Northfield Downtown Development Corporation

They’re here! Northfield’s first new set of downtown banners since 2000 were hung last Friday morning. They sport a variation of the Sesquicentennial logo and they read “Historic Northfield since 1855.” The logo was designed by Corrie Erickson and the banner design was done by Rob Shanilec and Caleb McGuire at By All Means Graphics.

The Historic Northfield banners are part of the NDDC Banner Program. The banner program was established to add to the visual excitement of the downtown by increasing the number of banner changes that can occur during the year . We expect to see one or two more sets created in 2005.

Funding for the banner program has been generously provided by the Sesquicentennial Executive Committee, Bierman’s Home Furnishings, the NDDC, Mendota Homes, and J. Grundy’s Reub’n'Stein.

Thanks also to Joel Walinski, Operations Manager for the City of Northfield’s Public Works Department, for his help in installing the banners.

Remember that fascinating discussion we had at our May Forum, “Wi-Fi or Not?”

There’s an interesting article in today’s Star Tribune about it “Cities urged to take charge of Wi-Fi”:
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5471672.html
(or page B9 of the Metro/State Section, for those of you who prefer to handle your reading materials). It’s well worth the read…

…and may be the impetus to get the NDDC’s Wi-Fi Team, Keith Covey and Jim Pokorney, charging ahead.

This Thursday from 4-9 pm downtown Northfield will be hopping. It’s the Sesquicentennial Summer Stroll brought to you by the Business and Community Development Committee of the Sesquicentennial and co-sponsored by First National Bank of Northfield and Malt-O-Meal.

Division Street will be closed off from 2nd Street to 6th Street and merchants will be on the sidewalk and in the street with bargains. In addition, there will be continuous entertainment in Bridge Square and in front of First National Bank. The Sundowners Car Club will be parked along the length of Division Street with some of their vintage rigs.

4 – 6 Pictures with the James Gang in front of the bank

5 – 9 Ice cream social with celebrity scoopers in front of the bank

6 – 6:30 Dr. Visty’s Medicine Show on the Showmobile

6:30 – 7 The Passing Zone juggling duo on the Showmobile

7:30 Northfield Community Band on the Showmobile

The Passing Zone is Northfield native Jon Wee and his juggling partner, Owen Morse. The Passing Zone will be doing two full shows at the Northfield Middle School Auditorium Friday evening (7:30) and Sunday afternoon (3:30). Tickets will be sold in front of the bank Thursday evening for the special Summer Stroll price of $10.

Four or five years ago, a group of people gathered together in pursuit of a shared goal: to make Northfield into an Art Town. Some months later, they realized that at least two other organizations, the Northfield Arts Guild (NAG) and the NDDC, shared some of the same goals. The groups got together and have been meeting monthly for three years as the Arts, Recreation and Culture (ARC) Committee.

Three or four years ago, the Historic Middle School complex emerged as a possible site for a Community Arts Center. The vision included classrooms for young artists, live-work spaces for emerging artists, and studios for mid-career artists. For those working to have Northfield recognized as an Art Town, it was a project with great potential. For a variety of reasons, that vision wasn’t realized. (See previous blog posts on Historic Middle School.)

The ARC Committee determined to continue working towards the Art Town goal along alternate routes. They decided to refocus on programming. The group met and discussed existing activities, events and festivals as well as possible additions to the community’s portfolio of programming.

Recently some people have suggested that we should direct a substantial portion of the resources available to the arts community and use them for a marketing campaign that promotes Northfield as an Art Town. I think that if we’re going to spend money on a sales pitch, we should direct it at John Villani and invite him to be our guest in Northfield.
(more…)

Carleton’s lightpole banners “Welcome to Northfield” “Congratulations Carleton Graduates” are flying again for the first time since they were created for the 2000 visit of former President Bill Clinton.

Watch for a brand new banner to be unveiled late next week in the NDDC banner program. “Historic Northfield: since 1855″ has been designed to celebrate the Sesquicentennial of Northfield during 2005, but will be reused in years to come as well. Thanks to Bierman’s Home Furnishings, Mendota Homes, the Sesquicentennial Executive Committee, and J. Grundy’s Reub’n'Stein for providing the funds to make this new banner a reality.