The second annual ReCharge Northfield Electric Vehicle Expo will be held tomorrow in the parking lot of the Northfield Middle 
School.
The event is a collaboration between Northfield Shares, the Northfield Rotary Club, the City of Northfield and ReCharge America, a national non-profit organization that offers education and brings awareness to EV’s.
Last year more than 200 people visited the event for the opportunity to learn about and test drive electric vehicles. Representatives from EV manufacturers Tesla and Polestar were on hand with three vehicles for the public to try out, and about a dozen local electric vehicles were on display as well, and their owners were on hand to discuss the ins and outs of owning one.
Carrie Carroll, the Executive Director of Northfield Shares said this year’s event promises to be bigger and better. This year, she said there will be more vehicles from a wider variety of manufacturers to drive.
Additionally, there will be more locally owned EV’s there as well.
“So many people in Northfield own electric vehicles,” she said, “and we have a lot of volunteers who are bringing their vehicles to add to the supply for test drives.”
Erika Campbell, who sits on the Northfield Shares Board, said the electric vehicle owners will be excellent resources for those with questions about owning, operating and even purchasing an EV.
“They have all of the inside information, the discounts that you can get under the Inflation Reduction Act and all that kind of stuff. They know the ins and outs of all those things. So, they can give you advice like, ‘Oh yeah, I traded mine in and then I got $7500 off when I bought a new one.’ So, it’s a great way to learn, and you’ll have a leg up, then, when you go shopping for your own EV, because you already have a bunch of information.”
Other vendors will be on hand, including Great River Energy, the State of Minnesota, and Redwood Materials, who will be collecting expired lithium-ion batteries for recycling. Representatives from groups like the Citizens Climate Lobby and the Northfield High School Environmental Club will be there as well.
Carroll said those who want to test drive a vehicle must be 18, have a valid driver’s license and will be required to sign a liability waiver.
KYMN Radio will broadcast live from the event from 11am until noon.
The event will run from 10am until 1 pm.
Sullivan’s twenty-two year Carleton coaching career rewarded with field honor
Tomorrow, Carleton College will name the football field at Laird Stadium after Bob Sullivan, who was the head football coach at 
Sullivan, who, with 102 wins, is the winningest football coach in Carleton history, said the honor is “overwhelming,” and “a big surprise.”
“It all was generated by football alumni who played for Carleton when I was the coach,” he said. “It’s quite an honor.”
In his time at Carleton, Coach Sullivan’s team won their first modern MIAC title in 1992, when he was also named the MIAC Coach of the Year. His teams finished near or at the top of the conference for five consecutive years from 1986 to 1990.
Sullivan came to Northfield in 1979 after having coached at Cooper High School in New Hope for nine seasons, and Hill High School in St. Paul for 11 seasons before that. A 1959 graduate of St. John’s University, he earned a master’s degree in English from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls.
“I think one of the reasons I got the job at Carleton was because of my master’s degree,” he said. “I think the faculty liked that.”
Sullivan credited his success to the players he coached. He said his players were always talented, hungry, and “smart as heck.” More than 600 student-athletes played for Coach Sullivan in his 22 years, including seven All-Americans, 10 Honorable Mention All-Americans, two MIAC Most Valuable Players, 85 all-conference players, and, notably, two Rhodes Scholars.
Along with the great players, Coach Sullivan also created a great culture in his program, something of which he is extremely proud.
“From the day they get there – we don’t haze, we didn’t do any that freshman crap like some colleges do. From the day they get there, freshmen immediately become part of the program, and they become lifelong friends. These guys still go on fishing trips together. They’re in each other’s weddings. It’s extreme closeness off the field. They are extremely close, both during college and after college.”
The formal dedication of the field be on Saturday during halftime of the Carleton homecoming game against the College of St. Scholastica More than 300 of Sullivan’s former players will be in attendance.
Last week the Northfield City Council declared tomorrow to be “Bob Sullivan Day in Northfield.”
The Carleton Knights football team is 5-0 and off to the program’s best start since 2008, after beating crosstown rival St. Olaf College last week for the first time in nine years.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Coach Bob Sullivan can be heard here
City seeking new Graduate Engineer
The City of Northfield has posted a position for a full time Graduate Engineer. This position will be responsible for civil engineering work for design, specification and construction of public improvement projects. This will include a wide variety of projects related to transportation and complete street road design, along with watermain, sanitary sewer, and storm water design. The position will also ensure conformance with City Specification, ordinances, and applicable state and federal laws.
Minimum requirements for the position include a high school diploma, a valid Minnesota Driver’s license, a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, and the successful completion of the Fundamentals of Engineering exam or the ability to complete the exam within six months of being hired.
Preferred qualifications would include experience with engineering and design software, GIS mapping software and survey equipment, as well as a fluency in Spanish and English including reading, speaking, listening, and writing.
The full-time position will be in a hybrid work environment. Normal business and office hours are from 8am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. However, the hours may vary during construction season. The position will have some evening and weekend hours as necessary for project and neighborhood meetings.
For more information, visit the City of Northfield Website under the ‘Jobs’ tab.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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