The grand, the good
> Orchestral hall. Construction of the $35 million Masterpiece Hall on Fifth Street continued toward a 2025 target for an inaugural concert. The 700-seat performance showcase is a project of philanthropists Bob Kierlin and May Buttichter.
> Fastenal. Winona’s largest em[loyer, the home-grown Fastenal nuts and bolts manufacturer and distbutor, had another smashhig year. The latest annual report showed global sales up 5.2% to $7.3 billion. Global employment reached 23,200. The Fortune 500 company continued its strog performance for investors.
> College enrollments. Student enrolment at Minnesota State College Southeast grew 17%. to almost 2, 300. Also upbeat was that Winona State enrollment stabilized after a precipitous 13-year decline. Meanwhile, concern grew about the viability of Saint Mary’s, whose Winna enrolment fell into low 800s despite faculty layoffs and termination of many academic programs.
> Pelowski retirement. Gene Pelowski capped a 38-year career as the most popular elected leader from Winona in memory. His retirement set off a scramble by both Democrats and Republicans to succeed him. Republicans prevailed with single-term City Councl member Aaron Pelowski going to St. Paul from House District 26-A.
> Bloedow’s. Everybody’s favorite bakery marked its 100th anniversary and was named Retailer of the Year by the Minnesota shopkeepers’ association.
> Levee hotel. After years of struggle to find a promising to find for financial viability, investors broke ground for a four-story riverfront hotel. It will be less than it could be, however. Plans to top the with a classy rooftop bar were scuttled, Why? Investors decided, unfortunately, that the cost of an elevator to get up there would have delayed a quick return on their investment.
The sad, the disappointing
> The Walz-Flanagan political partnership. It’s over. When Governor Tim Walz returned from campaigning as Kamala Harris’ running mate for the White House, he learned that his lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan, had tapped his campaign war chest to jumpstart her own campaign to replace hm as governor. She’s now persona non grata.
> Dirty politics. State-level Republicans took a low, low road in in the race for Winona’s 26A seat in the Legislature. Sarah Kruger, the Democrat wa smeared wit sexist metaphors to Barbi dolls, dog-whistle innuendo about sexuality, irrelevancies and falsities. Aaron Repinski won. Neither Repinski nor his campaign manager, Jerry Papenfuss, disavowed the smears.
> R.I.P.: Vivian Fusillo. The grand dame of Winona Theater died at age 97.
> Downtown retailing; Merchants guzzied storefronts to look their best in 40 years but lagged in recapturing shoppers newer albeit less classy Big Boxes on the East End. Among shops remaining downtown — the 111-year-old Hardt’s music store although now part of a Mankato chain with the flavorless new name Music Mart. Going out of business: Holtan’s jewelry, Baker shoes, McDonald’s. The only remaining downtown gas station, on Johnson Street. closed. At the west end of Second Steet, the Chrysler dealership vacated its lease t rebuild on Highway 61 alongside co-owned Suga Loaf End.
Tourism. A negative bobble in tourism venue eesulted from fewer cruise visits. Three of 10 scheduled dockings were cancelled because of flooding. Also, the cruise company American Queen Voyages went belly-up.
Industry. BCS Access Business Systems, once the high-flying TRW of the Fortune 500, closed its doors in Winona. Rather than manufacture locally, it had become an importer of China-sourced products. Lost were 140 jobs.