We finished up our work at the Oil Can Henry's project in Northfield a week ago. They opened for business and are providing a good service to area residents. There are a few things to finish up, such as the landscape work, but the building is done and working well for them.

This morning I stopped by to get the oil changed on my pickup truck and try out the service. Everyone is prompt, courteous and friendly. When you pull up to the doors a service technician greets you and explains the process. You also are handed a copy of USA Today to read while the vehicle is being serviced as you stay in the vehicle the whole time.

As an added feature there is a video screen that shows the worker below your vehicle as well as the engine compartment. You can watch the workers as they go about their business of changing the oil, checking fluids, etc.

The work bay is a very nice, bright area....clean as can be. A full check of vehicle lights, windshield wipers, glass cleaning, tire pressures, etc. is done as part of the serivce. I left the facility knowing that my truck received a thorough check-up.

Project Superintendent Brent Hauge and my son Tristan were installing a decorative trellis this morning. The trellis, which matches the trellis at the front doors, was added at the end of the project to dress up the rear exterior doors. I appreciate that they helped out on a Saturday morning to get the trellis quickly installed for the owners.

Posted by Ray Cox at 8:54 AM | Link

 
Saturday was a great day for the 5K run/walk for Habitat for Humanity. Northfield Construction Company was proud to be a sponsor of the event this year. Coldwell Banker Realty has been organizing the event for the past three years and it seems to get better and better.

This year there was even a ‘Habitat House’ heading out with the runners. Peeking through the windows was OK for a bit, but I think it was best for the ‘Habitat House’ to do the walk.

The Northfield Construction Company entry was Tristan Cox (#211). Tristan finished third in the running race…..after he and another runner took a wrong turn off the route and had to double back. Congratulations to Tristan!

Wendy Thorpe was all ready at the starting line!

A nice group of runners and walkers turned out to enjoy the morning and to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Thank you to everyone that participated in the project. I know the funds will be put to good use for another local Habitat home.

Posted by Ray Cox at 3:40 AM | Link

 
If you are reading this because you are new resident of Northfield, or are considering moving to Northfield, you should know that Northfield is home to lots of cultural events every week. That is one of the things that makes this town such a great place to live.

In the past week, former Governor Jesse Ventura and conservative writer Ann Coulter spoke at St. Olaf College. St. Olaf also had performances of 'The Three Penny Opera', which I attended Saturday evening.

Sunday was the 25th Anniversary of the Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra. They performed in the new Northfield Middle School. One of the pieces they performed was a premier production written by a former Northfield resident.

Having two world renown colleges here, St. Olaf and Carleton, creates many, many opportunities for cultural and athletic programs. Everyone in Northfield is thankful to have these great institutions of higher education here for us all to enjoy.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:04 AM | Link

 
The St. Dominic Catholic School is holding a fundraiser on Saturday, April 16th. I've donated a birdhouse I made. This one is a more simple version with vertical 'logs' and no porches or roof dormers. Every one I make is different.

The fundraiser is to raise funds for the ongoing needs of the school. It starts at 5:00PM on Saturday. I know it is a challenge to operate a completely priviately funded school today. St. Dominic's does a great job educating their students.

Please stop by and check out all the great items up for auction this year. It is a fun event that raises money for a very good cause.

Posted by Ray Cox at 6:43 AM | Link

 
Last Friday I was over doing a final check-up on the Cannon Falls City Hall remodeling project. It really looks great. The exterior is nicely sided using steel siding that should serve the city well for many, many years. The front entrance is inviting and has good bollard lighting.

The exterior decks were repaired and properly reinforced. The decks give city workers a nice opportunity to take a lunch break outdoors and enjoy the views of the river.

The city council chambers will be appreciated by all residents that attend city meetings. It is easy to see people at their desks, and there is good audio and video capability.

The police have nice office space as well. There is secure evidence storage which is always needed for police to do their jobs.

The police also have a breathalyzer for alcohol content verification. It is a rather complex looking machine, but it is mounted on its own counter in a separate room and kept calibrated properly.

Cannon Falls now has a fine ‘new’ city hall We were pleased to be involved in this fine project.

Posted by Ray Cox at 4:33 AM | Link

 
Last week, as part of my legislative duties, I met with two constituents that also work to support the construction industry. Jay and Sue Blanchard operate Safety Signs.

Safety Signs is a company located in Lakeville that rents all sorts of signage, mainly to road contractors. You see their signs on road construction projects all over Minnesota. I suspect you have even seen their green vehicles along the roadways installing or removing temporary signage.

Temporary signs are an important part of the building industry. The traveling public expects to be safely and properly directed for detours. This takes a lot of high quality temporary signs. We also use temporary signs when we do building remodeling to direct people and keep them safe while using the building. Warning lights can be an important component to a project as well.

Safety Signs does a great job furnishing important signs to a project. They are there before it starts and stay until the work is completed, fulfilling an important function.

Posted by Ray Cox at 3:39 AM | Link

 
Work continues to move along well at the Millstream Commons project. This is a 45 unit assisted living building we are constructing for Three Links Care Center in Northfield.

The weather has been great for framing. The workers really appreciate the 50-60 degree days instead of the freezing weather encountered when we started. We are just about past the typical snow season now so we can soon put the snow shovels and blades away.

I always think wood framing almost looks like art projects. The patterns are really interesting, especially when a few steel beams and columns are added into the job.

The workers have put a stairway in place to make it easier and safer to access the second floor. We like to get those installed as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary ladder use.

Safety is a big issue on a site like this, with so many workers there every day. We have perimeter barriers at the edges of the floor to make people aware of the unprotected leading edge.

Openings for stairways, elevators, mechanical chases, etc all have to be covered to protect the workers from falls. Lots of things to keep on top of…the employees are doing a great job putting this building together.

Posted by Ray Cox at 5:49 AM | Link

 

See Rob Brown's post to Northfield.org weblog about the meeting, as well as the N.org photo album of the event.

Northfield is fortunate to have The Key as a place for area young people operate as a club. They do a great job. I was told that The Key is the oldest youth run organization in the state. I'm sure they will be here for many more years to come.

Posted by Ray Cox at 5:20 AM | Link

 
Healthfinders is a fairly new organization in Northfield that works to provide health services to uninsured or under-insured people in the area. They have been working hard to solve issues related to health care access, prescription drugs, etc.

Last year they held a fundraiser at Carleton College. This year the fundraiser is being held in Faribault at the Armory.

There will be a silent auction fundraiser. I’ve donated a birdhouse I made for Healthfinders.

Please come if you can. I know it will be a fun filled evening….and the proceeds go to a great cause.

Posted by Ray Cox at 6:38 PM | Link