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CHASKA
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2011
$1
HERALD
Character driven
CHASKA HOMECOMING 2011
Chaska man delivers musical nostalgia BY MOLLEE FRANCISCO mfrancisco@swpub.com
T
hese days, you might not necessarily recognize Mike Findling if you passed him on the street in his Chaska neighborhood. But put a black patch over his left eye and a chainsaw in his hands and for many Twin Cities music fans, the nostalgia of the 1980s comes flooding right back. Die-hards know Findling better as Chainsaw Caine, the bombastic lead singer of the heavy metal group Slave Raider. But today, he’s a bigger presence behind the scenes than on the stage. Findling is now a booking agent and owner of the Chaska-based Time Music Agency. He represents a host of tribute bands, including Boogie Wonderland, Pop Rocks and Hairball — a group he not only created, but served as lead singer for once upon a time. “I still have a lot of desire and drive,” he said.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Above – Slave Raider garnered 10 Minnesota Music Awards over the course of their short career. The group included Findling (at top) on lead vocals, Lance Sabin on guitar, Nicci Wikkid on guitar, Letitia Rae on base, and The Rock on drums. At left – Mike Findling, then and now, holding a copy of the June 4, 1988, issue of Kerrang, a British magazine devoted to heavy metal music. Findling, as Chainsaw Caine, appeared on the cover.
CREATING A CHARACTER Findling liked music when he was younger, but sports were his true passion until an injury to his left eye ended his competition days. That eye injury would later become the basis for Slave Raider and his Chainsaw Caine persona. “I had this concept of the band where I was wearing an eye patch,” he said. Findling found that the patch covering his injured eye helped
Findling to page 8 ®
“I’m an entertainer first, a musician second.” Mike Findling PHOTO BY MOLLEE FRANCISCO
PHOTO BY MOLLEE FRANCISCO
Chaska High School’s 2011 Homecoming Queen Amy Jensen hugs a friend at Monday night’s coronation at City Square Park. Homecoming King Ryan Spencer is featured at far left. Homecoming events continue throughout the week culminating Friday with a parade at 4 p.m. in downtown Chaska and the Homecoming game Friday night. The Hawks will take on the Red Wing Wingers at 7 p.m. at the Chaska High School football stadium. See next week’s Herald for more photos from Homecoming week.
Lead singer of Slave Raider, founder of Hairball
Bushel of good news for local apple crop BY UNSIE ZUEGE uzuege@swpub.com
PHOTO BY UNSIE ZUEGE
Honeycrisp, Zestar, SweeTango. How do you decide? Kitty Mortensen slices apple slices for visitors to sample.
Thanks in part to 2010’s cold spring and early killing frost, this year’s apple crop is one of the best Lin Deardorff has seen in 10 years. Last year’s weather made the trees reserve their energy on growing vegetation rather than fruit, Deardorff explained. And that caused the apple fruit buds to thin out. “When apples overproduce, the apples are too small,” said Deardorff, who owns a Waconia orchard. “But this year the fruit set nicely and we’ve got lots of good-sized fruit. It’s been one of the best years for apples in a long time.” To hear Deardorff talk about growing conditions for apples, grafting apples, and the like, you’d never know that he once lived in a business suit, and before age 40, had never planted
an apple tree in his life. It was the late 1970s and Deardorff was fast approaching his 40th birthday. He realized he was tired of having to wear a business suit to work everyday. As a Twin Cities commercial developer and property and leasing manager, he was at a career crossroads. “I had an epiphany,” Deardorff said. “I decided it was time to get my hands in the dirt. I said to Bonnie [his wife], “Let’s adopt more children, move out to the country and live a nice life.” And that is what they did. Fast forward to 2011, and the Deardorffs have five adult children, 13 granddaughters, two grandsons, and one great granddaughter. And a 125-acre fa r m wit h pick-you r- ow n apple trees, and grape vines that produce
What: Apple Cider, Apples, Pumpkins, Tours Where: 7020 Parley Lake Lane, Waconia Time: Open September and October, Tuesdays-Sundays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Mondays. Info: (952) 442-1885; deardorfforch@aol.com; www.deardorfforchards.com
PHOTOS ONLINE SEE MORE DEARDORFF ORCHARDS PHOTOS AT
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Apples to page 11 ®
INSIDE OPINION/4 OBITUARIES/6 SPORTS/13-15 LET’S GO/17 CALENDAR/18 CLASSIFIEDS/25-28 TO REACH US SUBSCRIBE: (952) 345-6683 EDITOR: (952) 345-6574 OR E-MAIL EDITOR@CHASKAHERALD.COM.
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