January 2025
Dear Community Friends,
Happy Lunar New Year - Year of the Snake
The following is a list of community events and news that may be of interests to you. In particular, Michon Rogers asked me to bring to your attention the Sister City Trips to Japan & Germany Conducted by Ed-Ventures Travel Jan 30, 2025 06:30 PM
Upcoming Community Events
| Jan 30, 2025 06:30 PM | Sister City Trips to Japan & Germany Conducted by Ed-Ventures Travel | On behalf of the Mayor's International Relations Committee, the purpose of the meeting is to provide information about our Japan and Germany trips and generate interest. | Little Thistle Brewery, 2031 14th St NW | ('Health/Wellness', 'diversity', 'education') |
| Feb 01, 2025 01:00 PM | Certification Workshops | Destination Medical Center, City of Rochester, Equity in the Built Environment Program, and the State of MN Appex Accelerator are partnering to host a series of Free “Certification Workshops” to help Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and Targeted Group/Economically Disadvantaged/Veteran-Owned (TG/ED/VO) companies apply for certification. | Zoom | ('city', 'DMC', 'workforce', 'Entrepreneurship') |
| Feb 10, 2025 01:00 PM | Advancing Health Equity | Empowering Immigrant and Refugee Communities | Hill Theater, RCTC Campus | ('health', 'diversity') |
| Feb 11, 2025 10:00 AM | RPS Feb 2025 Family Engagement Meeting: RPS Chemical Health Counseling | During this session, our team of RPS Chemical Health Counselors will share insights into their work and its connection to families. This is a valuable opportunity to learn how they support students, access helpful resources for families, and partner with family-facing staff. | Virtual | ('RPS', 'education', 'key') |
| Feb 15, 2025 05:30 PM | UMR Black Student Union: Ebony Night | Harlem Nights Roaring 20s | Chateau Theatre | ('Education', 'UMR') |
| Feb 20, 2025 07:00 PM | History Center: Seeking A New Understanding of MN's Role in the Underground Railroad | Hear about the recent discovery of documentation | History Center | ('education',) |
| Feb 28, 2025 07:00 PM | The Sound of Gospel Music | The Sound of Gospel Music is an exciting, entertaining musical production that chronicles the impact of gospel music on all genres of American music from folk to big band to hip hop. During Black History month 2024, three Rochester community members attended a production of this program in Minneapolis and were inspired to bring it to Rochester. | Mayo Civic Center | ('art', 'NAACP') |
| Mar 15, 2025 06:00 PM | United Way of Olmsted County Centennial Gala | In celebration of our founding in 1925, get ready to step back in time to the Roaring Twenties! From live music to themed activities, you won’t want to miss this night of vintage elegance – all while supporting a great cause. | J. Powers at the Hilton in Downtown Rochester | ('community engagement',) |
Community News
January 27, 2025: Channel One Winter 2025 Newsletter Overcoming Rural Food Insecurity
"At Channel One, 2024 was a record setting year. Across the region, we served over 32% more shopping visits compared to 2023 – 80% more compared to 2022."
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January 27, 2025: Local family foundation gifts $250,000 to Ronald McDonald House Per PB ePaper Reporting
ROCHESTER — Ronald McDonald House Charities Midwest has received one of its largest individual donations to date, courtesy of a local foundation, the charity announced Thursday, Jan. 23, at its Rochester house.
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January 25, 2025: Rochester International Relations Committee 1. 2025 Sister City Trips: Japan, Germany
2. Rochester Sister City Application (Roles and Responsibilities) 3. Meeting Info: Dec 2024 Meeting Minutes; Dec 2025 Mtg Agenda
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January 21, 2025: 2024 – 2026 OLMSTED COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN (CHIP) A Collaborative Community Effort Led by: Olmsted County Public Health Services, Olmsted Medical Center, and Mayo Clinic
The Community Health Assessment and Planning (CHAP) Process is about improving the health and well-being of residents in Olmsted County. Every three years the community conducts a health needs assessment to determine Olmsted County’s health priorities; formulate a plan to address the needs; and publish an annual progress report. Olmsted County Public Health Services, Mayo Clinic, and Olmsted Medical Center engage with diverse partners across our community to lead this process.
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January 21, 2025: Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Guidebook W.K. Kellogg Foundation Publication: Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Guidebook: "Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) is a proven method for activating our collective dreams for our children. It enables communities to look at the root cause of the issues children and families face, namely racism; to begin healing from trauma and the embedded belief system that upholds racism; and to envision and build a more equitable future."
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January 18, 2025: Sustainability Associate Internship Opening Sustainability Associate Intern to support the Rochester Air Network (RAN) program and other sustainability initiatives.
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January 18, 2025: One Olmsted: Celebrating 2024 successes of diversity, equity, and inclusion One Olmsted – Olmsted County’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiative – is about envisioning and developing a workplace and community where everyone is treated equitably. Olmsted County staff continue to make progress toward this vision and some highlights of their work in 2024 are noted below.
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January 17, 2025: Mayor Kim Norton Participates in 93rd U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter MeetingMayor Communication January 17-19, 2025: City of Rochester Mayor Kim Norton to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) 93rd Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C.
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January 16, 2025: Immigrant RIghts and immigration services Collection of Information regarding legal services for those who live or work in Southern Minnesota.
Helpful resources Links
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January 15, 2025: Rochester Branch NAACP Announces Leadership and New Executive Committee The Rochester Branch of the NAACP proudly announces the election of its new officers and Executive Committee members for terms beginning January 2025. The newly elected officers were sworn in on January 11, 2025, during the Rochester Branch NAACP Executive Leadership Retreat.
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January 13, 2025: CAAL Ignite Grant The Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) is thrilled to announce the launch of CAAL Ignite, a new grant program offering $10,000–$15,000 to individuals, nonprofits, and small businesses in Minnesota’s Asian American community.
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January 11, 2025: $2.5 Million RAISE Grant Awarded for Planning and Design of South Broadway Avenue Improvements The City of Rochester has been awarded $2.5 million in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This grant will support the South Broadway Avenue Planning Project, which aims to improve safety and connectivity on South Broadway Avenue between 4th Street and 9th Street Southeast. The RAISE funding will be utilized for planning and design phases of the project.
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January 08, 2025: Rise for Youth 2025 2025 Summer Program Application Open: "RISE for Youth welcomes applicants from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in medicine and biomedical sciences including African American, Hispanic, Native American/American Indian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students. Additionally, students who have demonstrated an interest in supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in education, healthcare, or another related area are eligible to participate."
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January 08, 2025: West Transit Village Housing City Council Per PB reporting:
"A final plan for dividing a 14.1-acre Mayo Clinic parking lot into developable sections is expected to be reviewed Monday by the Rochester City Council. The site, being dubbed “West Transit Village,” sits between Second Street Southwest and Cascade Lake. It is currently used as a Mayo Clinic employee shuttle lot, and Mayo Clinic plans to construct a 2,500-stall parking structure."
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January 02, 2025: "Heritage language and culture teacher" PELSB is excited to announce the launch of another Heritage Language Pathway Portfolio Cohorts for teachers seeking K-12 World Languages and Cultures licensure to teach their heritage language and culture!
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January 02, 2025: Minnesota Department of Education Funding Opportunity Minnesota Multi-Purpose Community Facility Projects to Support Community Revitalization, Connectedness and Equity by Promoting Education, Work and Health – FY25
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December 30, 2024: Childcare Affordability Legislative IdeasPB ePaper Reporting: Child care costs in Minnesota are up to $16,000 for one child per year, according to a 2023 study from the Minnesota Department of Human Services — a number that places Minnesota fourth in the nation for highest child care costs, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
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December 18, 2024: Olmsted County shares 2025 budget information The 2025 budget for Olmsted County and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) combined totals $428,667,792.
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December 16, 2024: Olmsted County rolling out new mobile crisis response process in 2025Press Release: ROCHESTER, Minn. – Mental health continues to be a top concern for Olmsted County residents. When someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, timely assistance from trained mental health professionals is critical.
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December 14, 2024: City Housing Support
Home Ownership Creation Program - Prairie Ridge: "NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Common Council of the City of Rochester, MN hereby approves the contribution of $4,000,000 to the Prairie Ridge development to support the creation of 201 for-sale homes via the Home Ownership Creation Program. PB Reporting regarding TIF $14M Requests (Sherman and Prairie Ridge) 2024-12-14
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