|
Update from the Executive Director
Happy Autumnal Equinox! Our daylight has begun decreasing and our time in the darkness is lengthening each day. I found an
article that describes a tradition some Brits choose to undertake at this time of year. The organizer, Jax Higginson, said, "It's not just about taking our clothes off, it's about taking risk, connecting with nature,
celebrating life and embracing our own bodies." Doesn't that sound fabulous?! He explained further, "People were splashing about and there was screams and laughter, it was gorgeous.
It makes it all feel worthwhile."
Although the source (The Sun - UK) is a tabloid, so maybe it's fake news. I wish there were some way to tell... hmm... Oh, wait! There is! Join us next Thursday, Oct. 3, to hear from Prof. Jane Kirtley at
Driven to Discover: "Believe Me": Seeking Truth in an Age of Disinformation. Get the details
here.
Now, back to the equinox. I'd love to hear what you do to mark the transition from summer to fall, from lightness to darkness. Therese May said, "You know how to
dance in sunlight when everything is going fine, but you have to learn to dance in darkness when the sun is gone and nothing is going well."
That's one of the best things about belonging to a community like Mill City Commons. We will be dancing in the darkness together.
MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.
~ Sara J.B. Foster
|
|
|
Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, September 24, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Pog Mahone's Pub & Grill, 903 Washington Ave S
 Join us for Last Tuesday Happy Hour at Pog Mahone's Bar & Grill! Hosted by Keith & Polly Nelson, Ken Hartung and Bob & Pam Berkwitz, this gathering is a time to catch up with friends and neighbors over drinks and small bites. Dutch treat--no reservations required. Parking after 5 p.m. is available in the adjacent, closely monitored pay lot, at meters on the street or in nearby parking ramps. If you'd like to stay for dinner, you may make reservations by email with Libby Kvasnicka at [email protected].
MCC members and guests. No registration required.
|
|
Mill City Travelers: The Silk Road with Jim Conaway
Wednesday, September 25, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Stonebridge Community Room, 1120 2nd St S, 2nd fl 
Join us as MCC member Jim Conaway shares about his unusual experiences in Xinjiang Province, China, through images and stories. This province is known as the Uygur Autonomous Region and is in the far most western part of China. According to Jim, it's one of the most desolate and interesting places in the world. Jim, who taught painting, drawing and ancient art history for 38 years at the university level, is now a full-time artist. For many years, he took university students to historic locations abroad for J-term classes, and in retirement, he has led adult group tours to sites in Europe, South American and Asia.
This is one in an occasional series featuring MCC members and their travel stories.
MCC members sign up here.
|
|
Village to Village Conference: What We Learned
Thursday, September 26, 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Village Lofts River Room, 100 2nd St NE
 Join several Mill City Commons members and Executive Director Sara Foster for a panel discussion about what they experienced, learned and took away from this year's Village to Village Annual Gathering in Chicago.
MCC members sign up here. |
Meditation Circle
Tuesday, October 1 & 8, 9:30 - 10:30 am 
Mill City Quarter Club Room, 322 2nd St S
Mill City Commons members are invited to join in a weekly drop-in meditation hour. This is a time for self-guided meditation; if you're new to meditation, we'll provide a brief explanation to help you get started. Our hope is that meditating with each other may help each of our practices and create a shared energy among participants. Drop-in sessions are on Tuesdays from 9:30-10:30 am at Mill City Quarter, across the parking lot from Abiitan. An MCC member will be there to greet you at 9:30 a.m. Please register for sessions you plan to attend so we have an idea of how many to expect. All sessions are free.
MCC members sign up here for the October 1 session; members sign up here for the October 8 session.
|
|
Technology Help Desk
Tuesday, October 1, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
MCC Office, 125 Main St SE, Ste 339
 Schedule time with a tech support guru and have your nagging technology questions answered during our complimentary Help Desk. 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.
Registration is now closed. To be added to the cancellation list, please email [email protected].
|
|
Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat
Wednesday, October 2, 10:00 - 11:00 am
Abiitan's Porter Cafe, 428 2nd St S 
Join us to discuss
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant--and that her lover is married--she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son's powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations. Richly told and profoundly moving,
Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters--strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis--survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.
If you'd like to read ahead, November's book is
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. Have a book suggestion for the Book Chat? Email
Marsha Blumenthal.
MCC members and guests. No registration required.
|
|
M
en's Coffee & Conversation
Thursday, October 3, 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.
|
Driven to Discover: "Believe Me": Seeking Truth in an Age of Disinformation
Thursday, October 3, 7:00 - 8:30 pm 
La Rive Party Room, 110 Bank St SE
Ask yourself: Can the public navigate a sea of disinformation without a compass? Are the media "the enemy of the American people," as President Trump has declared? Will the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution continue to protect journalists as they perform their jobs? Can democracy survive without a free and responsible press? Jane E. Kirtley, Director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law at the U of M, digs deep into the role of the media in an era of "believe me" and disinformation.
This is one in an ongoing MCC program series under the banner "Driven to Discover." The series features University of Minnesota faculty and students sharing current research and programming at the University.
MCC members sign up here.
|
|
Tips & Tricks to Using Transit in the Metro
Tuesday, October 8, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
American Academy of Neurology, Training Room A, 201 Chicago Ave
 Increasingly MCC members are considering public transportation options to avoid traffic hassles, limited parking and other obstacles. Joanna Hubbard-Rivera, a customer advocate with the Metro Transit Outreach program, will join us to show how easy it can be to use transit. She'll provide information on taking the bus, light rail and rapid mass transit, as well as on how to use the online planning tools to make trip process easier. The online tools can help you find routes, stops, locations and times to get you on your way. If you'd like a preview of the tools we'll be working with in the session, click here.
MCC members sign up here.
|
|
MCC Program Calendar
View the full calendar of September events here.
Plan ahead! View the full calendar of October events here.
|
News from Members
MCC member Carol Hovey thought members might be interested in a series of programs at the Minnesota History Center. She notes that last year's speakers were interesting and informative and this year's topics may appeal to members. Learn more about the 2019-2020 history forum schedule and topics by clicking
here.
MCC member Chris Bray invites you to come to the Friends of the Mill District (FMD) fundraiser, featuring The Steele Family Singers, on October 17 from 6:00-8:30 pm at the Mill City Museum (704 S 2nd St). This promises to be a fun evening designed to get you swinging and swaying. Appetizers are provided and beverages will be available for purchase.
All activities funded by FMD are free and open to everyone (Mill City Singers, Yoga in the Park, to name a few). 100% of the money raised pays for programming expenses.
To get your tickets, click here.
|
Ar
ound Town
My Mighty Journey Book Launch
October 5, 7:00 pm, Open Book Target Performance Hall, 1011 Washington Ave S
With stunning letterpress images,
My Mighty Journey captures the history of the Mississippi's only waterfall, St. Anthony Falls, from the perspective of the water itself as it moves gradually upstream over twelve thousand years. Award-winning writer John Coy teamed up with internationally acclaimed artist Gaylord Schanilec to bring to life this story of what--and who--the waterfall witnessed as it moved from present-day St. Paul to its current location in downtown Minneapolis. The
My Mighty Journey team will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry and research behind this spectacular book. For more information, click
here.
Fall River Gorge Bird Hike
October 6, 8:00-9:00 am, E 36th St and W River Parkway
Enjoy a hike through a rare oak savanna and prairie known for providing important bird habitat in this local stretch of the flyway. To register, contact the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden at (612) 370-4903. For information, 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.
|
|
|
|
|
Volunteer Opportunities
Click
here
for community volunteer opportunities on the MCC website!
|
|
MCC Ongoing Social Opportunities
Dutch Treat
Social Hour
Mondays, 4:00-5:00 pm
Aster Cafe
125 Main St SE
Drop in for an afternoon coffee or drink and a casual chat. No reservations
required.
Rendezvous
Readers' Book Chat
1st Wednesday of the month, 10:00-11:00 am
Abiitan's Porter Cafe
428 2nd St S
No reservations required. The next
book is
by Min Jin Lee.
Click here to see what books we're reading at future Book Chats.
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!
Guthrie Play Reading
North Star Group
Wednesday, October 2,
6:30-9:30 pm
RiverWest Group
Tuesday, October 15,
6:30-9:30 pm
Reading The Winter's Tale this month.
Social Bridge
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.
MCC Women Connect
Join MCC women as they connect and grow, sharing experiences and learning from each other as they adapt to life's changes and transitions. This group meets the third Thursday morning of the month.
|
|
Mill City Commons
Ongoing Fitness Opportunities
G-Werx Fitness,
An exclusive opportunity for members, this weekly class focuses on strength, balance
and stretching to keep you fit and strong.
First time participants, please contact G-Werx Fitness at (612) 767-4415 and arrive 20 minutes early to complete paperwork. Cost varies depending on commitment.
River Walkers
Tuesdays and Thursdays,
7:30-8:30 am
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.
Meditation Circle
Tuesdays 9:30-10:30 am
Mill City Quarter,
322 2nd St S
Join us for a weekly
self-guided meditation hour.
|
|
Ongoing Member-Led Activities
MCC Caregivers' Support Group
2nd and 4th Wednesdays,
September-December
10:30 am-12:00 pm
A way to support members and non-members who are in a caregiving role.
Men's Dutch Lunch
Abiitan's Porter Cafe
428 2nd St S
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
September 26 & October 10
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact
Allan Burdick.
|
|
