|
Update from the Business and Member Services Administrator
Mill City Commons sponsors a highly successful Caregivers' Support Group that offers a safe place to discuss the stresses, challenges and rewards of providing care for a loved one. It is open to men and women, members and nonmembers.
MCC hopes to launch a second group in September. 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 (you can read Susan's professional bio
here). The group's maximum is 10. Whether you are caring for a spouse, child, family member or friend, this group is a good place to connect and receive support. Please reach out if you'd like to register, or have questions, by emailing
Betsy Wray.
Many of you are aware that MCC member Lloyd Beebe died at the end of June. On Saturday, July 28, from 1:00-4:00 pm, MCC members are invited to attend a memorial service for Lloyd in the dining room of Kenwood Isles (1425 W 28th St). Light refreshments will be served. I plan to attend and hope you can join me.
MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.
~ Mary Texidor
|
|
|
Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, July 24, 5:00 - 6:00 pm 
Modist Brewing Co, 505 N 3rd St
Join us for Tuesday Happy Hour at Modist Brewing Co.! Hosted by Lois Libby Juster, Bob Callahan, Carol Jordan, Bill Casey, Betty Grant and Nancy Reed, this gathering is a time to catch up with friends and neighbors over drinks and small bites. Appetizers from the Curious Goat food truck will be provided by the hosts. The Curious Goat has a burger and pint special for $10 for any who want to stay for dinner. Modist has offered to do tours of the brewery for those who are interested, also. This event is dutch treat--no reservations required!
MCC members and guests. No registration required. |
|
Social Bridge
Wednesday, July 25, 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].
|
|
M
en's Coffee & Conversation
Thursday, July 26, 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 Gerry Timm hosts. A serial entrepreneur and urology professor by day, Gerry will speak about his latest passion, dance. A long-time arts connoisseur and dance enthusiast, Gerry created GT Artistry Dance Studio in 2009. Among other things, he'll talk about his journey into the local arts scene. His most recent production,"Pie Equals Square," opens at the Crane Theater on July 27.
|
|
Riverfirst: A Model for Urban Transformation - POSTPONED
Thursday, July 26, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Washburn Lofts Common Room, 700 2nd St S
 Note: This program has been postponed to later this fall, when the Parks Foundation will have new information about final design to add to the discussion at that time. Learn more about the RiverFirst Initiative, a collaboration between the Minneapolis Parks Foundation and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The initiative's goal: to transform 5.5 miles of urban Mississippi River corridor from obsolete industry to a mix of parkland, trails and redevelopment. In addition, the Parks Foundation is steering implementation of Water Works and the Great Northern Greenway River Link, two RiverFirst signature projects. Bruce Chamberlain, Minneapolis Parks fellow, and Tom Evers, Minneapolis Parks Foundation executive director, will present.
|
Author Event:
The Crusade for Forgotten Souls
Monday, July 30, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Stonebridge Lofts Community Room, 1120 2nd St S, 2nd fl 
The Crusade for Forgotten Souls: Reforming Minnesota's Mental Institutions, 1946-1951 chronicles the remarkable campaign to reform the deplorable condition of mental institutions in Minnesota, inspired and carried forward by ordinary people under the leadership of Governor Luther Youngdahl. Author Susan Bartlett Foote will describe the efforts of the citizen activists who broke the stigma of silence surrounding mental illness. Their work resulted in the first legislative steps toward a modern mental health system that catapulted Minnesota to national leadership and empowered generations of activists for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled.
MCC members sign up here.
|
|
Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat
Wednesday, August 1, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Abiitan's Porter Cafe, 428 S 2nd St
 Join us to discuss Mudbound by Hillary Jordan. It's 1946, and city-bred Laura McAllan is trying to raise her children on her husband's Mississippi Delta farm--a place she finds foreign and frightening. In the midst of the family's struggles, two young men return from the war to work the land. Jamie McAllan, Laura's brother-in-law, is everything her husband is not--charming, handsome and haunted by his memories of combat. Ronsel Jackson, eldest son of the black sharecroppers who live on the McAllan farm, has come home with the shine of a war hero. But no matter his bravery in defense of his country, he is still considered less than a man in the Jim Crow South. It's the unlikely friendship of these brothers-in-arms that drives this powerful novel to its inexorable conclusion. The men and women of each family relate their versions of events, and we are drawn into their lives as they become players in a tragedy on the grandest scale.
MCC members and guests. No registration required.
|
|
Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, August 2, 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, Sue Halverson will lead a discussion on Twin Cities' uncelebrated treasures. Come prepared to share little-known spots in the Twin Cities that hold a special place in your life. Is there a place you enjoy for quiet time, or alternatively, stimulation? Is it an entity like a coffee shop, library, gallery, chapel or bookstore, or a natural space such as a park, hiking trail, bike path or lake? How far is this spot, and why does it work? What makes it special to you? Do you go alone or is this a place you visit to enhance family or social connections?
Our Turn meets every other Thursday, alternating between morning and afternoon times. Hosts and topics change each time.
|
|
Driven to Discover: Bell Museum Tour
Monday, August 6, 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Bell Museum, 2088 Larpenteur Ave W
 Explore the Bell Museum just weeks after the highly anticipated grand opening on July 14! Embark on a guided tour of the Bell Museum and enjoy a conversation with Dr. Holly Menninger, director of public engagement and science learning, about the expanded reach of the Bell to include its Outdoor Learning Landscape and planetarium. See next generation artists and scientists at work in the museum's Art & Nature summer camp, as they explore the connections of art, nature and science.
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. Email [email protected] to be added to the waiting list. |
Technology Help Desk
Tuesday, August 7, 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. |
|
Saudi Arabia on the Cusp of Change: Traditions and Future Prospects
Wednesday, August 8, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Carlyle Great Room, 100 3rd Ave S
 Under a dynamic and forceful young crown prince, Saudi Arabia is embarked on radical new steps in domestic and foreign policy. The jury is still out on the ultimate impact of Mohammed Bin Salman's ambitious plans for a demographically young yet tradition-bound society. And there is growing concern that the regional rivalry between Iran and a Saudi Arabia in pragmatic cooperation with Israel may be building toward military confrontation. The Trump Administration's abrupt tilt away from Iran and toward the Saudis, including ongoing support for their campaign in Yemen, adds further volatility to the mix. This program will provide a snapshot of the status quo ante in Saudi Arabia and an analysis of geopolitical trends in the region. It will be based in part on insights and a wide array of images from a visit to the Kingdom in 2016. Speaker Tom Hanson is a former foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State and is currently Diplomat in Residence at the Alworth Institute for International Affairs at the U of M - Duluth.
MCC members sign up here.
|
|
MCC Program Calendar
View the full calendar of MCC's July events
here.
Plan ahead! View the full calendar of MCC's August events
here.
|
News From Members
MCC member John Cairns wants members to know that Experience Corps is seeking volunteers who would like to serve as literacy tutors and mentors to kindergarten-3rd grade students in Minneapolis or St. Paul. Volunteers receive comprehensive training and support throughout the year. As a tutor and mentor, volunteers serve as a caring adult for students--someone to listen, offer encouragement, serve as a role model and someone to celebrate their success with! Visit
here to learn more, including dates of upcoming New Volunteer Information Sessions. You can also contact Erin Simon at
[email protected] or (612) 708-5933.
MCC member Nor Hall invites members to join her at the Rain Taxi Book Club at the Commons (425 Portland Ave S) on July 26. Stop by for a social mixer and freewheeling discussion of Robert M. Pirsig's
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance! Drop in anytime starting at 5:00 pm with your own beer, wine or beverage of your choice--there will be snacks handy and some cool swag to give away! From 5:45-6:30, we'll chat about the Minnesota classic that got generations pondering the nature of "Quality." Learn more
here.
|
Around Town
Loring Park Art Festival
July 28-29, 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Loring Park, 1382 Willow St
This festival combines creative expression and community connectedness to the surprise and delight of all who attend. With beautiful ponds and formal gardens, Loring Park makes an idyllic spot to celebrate art, music, food and entertainment. Learn more
here.
Mill City Live
Wednesdays in August, 6:00-8:00 pm, Mill City Museum, 704 2nd St S
Mill City Live returns for its 15th season with five evenings of outdoor music every Wednesday in August. Held in the museum's dramatic open-air Ruin Courtyard, Mill City Live features music by some of the Twin Cities' best local artists. Food and drink available for purchase. Ticket price includes museum admission from 4:00-9:00 pm. Details can be found
here.
Open Streets Northeast
August 5, 11:00 am-5:00 pm, Central Ave NE, 22nd Ave NE, Monroe St NE and E Hennepin Ave
More than a street festival, Open Streets Minneapolis brings together businesses, families and neighbors to bike, walk, socialize, play, enjoy art and live performances and shop in their communities in a car-free environment. Details
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.
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.
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.
|
| 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.
|
|
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.
Men's Dutch Lunch
Abiitan's Porter Cafe
428 2nd St S
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
August 2 & 16
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact
Allan Burdick.
|
|
