The Northfield City Council approved the installation of a new parklet at the northwest corner of Division and 5th Streets on Tuesday night. What most observers 
expected to be a rather open-and-shut conversation became a longer conversation about parklets and revealed differing community opinions about the community platforms.
Greg Neis, the owner of Farmstead Bike Shop and the Raven’s Nest Cafe, along with Marty Larson, who manages the businesses made a request to the city to have the parklet installed. City Administrator Ben Martig, while explaining the request to the Council said the parklet would cover two parking spaces on the West side of Division Street and would necessitate the relocation of a handicapped parking space to the East side of the street. Initially, the proposal was to test the location out for two years, based on the fact that, if approved, the parklet would not be installed until late June or early July.
Dan Corbett, a chiropractor who has an office directly across the street from where the platform would be installed, emphatically protested the parklet’s installation. He said he was opposed to all parklets because they remove parking from an already crowded street and make it more difficult for his patients to visit his office. Corbett also said he had spoken with other business along Division Street who are opposed to the parklets as well.
Councilor Brad Ness made a motion to deny the parklet but did not find a second from the council. Another motion was made to accept the parklet request. A discussion followed within the council about the usefulness of the platforms, their benefit to downtown shops and restaurants, the areas where they are located, and, to a lesser extent, their safety.
Martig pointed out that the parklets had been established during the pandemic while the Council was working under broader emergency powers, and that the city has not come back to the council to ask for a resolution to make them permanent.
Councilor Ness said it is too easy to request a parklet be put in front of a place of business and the parklet program should be reviewed.
“I think the process – we talk about the process all the time – and the process of this item is not good. Somebody walked into City Hall and Asked for a parklet and now we’re hearing about it. I think this council needs to determine how many of these things we want, and we have a Park & Recreation Board that should review these [applications,] because they are parks.”
Other members of the council spoke in favor of the parklets and indicated that they had heard no complaints about them. The council approved the parklet on a one year trial basis by a vote of 6-1.
Policy Changes in Minnesota schools will run from literacy to free menstrual products
The K-12 Omnibus bill passed by the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate this week not only invests more than $2 Billion into the public
education system, but it also either changes or creates more than 40 separate policies as well.
Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said, while he is in support of many of the policy changes, there is very little policy that does not have a financial impact, and the state has been slow to properly fund new mandates.
With that said, Hillmann gave a full-throated endorsement to the Read Act, which will seek to improve literacy in K-12 students across the state by teaching teachers what Hillmann has called the “science of reading.” He pointed out that more than 60 Northfield teachers have already participated in the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) program. Northfield might be out ahead of the structured literacy mandates, he said, but he is still happy to see the idea being adopted statewide.
“We know if you’re strong in your reading skills at the end of third grade, the world is your oyster. Especially here in Northfield, where you have such an excellent education system, and just superstar teachers. If you have the ability to read well, the sky is the limit, and whatever your version of the American dream is, you have a really good chance to achieve it.”
Representative Kristi Pursell, meanwhile, said she was quite proud of the bill for several reasons. The provision that puts free menstrual supplies in school bathrooms is a cause she has championed throughout the session. Another provision allows urban school districts to establish Career Technical Education programs, which can allow students to earn class credit by working with skilled labor or something that can give them a head start with any sort of technical or vocational school they might be considering. Up until now, she said, the program had only been available for out-state school districts.
Overall, Pursell said, she is especially happy to have seen this bill pass. Some of the provisions, she said, have been things her colleagues have been working on for many years. There were some very emotional reactions on the floor after it passed, and she is proud to have helped make that happen.
“Well, I’m really proud of it. I was so happy to get to be on the Education Team in the Minnesota House. The joint budget numbers that came from the Governor, and the Senate and House leadership [gave us the ability] to put an additional $2 billion into our K-12 system. I’m so grateful for that vision and that leadership. I’m thrilled to have been able to vote for that.”
Governor Walz is expected to sign the bill in the coming days.
Emmaus’ ‘neighborly’ bike tune ups
And Sunday afternoon, Emmaus Church will host its second annual bicycle repair and tune-up clinic. 
Rob Ryden, the Director of Worship and Administration at Emmaus said the handiest and most bicycle knowledgeable members of the Emmaus congregation will offer their services, doing some maintenance and light repair work on any bikes that pull into the parking lot.
Ryden said they will be able to fix brakes, make adjustments to seats, handlebars and shifters, pump air into tires, and get the bikes ready for the summer season.
Additionally, he said, they will have music, with a playlist curated by Ryden himself. There will be food, and giveaways also. The event is sponsored by Tom’s Downtown Bicycles, which has donated pumps, helmets, bike locks and other items.
The event is part of the Emmaus Justice Initiative and is free for anyone in the community who wants to come by. Ryden said this is simply Emmaus trying to connect with the community.
The Emmaus Bike Clinic will run in the Emmaus Church parking lot from 11:30am until 3pm on Sunday.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rob Ryden of Emmaus Church can be heard here
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
