Last week during a special meeting, the Northfield City Council passed a resolution calling on the Northfield School District to add the
construction of an ice arena to their list of priorities as they consider options to renovate and remodel the high school facility.
The Northfield Ice Arena has been a problematic situation for the city for years, and Aurora Pharmaceutical has approached the city looking to buy the arena in order to tear it down and use the land to expand its facility. As Aurora is a growing business in the commercial industrial sector, an area that has been identified by the city as a growth priority, the reaction by the city and the city council to selling the arena has been a full throated yes.
That does, however make finding a solution for a new arena even more important, which is why the council has looked to the school district for help.
Northfield Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Matt Hillmann said, as he sees it, it would be unusual for a school district to be the sole owner and operator of a municipal ice arena. The resolution does clearly state that the city would be willing to contribute to the construction, maintenance and upkeep of a new arena, and Hillmann acknowledged that there are some districts that operate arenas under similar agreements. But he called those situations “the exception rather than the rule.”
Hillmann said the district does indeed have a vested interest in seeing the situation resolved. With at least four hockey teams that use the arena, the School District is one of the top tenants of the building. And even as Hillmann was suggesting other ideas to solve the problem, he acknowledged that it is in the best interest of the district that a solution be found.
“[There is] the possibility of creating a coalition of business partners who would partner with other governmental agencies like the city to try to resolve that issue. As facility users, we are interested in the city resolving this issue as a user and as a tenant of the facility.”
Dr. Hillmann also went out of his way to express support for the plan to sell the building to Aurora Pharmaceutical, saying the expansion of a high-tech corporation based in Northfield would have very positive results for the city.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann can be heard here
Four Day Vintage Band Festival Begins Tomorrow
Northfield’s Vintage Band Festival will begin tomorrow and run through Sunday with events each day at Bridge Square, Central Park and
other local locations.
The Vintage Band Festival is an annual event that expands from a single day to a four-day festival every three years. According to the festival website, the event is meant to celebrate downtown Northfield and attract music-lovers and tourists to the area. Many organizations, including the Wenger Foundation, the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the City of Northfield have collaborated to help with funding and logistics to make the festival possible.
The VBF website explains that the festival strives to create a high-quality musical experience that emphasizes Northfield history and showcases the city’s outdoor and community spaces, including Bridge Square, parks, churches, and retirement centers. The festival even encourages visitors and participants to dress up in vintage attire to get excited about local history.
The Vintage Band Festival began as a four-day event in July 2006 and was an idea developed by Professor Emeritus of Music at St. Olaf College and VBF Artistic Director, Paul Niemisto.
Niemisto was inspired by his experiences with The Kaustinen Folk Music Festival and the Lieksa International Brass Week in Finland and the Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville, Kentucky, the only other festival like the VBF in the United States. In 2006, 50 musical performances were presented, and the four-day events have only expanded over time.
This year 33 bands from across the Midwest and Florida and Kentucky will perform in Northfield, Nerstrand, Farmington, Montgomery, and Cannon Falls, with the bulk of performances held at Bridge Square or in Central Park in Northfield.
Among the highlights on the schedule are the featured Latin bands on Friday night, the traditional Battle of the bands at noon on Saturday, the return to the festival of the 1st Brigade Band, playing civil war era music on authentic civil war era instruments on both Saturday and Sunday, and performances by eight visiting bands in eight different churches around Northfield on Sunday morning.
The festival is still looking for a few volunteers to help with setup and to staff the VBF information tent at Bridge Square.
City Council, Sheriff on the Northfield primary ballot
And Rice County is again reminding all eligible voters about the special election and primary that is scheduled for Tuesday, August 9th. 
The special election is to fill Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District seat in the US House of Representatives that was made vacant when Congressman Jim Hagedorn passed away earlier this year. The person who wins the election will fill out the remainder of the term, which will expire on December 31st.
Northfielders will be asked to vote on a three-way race for the City Council At-Large seat being vacated by Clarice Grabau. David DeLong, Davin Sokup, and Thelma A. Estrada are vying for the seat. As the city allows room for only two names on the ballot in November, the three must meet in a primary to eliminate one of the candidates.
The County Sheriff position will be on the primary ballot as well pitting incumbent Sheriff Jesse Thomas against challengers Richard Bailey and Ross Spicer.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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