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Update from the Executive Director
Living one's life in community offers unlimited opportunity. Relationships, volunteer connections, public service awareness, faith development, employment options and a sense of a place where one belongs all serve to enhance and contribute to a well-lived life.
Mill City Commons builds community through shared experiences, member to member support and participation in individual and joint volunteer opportunities. Members have intentionally chosen, for the most part, to age in community in and along the riverfront district in downtown Minneapolis. They are committed to staying active, involved, relevant and living in the community they've grown to appreciate and love.
Building community, taking an active role to surround one's self with activities, projects, ideas, resources and people, takes time, energy and commitment. It grows and is only richly enhanced with time. One need not wait to retire to begin! In fact, a strong case can be made for jump-starting the process ahead of retirement, ensuring those connections and relationships, projects and volunteer opportunities are firmly in place, having carefully chosen from myriad relationship and community connection possibilities.
Mill City Commons is offering a 3-month Trial Membership opportunity that begins July 1 and runs through September 30. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about this vibrant, active organization and its commitment to building community, this is a valuable opportunity. Click
here to read the details about trial membership. Don't delay, as registration ends June 30!
In spite of today's rainy forecast, a "break in the rain and clouds" is predicted by late afternoon, just in time for Last Tuesday Happy Hour at Elsie's! I hope you'll join us for food and fellowship. More details below!
MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.
~ Joan Wright
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Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, June 26, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Elsie's Restaurant and Bar, 729 Marshall St NE
 Join us for our third annual Last Tuesday Happy Hour on the patio at Elsie's Restaurant and Bar! Hosted by Patty Connelly and Diane & Tony Hofstede, 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) 378-9701.
MCC members and guests. No registration required.
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Mark Ritchie: One Nation Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for All
Wednesday, June 27, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
La Rive Party Room, 110 Bank St SE
 Please join us as former Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie highlights historical and personal watershed moments when citizens and representatives were engaged and working together. Ritchie served as Secretary of State from 2007 to 2015. He currently is serving as CEO of the Minnesota World's Fair Bid Committee, seeking to host the 2027 fair.
MCC members sign up here.
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 Men's Coffee and Conversation
Thursday, June 28, 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 David Grong hosts. Following a brief bio, David will present a slide show on how to build a sailboat.
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Driven to Discover: Bell Museum Tour
Monday, July 9, 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Bell Museum, 2088 Larpenteur Ave W
 Get a sneak peek inside the new Bell Museum before its official opening this summer. Embark on a guided tour of the Bell Museum with Denise Young, executive director; learn about the expanded reach of the Bell to include its Outdoor Learning Landscape and planetarium; and see next generation scientists work on an innovation challenge as part of the museum's Innovators: Engineering & Tech summer camp.
This is one in an ongoing MCC program series under the banner "Driven to Discover." The series features University of Minnesota faculty and students sharing current research and programming at the University.
Registration is now closed. To be placed on the cancellation list, email [email protected].
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Exploring Meditation
 Tuesday, July 10, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Mill City Quarter, 322 2nd St S
Mill City Commons members are invited to join in a drop-in meditation hour during the month of July. This is a time for self-guided meditation, with no instructor. The idea is that meditating with each other may help each of our practices. Drop-in sessions are on Tuesdays, July 10 through July 31, from 9:30-10:30 am at Mill City Quarter, across the parking lot from Abiitan. An MCC member will be there to let you in 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.
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After Hours Connect: Golf at Les Bolstad Golf Course
Tuesday, July 10, 5
:00 - 7:30 pm
University of Minnesota, 2275 Larpenteur Ave S
 Join other MCC men and women for an After Hours Connect golf outing. The first tee time is at 5:00 p.m. Cost is $20 for 9 holes if you walk; add $11 if you'd like to rent a cart. A beverage/snack cart will be on the course. Those interested can grab a burger nearby after golfing. Registration deadline: June 27.
MCC members sign up here.
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Technology Help Desk
 Wednesday, July 11, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
MCC Office, 125 Main St SE, Suite 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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Social Bridge
Wednesday, July 11, 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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M
en's Coffee & Conversation
Thursday, July 12, 7:30 - 8:30 am
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 Bob Berkwitz hosts. Bob will talk about the Radisson Hotel joint venture in Moscow in the 1990s and will compare Moscow from that time with the Moscow he saw on his recent trip there this May. Bob also will talk about their American partner who was killed in Moscow in the early '90s.
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Nosy Neighbor Tour: St. David's Center at Westminster
Thursday, July 12, 4:30 - 6:30 pm
Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette Ave S
 Join us on a tour of the expanded Westminster Presbyterian Church campus, featuring a presentation by Westminster's new community partner, St. David's Center for Child & Family Development. The Harman Center for Child & Family Wellbeing, St. David's new early intervention clinic for children who have faced trauma and adversity, aims to interrupt the cycle of abuse and neglect by strengthening parent-child relationships and child developmental outcomes. Julie Sjordal, CEO of St. David's Center, and Maureen Walsh, chief advancement and strategy officer, will give us a closer look at the community needs St. David's Center is addressing and why it's critical for us to understand the economic and social implications if we continue to allow the cycle to perpetuate itself. Meet at the front desk at Westminster.
MCC members sign up here.
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MCC Program Calendar
View the full calendar of MCC's June events
here.
Plan ahead! View the full calendar of MCC's July events
here.
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Around Town
Railroad History Walking Tour
July 1, 1:00 - 2:45 pm, Mill City Museum, 704 2nd St S
Take a guided tour of railroad landmarks, including the Stone Arch Bridge, Milwaukee Road Depot, and the Minneapolis Eastern Railway engine house and trestle. Along the way, find clues to the vanishing railroad landscape and learn about the future of Twin Cities rail. Tickets can be purchased
here.
Music in the Parks
July 2, 7:00 pm, Nicollet Island Park, 40 Power St
Singer-songwriter Wendy C. Johnson will be playing acoustic guitar in this free Music in the Parks series.
Red, White and Boom Celebration
July 4, 6:00 - 10:00 pm, Father Hennepin Bluffs Park, 420 Main St SE
Celebrate Independence Day at the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board's Red, White and Boom celebration. The annual event attracts more than 75,000 people to sites along the downtown Minneapolis riverfront, and features live music, great food, fun activities for the whole family, and the grand finale--fireworks! Find more information
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
125 Main St SE
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.
**No Book Chat in July
August's book is
Mudbound
by Hillary Jordan
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,
May-August,
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 in July (except July 3)
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
July 5 & 19
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact
Allan Burdick.
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