Public Notice Detail

ST. PAUL, MN (March 30, 2001) – Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen A. Blatz and Justice Paul H. Anderson will visit Minnesota’s Third Judicial District April 4-6.  They will highlight local court innovations and critical resource needs for area courts, meet with community leaders and hear citizens’ feedback about the judiciary.

“These tours give us a chance to learn from the experiences of jurors, litigants, victims and concerned citizens throughout the state,” said Chief Justice Blatz.  “We welcome the opportunity to hear from the people we serve.”

Chief Justice Blatz will visit the cities of Owatonna, Austin, Rochester, Preston, Winona and Wabasha.  During the tour, she will:

• Address pressing budget concerns for local courts,
• Unveil local computer software that will become the statewide prototype for tracking advocates for abused and neglected children,
• Speak at a Rochester Chamber of Commerce luncheon,
• Tour Winona’s damaged courthouse and temporary facilities,
• Learn about Wabasha’s unique mentorship program for at-risk youth, and
• Recognize volunteers of the Family Unity Center in Owatonna.

The sweep through the Third District is the Chief Justice’s fourth “Court Innovations Tour.”  She visited the Seventh District in West Central Minnesota last fall, Southwest Minnesota’s Fifth District last summer and Northwest Minnesota’s Ninth District in fall 1999.

Media is invited to all events.  Next week’s schedule is as follows:

Owatonna, MN

• Center for Family Unity volunteer recognition dinner, 6 p.m., April 4, Owatonna Country Club.  The Center works to prevent child abuse in Rice, Waseca, Steele and Dodge counties.  The Chief Justice will give remarks and participate in a brief program that begins at 7 p.m. to thank volunteers for their efforts.  Tickets are available to the public by calling Vicki Staloch at (507) 455-1190.
• Child Abuse Prevention Month kick-off, 9 a.m., April 5, Central Park, Owatonna.  The Chief Justice will attend the Center for Family Unity’s kick-off event to commemorate Child Abuse Prevention Month.  A brief press conference will be held.  Local school children will then hang blue ribbons on park trees and local police cars as a reminder of child abuse prevention efforts.

Rochester, MN

• Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce Lunch, Noon, April 5, Rochester Holiday Inn City Center.  Chief Justice Blatz will speak about the challenges facing Minnesota’s courts and how the judiciary is working to meet them.  For reservations, contact John Eckerman, Government Affairs Coordinator at the Chamber, at (507) 288-1122.
• Press conference highlighting skyrocketing need for court interpreters; also unveiling of new computer software used to track child abuse and neglect cases, 1:30 p.m., April 5, Council/Board Chambers, Olmsted County Government Center.  The Chief Justice, Justice Anderson, representatives from the Third Judicial District and the district’s only certified court interpreter will be on hand to discuss the challenges of providing access to justice to Southeast Minnesota’s growing non-English-speaking population.  Also, local court officials will unveil a guardian ad litem (GAL) database created in Rochester that will become the prototype for a statewide record-keeping system.  Right now the state is facing a dire shortage of GAL’s, who serve as advocates for abused and neglected children.  Record keeping will help identify the most critical needs.
• Tour and presentation at Many Rivers Juvenile Corrections and Assessment Center, 2118 Campus Drive S.E., Rochester, 3:30 p.m., April 5.  Center directors will give a presentation about how their programs give youth the tools they need to avoid returning to the criminal justice and child protection systems.

Preston, MN

• Continental breakfast with court staff, 8:15 a.m., April 6, Fillmore County Courthouse, Preston.

Winona, MN

• Keynote speech at Winona State University Social Work Education Conference, 10:30 a.m., April 6, Room A, Maxwell Hall.
• Roundtable discussion with Chief Justice Blatz at the Winona State University Social Work Education Conference, 11:10 a.m., April 6, Teleconference Room, Maxwell Hall.
• Tour of damage at Winona County Courthouse, 12:15 p.m., April 6, Courthouse Main Entrance.  This tour hinges on the safety of the building given present cleanup efforts.  Regardless, Chief Justice Blatz and Justice Anderson will tour the current courthouse facility at about 12:30 p.m.

Wabasha, MN

• Highlights of Wabasha County’s Youth Link Mentorship and Restorative Justice programs, 2:15 p.m., April 6, Courtroom 2, Wabasha County Courthouse.  Youth and adult participants in the mentorship program, Third District Chief Judge Gerard Ring and others who work with local youth will be on hand to talk about the benefits they have seen from this unique program.