It was great to see everyone this year. For those of you who couldn’t make it…we missed you! Thanks to all who helped–setting up the room–thanks sis, Linda Krogwold, and Mallak cousins. Thanks, Nick Vetter, for your Pub Crawl and for the Bus Tour! Thanks to Cheryl Vetter Ustipak who did the booklet update. If you were unable to attend or didn’t get a copy I will email the file in another separate email.

Thanks also, Mary Alvey, for the use of your Lap-top and the set-up of the slide show! Anne and Sean Gregg–the T-shirts again were great! And a special thanks to my Mom-Cora (Gruny)Gianoli who made 80 banana nut muffins for the hospitality Room!!!

I think everyone agreed it was fun to have the reunion in a different venue for a change. Minneapolis is a beautiful city! Here are some items of interest:

• Auction: This year we made $786.00-our most of any years! Thank you everyone. Not all the bills are in yet-but it looks like we may have about $100 surplus. Thanks to everyone who brought items and bid on them! Thanks Little Jo Hernandez for being a great new Auctioneer–and those ladies on the sofa, Linda, Kay, and Julie for computing it all.
• Pictures: Please send all your pictures to Mary Alvey at mb_alvey@yahoo.com (There is an underscore between mb and alvey).Mary will post them on the Gottung Website so all can look at them there. We’ll try to get pictures on there for the 2009 reunion, too!
• List of Attendees: There were a few mistakes on the list that I’ve discovered. If there are any you see please do send to me so I can correct and we have the right info. I hope to eventually make a master list of all those who have attended and are part of the Gottung Clan.
• Evaluations: For those who attended this year and for those who did not–please fill out the attached Evaluation and send to me or just make some comments in a reply email. For 2013-we need a committee to work on the reunion. A number of folks have been talking about Portland for 2013 where Mary Alvey and Kay Heiney and families live. What do you think? You can mail the evaluation too-to my address: Sandy Smith 3604 Aspen Dr. West Des Moines, IA 50265

Thanks everyone…be in touch!

Bloomington/Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota

July 22, 23, 24-2011

FRIDAY, July 22, 2011

2-6 PM: Registration-Comfort Inn Lobby

Get your free T-shirt and gift bag.  Sign the Guestbook.  Reacquaint with family.

6:15-Bus leaves  for Friday Fun night dinner in Minneapolis. (Dutch Treat)              Location TBA.

8:30: Evening choices

• PUB CRAWL begins. Pub Crawl folks dropped off at their first stop after dinner. Bus rejoins Pub Crawl group. 12:30-Pub Crawl ends. Bus returns to Hotel.

• Gottung Hospitality Room open for Refreshments, card playing, Photo Show, display of Auction items

SATURDAY, July 23, 2011

7-10 AM: Hotel Deluxe Continental Breakfast-Free

9:00-noon–Reunion Hospitality Room open. Coffee,Social, Displays, Photo Show

12:00: Bus departure from Hotel for Minneapolis tour and Minnestota Twins Baseball game

• 12:00-2:00-Bus Tour of Minneapolis –Your guide, Nick Vetter.
• 2:30-Bus to Hotel to pick up Baseball Game folks not on tour
• 3:10-Minnesota Twins Vs. Detroit Tigers (Target Stadium)

6:00 (Approximate): Bus Trip back to Hotel.

DINNER ON YOUR OWN

8:30:  AUCTION!!! Hospitality Room

SUNDAY, July 24, 2011

7-10 AM: Hotel Deluxe Continental Breakfast-Free

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN

12-1:30 PM-Minneapolis Queen River Boat Ride. Bus leaves 11:00-returns (est.) 2 PM

Afternoon/Evening: Hospitality Room open-Visiting, Cards, saying goodbyes…

___________________________________________________________________________

• Schedule subject to change….
• The Bus will be available to take those folks who would like to go to Mass on Sunday morning

It will be easier for me to have the registration done this way i.e. listing together the different activities.

Our 2011 Reunion is not far off – only two months.

Here is a tentative schedule of events. The Registration form will be sent to you in several days. Be looking for it!

This reunion is very different from previous years so I have a few very important notes below for you to read:

• Hotel: Comfort Inn Bloomington. A block of rooms in the name of “Gottung Reunion” have been reserved. Two Queens or a King room will be only $79.99/room. Free shuttle service to the Mall of America and the Airport.
• All the reunion activities are optional. If you just want to go shopping and stay near the hotel of course that is fine. But, nobody can miss the auction!
• Auction Saturday night: If you’ve never come to the auction, it is great fun, family time. Bring the kids – they love it. The reunion depends on it to help defray costs. Think of an item that can be auctioned off. People have brought homemade fudge, souvenirs from their city, dried delicious herbs, new toys for the kids, crocheted items, etc. The young Mallak cousins (under age 12) from Michigan have even done their own art work and made homemade soaps to be auctioned off.
• I have contracted with Lamers bus lines of Wausau again. They know us! They are willing to take folks even on side trips of interest.
• I have reserved a Minneapolis Queen River boat Cruise for Sunday at Noon – 1:30. Back to hotel about 2. This will be a neat thing to do if you can schedule it before you leave.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend. Be looking for the registration letter.

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Spring is here and the Gottung Reunion in the Minneapolis area is not that far away

I will be sending out the Reunion Registration costs, final agenda, etc. once I factor in & try to predict costs, etc. This year’s activities again are optional&thisp;– as they always have been. I will be having folks pay a basic registration fee which will have to cover the use of the bus for the entire weekend plus other costs, T-Shirts, hospitality Room, etc. (our Hospitality Room costs will be much less which is great.) All the other activities will be paid for À la carte: Baseball tickets, Friday dinner, and Sunday boat ride.

Here is a tentative schedule and some updates that I wanted to get out to you so you have a framework of time to draw from to plan work/travel/flight schedules.

Tentative Schedule

Friday

• Registration at Hotel: Afternoon
• Get-Acquainted Dinner at a fun Twin Cities spot: TBA 6:30 – 8 pm
• Pub Crawl organized by our own Nick Vetter of the Twin Cities. He will have a tour of all the best spots in the city: After the dinner

Saturday

• Guided bus tour of Minneapolis by Nick Vetter: Noon
• Baseball game: 3:10 pm
• Dinner on your own
• Reunion auction: evening

Sunday

• Mississippi Paddle Boat Ride 2 – 3:30 pm

Minnesota Twins Baseball Game: Saturday, July 23 3:10 pm

I recently received confirmation of our request for 45 tickets. The Group Sales Office informed me that all group requests are sold out as this is a Premium game. Our group area will be in the Field Terrace area – a different area than we requested. We will be in stadium seats and the cost is less – $24 per ticket. Again, children who are 30 inches in height or less are admitted free (measuring under the turnstile). The registration information you will be receiving later will tell you how to pay for tickets. Up to this time I have received 29 requests for tickets. Sixteen (16) are left. If you are interested let me know ASAP.

Sunday Mississippi Paddle Boat Ride on the Minneapolis Queen: 2 pm – 3:30 pm

I have decided to schedule just a boat ride, with no Brunch. I think it is important that there is free time Sunday morning for shopping, church, enjoying the free breakfast at the hotel, etc.

Shopping Update

The hotel, Comfort Inn of Bloomington, that we are using as our base, is only 2 minutes from the Mall of America and 2 minutes from IKEA. They are just across the road from each other.

Bus Information

The bus rental is most important this year! For you folks living in the Twin Cities area, the bus will pick you up at a couple of points for Friday night, the baseball game, etc. if you prefer not to gather at the hotel in Bloomington. I have been working with Lamers Bus Service out of Mosinee–our longtime ‘Gottung Reunion carrier” and they again will be our transportation. They know us and have by far given us the best price-just under $1000 for the entire weekend. Carriers in MN were near double that cost.

That’s all for now folks! More later…

In approximately one week they will notify me if my request can be accommodated. I have requested those tickets for the Field Terrace Level. That price is $26 per ticket.

Children who are 30 inches in height or less are admitted free (measuring under the turnstile). There are no other cuts for prices. This is considered a Premium game and tickets are very difficult to get.

So – I will notify everyone once I hear from the Twins Group Sales office. I anticipate that I will have folks remit their ticket payment to me. However, I will send those details once I have final confirmation.

I do hope that we will be able to get the full amount requested. It will be a great time!

There are still so many of you who have not responded. We will be having our own bus that will take the majority of folks right up to the stadium. So let me know if you want to be counted. We don’t want to disappoint the 24 that have already responded.

Please contact me if you have other questions.

To date, we have 19 signed up for the Minnesota Twins Game on Saturday afternoon, July 23. We need a minimum of 25 to receive the group rate, etc.

C’mon everybody – let’s have a fun afternoon at the baseball park. Six or seven more folks is all we need – preferably more. I need to have further commitments to me by the end of next week. (Just FYI – there will be no other activity planned during that time period on Saturday afternoon).

Vetter cousins: If you have been unable to attend the reunions in past years – we are in Minneapolis this year to make it convenient for many of you. We do hope that you will be part of this fun weekend. Sign up for the baseball game – we need you

Hope to hear from you!

I’ve been in contact with the Twins’ Group Sales office. They highly recommend that if we want to purchase group tickets – which are cheaper, also with no service fee – that has to be done before march 19th. Group blocks are for 25 or more people. Average cost is $20.00/ticket. I will be happy to arrange the group event if I receive a commitment from 25 of you.

If we don’t have a group of 25, folks can order on their own.They also recommend that just for single tickets – those be purchased far in advance. Twins tickets are very popular up there and this date’s game is considered a premium game. Tickets go on sale for the summer on March 19th.

So let me know asap if you want to go!

Here are a few things that make it a good choice for our reunion:

• Our “Gottung Reunion” block of Rooms – (Two Queens or a King) will be only $79.99/room. Reservations can now be made.
• Swimming Pool/Courtyard
• Outback Restaurant is adjoining
• Free hot, full breakfast
• Within walking distance of the Mall of America.
• Free shuttle service to the Mall of America and the Airport

There are numerous other hotels nearby such as the Courtyard by Marriott and the Radisson, which has a water park. They are pretty much just around the corner from there if those would be preferred by folks.

As in previous years, we will be having a bus which will transport us to all activities.

Tentative activities – of course all are optional:

• Friday night Polka Restaurant!
• Nick Vetter will give a bus tour of the Twin Cities on Saturday and later will take those interested on a Pub Crawl of special micro brewery places, etc.
• Minnesota Twins baseball game vs. Detroit – Saturday afternoon (I will be sending a separate email about this as tickets will have to be purchased by mid March to insure availability)
• Sunday River Boat Brunch
• Shopping at the Mall of America

Other Information/Registration information will be forthcoming.

See you all July 22 – 24!