THUMBS DOWN

The loss of Denny Warta

The death of Denny Warta Wednesday is a monumental loss for the New Ulm community. Few other people were as heavily involved in the community as Warta or could claim a greater influence. Warta’s greatest strength was collecting people. He knew how to forge and maintain relationships with a wide range of individuals. Warta could turn complete strangers into a friend after a short conversation. He was great at connecting with people because Warta was genuinely curious about them. He always wanted to know more. He was also more than willing to share his knowledge. The Journal was a frequent beneficiary of Warta’ s knowledge. If the paper was seeking information, he often had the answer and if didn’t, he usually knew who might have the answer. However, the greatest loss is that of a man who so many respected and admired. New Ulm has lost its best friend.

THUMBS UP

NUAF gives $20,000 grant to Wanda Gag House

On Monday, New Ulm Area Foundation (NUAF) awarded a $20,000 grant to the Wanda Gag House. The funds will cover the prep work and painting of the house where famous illustrator Wanda Gag grew up. This is the highest donation awarded by NUAF this year. Wanda Gag met one of NUAF’s main pillars, which is historic preservation. The Wanda Gag House is one of the best examples of New Ulm’s connection with history. In addition to being the childhood home of famed illustrator Wanda Gag, the house itself was designed by Anton Gag who was a talented artist in his own right. The funds are needed, because maintaining the 131 year old home is not cheap. The funds will go a long way to maintaining the home for the next generation.

THUMBS UP

Quick demolition of exhibition hall at fairgrounds

On Monday, the former exhibition hall at the Brown County fairgrounds was demolished. The building had sustained severed damage a few years ago when a tree struck the roof. The roof damage was significant, but the impact of the tree also caused a corner of the building to shift on its foundation, creating a massive crack that continued to grow. This made the building unsafe to use anymore and the cost to repair were prohibitive. While it is sad the 116 year old building had to be demolished, the Brown County fair board deserves credit for taking decisive action with the building. The building did represent a safety hazard and realistically it was never going to be used again. Instead of spending years trying to raise funds that would likely never come for a building, the board made the responsible decision to remove it.