As the residents of Viking Terrace struggle to adhere to, and even understand, policies and changes put in place by the new ownership company, Lakeshore Management, they are also looking for ways to buy the park from Lakeshore and create a resident owned cooperative.
Mar Valdecantos of Rice County Neighbors United, an advocacy group working with the residents, said the topic had been raised with the previous owners many times, and there was hope that when they were ready to sell, the Haan family would approach the residents about buying. That, however, did not happen.
Northfield City Councilor and Viking Terrace resident, George Zuccolotto, said being notified of the sale after the fact was hurtful, but hardly surprising. Large companies have been buying up smaller and family-owned trailer parks for many years, due to stronger demand for manufactured and affordable housing. Zuccolotto said, he has been expecting something like this in Northfield for at least two years, and, in fact, it was one of the driving reasons he ran for City Council. He said he had even suggested that the city buy the park in order to avoid this situation.
Lakeshore Management does not enjoy a strong reputation across the country. Comments left on the Better Business Bureau website consistently portray the company’s management style as combative, non-transparent, and quite often detached. These comments mirror the way Viking Terrace residents describe their experience so far, creating the need for organization. They have begun the process of creating a Homeowner’s Association. The next step, they hope, will be to take ownership of the park itself.
Valdecantos sits on the board of a non-profit called the North Country Cooperative Foundation. She said the organization works with manufactured home parks and residents in this very situation and helps them find a path to ownership. The organization, she said, can help with some of the financing and, in cases like this one, they can even help to facilitate a stopgap purchase.
“And then once we have this interim owner, this country-wide organization comes to help the residents become a cooperative. And they do not have to come up with $5 million themselves, which is the beauty of it.”
Though the plan may not seem altogether realistic to some, Zuccolotto, and many more Viking Terrace residents are committed to this solution, and he said the turmoil they are going through is the fuel that his community needs to make it happen.
“I do fully intend to buy Viking Terrace, or have it bought, for the people. We are going to buy t, at some point. It’s just Sometimes it takes things like this to get us going. I’ve been dying to get us together for something that isn’t about school or isn’t about business. This is our livelihood. These are our homes.”
Lakeshore Management declined to comment on the situation for this story.
County reminds of fireworks dangers
The 4th of July holiday weekend begins today, and will, of course, culminate with fireworks on Monday night (weather
permitting.) many people will choose to celebrate throughout the weekend with fireworks that they have purchased in Minnesota, and outside of the state as well.
Rice County is reminding everyone that fireworks safety is an important aspect of an enjoyable holiday weekend. According to their statistics, there is an average of 75 hospital visits each year in Minnesota due to Fireworks injuries. Of those injuries, 45% occur with children. The County warns that even items that are considered safe, such as sparklers, can be dangerous if not treated with respect.
A statement issued by the county said more than 30% of fireworks injuries are from sparklers. According to the National Safety Council, sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees. In fact, the National Fire Protection Association said sparklers alone account for more than 25% of emergency room visits for fireworks injuries, and for children under 5 years of age, sparklers accounted for nearly half of the total estimated injuries.
The county statement also said that fireworks that explode or shoot into the air are illegal in Minnesota. Most violations are considered a misdemeanor in the state; however, they are punishable by 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. Violations involving 35 pounds of fireworks or more can be considered a gross misdemeanor and carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail, a $3,000 fine, or both.
Northfield Police using extra patrols in July for safety on the roads
Beginning today and continuing through July, The Northfield Police Department will be joining law enforcement statewide in
providing extra speed patrols to stop dangerous driving behavior.
While many Minnesotans understand the responsibility of smart and safe driving, state data suggests that some fell into poor driving habits during the COVID-19 pandemic, and those bad decisions continue as the Covid restrictions end. The Minnesota Department of Safety recorded a 27% increase in fatal accidents from 2020 to 2021.
According to a statement by the Northfield Police Department, speed has been a major contributing factor in significantly increasing roadway fatalities and serious injury crashes the past couple years.
The state campaign increasing speed patrols this July is coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety with funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
As part of this effort, the Northfield Police Department will also be participating in today’s Highways 14 and 19 Border-to-Border (B2B) Speed Patrol Saturation, an annual effort begun in 2016.
Data shows that in Minnesota, though there are fewer crashes in the summer than in the winter, crashes tend to be more severe because drivers speed more in the summer. Holidays also correlate with higher rates of drunk driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more people in the US die in drunk driving crashes in July than any other month.
The National Safety Council is estimating that 462 people could die on US roads this weekend. The enhanced speed patrols in Minnesota aim to curb that number.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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