Mr. Winkle,

I am a native of Alexandria, Minnesota.  I graduated from it's (only) high
school in 1975.  I also have two years of museology under my belt from JFK
University.  I would be happy to give you more info.  To entice you, let me
say that I visited the museum in 1960s as a school child and saw the stone
displayed in a bullet-proof case  on a pedestal which would automatically
drop the precious artifact into a vault under the floor in the event anyone
tried to break into the case.  A local, self-taught historian visited my
classroom when I was in fifth grade to present her evidence that the stone
is authentic.  She is on a crusade to disprove the (infidel) experts.

I have a photo of myself seated at the foot of "Big Ole"; he's the large
statue of a Viking outside the Runestone Museum.  Big Ole's shield proclaims

                            Alexandria
                         Birthplace of
                             America

A classmate, the grandnephew of the finder of the stone defensively claimed
in my social studies class, about 1973, that his relative was an honest man
and never would have pulled a hoax.  The stone represents precious tourist
dollars to this farming region.

I'll be traveling to my hometown on Saturday, April 4.  Would you like me to
do any asking around or other legwork for you?  Let me know.

Museologically yours,

Diane J. Peterson
Survey Assistant II
Science Museum of Minnesota

612-653-4385