Masthead
September 30, 2014
Executive Director Update
 
MCC Board Chair Lou Burdick and I are participating this week in the Village to Village Network's annual Gathering -- this year taking place in Washington D.C. Yesterday the mayor of the District of Columbia spoke to participants about his commitment to make D.C. an Age Friendly City. To do that, they are using guidelines developed by the World Health Organization and have added to them emergency preparedness and resources to protect seniors from elder abuse, neglect and fraud. In addition, they have developed economic partnerships with local businesses to reinforce their commitment. There are 14 Villages in D.C. and 44 in the metro area. To support the Village Movement in the D.C. metro area, Villages have created the Washington Area Villages Exchange (WAVE) -- a forum for Villages in the area to share experience and ideas. I'm very impressed with the innovation taking place across the country and look forward to sharing ideas with the MCC Board and members when I return.  -- Linnea
Elderquest the Movie:  Central Station 
Tuesday, September 30, 1:30 - 4:30 pm 
RiverWest, 401 S 1st St
Professor Robert Yahnke will introduce us to Central Station, an Elderquest film. Central Station is a 1998 Brazilian-French drama that tells the story of a young boy's friendship with a jaded middle-aged woman.  After watching the film together, Professor Yahnke will guide a discussion about the central character's search for wisdom, connection, and integrity in later life. We hope this format will lead to future Elderquest movies and discussions. 

Members sign up here.
Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, September 30, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Mattie's on Main, 43 Main St SE
Join us for the Last Tuesday Happy Hour. Catch up with friends and neighbors over drinks and small bites.  Dutch treat - no reservations required!  Cobalt Condo MCC Members host at Mattie's on Main. 

Members and guests welcome.  No reservations required!
Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat
Wednesday, October 1, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Guthrie Theater, Level 5 Express, 818 S 2nd St

Join us to discuss The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro.  In this piece of fiction, you'll read a thrilling story about seeing - and not seeing - the secrets that lie beneath the canvas.  Almost twenty-five years after the infamous art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum--still the largest unsolved art theft in history--one of the stolen Degas paintings is delivered to the Boston studio of a young artist. Claire Roth has entered into a Faustian bargain with a powerful gallery owner by agreeing to forge the Degas in exchange for a one-woman show in his renowned gallery. But as she begins her work, she starts to suspect that this long-missing masterpiece--the very one that had been hanging at the Gardner for one hundred years--may itself be a forgery. 


MCC members and guests.  No reservations required.

Social Bridge

Wednesday, October 1, 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Stone Arch Lofts Community Room, 600 S 2nd St

Join advanced or intermediate bridge players for a round of social bridge.  You are expected to come with a partner at your level.  (Advanced players play all major conventions comfortably).  If you need help finding a partner, contact Carol Jordan at 612-817-0466 or caroljordan@millcitycommons.org and she will assist you.  Play beings immediately at 3:00 pm.

 

Members sign up here; Guests email MCC. 

Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, October 2, 9:30 - 11:00 am
Stone Arch Lofts, 600 S 2nd St, #306
MCC women, you are invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women.  This group meets every other Thursday alternating between morning and afternoon times.  Lois Libby Juster and Patty Connelly host guest speaker Melanie Ebertz on the topic of "Women as Connectors."  Melanie started traveling to Peru in the mid-eighties with interest in textiles and hiking in the villages of the Andes.  Melanie has brought an awareness and appreciation of Peru to this community. She will speak to the issues of women as connectors from her experience working with the weavers in the region of Ayacucho, through the political crisis they endured.

Women MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
Author Celebration:  Peter Brown
Tuesday, October 7, 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Lourdes Square, 184 Bank St SE
Join hosts Karla Ekdahl, Peter Hutchinson and Anne and Peter Heegaard at the Heegards' home for a book reading. Peter Brown will read from the book Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, a book which will appeal to all those interested in the challenge of lifelong learning and self-improvement. New insights into how memory is encoded, consolidated, and later retrieved have led to a better understanding of how we learn.  Peter Brown is a writer and novelist who wrote the book with two leading experts in learning and memory at Washington University in St. Louis.

MCC members sign up here.

Orchestra Hall:  Behind the Scenes
Wednesday, October 8, 9:30 - 11:00 am
Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall

Take this opportunity to hear how a world-class orchestra achieves the perfection we hear at concerts!  The Minnesota Orchestra will be rehearsing for the Immortal Stories concert; with Tony Ross as cello soloist and Andrew Litton conducting while we're learning about the renovation of Orchestra Hall.  Meet with musicians before the rehearsal to talk about the pieces they are working on and what to listen for.

Please register before October 3rd so we can confirm attendance with the Orchestra.

MCC members sign up here by October 3.  
Men's Coffee and Conversation 
Thursday, October 9, 7:30 - 8:30 am
Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE

Coffee and camaraderie for the male members of MCC! This group meets every other Thursday and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going. This week's topic is "Amazing People Stories" hosted by Peter Heegaard.

 

Men MCC Members sign up here; Guests email MCC.

Sunday Soiree
Sunday, October 12, 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Lourdes Square, 184 Bank St SE
Join your friends and neighbors for the MCC Sunday Soiree hosted by Anne and Peter Heegaard.  Please contribute to the potluck by bringing an appetizer, casserole, salad, bread, or dessert.  You are welcome to bring your own wine or beer.  As you register, let us know what you will bring by answering the "Question" that will appear on the screen.


MCC members sign up here.
Great Decisions
Monday, October 13, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Winslow House, 100 Second St SE
This month's Great Decisions Discussion Group will respond to the chapter on Defense Technology.   From robotic planes to cyberweapons to 3D printing and human enhancement, new "game-changing" technologies are moving from science fiction to battlefield reality - all during an age of fiscal austerity. But in wrestling with the new, we can actually learn a great deal from the past.  This month's speaker is Chuck Woodbury, who served in the U.S. Army as an instructor at the Army Air Defense School and in the field at the Italian Air Force Missile site north of Venice, Italy. Chuck is founder of and has 20+ years of experience running an IT business in addition to working for two large, multinational companies.  This event is for members who have signed up for Great Decisions 2014 and is hosted by John and Laura Crosby and Ellie Hands.

MCC Great Decisions members sign up here.
HCMC: Haute Cuisine and New Digs
Tuesday, October 14, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
HCMC, 730 S 8th St, Meet in the Red Building Lobby by the Gift Shop.
Visitors will begin with a delicious luncheon, enjoying the surprisingly sophisticated and varied food options available for HCMC visitors and staff. Bill Marks, the Director of Nutrition and Food Services, will describe his department's functions and explain their sustainability programs (compostable products, organic recycling, herb rooftop garden). Kathy Wilde, Chief Nursing Officer, will tell the group about HCMC's exciting plans to build a new building that will provide innovative ambulatory and same day surgical services. We will finish with a tour of the new HCMC library and Spiritual Center. 

MCC members sign up here.
News from Members

Several MCC members have shared their excitement for the play Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet.  This weekend, the Star Tribune featured an article about the play's producer, MCC member Frances Wilkinson.  Reviews from St. Paul Pioneer Press Rob Hubbard: "The Pillsbury House/Mount Curve production deftly brings out both the mystical and earthy in McCraney's play..." From TalkinBroadway.com's Arthur Dorman: "Pillsbury House Theatre and its producing partner, The Mount Curve Company, are to be commended for bringing us this sterling final chapter of The Brother/Sister Plays." Congratulations Frances and Mount Curve Company!  Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet is currently playing at the Dowling Theater through October 5th.

MCC member Margee Bracken wants members to know that this year "Thursday Musical" will present its 2014-2015 Thursday Morning Artist Series at MacPhail Center for Music.  This series features some of the best local musicians performing a variety of works by classical composers.  The opening concert is free and is scheduled for October 9 at 10:30 am.  The second concert is scheduled for October 23 at 10:30 am ($10 tickets at the door).  For more information, click here.
 
MCC member Ken Searl would like members living in Downtown East or Downtown West to know that the Annual Meeting for the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA) is meeting Tuesday, October 21 at 6:30 at The Depot, 225 3rd Avenue South. Elections to the DMNA Board will be held at this meeting and Ken is running. 
Around Town

 

Sip of Science:  The Secret Life of a Tweet

October 8, 5:30-7:00 pm, Aster Cafe, 125 Main St SE, River Room

Sip of Science bridges the gap between science and culture with a menu of food, beer, and learning in a happy hour forum.  October's Sip of Science will use a case studies approach to explore the communications of a well-regarded academic scientist to explore the knowledge ecologies of social media communications.  The event is free but registration is requested.

 

American Craft Council Library Salon Series:  Five Questions Live!

October 8, 7:00 pm, American Craft Council Library, 1224 Marshall St NE, Ste 200

Join 10 of the area's most interesting makers and doers for a rapid fire live presentation of the ACC's popular blog post series, Five Questions.  Each artist will have five minutes to present answers to their questions, followed by Q&A with the audience and social hour.  For more information, click here.

 

One Year Anniversary of the Somali Museum of Minnesota

October 18, 3:00-9:00 pm, 1500 East Lake St
The Somali Museum of Minnesota is celebrating its one-year anniversary with an open house, Somali dinner, and program of dance and music. Tickets are $20 for the dinner and program; the Open House from 3:00-5:00 pm is free and open to the public.  Please RSVP by email.

 

We're Here to Live, Not to Visit

October 23, 6:30-8:30 pm, 1556 Hewitt Ave, 100E Giddens Center, St. Paul

In honor of United Nations Day, the United Nations Association of Minnesota presents "We're Here to Live, Not to Visit, from Refugees to New Minnesotans."  Engage in a conversation with refugees who are now Minnesotans and preview video interviews for UNA-MN Model UN Refugee Project.

 

Writing Your Story

November 8-29 (4 Saturdays), 3:30-5:00 pm, 825 Summit Ave

Do you have a story that you want to tell or a memory you want to share?  Using simple writing techniques, explore ways to craft a short story and learn how to show instead of tell with descriptive details.  Feel free to bring photos and your imagination.  $18 fee.  Register online or call (612) 668-2740. 

 

Mill City Times

It's a metro 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, etc. Check it out at MillCityTimes.com. 

MCC Upcoming Events 
View the September Calendar here
View the October Calendar here

 

September 30:  Elderquest the Movie:  Central Station.  Members click here.

September 30:  Last Tuesday Happy Hour.  No reservations required.

October 1:  Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat.  No reservations required.

October 1:  Social Bridge.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

October 2:  Our Turn:  A Conversation for Women.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

October 4:  Day Trip and Tour of Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona. Members click here.

October 7:  Program Committee Meeting.

October 7:  Author Celebration:  Peter Brown.  Members click here.

October 8:  Rendezvous on 5.  No reservations required.

October 8:  Orchestra Hall: Behind the Scenes.  Members click here.

October 8:  MCC Board Meeting.  Members click here.

October 9:  Men's Coffee and Conversation.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

October 12:  Sunday Soiree.  Members click here.

October 13:  Great Decisions.  GD 2014 Members click here.

October 14:  HCMC:  Haute Cuisine and New Digs.  Members click here.

October 15:  Rendezvous on 5.  No reservations required.

October 15:  Social Bridge.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

October 15:  Our Turn: A Conversation for Women.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

October 21:  Technology Workshop: Creating and Managing Secure Passwords. Members click here.
 
Volunteer Opportunities 

  Click here for community volunteer opportunities on the MCC Website!  
 

Looking for a healthy fitness program? Enjoy exercising with friends at one of

 

  Mill City Commons

Ongoing Fitness Opportunities


SBS Class

                        Thursdays

2:00-3:00pm
501FIT,
501 Washington Avenue
Created exclusively for MCC, this class at 501F1T focuses on strength, balance, and stretching. 
First time participants, please contact 501F1T at 612-767-4415 and arrive 20 minutes early to complete paperwork. Cost varies depending on commitment.

  

  River Walkers

Tuesdays and Thursdays,

7:30-8:30am

Stone Arch Lofts Riverside Parking Lot

All level of walkers welcome for this early morning walk along the banks of the Mississippi River. An MCC volunteer leads each walk.

  

Hatha Yoga

Wednesdays and Fridays,

8:00-9:15am

Yoga Center Minneapolis, 212 3rd Ave N., Suite 205

This is an alignment-based class. Purchase a 12-class pass for $132 directly from YCM to use as your schedule allows, or drop in on a class for $12.50. Contact Dena at 612-436-4700 for details.

Drop-ins welcome.

 

MCC Ongoing Social Opportunities

 

Rendezvous

Readers' Book Chat
1st Wednesday of the month
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
   No reservations required.
The Art Forger
by B.A. Shapiro

Rendezvous on 5

Wednesdays

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!

 

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 morning 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 week and alternates between morning and afternoon times. Look for details in the body of this newsletter.

 

 
Ongoing Member-Led Activities

 

Men's B&BS Lunch
Elsie's Restaurant,
729 Marshall St NE
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
 October 2 & 16
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact  Allan Burdick
Mill City Commons | 219 Main Street SE, Suite 401, Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.millcitycommons.org | info@millcitycommons.org  
612-455-3329