Letter to the editor: Elementary Teacher's "Point of View"

Letter To the Editor:
A former Kasson- Mantorville  Elementary Teacher’s “Point of View”

Dear Citizens and Elected Officials:

My life career was being an elementary school teacher for 40 years, spending the last 25 years at the Kasson- Mantorville Elementary School located in Kasson located in Kasson.

The main philosophy of being a teacher to me was to help all of the students in my classroom to become proficient in whatever they learned so they could do whatever they chose to do with their lives.
The elementary school is like the students ‘second home’ the first being with their parents.
During my career at Kasson-Mantorville Elementary I sometimes had as many as four children from the same family in different years. Near the end of my teaching career, I began to teach children of previous students I had taught here. ‘Kids of kids’ so to speak.

There was a time in the 1960s when my students and I knew every ‘nook and cranny’ in that Kasson- Mantorville Elementary School because of what was going on in the world, we needed to go for drills to the lower level furnace room for safety’s sake. Therefore we found out about the inner bowels of the school-namely- the furnace room. This gave us an idea of how well constructed that school was.
The Kasson- Mantorville Elementary School was put on the National Historical Register in December 2007.

The watertower on the northwest corner of the school grounds was saved and is listed on the National Historical Register because interested citizens worked with getting Minnesota Historical Society (grants) plus other methods to help with incurred debts.

The historic Kasson School could also apply for federal and state grants, federal and state tax credits and interest investors to help with the rehabilitation of the historic school.
Construction of a new building on this site would not be eligible for grants and funds available to rehabilitation of a historic structure.

Recently the Library Building Committee presented to the Kasson City Council three options for a new library. Option one was to reuse the entire old school. Option two was to reuse the building but remove the second floor. Option three was to demolish the historic school. It should be noted: in the John Lauber reuse study report in 2009 there was an option to reuse part of the historic school for a new library and community center.

An important question I would like to ask: How can so few people-namely- the Kasson City Council, Kasson Library Board, and the Kasson Building Committee feel comfortable wishing to demolish the historic Kasson Elementary School which is seven years away from being 100 years old and used for 87 years, besides being listed on the National Historical Register since 2007. Some families in this community of Kasson go back generations even before or at the time the school was built in 1918.
I feel that the entire Kasson community should play a part in such a tremendous decision as the demolition of the school instead of being decided by so few.

That historic Kasson School has once been the heart of Kasson and once demolished there will be no going back to a building that has been very dear to the community.

                Blanche Neseth

Letter to the editor: to the community of Kasson

Letter To the Editor:

To the Community of Kasson, Minnesota-

I was raised in the community of Kasson, Minnesota. The pleasures and learning experiences of growing up in a small town in America's Upper Midwest have been happily carried with me ever since I left the area over fifty years ago. There is no question that I have a great sentimental attachment to the old Kasson, the Kasson Mantorville, Public School building. My sisters and I received most of our pre college education in this building, my mother was a substitute teacher as well as frequent declamation judge in the building, her close friend Amanda Otterness was school librarian, and our close family friend John Southworth was a major figure on the Building Staff.

But I do not wish to dwell on the sentimental aspects of preserving this beautiful old building, but rather the financial impact that its destruction could very well have on every property owner in Kasson.
During my adult life away from Kasson, I have lived in three very special and unique communities: Sausalito, California, Woodstock, New York and Greenwich Village, New York. Each of these communities has based the character and charm of its village life on its historic heritage and its wise reuse of its historical buildings. Each of these communities now has residential property value that is among the highest priced in the nation. This is directly related to the citizens of these villages honoring and preserving  its historic buildings. In Greenwich Village our local library, The Jefferson Market Library, is the reuse of a Mid Nineteenth Century courthouse. It is not only a model of building reuse, but one of great historic and architectural treasures of New York City, honored, loved and photographed by people from the four corners of the earth.

Each community has faced men and corporations who have wanted to "modernize" these communities by destroying the communities’ history and replacing it with condo developments and shopping malls. Each of these communities has banded together and defeated these "modernizers" while with self satisfaction; they have sat back and watched their property increase in value. (In Greenwich Village during the current recessions we were one of the few communities in the United States where property prices actually went up as the nation's residential property values declined!)

The home you own most likely represents the largest investment your family has. With the destruction of the Kasson School building you put not only a beautiful piece of history in danger, but the security and future of your own families’ financial security.

Please unite to stop the destruction of this building. It is not only a part of Kasson History, it's also a part of Minnesota and United States History, but it's also an important part of your own financial security. Remember there in strength in unity, and only in the United States does the individual have the power to decide the destiny of the community in which they live.

Stand strong on the side financial security and respect for our history.

With kindest regards
David B. Lostegaard
212-254-1008

Biographical Note: David B. Lostegaard was raised in Kasson, Minnesota. He was graduated from Kasson Mantorville High School in 1959. He attended the University of Minnesota. Since that time he has owned and operated Grand Central Telecommunications, a national telecommunications company with offices in San Francisco, CA, Santa Fe, NM, Colorado City, CO, Minneapolis, MN, Miami, FL and Washington, DC. His work in the Off Broadway Theatre includes:
And Puppy Dog Tails (1969-Playwright), Ubu Roi and Ubu Bound in Repertory by Alfred Jarry (1973-Producer), The Women’s Representative by Sun Yu,(1974-Adapter, Producer-First play from The People’s Republic of China to be presented in the United States, American representative to Pan American Theatre Festival), Mother Courage (1975-adapted from Berthold Brecht), The Marilyn Project (1976-Playwright), About Bernard Carlton (1999-Playwright, Director), All’s Well That End’s Well by William Shakespeare (2000-Director-Production awarded Audience Favorite Award, New York International Fringe Festival), Dead End by Sidney Kingsley (2001-Director-Production awarded Audience Favorite Award, New York International Fringe Festival) and Stonewall Stories by Carol Polcovar (2006-Director-Named Year’s Best Docudrama by Playbill Magazine and New York Drama Critics Assn). He has also worked as marketing consultant to Madison Square Gardens, Radio City Music Hall, American Ballet Theatre and The New York Philharmonic, in addition to many Broadway and Off Broadway productions.   

Letter to the editor: article to read

Letter to the editor:

On Friday, August 12th, the Rochester Post Bulletin Editorial Staff had an excellent article in their paper concerning the Kasson Historic Elementary School and replacing it with a single story 20,000 square foot library. If you haven’t read this article please look it up and digest its contents. What happened at the Kasson City Council meeting last Wednesday evening is only preliminary and we as taxpayers still have a voice in the final decision. As stated in the Post Bulletin editorial, “in 2006 voters rejected a 3.9 million proposal to turn the old school into a library, but we don’t know if that opposition indicated voter’s desire to demolish the building or their reluctance to raise their own taxes”. The question at hand now is how much money should we invest into a brick and mortar library at a time when technology is dramatically altering people’s reading habits.

Again, let me quote the editorial article, “don’t demolish the old school until a firm decision has been made-and funding obtained for whatever structure will replace it”.
KARE is open to your comments and questions.

Lorraine Spading
KARE, Vice President

Letter To the Editor: In response to Mayors Memo 7/27/2011

I was disappointed when reading the Mayor’s Memo from 7/27/2011 that Mayor Tjosaas chose to use his Memo space to, as I read it, attack the KARE organization. There are many great things going on around the town of Kasson. I feel that the Mayor’s Memo column should be informative for the residents of Kasson as well as impartial. If Mayor Tjosaas felt the need to personally defend himself, I feel a letter to the editor would have been much more appropriate.

I too have my own opinion regarding the reuse of the former Kasson elementary school. I have faithfully been following both sides of the issue; and in my estimation, it is a stately and extremely usable and useful building. One well worth saving.

I feel that in our society we are very quick to do away with anything “old”. I would love to see our community show pride in that building. I would love for our community to show our young citizens that just because something is old does not mean that it is useless. Many young people, certainly not all, are not being taught the value of doing with what you have. They are not being taught the value of “older is wiser”. This is true in many areas; buildings, literature, music, letter writing, titles (Mr. and Mrs.), etc. We want our children to respect their elders, but instead we show them that things that are old (elem. school) even if they are still useful are not necessary. A little elbow grease could make it good are new, but wouldn’t you like to have something brand new instead? Hello landfill, next stop Walmart.
Will saving the school cost more for the tax payer in the long run? I’m not sure. I feel the building will have many more money generating options than a single building built specifically for a library. I also have other reservations with a library specific building. With technology advancing at such a rapid pace (ex: the NOOK), will the public library be as much of an asset to a town in the future as it is today? I certainly hope that it will continue to be. My kids and I certainly enjoy using it. But with budget cuts and advancing technology, the question begs to be asked. What will the town do with a library specific building that may need to be downsized due to budget cuts? I am not being insensitive. I am being practical.

One last thing I would like to comment on in regards to the Mayor’s Memo: Mayor Tjosaas pointed out that he offered KARE half ownership in the building and all they would be responsible for was raising half of the remodeling expense. I feel that asking and expecting a citizens group to come up with 4 million dollars is not only outrageous but also intentionally setting them up for failure. Is the citizens group that is looking into the new swimming/aquatic center for Kasson going to be asked to fund half of the cost for the project?

I do not want to see this issue divide our town. I am proud to call Kasson my hometown. I want to see it survive and prosper. I want to see Main Street alive and utilized by its citizens. I want to see life come back to that beautiful “old” elementary school building.

Erica Gillis

What's happening around Town?

Flo:  Hey, Joe, Did you see all those Model “T’s” that gathered at America’s Best Value Inn in Rochester?

Joe:  Yes, I did!   The annual Model T Ford Club International Tour (MTFCI) actually came through Kasson with a stop for lunch while on their way to Mantorville where they spent the rest of the day partaking in a walking tour of the historic buildings. The Opera House also put on two shows for them entitled, “Affording a Ford” or “All’s Fair in Love and War.”  It was written by Sandra Hennings Miller and a Model “T” Ford was actually built and set on the stage!

Flo:  How about all the good eating places at Mantorville?

Joe:  The  historic Hubbell House welcomed them with open arms, staying open all afternoon as well as the County Seat and the  historic Old School Cafe and let’s not forget the Chocolate Shoppe for the lover of sweets in all of us.

Flo:  Did they tour the antique shops?  You have both the Memorabilia Antiques and the Mantorville Square, don’t you?

Joe:   You are so right and did they ever have a good time. I saw them carrying out treasures to take home plus they loved the Mantorville Art Guild and did you know Mantorville Farms sell gifts made in the USA,  and that most of the items are made right there in Mantorville?

Flo:  Wow!  Sounds like Mantorville went all out for them.  What did they see at Kasson?
Joe:  They saw the Event Center and Mantorville Avenue’s tree-lined street as they traveled north through town on their way to spend the day in Mantorville.

Flo:  Isn’t it a shame that Kasson has not restored their 1918 Historic School!  Wouldn’t it have been nice if they could have seen a Children’s Learning Center there; maybe a new spot for the library. Can you imagine how neat it would have been for them to visit a Museum of Kasson History and the surrounding area while in the historic school?  Perhaps the Kasson could have entertained them with a concert, perhaps….…a good old country western jam session?

Joe: Or what about gospel or rock?   We have a lot of musical talent in this community including the younger generation.  I’d love to see them jamming with the seniors or having times where they could have an evening there just for themselves.  It could open up a lot of possibilities!  

Flo:  Sounds like a novel idea. Say, Joe, how many Fords were in Mantorville?

Joe:   Do you realize there were 240 Model T cars carrying 500 people in that group?  This year they decided to visit Rochester and tour the surrounding towns of interest.    On their list of towns was also Lanesboro.   I wanted to see the cars on the move so I waited in Chatfield and parked in front of Potter Auditorium. While waiting I had a nice tour of the auditorium.   I was told by a nice lady there that it was built in 1936, was a part of the Chatfield School, and that the newer part, that had been a grade school, has now been torn down. Now that they have received funding of a State Grant it will be renovated in different phases to be compliant with all building codes and then will be offering opportunities for future expansion as both a community and regional arts center.  Of course, that will involve more fund raising.

Flo:  Yes, renovation will be major adding air conditioning, replace and up-grade electrical service, stage lighting, lighting control board, and house lighting; many more interior renovations including auditorium seating, acoustical and  sound system, sound control board and make it compliant with handicap accessibility.  There will be some new construction as well, which will include a lobby area, rest rooms, etc. and will include a community room.

Joe:  Sounds like a major undertaking, but what a wonderful addition to the already active community.  I hear our own Kasson City Planner, Mike Martin,  along with other Potter Committee members headed to St. Paul to hand out 201 letters clarifying the Potter Auditorium project for the House and Senate members and taking time to talk to the capital press corps, who have offices in the basement and who report for major news sources.  Do you suppose he would be willing to go to bat for Kasson’s Historic School and apply for a grant for us?

Flo: Wouldn’t he have applied for a grant for the school by now if he really wanted to do that for your town of Kasson? There certainly has been plenty of time since your reuse study for that to happen.

Joe:   I still say, when the Historical School is completely renovated with all the exciting ideas KARE has  come up with, Kasson could once again be the hub of Dodge County, bringing visitors to town and look at the business it could bring to our downtown merchants!

Flo: It is well documented historic buildings in operation bring in the tourists and add revenue to the area.

“What’s happening around town” by Jo and Flo is
sponsored by KARE (Kasson Alliance for Restoration).
For more information call 634-7435.
The information contained in “What’s happening around town?” does not reflect the views of the
Dodge County Independent Newspaper.