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Update from the Executive Director
Mill City Commons is a membership nonprofit that is part of the National Village Movement -- one that exists to build community and to assist its neighbors
to maintain active and vital connections and remain living in the homes and neighborhoods they love. By definition, interdependence begets independence and guess what? It works!
If you are a new resident to downtown living, or someone who has been living here for awhile, I hope joining Mill City Commons will be among your New Year's resolutions. One never is "too young" or has "too many friends" to think about what the future might hold. To proactively seek out those who are committed to interdependent living is a mark of wisdom and outward focus, hallmarks of quality community life.
Our program calendar is broad and diverse, offering educational, health & wellness, social and volunteer opportunities. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our website at www.millcitycommons.org, or call 612-455-3329. I'd welcome the chance to talk more about membership with you!
MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.
~ Joan Wright
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Technology Help Desk
Tuesday, January 9, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
MCC Office, 125 Main St SE, Ste 339
 Schedule time with a tech support guru and have your nagging technology questions answered during our complimentary Help Desk. Support for both Apple products and PCs is available. After you register, MCC will confirm the time of your 20-minute one-on-one session. Reminder: Installing or upgrading software and creating accounts cannot be included in the Help Desk session, as they exceed the allotted appointment time.
One appointment has opened up for today's Help Desk. Please call the MCC office and speak to Betsy if you'd like to attend. (612) 455-3329. |
Men's Coffee and Conversation
Thursday, January 11, 7:30 - 8:30 am 
Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE
It's caffeine and camaraderie for the male members of MCC and guests! This group meets every other Thursday and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going. Please register by the Monday prior to Men's Coffee and Conversation. This week, MCC member Bill Casey's talk, "Snapshots from the HCL Morgue," will reveal interesting facts from Minneapolis newspapers during the 20th century. Bill has been volunteering in the Hennepin County Library's Special Collections Department for the past year, where he's been sifting through folders as old as 1915, evaluating contents and determining what should be done with each.
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Animal Humane Society Tour
Friday, January 12, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Animal Humane Society, 845 Meadow Lane N, Golden Valley
 Come and learn how the Animal Humane Society (AHS) has evolved in the last 140 years to better serve the people and animals of Minnesota. After a welcome from AHS President and CEO Janelle Dixon, we'll take a behind-the-scenes tour to learn about new programs, medical treatment investments, public policy and how AHS supports people and pets in economically disadvantaged communities. After the tour, participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a dog walking or puppy bathing activity.
MCC members sign up here.
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After Hours Connect: Bowling
Friday, January 12, 5:30 - 7:00 pm
Elsie's Restaurant and Bowling Center, 729 Marshall St NE 
Join other MCC men and women for an evening of bowling at Elsie's. No skill is required for this gathering of fun, camaraderie, social bonding and exercise. Cost for bowling and shoes is approximately $18.50, payable at Elsie's. Dinner can be purchased at Elsie's, if you wish.
MCC members sign up here.
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Sunday Soiree
Sunday, January 14, 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Mill & Main Party Room, 401 Main St SE
 Join your friends and neighbors for the MCC Sunday Soiree, hosted by Bob and Pam Berkwitz. Please contribute to the potluck by bringing a hearty hors d'oeuvre or salad to serve at least 8 (we have enough desserts!). As you register, let us know what you'll bring by answering the "Question" that will appear on the screen. You are welcome to bring your own wine or beer to share.
NOTE: For football fans who don't want to miss the Vikings playoff game that begins at 3:40 p.m. on Sunday, be assured that the televisions in the Mill & Main party room will be tuned to the game!
MCC members sign up here. |
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Exploring Meditation
Tuesday, January 16, 9:30 - 10:30 am 
Mill City Quarter, 322 2nd St S
Note: there is new information for this series!
Mill City Commons members are invited to join in a five-week winter meditation series that offers the opportunity to explore a regular meditation practice. The meditation will focus on inner peace and self-awareness. Facilitators Carole Baker, Linda Dolan and Lois Libby Juster will explore the importance of breath, visualization and the role of music in relieving stress and enhancing meditation. The group will meet on Tuesdays, January 9, 16, 23 and February 6 and 13 from 9:30-10:30 am at Mill City Quarter. Cost to participate is $10 per session. You do not need to attend all sessions to participate, and you'll pay for only the sessions you attend. Fees will be collected at the end of the series.
MCC members sign up here.
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Bread Baking with Bob
Tuesday, January 16, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
RiverWest Club Room, 401 1st St S, Floor 1
 Back by popular demand! If you've attended MCC's Sunday Soirees, you may have tasted member Bob Whitlock's homemade bread. Bob will go through the techniques involved in making the bread and share the recipe with a demonstration class in RiverWest's Club Room. Limited to 10 members!
Registration is now closed. If you'd like to be added to the waiting list, please contact Betsy Wray at [email protected]. |
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Social Bridge
Wednesday, January 17, 3:00 - 5:00 pm 
Washburn Lofts, 700 2nd St S
Join bridge players for a round of social bridge; levels of expertise and experience vary. Bring a partner if you can, and remember to register both yourself and your partner. Questions? Contact Carol Jordan at
[email protected].
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Rep. Ilhan Omar: Representing the Underrepresented
Wednesday, January 17, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Minnesota Tech Center, 1100 Washington Ave S
 Join us as State Representative Ilhan Omar (District 60B) talks about her first year in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Omar will share what she's learned, the new (and sometimes unexpected) relationships she's made, and how she's suddenly had to speak for not just her district, but for immigrants and refugees all over the United States. Born in Somalia, Omar and her family fled the country's civil war when she was 8. They spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp before coming to the U.S. in the 1990s.
MCC members sign up here.
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Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, January 18, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Mill City Quarter Club Room, 322 2nd St S 
MCC women, you are invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. This week, Peg Kavaney hosts on the topic of Aging. Is what you're experiencing as an older person what you expected? What's your favorite part of being older? What do you hope you can live to see?
Our Turn meets every other Thursday, alternating between morning and afternoon times. Hosts and topics change each time.
MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC. |
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Syria Crisis and the Arab Spring: A Current Perspective
Monday, January 22, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Winslow House Party Room, 100 2nd St SE
 Join us as Syrian-American Mazen Halabi shares his views on the Syria crisis. He'll give a historical perspective on Syria's involvement in the Mideast, talk about the impact of the Arab Spring and address geopolitical interests, including those of the United States, on Syria's future. Halabi left his home country of Syria for the United States after the 1982 Hama massacre, in which more than 40,000 people were killed by then-President Hafez Assad. He now works in the IT industry and serves as public relations director for Watan, a Syrian civil society organization.
MCC members sign up here.
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Exploring Meditation
Tuesday, January 23, 9:30 - 10:30 am 
Mill City Quarter, 322 2nd St S
Mill City Commons members are invited to join in a five-week winter meditation series that offers the opportunity to explore a regular meditation practice. The meditation will focus on inner peace and self-awareness. Facilitators Carole Baker, Linda Dolan and Lois Libby Juster will explore the importance of breath, visualization and the role of music in relieving stress and enhancing meditation. The group will meet on Tuesdays, January 9, 16, 23 and February 6 and 13 from 9:30-10:30 am at Mill City Quarter. Cost to participate is $10 per session. You do not need to attend all sessions to participate, and you'll pay for only the sessions you attend. Fees will be collected at the end of the series.
MCC members sign up here.
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Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, January 23, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Ginger Hop, 201 E Hennepin Ave
 Join us for Tuesday Happy Hour at Ginger Hop. Hosted by Bob Whitlock & Peggy Weber, this gathering is a time to catch up with friends and neighbors over drinks and small bites. Dutch treat--no reservations required! If you wish to stay for dinner, reservations may be made by calling (612) 746-0304.
MCC members and guests. No registration required. |
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MCC Program Calendar
View the full calendar of MCC's January events
here.
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News from Members
MCC member Marcia Townley encourages others to visit the exhibit, "Testify: Americana from Slavery to Today," now open in Cargill Hall at the Minneapolis Public Library. The exhibit features items from the personal collection of retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page and his wife, Diane Sims Page, of African-American art and Americana. Find more information
here.
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Around Town
TESTIFY
January 11, 7:00-8:00 pm, Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Doty Board Room
Join an opening reception for the TESTIFY exhibit that features art and artifacts from pivotal eras in American history while also providing a platform for visitors to share their thoughts, feelings and personal experiences. Exhibit will run through February 6. Details
here.
The Maids
January 25-February 17, Grain Belt Warehouse, 77 13th Ave NE
Dark and Stormy Productions and Myron Frisch present this powerful, darkly funny thriller about two maids and their Madame that explores violence, sexuality, power and the complex relationships between women. For more information and tickets, click
here.
Mill City Times
is a local website devoted specifically to our neighborhood and a place to go to find out what's happening, whether it's a new restaurant opening, a local event, proposed construction, volunteer opportunities and more.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Click
here
for community volunteer opportunities on the MCC website!
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MCC Ongoing Social Opportunities
Dutch Treat
Social Hour
Mondays, 4:00-5:00 pm
Jefe Urban Hacienda
219 Main St SE
Drop in for an afternoon coffee or drink and a casual chat. No reservations
required.
Rendezvous
Readers' Book Chat
1st Wednesday of the month, 9:30-10:30 am
Abiitan's Porter Cafe
428 2nd St S
No reservations required.
Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury
Rendezvous on 5
Wednesdays, 9-10 am
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
Drop in and join your friends and neighbors for fellowship at this neighborhood haunt. This weekly adventure requires no reservations!
Social Bridge
Every other Wednesday, 3:00-5:00 pm
Washburn Lofts,
700 2nd St S
Enjoy a round of social bridge. Be sure to register on the website!
Men's Coffee and Conversation
Elsie's Restaurant,
729 Marshall Street NE
Caffeine and camaraderie for the male members of MCC! This group meets every other Thursday at 7:30 am and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going.
Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Relax and chat with other MCC women. This group meets every other Thursday and alternates between morning and afternoon times. Look for details in the body of this newsletter.
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| Mill City Commons Ongoing Fitness Opportunities
G-Werx Fitness,
An exclusive opportunity for members, this weekly class focuses on strength, balance
and stretching to keep you fit and strong.
First time participants, please contact G-Werx Fitness at (612) 767-4415 and arrive 20 minutes early to complete paperwork. Cost varies depending on commitment.
River Walkers Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:30-8:30 am Stone Arch Lofts Riverside Parking Lot
All levels of walkers are welcome for this early morning walk along the banks of the Mississippi River. An MCC volunteer leads each walk.
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Ongoing Member-Led Activities
MCC Caregivers' Support Group
2nd and 4th Wednesdays,
January - April,
10:30 am-12:00 pm
A way to support members and non-members who are or have been in a caregiving role. For more information, contact
Betsy Wray.
Exploring Meditation
Mill City Quarter,
322 2nd St S
Every Tuesday,
9:30-10:30 am
Clear the clutter in your mind, reduce stress and increase the feeling of calm in your life.
Men's Dutch Lunch
Abiitan's Porter Cafe
428 2nd St S
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
January 18 & February 1
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact
Allan Burdick.
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