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‘Meet Me at the Fair:’ St. Joseph’s Variety Show BY MADELINE DOLBY EDITOR
FILE
New date set for Centerville’s skate/sled night The Centerville Parks and Recreation will host its annual skate and sled night Friday, Feb. 13, at Laurie LaMotte Memorial Park beginning at 6:30 p.m. The event, originally scheduled for Jan. 17, had to be rescheduled due to the lack of ice. The event will feature a bonfire, popcorn and hot cocoa. Those who attend will also be able to try out kick-sleds and snowshoes provided by the Wargo Nature Center.
Get ready to experience the fair a little earlier than usual. The St. Joseph’s Church choir and band will host its original musical, “Meet Me at the Fair,” Feb. 13-15. Unexpected turns and a charming story line from a 1947 town fair will keep you smiling and entertained. For over 30 years, St. Joseph’s has staged a variety show. According to longtime parishioner Susan McMullan, the idea for the show was brought came from Neil Benjamin, a longtime choir member. “He was telling our previous choir director, Kent, that he wanted to have show tunes during Mass rather than liturgical music,” McMullan explained. “He kept bugging him, and Kent finally said, ‘Let’s do show tunes, not during Mass, but in the social hall.’” McMullan said about 20 people showed up for the first show, where they sang songs from “Music Man.” From there, the show continued to grow, and more people became involved. This year’s show will feature 40 parishioners ranging from ages 18 to 70. In total, there are 75 parishioners in the cast and crew. Andrea Grasse, the show’s music director, said the cast begins to brainstorm ideas for the next show at the cast party, but their first official meeting for the show takes place months later. The show is directed and written by Kathy Schwister. SEE VARIETY SHOW, PAGE 2
Centerville salon owner reflects on 25 years of business CENTERVILLE — When Gina Paar began to build her home in Centerville in 2001, she knew she wanted to have a salon in her home. Two months after her son, Dylan, was born, she opened Gina Paar Salon. This year, she will celebrate 25 years in business. During her time as a hairstylist, Paar has gathered around 100 clients. Some, she said, have been with her since the very beginning. Before
owning her own business, Paar rented a chair for five years at Shear Illusions in St. Paul. When Paar was around 13, she gave her first haircut. “It seemed really easy and looked pretty good when I was done,” she said. “You start to wonder, ‘What do I want to do?’ and it was kind of on my radar.” Paar’s sister began attending cosmetology school in high school through PSEO, and Paar became very interested in the program as well. When she was a junior at Roseville
Fa i rwaY
SEE SALON ANNIVERSARY, PAGE 3
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Area High School, Paar had the opportunity to enroll in cosmetology school and decided to take it. She began to attend school that summer and continued to take classes until the summer after her senior year. Six months later, in 1991, she received her licenses and took the state board. Her first job was at Rita Ambourn as Ambourn’s assistant, where she worked for three years.
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