Women at the State Fair Issue
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Minnesota Women’s Press, August 2014 1 Changing the Universe through Women’s Stories Women at the State Fair issue Secrets from a blue-ribbon canner Radical seed art The ‘butterhead’ murder mystery Mama Lou: American Strong Woman DEBRA FISHER GOLDSTEIN DEBRA AUGUST 2014 Volume 30, Issue 8 www.womenspress.com 2 MinnesotaYOUTH Women’s PERFORMANCE Press, August 2014 COMPANY PRESENTS OUR 2014 – 2015 SEASON : Uproarious Halloween fun for the whole family! The world’s Dra uaWritten by Milo Enders most famous vampire finally c l changes for the better in this e ic l th mus a Oct 10 – Nov 1, 2014 hilarious musical spoof of the Dracula story. A Charlie Brown Experience everyone’s favorite television special in a live theatrical setting, complete with the timeless Christmas music of Vince Guaraldi. Join Charlie Brown, Lucy, Dec 5 – 21, 2014 Snoopy and friends in the search for the true meaning By Charles M. Schulz • Based on the television special by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson • Stage Adaptation by Eric Schaeffer of Christmas! By Special Arrangement with Arthur Whitelaw and Ruby Persson The stories of a Jewish girl in Home on the WW II Germany and a young runaway slave in the deep South in the early 1800s are Mornin’ Train intertwined in this remarkable play that brings history to life. February 6 – 22, 2015 By Kim Hines Pecos Bill May 1 – 17, 2015 Join us for this series of adventures in American Folklore, with legendary heroes Paul Bunyan, & Other Tall Tales Pecos Bill, Slue-Foot Sue, Annie Christmas, Written by Milo Enders Pilly Flapjack and many more! Performance Location youthperformanceco.org Howard Conn Fine Arts Center (Free Parking) 612.623.9080 1900 Nicollet Avenue Minneapolis Minnesota Women’s Press, August 2014 3 Changing the Universe through Women’s Stories Women at the State Fair issue DEBRA FISHER GOLDSTEIN DEBRA CONTACTUS 651-646-3968 email: [email protected] www.womenspress.com Send a letter to the editor [email protected] Subscribe [email protected] Advertise [email protected] Suggest a story idea [email protected] Enter your online calendar listing at www.womenspress.com, click on Calendar, then “add event” 20 Join book activities [email protected] MWPSTAFF Publishers/Editors Kathy Magnuson, Norma Smith Olson AARON LINDBERG AARON CARRIE HARTMAN CARRIE Contributors Shannon Drury, Delma J. Francis, Betsy Gabler, Lori Hamilton, Carrie Hartman, Jessica Lourey, Nancy B. Olsen, Jennifer Thaney, Sarah Whiting, Judy Woodward 15 22 Cover Artist Debra Fisher Goldstein Design Norma Smith Olson Advertising Sales Michele Holzwarth, FEATURES GOSEEDO Kathy Magnuson, Ashlee Moser THINKABOUTIT ....................................6 COVERARTIST .................................... 20 Accounting Fariba Sanikhatam “Stop the Beauty Madness” ... and more Debra Fisher Goldstein’s big gig Operations Kari Larson STATEFAIRFEATURE ......................... 8 GOSEEDO/CALENDAR ...................... 24 Founding Publishers Mollie Hoben, Secrets of the top canner and a judge Women at the Fringe ... and more Glenda Martin PROFILE ................................................10 Our mission is to tell women’s stories in READERSWRITE Brooke Blakey: raised at the fair ways that create community and encourage YOURTHOUGHTS ........................5 & 28 change. The Minnesota Women’s Press is PROFILE ................................................18 Readers share State Fair moments distributed free at 500 locations. To find Teresa Anderson: radical seed artist one near you, visit www.womenspress.com BOOKSHELF .........................................12 and click on “get a copy” or call 651-646- WORDSANDPICTURES .................... 22 The “butterhead” murder mystery Mama Lou: American Strong Woman 3968. Subscriptions are available by first ADVERTISINGSECTIONS class mail: $52 for one-year Fan Commu- EDUCATIONFEATURE ...................... 30 nity membership (includes email updates, How to pick a women-friendly college invitation to community gathering, free copy of BookWomen magazine); $28 for a basic COLUMNISTS WOMENGOING one-year subscription, $53 for two years. PLACESGUIDE ............13 THISISSUE .............................................4 GOSEEDOGUIDE ........24 ©2014 by Minnesota Women’s Press, Inc. Many faces of women at the fair All rights reserved. ISSN #1085-2603. SHESAID .............................................. 32 EDUCATIONGUIDE ...29 MINNESOTA WOMEN’S PRESS, INC. Shannon Drury enters her baked goods 970 RAYMOND AVE., STE. 201, CLASSIFIEDADS.......34 ST. PAUL, MN 55114 ACTNOW .............................................. 38 WWW.WOMENSPRESS.COM Step right up! Condoms on a stick! 4 Minnesota Women’s Press, August 2014 THISISSUE NORMASMITHOLSON Many faces of women at the fair KATHYMAGNUSON “It did take some courage to come, knowing that I might be the only lady delegate.” Jessie Walkup’s statement was recorded in the minutes of the Minnesota State Fair’s annual report. In 1912, she was the first woman delegate to serve on the Minnesota Agricultural Society’s board, representing Pipestone County. The first State Fair had been held in 1859, nearly 50 years earlier. In 1912, the Minnesota Women’s “Many Faces of Women.” A perform- Suffrage group had a booth at the fair. ing-arts festival was held in the evening Perhaps, not a surprise, there was also that featured women acting, singing, an anti-suffrage booth. reciting poetry and dancing. In this August issue, we share stories A highlight for Hawthorne was the and memories of women at the Great dedication of a large steel sculpture by September’s theme is “business- Minnesota Get-Together. When we Katherine Nash in honor of IWY. Nash women doing good.” How have you asked our readers to send their favorite was a professor of sculpture in what seen women in business be a force memories of the fair, Terri Berthiaume was then the University of Minnesota’s for good? Tell us a story in 150 words Hawthorne wrote recalling Women’s Studio Arts Department. “The plan- or less. Equality Day at the fair on Aug. 26, 1975, ning group decided we’d like to have Send to [email protected] which celebrated something that memorialized this in a Deadline: Aug. 10 women getting permanent way,” Hawthorne says. The September advertising sections: the right to vote sculpture stood on a pedestal outside of • Elder Guide and marked the fair’s administration building until • Grrrrls Go Green Guide International about six years ago, when it was moved • Spirituality Guide Women’s Year to the far northeast corner of the fair- • GoSeeDo Guide (IWY). grounds near the campground. Deadline: Aug. 10 “It was one of While there were conferences and the first times we other events happening around the Watch for the Minnesota Women’s came together in United States in 1975, to Hawthorne’s Directory with the September issue. a big group on knowledge, Minnesota was the only feminist issues,” state to choose this format. “I think it October’s theme is “politics as Hawthorne told says something about Minnesota and personal.” What issue caused you to the Women’s the fair — that it really is our great com- attend a political rally? What was Press of the ing together,” she says. your experience and what difference women’s efforts You can read Hawthorne’s prose poem did it make? Send up to 150 words to from nearly about the event on page 28, along with [email protected] 40 years ago. her 12-year-old granddaughter’s short The sculpture represents the Deadline: Sept. 10 fractured continents of the world. Hawthorne was poem about her State Fair memories. October advertising sections: The surface of the steel has been the co-chair of a Women at the fair are showcased in • Health Guide burnished to show scars and wars. planning group this issue — Brooke Blakey, the fair’s • Home Guide The pieces are joined together by for the day’s public information officer; Shirley • Voting Guide a pillar which is women coming events, working Barber, longtime food competition • Women and Pets Guide together to work for peace, with 32 women’s judge; Barb Schaller, top prizewinner • GoSeeDo Guide equality and development among organizations. of blue ribbons for her canned goods; Deadline: Sept. 10 people of the world. “It was a moment Teresa Anderson, radical crop artist, — words on the Katherine Nash of real coopera- and Mama Lou, Strong Woman. sculpture’s plaque tion and excite- When you go to the fair, bring along ment,” she says. Carrie Hartman’s illustrated map of Women bagpipers led the day’s women’s sites at the fair (see page 15). events. Mary Anderson, Gov. Wendell See if you can find Katherine Nash’s Anderson’s wife, presided over the “Year of the Woman” sculpture. opening ceremonies. Parade march- ers wore yellow sashes, honoring the and early suffragists. Banners with the IWY Co-Publishers symbol were carried in the parade and displayed throughout the day. The 4-H girls staged a presentation called the Minnesota Women’s Press, August 2014 5 YOURTHOUGHTS Each month we ask our readers to respond to a question. For August we asked: What’s your amazing or amusing, unusual or unforgettable State Fair moment? See more on page 28 and online at www.womenspress.com. A family tradition The fair’s cleanup fairies My first Minnesota State Fair was on a Sunday night I was a 4-Her who had stayed in the dorm at the fair in August of 1947. My mother went into labor during the several times. After graduation, I worked for the state fireworks. I was born 24 hours later. Extension Office and at fair time, our job was to regis- My husband and I attended the fair on a cool and misty ter all the animals. We again slept in the dorms, but our day 39 years later. After seeing Will Steger and his lead days were very long. Every night as we’d head back from sled dog at the grandstand, we rode the Ferris wheel. As the barn area to the 4-H building, the fairgrounds were we revolved over the fairgrounds, we talked about our a mess of paper — trash was all over from the 100,000 hopes for an adoptive daughter.