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Yes, Cherisa, there is a secret club...it's called native
Winonans. You said your friends are transplants, which proves my point. Do you
know how many of the clubs listed in the club section of the newspaper are
invitation only? I was amazed they still exist. Their reason is that they want
the groups to remain small enough to meet to people's homes.
According to my sources, the
Newcomer's Club met at the YWCA and had two groups, the club and the Welcome
Wagon. They had progressive dinners, lots of couple activities, classes, bridge,
coffees. I think we need such a venue to enable newcomers to meet and share
common problems, interests. I am going to call another source to find out what
the organization was that sponsored this. Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2000 10:24
AM
Subject: Re: [Winona]
newcomer-friendliness
[Winona Online Democracy]
What is it exactly that people
are looking for when they complain that
Winona is not a friendly
town? Do we expect to move into a new town and
instantly have a
dozen people ask us to lunch and become our new best
friend?
Relationships in any town take time, years perhaps, but if after a
few
years you have no friends, then perhaps it is time to look within?
We've lived in the Twin Cities, Rochester and Winona- I like Winona best
(except for the lack of variety in restaurants, that really bums me out)
I've found clerks, shopkeepers, and waitstaff all very friendly.
We've
lived in town and in Pickwick and found both sets of neighbors to be
very
nice. I don't know what people are looking for to be accepted
as a
"townie"- is there a secret club I don't know about? Almost all
of our
friends are transplants, and we all seem happy with each
other. Maybe
having always been a transplant I don't know what I'm
missing- can someone
explain?
Cherisa Templeton
By the way,
I know part of the reason I've acclimated well, is that I am a
white,
Minnesota native. I would believe that a person of color would have
a more difficult time "fitting in" in any smaller Minnesota
town.
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>To:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject:
[Winona] newcomer-friendliness
>Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000 08:53:20
-0500
>
>[Winona Online Democracy]
>
>My husband and I
moved here in 1971. Someone mentioned there was an
active
>'Newcomers Club' during the 70's, and that perhaps it should be
started
>again. I hate to disillusion you . . . but, we never
heard of it/from it!
>
>We have lived here nearly 30 years . . .
and feel we are still 'newcomers'
>in the eyes of many. As Mr. Clayton
said, > People joke that after 20 years
>they're almost accepted as a
"townie." THat would be us after nearly 30
>years!
>
>
I have tried to find the reason for this . . . Once I was told that
>anyone
>who "graduated from that University in Minneapolis"
would always be an
>outsider. But, maybe that isn't the problem.
Perhaps it is our hyphenated
>name. Or, perhaps it is because I am
one of those dreaded public school
>teachers. Or, maybe it is the
prehistoric spores and fauna of the river
>valley that some how create
the old-new residental gap! Whatever it is . .
>. I will probably
look for a warmer community when I retire (not
>necessarily a warmer
climate)!
>
>joanie
heydt-nelson
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Mime-Version:
1.0
> >Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2000 09:11:25 -0600
> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>From: Scott Lowery <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
>Subject: [Winona] newcomer-friendliness
> >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>Precedence: bulk
> >
> >[Winona Online
Democracy]
> >
> >I have some experience with this one and
want to share it with you. My
>wife
> >(Connie Blackburn) and
I moved to Rollingstone 7 years ago, with two kids
> >in school, and
both of us are involved in work that includes many
>community
>
>connections.
> >
> >Despite the unfortunate tone of
self-pity in Ms. McKenzie's letter, I
>found
> >that I had to
agree with her general observations. Winona still feels to
>me
>
>like a tough place to make new friends, at least in these middle years
of
> >life. We've lived in two other small-to-middle-sized
communities
>(Ellsworth
> >WI and Barre MA) for shorter
periods of time and felt notably more
>welcomed
> >and
appreciated as newcomers in both places.
> >
> >Not that we
haven't found plenty of activities and organizations in which
> >to
become involved, or that either of us is moping around, waiting for
>the
> >phone to ring. But I've heard it from MANY other
"transplants"
> >here--longtime Winonans (with many notable
exceptions) seem pretty
>content
> >with the social
connections they already have.
> >
> >I can think of a
couple of possible partial explanations. One would be
>the
>
>community associated with WSU and St. Mary's. My experience has been
that
> >people in "higher education" expect and accept a high degree
of
>transience
> >and in general may not be looking for new
connections with people who
>don't
> >tie in with their
academic work and interests. Another factor could be
>the
>
>high value placed on self-reliance and family in our regional Bluff
>Country
> >subculture.
> >
> >This seems to
me to be a general sentiment or perception that is abundant
> >enough
to be of concern to those thinking about how to strengthen a
>healthy
> >sense of community in the area. I've heard many of
the same people who
>have
> >shared this perception say that
they will probably be looking at moving
> >away from Winona some time
in the middle future, let's say when the kids
> >complete high
school, or when they retire. That's a potential big loss
>for
>
>the whole community.
> >
> >Scott Lowery
> >461
Sunnyview Drive, Rollingstone MN 55969
> >home phone:
(507)689-4532
> >school phone: (507)453-3888
> >home
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >school
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
> >"You can fool too many of the people too much of the time."
James Thurber
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>----------------
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Democracy Project.
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>
>
>
>----------------
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