On Tuesday night, the Northfield City Council heard a presentation about, and discussed, Phase 2 of the Downtown Flood Study. 
Joe Waln of Barr Engineering first explained to the Council the amount of water that was flowing through the Cannon River during the last two major floods in 2010 and in 2016, both considered 500-year floods, could be two-thirds the amount of water in a 100-year flood after the effects of climate change have taken hold.
He then made some recommendations for the downtown area.
On the East bank of the river between the 4th and 2nd street bridges, Barr is proposing a 415-foot-long flood wall be built to a height of 904 feet above sea level, with one temporary closure and interior drainage.
On the West bank, again between the 2nd and 4th Street bridges, where a flood wall is not a possibility, they are recommending dry floodproofing. This would include structural reinforcement, impermeable covering of the wall up to 4 feet and temporary covers over openings.
There were significant recommendations for Carleton College as well. A flood wall should be built around Laird Stadium, a temporary closure should be built for the west side of the West Gym, and a berm should be constructed on the east side of the athletic practice fields.
The study also recommends some development of Ames, Lions/Riverside and Sechler parks.
City Council members Kathleen Holmes and Jessica Peterson White both questioned how the results of the study would factor into the city’s Riverfront Redevelopment plans. Right now, the plan sees the buildings along Division Street on the east side of the river to be relatively safe. Peterson White asked, given the ominous warning about the effects of climate change, would that confidence hold, and how long would it be before the city was conducting another flood study.
She went on to say, in her mind, the flood study should be seamlessly integrated into the redevelopment plans.
“Given the intensity with which we are engaging, thinking about the riverfront redevelopment, and the importance in our redevelopment plans of using the back side of those buildings, I think for my Council colleagues, and for our engineer, I think we should make sure this is really tightly integrated into our riverfront redevelopment thinking.”
Mr. Waln said that many of the projects could qualify for federal funding, and City Engineer and Public Works Director Dave Bennett indicated that the city would be pursuing funding from both the state and federal governments, should the council opt to pursue this plan. As this was only a discussion no vote was taken. It is expected to come back before the council sometime in either June or July.
The full video of Tuesday night’s city council meeting can be seen here
Revolver used to kill Charlie Pitts up for auction
On Saturday, a unique, if somewhat ghoulish, piece of history directly tied to Northfield will go up for auction in Illinois. 
The Colt 1860 Army 44 conversion revolver, serial No. 2639, that was owned by Watonwan County Sheriff James Glispn in 1876 will be available through Donley Auctions. It is the weapon that killed James/Younger Gang member, Charlie Pitts.
The story goes that after the famous, and failed, robbery of the First National Bank in Northfield on September 7, 1876, the surviving members of the gang split up. The three Younger Brothers, Cole, Jim and Bob, along with Pitts, whose real name was Samuel Wells, eluded authorities for about three weeks, until they were spotted in Watonwan County near Madelia. Sheriff Glispin organized a large posse and confronted the Raiders. During a firefight, Glispin was wounded, but shot Pitts through the heart. The three Younger Brothers were captured and spent the next twenty years in the Stillwater State Penitentiary. Pitts’ body was immortalized in one of the famous photographs of the fallen gang members.
The revolver seems to be in good condition. There are several photographs of the gun from various angles, showing serial numbers and some of the wear that is to be expected on a firearm owned by a Sheriff in the late 19th Century. The back strap is engraved, “Sheriff James Glispin”. The Donley website says that along with the gun, the top bidder will receive a typed letter dated Feb. 20, 1951, signed by James Glispin’s granddaughter, Mary Glispin, stating that the revolver did indeed belong to him. Donley will also provide an “extensive web file” of Sheriff Glispin and the story surrounding the Northfield Bank Raid.
The opening bid is listed at $25,000.
For more information on how to bid on the revolver, visit donleyauctions.com.
Be careful with your laundry next week
The City of Northfield announced last week that city fire hydrants will be flushed next week, and alerted residents to some of the 
issues that might cause.
The water mains will be flushed through the fire hydrants daily between 9pm and 6am from Sunday, May 21 through Thursday, May 25.
The mains are routinely flushed, once in the spring and once in the fall, to remove minerals as they accumulate in the distribution system and to check the operational integrity of the fire hydrants.
As there can sometimes be high levels of iron in the water during the process, Northfield residents are advised to limit water use during the flushing period and to check for water discoloration before using water for laundry purposes.
Those who do have clothes that become discolored can obtain a special soap for stain removal at the Northfield Utilities Division, located at 1101 College Street.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
