Masthead
March 10, 2015
Executive Director Update
    
What an amazing week! The weather has everyone absolutely giddy...and walking everywhere! So, we're working on scheduling our annual spring birding walks,  conducted by Jamie McBride from the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, to watch the spring bird migration. It's not just the snowbirds that head north in April! More to come in the Mill City Commons April and May calendars... 

As a member-driven organization, we look to members to help us create our ongoing, exclusive programming. We'd love to have you get involved! If you're not already a member, now is the time to join. You'll find membership information on our website www.millcitycommons.org or contact me directly. Thank you.

Let's enjoy the first taste of spring and "Your (amazing, walkable) Neighborhood for a Lifetime," Mill City Commons.  Here's to the neighborhood!!  -- Linnea 
Men's Coffee and Conversation
Thursday, March 12, 7:30 - 8:30 am
Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St   
Caffeine and camaraderie for the male members of MCC! This groups meets every other Thursday and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going. Please register by the Monday prior.  This week's conversation leader is Bill McGrann, who has invited Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin to speak.  Mr. McLaughlin will focus on the Southwest Lightrail Transit line and his role in establishing a successful transit system in the metropolitan area.

Men MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
Sunday Soup Soiree
Sunday, March 15, 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Cobalt Condos, 45 University Ave SE, #606
MCC members, join your friends and neighbors for the MCC Sunday Soiree hosted by Carol and Ron Vantine.  Please contribute to the potluck by bringing a soup, salad, 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.

Social Bridge
Wednesday, March 18, 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 the 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 begins immediately at 3:00 pm.

MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, March 19, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Zenith, 901 S 2nd St, #803 
MCC women and guests, you are invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women.  This group meets every other Thursday alternating between morning and afternoon times.  Katie Searl hosts.

MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
Spring Flowers at Como Conservatory
Monday, March 23, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, 1225 Estabrook Dr, St. Paul
Spring is in the air!  Enjoy the sights and smells of a new season by taking a stroll through the Como Conservatory's Spring Flower Show featuring the color purple.  Flowers will include the Hydrangea Oregon Pride and the Blauemesiter.  Tulips, Hyacinth, Asiatic lilies, Oriental lilies, Bearded Iris, Allium, and Crocus will surround you during your exploration of the Sunken Garden.  You'll have a chance to chat with the Como gardeners who work to make the garden as artful as it is fragrant. Details about carpooling and parking will be sent to all members who register for the event.

 

MCC members sign up here.

Technology Workshop:  Getting the Most out of Google
Tuesday, March 24, 3:00 - 4:30 pm
Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Conference Room N-202
 Are you on or considering moving to Google (Gmail)? Learn how to make the most out of your Google experience.  This session will include some of the greatest and often-neglected features of Google Mail, Calendar, and Drive/Docs, but we'll also (depending upon interest) touch briefly on Google Plus, Maps, Websites, and Now.  Brian Roemen from Backpack Tactics will lead this informative workshop.  To get to the Mark E. Johnson Conference Room at the Central Library, go to the second floor and take a left out of the elevator.

MCC members sign up here.
News from Members

MCC members Bob Callahan and Carol Jordan invite members to an event co-sponsored by Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library.  Using DNA for Family History Research will take place March 21 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm at the Minneapolis Central Library in the Doty Board Room.  For more information or to register, click here.  To view other upcoming events, click here.

Around Town

Library Salon Series: Amanda Degener and Chinese Contemporary Book Arts
March 11, 7:00 pm, American Craft Council Library, 1224 Marshall St NE
Join artist and papermaker Amanda Degener for a look into contemporary bookmaking in China, where the region's rich history of working on handmade paper is now matched by artists with an intense interest in taking paper further than substructure.  

How Futures Research Might Lead Us to a More Resilient Mississippi River
March 13, 8:00-9:30 am, McKnight Foundation, 710 2nd St S, Suite 400
Futurists investigate how social, economic, and technological developments are shaping the future and apply anticipatory thinking to society's greatest challenges. Might taking a "futurist" approach help enrich environmental protection, planning, and policy efforts?  Join in a thought-provoking conversation that will invite you to think far outside your daily routine.  Free.  RSVP by email.  

Concerto and Aria Concert
March 15, 3:30 pm, MacPhail Center for Music, Antonello Hall, 501 2nd St S
Come for a rare opportunity to see six of MacPhail's finest students perform with a professional orchestra.  The concert will open with a performance by the MacPhail Student and Faculty Orchestra, as they perform selections from Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite.  The program will feature music by Mendelssohn, Haydn, Gillingham, Kabalevsky, Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saens.  Free admission.

Art of Active Aging
April 2, 7:00 pm, MacPhail Center for Music, Antonello Hall, 501 S 2nd St
Join Tim Carpenter as he speaks on the "Art of Active Aging."  Tim is the founder and executive director of EngAGE, a nonprofit that changes aging and the way people think about aging by transforming senior apartment communities into vibrant centers of learning, wellness and creativity.  Free and open to the public.  To register, click here.

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 March Calendar here

 

March 11:  Rendezvous on 5.  No reservations required.

March 11:  Board of Directors Meeting.  Members click here.

March 12:  Men's Coffee and Conversation.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

March 15:  Sunday Soup Soiree.  Members click here.

March 18:  Rendezvous on 5.  No reservations required.

March 18:  Social Bridge.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

March 19:  Our Turn: A Conversation for Women.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

March 23:  Spring Flowers at Como Conservatory.  Members click here.

March 24:  Technology Workshop:  Getting the Most out of Google.  Members click here.

March 25:  Rendezvous on 5.  No reservations required.

March 25:  Walker: Art at the Center.  Members click here.

March 26:  Men's Coffee and Conversation.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

March 31:  Last Tuesday Happy Hour.  No reservations required!
 
Volunteer Opportunities 
 
 Click here for NEW  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 of 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.
All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr

May's Book:  Middlemarch
by George Eliot

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
 March 19 & April 2
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