The historic Waterford Town Hall is scheduled to be moved this coming weekend to the Rice County Steam and Gas Engine grounds, and the City of Northfield is encouraging residents to prepare for power outages and traffic closures along Highway 3 late on Saturday and overnight into Sunday,
The building had been scheduled to be moved in December. However, it was called off because Xcel Energy crews were called to Wisconsin to help with power outages throughout the state on the day the building was set to be moved.
Waterford Township announced last September that the Town Hall had been donated to the Rice County Steam & Gas Engine organization in an effort to preserve a piece of local history. The Waterford Township Board had been looking at options for what to do with the building, which was built in 1882 as the Waterford Public School Building, for five years. After 140 years, the building could no longer serve Waterford Township’s needs. The building had been put on the National Historic Register in 1979, and therefore could not be demolished, but the maintenance and upkeep of an historic building had become cost prohibitive. An alternative location for the building had to be found.
The Township Board contacted the Steam & Gas Engine group, who jumped at the chance to place the building on its grounds.
After the building is moved and secured, it will be displayed on the Steam and Gas Engine property in its original form as a one room schoolhouse. The original expectation had been that it would be ready and open to the public by Labor Day. However, the building move has been canceled twice. Before the cancellation in December, it was to be moved to its new location in late October. That move was canceled due to scheduling and logistical issues.
There is no word on how the delays will affect those plans, or when exactly the Steam and Gas Engine group expects the building to be ready for visitors.
Elliott sees challenges with legalized cannabis
As is generally the case at the end of any legislative session, a flurry of laws was passed in the week before the 2023 Minnesota Legislature adjourned last month. While most of those laws do not go into effect until August, that only gives law enforcement agencies about two months to read and understand the news laws, and then educate law enforcement officers.
Among the most complicated of the laws that were passed is the Adult Use Cannabis Act.
Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott said he and his department are still working out how the new laws will be applied, and how they affect legislation passed in 2022 legalizing hemp derived THC.
The basics of the law are pretty simple. Elliott said as of August 1st, recreational use of cannabis will be legal for those 21 and older. Possession and transportation of up to 2 ounces will be allowed at any time, and a person may possess up to two pounds in their home. Those who wish to grow marijuana at home will be limited to eight plants, with only four of them flowering at any time. The plants will be required to be in a secure location and out of the public eye.
The law created the Office of Cannabis Management, which will need to be built from scratch, which means the agency will not be up and running until 2025, most likely, at the earliest. With no governing agency, there is no licensing entity for cannabis, so it still will not be possible to legally purchase marijuana in the State of Minnesota for quite some time. That, said Elliott, creates a bit of a gray area.
“We have this 17–18-month period of time where it’s legal to possess, but you can’t legally buy it anywhere in the state. So, it’s going to create some challenges. We’re working to educate our officers on all the different factors there so that they can understand the law, enforce it correctly and work through that.”
The law does now allow for liquor stores to sell cannabinoid products, which are THC infused edibles and beverages, and the Northfield Municipal Liquor has indicated a strong desire to sell those products. The City Council is expected to vote on that idea tomorrow night during their regular meeting.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott can be heard here
Groundbreaking Hillcrest Village project to be celebrated
After years of planning and praise, Hillcrest Village, the innovative Community Action Center project that will bring more affordable and emergency housing to Northfield while at the same time demonstrating climate friendly building techniques and tactics, will celebrate its grand opening next week.
Hillcrest Village is a first-of-its-kind Net Zero Energy emergency shelter and supportive housing project. Combining emergency shelter, transitional housing, and affordable housing, the development was spearheaded by the Community Action Center in collaboration with leaders from the construction and environmental communities.
A statement issued by CAC said Hillcrest Village not only aims to provide a holistic solution to homelessness but also prioritizes environmental sustainability, addressing both issues in a shared community effort. CAC Executive Director Scott Wopata said the project is a response to the fact that climate change will disproportionately affect low-income families.
Community Action Center was recognized as an Xcel Energy Builder of the Year for 2022, but the organization has always been very quick to point to various partners who contributed to the success of the project. Local builders like Schmidt Homes, Northfield Construction Company and Johnson-Reiland Builders and Remodelers all contributed time and work in the construction. Furthermore, the University of Minnesota Center for Sustainable Building Research, Carleton College, the City of Northfield, Precipitate Architecture, Sweetgrass Design Studio, and many members of the Northfield Community all had a hand in bringing the project to life.
The grand opening event will be highlighted by a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 27th, at 4pm. It will include brief remarks and, as the statement released by CAC put it, “an opportunity for attendees to engage in meaningful conversations about the intersection of housing, environmental sustainability, and social justice.”
For more information, visit the Community Action Center website, or visit the Hillcrest Village website.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
