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Update from the Executive Director
Last Friday, 18 members attended a listening and learning session at Washburn Center for Children, the regions leading mental health provider for children.
This remarkable resource is located in the heart of the city. If you are not familiar with it, its mission and its strong community ties, I encourage you to
explore its website.
CEO Tom Steinmetz guided the group through an hour-long presentation, which prompted members to share personal stories in a quest to find answers to questions about how they could best support and encourage their grandchildren through various mental health-related challenges. It was an important morning. The program's PowerPoint is available
here. Please note the additional hyper-links and resources listed on the last two pages of the presentation. Thanks to MCC member and Washburn Center for Children Trustee Dr. Michael Brennan for making the program possible.
A few bits of news, a reminder and a valuable link to consider:
~ A Heron Rookery visit has been added to the calendar for this Thursday. Details below! Register here!
~ Spots remain for Sunday's Soiree at The Towers, hosted by Bill and Kathy Fox and Madeline Betsch. Register here!
~ Friday, April 20, is the final day to RSVP for Mill City Commons 10th Anniversary Celebration at Surly Brewing Company on May 10.
Register here!
~ Still working on your taxes? Have questions about filing for an extension? Get your questions answered
here.
MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.
~ Joan Wright
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Men's Coffee and Conversation 
Thursday, April 19, 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 Don Fraser hosts local author Iric Nathanson, whose newest book is
Don Fraser: Minnesota's Quiet Crusader.
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Heron Rookery Visit
Thursday, April 19, 8:00 - 9:00 am
Marshall Terrace Park, 2740 Marshall St NE
 Join Park and Rec Board educator Gregg Severson at the Heron Rookery at Marshall Terrace Park where a large number of Great Blue Herons are beginning their nesting, along with a variety of waterfowl on the river. We expect to see some good courting and nesting behavior, plus you never know what else may show up along the river, especially with all the lakes still being frozen!
MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC. |
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Technology Workshop: Being Safe Online
Thursday, April 19, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
American Academy of Neurology, 201 Chicago Ave, Training Room A 
Hackers are on the lookout every day for ways to collect and compromise our personal information. Protect yourself with the latest tips for being safe online. In this workshop, we'll cover topics such as passwords, scam emails and safely browsing the web. While most safety tips can be applied to browsing the web from any platform, some will be Apple specific and all demonstrations will be on Apple products.
MCC members sign up here.
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Sunday Soiree
Sunday, April 22, 5:00 - 7:00 pm
The Towers Party Room, 15 1st St S
 Join your friends and neighbors for the MCC Sunday Soiree, hosted by Bill & Kathy Fox and Madeline Betsch at the Towers. Please contribute to the potluck by bringing a hearty hors d'oeuvre or main dish salad to serve at least 8 (we have enough desserts). 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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Waterfowl Walk
Tuesday, April 24, 8:00 - 9:30 am 
Meeting location to be announced
Each year, hundreds of thousands of birds stream through Minnesota on their annual migrations. The Minneapolis Chain of Lakes is a great place to observe them. In this walk led by Jamie McBride, lead naturalist with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, we'll be watching for geese, ducks, swans, pelicans and more. Bring binoculars and field guides, if you have them (we'll also have some to borrow). Location for the April 24 session will be announced soon.
MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC. |
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Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, April 24, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Stray Dog, 401 E Hennepin Ave
 Join us for Last Tuesday Happy Hour at Stray Dog Restaurant & Bar in Northeast. Hosted by Pat Hoven and Penny Hunt, 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 (612) 378-2855.
MCC members and guests. No registration required. |
Social Bridge
Wednesday, April 25, 3:00 - 5:00 pm 
Washburn Lofts, 700 S 2nd St
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].
MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC. |
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Driven to Discover: Stories of Students Leading Social Change
Wednesday, April 25, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Lourdes Square, 186 Bank St SE
Acara is a program of the University's Institute on the Environment that annually teaches 150 to 200 undergraduate and graduate students to identify local and global real-world problems and design solutions to them, which are then incorporated into functioning projects. The best are subsequently funded with grants ranging from $500 to $10,000. Examples include Kaloli Energy, which is turning urban trash into cooking fuel in order to decrease deforestation and air pollution in Uganda; My Rain, a successful business in India that distributes low-cost drip irrigation technology; and Minnesota Freedom Fund, a local nonprofit working to eliminate bail for people charged with misdemeanors. Come and hear inspirational stories about University of Minnesota students and alumni working to address important social problems, and bring your ideas for projects, both local and international, which they might undertake.
MCC members sign up here. |
Our Turn
Thursday, April 26, 1:30 - 3:00 pm 
Mill City Quarter, 322 2nd St S
MCC women, you're invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. This week, Toni Rosen hosts on "Restaurants."
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.
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Sharing World Culture Through Ancient Manuscripts
Monday, April 30, 1:30 - 3:00 pm
RiverWest Community Room, 401 S 1st St
 Come and hear the amazing story of how a small group of Benedictine monks in central Minnesota created a manuscript preservation project that now reaches around the world. When the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML) of St. John's Abbey began microfilming manuscripts 50 years ago, there was no internet and no virtual reality. There were, however, manuscripts in monasteries in Austria that had been threatened by World War II. Today the manuscript preservation project's geography has expanded to include Turkey, Syria, Ethiopia, India and Mali. Featured on "60 Minutes" last December, the project has gained worldwide attention and acceptance by scholars, governments and interested citizens. This same group of monks produced the St. John's Bible Project, a recently completed effort to reproduce the Bible in calligraphy, by hand, with spectacular illustrations. This informational program is a preview to the MCC day tour to see the St. John's Bible and HMML on Friday, May 4.
MCC members sign up here. |
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Minnesota's Leadership on Clean Energy
Monday, April 30, 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.
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Birding Walk I
Tuesday, May 1, 7:00 - 9:00 am
Location to be announced
 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 Gregg Severson. Locations for the walks to be announced each week.
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Meet Your Local Representatives: Park Board Commissioners Jono Cowgill & Chris Meyer
Wednesday, May 2, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Minnesota Tech Center, 1100 Washington Ave S 
In this second in an ongoing MCC series, "Meet Your Local Representatives," you'll have a chance to hear from Park Board Commissioners Jono Cowgill, representing the 4th District (west side of the river), and Chris Meyer, representing the 1st District (east side of the river). The commissioners will talk about challenges and opportunities they see ahead for the Park Board, as well as any special initiatives they're working on.
MCC members sign up here.
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St. John's Bible and Hill Museum & Manuscript Library Tour
Friday, May 4, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
2835 Abbey Plaza, Collegeville, MN
 In 1998, St. John's Abbey and University commissioned renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson to produce a handwritten, hand-illuminated Bible. Join us on this day tour to St. John's University, where you'll see 28 original folios from the Bible, as well as tools, materials and sketches used in its creation. After lunch in the University Refectory Dining Hall, we'll visit the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, where Dr. Matthew Heintzelman will showcase a selection of the library's fascinating and beautiful rare book and manuscript collection. We'll leave the North Star Lofts upper parking lot (117 Portland Ave.) at 8:00 am via a rented van and return at approximately 4:30 pm. Cost for the tour is a suggested donation of $3 each (checks made payable to HMML); cost for lunch is $11.25. Cost for the van transportation will depend on the final number of registrants, but it could range from $35 - $65 per person. REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 2.
MCC members sign up here. |
10 Years...Time to Celebrate!
Monday, May 7, 5:30 - 8:00 pm 
Surly Brewing Co, 520 Malcolm Ave SE
Mill City Commons is celebrating its 10th Anniversary with lots to remember and even more to look forward to! An evening of revelry is "on tap" to kick off our 10th anniversary year at Surly Brewing. View an amazing slideshow of photos old and new, order a signature beer cocktail or non-alcoholic beverage, enjoy an array of delectable appetizers and sit back to enjoy some fun facts about our amazing organization from emcees Bill Davnie and Allan Burdick. Cash bar, with beer and soft drinks only; the fun, food and frolic are free! Carpooling is encouraged. RSVP no later than April 20.
MCC members sign up here. |
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MCC Program Calendar
Plan ahead! View the full calendar of MCC's April events
here.
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News from Members
MCC Karla Ekdahl encourages members to attend the film On Borrowed Time at the MSPIFF. On Borrowed Time is a fun, feel-good comedy about aging, friendship and new directions for four buddies in a retirement home in Dubai. The screenings will be Wednesday, April 18 at 7:05 pm and Saturday, April 21 at 11:45 am. The director of the film, Yasir Al-Yasiri, will be present at both screenings. Tickets can be purchased here.
MCC member Suzanne Joyce recommends the play
The Pink Unicorn, starring
Kate Guentzel as a mother coming to terms with her child's gender identity. The show runs through April 21 at the Illusion Theater. To learn more and purchase tickets, click
here.
MCC Executive Director Joan Wright shares that The Capri Theater in North Minneapolis is featuring Legends Bouquet, a show by Minneapolis singing luminaries Dennis Spears, Debbie Duncan, and Charmin Michelle on Sunday, April 22, 3:00 pm; tickets are $25 or $20 for groups of ten or more. More information available here.
MCC member Judy Healey wants members to know that Father Columba Stewart will present "Manuscript Meets the Byte" on April 26 at 7:00 pm at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts (1011 Washington Ave S). The program will focus on how manuscripts have played a central role in transmitting knowledge and preserving cultural identity and their continued role in the future. Free, but registration is requested here. This event will be a good introduction to the Sharing World Culture Through Ancient Manuscripts program on April 30, as well as the upcoming day trip to St. John's on May 4.
MCC member Susan Plimpton shares that MinnRoast is scheduled for April 27 at 8:00 pm at the State Theatre (805 Hennepin Ave). The show is a spoof on Minnesota political and communication issues to benefit the online newspaper MinnPost. This year's cast includes Walter Mondale, as well as the Mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Senator Tina Smith, Governor Dayton, etc (click here for details on who is participating in the song-and-skit variety show). Tickets are available here.
The Traffic Zone (250 3rd Ave N) will host Open Studio Saturday on May 5 from 5:30-9:30 pm. MCC member Jim Conaway invites members to his studio in the Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art (Studio #204) to see his new series of paintings inspired by the stories and characters of Homer's Odyssey (click here to see examples of his recent work). All 23 studios will be open showing the work of 28 artists. Learn more here.
MCC member Joan Patterson shares that the 8th annual Art4Shelter fundraiser will be held on Wednesday, May 9, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. There are two ways to participate. Any artists who would like to exhibit and donate their 5" x 7" work for a great cause are welcome. Or, if you're not an artist, but like viewing and perhaps purchasing art at a very affordable price, you can attend this free event with refreshments and appetizers. The art preview time is 6:00-7:00 pm, with the sale from 7:00-9:00 pm. All the art sells for $35 apiece and proceeds go to Simpson Housing Services. Learn more here.
MCC member Ginger Bailey encourages members to buy tickets for the play Speechless: "It is a wonderful play!" Speechless will run from May 10-June 10 and is a poignant & moving work, named Best Play of 2017 by the Star Tribune. Tickets can be purchased here.
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Around Town
The Price of Everything Film Screening
April 21, 7:00 pm, St. Anthony Main Theatre, 115 Main St SE
The Cynthia Froid Group invites you to attend a screening of
an eye-opening documentary film about the art world with commentary by artists,
art dealers, curators and collectors. Director Nathaniel Kahn will be attending. As part of their sponsorship of the film, they are offering 25 half-price tickets to MCC members. RSVP by emailing [email protected].
Closer to Home - Music Imagined in America
April 22, 4:00 pm, MacPhail Center for Music, 501 2nd St S
In Closer to Home, the virtuosic Bakken Trio Chamber Ensemble plays music imagined in America - of Aaron Copland who defined the "American sound," Virgil Thomson's appealing "Portraits," Charles Ives' trio, and ending with TJ Cole, a green-haired 24-year old Georgian writing about the Civil War from the Southern Side. Tickets available at the door and online here.
Thursday Musical
April 26, 10:30-11:45 am, MacPhail Center for Music, 501 2nd St S
Thursday Musical's longest-running recital series, the Thursday Morning Artist Series, has been presented since 1892 on Thursdays, with a legacy of featuring some of the most talented classical musicians in Minnesota. Enjoy free coffee and donuts in the lobby starting at 10 am. Click here to see details of the upcoming performance. Note: purchasing a membership to Thursday Musical now would also cover the 2018-2019 season.
Skyways of Minneapolis: Mobile Photography Tour
April 28, 10:00 am-1:00 pm, Young Quinlan Building, 901 Nicollet Mall
Join the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) for the ultimate weatherproof tour! Professional photographer Eric Mueller will share a short presentation, teaching how to maximize your smartphone for snapping amazing pictures on this tour and future excursions. Then you'll hit the skyway with art and architecture professor Kristin Anderson. Learn about the social and cultural development of downtown, with plenty of opportunities to practice your new photography skills! Purchase tickets 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
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
North Star Group
Wednesday, 4/18,
6:30-9:30 pm
Reading "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"
RiverWest Group
Tuesday, 5/1,
6:30-9:30 pm
Reading "An Enemy of the People"
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.
Ragtime
by E.L. Doctorow
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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| 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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Ongoing Member-Led Activities
MCC Caregivers' Support Group
2nd and 4th Wednesdays,
January - 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.
Exploring Meditation
Mill City Quarter,
322 2nd St S
Every Tuesday,
9:30-10:30 am
Clear the clutter in your mind, reduce stress and increase the feeling of calm in your life.
Men's Dutch Lunch
Abiitan's Porter Cafe
428 2nd St S
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
April 26 & May 10
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact
Allan Burdick.
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