Rice County Law Enforcement agencies are reminding drivers that conditions are changing on the roads, and a little more vigilance will be required over the next few months.
Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott said he’s always concerned about the return of winter and icy road conditions which can cause problems for many drivers, and his comments were illustrated by the traffic snafus and vehicle collisions from over the weekend when just a dusting of snow fell.
Every year, he said, when the first winter weather arrives, Minnesotans need to be reminded of some basic driving wisdom:
“It’s better to be going slow and wish you were going fast,” he said, “than going fast and wish you were going slow.” He also suggested driving as if a favorite relative is in the car.
“You know, I frequently talk about the way to drive in the winter is to pretend that your grandma’s in the seat next to you and she’s got a cup of coffee. And I’m not talking the Yeti with the lid on it. I’m talking the old china cup with hot coffee in there, and she’s got it in her lap, and you do not want her to spill that.”
Chief Elliott said it’s important to understand road conditions, pay attention to the weather report, try to anticipate, or at least be mindful of possible ice on the roads, and to take whatever extra time is necessary to get to your destination safely.
He said he believes one of the positive things to come out of recent times is a better sense of patience for people who might not be right on time for a scheduled meeting.
“Winter in Minnesota is not the time to be rushing or hurrying because you’re running late. I think one thing that’s come out of the pandemic is we have a little more grace for folks that may be a little late to an appointment or meeting. And so, we want folks to slow down, take their time, drive safely.”
He also reminded Northfielders that the city’s winter parking ban is now in effect and will be in place until mid-March. There is no parking on Northfield city streets during the ban from 2am until 6am, and enforcement of the ban has already begun. Even more important, he said, is to be aware when the city declares a snow emergency, which will call for even stronger parking restrictions.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Chief of Police mark Elliott can be heard here
Emmaus Church will host Lincoln Parkway Open House
The City of Northfield has been exploring options along Lincoln Parkway, Spring Street and Dresden Avenue around Greenvale Park Elementary School for the past year, in order to support and increase the use of multimodal connections and to create a safer environment in the neighborhood for bicyclists and pedestrians. City staff is now seeking community input on some planned updates as well as suggestions for the Safe Routes to School initiative.
Lincoln Parkway has been a focus of interest for the city in recent months. After the construction of the new elementary school, city authorities have identified a need to better distribute traffic at peak school dropoff and pickup times. The need to improve the area will only grow as the Kraewood development on the south side of Lincoln Parkway, just across from the school complex, is completed and new residents begin to use the road as well.
The city will host an open house on Thursday from 2pm until 7pm at Emmaus Church where the general public will be asked for more opinions and feedback.
The project engineers will present the final design recommendations to the City Council sometime in early 2024.
ThanksGIVE event a good introduction to Arcadia Charter School
This Friday night, Arcadia Charter School will host its annual ThanksGIVE fundraiser to support the project-based learning model that has been the hallmark of the school’s success for more than twenty years.
Arcadia Executive Director Laura Stelter said the annual event is a schoolwide effort with contributions from every student, faculty and staff member to create a variety show that is always unique and entertaining.
The show is created by a planning committee, made up of students and art teacher Noah Schaumburg. Each show is given a theme to which the entertainment needs to connect, and Stelter said this year’s theme will put herself and some former colleagues on the spot.
“It’s ‘Game Show’ this year. And so, the opening sketch is usually something involving all the previous directors of the school and me. So, this year we are all going to be competing in Arcadia jeopardy. And that’s sort of how Thanksgiving goes. It is wild and zany and kind of unpredictable.”
Arcadia is, of course, a public school, however donations are sought to bolster the school’s budget every year for several reasons. Using a different learning model than a traditional middle school or high school has its benefits, but it can also cost money, making events like ThanksGIVE necessary.
“Because we’re a project-based school, it does often cost more money to get materials, and projects for individual students require more resources. We get a lot of donations, which are much appreciated because our funding is lower than traditional districts. We can’t, for example, levy funds, so we don’t get any of that extra taxpayer support.”
And like every other school district in the country, Arcadia is currently looking at decreased enrollment. She said the student population is steady this year with last year, but the 6th grade class is quite small compared to years past. That, of course, has an impact on the amount of funding the school receives from the state, which is one more reason for a school-wide fundraiser. It also means they are having to adjust their class sizes and raise the cap for the number of students that has traditionally been put on each grade. Stelter said the school is in fine shape, but they are looking at the future and recognizing that things are going to have to slightly change from the way they have usually been done.
The event on Friday night is also an excellent way for more people to learn about the school and how things work there, giving parents a better idea of what it would be like to have their child enrolled there. Stelter said the close-knit atmosphere of the school should become apparent through the skits created by the students, and she encouraged everyone in the general public to come to the show.
The ThanksGive fundraiser will be this Friday night in the Arcadia Charter School Great Room, beginning at 7pm.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
