Eloise Butler Wildflower Florilegiu​m Exhibit Opens August 14 at Central Library

The Eloise Butler Wildflower Florilegium Exhibit opens Thursday, Aug. 14, with a free welcome reception and tour, 6:30-8 p.m., and runs through Wednesday, Oct. 15, in Cargill Hall Gallery at the Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall.

The exhibit includes nearly 50 botanical paintings by students of the Minnesota School of Botanical Art. The paintings depict native plants found at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, which was established in 1907 and is the oldest public wildflower garden in America.

The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Gallery hours are the same as the library’s: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

The public is also invited to the welcome reception and related lectures during the exhibit run:
 
Welcome Reception and Tour
Thursday, Aug. 14, 6:30-8 p.m.
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room
Welcome Reception with Artists
Exhibit and Athenaeum Special Collections Tour

All About Bees Lecture
Thursday, Aug. 21, Reception 6:30-7 p.m., Lecture 7-8 p.m.
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room
Register at http://www.hclib.org/ or call 612-543-8000
Crystal Boyd, Bee Researcher, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Exhibit Tour and Botanical Painting Demonstration
History of Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Botanical Art Lecture
Saturday, Sept. 6, Lecture 1-2 p.m., Tour and Demonstration 2-3:30 p.m.
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room
Register beginning Saturday, Aug. 9 at  http://www.hclib.org/ or call 612-543-8000

Susan Wilkins, Curator, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
Marilyn Garber, President, Minnesota School of Botanical Art

Exhibit Tour and Botanical Painting Demonstration
 
Exhibit and related lectures are presented in collaboration with the Minnesota School of Botanical Art, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, with support from the Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library.
 
Look for more news on the Hennepin County Library website: www.hclib.org/newsroom.

Nominations Accepted thru August 13 for the 2014 Downtown Greening Awards

Submit Your Nominations!

Summer nominations will be accepted through August 13, 2014. Nominees must be located in downtown Minneapolis and the greening project must be visable from the public sidewalk.

More info.

Tonight - National Night Out!

Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Chicago Plaza (between the Guthrie and Spoonriver)

Join your Mill District neighbors for food, drink, prizes and music by Jack Klatt at the 2014 Mill District NNO!

Check out these pictures from our Mill District Neighborhood 2013 National Night Out:

Update from Eric Laska on the New Downtown/East Bank School

I wanted to let you know about one thing that Jacob Frey has secured with Clear Channel Communication - a free billboard advertising the new Webster School!  Here are a few more details about the Webster School:

-It is an existing Minneapolis Public School property that will start extensive renovation soon and open the fall of 2015.

-It will open as a Pre-Kindergarden to Grade 2 school, adding a new grade level each year after until it is Pre-K to Grade 5.

-It will be the default community school for the brand new attendance area 1G.  (1G has not been completely defined yet.  Please see the MPS flyer attached for their defined boundaries right now.)

I have attached photos of one of the billboards outside of the new Vikings Stadium.

Download the postcard...

Tuesday Night - Block Parties for Riverfront Neighborhoods

Tuesday August 5, times vary.  Here's a listing of the block parties being held in Central Riverfront neighborhoods:

Mill District

View online - http://milldistrict.org/party/2014-mill-district-block-party-national-night-out.html

Download flyer - https://app.box.com/shared/static/1orq3ue9owk4vkurisg4.pdf

Marcy Holmes

View online - http://marcy-holmes.org/news-events/national-night-out-aug-tuesday-5th-6-8-pm/

Download flyer - https://app.box.com/shared/static/bvx7woljr3zjrs1rg8cn.png

North Loop

Download flyer - https://app.box.com/shared/static/b9ni5aek0sa3m7fgt4il.jpe

Nicollet Island/East Bank

View online - http://niebna.com/

Wednesday Morning - Wake Up with Jacob

Congressman Keith Ellison will be Council Member Frey's special guest at August's Wake-up with Jacob! Ellison will bring news from Washington D.C. and talk about how his work impacts the Third Ward.

The event will be held at Mattie's on Main at 43 Main Street NE (just next door to Wilde Roast Cafe) on Wednesday, August 6th from 7:30 to 9:00 am. Bottomless coffee and a pastry item will be available for $4.00. RSVP to assure seating at: http://minneapolismn.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ab10caacad3986ae6780de874&id=18c193ee9c

Week 13 at the Mill City Farmers Market

Kids in the Kitchen was the theme of the August 2 Market.  Monica of Budding Farmers hosted a kids activity table and Market Chef Heather Hartman welcomed Kids in the Kitchen Cooking Contest winner Vanessa Reyes-Romero to the Mill City Cooks demo.  And, the sweet corn is in!  :)

New bicep excercise - rhutabega curls:

Market Sponsor UCare included this handy bowl with their other useful give-aways at the August 2 Market.  You can't tell by the picture, but there's a 1 Cup marker line stamped on the inside.

Love was in the air...

The goat!

The Film Society of Mpls St. Paul presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema Aug 8-31

Famed Polish auteur Krzysztof Zanussi will make a special appearance at The Film Society's summer exhibition Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema. The notable retrospective series of restored classic Polish films is touring select venues throughout U.S. and Canada, and features films from some of Poland's most accomplished and lauded filmmakers.

On August 14, Krzysztof Zanussi will introduce and discuss three of his razor-sharp contemporary dramas The Illumination (1972), Camouflage (1976) and The Constant Factor (1980).

Tickets to this special series are $8 Film Society and PACIM Members, $10 General Admission, $9 students/seniors. Presented by PACIM, and screening in partnership with Twin Cities Polish Festival.

The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership Invites You to Enter the Mississippi Minute Film Festival Contest!

One River, One Minute, Your Vision – The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership invites you to share your vision of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in a 60-second long video that informs, energizes and inspires.

Sitting within blocks of thousands of Minneapolis downtown workers, residents and visitors is one of the greatest natural wonders in the world, a national park, the Mississippi River. The trouble is, too many people don’t realize it’s there. While revitalization efforts have reclaimed portions of the Minneapolis riverfront, much of it is still inaccessible and in places virtually invisible. The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership seeks to make the invisible visible and will unveil the best submissions at their annual Riverfront Summit on October 20 via the engaging medium of video. Create a vision that tugs at heartstrings or makes people laugh, that showcases an appreciation for– or the future potential of – the urban riverfront in Minneapolis.

Submissions are due August 31, 2014, at 5:00pm!

Click here for more information, including the categories, jury list and how to submit an entry. 

Marcy-Holmes “Box Fresh” Utility Wraps Project

The Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association (MHNA) commissioned six local artists to create original artwork to cover utility boxes throughout Marcy-Holmes.  These utility boxes, formerly covered with graffiti, are now permanently wrapped with original designs.

The “Box Fresh” Utility Wraps Project is a collaboration of the MHNA and The Soap Factory.  Images range from a city nightscape and vintage photo booth to contemporary and conceptual designs.

Friends of the Mississippi annual “Evening Celebrating the Mississippi River” set for October 1

Friends of the Mississippi has held their annual “Evening Celebrating the Mississippi River” since 2002.   This year’s location is the Weisman Art Museum, overlooking the beginning of the River Gorge, and a beautiful place to celebrate the Twin Cities stretch of the Mississippi River.

This year’s event will feature playwright and storyteller Kevin Kling as the guest speaker. Kevin is perhaps best known for his popular commentaries on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” and his storytelling stage shows like “Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log”. He delivers hilarious, often tender autobiographical tales that are as enchanting as they are true to life: hopping freight trains, getting hit by lightning, performing his banned play in Czechoslovakia, growing up in Minnesota, and eating things before knowing what they are. His storytelling started when a friend from the now defunct Brass Tacks Theatre asked him to perform his stories. Since then, he has been awarded numerous arts grants and fellowships. The National Endowment for the Arts, The McKnight Foundation, The Minnesota State Arts Board, The Bush Foundation, The Jerome Foundation and others have recognized Kling’s artistry. On October 1, he will be highlighting the Mississippi River in his tales and stories.

The live auction will feature delicious food and beer experiences, outings, art, and far away destinations – all with a link to the Mississippi River! More details will follow in the coming months.  Expect fantastic hors d’oeuvres and beverages, the company of fellow river lovers, a testimonial or two, and more.

NOTE - The evening is invitation only, and invitations will be sent in August. Please contact John at jbriel@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x19 to receive an invite.

Public Invited to Attend Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Ecological System Plan Meetings August 7 & 27

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) are preparing the first-ever Ecological System Plan. This plan will set a vision for making parks and public lands more friendly to the environment.

The initial Public Meeting is August 7, 5:30-7:30pm, at the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board, 2117 West River Road.

The Ecological System Plan will seek to first understand the ecology of the city and watershed, then plan for parks and public lands management and improvements that benefit both humans and nature. It will address specific threats such as climate change, decreasing water quality, explosion of invasive species, increasing runoff, and fragmentation of habitat. It will envision a more environmentally sound way of managing the impacts of the city, so that the city can be cleaner, greener, cooler, and more efficient.

 Specifically, the ecological system plan will:

• Compile, create, and illustrate city-wide ecological data;
• Craft a vision for natural resources and public lands within the watershed and city;
• Outline guiding principles for management; and
• Challenge the community to rethink the city around them—from the local neighborhood park to the Grand Rounds to backyards—in terms of ecological function, benefit, and health

In addition to attending the first CAC meeting, the public may provide input and stay informed about the project in the following ways:  

• Visit the project website to stay up to date on the project and see some of the amazing maps and drawings we plan to create. Go to www.minneapolisparks.org/currentprojects and select “Ecological System Plan.”
• Attend the second CAC meeting scheduled for August 27 and another in October, the exact date of which is to be determined. All CAC meetings will take place from 5:30-7:30 pm at MPRB headquarters.
• Attend any of the planned community events that will take place in the parks over the next year and a half. More details will be made available on the project website as these events are scheduled and planned.
• Sign up to receive e-mail updates by subscribing on the project website or at www.minneapolisparks.org/subscribe or, if you are already a subscriber, by adding “Ecological System Plan” to your subscription preferences.

[Download] West Bank Interpretive Vision - Final Draft

Excerpt from the introduction to the West Bank Interpretive Vision:

The West Bank of St. Anthony Falls was once an internationally known industrial complex built on the only waterfall on one of the world’s great rivers. Today the waterfall and river are attracting millions of visitors each year, many of whom enjoy the historical, cultural, and natural resources of the area.

What draws people to St. Anthony Falls has changed through time. The powerful river that flows over the falls had once sustained native people; today the falls remain a spiritual place for the Dakota. When early tourists traveled far and wide to admire wonders of nature, the falls became a sought-after destination. When rivers powered the nation’s industry, the falls produced enough energy to run the greatest milling center the world had ever known. When only railroads linked western farms to manufacturing centers and international ports, the falls stood at a critical hub of the nation’s rail network. The falls have long sustained an enduring confluence of human and natural systems

As a center for industry, the West Bank reached its zenith between the 1880s and 1920s, when Minneapolis was known as the “flour milling capital of the world.” In the decades that followed much of the area’s waterpower, milling, and railroad complex was buried, removed, or lost to fire. What remains is an extraordinary archaeological resource that holds memorable stories and large-scale artifacts, that if revealed would astonish today’s visitors. The area also holds stories of the falls that transcend history—in relationships with people and animals that are as present today as they have been for millennia.

Stay tuned for when the download of the West Bank Interpretive Vision is available!  Sorry for the error.

Fireworks Finale Framed by the Guthrie Theater

A glass half empty view might be that the fireworks Saturday night on the riverfront were partially blocked while watching from our balcony. I thought the silhouette of the Guthrie provided an interesting frame for the video. You be the judge:

Health Through Chaos - New Book by Local Author

"Health Through Chaos" by Claudia Kittock, with Ryne & Tyler Kittock is available for a few days as a free Kindle download on Amazon.com before reverting to normal pricing.

"Health Through Chaos is a personal journey through cancer, and my eventual return to health. Shortly after I turned 53, I had my first colonoscopy as part of my yearly physical. Thirty seconds into the procedure, the doctor found colon cancer. I spent the next 2 years having multiple surgeries, radiation, and over a year of chemotherapy. I am happy and blessed to be cancer free, with the sincere hope of remaining so.

The most shocking part of the experience was to discover that once the treatments were over, my journey had just begun. Healing my body and soul was a long and arduous process with little guidance or help. I had to discover how to get well on my own, and after 3 years of daily effort, found myself well again.

My book is about that part of the journey, sharing what I discovered, my triumphs and my mistakes. It was not a journey of finding the one ‘right thing’ to do but rather discovering that there is no one thing. There are many facets of wellness and some are obvious and some very small, but each is vital. It’s a personal journey, but an empowering and life altering one.

This book is not intended for cancer patients only. It is intended for anyone hoping to regain their health and for people who have never been healthy."

Download for free in the next few days on Amazon...

2nd Annual Riverfront Fest is August 1 at Sheridan Memorial Park

Join neighbors and friends for the second annual Riverfront Fest at the new Sheridan Memorial Park!  6:00pm to Sunset.(click here for map)

- FOOD TRUCKS (Stanley's, Undead Franks, Scratch, Tin Fish, and El Taco Riendo)
- LIVE MUSIC
- CRAFT BEER
- KID'S ACTIVITIES
- WATER ACROBATICS FROM TWIN CITIES RIVER RATS
- BIKE TUNE UP CORRAL
 
Sponsored by the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership, the East Minneapolis Exchange Club, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

Week 12 at the Mill City Farmers Market

July 26 was Bike to the Market Day, featuring a Community Partner line up including Minneapolis Bike Coalition, Nice Ride, Commuter Connection, and The Hub Bike Co-op.

Of course Nicholas from Buffalo by Bike embraced the day's theme.  :)

Yay - the long beans are back!

Yet another refreshing flavor combination from Sonny's.  Loved it!

These Zula juices are so good.  I drink them straight up, and also use them as a base for veggie smoothies.  The Cashew Dream makes a great healthy dessert smoothie - just add fresh fruit and ice. I've also done the 4-day Juice Cleanse twice, and can't even put into words how wonderful I feel both during and after.

Note to Dave - that's not how selfies work...

The goat. :)

July 26 West River Parkway Closure for Aquatennial Party and Fireworks

West River Parkway between 4th Ave and Portland Avenue will be closed Saturday, July 26, from approximately Noon to 11:30pm for the 75th Annual Aquatennial Celebration street party and Fireworks.

The Target Fireworks show is one of the largest in the country, and will light up the Minneapolis sky at 10:00pm with a spectacular pyrotechnic display.  In addition to the amazing firework show, enjoy pre-firework festivities starting at 6 pm.

Also note - the section of West River Parkway between 4th Street South to Franklin Avenue continues to be closed as a result of a mudslide earlier this summer.

A complete list of current and upcoming parkway closures is available online.

2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival Sneak Peek #2

Between now and the July 31 kick off, we'll post snippets of info on some of the show options for the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival.

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IT ONLY TAKES ONE: A NEW MUSICAL
Written & Directed by K. D. Howells
 
FEATURING: Curtis Roth, Molly McElroy, Cory Fox, Camille Isadora Smith, Liem Nguyen, Jon Heinen, Cassandra Schneider, Collin Howells, & Thomas Lorendo, Jr.

SYNOPSIS: 
A business man's morning commute is intersected by a beautiful woman who cares for people on the street. Are people worth loving? Is the world worth saving? Wouldn't it just be easier to do what's expected of us? Come play the Hero of this story as an audience member in your seat.
 
This musical turns the tables on conventional theater. The show begins by accusing participants of not living the life they were meant to live. Lyrically intense, it asks such questions like "Why can't we try to live a better life?" and dares its viewers to "Keep this [feeling] with you, when you leave tonight." It showcases a range of musical styles; inspirational chorus songs, dramatic prayers, insightful street rapping, intense power ballads, and even a loving lullaby. Stuffed full of inner-struggle, intellectual debates, and poignant ups-and-downs in the fight to make a difference, each Hero must decide for themselves what he or she needs to do outside of the play. “It Only Takes One” is an stirring, eye-opening reminder of the simple fact that it only takes one person and one moment to change everything…and it all starts with you.
 
FOLLOW US FOR SHOW UPDATES!
www.facebook.com/ItOnlyTakesOneNewMusical

BUY TICKETS AT:
www.fringefestival.org/2014/show/?id=2640

SHOW TIMES:
Friday August 1st @10:00 pm
Saturday August 2nd @ 7:00 pm
Monday August 4th @ 8:30 pm
Wednesday August 6th @ 5:30 pm
Saturday August 9th @ 7:00 pm
 
LOCATION: 
U of Minnesota Rarig Center, Xperimental Black Box Theater, Lower Level
330 21st Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN 55455

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#RELATIONSHIPSTATUS CELEBRATES MARRIAGE EQUALITY AT MINNESOTA FRINGE

#RelationshipStatus brings the topic of Minnesota's marriage equality center stage during this year's Fringe Festival. A subject still fresh in the minds of many Minnesotans, the show focuses on the impact the legislation had on the individuals in Minnesota’s LGBT community..

#RelationshipStatus brings the stories of real (and not-so-real) gay and lesbian people to the stage.  The show’s producer and co-creator, Laura D. Thaisen, said of the show, “The first date between my partner and I was the catalyst for #RelationshipStatus. It became an important story – and scene – about the unsolicited, unplanned, and comical reactions following the passage of same-sex marriage. We wanted to bring stories like ours to life, and create something genuine that would speak to audiences.”

Brought to you by Someday, Wine Productions, #RelationshipStatus will appear onstage at the Mixed Blood Theatre August 1^st – August 9^th as part of the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival. Visit fringefestival.org for more information, and to purchase tickets for a specific show date.

ABOUT SOMEDAY, WINE PRODUCTIONS – A fledgling theatre company based in the Twin Cities, Someday, Wine Productions presents #RelationshipStatus as its first ever production for the stage.  Producer Laura D. Thaisen, who founded the company in 2014, is proud to debut the show at this year’s Fringe Fest.

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44 SCENES IN LESS THAN 1 HOUR

Fifth Planet, 44 Scenes, 55-Minutes!  A one-act comedy, written by Tony Award/Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, David Auburn, presented by Joking Apart Theater at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival.

Directed by Jean Wolff and starring Julie Ann Nevill and Edwin Strout, this comedy follows the developing, and often contentious, relationship between two astronomers over the course of a year.  Too fixated on the stars and in flat denial of the direness of their own individual relationships, they set about taking out their frustrations on each other.

Julie Ann Nevill and Edwin Strout have been working in the Twin Cities’ Theater Community for over 20 years, and Jean Wolff has been working here for 13 years.

Joking Apart Theater has presented productions of Amaretti Angels, The Friar and the Nurse and That’s MISTER Benchley To You, Mrs. Parker(Voted “Best of the Fringe” in 2003) at prior Minnesota Fringe Festivals.

Fifth Planet will be presented at Theater in the Round on:
Thursday, July 31 – 8:30 PM
Saturday, August 2 – 5:30 PM
Sunday, August 3 – 2:30 PM
Wednesday, August 6 – 10:00 PM
Saturday, August 9 – 5:30 PM

For a press photo of Fifth Planet contact Edwin Strout, or for any additional information you may need.  Or feel free to visit Joking Apart Theater’s pages at www.facebook.com/jokingaparttheater or http://www.fringefestival.org/2014/show/?id=2733. 

West River / James I. Rice Parkway Trail Improvement Project Update

Via a July 24 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board:

West River / James I. Rice Parkway Trail Improvement Project Update

The West River / James I. Rice Parkway Trail Improvement project has been bid; three were received. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) are in the process of evaluating the apparent low bid. If the bid meets all requirements, construction is expected to begin sometime in September 2014. Projected completion is in the summer of 2015. Construction will begin at the south end of the project area at Franklin Avenue. Trail detours will be posted and the construction schedule will be updated regularly on the West River / James I. Rice Parkway Trail Improvements project page.

As the construction drawings were developed and the concept for the trails was brought into line with the budget available, some adjustments to the concept plan were made and some items identified by the Community Advisory Committee as lower priority project components were eliminated.

James I. Rice Parkway Trail:

• At the parking lot just south of Plymouth Avenue, the trail connection requested by the North Loop Neighborhood Association from the Star Tribune building to the east side of the James I. Rice Parkway was eliminated. (The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board does not own the property east of the parkway in this area.)
• The Cedar Lake Regional Trail intersection with the parkway will be improved with ADA-compliant ramps and a Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon which can be activated for safer crossing of the parkway.
• The River Goddess sculpture, located within a newly aligned segment of the trail across from the Federal Reserve building, will be relocated and modified. Several of the smaller pre-cast fossils will be installed under the sand surfacing in the 4^th Ave NE Playground for children to discover. Three of the four boulder formations and the two larger pre-cast concrete fossils will be moved riverward of their existing locations. The southernmost boulder formation, which is crumbling, will be eliminated.
• The two raised seating platforms and a seating area with low walls, located riverward of the Post Office, will be demolished to improve sight lines and safety.
• The bicycle and pedestrian trail connection to the Stone Arch Bridge will be improved and the southernmost driveway of the parking lot near Portland will be eliminated.

West River Parkway Trail:

• The existing plank trail opposite the Mill City Museum will be repaired; severely warped and rotted planks will be replaced.
• The separated concrete pedestrian trail, proposed for the southern end of Mill Ruins Park opposite the Guthrie, has been eliminated due to cost.
•  MnDOT approved the width and alignment of the existing trail width opposite Gold Medal Park. The trail will be reconstructed in its existing alignment with no increase in width.
• A trailhead with a kiosk and drinking fountain is added to the south end of Bohemian Flats.
• A 12’ wide combined use (pedestrian and bicycle) asphalt trail will be constructed between Bohemian Flats and South 4^th Street, in lieu of two separated trails. Space for separate trails is available, but a combined trail in this segment was more affordable.
•   Across from Riverside Park and south of the mudslide area, in a narrow strip of parkland between the existing paths and the river wall, the MPRB would have liked to install a retaining wall with safety fence to support the new combined path and the required safety zones.  However, the estimate for the wall did not fit within the allotted funding.  The solution was to construct a 2:1 slope with a safety fence.  To construct the slope, all vegetation and trees will be cleared.  The new slope will be seeded to native grasses and wildflowers, but, given the limited access for equipment, maintenance staff will not be able to mow the slope and will have to use other measures to maintain the area.  
•  Due to budget constraints, all tree planting for the project between Portland and Franklin Avenues was eliminated.  The MPRB will work with MPRB’s Forestry department and local not-for-profits to seek additional funds for tree planting.
• The improvements to the Franklin Avenue intersection with West River Parkway were eliminated from the project scope due to budget constraints.

Please contact Deb Bartels, MPRB Planning Project Manager, at dbartels@minneapolisparks.org or (612) 230-6438 with any questions.