Queer As Folks

Former Gopher Returns Home To Play for Lynx

The Minnesota Lynx has acquired former University of Minnesota women’s basketball star Lindsay Whalen. A Hutchinson native, she helped bring the Golden Gopher women’s program to national prominence during her four-year career at the University, which also included the school’s first-ever Final Four appearance in 2004. Lynx Executive Vice President Roger Griffith said, “We’re very excited to announce the acquisition of Lindsay Whalen. She’s a proven, All-Star caliber floor leader who’s in the prime of her career, and we expect her to step in, and be a great leader for our team, both on and off the court. She’s been one of the elite point guards in the WNBA for the past six years, and brings an extensive amount of playoff experience to our roster.”
Park Square Theatre Expands

Big new things are coming to Park Square Theatre in 2011. The Next Stage, the theater’s new 142-seat semithrust space, will be constructed in the currently underused basement space at the historic Hamm Building starting in the fall of 2011. According to Director of External Relations Michael-jon Pease, $1.3 million already has been raised for the $4.2 million project. The new space will allow Park Square to produce 18 shows a year, and, if projections hold up, increase annual audience figures to 86,000. Attendance last year was up 15 percent from the previous year. The second stage will employ more actors, mount twice as many plays, and reach about 30,000 more patrons. In addition, the main 344-seat auditorium will get a needed buff and fluff.

West Side Community Health Services Welcomes New CEO

At the beginning of December, West Side Community Health Services welcomed its new CEO, Dr. Jaeson Fournier. He comes to the agency from Ingham County Health Department in Lansing, Michigan, where he was Deputy Health Officer. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto, his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the National College of Chiropractic, and his master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Fournier said, “I am delighted with the opportunity to continue West Side Community Health Services’s 38-year history of providing access to high-quality and affordable health care services in the metro area. I am also excited by the opportunity to further cultivate the organization’s role as a safety-net provider through the engagement of the board, the staff, and the St. Paul community. Being chosen to serve as West Side Community Health Services CEO is both an honor and a privilege.”