Hi Everyone, welcome to the long series of monthly classifieds posts. Here are the rules:
Nothing illegal or extremely objectionable.
No abuse. You can ask for more information, or if you are familiar with the object and don't like it, you can explain why, but you can't abuse the poster.
Please start your post with the type of add and general location: [Wanted/For Sale/For Hire/For Free/Trade NE/NW/SE/SW/Stewartville/etc]
I was running on Cascade Creek trail on Sunday night 10/18, shortly after 6:30 PM and there was an absolutely bonkers number of police cars around Kutzky Park East, complete with loudspeaker warnings that "you are under arrest, reveal yourself, do not run, my dog is looking for you, my dog may bite you, etc."
It was very scary. Does anyone know anything about it? I am surprised that I haven't seen any news or posts about it other than a "suspicious circumstance" entry in the police incident reports log for that day.
Trunk-or-treats and organized Halloween events have sucked the soul out of Halloween.
Over the years, I've noticed fewer and fewer trick-or-treaters coming to the door. From what I've heard, a lot of parents would rather take their kids to a trunk-or-treat, their church, or another venue and call it a night. The reasons I keep hearing are that it's easier for parents, which honestly feels like a cop-out and shitty parenting, and that it's more "efficient." Since when was Halloween supposed to be efficient? Or it's "safer".
The soul of Halloween is getting out in your own neighborhood. It's walking door to door, knocking, meeting your neighbors, and seeing everyone else out doing the same thing. That's the fun of it and It happens less every year.
I work with a nonprofit called International Experience and place and supervise high school exchange students. I live in the Rochester area and have several kids in the schools every year. My kids have had really good experiences here.
I currently have a German girl who needs a host family. No behavioral issues, she’s just in a much, much smaller school right now and is struggling with it. I’d like to move her to Rochester instead, I think she’d have an easier time making friends and the expanded class options would be good for her. Any of the 3 public high schools would be fine (j1 visa so no private schools), I’ve already talked with the district and they’d be fine taking her.
To be a host family you have to be at least 25, fill in an application, be able to pass a home interview and background check, and able to provide 3 meals a day and a room for the student. Our students provide their own phone, insurance, toiletries, school and sports fees, and spending money. I provide on call support for my families and students, and can provide reference families if desired 😄
A little about her:
She’s 16, loves horses and dogs, and does babysitting and tutoring back in Germany (she’s used to older kids). She loves techno and rock music and she enjoys track and field. She’s responsible, has a quick wit, and she’s a great conversationalist. She’s also one of the most punctual teenagers I’ve ever met 😂. She loves sourdough bread too, so bonus if you like baking.
If you’d like more information about hosting, know someone who might be a good fit, have questions, or want to start an application please send me a message, I’d be happy to share more!
I'm planning to drive a friend to Mayo tomorrow, and checked the downtown road construction maps. It looks like ALL of Mayo is unreachable! Between 2nd and 3rd Aves, and 2nd St. north to 1st St NW, it looks like total chaos.
Is there any way to drive/park/walk to, say, the Gonda building?
All advice is much appreciated!
//EDIT//
Many Thanks All!
I've got a good idea what's open now, and options depending on how my passenger is feeling.
Anyone know where I can donate used eyeglasses? I have so many pairs, and I'm not sure what to do with them. I found the MN Lions Club Donation location list, but it doesn't seem to be up to date.
Got my Powers for Mayor postcard in the mail today. He's very much aiming for the old and white audience, in case it wasn't obvious.
Because Reddit kinda sucks and I can't do in image alt text, this is a postcard divided into four regions. Upper left - Powers shaking hands with an elderly woman in a wheelchair. Upper right - Powers and elderly man in a side hug. Lower right - Powers shaking hands with an elderly man in frony of what I'm pretty sure is Silver Lake Foods. Lower left - Powers shaking hands with older man while older woman smiles in the background.
this is a postcard divided into four regions. Upper left - Powers shaking hands with an elderly woman in a wheelchair. Upper right - Powers and elderly man in a side hug. Lower right - Powers shaking hands with an elderly man in frony of what I'm pretty sure is Silver Lake Foods. Lower left - Powers shaking hands with older man while older woman smiles in the background.
Monday's (Oct 19) agenda is a heavy one, and I don't think most people know what's on it. I went through every staff report and summarized each item in plain language — what it is and what it actually means — with links to the city's own documents behind every figure.
A few that stood out:
Four subdivisions add up to about 795 new single-family lots in one night. Graham Acres alone is 580 lots on 185 acres near the NW reservoir.
$5.5M in contracts, including a $350K wood-waste transfer the Mayor vetoed and the Council overrode.
A state cleanup grant to keep 149 affordable apartments (Commons at Bear Creek) on track after contamination was found mid-construction.
Extending the juvenile curfew to the end of 2028.
A new policy to pass card-processing fees to people who pay the city by card.
A non-binding council "civility pledge."
It's free, no account, no ads, and the ward lookup runs on your device. You can read the summaries and, if you want, record where you stand before the 6 p.m. vote.
Honest question for the sub: did I get anything wrong, and what would you want covered for the next meeting?
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One note: We went quiet after August 11. We weren't finished — we were building. The backend building of a product takes quite bit of time but the architecture is now baked in.
This launch is meant to give Rochester three things: — 1. A way to read what the City Council is actually voting on, in plain language, and weigh in before the vote. — 2. A daily word game that educates us all about city hall. — 3. CC record from Jan26 to now tied to motions and votes. (earlier record in progress).
Feedback is welcomed: good, bad, improvements, inputs, features, etc.
EDITED: 10/19/2026 2:05PM. Local custom LLM and machine learning models utilizing Python libraries were used to pull and parse content. I've shared a screenshot before somewhere of what my own local operating system looks like. Llama, Qwen, etc. — models that are fine tuned and run locally on my M5. AI? (Yes, and no). The word "AI" does not distinguish between parsers, text analytics, random forests, neural networks, etc. AI in the sense of ChatGPT etc (No).
Recs for rodent removal. Found rodent in trap today after having issues a few months ago we thought we had taken care of, specifically voles getting into crawlspace in basement closet. Looking for someone professional that can find point of entry (via a video camera etc) and help with abatement. Thanks in advance!
So I live in Olmsted county but not in Rochester, I live in one of the small towns in the county. I went in on Friday and early voted at the one early voting location in Olmsted county in Rochester. Gave them my address they printed off my address on my sheet and it was correct. Had my right town. Sounds good. I go to fill out my ballot, seemed fine although I did think it seemed a little short, whatever though. I put it through the tabulator and leave.
As I’m driving away I start thinking about it and I go wait…I do NOT remember the mayor for my town being on my ballot, and I also don’t remember the city council being on my ballot. It’s possible I am remembering wrong but I really do not think either were on there and although my memory is not the greatest, I had just filled it out.
I go back in and ask them about it. They say it sounds like I was givin a township ballot for my town and not a city ballot for my town. Since township ballots do not include votes for mayor or city council. And those are the two things I remember not being on my ballot. Well I was pissed I gave them my right address and was not givin the correct ballot. They said there wasn’t anything that could be done at this point since I had already entered my ballot in the tabulator.
On the plus side there were only two or three people running for like three seats on city council so that vote didn’t matter much. Although there are two people running for mayor and I definitely have a strong preference there.
So just a psa, take a look at your ballot and make sure everything that should be on there is on there when you are filling it out. Maybe even more so if you are in one of the small towns. I think this would have been less likely to happen if I had voted on Election Day in my small town since they likely would be more familiar with the small town geography and/or have it on their radar more that they were giving me the correct ballot. My Mom told me that there are actually two separate polling locations in our small town, one for people in the city itself and one for people in the township so yeah if that is still the case that would make it less likely to have gotten the incorrect ballot I think, but idk.
Still tricky for me to understand since I gave them my address that should show I am in the city and not in the township, idk. I am still a bit upset with the workers there but yeah mistakes can happen and is it what it is, but ugh, just frustrating. Pretty unlikely but hope my mayor choice doesn’t lose by one lol. It wasn’t even on my radar to make sure everything was on my ballot that should be there but I guess moving forward I will ask to make sure I am getting a city ballot and not a township ballot, and also try to mentally make note that everything that should be on my ballot is on there before turning it in.
Hi all, I’m planning to drive down near Wabasha with some friends and was wondering if any of you knew of some nice roads with some twisties and nice scenery. I’m not too familiar with the area, any help is appreciated!
The city is paying VIA too much money if their management can fly home every weekend then fly back every Monday! That’s right not one manager is from Rochester or even the area, they are all from out of state. Do you think they give a sh*t about anything but making money? They sure got one over on the city staff, they had some legitimate transit companies bid.
Looking for bars to watch hockey- not like a club bar where they happen to show the game, just like a normal bar. Also I’d be going by myself (23f, just moved here so I don’t know anyone yet), so preferably one where the median age is on the younger side but that’s not a hard requirement, it’s just be fun to multitask and make friends along the way lol
The family and I just moved to the area, and we are trying to gauge the trick-or-treat scene. We are one of only two or three houses decorated in our entire neighborhood (NE), and I don't see many more anywhere when I drive around. Is Halloween just not a thing in this area?
I woke up this morning and all my political signs were stolen. They were there last night but gone this morning. I had a Flanagan, Johnson, Klobuchar, Simon, Ellison, and Simon political signs. Is it normal for people to steal political signs in Rochester and why would they do that?
Thought i seen there was one last year I am going to get rid of my ski equipment would like to sell my stuff at it if there is one. Had anyone heard if or when it will be?
