[Winona Online Democracy]
The courthouse has tremendous asthetic value. I hear comments from
visitor to Winona on the street where I live, one block away. How can a
dollar amount be put on the aesthetic value of the courthouse, so that too
can be included in the dollar comparisions.
I have a real gripe about the Midwestern attitude of razing buildings.
The East coast and New England have such a different attitude, it
sometimes amazes me that it can all be the same nation! A farm that a
friend of my rented a house on in Maine, had a 300 yr old barn, falling
apart. Did the owner raze it? NO. He kept the crumbling timbers and built
inside of it, putting apartments in it. That countryside continues to look
extremely quaint. Now, dollarwise, it was probably a crazy decision. He
could have put a building in there with twice the capacity and rented it all.
If it had been in the Midwest, I have NO doubt that the dollarwise
decision would have been the path choosen.
I do not know if these communities have ordinances or laws requiring
the quaint countryside be maintained, so that the investors don't make these
decisions out of aethetic quality. But maybe the city of Winona should
consider something in this line, before Winona totally becomes just another
ugly city on the river. I have recently discovered some remarkably quaint
and beautiful cities on the river in Iowa. My opinion of Winona, has
changed since my discovery. Somehow those communities are maintaining their
"razeable" buildings.
When I came to Winona 20 yrs ago, there were more job opportunities in
Winona then there are today. The factories employed more non-skilled labor.
Land wise, there just isn't a whole lot more for expansion in Winona, unless
we completely sell off our LakePark "farm" and destry more habitat for
shopping parking lots. I have heard parents lament about how their children
have had to move away from the area and start their families in communities
that provide incomes that can maintain a family, above the poverty level.
From the people I hear commenting on the beauty of Winona on the
street by my home, they are not here for comparison shopping, wide selection
of super stores. They are visiting our community for its aestetic value.
Are we going to overlook this tourist industry which to me seems to be
booming in Winona (by the number of hotels that have recently been built)?
What is the chance of a community committee generating long-term funding
for the maitanence of the courthouse building? In Europe, they have useable
buildings that are (gasp) centuries old. It can be done. Maybe in our
booming economy we need to bite the "tax" bullet and proide the funding of
the courthouse maintanence.
(I personally think we are a shameful group of people for not funding
education better, also.)
Kathleen Fischer Giebel
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