The Northfield School District is reminding all families that the deadline to fill out the new transportation registration form is fast approaching.
For the coming school year, Benjamin Bus and Northfield Public Schools are implementing an opt-in transportation program. Where in the past, those who have wanted or required transportation have simply boarded a bus, the model is changing due to higher costs and concerns.
The Northfield School Board considered a variety of options in the spring to mitigate the effects of rising transportation costs, including instituting a transportation fee for some in the district. In the end the decision was made to simply ask those in the district who want transportation to register so the district will have a more exact count and can better anticipate expenses. There will not be any added fees.
The new policy states, beginning this year, eligible students must register in advance of the school year to receive transportation. Students wanting bus transportation must register by tomorrow, August 11th, in order to guarantee transportation beginning on September 5th. A statement issued by the School District said registration forms received after the deadline could result in transportation services being delayed by five-to-seven business days after the first day of school.
Registration forms may be completed online through the Family Access portal on the Northfield Public Schools website, a printed registration form may be filled out and brought to the Benjamin Bus office at 32611 Northfield Blvd, or registration can be taken over the phone with Benjamin Bus at (507) 645-5720.
Again, the deadline for registration is tomorrow, Friday, August 11th. The first day of school is September 5th.
Bridge Square plans could include pergola, specialized lighting
During the regular Northfield City Council meeting on Tuesday night, the Council was given an update on the plans for the Bridge Square redevelopment project, which are approaching the final design phase.
The project is not without some controversy. One major component of the project calls for permanently closing Water Street between the Post Office and 4th Street, digging the road up and creating a green space to connect the Town Square with the parkland on the riverside. While there seems to be a majority within the community that favors the idea, not everyone is happy about it, and it has led to questions about why we should redevelop Bridge Square at all. Northfield City Administrator Ben Martig pointed out that the area has been given major upgrades several times in the past, and the condition of things on the park side creates a need for another upgrade.
“There are huge cracks in the road. The grass along the park side is just kind of exposed dirt. And so, you get rain, or you get heavy usage, and it causes issues. We have problems with some of the paver blocks and some of the landscaping. Some of the trees are not in the best condition, in fact some are diseased. I think it’s getting to that point of needing an update.”
As Bridge Square is adjacent to the Historic Downtown District, the city is working with the state’s historical preservation office to work through the plans and guide the city to making the best decisions for how to maintain the historic integrity of the area, while still creating something that will be new and useful to younger generations of Northfielders.
Mayor Rhonda Pownell said the city and the Bridge Square design team welcome the input.
“They’ve had to actually adjust slightly to make sure that they are taking into consideration items that SHPO, the State Historic Preservation Office, has articulated back to the design team. They’re just small things that need to be just slightly tweaked to ensure that we’re maintaining that historical reference back to that Bridge Square area.”
Some of the suggestions made by SHPO include maintaining the teardrop shape, and creating a path through the park that would recall where Water Street is now, which would also maintain a slight separation between the park area and the town square area. The preservation office has chosen to focus on the period of time between 1856 and 1966 as a reference because that is when they feel Bridge Square evolved into an area for gathering and became a focal point of Downtown Northfield.
The plans call for creating a larger central gallery area adjacent to the riverside with a terraced entry. The space would be large enough to accommodate events like the Defeat of Jesse James Days and the Vintage Band Festival and could very easily allow for the Riverwalk Market Fair to expand. The lighting will receive quite a bit of detailed attention, as the hope is to give the area what was described as a “warm glow,” and not be too bright. There is also an option to build a pergola along the terraced entrance, however the historic preservation guidelines might preclude that from being built.
The council seemed to be pleased overall with the project, but there were some questions. Councilor Davin Sokup expressed concern over the cost of the project, especially with some other major downtown projects happening soon as well, and said he hoped there would be space to scale back some of the plans for cost saving purposes.
The Council will receive another update on the plans this fall and will be asked to give final approval at the end of the year.
Rotary Bike Tour includes several course options
And registration is now open for the Northfield Rotary Bike Tour on Saturday September 9th, which will run this year in conjunction with the Defeat of Jesse James Days.
While the precise routes are still being finalized, bicyclists will be able to select from several planned rides including road courses that will run for 25, 50, or 100 miles, gravel courses of 30 and 52 miles, or families may choose the 6-mile Family Fun Ride
Once the ride is over there will be live entertainment for all riders at Memorial Field, the home of the Dundas Dukes, in Dundas. Each rider will receive a voucher for a beer, or a root beer provided by Chapel Brewing.
Registration for a single rider 19 years and older is $50, and $40 for those 6-18 years old. Rotary is offering a family rate of $100 for up to 3 adults and five total riders. The Family Fun Ride is $40. Kids 5 years and younger are free.
For more information visit the bike tour page at northfieldrotary.org
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
