Women & Wheels

Minnesota Women’s Press, June 2014 1 Changing the Universe through Women’s Stories Women & wheels issue Green Line geek Women on Harleys Crank Sisters Grease Rag Too afraid JENNIFER DAVIS to drive? Transit as a feminist issue JUNE 2014 Volume 30, Issue 6 www.womenspress.com 2 Minnesota Women’s Press, June 2014 CELEBRATING THE STRENGTH IN ALL WOMEN 7th Annual Women’s Triathlon Sunday, August 17, 2014 Lake Nokomis, Minneapolis, Minnesota 500 yard swim/15.5 mile bike/5k(3.1 mile) run/walk Individuals, buddies, family teams, and relays Register or Volunteer: ywcampls.org/womenstri The Power to Soar TM Minnesota Women’s Press, June 2014 3 18 Changing the Universe through Women’s Stories Women & wheels issue CONTACTUS 651-646-3968 24 email: [email protected] www.womenspress.com Send a letter to the editor [email protected] Subscribe [email protected] Advertise [email protected] 10 Suggest a story idea [email protected] Enter your online calendar listing at www.womenspress.com, click on Calendar, then “add event” Join book activities [email protected] READERSWRITE MWPSTAFF YOUSAID .................................................5 Publishers/Editors Letters from MWP readers Kathy Magnuson, Norma Smith Olson YOURTHOUGHTS ..................................5 Contributors Readers give themselves a green light Mary Auge, Tami Mohamed Brown, Rose BOOKSHELF .........................................12 Hollermann, Hilal Isler, Emily A. King, Diane Wilson: Medicine Wheel wisdom Nicole Melancon, Nancy B. Olsen, Beth FEATURES YOURSTORY......................................... 15 L. Podtburg, Peggy Prowe, Cailin Rogers, THINKABOUTIT ....................................6 Amber Schult, Jennifer Thaney, Sarah Foot face-lifts, child brides ... and more The Northfield Pedalers ride again Whiting, Diane Wilson, Ann Yin YOURSTORY......................................... 18 Cover Artist Jennifer Davis PROFILE .................................................8 Rose Hollermann: “Wheely” good sport Design Norma Smith Olson Christina Morrison: Green Line geek YOURSTORY......................................... 19 Advertising Sales Michele Holzwarth, PROFILE ................................................10 Hilal Isler: Too afraid to drive? Kathy Magnuson, Ashlee Moser Cathy Heying: Called to car repair Accounting Fariba Sanikhatam BOOKSHELF ........................................ 27 WHEELSFEATURE ..............................16 Operations Kari Larson Nicole Melancon’s literary world tour Founding Publishers Mollie Hoben, Women on Harleys Glenda Martin ONYOURMIND .................................... 33 COLUMNISTS Locavore Ann Yin: Women food artisans Our mission is to tell women’s stories in ways that create community and encourage change. THISISSUE .............................................4 ONYOURMIND .................................... 34 The Minnesota Women’s Press is distributed Wheeled women Cailin Rogers: Transit, a feminist issue free at 500 locations. To find one near you, SHESAID .............................................. 30 visit www.womenspress.com and click on Tami Mohamed Brown’s heart matters “get a copy” or call 651-646-3968. Subscrip- ADVERTISINGSECTIONS tions are available by first class mail: LEADERVOICE ..................................... 31 $52 for one-year Fan Community member- Crank Sisters empowers girls ELDERGUIDE...............13 ship (includes email updates, invitation to ACTNOW .............................................. 38 community gathering, free copy of Book- GOSEEDOGUIDE ........20 Women magazine); $28 for a basic one-year Grease Rag: Compassionate bike space WOMENGOING subscription, $53 for two years. PLACESGUIDE ...........26 ©2014 by Minnesota Women’s Press, Inc. GOSEEDO All rights reserved. ISSN #1085-2603. FOODANDDRINK GOSEEDO/CALENDAR ...................... 20 GUIDE ...........................32 MINNESOTA WOMEN’S PRESS, INC. Pride events, Northrop dance ... & more 970 RAYMOND AVE., STE. 201, CLASSIFIEDADS.......35 ST. PAUL, MN 55114 COVERARTIST .................................... 24 WWW.WOMENSPRESS.COM Jennifer Davis: Carousels and critters 4 Minnesota Women’s Press, June 2014 THISISSUE NORMASMITHOLSON Wheeled women KATHYMAGNUSON As the driver’s-side door flew off her car with Kathy sitting in it, we had already planned our “women and wheels” theme for this June issue. The crash happened in an instant. As she looked at the crumpled door on the road, she realized that if a moment later, it could have been her body crumpled on the road. Do you know how your heart thump-thumps in those moments? With four individuals involved and two cars towed away, it was a miracle, really, that no one was hurt. Some lessons relearned that after- ture. Wheels can make it easier to be noon: Life is precious. Things are in charge, to go places, to do things. replaceable, people are not. People are When we suddenly lose that source of kind. As Kathy sat in the rain in her independence, how do we choose to crumpled car’s back seat waiting for respond to that? How do we recognize Coming up: the police to come, so many strangers other sources of independence and get July’s theme is “winning and losing” walking by stopped to ask if she was things done? and we’re asking: When was a time OK, if they could sit In this issue — with a collection of that you won or lost and what did “[Learning bike with her while she with or without wheels stories — we that mean to you? Send up to 150 mechanics] empow- waited, if they could share alternatives about how women words to [email protected] bring her a cup of can get around. To celebrate the open- Deadline: June 10 ers you to do things tea or a sandwich ing of the Green Line on June 14 — July advertising sections: on your own. It gives from the coffee shopconnecting the downtowns of St. Paul • Celebrate Your Independents — down the block. you knowledge and Minneapolis — we profile local Buy Local Guide Lessons relearned blogger Christina Morrison, a self-pro- • Health Guide and vocabulary. over the next few claimed light-rail geek. In addition, we • Women and Pets Guide Feeling conﬁdent weeks included the share stories of a woman who became • GoSeeDo Guide knowledge that a car mechanic for social justice, the Deadline: June 10 and empowered can owning a car makes Crank Sisters on girls and bicycles, translate to other one a person of Harley riders, a wheelchair basket- What would August in Minnesota be without the State Fair? What’s your parts of your life.” privilege. The abil- ball Paralympian, bicycle maintenance ity to replace a options and overcoming fears of learn- amazing, unforgettable State Fair — Julia Winkels car is a privilege. ing to drive. moment? Send up to 150 words to Read more on page 38 Having a work- When was a time you gave yourself [email protected] ing bike is a privi- a green light? Have you taken a right Deadline: July 10 lege. Perceptions of time and distance turn on the road of life? Have you August advertising sections: can shift. Places are not as far away as been spinning your wheels? When the • Education and Lifelong Learning you think they are and it doesn’t take wheels are turning in your head, are Guide as much time as you’d think when you an armchair traveler? Whatever • Women Going Places Guide you bike or walk to your destination. “wheeled” metaphor you would • GoSeeDo Guide Getting caught in the rain on a bike can choose to describe yourself, we hope Deadline: July 10 be fun if it is warm enough outside. The this issue gets your wheels turning. perception of what is a big deal — and what is not — has also shifted. and Our wheels create a certain kind of independence in our car-centric cul- Co-Publishers Could she be your client? if your advertising message is in The Minnesota Women’s Directory YES, See details on inside back cover or http://bit.ly/1dH4NLn Minnesota Women’s Press, June 2014 5 YOUSAID YOURTHOUGHTS What Women Want Each month we ask our readers to respond to a question. For June we I enjoyed reading the “What Women Want” asked: When were you glad you gave yourself a green light? See more article. [MWP Feature story, May, 2014] It was responses online at www.womenspress.com. light-hearted and helpful. There were places I Saying ‘NO’ to fear had never heard of and I think this article did When I was 38, I decided to rescue an abandoned B.A. The university a great job of calling out specific places women was daunting, the drive downtown challenging and I was phobic about may like. public speaking. I clung to a Kierkegaard quote: “To venture is to risk I think the kind of sto- GOTANOPINION? anxiety, but not to venture is to lose yourself.” ries covered in Women’s Like something in MWP? I created a bumper sticker: “The Little Engine That Could is a SHE!” Press are exactly what Or disagree? I went the wrong way on a one-way street near the university and sur- the community needs in We want to hear from you. vived. Practice made speaking in front of classmates easier. It helped that order to have our fingers they were 18 years younger. I became stimulated rather than intimidated on the pulse of the com- Write to editor@ by tall buildings, skyways and subterranean corridors. “Yes!” became munity, and the success womenspress.com. Include stronger than fear. women in it have. I enjoy your name, address and Whenever anxiety tightened me, I drew tiny wheels on notebooks or reading so many of the phone number for veriﬁca- in the margins of test papers. That calmed me. Those wheels and my old feature stories, because tion. Letters are assumed they are informative, car got me through the green light I gave myself. I went on to finish my to be for publication and Ph.D. at age 50. helpful and interesting! may be edited for length Sherry Machen, Plymouth As a young woman, I and clarity. think it is very important Not a mom to have a community of I gave myself the green light in my 20s to not be a mother. Women women to look at, read about, and keep in touch need to understand that this is a choice, that motherhood is a lifetime, with, in order to have strong community.

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