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Update from the Executive Director
Today I'm sitting on a rock behind the Guthrie Theater, along the riverbank, listening to the birds, while enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. Lots of joggers, bikers, and dog-walkers zoom by taking advantage of the trail leading into Mill Ruins Park (and what do you call those cross-country skis on wheels!?). What a beautiful neighborhood and glorious day!
When I was a brand-new parent, I reflected on the dichotomy of simultaneously wanting to hold on and let go. I'm sure I wasn't the first to conclude that this is the essential and lifelong struggle of parenthood. Teach them to be independent AND stay connected in relationship with you. I'm realizing now that this tug-of-war is not singular to parenthood. I've been part of several conversations lately regarding a similar issue as we get older. How do we ask for help? We don't want to appear weak or vulnerable - our pride and long-sought independence won't allow it! How do we offer help without implying, "you are weaker and need help!" There is no easy answer; I look forward to having more conversations and delving into this topic further.
I'm asking YOU - our members, friends, and partners - to consider helping us spread the word about the unique community we have built in Mill City Commons. Perhaps you could forward this email to someone in your network who might not have heard of us. Several of the events featured below are open to guests. Sign up; invite someone; tell people about the friendships, educational and cultural programs, social activities, and anything and everything else you love about MCC!
Take care, and enjoy the rest of your week.
MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.
~ Sara J.B. Foster
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2019 Legislative Outcomes Affecting Older Adults
Wednesday, June 19, 3:00 - 4:30 pm
Mill City Quarter Club Room, 322 2nd St S
 Learn about the impact the outcomes of the 2019 legislative session will have on older adults across Minnesota. The discussion includes an overview of legislation that will license assisted living facilities and provide important protections for older and vulnerable Minnesotans. We'll also discuss AARP's nationwide campaign to rein in the high cost of prescription drugs. Speaker Erin Parrish is Associate State Director for Advocacy and Outreach for AARP Minnesota.
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MCC Women Connect
Thursday, June 20, 10:00 - 11:30 am
The Landings, 510 River St
 At this month's MCC Women Connect Sylvia Kaplan will lead a discussion around the question, "Do we ever grow up or do we just get old?" What does it mean to
grow up? To mature? At our current developmental stage, as we look back, how did we and how do we make sense of our lives? What people, things, art, books, experiences have served as touchstones in your development as a human being? That created meaning at that stage of your life?
MCC Women Connect's purpose is to gather to connect and grow, sharing our experiences and learning from each other as we adapt to life's changes and transitions. Discussion ideas come from members, volunteer facilitators and a list of suggestions being developed. We meet once a month, from 10:00-11:30 a.m., on the third Thursday.
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Minnesota Landscape Arboretum: Tashjian Bee and Pollinator Center Visit
Friday, June 21, 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
Tashjian Bee and Pollinator Center, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr, Chaska 
Join MCC friends for a visit to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's Tashjian Bee & Pollinator Discovery Center. The Center serves as a hub for community outreach and education that is grounded in the world-renowned bee research of University of Minnesota Scientist Marla Spivak, Ph.D. Displays use macro-photography of flowers and pollinators, and exhibits offer insights into honey bees, wild bees, Monarch butterflies and other pollinators. We'll carpool to the Arboretum and drive directly to the Bee Center, which is on Three Mile Drive. Afterwards, we can explore other areas of the Arboretum and have lunch at the café in the visitor center. Arboretum entrance fee is $15 (free for members). When you register, please answer the question about carpooling.
MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC. |
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Meditation Circle
Tuesday, June 25, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Mill City Quarter Club Room, 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 am. 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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Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, June 25, 5:00 - 6:00 pm 
Elsie's Restaurant and Bar, 729 Marshall St NE
Join us for our fourth 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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M
en's Coffee & Conversation
Thursday, June 27, 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 Bill McGrann hosts. Bill has invited Chuck Lutz, Deputy Director of Community Planning and Economic Development for the City of Minneapolis. Chuck has had primary responsibility for projects such as Target Center, the Federal Courthouse, the Hennepin Avenue theaters, the Heritage Park redevelopment on the city's Northside, the Midtown Exchange redevelopment on the city's Southside, the $1 billion Minnesota Vikings Stadium and the $400 million Wells Fargo development in the Downtown East area. What's next?
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Group Bike Ride
Thursday, June 27, 9:00 - 11:00 am 
Chute Square, 28 University Ave SE
Carol Vantine is inviting anyone who likes to bicycle to join her for a two hour ride on the North Mississippi Parkway on Thursday, June 27. We will meet in Chute Square (corner of University and Central Avenues, across from Lund's) at 9:00 am. It is a ride through neighborhoods, along the Mississippi, through parks and some industrial areas. The terrain is gently rolling. For more information, call Carol at 612-750-8785.
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Nosy Neighbor Tour: Abiitan Terraces
Monday, July 8, 10:30 - 11:30 am
Abiitan, 428 S 2nd St
 Abiitan, home to many Mill City Commons members, has invited members to view its newly opened assisted living wing on the second floor. Enjoy coffee and baked goods, as well as the opportunity to see an apartment and learn about Abiitan's programming to support its residents as their needs change.
MCC members sign up here. |
Technology Workshop: iPhone Photography, Part 2
Tuesday, July 9, 1:00 - 2:30 pm 
American Academy of Neurology, Training Room B, 201 Chicago Ave
Expand your on-the-go photography skills with iPhone Photography, Part 2. In this class, we'll review and expand on highlights from Part 1 (April 16), and learn how to better organize, manage and share photos. You'll see creative, useful photo accessories in action. You'll learn how to create and send Memories--photo/video slideshows set to music. And you'll also see some fun iPhone photography accessories in action. You don't need to have attended the first session to participate.
MCC members sign up here.
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MCC Evening Book Club
Tuesday, July 9, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
RiverWest Social Room, 401 S 1st St
 Join us to discuss
Washington Black
by Esi Edugyan. George Washington Black, or "Wash," an 11-year-old field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is terrified to be chosen by his master's brother as his manservant. To his surprise, the eccentric Christopher Wilde turns out to be a naturalist, explorer, inventor, and abolitionist. Soon Wash is initiated into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky, where even a boy born in chains may embrace a life of dignity and meaning--and where two people, separated by an impossible divide, can begin to see each other as human. But when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash's head, Christopher and Wash must abandon everything. What follows is their flight along the eastern coast of America, and, finally, to a remote outpost in the Arctic. What brings Christopher and Wash together will tear them apart, propelling Wash even further across the globe in search of his true self.
NOTE: Limited guest parking is available in the RiverWest garage. Register your car in the building lobby. There's also a pay lot on the woonerf between the Abiitan and Mill City Quarter buildings (on the back side of RiverWest) that's available for public parking from 6-10 pm Mon-Fri. Note that the parking meters are not owned by the city and the city parking app can NOT be used with them. Pay at the station in the lot.
The MCC Evening Book Club usually meets on the first Tuesday of every other month. Upcoming gatherings are on September 3 and November 5.
MCC members sign up here. |
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MCC Annual Party
Tuesday, July 16, 5:00 - 7:30 pm
Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette Ave 
Join us for one of MCC's most popular events of the year--the Annual Member Party! This year's party will take place in the Garden Room and Commons in the beautiful, light-filled new expansion at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Nicollet Mall. Happy hour starts at 5:00 pm with beverages, followed by a buffet of hearty hors d'oeuvres that will be available until 7:30 pm. While you're mingling with friends enjoy a slideshow with a year's worth of MCC photos. Free parking is available in Westminster's underground parking ramp; the ramp entrance is on Alice Rainville Place (the equivalent of 13th Street). Signage will direct you to Level 1 and the Garden Room. If you're walking, enter the church through the glass doors on Nicollet Mall and follow the signs in the lobby. Registrations are due by June 28. This is an MCC members-only event.
MCC members sign up here by June 28. |
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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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Ar
ound Town
Great Art on Screen
June 25, 7:00 pm, St. Anthony Main Theatre, 115 Main St SE
The Minneapolis St. Paul Film Society has a new series, Great Art on Screen, that will include monthly showings about great art and artists. The premier is
Caravaggio: The Soul and the Blood, where you'll take an immersive journey through the life, works and struggles of the Italian master Michelangelo Merisi di Caravaggio. To learn more and purchase tickets, click
here.
Murder on the Mississippi
June 26, 7:00-9:00 pm, Harriet Island, 205 Doctor Justus Ohage Blvd, St. Paul
Part social event, part theater production, and all aboard the Jonathan Padelford! Cruise down the Mississippi River while enjoying a beverage, taking in gorgeous scenery, and helping to solve a murder mystery on this unique riverboat experience. You are welcome to come dressed up in 1850s style. Tickets available
here.
Sunset on the Lock
June 28 and 29, 7:00-9:00 pm, St. Anthony Falls Visitor Center, 1 Portland Ave
Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam provides panoramic views of the Upper St. Anthony Lock and Dam, St. Anthony Falls and the surrounding mill district. Rangers lead short walks from the visitor center out onto the lock walls and describe how the falls changed the course of history of the area and of the nation. This season the St. Anthony Falls Visitor Center and lock will be open during "sunset hours" on select dates, in addition to its normal daytime hours. For more information, 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
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, 10:00-11:00 am
Abiitan's Porter Cafe
428 2nd St S
No reservations required. The next
book is
by Michelle Obama
Click
here to see what books we're reading at future Book Chats.
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
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.
MCC Women Connect
Join MCC women as they connect and grow, sharing experiences and learning from each other as they adapt to life's changes and transitions. This group meets the third Thursday morning of the month.
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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,
May-August,
10:30 am-12:00 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
June 20 & July 18
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact
Allan Burdick.
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