Greetings Mill City Commons Members & Friends,

"The cocoon must form, the fire must rage. The earth must tremble and clouds must obscure the sun. Waters must rise and darkness must fall. So that the butterfly may form, and ashes may be scattered. The earth can be reborn, and the sun can appear once more. The soil will be revived, seeds will grow and a new day will come." Alexi Lubormirski

This reminds me to be patient as we anticipate the arrival of spring. It will come when it's ready.

Are you ready? NOW is the time to give MCC a try. Don't miss out on signing up for our trial membership. For just $150 you can experience 3 months of all MCC has to offer. Check out our calendar of events below.

MCC is the organization for anyone in transition. Did you recently move to downtown? Experience a life change? Looking for neighborhood connections? We are the humans you want to get to know.

I assure you that joining this organization will bring new life into your world. Don't hesitate, we want to know you!

Margaret McDonald, Executive Director

(612) 455-3329, 1201 W River Pkwy, Suite 217C, Minneapolis, MN 55454

Three-Month Trial Membership Starts Now!

Not a member? Try us out!

We understand the importance of strong social connections and belonging. Join Mill City Commons for $150 and attend unlimited programs from now through June 30, access trusted online resources and rely on courteous and friendly staff.

Learn more here or sign up by visiting our website. Fill in the online form and you'll hear back from our staff with next steps to become a part of our membership community. Don't miss out on this opportunity to see what we're all about.

Our Upcoming Programs and Events

Virtual via Zoom: Technology Help Desk

Tuesday, April 2, 12:30 - 2:00 pm

Schedule time with a tech support guru and have your nagging technology questions answered during our complimentary Help Desk. This is a virtual help desk and will take place on Zoom. 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. 

The zoom link will be provided in your confirmation email.

MCC members sign up here.

Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat

Wednesday, April 3, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Klassic's Kitchen, 428 S 2nd St

Join us to discuss this month's book, Good Night, Irene, by Luis Alberto Urrea. You are welcome to join us in conversation whether or not you've read the book. 

If you'd like to read ahead, May's book is Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story that Awakened America, by Joy-Ann Reid, and June's book is 100 Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Márquez.

Have a book suggestion for the Book Chat? Email Marsha Blumenthal.

No registration required.

Men's Coffee and Conversation

Thursday, April 4, 8:00 - 9:00 am

Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE

It's caffeine and camaraderie for 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 Coffee and Conversation.

This week, Van Hawn will introduce his college classmate and friend Rich Gehrman who is the founder of Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota, an advocacy organization for the improvement of the child protection system in MN. He will speak of the egregious failures of our system to protect children from abuse and neglect and of improvements necessary to bring MN into line with more successful states.

MCC members sign up here.

Morning Mixer

Saturdays, April 6 and 13, 9:15 - 10:30 am

Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE

Get to know other MCC members at a casual Saturday morning breakfast mixer at Elsie’s Restaurant. Hot coffee awaits you when you arrive on foot or by bike or by car - order a full breakfast or simply a beverage. Open seating at tables set for 4 or 5 - great for conversation with friends, old and new. To help the restaurant prepare, please register.

NOTE: Elsie’s has a secluded indoor space available in the main dining room. This event is limited to 35 to accommodate Elsie's staff.

MCC members sign up here for April 6 and here for April 13; guests email MCC.

Joyfully Dancing 55+

Monday, April 8, 9:30 - 10:30 am

Tapestry Folkdance Center, 3748 Minnehaha Ave

Are you looking for a new activity to try out? Tapestry Folkdance offers a gentle movement class called “Joyfully Dancing 55+.”

The class is described as “a dance experience that celebrates many genres of dance and music: American, swing, popular, and international, to name a few.” Dances are taught/reviewed every session. As the name suggests, participants feel a lot of joy (and get some exercise too) while dancing together! No partner is needed, and all levels of ability are welcome.

Cost is $5, payable to the instructor. Participants are asked to bring a pair of inside shoes (in order to keep grit, salt and water off the dance floor). Dancing with just socks is also OK.

If you’d like to carpool, please be at the ARC parking lot ready to leave at 9:10 AM.

"Joyfully dancing instructor Robin is welcoming and says not to worry about following steps exactly. She introduces the music and dance steps which makes the hour friendly, fun, and folksy!" - Peggy R.

"This was my first dance class ever and the instructor made it easy to follow (even with my two left feet). I enjoyed being physically active in a fun way, without having to be too serious about it." - Carol H.

MCC members sign up here.

Writing Series: A Guide to Writing Your Stories

Tuesdays, April 9 & 16 and May 7 & 14, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

MCC office, 1201 W River Pkwy, 2nd floor

Loft Teaching Artist Patricia Hoolihan is available to guide MCC members in exploring their stories during four 2-hour writing classes in April and May. This class will provide a chance to explore the world around you and within you in new ways through language – whether you are writing for yourself or to share with family and friends. Writing exercises will encourage you to open doors and cross thresholds to find words and stories that have been waiting to be discovered—by you. Writing prompts will invite you to express your unique voice in a variety of creative ways through journaling, poetry, essay, and memoir. Each class includes time for writing exercises, discovery of similar experiences, and optional sharing of written words. Cost for the 4 classes is $120.

Minimum of 7 enrollees, and limited to 20 members.

MCC members sign up here.

Milkweed Editions: A Homegrown Publishing Success Story

Tuesday, April 9, 3:00 - 4:30 pm

MCC office, 1201 W River Pkwy, 2nd fl

Daniel Slager is the Publisher & CEO of Milkweed Editions, one of the nation's leading independent publishers of literature. He will explain how this publishing house -- and neighbor, as Milkweed is located in Open Book -- came to be a national force, and how it is evolving successfully in the context of significant change in the publishing industry. 



MCC members sign up here.

Adding or Updating Your MCC Biography Page

Thursday, April 11, 1:00 - 2:00 pm

MCC office, 1201 W River Pkwy, 2nd fl

Are you putting off writing your bio for your Mill City Commons profile page, or is yours outdated? Then this may be the class for you. Get to know your fellow MCC members in this small group session as you work to create a short biography and add your interests to your MCC profile. We will give you a worksheet to help guide you through the process. Mary Texidor will walk you through the steps to do it yourself, or will be available to add items to your profile page on-site.

Your MCC profile helps other members get to know you, and you in turn, can learn about other members through their profiles! Please bring your laptop or tablet. 



MCC members sign up here.

Nosy Neighbor Tour: Berlin Jazz Club

Thursday, April 11, 4:00 - 5:00 pm

Berlin Jazz Club, 204 N 1st St

Daniel Slager is the Publisher & CEO of Milkweed Editions, one of the nation's leading independent publishers of literature. He will explain how this publishing house -- and neighbor, as Milkweed is located in Open Book -- came to be a national force, and how it is evolving successfully in the context of significant change in the publishing industry. 



MCC members sign up here.

Sunday Brunch Soiree

Sunday, April 14, 12:00 - 2:00 pm

Cobalt Condos, 45 University Ave SE

Join your friends and neighbors for this Sunday Soiree Brunch, hosted by Ron and Carol Vantine and Pat Hoven. Please contribute to the potluck by bringing brunch fare, to serve at least 8 people. We need 4 hot dishes, 5 salads, 4 desserts, as well as cheese platters, fruit, and bread.  As you register, let us know what you’ll be bringing by answering the “Question” that will appear on the screen. Please be as specific as you can. You are welcome to bring your own wine or beer to share. 

On-street parking is available. Carpooling recommended.

MCC members sign up here.

Great Decisions: Science Across Borders

Monday, April 15, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

DeLaSalle High School, 1 DeLaSalle Dr, Room D104

Scientific advances benefit from collaboration between researchers, but what happens when material, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is controversial and important to a nation's national security? Is there a middle ground between sharing information and denying access? How can we regulate cooperation?

Christi Siver is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the College of St. Benedict and St John’s University. She did her undergraduate work at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR, her Masters in International Relations and International Economics at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and her Ph.D. in political science at the University of Washington. She teaches courses on international relations and international security. Her current research interests include international humanitarian law, military technology, and comparative law.



MCC members sign up here.

Ric Rosow and Vicki Underland Rosow: Two Journeys to Tibet

Tuesday, April 16, 4:00 - 5:30 pm

MCC office, 1201 W River Pkwy, 2nd floor

Join MCC members Ric Rosow and Vicki Underland Rosow as they talk about their two journeys to Tibet.

Their first trip to Tibet to was to document the flora on the highest plateau in the world and to bear witness to the treatment of Tibetans by the Chinese. Hear as they detail how they met with family members young men imprisoned for supporting the Dali Lama. Ric and Vicki also spent time in a monastery that was randomly shot at by police. 

Ric and Vicki's second trip was to fulfill a request from a group of Tibetan nuns who wanted to learn English. On this second trip they were banned by the Chinese government from spending time in a village, because the Chinese government did not want them to see what was happening there. Instead they had to spend their time in another village and a night in a tent with nomad family.

MCC members sign up here.

The Minneapolis St Paul International Film Festival is taking place April 11-25 and the MSP Film Society is offering our members a partner discount code for all tickets! As the largest annual celebration of international cinema in the region, MSPIFF43 promises another exciting lineup of 200+ films from around the world, plus an exciting array of parties, panels, visiting filmmakers, and special guests. Tickets are on sale now and the full line-up can be found here. The Mill City Commons community is welcome to use the promo code MILLMSPIFF2024 for the partner rate on tickets (regular price $15 / partner rate $12).

Minneapolis-area adults aged 50-80 with typical hearing are invited to participate in research at the University of Minnesota. The research is focused on the effort of understanding speech, including factors that make listening difficult or tiring. The lab is directed by Matthew Winn, and participation is coordinated by Kate Teece. Participation occurs on the UMN campus in Shevlin Hall, with a single visit scheduled for approximately two hours. You would be compensated $15 per hour for your time, and free parking is provided. For more information, contact Kate Teece, Research Audiologist, University of MN at henn0158@umn.edu.

MCC members, are you interested in attending a Nordic Walking session later this spring or early summer? If your answer is yes, please contact Jane Stacy to express your interest.

Mill City Commons was mentioned in the Village to Village Network's March newsletter due to our partnership with Road Scholar. Check it out here!

Upcoming MCC meetings:

• Membership Committee, April 15

Around Town

The Mill Yard Art Opening: Form, Figure and Firework

April 14, 4:00-6:00 pm, Stonebridge Lofts, 1120 S 2nd St

Join an opening reception to welcome new artists to the Mill Yard. Artists include Kristi Abbott, collage;

Julie Allen, watercolor; Alexandria Mooney Jones, firework; Solvei Stohl, photography and linocut prints; Peter Stohl, ink and watercolor; Donna Ray, ceramics. Beverages provided; Chimborazo food truck will be on site to purchase food.

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.

Margaret McDonald, Executive Director, margaretmcdonald@millcitycommons.org

Mary Texidor, Business and Member Services Admin, marytexidor@millcitycommons.org

Jane Stacy, Program and Events Manager, janestacy@millcitycommons.org

(612) 455-3329