[Winona Online Democracy]
Duane Peterson asked how we can generate community involvement in the
courthouse debate...here's a terrific opportunity...
On Thursday, October 26 at 7:00 pm in Council Chambers at City Hall
the Winona Heritage Preservation Commission and Winona County are
co-sponsoring a public forum on the courthouse. All four courthouse
re-use committee chairs will make reports, the re-use study results
will be explained, and the floor will then be open for questions and
comments.
This is going to be a wonderful opportunity for Winona county residents
to express their feelings about the courthouse. I hope that it will be
well attended. It is the first opportunity for real discussion on the
issue since the Labor Day flooding took place. All five county
commissioners are expected to attend, along with County Administrator
Bob Reinart.
Bob Sebo
Duane Peterson wrote:
>
> [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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>
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