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Update from the Executive Director
Technology. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay.
If you're an immigrant to the world of technology like I am, you probably find its ever-changing operating systems, tech terms, software adjustments and latest apps dizzying!
It's little wonder why some choose to forego the challenge to keep up, preferring tried and true modes of communication: the telephone and letter writing.
Recently, I learned about Senior Center Without Walls, an award-winning program that offers activities, education, friendly conversation, and an assortment of classes, support groups and presentations to older adults. Over 70 groups are accessible by phone or online, all from the comfort of one's home. As a non-profit, Senior Center Without Walls relies on donations to provide services at no-cost to participants, a remarkable benefit.
Loneliness and isolation are important health risks in older adults. Staying connected, engaged and feeling part of a larger community are critical to maintaining good health. What Senior Center Without Walls offers is not for everyone, but it is an excellent resource.
To learn more about this non-denominational program of Episcopal Senior Communities, visit Senior Center Without Walls' website
here.
For those who are interested in viewing the Senior Center Without Walls PowerPoint, click
here.
MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.
~ Joan Wright
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Observations on Societal Mistrust
Monday, November 27, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Stonebridge Community Room, 2nd floor, 1120 2nd St S
 Violence aimed at doctors and nurses in China is endemic. MCC member Dr. Michael Brennan, who has been in the Far East several times in the past year, will talk about the current causes and historical underpinnings and reflect upon potential lessons for modern America.
MCC members sign up here.
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Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, November 28, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Tullibee Restaurant and Bar at the Hewing Hotel, 300 Washington Ave N
Join us for Last Tuesday Happy Hour at Tullibee at the Hewing Hotel. Hosted by Ginny and Will Craig, 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 (651) 468-0400.
MCC members and guests. No registration required!
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Men's Coffee and Conversation
Thursday, November 29, 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, Dr. Wally Ritchie hosts. As surgery department chair in a busy Philadelphia medical school, Dr. Ritchie did a lot of operating, administrating, serving on hundreds of committees, running a busy research lab, and teaching residents and students. Beyond question, this last was the most fun. Only drawback: writing up to 60 to 75 personal letters of recommendation annually for good people looking for good positions in good places. It was a recurring and annoying task, until he thought of a way he hoped might make the process slightly more tolerable. Find out if it worked.
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Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, November 30, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
La Rive Party Room, 110 Bank St S
E 
MCC women, you are invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. This week, Arvonne Fraser hosts an end of the year party at La Rive. We'll take a look back at 2017 and forward to 2018, expressing gratitude or thanks for something in 2017 and what you hope for individually or publicly in 2018. We'll also hold our twice-yearly book exchange. Bring a book you've read that you'd like to give away and take one you'd like to read. Contributions of wine or goodies are welcomed, as well as guests who might be potential MCC members. Please register any guests, as well as yourself. You can come at 3 pm if you'd like to socialize or look at books beforehand.
Our Turn meets every other Thursday, alternating between morning and afternoon times. Hosts, topics and occasionally locations change each time.
MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC. |
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Comparative Law: Differences Between Common Law, Civil Law and Shariah Law
Monday, December 4, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
DeLaSalle High School, 1 DeLaSalle Dr, Rm D104
 There are three great legal traditions in the world today: the Common Law, the Civil Law, and Shariah Law. U.S. legal traditions trace to the English Common Law, which has come to embody individual rights and judicial continuity amid the hurly-burly of democracy. The Civil Law arose from the Roman genius for administration and carried forward to the Code Napoleon. It achieved its highest expression in the elegant and enduring German Burgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB). Shariah Law, much misunderstood in the west, governs the lives of more people than any other legal system. Speaker Duncan McCampbell is an American lawyer and university professor who became familiar with the world's leading legal systems while working in legal publishing for Thomson Reuters in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He will discuss the foundations of these three legal traditions, as well as the substantive, structural, stylistic and procedural differences separating them.
MCC members sign up here.
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Exploring Meditation
Tuesday, December 5, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Mill City Quarter, 322 2nd St S 
Mill City Commons members launched a 10-week fall meditation series that offers the opportunity to explore a regular meditation practice. The meditation will be a peaceful guided experience that is intended to increase a feeling of calm, reduce stress and clear the clutter in your mind. Carole Baker will be joining Linda Dolan as co-facilitator for the fall series; together they bring more than 80 years combined experience in meditation. Carole has a background in Transcendental Meditation and mantras. Linda's background is in Mindfulness Meditation, Qigong and Energy Flow. The group will meet on Tuesdays from 9:30-10:30 am through December 5. Cost to participate is $100, whether or not you can attend all 10 sessions.
NOTE: This final class of the fall series is open to all members who want to "try out" the class.
MCC members sign up here.
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Technology Help Desk
Tuesday, December 5, 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.
MCC members sign up here. |
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Author Celebration: Lee Lynch
Wednesday, December 6, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Stonebridge Lofts Community Room, 1120 S 2nd St, 2nd fl 
Join us as Minnesota advertising legend Lee Lynch shares some of the little-known, quirky and fascinating facts about Minnesota from his just-published book,
Amazing Minnesota: State Rankings and Unusual Information. How do we compare against other states or localities? What are some of the unusual facts even locals don't know about our amazing state? Find out in this fun evening! Lynch retired in 2008 from Carmichael Lynch, the firm he co-founded in 1962, and now spends his time immersed in other businesses and nonprofit activities.
MCC members sign up here. |
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Minneapolis' Comprehensive Plan: What the Next 20 Years Hold
Monday, December 11, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Minnesota Tech Center, 1100 Washington Ave S
 Minneapolis 2040 is an update to the City's Comprehensive Plan, a document that shapes how Minneapolis will grow and change. The plan will cover topics such as housing, job creation and the design of new buildings, and how we use our streets. Brian Schaffer, principal project coordinator in the city's Long Range Planning Division, will provide an overview of the timeline and steps to develop the Comprehensive Plan and engagement content. For more information visit www.minneapolis2040.com.
MCC members sign up here.
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MCC Program Calendar
View the MCC November calendar
here.
View the full MCC December calendar
here.
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News from Members
MCC Executive Director Joan Wright
wants you to know about the plans that are underway to launch a second Caregivers' Support Group in January. MCC members as well as nonmembers may join. The group will meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month in the afternoon, 1:30 - 3:00 pm. The cost for a 4-month session is $80. Mill City Commons member Susan Hartman will facilitate the group. Read Susan's professional bio
here. The group's maximum is 10. If you'd like to register, or have questions, please email
Betsy Wray.
MCC member Carol Jordan invites members to attend
Health Wise: Sharpen Your Critical Thinking on November 30 from 10:00-11:30 am at the Minneapolis Central Library. Adjunct Associate Professor Gary Schwitzer of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and founder and publisher of the website HealthNewsReview.org, will help you learn how to protect your health and avoid misleading medical claims. Click
here for a program poster; registration requested
here. Members might also be interested in a podcast from HealthNewsReview with former Minnesota Senator David Durenberger regarding health care reform, available
here.
MCC member Susan Hartman invites members to join her in attending a
Dementia Friends Training on December 5 from 12:00-1:00 pm at the Minnetonka Community Center (14600 Minnetonka Blvd). This free program will explain what dementia is, how it affects people and how we each can make a difference in the lives of people living with dementia. You can register by calling (952) 939-8393 or clicking
here and entering "dementia" into the search feature.
MCC Executive Director Joan Wright shares that the Coalition of Somali American Leaders is hosting their 2nd annual celebration and fundraiser on December 7 from 5:30-8:30 pm at the American Swedish Institute. Details can be found
here.
MCC member Allan Burdick and the
MCC Men's Coffee and Conversation members compiled their 2017 book recommendations. If you're looking for a good book to read over the holidays, you might want to take a look at
their list.
MCC Executive Director Joan Wright wishes to thank MCC friend Parker Trostel for sharing a PowerPoint on dementia by Angela Lunde, MA. It contains helpful and empowering information for everyone. View the PowerPoint
here.
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Around Town
Small Business Saturday
November 25, 10:00 am-7:00 pm, Milkweed Books, 1011 Washington Ave S
There will be a full day of literary festivities, including guest booksellers from Minneapolis-based publishers, complimentary beers and coffee, special bookseller recommendations, 10% discounts on all staff recommendation and a book reading with Alex Lemon on his memoir,
Feverland. More details can be found
here.
Westminster Town Hall Forum
November 28, 12:00 pm, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette Ave
Join James Forman Jr. as he speaks about Crime and Punishment in Black America.
James Forman Jr. is a professor of law at Yale Law School, teaching and writing on criminal procedure, constitutional law, juvenile justice, and education law and policy.
Canadian Pacific Holiday Train
December 9, 7:45 pm-8:30 pm, Lions Park on 37th Ave NE and Stinson Blvd
Get ready for the holidays by coming to see the Holiday Train and enjoy a family-friendly holiday lights experience. Canadian Pacific encourages every attendee to open their cupboards or wallets to ease hunger needs in their community. East Side Neighborhood Services will be accepting donations in Minneapolis to ensure those less fortunate can access adequate food this holiday season and year-round.
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
MCC's 10th Annual Turkey & Extra Helpings Drive is kicking off! Click
here to learn more.
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.
Guthrie Play Reading
RiverWest Group
Tuesday, 11/21,
6:30-9:30 pm
North Star Group
Wednesday, 11/29,
6:30-9:30 pm
Groups will read "Blithe Spirit" this month.
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.
Lab Girl
by Hope Jahren
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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Ongoing Member-Led Activities
Exploring Meditation
Every Tuesday, September 19 - December 5,
9:30-10:30 am
Clear the clutter in your mind, reduce stress and increase the feeling of calm in your life. For more information on future meditation opportunities, email Betsy Wray.
MCC Caregivers' Support Group
2nd and 4th Wednesdays,
September-December
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
428 2nd St S
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
Nov 23 & Dec 7
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
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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