Local pasty to be Arnold’s humble pie

Governor to eat Michigan meal to mark Pistons’ win


By RYAN OLSON
The Daily Mining Gazette
June 17, 2004; pp 1,8A

HOUGHTON — When California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger digs into his piece of humble pie after the Detroit Pistons' dominating victory over the L.A. Lakers, he'll be biting into a Copper Country pasty.

Calumet-based Pasty Central is one of three bakeries in the Upper Peninsula tapped to send pasties to the Golden State to fulfill a friendly bet between Schwarzenegger and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm for this year's NBA Finals. The Pistons decisively clinched the basketball championship Tuesday with a Game 5 win over the widely favored Los Angeles Lakers at the Palace in Auburn Hills.

To celebrate the Pistons’ victory, Schwarzenegger will eat a meal of Michigan delights — including a pasty — at his desk in Sacramento while wearing a Pistons’ jersey.

Pasty Central Administrator Charlie Hopper said the meat-and-vegetable filled pies are a very appropriate food that's identified with Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.

"They had a bet going, but the real winner is Gov. Schwarzenegger because he gets the pasty," Hopper said.

Hopper said Pasty Central sent a package of six pasties to Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday afternoon. The governor is the company’s latest shipment to California. Hopper said the mail-order company’s ships the most orders to California, Arizona and Florida.

Hopper enclosed a letter along with the governor’s pasties.

"We're sure you will enjoy this special treat from the U.P., even if you can't enjoy a Laker victory!" Hopper's letter read in part.

The other pasties are being shipped from Lawry's Pasty Shop in Marquette and LaPanteria Bakery in Bessemer.

In addition to pasties, Pasty Central's package included pasty-related items such as a bottle of "secret" pasty sauce, chocolate fudgie pasties, a plush pillow in the shape of a pasty and a XXL T-shirt that says "I love pasties." Hopper said he also included a book about Calumet's history and a Pasty.net calendar featuring photographs of the U.P.'s beauty.

"It'll be like Christmas (today) when the package arrives," Hopper said.

If Schwarzenegger’s taste buds have been tempered by sampling from three different pasties, the package also includes a invitation to be a judge at this year’s Pasty Fest July 4 in Calumet.

Schwarzenegger’s press office was unavailable for comment Wednesday night.

Granholm spokeswoman Mary Dettloff said the Michigan governor wanted to showcase products identified with the state. She said she hopes Schwarzenegger enjoys his Michigan-made meal.

"It's a pride thing, we wanted to show off Michigan especially to a state like California which often thinks they have the biggest and best of everything," Dettloff said.

The governor's staff picked the three pasty vendors from several companies seeking the honor. Dettloff said LaPanteria’s pasties were Granholm's favorite.

While the pasties are being shipped directly from the UP, Dettloff said everything else was shipped from the governor's office in Lansing Wednesday. Michigan food items included Vernors soda, chocolate-covered cherries for desert and several smaller agricultural gifts including maple syrup.

The package also includes a Pistons jersey for the California governor to wear and a disposable camera so a photo of Schwarzenegger fulfilling the bet can be taken. Dettloff said the Pistons jersey was "as big as possible" to fit the former weightlifter and actor.

Dettloff said Granholm and her family are basketball and Pistons fans and attended two games of the finals. Granholm grew up in California and graduated from University of California, Berkeley.

"The governor was all about the Pistons winning in four," she said. "It took five, but we'll take it."

Granholm, in a press release, said Michigan is inspired and proud of the Pistons' victory.

"The Pistons' determination and cohesiveness are a metaphor for Detroit and for the state of Michigan," she said. "They are astonishing proof of what can be achieved when teamwork and a commitment to excellence are combined."

Had the Lakers won the championship, Granholm would have had to eat a meal of California items including an In-N-Out hamburger, asparagus, strawberries and ice cream. She would have had to eat the meal at her desk in Lansing wearing a L.A. Lakers jersey.