"A Minute In Minnesota" Featuring Scenes from the Minneapolis Riverfront

From MinnPost photographer Justin Donais:

Week 20 at the Mill City Farmers Market

There was an impressive turnout for MCFM's 2nd Annual Bread Contest, which took place during the September 22 Market.  Sadly, my Garden Harvest Bread was not a winner, but it sure was fun checking out all the entries. There's a lot of talented bakers out there! :)

MCFM's Second Annual Bread Festival is This Saturday!

Here's a fun opportunity to show off your favorite bread creation :)

Mill City Farmers Market, Mill City Museum, and Gold Medal® Flour are teaming up again to create an exciting celebration of bread-baking in America! This event will be the second annual event spotlighting the healthy goodness and nourishment of bread-baking.   

2012 Bread Contest

sponsored by Gold Medal® Flour

Enter your home-baked bread

Second annual bread-baking contest!

Enter in the Quick Bread or Yeast Bread categories
and have your goodies judged by a panel of experts.

To pre-register and get more info follow this link.

Living Social Offer for Local D'Lish Cooking Classes

Have you been thinking about how fun it would be to take a cooking class at Local D'Lish, 208 North 1st Street, but just haven't gotten around to registering?  Well, here's a little nudge to get you going!  Per a recent e-newsletter, they'll be running a promotional offer through Living Social on September 24, 25, and 26.  Buy coupons on the Living Social website, and then choose the class(es) on Local D'Lish's website. 

So many classes to choose from, and it's a nice gift idea, too.  Yum :)

Audition September 22 for the October 10 NeighborhoodFest on Nicollet Island

The Third Ward Neighborhood Fest! takes place October 10 from 5:30pm-9:30pm at the  Nicollet Island Pavilion. 

There will be exhibits featuring businesses, restaurants, services, neighborhood groups, local talent, city and county projects, and new developments in the community.

You can earn a spot in the talent show by auditioning on September 22 at the MPRB headquarters.

Tonight - "Shaping the Future of the Minneapolis Riverfront"

"Shaping the Future of the Minneapolis Riverfront” - Central Riverfront Master Planning with the MPRB

When: Monday, September 17, 2012 / 6:30PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Mill City Museum (main floor commons)

Join your neighbors and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board in shaping the future of the Central Riverfront of Minneapolis.  It’s been more than two decades since the last Master Plan for this part of the river was completed.  Learn about potential projects, the planning process, and how local residents can assist in shaping the future:

-- Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Commissioners Anita Tabb, Liz Wielinski and Scott Vreeland will discuss the past, present, and ideas for the future of the Central Riverfront.

-- Andrew Caddock, MPRB Project Manager, will review the Master Planning Process and highlight opportunities for the future at key parks. The end result of this process will be a new Master Plan for the Central Riverfront.

-- “Open Mic”: Engage the MPRB in a question & answer session.

-- Parks that may be impacted include: Boom Island, Father Hennepin Bluffs - Upper & Lower, Mill Ruins Park, Water Works Park (old Fuji Ya site)

All residents, from both sides of the Central Riverfront, are encouraged to attend.

---------------------------------

Co-Hosted by Mill District Neighborhood Association & Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
Underwritten by Mill City Times

Crown Hydro Update

Proposed Hydroelectric Plant Developers Continuing Efforts to Avoid Termination of Federal License

By Doug Verdier

On Sept. 5, Crown Hydro’s legal counsel in Washington, D.C. filed a progress report to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) outlining “further engineering and concept analysis of the development of the project within the current licensed project boundaries, and in a location owned by the federal government under the control of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District Office.” These efforts are intended to determine “if there were any fatal flaws in the project concept in the new location.”

The primary engineering issues address the feasibility of using the existing tailrace and whether a tailrace tunnel could be constructed from a location under the parking lot next to the lock headwall to a shaft to be constructed with a new outlet below the Stone Arch Bridge. According to the filing, Crown Hydro claims that the Stone Arch bridge footings “are spread footings excavated into the sandstone and may be avoided during the construction.” This statement is intended to address concerns that construction could endanger the structural integrity of the Stone Arch Bridge. Crown’s proposed design called for a new tunnel to be drilled underground between two of the bridge arch supports.

The filing states that Crown is obtaining estimates from contractors for tunnel work and masonry and intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for the proposed location. Their intent is to apply for another amendment to the license issued by FERC in 1999, which has been amended several times as the proposed location of the project has shifted.

Crown Hydro’s developers were notified on June 14, 2012 that FERC intended to initiate proceedings to terminate the license for the project “because over 13 years have passed since issuance of the license, the licensee has failed to complete construction of the project as licensed, and its previous filings have failed to show that it can do so in the near future.”

The St. Paul District Corps of Engineers, which controls the lock and dam and area where the new hydro plant powerhouse would be built, noted in March 15, 2012 that “the new alignment [of the project] raises additional concerns” in addition to those previously expressed that need to be addressed.

Download the Crown Hydro Progress Report...

View the Crown Hydro Tracking Page...

Week 19 at the Mill City Farmers Market

Kare 11 joined a throng of happy shoppers at the September 15 Market.

Fall Fashions Have Arrived at Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes recently held a Fall Fashion event at their 1026 Washington Avenue South location, complete with models, wine, music, jewelry and of course a lovely array of fun styles just in time for the new season.

West River Parkway Closure for September 16 Minneapolis Bike Tour

Time: 7:00am - 2:00pm

According to the MPRB's site, West River Parkway will be closed on Sunday, September 16, for the Minneapolis Bike Tour.

Parkways will open up after the last rider has finished riding the parkway - for more information about the route, please visit www.minneapolisbiketour.com.

A complete list of parkway closures through December 2012 is available online.

Monday Night - "Shaping the Future of the Minneapolis Riverfront"

"Shaping the Future of the Minneapolis Riverfront” - Central Riverfront Master Planning with the MPRB

When: Monday, September 17, 2012 / 6:30PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Mill City Museum (main floor commons)

Join your neighbors and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board in shaping the future of the Central Riverfront of Minneapolis.  It’s been more than two decades since the last Master Plan for this part of the river was completed.  Learn about potential projects, the planning process, and how local residents can assist in shaping the future:

-- Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Commissioners Anita Tabb and Liz Wielinski will discuss the past, present, and ideas for the future of the Central Riverfront.

-- Andrew Caddock, MPRB Project Manager, will review the Master Planning Process and highlight opportunities for the future at key parks. The end result of this process will be a new Master Plan for the Central Riverfront.

-- “Open Mic”: Engage the MPRB in a question & answer session.

-- Parks that may be impacted include: Boom Island, Father Hennepin Bluffs - Upper & Lower, Mill Ruins Park, Water Works Park (old Fuji Ya site)

All residents, from both sides of the Central Riverfront, are encouraged to attend.

---------------------------------

Co-Hosted by Mill District Neighborhood Association & Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
Underwritten by Mill City Times

Tonight - Open House at Blast Blow Dry Bar

Time:  5:00pm-7:00pm

Location: Blast Blow Dry Bar, 940 Washington Avenue South

We are thrilled to join your community! Please gather in celebration at our new Aloft Minneapolis location for cocktails and appetizers.

There will be blowout looks to view and drawings for amazing blast products.

Deadline to Complete Survey for Downtown 2025 Plan is September 17

As part of the Downtown Council’s Downtown 2025 Plan, significant improvements in downtown’s public realm are envisioned.   The Downtown Council is seeking input from those of us who live, work and play downtown about the future of its public spaces.

A group of civic and business leaders want your input on what the priorities should be for Downtown's public spaces.   If you haven't already done so, please take a few minutes to complete this survey to make your voice heard.   The link will be live until Tuesday, September 18. 

This Afternoon at City Hall - Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission Public Meeting

Time: 4:30pm

Location: Room 317, City Hall, 350 South Fifth Street

More Info

Agenda Includes:

1. 400 2^nd Street Southeast, St. Anthony Falls Historic District (BZH #27213, Ward 3) (Schaffer)

Continued from the August 7, 2012, Heritage Preservation Commission meeting. Follow up to the Conditions of Approval of the Preservation Plan for the White Grain Elevators and Machine Shop of the Pillsbury A Mill Complex located at 400 2^nd Street Southeast, located within the St. Anthony Falls Historic District.

2. 3045 5^th Avenue South, Chase Residence (BZH #27054, Ward 8) (Smoley)

Landmark designation study for the Laura Chase Residence located at 3045 5^th Avenue South.

3. 413-425 Main Street Southeast, St. Anthony Falls Historic District (BZH #27416, Ward: 3) (Hanauer)

Kelly Doran, with Doran Development LLC, has submitted a Certificate of Appropriateness application to allow for a new apartment building at 413-425 Main Street Southeast, Phase II Mill & Main project, located within the St. Anthony Falls Historic District.

Week 18 at the Mill City Farmers Market

The first thing that jumped out at me at the September 8 Market was a huge wicker basket of edamame at Swede Lake Farms.  Another new item at the Market this week was a mini Gherkin from Page & Flowers.  Here's a YouTube video about them (or something extremely similar - Cherry didn't specifically refer to them as Mexican Gherkins).

Also, take a moment to read Laura Frerichs' sweet "My Love Letter to the Mill City Farmers Market", which received Honorable Mention in the Farmers Market Coalition 2012 Farmers Market Inspiration Awards. Laura and her husband Adam Cullip own Loon Organics.

Central Library's Special Collection​s Documentar​y to Premiere on TPT

From a September 6 Hennepin County Library News Release:

HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY’S JAMES K. HOSMER SPECIAL COLLECTIONSTO BE EXPLORED IN TPT DOCUMENTARY PREMIERING SEPTEMBER 16

Hennepin County Library’s James K. Hosmer Special Collections may be a hidden gem to many library patrons, but its wealth of information has been discovered by many authors and other serious researchers at Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis. You can learn all about the Library’s Special Collections when tpt premieres a new documentary, “Treasures Collected, Treasures Shared” at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16 on tpt MN. The 27-minute documentary will be rebroadcast on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on tpt MN, and at noon on tpt LIFE.  

The documentary is a collaboration between Hennepin County Library and tpt and was funded by Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Interviews with staff and five local researchers offer a glimpse of the tens of thousands of resources available in the Library’s Special Collections, which is located on the fourth floor of Minneapolis Central Library. They include books, photographs, videos, DVDs, sound recordings, oral histories, news clippings, annual reports, yearbooks, pamphlets, government documents, programs, catalogs, postcards, flyers, advertisements, maps, posters, and drawings. 

Because of the huge scope of the collection, librarian Ted Hathaway, Special Collections manager, said it’s difficult to describe it in just a few words. “We have so many different kinds of resources here that people use for many different reasons,” he said. Librarians are available to help patrons find what they need.

Penny Petersen, historian and researcher at Hess Roise Historical Consultants; Dan Chouinard, musician and storyteller, Minnesota Public Radio; Joyce Wisdom, executive director of the Lake Street Council; Linda James, librarian, researcher, and producer of tpt’s “Lost Twin Cities” series; and Chris and Rushika Hage, authors of “Nicollet Island: History and Architecture,” discuss how using the Library’s Special Collections has enhanced their knowledge and understanding of history to share with others — in books, on the radio and on television, and when creating historic walking tours.

“My first trip to Special Collections was two years ago as I was writing a show for the Minnesota Historical Society about the construction of I-94 between the downtowns and the impact it had on neighborhoods and land along the route,” Chouinard said. “I was guided to boxes of newspaper articles from the 1950s and 1960s and cartoon brochures selling the freeway idea to Twin Cities residents — ‘The Automobile Is Here to Stay. What’s the Answer? FREEWAYS!’ It was a fascinating look at what regular folk were reading in the daily papers and getting in their mailboxes, and much of what I found wound up in my script and on the screen.”

“I’ve made use of Special Collections for three writing projects now, with at least another two on deck,” he continued. “I know I’ve barely scratched the surface and I’m looking forward to making use of the tremendous staff expertise and the vast content, especially the World War II collections which I’ll be using in a show for MPR in January.”

Hathaway invites the public to visit the Library’s Special Collections to pursue their interests, whether researching World War II, writing Wikipedia articles, or undertaking any of the many other types of research that patrons do.

DVD copies of the documentary will be added to Hennepin County Library’s collection and will be available for checkout at Minneapolis Central Library and other libraries after the documentary airs on tpt.

Additional short videos produced by tpt about the Library’s Special Collections, including the Kittleson World War II Collection and house history resources, will be posted on Hennepin County Library’s YouTube and Vimeo channels. 

For more information about the Library’s Special Collections, contact librarian Ted Hathaway at 612-543-8200 or go to http://www.hclib.org/pub/search/specialcollections/.

Check the website for updates.

"Possible" Road Closures for September 8 Mill City Suds Run 5K

Time: 6:00am - Noon (check website, these times can change)

According to the MPRB's site, the following parkways will be temporarily closed on Saturday, September 8, for the 10:00am Mill City Suds Run 5K:  West River Parkway and Stone Arch Bridge.

HOWEVER, I checked the course info, and it shows the route as being on the East bank - Starting at Father Hennepin Park, utilizing Main Street, looping around and returning thru Boom Island and Nicollet Island, then back to Father Hennepin Park via Main Street.

Either way - just be aware there's a race Saturday morning that may affect what route you take to get where you need to go! (Like the Mill City Farmers Market, for example.)

A complete list of parkway closures through December 2012 is available online. 

Tonight - First Thursday in the Arts District at Northrup King Building

Time:  5:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Northrup King Building, 1500 Jackson Street NE

First Thursday in the Arts District - September 6th from 5:00-9:00 PM

It's shaping up to be the perfect day to head over to the Northrup King Building and the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District for First Thursday in the Arts District.

 As the change of seasons approaches, it is a great time to look for a beautiful piece of artwork to create a change in your home or office.  With a wide range of art mediums, textures and colors to choose from, you will find original art that reflects your personality.

 We also want to welcome our new neighbors, Indeed Brewing, located in the Solar Arts Building, 1 block west of the Northrup King Building.  Indeed Brewing's Taproom will be open on Thursday from 3:00-10:00 pm.

Teen Tech Center Approved For Central Library

Per a September 4 Hennepin County e-newsletter:

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners approved development of a Teen Tech Center at the Hennepin County Library - Minneapolis Central.  Best Buy awarded a $100,000 grant to Hennepin County Library and Friends of the Hennepin County Library after accepting a proposal submitted for a Teen Tech Center.  The Teen Tech Center will be one of only four initial sites in the nation.

Best Buy and Intel Computer Clubhouse Network are partnering to develop programming and curriculum that will help teens explore their passions in technology and inspire future education and career choices.

Teens (approximately 13 - 18 years) will develop projects based on their own interests such as: creating art, music and animations; designing their own science simulations and mobile applications; designing their own 3D worlds and games, and more.

The center will offer a powerful array of cutting-edge technology, such as computers, digital cameras, movie cameras, professional software, and program activities in a wide range of areas:

•Computing
•Digital Photography
•Film making & Videography
•Graphic Design
•Audio production (including music mixing)
•Robotics
•Game Development
•Programming(including app development) 

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING September 24 for St. Anthony Falls Historic District Design Guidelines

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING

St. Anthony Falls Historic District Design Guidelines Wards 3 & 7 

The Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) will hold a public hearing on the adoption of new Design Guidelines for the St. Anthony Falls Historic District. The public hearing will be held on Monday, September 24, 2012 at 4:30 pm in room 317 of City Hall, 350 S. 5th St., Minneapolis, MN.

Interested parties are invited to attend and be heard. All neighborhood representatives are encouraged to attend.

Design guidelines are a set of design standards that are created to protect the integrity and character of the district. The design guidelines are adopted by the Heritage Preservation Commission for historic districts to be used in reviewing applications for new construction and alterations to existing properties.

More information on the public process to develop design guidelines for the St. Anthony Falls Historic District and previous drafts of the design guidelines can be found on the project’s webpage. A copy of the final draft of the design guidelines is also available on the project’s webpage.

St. Anthony Falls Historic District Design Guidelines project webpage: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/hpc/hpc_st_anthony_falls_historic_district_design_guidelines

The final draft of the St. Anthony Falls Historic District Design Guidelines can be found here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/groups/public/@cped/documents/webcontent/wcms1p-097595.pdf

Public participation in the hearing is welcomed.  All interested parties should be present. If you have questions about the project, please contact the City staff person listed below.

If you would like to submit comments, you can make them verbally at the meeting or submit them in writing to:

Brian Schaffer, AICP, Principal City Planner
250 South 4th Street, Room 110, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: 612-673-2670
Fax: 612-673-2526
E-mail: brian.schaffer@minneapolismn.gov