Wehling’s work has accumulated a number of awards including 5 Gold Medals from the Violin Society of America and First and Second place awards from the 2011 City of Paris Competition. In fact, since 2002, he has not submitted a piece of work in competition that did not earn a prize.
The presentation on Sunday is a capstone project as part of Matt’s 2021 grant from the Southeast Minnesota Arts Council. He will discuss several different aspects of his work, from his education to the relationship a musician establishes with a bow, and how he discerns the way to best create one for an individual. He will discuss the different and new techniques he is exploring, which is the focus of his SEMAC grant. And he will also talk about the materials he uses as well, discussing the details and nuances of everything from the horsehair that strings the bow, to the wood from which it is carved.
“I will by a board and cut it into blanks. And I will let those sit for at least five years. Because coming out of the board, they need to become what they are going to become. They are going to twist some, and all of the work is so precise, if you don’t let that wait, in a few years, if it twists, you’ve got a completely different animal.”
Violinist Rolf Haas, a frequent guest musician with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, will be on hand during Wehling’s presentation, to demonstrate how different bows can alter the tone of a violin.
Wehling’s presentation on violin bow making will be at the Cannon Valley Maker’s space at 300 Railway Street in Dundas on Sunday afternoon from 4-6pm. For more information on Wehling and his work, visit finebows.com.
Matt Wehling’s full conversation with Paula Granquist can be heard here
Emmaus will host a bicycle fixit clinic Saturday morning
Tomorrow morning Emmaus Church will host a bicycle repair and tune-up event. 
Rob Ryden, the Director of Worship and Administration at Emmaus said the handiest and most bicycle knowledgeable members of the Emmaus congregation will offer their services, doing some maintenance and light repair work on any bikes that pull into the parking lot.
Ryden said they will be able to fix brakes, make adjustments to seats, handlebars and shifters, pump air into tires, and get the bikes ready for the summer season.
Additionally, he said, they will have music, with a playlist curated by Ryden himself. There will be food, and giveaways also. The event is sponsored by Tom’s Downtown Bicycles, which has donated pumps, helmets, bike locks and other items. Emmaus will also be giving t-shirts away.
The Northfield bicycle patrol will be on hand to answer questions and advise people on bicycle safety, and, Ryden said, there will be a bicycle obstacle course.
The event is part of the Emmaus Justice Initiative and is free for anyone in the community who wants to come by.
“Whoever is out biking, if you think your bike could benefit from a little bit of attention, you can swing on by. It’s a totally ride-in or walk-your-bike-in kind of event. We’ll take a look at it, and give you and donut and some orange juice, or maybe a hot dog if it’s later in the morning and send you on your way.”
The Emmaus Bike Clinic will run in the Emmaus Church parking lot from 9am until 1pm on Saturday. For more information, contact Rob Ryden at 507-581-6856. Emmaus Church is located at 712 N. Linden Street in Northfield.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rob Ryden of Emmaus Church can be heard here
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
