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Update from the Business and Member Services Adminstrator
I love Election Day. I remember going to the polls with my parents and I very clearly remember how seriously I took my first opportunity to vote and how proud I was to see my name on the voter registration log. Election Day was also associated with volunteering at our church's annual turkey dinner, which required me to do all the tasks they typically assign kids and youth, but also included lots of socializing with what seemed like the entire town. It was truly a community affair. My family instilled the importance and value of voting and volunteering, for which I will always be thankful. I would bet that many of you may have similar stories of those same values being taught to you. I would love to hear your memories of your first vote or volunteer activity that helped you become who you are now. Today I am thankful to belong to an organization filled with engaged citizens. Happy Election Day!
MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.
~ Mary Texidor
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Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat
Wednesday, November 7, 9:30 - 10:30 am 
Abiitan's Porter Cafe, 428 2nd St S
Join us to discuss
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet--sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors--doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through.
Exit West follows these remarkable characters as they emerge into an alien and uncertain future, struggling to hold on to each other, to their past, to the very sense of who they are.
If you'd like to read ahead, December's book is The Last Painting of Sarah de Vos by Dominic Smith. Have a book suggestion for the Book Chat? Email [email protected].
MCC members and guests. No registration required. |
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Technology Help Desk
Wednesday, November 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.
Registration is now closed. To be added to the waiting list in case of a cancellation, email [email protected].
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Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, November 8, 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Lourdes Square, 184 Bank St SE
 MCC women, you are invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. This week, Anne Heegaard hosts. Recent events have been horrifying to all of us. How do we deal with our feelings of outrage and disbelief? As individuals? As a community? Anne will facilitate a discussion about how we are coping with events that make us question how to move forward and make a difference in our community and in our country. A recent David Brooks opinion piece in the New York Times inspired this topic.
Our Turn meets every other Thursday, alternating between morning and afternoon times. Hosts and topics change each time.
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Driven to Discover: Planetarium Tour at the Bell Museum
Friday, November 9, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Bell Museum, 2088 Larpenteur Ave W
 Explore the cosmos at the new Bell Museum! Start your Bell Museum journey with a discussion featuring Denise Young, Ed.D, executive director of the Bell Museum, and Sally Brummel, M.Ed., Planetarium Program Manager. You'll learn about the new, state-of-the-art digital technology and capabilities of the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium. Then enjoy a planetarium experience that explores the unique geological history of Minnesota in the original production of "Minnesota in the Cosmos."
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.
Two openings left! MCC members sign up here. |
Green Minneapolis: Enhancing Downtown Livability
Monday, November 12, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Minnesota Tech Center, 1100 Washington Ave S 
J
oin us as Beth Shogren, executive director of Green Minneapolis, introduces us to the non-profit conservancy working to enhance the livability of downtown Minneapolis through greening and park projects. Learn about the organization's operational and fundraising achievements at The Commons, and its future vision for Peavey Plaza, the Hennepin Lyndale Crossroads, and downtown street trees. Green Minneapolis has found success by building public-private partnerships with the City, project stakeholders and neighbors. Come to hear about how you can get involved.
MCC members sign up here. |
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Meditation Circle
Tuesday, November 13, 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. |
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Current Events: A Conversation with Bill
Tuesday, November 13, 10:30 - 11:30 am
Winslow House Party Room, 100 2nd St SE 
Current international news and U.S. foreign policy provide an endless trove of topics for learning and discussion. Retired foreign service officer and MCC member Bill Davnie will identify a topic in advance, although news can always lead us in a fresh direction. There will be both presentation and discussion.
This ongoing monthly program is going on hiatus after this month until Bill Davnie returns from Sri Lanka late next spring.
MCC members sign up here. |
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Social Bridge
Wednesday, November 14, 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, November 15, 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 Ron Vantine leads the annual book review. Bring to the meeting (or submit by email:
[email protected]) a review and/or commentary about two favorite fiction books you've read this past year.
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After Hours Connect: Your Brain on Retirement - Lessons from Neuropsychology
Thursday, November 15, 5:00 - 6:30 pm
La Rive Party Room, 110 Bank St SE, 2nd fl
 Join us as Dr. Sarah Bridges talks about the neuroscience triggers in transition and how understanding brain science can help smooth change in our lives. She'll blend the latest findings from brain science to provide practical and counter-intuitive ideas for successful transitions. Her entertaining and provocative ideas provide the basis for building a brain-healthy time in our second half of life. Sarah Bridges, Ph.D., is founder and leader of Bridges, a firm that specializes in coaching, leadership training and human potential consulting. Guests are welcome!
MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC. |
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Dinner for 5
Sunday, November 18, 6:00 - 7:30 pm 
Smith & Porter Restaurant, 428 2nd St S
If connecting with and getting to know other MCC members in a smaller, more intimate social setting interests you, this new 10th Anniversary program idea just might be for you! Join other MCC members for a casual evening of dining in Abiitan's Smith & Porter Restaurant. The meal is dutch treat. Space is limited, so register early!
MCC members sign up here. |
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Great Decisions: Media and Foreign Policy
Monday, November 19, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
DeLaSalle High School, 1 DeLaSalle Dr, Rm D104
 State and non-state actors today must maneuver a complex and rapidly evolving media landscape. Conventional journalism now competes with user-generated content. Official channels of communication can be circumvented through social media. Foreign policy is tweeted from the White House and "fake news" has entered the zeitgeist. Cyberwarfare, hacking and misinformation pose complex security threats. How are actors using media to pursue and defend their interests in the international arena? What are the implications for U.S. policy? Speaker Todd Lefko is a businessperson and journalist living in both Minnesota and Moscow, Russia, where his weekly column has appeared in President Putin's newspaper Rossiske Vesti for the past 17 years.
Registration on the MCC website is required for Great Decisions members.
Sorry, not open to guests; to join the MCC Great Decisions Discussion Group, email Betsy Wray at [email protected].
MCC GD members sign up here.
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Meditation Circle
Tuesday, November 20, 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. |
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MCC Program Calendar
View the full calendar of MCC's November events
here.
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News from Members
MCC Executive Director Joan Wright
shares this article from the New York Times: The New Cold War.
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Around Town
The 4 Seasons
Now through December 2, various times, The Lab Theater, 700 N 1st St
The Moving Company presents "The 4 Seasons," a plot-light drama that reveals how people respond to difficult times. The Moving Company came out of the ashes of Theatre de la Jeune Lune and seeks to find the humor in tragedy and the drama in comedy. Featuring Heidi Bakke, Joy Dolo and Steven Epp; directed by Dominique Serrand. Tickets can be purchased
here.
Next Generation of Parks: Florence Williams, The Nature Fix
November 15, 6:30-8:00 pm, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2400 3rd Ave S
Florence Williams, a podcaster, public speaker, author and journalist, will delve into what she learned during her investigations on the imact of nature on our lives. She challenges us to ask "How can cities make places of awe and restoration?" Tickets are free, and advance registration is recommended
here.
Minneapolis 2018 Craft'za
November 17, 10:00 am-4:00 pm, Grain Belt Bottling House, 79 13th Ave NE
Craft'za is a free art market for handmade goods. Artists are selected by jury. Food trucks will be on site. Free, with plenty of free public parking nearby. For more information including a list of participating artists, click
here.
Is it time for a new international treaty to end violence against women and girls?
November 28, 4:00-5:30 pm, University of Minnesota Law School, Mondale Hall, Rm 50, 229 19th Ave S
Violence against women and girls is one of the greatest violations of human rights in the world. Yet, more than one billion women lack legal protection from domestic violence. A coalition has been formed to advocate for an international treaty to end violence against women and girls worldwide. But some question - is such a treaty needed or politically viable? Join a panel discussion on this topic. Free and open to the public; to learn more or register, click
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.
North Star Group
Wednesday, 11/7,
6:30-9:30 pm
Reading "Noises Off"
RiverWest Group
Tuesday, 11/20,
6:30-9:30 pm
Reading "A Christmas Carol"
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
Exit West
by Mohsin Hamid
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.
Meditation Circle
Mill City Quarter,
Join us for a weekly
self-guided meditation hour.
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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.
Men's Dutch Lunch
Abiitan's Porter Cafe
428 2nd St S
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
November 8 & December 6
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact
Allan Burdick.
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