When the going gets tough, go to the library
When the going gets tough, Rita Linde recently discovered how valuable the local library can be. After working as a contractor for four years in Iraq, she lost her job. She spent a lot of time at Dakota County's Farmington Library looking for a new one. Money was tight and Internet service at the library is free. The staff was helpful, and there were always good books to read.
Now that Rita is back in Iraq working as a contractor, she showed her appreciation for the library's services by having her daughter drop off a cashier's check for $500.
The gift was a "thank you" to the Library for helping her through a very difficult time.
"I hope every single person who's unemployed really appreciates the value libraries provide now and has the opportunity to give back something to help make sure libraries have the funding they need," Linde said.
For more information, please contact Mary Scheide, Farmington Library, at 651-438-0254 or mary.scheide@co.dakota.mn.us.
Analyzing alternatives
Analysis of transitway alternatives for the Robert Street Transitway recently got the boost it needed—a $1.18 million grant from the federal Department of Transportation.
The money will go to fund the second step in the analysis of the transportation needs and transit service options in the area from downtown St. Paul to Rosemount. The first step was a feasibility study done in 2008, which outlined current and future transportation needs in the corridor. The study also considered modes of transit, road alignments, expected costs and different ways to implement transit services within the corridor.
Planning funds were granted to the Dakota County Regional Railroad Authority, which will identify the best local option for transit. The preferred transit option will be identified by mid-summer 2012 based on results of the study, and information from technical experts, local elected officials, residents and business owners within the study area.
Increases in population, traffic volumes and employment as well as an aging population are some of the things happening along Robert Street that make the study necessary.
It's your business
Time is money. When employees are out sick, it costs businesses. Not only that, but unhealthy people are more expensive to buy health insurance for. Dakota County's Public Health Department is helping employers keep their workforce healthier—it's free advice that could save businesses a bundle.
The cost of obesity is more than a billion dollars a year in Minnesota alone. Lost productivity and health care costs for smoking and tobacco use in the U.S. are measured in the tens of billions of dollars.
It may feel like a bit of a paradigm shift, but getting employees to live healthier is just good business. Find out more about how Dakota County's Public Health staff can help lower health care costs, improve employee morale, increase productivity and decrease absenteeism. Contact Pat Stieg, Dakota County Public Health, 651-554-6184 or patrick.stieg@co.dakota.mn.us.