March 15, 2016
Update From the Executive Director

Congratulations to Business and Member Services Administrator Mary Texidor and her husband, Dan, on the birth of their daughter, Audra Christine Texidor!! Audra came into the world last Saturday, March 12th. She is strong, healthy and beautiful. Mary will be on leave through mid-May but will return with Audra and the rest of her family for a celebration at the April 24th Soiree. You won't want to miss it! Watch the End of Week update for celebration details and ways in which you can congratulate Mary and Dan. 

Next week's program on hearing loss is an opportunity to learn about how hearing loss is assessed and the options available to aid the loss. I speak from personal experience: The UofM audiology department is fantastic! Getting my hearing assessed and finding the right aid to assist my hearing absolutely changed my life. I strongly urge those interested in this topic to attend. You'll be grateful you did! To register, click here.

"Why does membership cost so much?" is a question I often receive when talking to potential members. I realize membership isn't for everyone, but my answer is always the same: MCC offers both full and reduced rate memberships. At $54/month for a single and $88/household, it's an excellent value. MCC's rich programming calendar, its First Stop Guide to vetted services and its welcoming and supportive staff represent some remarkable tangibles. Take a look at April's program calendar, and I hope you'll agree here. However, building community is what MCC is really all about. Making new friends, over time and through shared experiences, is a valuable investment in one's quality of life, both for today and for tomorrow. 

MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.

~ Joan Wright 
Social Bridge
Wednesday, March 16, 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, March 17, 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, cohosts and discussion leaders Ginny Craig and Betty Grant invite you to come and share something essential about yourself in a 6-word memoir. It might be funny, inspirational, profound, mundane or deeply true--it's up to you. To get you thinking, here are a few examples:"Glass half full; pockets half empty." "Musician gone bad. Darn law school." "Curly haired sad kid chose fun." "Soul'd out so I could prophet." If you want to see other examples, go to www.sixwordmemoirs.com.

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
Understanding Hearing Loss
Tuesday, March 22, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Lourdes Square, 192 Bank St SE 
Are you or someone you're close to dealing with hearing loss? Join us to learn about the diagnostic process used at the University of Minnesota to assess hearing loss and the options available to aid the loss. Carly Kempton, Au. D, CCC-A Doctor of Audiology at Fairview, will speak. Scotty Gillette hosts at Lourdes Square.

MCC members sign up here.
Men's Coffee and Conversation
Thursday, March 24, 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. For this week's topic, "A Journey Taken Thus Far," discussion leader Dick Olson will talk about the joys, sorrows, opportunities and challenges of being a caregiver.

Men MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
A Government of, by and for the People (Who Have Money)
Thursday, March 24, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Stonebridge, 1120 S 2nd St, #709
In the six years since the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United, campaign spending by special interest groups has risen exponentially. If the ideals of our nation's founders are to remain true and "the people" are to have a voice, this needs to change. Speaker Jeremy Schroeder is executive director of Common Cause Minnesota. He joined the organization in 2012 after more than a decade of leading campaigns on behalf of worker rights and human rights and against capital punishment. Cecily Hines and Tom Pettus host at Stonebridge.
 
MCC members sign up here.
Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, March 29, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Rojo Mexican Grill, 730 N Washington Ave
Join us for the Last Tuesday Happy Hour, hosted by Delia & Tyrone Bujold and Allan & Lou Burdick at Rojo Mexican Grill. 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) 232-4111.
 
MCC members and guests welcome. No reservations required!
News from Members

MCC member Carol Vantine would like to share this article with MCC members. Many members participated in Jessica Finlay's dissertation research on aging in the right place.
Around Town

Stuart Klipper at the Photo Center
March 22, 6:30 pm, Mpls Photo Center, 2400 N 2nd St
Presenting the story behind, and the images from, the exclusive series of photographs commissioned by the Artipelag in Sweden in 2014, in connection to the exhibition Land Meets Water - European and American Photography from 1860 to the present. To register, click here.

E.J. Dionne at Westminster Town Hall Forum
March 22, 7:00 pm, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Nicollet Mall and 12th St
Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne will speak on "The Politics of Conservatism: From Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond." Free and open to all. 

As Curated By with Ruben Medina
March 24, 7:00-8:30 pm, The Loft, 1011 Washington Ave S
Poet, scholar, translator and editor Ruben Medina will discuss three interrelated topics: migrant subjects, multiculturalism and the expansion of poetry in the U.S. 

The King of Skid Row Book Launch
April 7, 7:00 pm, Mill City Museum, 704 S 2nd St
Author James Eli Shiffer will give a a talk on his new book The King of Skid Row: John Bacich and the Twilight Years of Old Minneapolis. The event will include screenings of John Bacich's skid row home movies and also launches the photograph exhibit "Skid Row Minneapolis."
 
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 March calendar here
View the April calendar here

March 16: Rendezvous on 5. No reservations required.
March 16: Social Bridge. MCC members click here; guests email MCC.
March 17: Men's Dutch Lunch. No reservations required.
March 17: Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. MCC members click here; guests email MCC.
March 21: Dutch Treat Coffee Chat. No reservations required.
March 22: Understanding Hearing Loss. MCC members click here.
March 23: Rendezvous on 5. No reservations required.
March 23: Caregiver Support Group.
March 24: Men's Coffee and Conversation. MCC members click here; guests email MCC. 
March 24: A Government of, by and for the People (Who Have Money). MCC members click here.
March 28: Dutch Treat Coffee Chat. No reservations required.
March 29: Last Tuesday Happy Hour. No reservations required!
March 30: Rendezvous on 5. No reservations required.
March 30: Social Bridge. MCC members click here; guests email MCC.
March 31: Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. MCC members click here; guests email MCC.
March 31: Men's Dutch Lunch. No reservations required.
April 4: Bowling at Elsie's. MCC members click here; guests email MCC.
April 4: Dutch Treat Coffee Chat. No reservations required.
April 5: Program Committee Meeting.
April 5: Family Matters. MCC members click here.
 
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
501F1T,
501 Washington Ave
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.
Being Mortal
by Atul Gawande

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 April
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
 March 17 & 31
 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 St SE, Suite 401, Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.millcitycommons.org | info@millcitycommons.org  
(612) 455-3329