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Update from the Executive Director
Mill City Commons welcomes
its new neighbors, Abiitan and
Mill City Quarter!
Each is a unique residential facility that greatly adds to the housing options within the neighborhood. Both share a
woonerf that provides public parking and access to the river. The woonerf provides metered public parking weekdays after 6pm and weekends all day. Plans to complete the woonerf are on track for late spring. Once complete, the woonerf will provide public access to the river's walking and biking paths.
Last week, 30 Mill City Commons members participated in a Nosy Neighbor tour of
Abiitan's beautiful facility. They were treated to a delicious lunch at the neighborhood's newest restaurant,
Smith and Porter and received the gracious invitation to "Stop in, any time!"
Please note: Men's Dutch Lunch is moving to the Porter Cafe, starting February 16.
Mill City Quarter shares the other side of the woonerf. It is the first high tech affordable housing community in downtown Minneapolis, and open to all ages. It recently has reached full capacity. Betsy Wray and I were treated to a tour of this remarkable facility last week. It has some terrific common use spaces, many of which could afford some wonderful shared experiences.
The Atul Gawande event
(full details below)
is
free and open to the public! We received additional information from the Village to Village network, yesterday, that Robin Young of NPR's "Here and Now" will be interviewing Mr. Gawande. This is a remarkable opportunity. I hope you will take advantage of it and invite a friend or two! Space is limited. Registration is required. Click
here to register.
MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.
~ Joan Wright
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Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, January 31, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
McKinney Roe, 530 4th St S
 Join us for Last Tuesday Happy Hour at
the McKinney Roe, the new restaurant located on the ground level of the Wells Fargo towers in East Town. Hosted this month by Anne and Tom Carrier, Happy Hour is a time to catch up with friends and neighbors over drinks and small bites. Dutch treat--no reservations required! If you'd like to stay for dinner, reservations can be made by calling (612) 545-5863.
MCC members and guests. No reservations required!
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Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat
Wednesday, February 1, 9:30 - 10:30 am 
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express, 818 2nd St S
Join us to discuss A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman. Ove is a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines and a short fuse. People call him "the bitter neighbor from hell." Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and sadness. So, when one morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it's the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats and unexpected friendship--all of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.
If you'd like to read ahead, March's book is Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese. Have a book suggestion for the Book Chat? Email Barbara Goldner.
MCC members and guests. No registration required. |
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Social Bridge
Wednesday, February 1, 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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Stories from the Peace Corps
Wednesday, February 1, 7:00 - 8:30 pm 
Stone Arch Lofts, 600 2nd St S, #701
Several MCC members have had the privilege of serving in the American Peace Corps. Their experiences are as wide and varied as the countries in which they served. Come and hear stories from exotic places such as Shiraz (Iran), Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Harsola, a village in central India. Brief presentations from each member will be followed by time for questions and comments. Panelists include Dale Anderson, Patty Canney, Patty Connelly, Dave and Peggy Lucas, Linnea Olesen and Mary Texidor.
MCC members sign up here. |
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Baking with Bob
Friday, February 3, 10:00 - 11:30 am
RiverWest Club Room, 401 S 1st St, Floor 1
 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!
MCC members sign up here. |
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Foreign Policy: Fragments from the New Administration
Tuesday, February 7, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
La Rive Party Room, 110 Bank St SE 
Join us as member Bill Davnie, former U.S. State Department foreign service officer, shares his perspectives on foreign policy in the new administration. We still don't know many specifics about how U.S. foreign policy may change, but some challenges already loom before us, and some aspects of President Trump's approach to the world have been consistent for 30 years. Who is staffing the new administration, how the existing national security system is changing and where those changes point should also tell us something. And then we can ponder the lifespan of Twitter-based policy, the role of credibility and the changing perception of America's "soft power." Bring your own thoughts and views to share as well.
MCC members sign up here.
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Men's Coffee and Conversation
Thursday, February 9, 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 ev
e
ry 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 Tom Pettus, M.D., will take us through his fascinating journey from Princeton graduate in comparative religion to casket-maker in western Massachusetts to medical student in North Carolina to intern in Brooklyn, NY, and finally to the University of Minnesota for his residency in Internal Medicine. Hear why Tom chose to focus on geriatrics and, in particular, caring for those in the final stages of their lives. Learn also why he still makes house calls and why he believes in universal healthcare through a single-payer system.
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Our Turn
Thursday, February 9, 3:30 - 5:00 pm 
1723 Humboldt Ave S
MCC women, you are invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. This week, Judy Healey hosts on the topic of "Connection and Affection." How do we satisfy our needs for connection and affection as we age, and how do those needs affect our relationships with spouses, siblings, adult children and other family members? Recommended reading, if you have time (but not required): Kent Haruf's novel Our Souls at Night.
This group meets every other Thursday, alternating between morning and afternoon times. Locations and topics will change each time.
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A Roadmap for Driving Later in Life
Friday, February 10, 10:30 - 11:30 am
RiverWest Common Room, 401 1st St S
 The majority of older drivers are safe drivers. But we also know that the aging process can affect many of our abilities. Attend this information session to learn more about opportunities to maintain your fitness for driving. Kathy Woods, Manager of Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute's Driver Assessment and Training, will review caution signs that driving safety may be changing and educate you about Courage Kenny's driver assessment and training service.
MCC members sign up here.
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Sunday Soiree
Sunday, February 12, 5:00 - 7:00 pm 
RiverWest Common Room, 401 1st St S
Join your friends and neighbors for the MCC Sunday Soiree, hosted by RiverWest residents in the Common Room off the lobby. Please contribute to the potluck by bringing a hearty hors d'oeuvre, main dish salad or dessert to serve at least 12. 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.
MCC members sign up here.
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Atul Gawande: The Value of Community and Choice As We Get Older
Monday, February 13, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul's Screen 3, St. Anthony Main Theatre, 115 Main St SE
 Celebrate 15 years of the Village Movement at this virtual event featuring renowned surgeon, public health researcher and bestselling author Dr. Atul Gawande. Dr. Gawande wrote the seminal book Being Mortal, which spent months on the New York Times bestseller list. He will be speaking live in Boston in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the first Village, Beacon Hill Village, and the Village Movement, of which Mill City Commons is a part. His talk will be live-streamed across the country and here in the Twin Cities, with the support of the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul and St. Anthony Main Theatre. Join us for this conversation about the importance of community and the many opportunities inherent in aging. A reception will follow in the Fireside Grotto at the adjacent Pracna on Main (purchase your own beverages at the bar).
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Technology Helpdesk
Tuesday, February 14, 1:00 - 2:30 pm 
MCC office, 219 Main St SE, Ste 401
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- to 30-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.
MCC members sign up here.
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MCC Program Calendar
View the MCC February calendar
here.
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News from Members
MCC member Carol Jordan wants members to know about a new volunteer opportunity at the Minneapolis Central Library. The Library's Special Collections Department is looking for volunteers as they start on a year-long project to describe, digitize and preserve thousands of original newspaper photographs from the 1930s and 40s. These photographs, taken by local photographers, chronicle the lives of City and Country residents during the trying and exciting times of the Great Depression and World War II. They need volunteers to help sort and identify these photographs. The task is simple, fascinating and fun (and involves no computers)! If you are interested in helping out, please contact Ted Hathaway at (612) 543-8203 or at [email protected].
MCC member Ellie Hands wants members to know that there is an opening reception at The Museum of Russian Art for Stage Designs of Vera Mednikova on January 26 from 6:30-8:00 pm. The exhibit will run through February 12. Vera Mednikova immigrated from Russia in the 1970s and was a set designer for the Cricket Theater. To learn more or RSVP, click here.
MCC ED Joan Wright invites you to attend a Talk with Dr. Karen Ashe on Wednesday, February 1, at 7:00 pm at The Weisman Museum. Dr. Ashe is the director of The Grossman Center for Memory Research and Care at the University of Minnesota and has been studying Alzheimer's disease for over 20 years. She will give an update on her research and findings and will discuss next steps in curing this debilitating disease. Reserve a ticket here.
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Around Town
Healing Craft Night
February 7, 5:30 pm-8:00 pm, Soap Factory, 514 2nd St SE
No matter your cultural background, religion, political viewpoint, age, race, gender, class or size, you are human first. And while the preceding categories may separate us, craft is an act that unites us. Come replenish your creative spirit and celebrate what we have in common at the Healing Craft Night, where we gather to work with our hands. Sew, carve, knit or even draw or collage - whatever activity you love and can carry with you. To learn more, visit their Facebook page
here.
Hippocrates Café
February 8, 7:00 pm, Weisman Art Museum, 333 E River Pkwy
Hippocrates Cafe illuminates health care through story and song, performed by leading Twin Cities' actors and musicians, incorporating equal measures of humor and reflection. Using a variety of materials, including poems, short stories, novels, scientific journals and instrumental interludes, actors and musicians illuminate the history of neurology. Creator and director Jon Hallberg, MD, will host the show. Reserve your ticket
here.
Westminster Town Hall Forum
February 14, 12:00 pm, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette Ave
Irshad Manji presents
From Polarization to Conversation. Manji is the founder of the Moral Courage Project, headquartered at the University of Southern California and committed to helping people identify, express and act according to their values. She is an advocate for human rights, social justice, diversity and inclusion.
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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Please Welcome MCC's Newest Members!
Bob & Marcy Rinek
Joyce Field
Mary & Steve Patnode
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MCC Ongoing Social Opportunities
Dutch Treat
Social Hour
Mondays, 4:00-5:00 pm
Jefe Urban Hacienda
Drop in for an afternoon coffee or drink and a casual chat. No reservations
required.
Guthrie Play Reading
North Star Group
Tuesday, January 31,
6:00 - 9:00 pm
The group will read
"The Royal Family"
this month.
Rendezvous
Readers' Book Chat
1st Wednesday of the month, 9:30-10:30 am
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
No reservations required.
A Man Called Ove
by Frederick Backman
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!
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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Ongoing Member-Led Activities
MCC Caregiver Support Group
2nd and 4th Wednesdays, January through 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.
Men's Dutch Lunch
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
February 2 & 16
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact
Allan Burdick.
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| Mill City Commons Ongoing Fitness Opportunities
SBS Class
Thursdays 2:00-3:00 pm (Note: No Class on February 2)
G-Werx Fitness,
428 2nd St S, #100
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.
Hatha Yoga Wednesdays and Fridays, 8:00-9:15 am
Yoga Center of Minneapolis,
212 3rd Ave N, Ste 205
This is an alignment-based class. Purchase a 12-class pass for $132 directly from YCM to use as your schedule allows, or drop in on a class for $12.50. Contact Dena at
612-436-4700 for details.
Drop-ins welcome.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Click
here for community volunteer opportunities on the MCC website!
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