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It's easy to forget how much we have in the Winona area. Sometimes, it takes others to bring it into perspective. Two of my recent experiences illustrate what I mean.
I met a middle-aged Minneapolis couple downtown who seemed lost, so I stopped to help. They were so excited about Winona. They had just come from an exhibit at the Marine Art Museum that they loved. It was late in the afternoon so they had limited time to see some of the buildings downtown. I suggested a few, plus directions. They started asking about homes for sale and prices. I shared what I knew. Then, the man turned to the woman and said, "See, we could live here."
Early one glorious summer morning on the corner of Second and Center streets, I met a 50-60- year-old man with a European accent who stopped me and started to talk. He said he was born in Ireland, had lived in England and now lived in Spain. He said friends had been urging him to come here for years, and he was glad that he did. He had spent the previous day on the river, and he was soaking in his surroundings.
Here he was, a person who had lived in the places so many dream to go, and he was filled with wonder about Winona. "What a place you have here," he said.
He's right. We do live in a wonderful place. Over the past six months in the Positively Winona series many people from the area have shared the type of things that have caused people and businesses to relocate to the Winona area. They have told our story well, and I thank them.
I also thank Fran Edstrom from the Winona Post and Darrell Ehrlick from the Winona Daily News for printing the pieces each Wednesday. My thanks to Bob Sebo at Winona Radio for interviewing the writers each Friday, and thanks to Vision Design Group for supplying photos of the writers. If you'd like to look at the archive of Positively Winona pieces, you can find them at www.portofwinona.com or www.visiondesign.com under the public relations section.
The feedback for Positively Winona has been exceptional. As we close the series, I have a request. When you have the chance to share something about the area " with a friend, a relative or a stranger -- tell them about what makes this place special. One day, that person may be your neighbor.
Mark Metzler coordinated the Positively Winona series. He works in media and communications for Merchants Financial Group.
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