[Winona Online Democracy]
I've inserted my remarks below on lines without ">".
Glen Schumann
Winona, MN
[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
H: 507.454.3056 W: 507.453.3567 W FAX: 507.454.1440
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> -----Original Message-----
>> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Friday, October 13, 2000 9:20 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [Winona] The beauty of the courthouse
>
>
> [Winona Online Democracy]
>
> The courthouse has tremendous aesthetic 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 comparisons.
> I have a real gripe about the Midwestern attitude of razing
> buildings.
No one has suggested razing the courthouse that I am aware of.
> The East coast and New England have such a different attitude, it
> sometimes amazes me that it can all be the same nation!
Actually, that is one of the great parts of the US. There is so much
diversity. Each of us is able to choose from a huge range of options.
> 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, dollar wise, 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 dollar wise
> decision would have been the path chosen.
Perhaps the "dollar wise" option was chosen. The developer may be able to
get more rent for the "ambience" of the restored barn than a new, modern
building might bring. The information you provided does not tell us that.
> 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 aesthetic quality. But maybe the city of Winona should
> consider something in this line, before Winona totally becomes
> just another
> ugly city on the river.
The court house could be maintained for its "aesthetic" qualities without
continuing to use it for government purposes. The barn you discussed is
certainly no longer housing bovines, but yet you praised it's continued use.
>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
> "raze able" buildings.
Winona has maintained many of its older buildings. Have you walked the
downtown business district? Have you seen the old churches? How about the
many older Victorian homes? And you have again implied that the courthouse
is about to be razed. Why are you doing that?
> 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.
I don't have hard numbers at hand, but I seriously doubt this. What
evidence (other than anecdotal) do you have for this statement?
> Land wise, there just isn't a whole lot more for expansion in
> Winona, unless
> we completely sell off our Lake Park "farm" and destroy more habitat for
> shopping parking lots.
If Winonan's hope to grow and prosper, we will need to get past this "no
room" attitude. There is lot's of room. Hwy 61 needs to no longer be the
limit of our vision.
> 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
> aesthetic 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 maintenance 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 provide the
> funding of
> the courthouse maintenance.
The county taxpayers do not have to be the ones to pay the burden of keeping
the court house as an aesthetic feature. This could be accomplished by a
private developer. This might allow the county to provide services more
efficiently and effectively.
> (I personally think we are a shameful group of people for
> not funding
> education better, also.)
While I would not phrase it in this way, I would like to see public school
funding increase. In my view, this is a much higher priority for public
dollars than the courthouse.
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