[Winona Online Democracy]
I agree with your sentiments about saving a building that has such
historical significance. We have an additional problem of trying to restore
it the way it was ( with the exception of accommodating more modern
electrical and plumbing facilities). Limiting its use to court facilities
is probably the best solution. Floors 4 and 5 should never have been put
in. Doing that ruined the high ceilinged old original courtroom. It will
take a lot of community pressure to get the county commissioners to make a
good decision. I welcome the thoughts of others to see how we can generate
community involvement.
Duane M. Peterson
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2000 9:19 AM
Subject: [Winona] The beauty of the courthouse
> [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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