Mr. Woodford, you certainly have a right to state your opinion
about the GRSF, but your statements are not substantiated by facts or data of
any sort (I think even your $500,000 is incorrect. I believe the money is
$250,000 and that it was awarded by the state of Minnesota for the purpose of
studying/designing a permanent location for the GRSF. It cannot be spent on the
Wilkie.)
Mr. Kirschmann, you are making statements rooted in
cynicism. You too cannot support what you say with facts or
evidence.
Both of you need to go and look at the Wilkie. You need to
check it out up close. Talk to the city building inspector. The Wilkie has been
an embarassment to many of the city's residents for nearly 20 years now. The
building is rotting from the inside out. The best way to repair it is to rebuild
it from the concrete foundation up. It was built wrong and it has not been
maintained. I doubt $200,000 would even touch the repairs (I too have no
data to back up that statement.) but the fact is the building has never been
properly managed and maintained and that's largely why we are at this
point.
And now even the "Wilkie Board" is a ghost organization that
chooses to not even speak in defense of the building it is responsible
for.
As far as the GRSF is concerned, it is clearly one of the
two best managed arts/tourist operations this city has been fortunate
enough to host. Given enough time and the support of this community's residents,
the GRSF can grow into a 365 day operation that extends beyond two Shakespeare
plays a year. Let's for once get behind the well-managed tourist attractions
that have chosen to be in Winona; The Marine Heritage Museum and the
GRSF.
I for one have had enough of so-called "good" ideas that have
been poorly implemented or have poor correlations to tourism:
1. The Wilkie (Not historic but hysterical)
2. Hillside cross-country ski trails (No longer groomed in the
winter)
3. Historic Downtown Winona (No focus, no long-term
goals)
4. Lighting of Sugarloaf (How many tourists stay overnight in
Winona because of the money being poured into THAT project?)
I'm sure others can name their own favorite
"failures."
GRSF can serve as a focal point for Historic Downtown Winona.
GRSF can serve as an attractor of people who will enjoy future "fine dining"
establishments, attend other local theatre productions, visit art galleries,
stay in local motels/hotels, and discover the beauty of southeast Minnesota. I
believe The GRSF, the envy of some local arts folks, will eventually lead
to more success and excitement for them as well.
Mr. Woodford, the GRSF can make history for Winona. The Wilkie
represents a boat-that-never-was in the form of a
building-that-soon-won't-be.
-Leslie Hittner
---- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 12:14
PM
Subject: [Winona] Wilkie
[Winona Online Democracy]
You know, for the life of me, I dont understand what the issue is here.
Our city leaders obviously have no problem spending $500,000 to determine the
feasability of a theater for GRSF( a financial LOSER for the city
and certainly for its taxpayers). Spending $200,000 to fix something we
already own and we already paid for and, properly managed and maintained is an
asset to the community should be a no brainer. It is ridiculous the amount of
public dollars we throw at the GRSF, in my opinion a travesty of taxpayers
hard earned money. To ignore the Wilkie over what is essentially peanuts when
compared to GRSF expenditures is an insult to this taxpayer.
c.e. woodford
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