July 8, 2007 - July 14, 2007

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The Queen of the Lakes goes to war

Filed under: Iraq

A queen trades her gown for camo | courtesy of Jessica Chayer

When Jessica Chayer (née Gaulke) was crowned Queen of the Lakes at the 2006 Aquatennial, she anticipated that her year-long reign would culminate at the Ten Best Days of Summer celebration where she would pass on her crown to her successor. Her service to the Aquatennial Ambassador Organization came to a halt however when her National Guard unit was called up for a different type of service in Iraq. After representing the Aquatennial in the Rose Bowl and turning her crown over to Jenna Berhhardson, Chayer headed to Fort Sill, Oklahoma where she will be stationed until her deployment in August. She took a few minutes out of her training to talk to City Pages.

CP: How did you start doing pageants?

JC: My sister had run the year before me for Ms. Robinsdale and got crowned the Robbinsdale princess. I saw that she was meeting a lot of friends and having a good time and it just opened her to a whole world and I figured I would try it out and I did. I guess they're not really considered pageants, they're more scholarship programs.

CP: What was the highlight of your time as Queen of the Lakes?

JC: I would definitely say it was just meeting people. The Commodore [the Queen of the Lake's escort] also gives his award to volunteers at all of the coronations and festivals we went to. And just the amazing things that people do for each other and their community and the state, it's just unbelievable. So I think meeting those people and learning what they do for the city and the state was probably the most rewarding.

CP: What skills do being Queen of the Lakes and a member of the National Guard have in common?

JC: Definitely working with people from all over. As Queen of the Lakes, you're going around to different communities and communicating with different people. Here a unit from Washington joined our National Guard unit from Minnesota and also a group of people from Hawaii is joining us and when we ship overseas, we're joining a unit from Germany. We have a whole mesh of people that are from all over the place. And just working together as a team also is something that's in common. Not only was there a queen, but there were two princesses and then we each had kind of an escort. I had the commodore and then there were the captains that escorted the princesses.

CP: Did your fellow Queen of the Lakes contestants give you a hard time about being in the National Guard?

JC: No. I mean, I think people were kind of taken aback when they didn't know and then they found out. I think they were kind of like, "wow." I think that's why this has become huge publicity—because it's two ends of the spectrum of, as you say, beauty queen and army woman or whatever. I hope I put the word out that it's doable and you can be involved in whatever as long as you give it a hundred percent.

CP: How did being Queen of the Lakes prepare you for your training and deployment?

JC: I would say more so the Guard prepared me for Queen of the Lakes. I've been in the Guard for almost 6 years now. In the Guard when you learn things and you go to school for things, then you go back and you teach your unit those tasks. So I would say getting up in front of large crowds and speaking and also just being an individual because going away to basic training when I was 17 years old was kind of a huge shock to me—as I'm sure it would be to many people—going somewhere where you know nobody and a new environment, so I think that's kind of prepared me for a lot in my life.

CP: What's been the toughest thing about your National Guard training?

JC: I would say just being away from home, friends, and family. It's physically demanding and mentally and emotionally and everything—everyone has a difficult time being a way from home. And just the luxuries of home, things that you don't think of as being luxuries of just being able to eat when you want and being able to go to sleep when you're tired and the privacy and things like that.

CP: What will your duties in Iraq be?

JC: As of right now I will be a generator mechanic.

CP: What is it about serving as a National Guardswoman or serving in Iraq that's so important to you that you'd be willing to make those sorts of sacrifices?

JC: That's probably one of the hardest questions to answer. I don't know. I think people either have it or they don't. It's so hard to explain the feeling. It means so much that we have the freedoms we do and can wear we want and say the things we want. I think freedom is why I do it..

CP: Do your fellow guardsmen and woman give you a hard time about being a "beauty queen"?

JC: Yeah. I get my fair share. If you ask me, it's good ‘cause then I push myself more and kind of prove myself back to them.

CP: What is going to be the hardest part about leaving for Iraq?

JC: I mean, obviously it's going to be difficult going into a war zone. I don't know. I would say again being away from home. My love is growing for the state of Minnesota, that's for sure—just the climate and the familiarities. You're kind of going into a whole new world of not just surroundings but people. It'll definitely be a change.

The Aquatennial History exhibit at the Hennepin History Museum will feature Chayer (and her gown) during the Aquatennial celebrations. $4; free Saturday July 14. 2303 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612.870.1329. Through July 22.

Posted by Rhena Tantisunthorn at July 13, 2007 2:53 PM | Comments (6)

 

Twin Cities grandmothers take to Nicollet Mall to protest the war

Filed under: Iraq

As downtown suits, shoppers, and workers flooded onto the streets for their lunch breaks late Thursday morning, a group of some 50 people (mostly women, many grandmothers) from Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) marched down Nicollet Mall to protest against the war in Iraq. Their goal, according to organizer Carol Masters, was to "bring attention to the war." The group chose downtown at lunchtime, hoping to make the pro-peace movement more visible to people they may not typically meet.

They chanted as they walked, ("No more death. No more dollars. Bring the troops home now!") and banged on drums, pots, and Tupperware containers. The response on the street was, according to marcher Mary Ellen Halderson, "very positive. There were no insults, no middle fingers. It confirms that they're thinking 'pro-peace.'" Many on-lookers accepted the yellow leaflets the women were handing out, and when WAMM founding member Polly Mann stopped to tell teenaged boys the reason for the protest was so youngsters wouldn't have to serve in the military, some said "I know" and nodded their heads. By-stander David Wright thought the protest was effective. "It's the most basic thing that people can do—to get together and make noise. It's a good place to start."

Mann compared the role that the women were playing to a mother duck flapping her wings at her chicks. The mother duck is "going crazy," Mann explained. "And you don't know why and then you look over there and there's a fox. We're trying to save the world from corporations. We're not sure [if it's going to work] but we have to do something." She paused to hand WAMM cards to a group of men in suits outside of Masa, but they shook their heads. "Don't you want to be enlightened?" she asked. "I'm enlightened in my own way," one responded. Mann shrugged and walked away, a mother duck momentarily defeated by a fox, before spotting another group of diners to enlighten.

Posted by Rhena Tantisunthorn at July 13, 2007 12:45 PM | Comments (1)

 

7/13 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Diablo Cody is featured in the August issue of Playboy. Details at Culture To Go.

Check out Drunk Girls and Dissonant Toys, the artwork of Ben Moore and Telos, in our gallery section.

We're adding new articles like DVD and game reviews every day. Use our Recent Article RSS feed to check for new content:

THESE DAYS

Governments could save thousands of lives by introducing a 'fat tax' on unhealthy foods, a group of Oxford University scientists reported in the journal Epidemiol Community Health.

Arizona lawmakers voted to enact new laws designed to stop the sale of anti-war T-shirts with the names of dead soldiers—a measure a veteran media lawyer says is "unconstitutional about three or four different ways."

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Merlin's Rest is a newish bar and restaurant on Lake Street. Keep informed about single-malt Scotch tastings, folk jams, and kilt nights at their blog.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Can you tell the difference between a jam band fan and a member of the Taliban?

Aaron Schwarz has decided to change his name and wants the public's help. If he picks the name you offer, you get $25,000.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Frankly, Michael Moore is an example of why the health care system costs so much in this country. He clearly is one of the reasons that we have a very expensive system."

— Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who lost more than 110 pounds after being diagnosed with diabetes, admonishing the Sicko director for his obesity

Posted by Corey Anderson at July 13, 2007 6:16 AM | Comments (3)

 

7/12 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Nick Drake's Family Tree, Earth Defense Force 2017, and The Henry Rollins Show: Season 1 are all featured in this week's Culture Jamming by Michael Gallucci.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Askeleton, the Hopefuls, Chris Koza, M.anifest, the Plastic Constellations, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

According to the 2007 World Drug Report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Canada has the honor of leading the industrialized world in marijuana use.

Dead bodies frequently pulled from the River Tigris have dulled the Iraqi capital's appetite for the popular dish of grilled carp after it was reported that clerics had warned that the fish dined on rotting corpses.

A contraceptive implant for dogs that halts testosterone and sperm production for months at a time is expected to gain European approval within weeks.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Kate is a retired educator who photo-blogs our local bridges and rivers, as well as the dinosaurs that have popped up around town at ExtraExtra.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Top 10 Most Memorable Movie Cars from cars.com

The oldest people in the world

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"He just said July the 6th and I assumed it was this year because if you tell the guy July 6th, they're going to think it's this year."

— Toronto teacher Dave Barclay, after flying to Cardiff, Wales, last week to attend the July 6, 2008 wedding of his friend Dave Best

Posted by Corey Anderson at July 12, 2007 9:00 AM | Comments (1)

 

Blotter going offline while we move servers

Filed under: City Pages

The Blotter will be moving to another server beginning Wednesday afternoon. We hope to begin updating within 24 hours. Thanks for your patience.

The Management

Photo from I Can Has Cheezburger?

Posted by Corey Anderson at July 11, 2007 2:51 PM | Comments (0)

 

What would a lawyer do to clear his client of child sex abuse charges?

Filed under: City Pages

In this week's cover story, Devil's Advocate, writer Jonathan Kaminsky delves into the difficult tasks law enforcement and the medical community face when dealing with alleged victims of sexual abuse by examining the case of Daniel Jourdain, who was accused of abusing his 11-year-old nephew. An excerpt: "As [pediatrician Carolyn Levitt] explains it, the objective of the interview, which is conducted in one of the clinic's two exam rooms, is to collect salient details from reticent children while steering clear of leading questions. 'You have to make sure the child is sturdy enough to tell their own story,' she says. Sturdiness matters because if the child tells of sexual abuse during the interview, and if Levitt and her staff make a finding that is consistent with abuse having occurred, odds are the tape will be admitted as evidence for the prosecution in a subsequent criminal case." Read the cover story here, them come back to join the conversation.

Posted by Corey Anderson at July 11, 2007 9:23 AM

 

7/11 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Peter Schilling Jr. recaps the 2007 All-Star Game at Balls.

We proudly welcome back lawyer and author Elaine Cassel to her blog Civil Liberties Watch.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Askeleton, the Hopefuls, Chris Koza, M.anifest, the Plastic Constellations, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.

The University of Oregon study notes 90 per cent of 294 network-affiliated television stations studied contained at least 1 instance per newscast of stealth advertising.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Minneapolis moderate Curt Prins offers up 17 syllables on politics, and the local and national media that covers it at Politiku: Political Haiku.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

From Cracked.com: 11 Movies Saved by Historical Inaccuracy

D.C. Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey's phone records

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I think that Harry's story comes to quite a clear end, sadly. But I've always said that I wouldn't say never."

— Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, not ruling out a return to Hogwarts following the release of the final book of the series on July 21

"Men's magazines have nipples so why don't women have a magazine where men show their penises?"

— Fantastic Four actress Jessica Alba, looking for more than tips for dry skin from women's magazines, as quoted in the British edition of GQ

Posted by Corey Anderson at July 11, 2007 1:16 AM | Comments (0)

 

Matt Smith joins City Pages as Managing Editor

Filed under: City Pages

Veteran journalist Matt Smith will be the new managing editor at City Pages, Village Voice Media announced today. He replaces Michael Tortorello, who is resigning to pursue other interests.

Smith has nearly twenty years of experience as an editor and writer for major city and regional magazines. He is the former managing editor of VVM's SF Weekly in San Francisco, and before that held positions as news editor of the Los Angeles Times magazine, senior editor of California magazine (owned by Texas Monthly), and associate editor of New West (a sister publication of New York magazine). For several years he made his living as a freelance editor and writer, and he served for six years as the fundraising director of a non-profit employment agency for homeless people in Los Angeles.

"I'm really looking forward to working at City Pages and returning to Village Voice Media," said Smith. "One of the things I like best about alt-weeklies is that there are no restrictions on the stories you can tell. You can write about anything from hard news to the arts, as long as it's a good read. And I know there are a lot of good stories to tell in the Twin Cities."

"I'm thrilled that Matt will be joining the paper," said City Pages editor Kevin Hoffman. "He's a consummate professional, and we're lucky to have found someone with his talent and experience to work with our staff."

Smith has lived in the Twin Cities since 2002. Before his move to City Pages, he worked as a public and media relations specialist for Twin Cities Public Television. He lives in St. Paul.

Smith takes the chair as managing editor on Monday, July 16.

Source: Village Voice Media Press Release

Posted by Corey Anderson at July 10, 2007 3:22 PM | Comments (0)

 

7/10 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

The City Pages Media Taster lets you actually hear the great music you read about in City Pages—just launch, click, and listen. Simply download the Media Taster and you'll automatically receive a digital mixtape of music on a semi-regular basis (including free MP3s), legal and free of charge. A new Taster has been posted today!

THESE DAYS

A Chewbacca impersonator is still on the loose after sexually assaulting a Marilyn Monroe impersonator in front of the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood in June.

According to a government study, antidepressants have become the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. They're prescribed more than drugs to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, or headaches.

Adult film star Syvette Wimberly is being sued by a former high school classmate, Kristen Syvette Wimberly, for using her name while starring in films such as Anal Camera 19.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Marty Andrade and Captain Bogs deliver a mid-season analysis of the Twins, question the threat of global warming, and ruminate on the works of Ayn Rand at Martin Andrade Blogs.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Ten Politically Incorrect Truths about Human Nature from Psychology Today

The results of Slate's action-movie one-liner contest

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"They aren't going to wake up and it's a dream, like it's some episode of 'Dallas.'"

— comic book writer Jeph Loeb, on the death of super-hero Captain America after 66 years in print

Posted by Corey Anderson at July 10, 2007 6:35 AM | Comments (3)

 

A bad day fishing

Filed under: Crime

On July 9, 2005, Dewayne Davidson was fishing along the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis when he decided to take a nap. The Mankato resident's sleep was interrupted, however, by the sound of a barking dog.

According to a lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court, Davidson stood up and saw a man with a flashlight. He was worried that he was going to be robbed. "Get your ass up here now you scum bag, you homeless scum bag," the man purportedly said. The stranger was subsequently identified at Minneapolis police officer Mark Lanassa.

Davidson was ordered to the ground. After he complied, Davison claims, he was set upon by a police dog. The canine bit into his left leg and held on for a "lengthy period of time," according to the lawsuit. Davidson further charges that Lanassa kicked him in the testicles and ribs, along with punching him in the face.

Davidson was transported to the hopsital for medical treatment. In addition to the severe leg wound, he sustained two broken teeth and a broken finger. He was never charged with any crime stemming from the altercation.

According to Davidson's attorney, Stephen Fiebiger, attempts to resolve the dispute outside of court were unsuccessful. "We were trying to get something worked out with the city but that fell through," he says.

MPD officers Patricia Nelson and Patrick Myslajek are also named in the lawsuit. The City of Minneapolis will not comment on pending litigation.

Posted by Paul Demko at July 9, 2007 3:03 PM | Comments (1)

 

Local vets advocate wheels across America

Filed under: Iraq

"Hang on, there's a big tractor going by," says the Dutchman, speaking over his cell phone from his electric wheelchair on Highway 12, somewhere between Eau Claire and Black River Falls, Wisconsin. In a journey that has so far resembled a cross between a walkathon and The Straight Story, the Dutchman (Robert William Van Vranken II) has been wheeling across Minnesota since June 1, raising money and awareness for injured war veterans through his website. He's headed for Chicago, and ultimately New York, pitching a tent at campsites along the way.

"I'm in Augusta, Wisconsin, and I'm cruising down the highway and you know what?" he says. "I've got the quietest vehicle on the road."

The Dutchman made it as far as Menomonee last month in a manual wheelchair before he gave up that business. "My foot looked like hamburger," he says. He's been using wheels since a city bus ran over him last year, and his left leg had to be amputated above the knee. A longtime local musician—he played the first guitar chord in the 7th St. Entry as part of Wilma and the Wilburs—the Dutchman got the idea for his trek from watching the news. "I see all these kids coming back that are missing an arm, missing a leg," he says, "These kids come home and they don't get nothing, and they gave everything."

The Dutchman bought his power chair last week at a thrift store in Eau Claire. "It may sound like cheating, but nobody could do it manual," he says. While in town, he made the local news, and was given a police escort to 4th of July fireworks. Though he has numbers to call in case of emergency, at the moment he's by himself on the road with his phone and two 12-volt batteries lasting six hours each. "I don't want to be caught in some Stephen King cornfield," he says.

"Hey, before you go, what do you say to a one-legged hitchhiker?" He pauses for the punch line. "Hop in." UPDATE Monday: Leader-Telegram story in Eau Claire.

UPDATES: Watch this space for links to periodic updates at Complicatedfun.com.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at July 9, 2007 11:10 AM | Comments (4)

 

7/9 Morning Communiqué

Filed under: Morning Communique

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Steve Monaco has posted the newest Monday Movie Quiz at Couch Pundit.

The City Pages Media Taster lets you actually hear the great music you read about in City Pages—just launch, click, and listen. Simply download the Media Taster and you'll automatically receive a digital mixtape of music on a semi-regular basis (including free MP3s), legal and free of charge.

THESE DAYS

The number of U.S.-paid private contractors in Iraq now exceeds that of American combat troops, newly released figures show.

On June 29, Sprint sent letters notifying some customers that their service would be canceled by the end of July due to excessive calls to customer service.

Pew Research Center reports show that the rate of non-marital childbearing has ballooned to 36.8% of all births in 2005, from 5.3% in 1960. [via Undernews]

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Margaret and Max keep a close eye on the local trouble spots at Minneapolis/St. Paul Crime Watch.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Who was the best athlete to wear the number 7? John Elway or Mickey Mantle? Sports Illustrated picks the best athletes by number.

Heavy Metal quilts: Quiltsrÿche

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"At first it was kind of funny to see these people wandering around the downtown streets and filing into the hotel, but after the novelty wore off it just made everyone feel creepy."

— Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Jim Powell, on the team's recent road trip to Pittsburgh, staying in a hotel where a furry convention was in progress [via Deadspin]

Posted by Corey Anderson at July 9, 2007 6:38 AM | Comments (0)

 

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