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Update from the Executive Director
A recent WSJ article piqued my interest
. It outlines why today's digital interruptions make it difficult to stay focused. Detailed information on the two separate functions involved with paying attention -- our ability to focus on things that matter, and our ability to ignore the things that don't -- is included in the article. Interestingly, these are not opposite functions but rather distinct processes in the brain. It's a "must read" article, providing insightful information on how our brains work and memory is affected.
Neuroscientist Dr. Adam Gazzaley, and psychologist Dr. Larry Rosen have co-authored a book, The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World. The article is well-worth the 10 minute read. Check it out!
Mill City Commons program offerings listed below are varied and strong. It is through the shared experience of attending these programs that relationships are forged and community grows. If you are interested in attending an event, please
contact me. I'd enjoy having you be my guest!
Tonight's Last Tuesday Happy Hour,
at the new Radisson's Red Oui Bar + Ktchn, will feature an array of complimentary appetizers. Details are listed immediately below this update. I look forward to seeing you there!
MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.
~ Joan Wright
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Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, April 25, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Radisson's Red Oui Bar + Ktchn, 609 3rd St S 
Join us for Last Tuesday Happy Hour at the new Radisson Red's Oui Bar + Ktchn. Hosted by Jan and Linda Willette, this gathering is a time to catch up with friends and neighbors over drinks and small bites. Dutch treat-no reservations required! The Oui Bar + Ktchn is graciously preparing an array of complimentary appetizers for our group as a way to introduce MCC members to this new dining venue. The bar has Happy Hour pricing until 7:00 p.m. If you'd like to stay for dinner, reservations can be made by calling (612) 252-5400. Limited free parking is available in the back of the hotel; metered parking is available on the street. You may enter the bar through the patio entrance on Portland Avenue.
MCC members and guests. No registration required.
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Social Bridge
Wednesday, April 26, 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
caroljordan@millcitycommons.org.
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Reducing Hazardous Chemicals in Our Homes
This program scheduled for 4/27 has been cancelled.
Did you know that the building products found in your home can affect your health? From lead poisoning to cancer to asthma, building materials can impact our health as much as the food we eat, the water we drink or the air we breathe. Most people think that chemicals used in building products are strictly regulated or tested for human health impacts, but that's not the case. In fact, it's difficult to get clear and reliable information about product ingredients. Healthy Building Network has developed a national initiative, called HomeFree, to help the public learn about healthier and cost-competitive options to reduce hazardous chemicals in building products. Please join Gina Ciganik, CEO of Healthy Building Network, to learn more about this issue and how you can find healthier product options for your home. Liz and Van Hawn host at Lourdes Square.
This program has been cancelled. |
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Learn About the Crossfit Craze!
Tuesday, May 2, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Bridgewater Community Room, 215 10th Ave S
 Join us to talk about the latest trends in fitness, health and nutrition. Wear something comfortable and come ready to try (if you want!) a low-impact, breathing-focused, flexibility and mobility-designed program that builds strength and a heart rate conditioning base. Logan Uu coaches CrossFit, CrossFit Chill, and yoga at the Power House and played football at the University of Minnesota. Julie Causey is one of the Power House athletes and is globally ranked in CrossFit in Women 50-54. Find out more about the program here.
MCC members sign up here.
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Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat
Wednesday, May 3, 9:30 - 10:30 am 
Abiitan's Porter Cafe, 428 2nd St S
Join us to discuss The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who's decided it's time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs The Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a 16-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers. Rosie Jarman possesses all these qualities. Don easily disqualifies her as a candidate for The Wife Project (even if she is "quite intelligent for a barmaid"). But Don is intrigued by Rosie's own quest to identify her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on The Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie, and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don't find love, it finds you.
If you'd like to read ahead, June's book is Our Souls at Night by Ken Haruf. Have a book suggestion for the Book Chat? Email Barbara Goldner. |
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Minnesota Center for Book Arts Tour
Wednesday, May 3, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
1011 Washington Ave S
 Join us at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts for a special evening of art and community! Enjoy a wine and cheese reception and tour MCBA's historic facility, including its galleries, library and artist studios specializing in bookbinding, papermaking and letterpress printing.
MCC members sign up here. |
Men's Coffee and Conversation
Thursday, May 4, 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. MCC member Jose Peris hosts this week. A native of Madrid, Spain, Jose will speak about his life journey and, most especially, his 31-year career at U.S. Bank and his community involvements.
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Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, May 4, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Zenith, 901 2nd St S, #202
 MCC women, you are invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. This week, Chris Bray and Nancy Reed host at Chris's home on the topic of Meditation Exploration. Do you want to explore meditation for the first time? Have you tried meditation and thought, "I'm not sure this is for me?" Are you hooked on meditation? Come have fun and explore various forms of meditation and resources to start or advance your practice. MCC member Linda Dolan will lead us through brief meditation exercises, and we'll talk about what we experience. Linda has used meditation in her own life for more than 25 years and is a certified teacher in Tai Chi, Ayurveda and Energy Healing.
This group meets every other Thursday, alternating between morning and afternoon times. Locations and topics will change each time.
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Technology Workshop: Technology Tools for Travelers
Monday, May 8, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
American Academy of Neurology, 201 Chicago Ave, Training Room A 
Join us for the second in a three-part series focusing on useful apps, accessories and tips for traveling with your iPhone or iPad. The series will cover tools that can help you stay in touch, save money, navigate your way in a new place and discover interesting sites. This second class will cover communication tools such as apps and iPhone features for communicating while traveling abroad, connecting to cell service outside of the U.S., sharing travel photos, and using foreign languages and currencies. The workshop is limited to 12 attendees, and it will cover iPhones only, not Android devices. You do not need to participate in all three workshops to attend. Please make sure your device is fully charged, as electrical will not be available in the room.
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Birding Walk I
Tuesday, May 9, 7:00 - 9:00 am
Nicollet Island Pavilion, 40 Power St, Nicollet Island
 Celebrate spring with a series of four bird-watching walks along the river! We hope to see migrating warblers and other songbirds. Jamie McBride, Naturalist Education Coordinator with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, will lead the walks along with master birding volunteer Greg Severson. Meet for the walk at the Nicollet Island Pavilion.
MCC members sign up here.
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Author Celebration: Fred Amram
Tuesday, May 9, 7:00 - 8:30 pm 
RiverWest Community Room, 401 S 1st St
Join us as Fred Amram, University of Minnesota Professor Emeritus of communication and creativity, shares stories from his riveting memoir, We're in America Now: A Survivor's Stories. Born in Germany during the rise of Hitler in the 1930s, Amram and his surviving family escaped to Holland and sailed to America, where they encountered many challenges as immigrants in a new world. This country truly became a land of opportunity where they built a new life and became more than "Holocaust survivors."
MCC members sign up here.
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Nosy Neighbor Tour: East Side Neighborhood Services
Thursday, May 11, 10:30 - 11:30 am
East Side Neighborhood Services, 1700 2nd St NE
 Join former MCC Executive Director Linnea Tweed for a tour of East Side Neighborhood Services. Founded in 1915, East Side is a multiservice agency with programs in the areas of child and youth development, education, employment, family violence prevention, senior services and food support. Linnea leads the Empowering Vital Aging (EVA) project at East Side. In addition to developing new initiatives to enhance aging in place, EVA serves as an umbrella for other vital programs that address needs of underserved older adults: The Senior Community Service Employment Program, Metro Food Programs, Handicap Accessible Transportation and Adult Day at Friendship Center.
OPTIONAL: If you wish to stay for lunch, served at 11:45 am by Volunteers of America, please make a reservation by May 4 with Betsy Wray at betsywray@millcitycommons.org. Cost is $5.50 and can be paid on May 11.
MCC members sign up here. |
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MCC Program Calendar
View the MCC April calendar
here.
Plan ahead! View the MCC May calendar
here.
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News from Members
MCC member Jim Conaway invites you to come to the Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art (250 3rd Ave N) to take part in the 22nd Annual Spring Open Studio Night on May 6 from 5:30 to 9:30 pm. Visit the working studios of 28 professional visual artists and see their new work in a variety of medium including oil painting, water color, drawing, print making, photography, sculpture and book art. Refreshments served. Parking available on the street or in a city ramp across the street.
MCC ED Joan Wright shares that members are invited to the presentation of "Set the Stage for Happiness in the Next Act of Your Life," presented by MCC member Dr. Dale Anderson at Abiitan's Smith and Porter Restaurant, 428 2nd St S, on Tuesday, May 9. Coffee and welcome at 10:00 am; program begins at 10:30 am. Dr. Anderson will share humorous, enjoyable and creative method-acting techniques that dramatically enhance health and happiness by generating the chemistry of success in/on/at every stage of life.
MCC member Peggy Lucas wants members to know that there is a Meet Minneapolis Hospitality Hero Training on Wednesday, May 10, from 8:30-11:30 am. The training will consist of an informational session at the Minneapolis Convention Center, followed by a coach tour of the city where you'll learn about special events like the X-Games & Super Bowl, upcoming conventions, the state of the hospitality industry and what's new in Minneapolis. For more information or to register, click here.
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Around Town
Westminster Town Hall Forum
May 4, 12:00 pm, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette Ave
Richard Haass presents on the topic of "Shaping a New Foreign Policy." Haass is president of the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent, nonpartisan think-tank and an educational institution seeking better understanding of global issues facing the U.S. and other countries.
Sights and Sound Bites
May 5-6, various times, The Lab Theater, 700 1st St N
Sights and Sound Bites features highlights of the year exploring the intersection of dance and social justice. Dancers portray their passions, concerns and visions for a more just future in choreography by professional and youth choreographers. This performance arose from a discussion that artistic directors Gretchen Pick and Justin Jones had with a group of company members who were questioning dance and its place in community. Tickets can be purchased
here.
MacPhail Spotlight Series: Music in the Wild
May 6, 8:00 pm, MacPhail Center for Music, 501 2nd St S
Under the artistic direction of Mischa Santora, this premier performance event is brought to life with collaborations from some of the Twin Cities' finest artists. Inspired by our fauna, this program features composers imitating racing horses, stomping elephants, braying donkeys, fluttering birds, crawling turtles and much more. Q and A session with the performers begins at 7:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased
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
Aster Cafe
**note the new location
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.
The Rosie Project
by Graeme Simsion
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's Level 5 Express
(Note the change in location for April 27)
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
April 27
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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