February 16, 2016
Update From the Executive Director

March 1st is Minnesota's caucus night. It's part of the Super Tuesday primaries. Do you caucus? Are you considering it but not sure what to do or where to go? You can find out answers to these questions, here.

Today's technology workshop promises good insight into a variety of basic tools and tips to help protect yourself in today's digital world. Space remains for this workshop, so feel free to drop in - no personal device will be needed. See info, below.

MCC's MN Public Policy series on addressing the achievement gap continues on February 24th. To find out more information about this event click here or review information, below.

Would you like to learn more about Mill City Commons? Then I invite you to attend Last Tuesday Happy Hour at the Red Stag, more info, here. Everyone is welcome, and I promise a warm, hearty greeting and dozens of folks with whom you can chat to learn more about this unique neighborhood organization, or simply give me a call. I'd love to fill you in! 612-455-3329.

Mill City Commons: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.

~Joan Wright
Technology Workshop: Online Security: What You Need to Know
Tuesday, February 16, 1:30 - 3:00 pm
American Academy of Neurology, Training Room B, 201 Chicago Ave  
The Internet has provided us great opportunities, powerful learning tools and wonderful entertainment. However, the same technology that powers the Internet also makes it and its users vulnerable to online security issues. This workshop will provide you the basic tools and tips to help protect yourself in the digital world, including password security and management, web browsing and email security, and Wi-Fi safety. Instructor Jonathan Freed has been teaching in adult education for the past eight years, focusing on our expanding digital lives. His workshops look closely at security and privacy, as concerns about these issues increase.

MCC members sign up here.
Social Bridge
Wednesday, February 17, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Washburn Lofts Community Room, 700 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. 

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, February 18, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
212 Lofts, 212 N 1st St, #609 
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. Locations and topics will change each time. This week, we're holding our first book exchange (an honest exchange of books you would recommend to others, not ones you want to get rid of). Some suggestions: Fiction, biography, autobiography and memoir, as well as books that are really good examples of contemporary issues in economics, politics and social areas. Please limit the number of books you bring to three. Paperbacks are preferred, but if you have hardcovers to share, bring those, too. And you don't have to bring a book to take one! Arvonne Fraser and Corin Kagan lead the discussion; Ginny Craig hosts.

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, February 23, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Red Stag, 509 1st Ave NE
Join us for the Last Tuesday Happy Hour, hosted by Marcia Townley and Barbara & Mike Goldner at Red Stag. Catch up with friends and neighbors over drinks and small bites. Dutch treat--no reservations required! If you wish to stay for dinner, you may make reservations by calling (612) 767-7766.

MCC members and guests welcome; no reservations required!
MN Public Policy: Closing the Achievement Gap Starts with Early Childhood Education
Wednesday, February 24, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
La Rive Party Room, 110 Bank St SE
State-funded scholarships are helping 6,000 low-income children across Minnesota become ready for kindergarten. Research shows the potential value of such an investment. Supporters of this approach include the Minnesota Business Partnership, the United Way of Greater Twin Cities and many other organizations. Rob Grunewald, economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, will talk about the basic research, how it came to influence decision makers and efforts underway to expand the program to cover more children.

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
Men's Coffee and Conversation
Thursday, February 25, 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. Discussion leader Wally Ritchie will talk about the 100 or so years during which Surgery morphed from a medieval craft to a real science.

Men MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
News from Members

MCC member Ellie Hands invites members to attend the next Inspiring Minds program featuring Dr. Bennet Omalu, subject of the motion picture Concussion starring Will Smith. Dr. Omalu will discuss his medical findings, his philosophies and his life growing up as a Nigerian refugee. The program will be February 25 at 7:00 pm at 5225 Barry St W, Saint Louis Park. To purchase tickets or learn more, click here.

MCC member Laura Crosby invites members to join her in Drake Powe's Kripalu Yoga class. The class is informed by his experience with meditation practice and focuses on "agelessness," in which one recognizes that they are not defined by the age of their body. The class is Monday mornings at 8:00 am at the Yoga Center of Minneapolis in the North Loop. New students at Yoga Center of Minneapolis receive their first week of unlimited yoga classes for free. 
Around Town

#OscarWatch Film Screenings
Through February 25, St. Anthony Main Theatre, 115 Main St SE
The Minneapolis St. Paul Film Society is presenting three weeks of Academy Award-nominated film screenings in a program called #OscarWatch. Titles, dates and times vary daily. Check here for the full schedule each week.

Niner, Niner
February 20, 5:00-8:00 pm, CIRCA Gallery, 210 1st St N
Join artist Kathleen Waterloo for an opening reception of her new paintings. Trained as an interior architect, Waterloo employs lines - straight, intersecting and interrupted - to convey her vision. Vibrant colors, embedded within multiple applications of hot wax, are also present; a distinctive look in a medium where muted, subdued palettes are the norm. Exhibit runs through April 2.

Rethinking the Nonpartisan League Author Event
February 25, 7:00-8:00 pm, Mill City Museum, 704 2nd St S
Join historian Michael J. Lansing for an illustrated presentation based on his new book, Insurgent Democracy: The Nonpartisan League in North American Politics. He will offer a new look at the Nonpartisan League and demonstrate that it is an instructive example of how popular movements can create lasting change and have the potential to inform contemporary movements. Free and open to the public.

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, etc.  
MCC Upcoming Events  
View the February calendar here
View the March calendar here

February 16: Technology Workshop. MCC members click here.
February 17: Rendezvous on 5. No reservations required.
February 17: Social Bridge. MCC members click here; guests email MCC.
February 18: Men's Dutch Lunch. No reservations required.
February 18: Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. MCC members click here; guests email MCC.
February 22: Dutch Treat Coffee Chat. No reservations required.
February 23: Last Tuesday Happy Hour. No reservations required!
February 24: Rendezvous on 5. No reservations required.
February 24: Caregiver Support Group.
February 24: MN Public Policy: Closing the Achievement Gap Starts with Early Childhood Education. MCC members click here; guests email MCC.
February 25: Men's Coffee and Conversation. MCC members click here; guests email MCC.
February 29: Dutch Treat Coffee Chat. No reservations required.
March 1: Program Committee meeting.
March 2: Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat. No reservations required.
March 2: Technology Help Desk. MCC members click here.
March 2: Social Bridge. MCC members click here; guests email MCC.
March 3: Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. MCC members click here; guests email MCC.
March 3: Men's Dutch Lunch. No reservations required.
March 6: Sunday Soiree. MCC members click here.
March 7: Dutch Treat Coffee Chat. No reservations required.
 
Volunteer Opportunities 
 
Click here for community volunteer opportunities on the MCC website!  
 

 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 levels of walkers are 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, Ste 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

 

Dutch Treat

Coffee Chat

Mondays, 4:00-5:00 pm

Aster Cafe

Drop in for an afternoon coffee or drink and a casual chat. No reservations
 required.

 

Rendezvous

Readers' Book Chat
1st Wednesday of the month, 9:30-10:30 am
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
   No reservations required.
Dear Committee Members
by Julie Schumacher

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!

 

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

 

 
Ongoing Member-Led Activities

MCC Caregiver Support Group
2nd and 4th Wednesdays, January through March
10:30 am-12:00 pm
A way to support members and non-members who are or have been in a  caregiving role. For
more information,   contact Betsy Wray

Men's Dutch Lunch
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
 Feb 18 and March 3
 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