Northfield’s Mayor’s Task Force on Youth Alcohol and Drug Use joined with the “Brent Setterstrom Memorial Fund” and  Northfield’s Healthy Community Initiative in sending three Northfielders to the American Athletic Institute’s “Life of an Athlete” program last June.

The three Northfielders then spoke at the Fall Activity Night on August 17 for all Northfield High School (NHS) fall athletes and their families.  NHS Activities Director Tom Graupmann introduced the three Northfielders:  Scott Richardson, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative board member;  Melissa Bernhard,  head coach of NHS’s state champion gymnastics team;  and John Sand, NHS teacher and athletic trainer.

The Northfield News printed this article about the event.  Scott Richardson wrote this Northfield News MTFYADU guest column.

Mary Nelson spoke with KYMN’s Tim Freeman on the MTFYADU monthly radio interview, explaining  the “Take it to the Box” program.

Northfield’s Mayor’s Task Force on Youth Alcohol and Drug Use released its “Report to the Coummnity” which details the projects supported by the task force.

Report to the Community

Jordan Taylor discussed the “Most of Us…”  Campaign in a KYMN  interview. Taylor also explained the “Most” program in this Northfield News guest column.

Jordan Taylor is an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow working with the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative. He is involved with the Mayors Task Force on Youth Alcohol and Drug Use’s “MOST” Campaign at the Middle School.

Taylor gives credit to the Neuger Communications Group for their generous donation of their services in designing the campaign.   Neuger Communications received a 2010 Communicator Award of Excellence from the International Academy of the Visual Arts for its work on the campaign posters, designed by Elin Odegaard.

Taylor also credits the Northfield Middle School administrators and staff who deserve many thanks for their help and collaboration with the project.

MTFYADU co chair Joan Janusz and St. Olaf Wellness Center Staffers, Emma Johanson and Emily Stockdale disccussed St. Olaf College’s recent Town Hall Meeting:  Addressing Underage Alcohol Consumption Among College Students with KYMN Radio’s Jeff Johnson recently.

The KYMN Radio interview can be found  here.

A Town Hall Meeting addressing underage alcohol consumption among college students will be held Wednesday, April 14, at the Lion’s Pause, Buntrock Commons, St. Olaf College.  The meeting is sponsored by St. Olaf, Carleton, The MTFYADU and the Healthy Community Initiative. Details here.

St. Olaf Dean of Students,  Greg Kneser, wrote this article for the Manitou Messenger challenging Oles to examine their relationship to alcohol.   Another article in the Messenger examined how St. Olaf students have been renting establishments licensed by the City of Northfield such as the NF Ballroom,  The Grand and Eagles.  Underage  students are admitted to these parties where alcohol is served.  This may be contributing to problems such as multiple admissions to  Northfield Hospital’s ER  for alcohol toxicity.

St. Olaf’s Public Safety Newsletter reports an episode with four admissions to Northfield’s ER during one night last February.

Of course, problems with alcohol consumption are not unique to St. Olaf.  This piece from the “Security Blotter” in the Carletonian illustrates the problem there.

Recently Gustavus Adolphus college has experienced a controversy involving their tradition of “Case Day”.

The University of Wisconsin at Stout has initiated measures to deal with alcohol abuse issues.  Stout has had six alcohol related deaths in the last two years.  Some Stout students are resisting these efforts, as detailed here.

Other recent fatalities occurred at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where an intoxicated student fell to his death;  and an inebriated University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse student drown.

Other links:  NPR’s “This American Life” aired this last December:  “#1 Party School“.   The documentary “Haze” can be viewed here.

The MTFYADU sponsored Carleton College Student Katie France’s KYMN interview. France discussed her role of Student Wellness Advisor with KYMN’s Jeff Johnson.

France also cowrote with Jonathan Blaufuss Reminders for Staying Safe Over Spring Break, a MTFYADU sponsored Northfield News Guest Column.

WCCO TV’s Caroline Lowe interviewed Northfield Police Chief Mark Taylor about Rice County’s “Take It To The Box” medication disposal program.    Mary Nelson,  member of the Mayor’s Task Force and Rice County Chemical Health Coalition, was the driving force behind this campaign.

Griff Wigley blogged about the program on the Locally Grown Northfield blog in September.

Mayor’s Task Force member Joan Janusz wrote a guest column for the Northfield News publicizing the program.

The Northfield News provided an update on the program a month after it was unveiled.

The Faribault Daily news did a story covering the success of the “Take It To The Box” program at the ten week mark.

Mayors Task Force on Youth Alcohol and Drug Use member, Dr. Kris Matson,  wrote a guest column for the Northfield News titled “Are Our teens children or adults?“.    Dr. Matson was  interviewed about this topic by KYMN Radio’s Jeff Johnson.

The Moravian Church will host its third Town Hall Meeting Sunday,  November 8th at 3 pm.   The event is free and open to the public.    The topic is  “Stories: Addiction and Recovery in Northfield”.    Pastor Amy explained the event and issued an invitation in a Northfield News guest column.

KYMN radio’s Jeff Johnson interviewed Pastor Amy about the event.   The interview can be listened to here.

Further information is in the brochure:  Town Hall 1, Town Hall 2, Town Hall 3.