2012 Reunion - 1st Draft

REUNION QUESTIONNAIRE - (Please E-mail to Arnie ASAP.)

Name: ________________________
Spouse/Guest: _______________________
Address: ______________________________
City/State/Zip: _________________________

Phone: ____________________
E-mail: ________________________@__________________

Arnie Olson, Reunion Chairman
3625 Pleasant Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55409

Planning to attend: Self Spouse Guest = ____
Bus Tour (TBA) Yes ___ No ___
Lunch Cruise (TBA) Yes ___ No ___

Banquet/Dance: Self Spouse Guest = ____

NOTE: A Reunion Agenda is still being developed, and will be posted
as soon as it is finalized. Your initial response would be appreciated so
we can get an idea of the number of attendees. Visit again soon!

REUNION & Squadron Budget:

$30.00 - (Suggested donation for 2011-2012) - Unexpected extra expenses
are almost always incurred in ages, deposits etc. - We also need support for
the general operation of our Website, phone calls, postage, awards and
recognitions, and other miscellaneous items.

Please forward your donation to our Squadron Treasurer:

Zane Maddox, Treasurer
2214 Sundale Drive
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670-4237

Checks payable to Zane Maddox & Memo 'For 2012 Reunion'
name tags,

HOTEL Information: CROWN PLAZA HOTEL & SUITES @ $99,00 per night. (Option available for a day in front if wanted.)

Negotiated Special Room Rate (double or single) = $99.00
HOTEL REGISTRATION Information: Click HERE!

HOTEL FREE Shuttle: To/From Airport also To/From the famous MALL OF AMERICA

LIGHT RAIL: Stops just outside of hotel for transportation to Airport or Downtown MSP

Our hotel is located across from the new Hiawatha Light Rail Station, making it easy to get to the Guthrie Theatre, Grand Avenue or Dinkytown (Special shopping area of the University of Minnesota).

Crowne Plaza Minneapolis Airport Hotel Mall of America Area
3 Appletree Square / I-494 & 34th Avenue ( Exit 1 ) • Bloomington, Minnesota 55425
Phone: (952) 854-9000 • Fax: (952) 876-8700

HOTEL Services and Amenities

37" LCD HD Flat Screen Televisions with over 50 cable channels
Complimentary Wireless High-speed internet access
Complimentary Airport Shuttle Service (Terminals 1 & 2)
Complimentary 24 Hour Business Center
Complimentary Shuttle to Mall of America
Complimentary area shuttle within 1 mile radius of the hotel
Concierge Floor
2,500 Square Foot Precor Cardio Theatre Complete Fitness Center
Crowne Plaza Quiet Floor (Sunday-Thursday Nights)
Closest Hotel to Hiawatha Light Rail Station - across the street from the hotel
Free local phone calls and 800 numbers
ATM
Dry cleaning / laundry
Express check-in/check-out
Indoor Junior Olympic-size, Heated Pool with Sauna & Whirlpool
Safety deposit box at front desk

Priority Club Rewards Bonus Points Package

REUNION AGENDA: is still being developed, but our Banquet meal will be $32.00
(There will be 3 choices of main entry available.)

ACCOMMODATIONS - Reunion Committee has secured a $99.00 per night room rate and has guaranteed 75 rooms. Registration OnLine will be available in a few weeks.

ACTIVITIES ideas are open to suggestions. We will have our normal hospitality area, and Banquet/Dance and Business Meeting to plan our 2014 Reunion, but we are interested in learning about any other suggested activities both for our membership and spouses and guests. High on this list would be the 2nd largest indoor mall in the United States: "MALL OF AMERICA" (reachable by light-rail from Minneapolis airport and from downtown Minneapolis.)

GOLF OUTING - Some of our past Reunions have included a golf outing. There are several nice golf courses in the Twin Cities area, and we're looking for any volunteer to organize and set up a golf outing.

SPORTS ACTIVITIES - Could include a Minnesota Twins baseball game at the new state-of-the-art Target Field. Or a Minnesota Vikings football game, possibly back in the HHH Domed Stadium or the University of Minnesota Gophers Stadium.

MINNESOTA 'WILD' - (XCEL Energy Center) - Home of the Minnesota 'Wild' NHL team

MINNEAPOLIS - "CITY OF LAKES" - There are 20 beautiful lakes within the city including Lake Calhoun (rent skates for a round-the-lake tour), Lake Harriet with concerts in their bandshell - also another nice park to walk around.

PARKS - Many nice parks are also found in Minneapolis including Minnnehaha Park, overlooking the Mississippi River, one of Minneapolis' oldest and most popular - attracting over 850,000 visitors annually. Minnehaha Falls (53 ft. - 16m) is located near Minnehaha Creek (a tributary of the Mississippi River.)

Minnehaha Falls, located near Fort Snelling, is often translated as "Laughing Water" or "Curling Water" or "Waterfall". It came from the Dakota Language elements mini, meaning water, and haha, meaning waterfall. The "Laughing Water" translation comes from Mary Eastman's book: 'Dacotah", published in 1849.

MORE THINGS TO DO NEARBY:
XCEL Energy Center - Home of the Minnesota 'Wild' NHL team
Science Museum of Minnesota
Minnesota Zoo - at Apple Valley
Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center
IKEA Shopping
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Valleyfair Amusement Park and Soak City
Southdale / Galleria

Mall of America - Minneapolis/St. Paul

In the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington you'll find a super-regional shopping mall, (2nd only to the King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, PA.) You'll find over 520 stores

along 3 levels of pedestrian walkways, and also a 4th level on the East side. If you spent 10 minutes in each store, it would take you 86 hours to visit them all. (That's more than 10 eight-hour days). 4 anchor department stores include: Nordstrom, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Sears. An IKEA store is also nearby.

In the center of the mall you'll find Nickelodon Universe, the largest indoor theme park in the United States. There are two roller coasters and numerous other rides and attractions, including an 18-hole miniature golf course.

FORT SNELLING - Minnesota

FORT SNELLING - Originally known as Fort Saint Anthony, was a military fortification located at the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Minnesota River. The Minnesota historical Society now runs the fort, located atop a bluff along the river.

Fort Snelling Tower

Gravestones at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. Veterans who served their country in battle ranging from the Civil War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried amid rows of precisely lined up white marble headstones.

Arts & Culture - Minneapolis

1. Minneapolis Institute of Arts

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2. The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA)

Located in Minneapolis, The Museum of Russian Art is the only museum in North America dedicated exclusively to the preservation and presentation of Russian art and artifacts. Visitors can explore new and diverse perspectives of Russian history, heritage and art.

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3. Walker Art Center

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4. Guthrie Theater
(Dinner & Show Packages)

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4. Northeast Minneapolis Arts District - this unique corner of the the city is know for its medley of ethnicities, restaurants, parks and art (Home of more than 400 artists with regularly scheduled open studio and gallery crawls). Originally the home of the Polish, Ukrainian, Lebanese and German immigrants. Enjoy trendy boutiques and welcoming coffee shops. Be sure and visit a Caribou Coffee Shop -

you'll find more Caribou shops than Starbucks in the Twin Cities area.

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5. Basilica of Saint Mary - The first basilica established in the United States honored by Pope Pius XI in 1926. An excellent example of Beaux-Arts architecture and build between 1907 and 1915, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

The Other Twin City: St. Paul

SUMMIT AVENUE MANSIONS - Just across the Mississippi River to the East, you'll find the interesting city of St. Paul. Drive along Summit Avenue and you'll see some beautiful turn-of-the-century Victorian mansions, including

Minnesota Governor's Mansion

James J. Hill Mansion
Mr. Hill was the CEO of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway which served the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and the Pacific northwest. Between 1863 and 1889, Hill became known as "The Empire Builder". He died in his beautiful home in St. Paul in 1916.

St. Paul has many other attractions, including the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, The Fitzgerald Theater (Home of Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion show), Twin City Model Railroad Museum, Science Museum of Minnesota, Minnesota State Capitol, Minnesota History Center, and ST. PAUL CATHEDRAL:

The Cathedral of Saint Paul, one of the most distinctive cathedrals in the United States, sits on Cathedral Hill overlooking downtown St. Paul. It is at the beginning of Summit Avenue (see above). The interior is illuminated by 24 stained glass windows featuring angelic choirs, and also a rose window. There are statues of four evangelists in the four corners of its main pier. The cathedral has six chapels In 1987 five bronze bells cast in France were acquired. Normally open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.