Dear Mill City Commons members and friends,

I hope you’ve had a chance to look ahead at some of the great programming we have planned. Healthcare continues to make headlines, and we’re excited to welcome former Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm to MCC next week for an inside look at the state of healthcare in Minnesota.

Jan will share her perspective on what’s happening in healthcare today and answer your questions. What’s going well? What challenges are we facing? And what should we be paying attention to? Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from someone with a unique, firsthand perspective on a topic that affects all of us, even if our understanding often comes from what we read or hear in the news.

Programs like this are just one of the many benefits of MCC membership that we’re pleased to offer. We’re fortunate to bring top-notch speakers and thought-provoking conversations to our members—and that’s something we never take for granted. From upcoming programs like Current Events and Great Decisions to the many other opportunities to learn, connect, and engage, there’s always something worthwhile on the horizon. We hope you’ll take advantage of all that your MCC membership has to offer!



Mary Texidor, Executive Director

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

New MCC Members

Please Welcome Back Our Newest MCC Members!

Joel and Laurie Kramer

Seek new members out to introduce yourself and tell them what your membership means to you! New members have a yellow name badge indicating that they are new. 

A reminder that if you'd like to reach out to our members, log into the website and you will find their contact information is listed in the Member Directory here. You can search by first or last name or by building name (enter in the address field).

Our Upcoming Programs and Events

Dining Around the Neighborhood: Rosalia

Registration closes Wednesday, October 7 at 12:00 pm

Thursday, October 8, 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Rosalia, 333 E Hennepin Ave

Join us as we explore some of our favorite restaurants around the city and right here in our neighborhood. This month, we’ll gather for dinner at Rosalia.

This event is limited to 12 participants.

Metered on-street parking is available. Carpooling recommended.

MCC members sign up here.

Breakfast at Elsie's

Saturdays, October 10 and October 17, 9:00 - 10:30 am

Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE

Start your Saturday with good company and great conversation!

Join fellow MCC members for a relaxed Saturday morning breakfast at Elsie’s Restaurant. Whether you arrive on foot, by bike, or by car, hot coffee will be waiting!

You can order a full breakfast or simply enjoy a beverage while chatting with friends—old and new.

NOTE: Breakfasts are outside as long as the temperature is at least 60 degrees. If bad weather, depending on Elsie's availability and our group size, we may be in the small banquet room or in the dining room. This seating arrangement is up to Elsie's discretion each week. This event is limited to 25 to accommodate Elsie's staff.

MCC members sign up here for October 10 and here for October 17; guests email MCC.

The State of Health Care: Insights from Jan Malcolm

Monday, October 12, 2:30 - 4:00 pm

MCC Office, 1201 W River Pkwy, 2nd Floor Commons

Hear a personal perspective on the challenges facing Minnesota’s hospitals and health care systems from Jan Malcolm, a state and national health care leader and former Commissioner of Health under three governors. Jan will share what’s happening in Minnesota health care today—and what we should have learned from COVID, but apparently did not.

MCC members sign up here.

Current Events: A Conversation with Bill

Tuesday, October 13, 10:30 - 11:30 am

MCC Office, 1201 W River Pkwy, 2nd Floor Commons

Current international news and U.S. foreign policy provide an endless trove of topics for learning and discussion. Retired foreign service officer and MCC member Bill Davnie will identify a topic in advance, although news can always lead us in a fresh direction. There will be both presentation and discussion.

This month's topic will be "Policy for Fun -- Statistics for Clarity."

This ongoing program is held each month. Topic ideas for each monthly gathering are welcome.

MCC members sign up here.

Zoom/Technology Help Desk

Tuesday, October 13, 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.

This event is full. MCC members can join the waitlist here.

Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat

Wednesday, October 14, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Inkwell Booksellers, 426 E Hennepin Ave

Join us for a monthly book discussion focused on timely, engaging reads.

Our October book is King Leopold’s Ghost, by Adam Hochschild.

If you'd like to read ahead, November's book is The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans. Our December book is Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt.

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

Our book chats are at Inkwell Booksellers. You are welcome to join us in conversation whether or not you've read the book.

Registration is not required.

Men's Breakfast*

Thursday, October 15, 8:00 - 9:00 am

Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE

Do we employ small courtesies when interacting with other people? Thank a server when they bring our meal? Compliment a co-worker for a job well done? Aaron Backman is bringing Greg Bancroft, a psychotherapist and retired Episcopal priest, to speak to us on October 15. Bancroft wants to encourage people to use "Little League" affirmation in all their interactions with others (family, friends, co-workers, hotel desk clerks, et al...). We'll look at the toxicity of shame and how it is neutralized by affirmation.

Dr. Bancroft is a retired Episcopal priest, Navy Chaplain, and psychotherapist working with chemically dependent family systems ("famous" for shame-based dynamics). He has spent many years leading various work groups in strengthening team-building interactions. His book, Swing for the Fences: Show Up, Dig In, Suck Less, is endorsed by Joe Schmit and Tony Oliva, and will be available at the breakfast for $20 (cash or check only).

In addition, Bancroft is also the author of the award-winning children's book Betsy's Day at the Game. This book was endorsed by Penny Marshall and has been used by the University of St. Catherine in their children's writing curriculum. Copies will also be available for $10 (cash or check only).

*This event is open to all members of MCC. Registration is required.

MCC members sign up here.

Cribbage Social: Learn, Laugh, Compete

Thursday, October 15, 2:00 - 5:00 pm

RiverWest Community Room, 401 1st St S

Please join us in the RiverWest Condominiums community room for an afternoon of cribbage fun! Whether you’re brand-new to the game, an old pro, or somewhere in between, you’re welcome to take part in a lesson/refresher from 2:00–3:00 pm, followed by a friendly cribbage tournament from 3:00–5:00 pm. Expect encouragement, cheering, snacks, beverages—and plenty of good-natured competition.

Want to brush up beforehand? Click here for a great cribbage app.

If you’d like to play, please sign up. If you’d prefer to watch, cheer, or enjoy the snacks, simply come—no registration needed. We can accommodate 16 players.

If you have a cribbage board you can bring, please email Jane Stacy or Kathy McKinstry.

We’re planning to have a great time!

Street parking is available near RiverWest Condominiums.

MCC members sign up here.

Met Opera Live: Macbeth

Saturday, October 17, 12:00 - 3:30 pm

Marcus West End Cinema, 1625 West End Blvd, St. Louis Park

Join your MCC Opera Friends at the Met Live in HD performance of Macbeth. Following the performance, let’s walk a half block to CRAVE restaurant for conversation and refreshments. There is free covered parking next to the theater.

To learn more about this performance of Macbeth click here.

Did you know that the performance is telecasted live to more than 2000 cinemas in over 50 countries? It is kind of a thrill to realize that we are enjoying the same fabulous performances at the same time as thousands of people all over the Earth!!

You may purchase your ticket online and choose your seat. MCC members pay their own admission. Buy advance tickets here.

Show runtime is 3 hours and 10 minutes, and starts at 12:00 pm. Please email Kathie Murphy here with questions.

MCC members sign up here.

Great Decisions: Trump Tariffs and the Future of the World Economy

Monday, October 19, 4:00 - 5:30 pm

MCC Office, 1201 W River Pkwy, 2nd Floor Commons

President Trump's use of tariffs has reshaped U.S. trade policy and raised important questions about the future of the global economy. This Great Decisions discussion will examine the goals behind tariffs, their impact on American businesses and consumers, the evolving economic relationship with China, and the broader implications for international trade, supply chains, and global cooperation. Join us as we explore whether tariffs strengthen America's economy and security - or contribute to a more fragmented world economy.

Our speaker for this program is Tom Hanson. Tom is a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State whose diplomatic postings included East Germany, France, Norway, the Soviet Union, Sweden, and the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Tom currently is Diplomat in Residence at the Alworth Institute for International Affairs at the University of Minnesota – Duluth and has taught diplomacy at Carleton College. As a member of the Great Decisions advisory committee of Global Minnesota, Tom speaks frequently on international issues and contributes to local and international media.

Registration for each session is required for Great Decisions members. Please register on the MCC website. Sorry, not open to guests.

Great Decisions is a foreign policy discussion series offered to our Mill City Commons members. The full program includes eight sessions throughout the year, and participation requires a one-time fee to attend all sessions. Only paid participants are eligible to register and attend each session. To join the MCC Great Decisions Discussion Group, please email Jane Stacy here.

MCC Great Decisions members sign up here.

Ongoing MCC Activities

A group of botanical watercolorists have created a stunning Florilegium of 110 of the plants in the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden. MCC member Vicki Underland-Rosow has two paintings in the exhibit, which is now on display through January 3. The opening of the show at the Bell Museum is on Wednesday, October 7 from 2:00 - 3:30 pm. Click here for more information.

MCC member Susan Hartman invites you at attend the Owámni Falling Water Festival on Saturday, October 10 from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm at Father Hennepin Bluff Park. Enjoy a celebration of Indigenous culture, music, food, art, and history in one of the Twin Cities’ most culturally significant places. The festival honors the cultural and historical significance of Owámniyomni, the Dakota name for the falls, meaning “turbulent water.” For additional details, click here.

"With a Camera in my Hand", an exhibition of Photography & Watercolor Paintings by MCC member Suzanne Shaff is currently open through November 1. The show is in the on2gallery, 2nd floor of the California Building - 2205 California St NE. You're invited to attend Suzanne's 75th Birthday Reception on Saturday, October 10 from 4:00 - 8:00 pm for a grazing table and wine. Arrive early, as many studios are open during Second Saturday in the California Building from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. If you have any questions, contact Suzanne here.

MCC member Sara Foster invites you to attend PREM | Love: An Occupation. Ananya Dance Theatre (ADT), a professional ensemble of transnational feminist dance artists, presents the world premiere of PREM, which emerges from the recent crisis of federal occupation in the Twin Cities, reaching toward transformation through practices of public love, care, and defiant joy. With ADT's trademark power and percussive urgency, PREM pens a love letter to the Twin Cities’ history of resolute resistance. Performances will take place at 7:30 pm on October 10, 11, 15, 16 and 17. Click here to purchase tickets.

Our friends at Abiitan Mill City are partnering with The Alzheimer's Association to provide The Empowered Caregiver Series. The final session on exploring care and support services will be held on Wednesday, October 14 from 2:30-3:30 pm at Abiitan - 428 S 2nd St. Click here for more information and to RSVP.

If you attended the MCC program last month with Council President Elliott Payne and have any follow-up questions, you can email elliott.payne@minneapolismn.gov. You can also stay informed by signing up for the Ward 1 newsletter or view past editions here.

Upcoming MCC meetings:

• All Chairs Committee Meeting, October 7
• Membership Committee Meeting, October 12
• Program Committee Meeting, October 27

Around Town

Maritime Diplomacy in the South China Sea

October 9, 3:00-4:00 pm, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, 301 19th Ave S

With nearly one third of maritime commerce passing through its waters, the South China Sea is a focal point of diplomatic tension. Posturing by China, the United States, and many other nations in the region highlights the intransigence of resolving disputes in this region. Join Global Minnesota for an exploration of the nuances of maritime diplomacy in the South China Sea with international security expert Raymond Kuo. For more information and to register, click here.

PAWS Dog Halloween

October 11, 12:00-3:00 pm, The Commons, 425 Portland Ave S

Calling all pet parents and animal lovers! Join PAWS at The Commons for a free, fun-filled day dedicated to our furry friends! Bring your pets, dress them up in their best costumes, and enjoy a day of shopping, contests, and community! Click here for more information.

MSP Film's Night School - Rear Window

October 14, 7:00 pm, The Main Cinema, 115 SE Main St

When a professional photographer is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg, he becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbors play out across the courtyard. The Night School screening of Rear Window will feature a discussion of theories of spectatorship with Nicole Hinrichs-Bideau, Professor of Film & Humanities, Century College. Click here for additional details and to purchase tickets.

The Subject Lecture Series

October 15, 22 & 29, 6:00-7:00 pm, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Pillsbury Auditorium, 2400 3rd Ave S

The Subject is a free lecture series exploring how influential artists and cultural leaders transform their ideas into culture-shifting moments. Hosted and moderated by Bobby Rogers, Mia’s former Head of Design and Editorial, the series features 45-minute lectures in which speakers unpack their creative processes, pivotal decisions, and lessons learned. It offers a rare look into the thinking behind the work, giving emerging creatives both the inspiration and a practical blueprint to build something of their own. For the full lineup of speakers and to reserve free tickets, click here.

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.

Mary Texidor, Executive Director, marytexidor@millcitycommons.org

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

Sarah Lindsay, Business & Member Services Administrator, sarahlindsay@millcitycommons.org

(612) 455-3329