Richfield Human Rights Commission Emphasizes Momentum, Discusses Current Projects

The Richfield Human Rights Commission emphasized the need to keep the commission’s momentum going after its recent accomplishments—most notably its part in the passage of the in February—and the addition of five new members Tuesday night.

“It’s kind of difficult [to address new issues], because at this meeting and our last meeting we had new commissioners,” Molly Darsow, commission chairwoman, told Patch. “So you’re trying to explain things that you’ve been working on while still trying to move forward [at the same time].”

The new members introduced Tuesday night were Todd Chase and Lall Ram; , Julie Bagby and Kristina Nesse were introduced in February.

As part of the efforts to keep moving forward, the commission discussed possible fundraising options. While the commission receives a nominal operating budget from the city each year, money has been cut as the result of budget reductions. No conclusions were drawn but the issue will remain a topic of discussion going forward.

Other agenda items addressed were the March 21 book and the commission’s involvement with Minnesota’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon campaign:

• Book Club: The meeting is scheduled to be held at American Legion Post 435. Under discussion that evening will be “Tears of a Warrior,” which addresses the impact post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has on a veteran and his family. The commission has invited a number of area veterans to the event and several will be sharing their stories.

• Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Campaign: The campaign will be introduced at the book club meeting by a member of the armed forces. The campaign was designed to create a network of resources for local veterans. The commission hopes to assist with implementation of the program, as a disproportionately large percentage of Richfield residents are veterans.

In addition, the commission is also accepting nominations for the Gene and Mary Jacobsen Outstanding Citizen Award, which is an annual community service award that is given to a family, group, organization, business or individual that works or lives in Richfield. Nominations will be accepted until April 30. For nomination materials, call Linda Anderson in the at 612-861-9810.

The next human rights commission meeting will be at 7 p.m. April 5.