[Winona] EXCELLENT post I cut-n-pasted from Winona net Regardingthe present

[c.e. woodford]

  Teri, I acknowledge and respect your points. I've even gone so far as to say I would stand behind building a NEW Riverboat center/museum/catering/restaurant facility(CITY OWNED with the city either leasing out catering/restaurant facilities or taking a % of the receipts). One that the community could actually use, one that visitors could actually use...one that would be an asset to our community...and more importantly, one the city won't be dumping dollars into for decades to come....the current Wilkie is none of that and then some. I think Frank S went over its drawbacks well enough that I don't need to regurgitate them to you. 
    If you think what the Wilkie is right now is good enough for Winona I can only see you as part of the problem and not the solution to a reinvigorated "Historic Downtown Winona" and Levee Park. Also, I STRONGLY encourage you to take a day trip to Wabasha or Trempeleau ( not even going to bring up Lake City /LAX)...I don't understand how Winona can continue to ignore its waterfront. There was an article in the WDN last week stating that Fountain City had collected $16,000 in landing fees from its north boat landing...how does that compare in revenue to some of our publicly funded summer festivals? For me it comes down to this, what is Winona's best investment to stimulate its economy? Why does Winona feel it is above catering to the dollars that float by our levee every day (weather permitting)?
   That being said, why don't we get behind building an entirely new "Steamboat Center" ? We'll get the best ROI from the public dollar from it.
   In regards to the Maritime Museum, I don't understand your disdain for it. To imagine 10 years ago that Winona would be home to an actual Monet was unfathomable(not to mention the other art treasures there). I'm not sure on the breakdown of public dollars that went toward it but I am willing to bet it was mostly subsidized by Mr Kierlin (like alot of good things in Winona have been) and of course, unlike the festivals we seem to keep funding, the museum is a tangible asset. Granted, the Maritime Museum isn't for everyone, but then again, as about 20,000 taxpayers in this town will tell you, either is Shakespeare...
   
   
   
  
 

       
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Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! 
Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games.
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