August 28, 2018
Update from the Executive Director

If you're a news junkie like I am, you probably access a variety of daily news sources. While I have my "go to" periodicals, I personally like to include a news aggregator because it  "aggregates syndicated web content such as online newspapers, blogs, podcasts and video blogs (vlogs) in one location for easy viewing."

Every couple of days, Next Avenue finds its way into my reading. " Next Avenue is a digital platform launched by PBS that offers original and aggregated journalism aimed at baby boomers. Next Avenue is PBS' first venture to begin on the Internet rather than on broadcast television. It was conceived and developed at Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) in St. Paul, MN. The website was launched on May 15, 2012." The articles pertain to health, finances, work/purpose, living, caregiving and technology. It is a helpful and interesting site. Check it out!

Don't let the rainy day hold you back from attending tonight's Last Tuesday Happy Hour at Hideaway Burger Bar! Hope to see you there.

MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.

~ Joan Wright
Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, August 28, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Hideaway Burger Bar, 219 Main St SE
Join us for Last Tuesday Happy Hour on the deck at the Hideaway Burger Bar! Hosted by Bob & Pam Berkwitz and Jane Helsing, this gathering is a time to catch up with friends and neighbors over drinks and small bites. This event is dutch treat--no reservations required!

Special note: MCC will be recognizing new members from the last 12 months (those who've joined since June 1, 2017) at this Happy Hour. New members, see an MCC staffer for your free beverage ticket!

MCC members and guests. No registration required.
Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, August 30, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Mill City Quarter, 322 2nd St S
MCC women, you are invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. This week Nancy Verdier will lead a discussion on what brings you joy -- the big things, the little things, the serious and the silly things. What made you joyful as a child? How can we bring joy to others today?

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.
Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat
Wednesday, September 5, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Abiitan's Porter Cafe, 428 S 2nd St
Join us to discuss News of the World by Paulette Jiles. It's 1870 and Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence. In Wichita Falls, he's offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna's parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the 10-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows. Their 400-mile journey south proves difficult and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act "civilized." Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other. Arriving in San Antonio, the reunion is neither happy nor welcome. The captain must hand Johanna over to an aunt and uncle she does not remember--strangers who regard her as an unwanted burden. Captain Kidd is faced with a terrible choice: abandon the girl to her fate or become--in the eyes of the law--a kidnapper himself.

If you'd like to read ahead, October's book is Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. Have a book suggestion for the Book Chat? Email Marsha Blumenthal at theblumenthals@gmail.com.

MCC members and guests. No registration required.
Technology Help Desk
Wednesday, September 5, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Mill City Commons 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.

Registration is closed. To be added to the waiting list, email betsywray@millcitycommons.org.
Social Bridge
Wednesday, September 5, 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.

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
Many Kinds of Grief: Responding to Loss
Thursday, September 6, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Village Lofts River Room, 100 2nd St NE
What to say? What to do? These are common questions we ask ourselves when news comes of a loss of health, skills, place, resources, mobility or death. In this practical session, perspectives and a wide range of responses will be presented, demonstrated and discussed. All sorts of losses will be addressed. Ted Bowman, a grief and family educator, is an adjunct instructor in the School of Social Work at the University of St. Thomas, teaching about grief counseling. 
 
MCC members sign up here.
M en's Coffee & Conversation
Thursday, September 6, 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 Doug Baker hosts. A founding member of MCC Men's group, Doug always likes to surprise us. Will he talk about being drafted by the St Louis Cardinals; his days at the University of Texas and Stanford; serving as a SVP at American Express; being the father of a Fortune 500 CEO; serving as president of True North Groups Institute? Come and find out!

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
After Hours Connect: Behind the Scenes at Almanac
Friday, September 7, 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Twin Cities PBS, 172 E 4th St, St. Paul
Join other MCC men and women for a behind-the-scenes evening with Almanac, TPT's award-winning public affairs program. Experience a live broadcast, and go behind the scenes with access to the control room and studio. Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served prior to the broadcast, with dessert and a Q&A with the Almanac talent afterwards. Space is limited to 30 guests; registration deadline is August 31.

Twin Cities PBS is located above the Lowertown Parking Ramp, which has an entrance on both Jackson and Sibley Streets. Elevators are at the east end of the ramp (Sibley St.) Take the elevator to the skyway level (K).

MCC members sign up here by August 31.
Meditation Circle
Tuesday, September 11, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Mill City Quarter, 322 2nd St S
Mill City Commons members are invited to join in a weekly drop-in meditation hour. This is a time for self-guided meditation; if you're new to meditation, we'll provide a brief explanation to help you get started. Our hope is that meditating with each other may help each of our practices and create a shared energy among participants. Drop-in sessions are on Tuesdays from 9:30-10:30 am at Mill City Quarter, across the parking lot from Abiitan. An MCC member will be there to greet you at 9:30 a.m. Please register for sessions you plan to attend so we have an idea of how many to expect. All sessions are free.

MCC members sign up here.
The Health Challenge: When the Unforeseen Hits, Part 2
Tuesday, September 11, 3:00 - 4:30 pm
Phoenix River Room, 222 2nd St SE, 6th floor
Do you know how you'd react if you, your spouse or partner suddenly had a medical emergency? In this follow-up presentation to our June program, a panel of community resources will offer you the benefit of their hard-earned wisdom through stories about how they've helped others respond to accidents, medical emergencies in far-away places, and the changing health of a spouse. They'll share with you what they've learned about realities, resources and resilience. Panelists include Pathfinder Care Management's CEO Kathleen Dempsey, geriatrician Dr. Tom Pettus, Mill City Commons staff member Mary Texidor and Senior Linkage Line's Community Outreach Specialist Lukus Zuker.

MCC members sign up here.
Minnesota's Leadership on Clean Energy
Thursday, September 13, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Winslow House, 100 2nd St SE
Energy decisions are critical to both economic development and environmental performance. Minnesota has used bipartisan policy to grow our clean energy economy, including almost 60,000 family-supporting jobs. Business is also leading the way on renewable energy. We are national leaders in wind and solar energy, as well as in carbon reduction. Learn about next steps and get inspired at this energizing forum. Speaker J. Drake Hamilton is science policy director for Fresh Energy and an expert in climate and energy policy at the state and national level.

MCC members sign up here
MCC Program Calendar

View the full calendar of MCC's August events here.

Plan ahead! View the full calendar of MCC's September events here.
Around Town

Some Pages for a Book of Hours Opening Reception
September 8, 6:00-8:30 pm, Form+Content Gallery, 210 2nd St N
Come see an exhibition of image and text, artist's books and photographs that explores and honors the final years of four women in the artist Joyce Lyon's life: her mother, cousin and two friends. The work is bittersweet but ultimately joyful, an affirmation of bravery and the possibilities of human connection. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

Global Conversations: North Korea--Fire and Fury or Dialogue and Diplomacy?
September 12, 6:00-7:15 pm, Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall 
Does the new diplomatic opening between President Trump and Kim Jong Un represent a real opportunity for a denuclearized North Korea and for an official end to the Korean War? Or is the U.S. being played? Join a conversation with former Cultural Affairs Officer Mark Canning as he discusses the future of U.S.-North Korea relations. Free, but registration is required here.

Minneapolis Bike Tour
September 16, 8:00 am, Boom Island, 724 Sibley St NE
The 12th annual Minneapolis Bike Tour features multiple fully supported routes that take riders through the spectacular park and byway system of Minneapolis at their own pace, traffic free! Learn more and register 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.  
 
Volunteer Opportunities 
 
Click here  for community volunteer opportunities on the MCC website!  
 
MCC Ongoing Social Opportunities
 
Dutch Treat
Social Hour
Mondays, 4:00-5:00 pm
Aster Cafe
125 Main St SE
Drop in for an afternoon coffee or drink and a casual chat. No reservations
 required.

Guthrie Play Reading
RiverWest Group
Tuesday, 9/4,
6:30-9:30 pm

North Star Group
Wednesday, 9/26,
6:30-9:30 pm
Groups will be reading "Playing with Fire" 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.
September's book is 
News of the World:A Novel
by Paulette Jiles

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.
 
  Mill City Commons
Ongoing Fitness Opportunities

SBS Class
                        Thursdays
                 9:15-10:00 am
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.

Meditation Circle
                        Tuesdays
                 9:30-10:30 am
Mill City Quarter,
322 2nd St S
 Join us for a weekly
self-guided meditation hour.
 
Ongoing Member-Led Activities

MCC Caregivers' Support Group
2nd and 4th Wednesdays,
September-December,
10:30 am-12:00 pm & 1:00-2:30 pm*
A way to support members and non-members who are in a  caregiving role.
*Note: There are still openings in the afternoon group. For more information, contact  Betsy Wray

Men's Dutch Lunch
Abiitan's Porter Cafe
428 2nd St S
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
 August 30 & September 13
 This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact  Allan Burdick.
 
 
Mill City Commons | 125 Main St SE, Suite 339, Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.millcitycommons.org | info@millcitycommons.org  
(612) 455-3329