Behind the Brick: Toy Dinosaur

Well, no real "behind the brick" story for this one. I just liked it. Luckily for the noses of State Fair attendees, I doubt that this poet goes hungry while at the fair, and if he (she?) does, there are certainly more appetizing things to be found than your schnoz.

If you have words that need to be said, get your own Minnesota State Fair brick through the Minnesota State Fair Foundation.

Behind the Brick: Taopi Post Office

Have you heard of Taopi? Nope, me neither. Not surprising, I suppose, as Taopi has a population of 58. Until recently, however, they also had their own post office. It was -- as the brick suggests --   Minnesota's smallest post office, and reportedly the second smallest in the country.

Unfortunately you can probably guess how the story goes. Budget cuts across the land have hurt post offices everywhere, and communities across Minnesota and across the nation are, unfortunately, losing their local post offices. Taopi managed to hang on to theirs until November 2011. These days Taopi residents have to head to Le Roy. These days, the memory of Taopi's small post office lives on, both in Taopi as well as in brick form at the Minnesota State Fair.

To purchase a commemorative brick of your own, contact the Minnesota State Fair Foundation.

Behind the Brick: Donut Booth

This one caught my eye because, well, I like donuts. Turns out there's an interesting little story behind it, too. An initial search for "Ramsey County donut booth state fair" brought up the intriguing blog post titled "State Fair donut booth deception revisited." Donut deception? What, were they passing off something -- fried bits of non-donut pastry puffs, perhaps -- as the real thing?  Had I, as a member of the donut-eating public, ingested something non-donutey?

Nope. Never fear, fellow donut connoisseurs, at least not those of you with DFL leanings. Turns out the 10th Ward Rural Ramsey County Donut Booth -- aka Grandstand Donuts -- is run by the Ramsey County DFL PAC, with proceeds used to support local DFL districts. In 2012 the booth had more than $116,000 in sales, netting them about $34,000 in profits. Who said politics and fried dough can't mix?

As for Fran Voerding and Lora Lindorfer? I don't have much information about these two women, but they must have worked tirelessly indeed to have earned their own commemorative Minnesota State Fair brick, which, after all, will be around far longer than will one of their mini-donuts.

To get a brick of your own, contact the Minnesota State Fair Foundation.

State Fair Grandstand Needs Your Help

The Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, built in 1909, is perhaps THE most iconic building at the Minnesota State Fair. It looms over the Fairgrounds, its large lettering reminding everyone (as if we could forget!) that yes, we are indeed at the STATE FAIR. During fair-time its innards are filled with hawkers and purveyors of all sorts of wonder gadgets, as well as old standbys like Jacuzzi tubs, spectacles, cleaning supplies, and nearly anything and everything else you could potentially wish to buy. At night, performers take to the stage, and live music floats across the Fairgrounds. In short, the Grandstand is an essential part of the Minnesota State Fair experience, and a place that holds a great deal of significance to Minnesotans of all ages and backgrounds, and from all parts of the state.

It is, therefore, unfortunate that the grand entrance to such a grand building (a GRANDstand, no less!) is so... well, ungrand. You've all seen it: a long, sloping ramp that leads from down by the Star Tribune building up and over the crowds into the Grandstand itself.  The existing ramp was built as a WPA project in 1937, and replaced an earlier earthen ramp. It's beautiful, certainly, but a little down on its luck. The chain wire fencing, in particular, detracts from the beauty and grandeur of the structure, while the lighting is harsh. Luckily, help is on its way. The Grandstand is one of twenty-five Twin Cities historic sites in the running for some of the $1 million in funding offered through the Partners in Preservation program. Fair officials hope to bring some grand back to our Grandstand, and to fulfill its original promise. The $185,000 project would include:

• the installation of 70 recessed groove lights;
• upgrades to the lighting on the ramp's ten towers;
• electrical upgrades; and
• (perhaps best of all!) replacing the ugly and historically inaccurate chain link safety fence with something more appropriate.

Take a minute and imagine a new scenario. It's a balmy evening in late August. The smell of chocolate chip cookies mingles with grease and who knows what else waft about as thousands of fair-goers stroll by the Grandstand. You can hear shouts of mingled terror and excitement coming from the Midway. Hand-in-hand with your significant other, you stop at the base of the ramp, gaze up to the Grandstand itself in the distance, and catch your breath at the perfection of the scene. The new recessed lighting creates the perfect mood lighting, while the new tower lights highlight the sheer aesthetic attraction of the ramp and its many subtle architectural flourishes. Funny, you never fully realized its true beauty when all that chain fencing was there to distract you. Looking forward to the evening show, you join the throngs of fellow fair-goers as you wander up the ramp, basking in the glow emanating from the new lighting, as well, it seems, from the crowds of happy people who are coming together here, on this ramp, to join in a night of community, walking in the steps of generations of Minnesotans who came before them, as together you make your way into what you can now truly call a Grandstand, a Grandstand befitting that most Minnesotan icon of all: the Minnesota State Fair.

Want to help? Vote for the Grandstand on the Partners in Preservation Facebook page. Winners will be announced on October 13, so get your votes in now. You can vote daily, and to sweeten the deal all voters can enter to win a set of four round-trip Delta tickets. You can also visit the Grandstand this Saturday, October 8, for an open house (10 to 3); consider it a pep rally of sorts on behalf of the ramp project. 

And, of course, you don't have to wait for Partners in Preservation to dole out the money. The Minnesota State Fair Foundation is working tirelessly to raise money for all sorts of important Fair projects, and will happily accept your tax-deductible donation today. 

Behind the Brick #1: Congratulations to a New Grad!

NOTE: I wrote the post below in August, then decided to post-date it in case this official recognition brick was a surprise gift scheduled to be unveiled during the Fair. 

Before I continue, let me say this: no, I am not a crazy, weird online cyber-stalker. I just  happen to be fascinated by the stories behind the commemorative bricks found scattered in locations throughout the fair, and have decided to harness the power of Google to do some quick research into the inscriptions that catch my eye. This particular brick, brand new for 2011 and awaiting its turn to be embedded in the brick sidewalk near the Grandstand, grabbed my attention for several reasons. I went to the U myself, and spent a fair amount of time on the St. Paul campus; the Goldstein Museum of Design always has fabulous exhibits and a wonderful decorative arts collection, and the St. Paul library was a favorite study spot. I even once perused 1950s dairy industry trade journals at St. Pauls' Magrath Library while researching a 1950s ice cream box for a graduate school project of my own -- not the kind of thing you can pick up at your local library (or even most of your local  university library, unless, of course, your local research university happens to have a dairy program), and for that I say: Minnesota, Hail to Thee! I think this newly graduated dairy genetics grad student is very lucky to have her achievements written in stone -- literally! -- within walking distance of the science labs and dairy classrooms at the U's St. Paul campus.

In case you're wondering, Amy Hazel researches the "improving the health, fertility, and longevity of dairy cattle through genetic improvement and cross-breeding," and is an all-around dairy and cow expert. Apparently she recently received her degree, for which I say: congratulations! I'm still thinking of pursuing a PhD at some point, and I've decided that if or when that happens, I'm going to buy myself my own state fair commemorative brick to celebrate the occasion. I don't know who bought Amy her brick, but it's a GREAT idea. And Amy, enjoy your time at the fair. Completing a graduate degree is worthy of celebration, and a commemorative state fair brick, perhaps supplemented with a feast of fried food on sticks (and, of course, a glass of all-you-can-drink milk) sounds like the perfect way to toast this achievement.

Commemorative bricks (and benches, and other donor benefits) are managed by the Minnesota State Fair Foundation. It's too late to have your brick ordered in time for the 2011 fair, but they are presumably willing and able to start taking orders for 2012. Information on the 2011 recognition brick program can be found here.