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WRC says thanks
From: Debi Niebuhr
Gala Committee Chair
The 16th annual gala dance was a great success and the Hawaiian
luau theme was appreciated on that snowy Saturday in May! I would
like to thank all of the people who contributed to the evening
with food preparation, decorating, serving, and the much behind
the scenes organizing.
I would like to especially thank the businesses that supported
our event. Flowers on Broadway, Dan's Flower Gallery, and Rose
Bowl Floral gave us wonderful tropical flowers that added to
the festive atmosphere. A big thank you to Ramer Fish for the
smoked salmon, Jefferson's Pub and Grill for the cornbread, and
Nancy Beach's Cakes for the Hawaiian luau cake. Each of you has
helped to continue the work of the Women's Resource Center which
is striving to help families in crisis and need and to make Winona
a safer community for all of us to live in.
Transforming the Postal Service
From: Michael J. Daley
District Manager
U.S. Postal Service
Minneapolis, Minn.
The Postal Service recently delivered its Transformation Plan
to Congress. The plan offers solutions to the current financial
situation the Postal Service now faces and in the long-term calls
for a new business model to replace our 30-year-old operating
structure. Changing to a new business model will require legislative
changes, essentially rewriting the 1970 Postal Reorganization
Act that formed the current Postal Service.
The Postal Service gets most of its revenue from first class
mail -- the kind of mail used to pay bills and write letters.
Any decline in this type of mail has huge consequences, since
two-thirds of our costs are covered by the revenue it brings
in. Add to that equation the 35,000 new addresses created every
year in the Northland District, and you can see the crisis we
face. Trends like that threaten our ability to deliver the mail.
But we have solutions. In the long term, the Postal Service will
ask Congress to adopt a new business model, called a Commercial
Government Enterprise (CGE). Changing to a CGE would be a large
step toward placing the Postal Service on more business-like
footing. We would be expected to provide traditional and non-traditional
products and services and implement market-based pricing. Universal
mail delivery would be maintained by giving the Postal Service
the flexibility to survive in a new economy.
We will also cut costs. The Northland District cut more than
$20 million in operating costs in the past year. The Postmaster
General has asked us to cut $5 billion more nationally (on an
annualized basis) over the next five years and the Northland
District will do its part to meet that goal.
The old legislation served the country well. In the Northland
District alone (which covers most of Minnesota and the western
portion of Wisconsin), we deliver about 54 million pieces of
mail every week; that equals 2.8 billion pieces every year to
over 2.3 million businesses and homes. The Postal Service delivers
in one week as much as UPS delivers in a year; we deliver in
two days what FedEx delivers in their typical year. No postal
system does what this U.S. Postal Service does today. But what
organization can keep the same business model for 30 years and
hope to survive?
No organization could. Organizations must be able to change in
order to survive. No one 30 years ago could have predicted the
rise of the Internet, electronic bill payment and competition
from global mail providers. Mail volume nationally and in the
Northland District has always had steady increases and our old
business model counted on volume always going up. But that has
changed, too. Nationwide, the Postal Service lost $1.68 billion
in fiscal year 2001 and could lose close to $2 billion this fiscal
year.
The plan also allows us to better meet changing customer needs,
such as increasing access for consumers. The Northland District
has more than 1,000 post offices and other retail outlets, but
there are quicker, more cost-effective ways to get basic services
like stamps. People already purchase stamps by phone and over
the Internet, but we will also explore other non-traditional
outlets. We plan to offer simplified, prepaid package shipping
so customers can pay by the size of the box, not the weight.
And we recently introduced a product called confirm, part of
the new generation of "intelligent" mail services that
allows large businesses to track their mail in near real-time
throughout the postal system.
As the District Manager for the Northland District, I'm excited
to be a part of this Transformation Plan. Delivering the mail
is a public trust and the Postal Service is committed to guaranteeing
mail delivery well into the future. This plan is the first step
in that process and sparks the public policy dialogue with the
American people.
Likes Science Fair
From: Catie Winkels
I would like to thank WSHS for having the Science Fair. It
gives us all a chance to learn different subjects and anyone
can go on to learn more about their own subject and go on to
a bigger and better Science Fair. This is my first time but not
my last.
Thanks to all
From: Mary Nix
Birthright of Winona
Volunteer
Birthright of Winona would like to thank all who took part
in its 30th year anniversary celebration April 30. We would like
to thank all the many volunteers and others who helped to bring
this celebration about. We would like to thank Collegians for
Life at St. Mary's University for helping to sponsor this event.
We would like to thank St. Mary's University for the use of their
facilities. We thank D.J. Floral for donating corsages for our
founding members. Also we thank Josh Herbert and Xavier Wilson
from Christian Fellowship at SMU and from Living Light Church
for providing music before the speaker's presentation. And we
especially thank our speaker, Michelle Neujahr for her very inspiring
presentation, "Choice, Consequence and Challenge."
We are grateful to Michelle for sharing personal stories of bad
choices she made in her youth and their consequences. Michelle
told how she decided to challenge herself to overcome her bad
habits and to use her life to make positive contributions. And
we thank her for challenging us to become more affirming of others
in our lives.
Birthright hopes to use this inspiration to better help young
people in need.
If you want it you pay for it
From: Ervin Wolfram
Winona
Governor closes "the peoples' house" read the headline.
At least the governor has brains enough not to spend money that
he doesn't have for the job. All of you people that want it open
should give the state the money to run it and then there won't
be a problem. Some people like to eat too and not just make somebody's
fancy come true. This goes for the school board too and the people
who want everything for their children at somebody else's expense.
If you want it you pay for it. Why should I starve so you can
have what you control freaks want. I would like a new car. Are
you going to buy me one? I doubt it very much.
Humane Society says thanks
From: Jeff and Beth
Graves, 2002 Co-Chairpersons
The Winona Area Humane Society wants to thank the corporate sponsors
and local businesses for their contributions to our 3rd annual
Dog Walk fund raiser. All the volunteers for the day of the event,
Girl Scouts Troop 653, Goodview police for traffic control, Goodview
parks persons, Winona Radio, HBC, Winona Post for advertising.
Each member of the WAHS wants to especially thank each person
who spent their time to collect pledges. These are your efforts
for our future shelter to be in the Winona area. Also our vendors/exhibitors
that helped our event with entertainment, Jen's Biscuits, Megan
Fort "Girl Musher," Julie Ceely, obedience trainer,
Rich Koop and Jake, WPD K-9 unit.
Thanks
From: Scott Gordon and Family
I want to thank everyone for their caring phone calls, helping
hands, cards, gifts, visits, and most of all prayers throughout
my illness.
My family and I also want to extend a big thank you to relatives
and friends who worked so hard and made donations to put on a
Benefit Chicken-Q at the Polish Heritage Lodge on May 4, 2002.
The food was wonderful, and the day was a huge success. The
weather was great for a picnic, and we are happy that everyone
enjoyed the afternoon.
End of an era
From: Millie & Clate
Haessig
Clate & Millie sold the property know in Winona as ''Clate's
Mobile Service" at 9 AM May 3. Archer Auto Glass owners,
Jeff & Ann Jandl, now own the property at 828 West Sarnia.
Clate & Millie Haessig are grateful to have been able to
do business at that location from 1952-1996. They thank all
the loyal customers for their business over the years at Clate's
Mobil.
They also wish to thank all the young men and women who worked
for them. It was hard work, many long days & nights. Thanks,
also go to their sons, and grandsons, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter
for being part of the work force over the 44 years. That's a
lot of oil changes!
We also would like to say thank you for all the cards and letters,
visits, and phone calls congratulating us on 60 years as husband
& wife. We hope you all enjoy your lives as much as we have,
and are.
Thanks Winona, your beauty and loving people, has surrounded
us, blessed us beyond all expectations. Thank YOU Jesus.
Oops!
From: Jayme Putzier
In the Sunday, May 5 edition of the Winona Post, you listed
the honor rolls for the Winona Senior High. You mistakenly printed
my name as Jayne Putzier. When in fact, my name is Jayme Putzier.
I would appreciate it if you could say that you made this mistake.
Thank you for your time.
Egalitarianism
From:
Charles M. de Nunzio
I wish to offer a plausible explanation for the so-called
"surprising" findings of Dr. El-Afandi's student surveyors,
namely that among seventh- through twelfth-grade pupils, (1)
"females binge drink as often as their male counterparts"
and (2) "that a higher percentage of students in sports
and activities drink than do students not involved in sports
or activities."
The former is nothing more than the logical consequence of a
fanatical egalitarianism that has prevailed in American culture
particularly since the baby-boom generation systematically revolted
against Christian ethical standards in the 1960's. Since then,
the revolution has relentlessly pursued the defeminization of
girls alongside the demasculinization of boys and has, to the
detriment of sanity and civilization, succeeded greatly at both.
The latter, I dare suspect, is the backlash result of a key notion
of baby-boomer parenting, i.e. the currently-predominant view
of childrearing as "product development" (cf. Kay Hymowitz's
book Ready or Not). These youths are told from all sides
that they do not stand a chance in life unless they "build
their résumés," which in turn induces them
to involve themselves in an insane number of extracurricular
activities, far more than was the case even twenty years ago
(during my own high-school days). This consequently fills them
with a sense of desperation and drives them to exhaustion --
as so many teenagers reveal in any current documentaries or feature-pieces
-- and thus, frequently enough, occasions the overwhelming desire
to drink themselves into oblivion.
Need we, then, be so surprise?
Looking for Schnicklefritz pictures
From: John W. Hadbavny / aka Onkel Hansie (Productions LLC)
2168 Old Elk Neck Road
Elkton, MD 21921
As a longtime FSF music fan, I read with great delight both
of your internet-posted articles -- also have a copy of "Freddie
the Fixer" courtesy of a nice guy named Greg Poschman in
Aspen (who's working on a FSF documentary film).
At this point, I'm getting ready to produce (for general release)
a Compact Disc which will contain about 25 tracks of the Band's
30s-40s Decca Records releases.
It sure would be great if I could beg, rent or BORROW reproducible
copies of the pictures in that first article - and others(?)
if there are any, for use in the liner notes. I'd also love to
get access to any of the 78rpm phonograph records which anyone
might have "kickin' around" Winona. Since these are
acknowledgeable treasures, I'd come to Winona (or anywhere in
the U.S.) to record them if the owner doesn't want to sell or
otherwise part with the actual discs.
I'm quite willing to pay whatever costs or reasonable fees might
be involved.
Further, regarding rights to the music itself, it's my understanding,
through the U.S. Copyright Office, that all of Freddie's recordings
are now most likely in the public domain. I've written MCA/Decca
Records for info in this regard and received no response. But
if someone can legitimately claim an interest, I'll gladly honor
such claim. And further - anyone who assists me in this project
in any way will be compensated monetarily (if there are profits)
or at least with a mention in the album "credits".
Thanks
From: Mike Otte Mark & Elizabeth Ellson Co-Chairs
After Prom Committee
St Charles, MN.
The 2002 After Prom Party was held on April 27 at the Rochester
Family Y. We had a nice turnout of 80 students at the party.
The event provided Juniors & Seniors from St. Charles High
School and their guests with a drug/alcohol free, all night
party of fun food and prizes.
We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Junior
class parents who sent donations, chaperones, bus drivers and
especially to those on the various committees who helped plan
the party and made it such a huge success.
The After Prom Party could not have happened with out the support
of our area businesses and organizations. We are deeply grateful
to the Winona businesses who helped us.
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