Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com
Published - Friday, May 16, 2008
Gov. Pawlenty kicks off Capital for a Day
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty reflected on the state's rich history when Winona's Capital for a Day kicked off with a flag-raising ceremony and a speech by the governor.
The City of Winona is a great example of that rich tradition, noting the river's role and the agriculture of the river valley, Pawlenty said.
There are also "sad chapters" of that history, he said.
"The Sesquicentennial by itself if just a birthday, a marking on the calendar... It didn't just begin with statehood. Native people were here before our state."
Pawlenty also remarked how Minnesota leads the nation on many counts, such as education, giving to charity and volunteerism.
"We sometimes joke about Minnesota nice,” he said. “That's not just a slogan, it's true."
He added that the state measures high in "people's connectedness" to one another.
"We don't measure a Minnesota by what we do ... We also measure Minnesota by how we live."
At the ceremony, members of the Sesquicentennial commission unveiled a commemorative Minnesota Sesquicentennial stamp depicting the Upper Mississippi River Valley. The original poster-sized 41 cent stamp -- now outdated -- will be given to the Winona County Historical Society, the governor announced.
Pawlenty was joined by other state leaders, including Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes and Rep. Gene Pelowski.
Check winonadailynews.com for updates, photos and video of Capital for a Day activities and find more coverage of today’s events in Saturday’s Winona Daily News.
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