The Rice County townships held their Annual Meetings on Tuesday night, and the residents of those Townships went to the polls to elect 
their local Supervisors.
Minnesota State Statute requires that townships hold elections and annual meetings on the second Tuesday in March. During the meetings, residents are asked to vote on the tax levy for the coming year, in order to facilitate the budgeting process for area municipality and county governments.
There was only one contested election throughout Rice County on Tuesday night. In Bridgewater Township, incumbent Supervisor Thomas Hart handily turned back challengers Emily Fulton-Foley and Derek Kruse, gaining more than 50% of the vote in the three-way race. Bridgewater Township also elected Debb Salaba as Treasurer through write-in votes.
The other election of note was in Richland Township where no one had filed for either the Treasurer seat or the open Supervisor Seat. Alan Meyer was elected Treasurer and Sean Bauer was elected Supervisor, with both receiving 12 write-in votes.
A statement issued by Rice County said the results are unofficial and will remain so until the votes are canvassed by the local township boards.
Here is a full listing of the township election results, provided by Rice County:
Bridgewater
Treasurer: Debb Salaba (write in) — 41
Supervisor Seat C: Kathleen Kopseng — 134
Supervisor Seat E: Emily Fulton-Foley — 46
Thomas Hart –79
Derek Kruse — 18
Cannon City
Treasurer: Pam Wunderlich — 14
Supervisor: Clayton F. Mechura — 14
Erin
(results not yet reported)
Treasurer: Elgin A. Trcka
Supervisor: Joseph LeBrun
Forest
Supervisor: Charles Peters – 12
Forest Township appoints its treasurer
Greenvale (Dakota County)
Treasurer:
Wayne E. Peterson — 271
Linus Langer — 147
Supervisor:
Charles Anderson — 231
Gregory Langer — 185
Morristown
Treasurer: Vicky Timm — 27
Supervisor: Andrew Wagner — 23
Northfield (Precinct 1)
Treasurer: Jessica Hubers — 5
Supervisor: Foster Transburg — 5
Northfield (Precinct 2)
Treasurer: Jessica Hubers — 31
Supervisor: Foster Transburg — 30
Richland
Treasurer: Alan Meyer (write in) — 12
Supervisor: Sean Bauer (write in) — 12
Shieldsville
Treasurer: Kimberly Pesta — 48
Supervisor: Todd S. Schilling — 9
Andy Ernste — 41
Walcott
Treasurer: Carrie Heiderscheidt — 25
Supervisor: Tom Donkers — 25
Warsaw
Treasurer: Ron Kuball — 13
Supervisor: Steve Drewitz — 13
Waterford (Dakota County)
Treasurer: Steven E. Wheeler — 33
Supervisor:
Brett Stadler — 29
Jacob Bentz — 8
Webster
Treasurer: Bob Michel — 26
Supervisor: Dwayne Harnack — 23
Wells
Treasurer: Flavia Berg — 37
Supervisor: Jeff LaCanne — 43
Wheatland
Treasurer: Sara Chlan — 40
Maria Prange — 20
Supervisor: Travis J. Simon — 54
Wheeling
Treasurer: Marilyn Danks — 24
Supervisor: Mark A. Bongers — 22
Council has a long discussion about two-way protected bike lanes
On Tuesday night, the Northfield City Council convened for a work session that was focused on long conversation regarding the two-way 
The design would narrow many streets in favor of the bike lanes, which would be separated from the motor vehicle lanes by a standalone concrete curb or boulevard. Several people who live in the Lincoln Street South/Heritage Drive area, where one of the bikeways is scheduled to be built this summer as a part of the 2023 mill & overlay project, have strongly protested the new design, citing safety concerns for bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers, and have pointed out that there is a path running through Hidden Valley Park that they feel already accomplishes the purpose of the new bikeways.
City Administrator Ben Martig said he understands why the residents are so uncomfortable with the bike lanes.
“I would say that I realize that, obviously, change is difficult and particularly difficult in a well-established neighborhood. And then you’re trying to come up with the retrofitting [which makes it more difficult.]”
During the meeting, members of the city staff and an engineer from the ALTA design firm that is working with the city on the project identified and addressed the residents’ concerns.
Many of the residents have said backing a car into the street across the bikeways will cause collisions between the drivers and the bicyclists. However, both staff and ALTA showed reports with no evidence that crash numbers have increased anywhere a bikeway of this type has been constructed. Councilor Brad Ness referenced a safety report put out by a national insurance organization that he said showed the danger of the bikeways. However, the veracity of the report, as well as the intentions of the insurance organization, were brought into question by other members of the council.
With regard to the Hidden Valley path, it was pointed out that most bicyclists will want to take the most direct path to their destination, and many bicyclists currently do not use the path to get where they are going, which is part of the reason the new bikeways have been designed into the project.
The Council will be asked to approve the plan at their next regular meeting on April4th, and then approve the financing at the meeting on April 18th. Despite the answers to the residents’ concerns, Martig said approval of the project is by no means a foregone conclusion.
“I don’t think that it’s a clear path of approval on this one. I think there’s a lot of differing opinions on the Council. The first vote requires a simple majority, and that will be during the first meeting in April. But then later, at the end of April, should it pass, there is a 2/3 approval related to the financing mechanism. So, if we have all seven council members there, we will need 5 out of seven to move forward.”
Should the project not be approved, he said the mill & overlay plans for 2023 would be shelved and re-evaluated in the future.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with City Administrator Ben Martig can be heard here
St. Patrick’s Day celebration will offer literature, music, history
Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, and the Northfield Public Library will mark the occasion with a two-day Irish Festival this weekend, 
featuring Irish literature, Irish music and Irish history.
The events begin tomorrow in the library atrium when Martin Hynes will share a selection of his favorite poetry and prose written by Irish writers. Hynes, a former teacher of English and humanities at Northfield High School, among others, was born in Ireland but grew up in a mostly Irish community in Scotland. He said Irish people were not always welcome in Scotland, which made him treasure his Irish heritage all the more, and he has focused that love on Irish literature.
“They say the Irish are great storytellers. Some of them are, but some of them are very dull company. On Friday, I intend to pick and choose just little excerpts from four or five great Irish short story writers. Most of my stuff is 20th century; Seamus Heaney, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Maeve Binchy. I have so much to choose from.”
Former Northfield City Administrator Tim Madigan will give a presentation he is calling “9,000 Years of Irish History the Abridged Version.” In addition to his work in city management, Madigan is a former social studies teacher as well, and describes himself as a lifelong student of history. He will focus, he said, an overview of Irish history, giving the flavor of Ireland while highlighting some of the more interesting moments in religion, politics and culture.
In between Hynes and Madigan, there will be musical performances. Laura MacKenzie, will perform Celtic music on a variety of instruments as well as with her voice. A former Northfield resident and considered by many to be among the top Irish musicians in Minnesota, MacKenzie is as much educator as she is a musician. From ethnomusicology to national touring, documentaries and studio projects, her vast and varied experience is reflected in her programs, which demonstrate both the depth and the accessibility of the Celtic music traditions.
Richard Coleman, known for his work with the various church organs throughout Northfield, will give a performance on his Celtic harp, and Mark McNeill will give a performance on the bagpipes. While the pipes are thought to be more of a Scottish instrument, Hynes said the Irish uillean pipes are very similar, and can summon the same sort of response.
“The bagpipes and the uillean pipes are very similar and both – you know, talking about emotional things – when they play Amazing Grace, for example, on the bagpipes, listening to that can be a very emotional experience. So, I’m looking forward to hearing the bagpipes.”
The celebration begins tomorrow with Hynes’ presentation at 11am, followed by McKenzie at noon. On Saturday afternoon, Coleman’s performance will begin at 2:15, followed by McNeill at 3:00 and Madigan at 3:30.
For more information on all of the performers, visit the Northfield Public Library website at mynpl.org.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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