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Update from the Executive Director
"Despite the benefits of digital advancement, it is vital to preserve human touch in order for us truly to thrive." Ray Williams
Unlike other mammals, the need for touch makes humans unique. Among other benefits, touch creates a sense of overall well-being, strengthens our immune system and may even decrease disease. In this article from Psychology Today, Ray Williams provides deeper insight and explanation about this unique human need.
Join MCC's Our Turn discussion on Thursday, February 9, 3:30-5:00 p.m. to discuss and explore how we satisfy our need for connection and affection as we age. MCC women register
here. Guests
email MCC.
All are invited to Dr. Dale Anderson's HAPPY ACT at
10:30 a.m. this morning in Abiitan's Community Room. Dr. Anderson will share humorous, enjoyable and creative method-acting techniques. A great way to start your day! Space is limited, so arrive early!
MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.
~ Joan Wright
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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).
Reservations are no longer being taken for this event.
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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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Social Bridge
Wednesday, February 15, 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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"Migration, Identity, Belonging" at the American Swedish Institute
Friday, February 17, 10:30 - 11:30 am
American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave
 Join us for a special tour focusing on issues of migration, identity and belonging at the American Swedish Institute. The tour will include "Where the Children Sleep," a moving series of photos by award-winning photojournalist Magnus Wennman about refugee children who left Syria, as well as portions of two other exhibits: "Swede Hollow" and "The Stories They Told." You're welcome to invite guests! Admission for this special tour is $10, including for ASI members. (Please bring $10 cash, if possible, to speed up the check-in process.) Optional: Join your tourmates for lunch at Fika afterwards.
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Great Decisions: The Future of Europe
Monday, February 20, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
DeLaSalle High School, 1 DeLaSalle Dr, Rm D014 
The outcome of the United Kingdom referendum on EU membership sent shockwaves across the globe. It even caught British voters by surprise. The European Union has helped secure peace in Europe for the past 70 years. Now it faces an uncertain future. Amid a refugee crisis, lingering financial recession and the constant specter of terrorism, unity seems more imperative than ever. But the Brexit vote underscores the complexities of integrating an extremely diverse continent. What will post-Brexit Europe look like, and how can U.S. foreign policy adapt? Speaker Mary Curtin is Diplomat in Residence at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, coordinating the Global Policy Area and working with the Human Rights Program on the creation of a new graduate degree in human rights, as well as teaching foreign policy courses.
Registration on the MCC website is required for Great Decisions members. Sorry, not open to guests; to join the MCC Great Decisions Discussion Group, email the MCC office at [email protected].
MCC GD members sign up here.
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MCC Program Calendar
View the MCC February calendar
here.
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News from Members
Ever wondered what it would be like to be a medical student? Here's your chance! MCC member Peg Kavaney shares that the University of Minnesota has a "Mini Medical School" program scheduled on Mondays from March 6 to April 3 from 6:00-8:30 pm. The program is designed to give students--ranging in age from high school students to retirees--a glimpse into ways that today's health sciences students are learning, while providing opportunities to explore the latest medical devices, new therapies and an up-close look at specimens. Click here for more information.
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].
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Around Town
TWISTED TRYST: CIRCA + Omforme
February 11, 5:00 pm-8:00 pm, CIRCA Gallery, 210 1st St N
Join an opening reception of the eclectic pairing of contemporary art and one-of-a-kind furnishings. For this particular exhibition, Omforme owner/designer Carter Averbeck, who is known for his wildly creative repurposed furniture, looked to women for inspiration and celebration -- redesigning vintage chairs that embody certain women's roles and personalities. Complementing Omforme's distinctive furnishings are an assortment of pieces by Circa artists who have a predilection for exploring texture and surface. Exhibit runs through March 25.
Mentor Series Reading with Sun Yung Shin
February 17, 7:00-8:00 pm, The Loft at Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave
Raised in New York City, Sun Yung Shin was born in the Dominican Republic with Cameroonian, Afro-Costa Rican and Gujarati parentage. Her work grapples with issues of migration, diasporas, cities, identity, culture and both personal and collective myth-making. She is the author of poetry collections
Unbearable Splendor, Rough, and Savage, Skirt Full of Black and new anthology titled
A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota.
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
Drop in for an afternoon coffee or drink and a casual chat. No reservations
required.
Guthrie Play Reading
Stone Arch Group
Tuesday, February 21,
6:30-9:30 pm
North Star Group
Tuesday, February 28,
6:00-9:00 pm
"King Lear"
this month.
Rendezvous
Readers' Book Chat
1st Wednesday of the month, 9:30-10:30 am
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
No reservations required.
Medicine Walk
by Richard Wagamese
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
Abiitan's Porter Cafe (Note the new location)
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
February 16 &
March 2
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 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.
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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