Covering life, work, and play in the Historic Mill District and Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront neighborhoods. Have an opinion, local news or events to share? Contact us.
Please note the following Parkway closures on April 3, 7:30am-12pm, for Goldy's Run 10 Mile:
The City of Minneapolis has entered into license agreements with three operators - Lyft, Lime, and Spin — to participate in its Shared Bike and Scooter Program launching in mid-April.
To foster greater cooperation and coordination across jurisdictions the City, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, the University of Minnesota and the City of Saint Paul issued a joint solicitation for vendors and worked together to review and rank operator proposals.
Under this multi-vendor program, the City of Minneapolis has issued a sole license for bike sharing was issued to Lyft to continue to operate the Nice Ride system with both classic pedal bicycles and electric-assisted bicycles. The City also issued licenses to Lyft, Lime and Spin to operate motorized foot scooters. Negotiations between the operators and other jurisdictions are ongoing.
Equity and safety continue to be key focus areas for the program. As part of the City’s Equity focused requirements, at least 30% of each operator’s scooters must be distributed in Equity Distribution Areas in north and south Minneapolis and a maximum of 40% of each operator’s scooters are allowed downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Article by Becky Fillinger
Local citizens in dire need of mental and chemical health services are often not able to obtain support when and where needed. A unique partnership between the Downtown Improvement District (DID) and Hennepin County Behavioral Health is doing just that – help those in need find services.
James Seals, Outreach Social Worker with Hennepin County Behavioral Health, standing in front of the Downtown Improvement District (DID) van that is used to transport residents from the Downtown District to the Behavioral Health Center at 1800 Chicago to facilitate connections to services and supports for needs related to mental health and substance use.
Shane Zahn, DID Director of Safety Initiatives, shared with us the history of the project.
“The DID Livability Team and outreach partners had been contemplating how to improve the service response to those they served downtown for a while, and the increased need for trained mental health outreach in downtown was very evident at the start of the pandemic,” Zahn said. “In the spring of 2020, DID added its Social Impact Manager position and welcomed Joe Kreisman to the team. This gave DID the skills to begin reaching out to a variety of community partners and nonprofits to see how we could expand outreach services and upstream resources downtown. The partnership with Hennepin County came to fruition. Downtown’s proximity to the Behavioral Health Center at 1800 Chicago and the concentration of need from the shelters and services in and around downtown made it a seamless fit.”
Behavioral Health Center at 1800 Chicago
The entrance off of Chicago is temporarily closed, but there is an entrance off of Columbus for walk-in traffic Monday – Friday 9:00am-9:00pm (expanded hours as of 4/1/22).
The other half of the partnership comes from Behavioral Health at Hennepin County. Kate Erickson, Manager in Behavioral Health, told us there was a need to assist residents in getting connected to longer-term services and supports.
“There is already great work going on in Downtown Minneapolis that we can build upon – DID Livability Teams, Mad Dads of Minneapolis, YouthLink MN, Violence Interrupters, etc.,” Erickson said. “This collaboration assists residents in resolving the immediate need, and getting connected to longer-term services and support for needs related to mental health and substance use. As the county, we can see what services someone might already have in place, and work with the residents to find the right services to meet their needs.”
So how does this partnership actually work? James Seals was hired as an Outreach Social Worker at Hennepin County. As a Hennepin County employee, he has access to information, resources, and additional specialized staff at the County, and specifically the Behavioral Health Center. DID was able to share the costs of the Social Worker position, with help from the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA). In addition, DID purchased a minivan – which allows Seals to navigate the District more effectively while also providing a vehicle to transport clients to services. Both the County and DID are able to bring their unique attributes to the partnership and dramatically enhance what either could have done on their own. With the intentional work of both Zahn and Kreisman, this position has been connected to and become an integral part of the DID’s work in this area.
Social Worker James Seals is rarely stationary. We spoke as he was moving through Downtown buildings, responding to calls from citizens, property managers or building security managers. He shared that he spends most of his time doing outreach to the community Downtown, building relationships with people, and working to provide immediate and long-term needs. “As I get to know them, I can help them get connected to services right away,” Seals said. “I can provide a ride to the Behavioral Health Center and connect them to the care team there. The team can determine what services the resident needs. I work the 120+ city blocks of downtown Minneapolis, meeting residents in need of support and making those connections."
"Some interventions don’t happen immediately. I connected with a resident who was struggling with ongoing substance use and experiencing homelessness. When I first met the resident, he was frequently seen on street corners in downtown Minneapolis signing and sleeping in bus shelters. Over the course of three months, I engaged with the resident, daily at times, to build rapport, assess needs, and assist with connection to services. The resident is now housed, connected to an integrated primary care clinic, and is connected to a case manager through the Diversion and Recovery Team (DART) who support him with his recovery and quality of life improvement goals. That looks like success to me.” DART sees residents in the Behavioral Health Center, the community and their home, providing long-term case management for those living with a substance use disorder and experiencing housing instability.
Elizabeth Bieging, Supervisor in Behavioral Health at Hennepin County, elaborates on the care available. “At the Behavioral Health Center, we have walk-in services on the 1st floor, a crisis residence on the 2nd floor, and withdrawal management on the 3rd floor. We have recovery programs on site, such as long-term case managers who serve people living with a substance use disorder, vocational support for those who need help getting or keeping a job (but mental health or substance use is getting in the way), and health insurance navigation to ensure people have health insurance coverage to access needed services.” Learn more at www.hennepin.us/1800-Chicago.
Is the program successful? Kreisman said yes.
“The ability to connect community members downtown with their existing resources and support systems has been invaluable already.” Kreisman said. “The Social Worker has been able to get folks into mental health resources, substance use disorder treatment, withdrawal management, shelter, and de-escalate situations downtown to reduce 911 calls for police and medical response.”
Bieging agrees.
“The outcomes we are working towards are reducing any unnecessary emergency room use or inpatient hospitalization, reducing any unnecessary criminal justice system involvement, and facilitating connections to services and supports for Hennepin County residents 18+, centering needs related to mental health and substance use,” Bieging said. “We are having success! In only a year since we launched this effort, the Social Worker has already been able to connect residents to treatment facilities, mental health resources, and housing, and it is such a joy to all of us to know they are finding stability and care on the terms they wanted.”
Erickson shared quantitative results as well. James Seals, the Social Worker, made a total of 357 contacts with 153 residents between September and December, 2021 on the 120+ city blocks of downtown Minneapolis. Fifty percent of those contacts identified needs related to substance use disorder and 29% identified needs related to mental health. In the same time period, James provided transportation to 26 residents to facilitate connections to treatment and recovery support at the Behavioral Health Center at 1800 Chicago. In addition, all community members were provided individualized information and resources to use when they were ready.
Will the program be expanded? Zahn told me, “DID assessment resources are limited to the 120 square blocks of the City, but we know that downtown is much broader than our District as everyone seamlessly moves in and out of the boundaries. However, DID’s core services do not go beyond the boundaries of the District. This model of having a vehicle for effective transportation, the Outreach Social Worker as a County employee, and additional funding sources has allowed us to leverage the infrastructure the DID has developed in this work to reach residents who are in and out of the DID boundary. Residential neighborhoods that are currently being served but are outside the District’s boundaries include the Mill District, Philips, North Loop and Loring Park.” When the resident is ready to connect to services, Seals provides transportation to the Behavioral Health Center at 1800 Chicago.
Walk-in services are available for Hennepin County residents 18+, centering needs related to mental health and substance use, open Monday-Friday 9:00am-9:00pm at the Behavioral Health Center at 1800 Chicago. The team assists residents in connecting to on-site and community-based services.
Learn more about these resources:
Other county-based resources related to this article include:
Open Eye Theatre recently announced the return of Puppet Lab, the Twin Cities’ celebrated incubator program for emerging puppet and mask artists. Two new co-artistic directors and four residency artists will participate in Puppet Lab this year. Projects will be workshopped during the spring and summer, and the program will culminate in a two-week festival of public performances at Open Eye Theatre in August 2022.
The Puppet Lab program, created by Alison Heimstead in 2010 for In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, has transitioned to Open Eye. Puppet Lab will continue to establish a formalized process for emerging puppet and mask theater artists to advance their artistic development – to test and create new works within a supportive and challenging workshop environment. This program gives artists the time and space to test ideas, learn from others, and receive and respond to critical feedback. Puppet Lab seeks to nurture exploratory, experimental, and innovative performance, and is interested in ideas that work within traditional forms as well as projects that are new in every way.
Oanh Vu and Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra join Open Eye’s leadership team as Co-Artistic Directors of Puppet Lab. The Artistic Directors will work as a team to coordinate and facilitate the artistic activities of Puppet Lab.
Four residency artists will workshop their projects this year: Dominique Herskind, Mary Plaster, Liping Vong, and Amoke Kubat. This new cohort of puppetry artists will fill the Open Eye workshops with their creative explorations and have their finished works professionally produced in a two-week festival of public performances in August.
“I am deeply honored that Puppet Lab’s founder, the visionary Alison Heimstead, has invited Open Eye to continue the program, and that the Jerome Foundation has continued their generous support,” says Joel Sass, Open Eye Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director. “And I could not be more excited for Oanh Vu and Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra to join the Open Eye leadership team!”
“I am thrilled to see that Puppet Lab is continuing with such brilliant leaders!” said Alison Heimstead, founder of Puppet Lab. “Rebekah and Oanh are incredible artists and they will be strong, compassionate and critical leaders for this lab experience for many new and experimental voices in puppetry. Puppet Lab is in good hands!”
Artist Bios/Statements
Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra (she/her, Maya-Lenca tribal citizen)
Rebekah is a Twin Cities-based interdisciplinary artist, musician (Lady Xøk), dancer, curator, writer, actor, puppeteer, teaching artist, and culture bearer whose work is rooted in Indigenous Futurisms. A curator of many performances, festivals, community events, panels, she is also a 2021-22 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow whose visual interdisciplinary performance work has been developed with Red Eye Theatre, New Native Theatre, Monkeybear’s Harmolodic Workshop, Catalyst Arts, and ArtShanty. Most recently she performed live at the La MaMa Puppet Fest in New York City.
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Oanh Vu (she/her)
Oanh is an artist and educator who first encountered puppetry through Monkeybear's Harmolodic Workshop’s puppetry intensive and mentorship program. Since then, puppetry has become her passion as I’ve transitioned into a career as a puppeteer. Oanh has trained with master puppeteers through the Chicago Puppet Festival,Tom Lee, Rough House Puppets, the O'Neill National Puppetry Conference and Manual Cinema. Locally, Oanh has created and collaborated on a wealth of new puppet works that have been shown across the Twin Cities. As an educator, Oanh has worked for 13 years with the Science Museum of Minnesota.
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Dominique Herskind (she/her/they/them)
“I really enjoy mixing humor with existential dread and exploring the corporeal nature of our existence. Humor is a good narrative tool to use to tackle heavy topics, because laughter breaks down our barriers and lets us be more open to different thoughts and opinions. That’s the beauty of puppets, too: puppets allow the viewer to see the world reflected back to them through another lens. My project follows a puppet whose mind/consciousness is severed from its body. The mind can’t get the body to do what it wants, and the body can’t make the mind do what it needs. How can the body and mind be unified to keep its soul, the center for creativity, from dying? Puppetry allows life to be exaggerated, and I can’t think of a better medium to showcase the detachment of the mind and body.”
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Amoke Awele Kubat (she/her)
“As an emerging artist at 72 years, I have few peers (creative and personal). It is my intent to continue to grow as an artist and as a human being. My mind is sharp. My creativity is like gamma rays. My strongest talents are curiosity and the alchemy of process. I’m not afraid of trial and error, having younger mentors, or leaping into the void of creation. To develop a performance for Puppet Lab, I see myself as a "puppet", and animating the "stuff" found in an old lady’s purse! Using a variety of puppets and masks, an old woman remembers significant moments in her life. We see and hear simple stories as she removes and examines items from her purse. I will be exploring the journey of aging that does not end in dismissal and isolation and death. It is a journey that highlights each chapter of human experiences: child, teen, adult, elder, ancestor and descendant.”
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Mary Plaster (she/they)
“I’m so excited to be part of Puppet Lab because this in-person (not virtual!), supportive, intensive group process–focused on immediate, specific performance goals–is something I’ve never experienced in a lifetime of art and giant puppet making. As a visual artist, the last two years abruptly halted my paid work; displays in art galleries were also shut down due to COVID-19 concerns. Plunged into this sudden stillness I took a hard inventory of my life’s arc and realized it was imperative to use the time to make tangible steps towards long-held objectives of developing smaller, more intimate storytelling. Much of my life’s work supports environmental activism. The project I plan on workshopping for Puppet Lab 2022 is a portion of a longer, dark fairytale I have just started developing. It will explore creatures and grand elements of nature as a call to return to the outdoors, to care for and defend wild places.”
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Liping Vong (she/they)
“With puppetry, anything goes—puppets can be magical and inhabit wild worlds and defy physics that other other performance art forms are tied to. I hope to take advantage of Puppet Lab’s collaborative process and feedback style to dive out of my comfort zone of performing and to develop and nurture my writing skills for puppetry. These explorations are new and important to me because I am a child of refugees from Laos, and my family is ethnically Chinese. Because my sisters and I grew up in small-town-turned-sprawling-suburb Iowa, in a predominantly white community, Chinese myths, folktales, other stories, and traditions didn’t quite make their way to me. Creating a body of work that honors these tales from my heritage is a long-time goal of mine. I also hope that learning about these stories will lead me to other tales.”
Article by Becky Fillinger
Zina Poletz GutmanisThe current Russian aggression against Ukraine is not a new development. As our local community seeks ways to help Ukraine, we are fortunate to have in our community local Ukrainian-Americans who are telling the broader historical narrative of violence against Ukraine. Meet Zina Poletz Gutmanis – a local documentary filmmaker. We spoke to her about Holodomor, growing up as a Ukrainian-American in the Twin Cities and current projects.
Q: You’ve been part of several national and local Holodomor commemorative events. Minnesota recognizes Holodomor as a genocidal event. What do you want all Minnesota citizens to know about the man-made famine of 1932-33?
A: The current invasion of Ukraine should be viewed as a continuation of centuries of Russian attempts to erase the Ukrainian national identity. The Holodomor (which means "murder by starvation" in Ukrainian) was an artificial famine engineered by Stalin to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people. To provide some historical context, under the Romanov tsars, most ethnic Ukrainians lived under serfdom, a form of slavery abolished only in 1861 - the time of our own Civil War. They farmed small plots of land owned by a foreign lord. Teaching or publishing or even acting in a play in the Ukrainian language was strictly forbidden. Even with this high level of repression, within days after Tsar Nicholas II was dethroned in 1917, Ukrainian leaders organized a government in Kyiv. On January 22, 1918, the Ukrainian People's Republic declared itself an independent nation. Independent Ukraine lasted only a few years. Outnumbered by onslaughts from the Red and White armies, Ukrainian lands ended up partitioned between the Bolsheviks and Poland.
Lenin's policies gave Ukrainians cultural and economic freedom, but when Stalin came to power, these policies were reversed and people were pushed onto collective farms. The communist regime deliberately used terror and mass starvation to break the resistance of Ukrainian farmers to Soviet authority in general and to the confiscation of their land, grain, and animals in particular. Communist activists went door to door searching for grain and other food, leaving people with nothing. At the height of the famine in June 1933, an estimated 28,000 Ukrainians were dying each day. Concurrently, the Communist party arrested and executed or exiled Ukraine's finest minds - poets, musicians, writers, religious figures, historians. In 1988, the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine reported to Congress that “Joseph Stalin and those around him committed genocide against Ukrainians in 1932-1933. To learn more about this horrific chapter in history, Red Famine by Anne Applebaum is an excellent resource.
Protesting Ukrainian famine in Minneapolis, 1955
Two Minnesotans played important roles in documenting and calling the world's attention to this genocide. The first, Dmytro Solovey, arrived in St. Paul after World War II. His book Golgotha of Ukraine, issued in 1953, contained the first English-language set of Holodomor survivor stories, which he carefully compiled while living in a displaced persons camp in Germany. Copies of the book were sent to members of Congress and other leaders and public libraries.
In the 1980s, Slavko Nowytski, also of St. Paul, co-produced and directed Harvest of Despair, the first documentary film about the Holodomor.
Q: Thank you for that overview. You recommend "compassionate conversations” in Ukrainian communities to deal with the trauma of Holodomor; but also World War II, displaced persons camps and now the Russian invasion. Why is it important to deal with the unspoken traumas, across generations?
A: I represent Minnesota on the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor Genocide Awareness. One thing I've noticed in this role is that most discussion on the topic is academic. There was no culture in the community for survivors to share their own stories, maybe because it was so horrible to live through. I myself didn't know I was a descendant of a Holodomor survivor until a few years ago. In 2019, thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society, I recorded a set of oral histories with local Holodomor survivors, and children and grandchildren of survivors, which are now housed at the U of M. I was so honored that people trusted me enough to tell some deeply painful family stories. Sharing in a safe environment makes us feel supported and less alone. The Holodomor Descendants Network is an international organization recently set up for that purpose. There is a lot of attention and study taking place right now on the transmission of generational trauma.
St. Constantine Dance Group, circa 1970s
Q: You speak of your Ukrainian heritage as an “extra” enrichment to your childhood. What does that mean to you?
A: Growing up in the 1970s and 80s, I lived in two worlds - the typical American world during the week and my Ukrainian world on the weekends. Friday nights was Ukrainian folk dancing. Saturday mornings we had heritage school followed by youth group and Sundays we went to church. My home base was St. Michael’s (now St. Michael’s and St. George’s) Ukrainian Orthodox Church. That’s where I went to church and Saturday school. But the other churches and organizations held events and activities all the time that I attended also. There were so many concerts, lectures, holidays, historic commemorations - it was a very positive experience. However, underlying it all was an unsaid expectation, maybe, that my generation had to carry the spark or the seed of the Ukrainian nation because Ukraine was not free under the Soviets. It was a captive nation.
Q: You’re making a film on Ukrainians in Minnesota. Where are you at with the project? Will you go back to the earliest Ukrainians who settled here? What are plans for the film’s distribution?
A: With a second grant from the Minnesota Historical Society, I am partnering with three local Ukrainian parishes on a documentary that explores Minnesota's Ukrainian community, with a focus on the impact of the Holodomor. We are currently wrapping up the Research and Writing phase and moving on to seek funding for Implementation. It will cover the time frame from the founding of St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic Church in 1913 to Ukraine's independence in 1991. Ukrainian immigrants to Minnesota were intimately connected to events happening in Ukraine during those years - lobbying, raising money - just like the community has jumped into action now, when Ukraine is once again in peril.
Q: We will follow your progress - how may we follow your news?
A: To join our mailing list, please email HolodomorMN@gmail.com.
Tickets now on sale for June 12 Cochon 555's 'Heritage Fire'
The centerpiece of the show is the gorgeous still-life of dahlias painted by Eugène Delacroix.
Mia’s annual springtime celebration is back with four days of unique events, on-site tours, and more than 140 imaginative floral interpretations of artworks from the museum’s collection
Art in Bloom, the annual celebration of art and flowers at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), is back on-site and in person for the first time in two years. This year’s event will take place April 28–May 1, and will coincide with the opening of “Floral Affair: A Bouquet for the Friends’ Centennial,” an exhibition that revisits artworks featured in past Art in Bloom events.
Floral arrangement from the 2019 Art in Bloom. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of ArtPresented by the Friends of the Institute, Art in Bloom will showcase more than 140 imaginative floral interpretations of selected works of art from Mia’s permanent collection, created by volunteer floral artists and commercial florists. During the four-day festival, everyone is invited to enjoy the fresh floral arrangements and commercial florist installations displayed in the galleries alongside the artworks that inspired them.
Highlights of this year’s event include:
Art in Bloom is the principal fundraiser for Mia’s Friends organization, a group of members dedicated to supporting, enhancing, and sustaining Mia’s collections and programs. Proceeds from ticketed lectures and demonstrations provide the Friends’ with funds to pay for buses for tens of thousands of schoolchildren to come to the museum for field trips each year.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mia’s Friends organization. To celebrate, the Friends have planned a special botanical exhibition that will open in the Cargill Gallery during Art in Bloom. “Floral Affair: A Bouquet for the Friends’ Centennial” revisits artworks featured in past Art in Bloom events.
Visit the Art in Bloom page on Mia’s website for the complete 2022 Art in Bloom program and ticket information. Art in Bloom hours match the museum’s normal hours all weekend. General admission to Art in Bloom is free. The exhibition opens on Wednesday, April 27, and will be on view until August 14.
Submitted by Doug Verdier, who continues to document the Third Avenue Bridge refurbishment project.
This series of photos shows the removal of the artificial “island” created around the base of one of the Third Avenue Bridge piers to enable workers, equipment and materials access to the base of the pier below the water line to rebuild the base. The whole removal process took several days. Good weather helped, but crews worked day and night.
In this “before” photo, machinery, structures and equipment boxes can be seen lining the gravel island that was built prior to work being started on the base. A ladder tower was also constructed to enable workers access to the work area. All heavy equipment and materials were lowered throughout the project to the work area by tower cranes (red structure in top center of photo).
Much of the materials, equipment boxes and the white structure have been removed from the island by the crane. The yellow excavator is beginning to pull gravel from the edges of the island to enable the crews to remove it. The excavator, which was lowered to the island by crane, is shown building a pile of gravel that it will sit on while removing gravel from around it.
Just above the excavator are two hoppers being lowered by the red tower crane. The excavator operator will fill each hopper many times during the next couple of days (and nights) so the gravel can be taken up to the bridge, loaded onto dump trucks, and hauled away. Note the edges of the island are shrinking.
This photo shows the smaller island as gravel continues to be hauled out of the river. But also note that the ladder that once stood on the island is gone. Look up above the bridge just to the right of the red crane tower and you will see the ladder tower as it is being removed and lowered onto the bridge.
Another shot of the shrinking island. Two workers remained on the site (the excavator operator and a spotter) throughout the removal of the gravel. As the level of the gravel bed beneath the excavator got lower, the tracks of the excavator were standing in water while the remaining gravel was scooped up and hauled above in the hoppers that were lowered from the crane above throughout the operation.
Almost done! Both the excavator and the worker next to it are now standing in river water flowing down stream. More gravel was scooped up and hauled up as dusk approached. When the removal was finished, the two workers hooked up the excavator to cables lowered by the crane and watched as it was hauled slowly and carefully up to the bridge. They remained on the submerged remnants of the island until a smaller container was lowered to them to return to the bridge. Well Done!
Virtual book launch for A Natural Curiosity: The Story of the Bell Museum by Lansing Shepard, Don Luce, Barbara Coffin, and Gwen Schagrin
Wednesday, April 20, 7:00-8:30pm
Bell Museum (virtual) Register
The University of Minnesota's Bell Museum in St. Paul will host a virtual book launch event for the new book A Natural Curiosity: The Story of the Bell Museum (University of Minnesota Press, April 2022) by Lansing Shepard, Don Luce, Barbara Coffin, and Gwen Schagrin on Wednesday, April 20 at 7:00 PM CT. Hosted by the Bell Museum’s Science Director Dr. George Weiblen, the event will feature brief presentations by coauthors Don Luce and Barbara Coffin and a moderated discussion focused on the museum's leadership and innovation in public education throughout its long history. Fellow coauthors Lansing Shepard and Gwen Schagrin will join the event during the Q&A portion of the event.
Since its humble start in 1872 as a one-room cabinet of curiosities, the University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum of natural history has become one of the state’s most important cultural institutions. From its conception as part of a state-mandated geological and natural history survey, to its most recent ventures into technology, environmental science, and DNA sequencing, the Bell Museum has informed, explained, and expanded our relationship to the natural world. Drawing on a wealth of materials unearthed during the museum’s recent move, the gorgeously illustrated book, A Natural Curiosity, chronicles the remarkable discoveries and personalities that have made the Bell Museum what it is today. The Bell Museum's story, engagingly told in A Natural Curiosity, reveals and explores the profound changes undergone by society, science, and the natural landscape over the museum’s lifetime.
Beginning this past January, the Bell Museum celebrates 150 years. The book launch for A Natural Curiosity is part of the yearlong celebration that will feature different experiences that showcase the rich and varied history of the museum.
April 4-8 is Severe Weather Awareness Week, when households and businesses are encouraged to practice what they’d do to stay safe if a tornado or severe weather strikes.
Expect sirens April 7
Thursday, April 7, is Tornado Drill Day. Sirens throughout the state will sound at 1:45 p.m. and at 6:45 p.m., giving people time to practice taking shelter in severe weather both at home and in the workplace. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota experiences an average of nearly 30 tornadoes per year.
Alerts
An electronic weather alert service can make you aware of any imminent weather danger with email or text notices. Check the Minnesota Department of Public Safety website for options for wireless emergency alerts and smartphone apps.
If severe weather is approaching:
More about staying safe during severe weather:
Find emergency preparedness information on the City website.
Article by Becky Fillinger
Eric RichardsLunds & Byerlys Northeast, 25 University Avenue SE, has a new General Manager. Eric Richards is excited for this new phase of his career and wants to create memorable ‘grocery memories’ for the Northeast neighborhood just like he remembers from his St. Paul childhood. Stop by and say hello!
Q: Congratulations on your new assignment as General Manager of the Lunds & Byerlys Northeast location. Have you managed a grocery store before? Do you have a high-level vision on where you'd like to lead the store?
A: Thank you for the warm welcome! I have been in the grocery industry for twelve years. I started as a maintenance employee at our store in Highland Park, and worked at numerous locations before winding up here. This is the first store that I have worked at as a General Manager, and I am excited and humbled to be a part of such a welcoming community.
In my short time working here, I’ve seen how the store has a strong and vibrant history in our neighborhood, so I would most like to ensure that we continue to serve the community. I believe grocery stores are a wonderful cross section of the communities they serve, and our most important task is ensuring that we remain a good neighbor and steward of our “Northeast Neighborhood.” I have fond memories of trekking to the grocery store with my mom growing up in St. Paul, and I’d like to make sure that I can help create similar experiences for others here.
Q: How much leeway do you have to personalize the customer experience at your location of Lunds & Byerlys? Will you host special events?
A: We have leeway to customize the shopping experience at each of our locations, although our “look and feel” is very similar between each of our stores. One thing that I am excited about is a recurring “Meet the Maker” event our Food Expert, Cynthia, is putting together for this summer. We hope to have local vendors at our store one day each weekend for a couple months to highlight their products and be able to spend time meeting people – more to come!
Q: What's new for Spring, Easter and Passover at Lunds & Byerlys?
A: It’s so nice to see that the snow is finally melted and revealed grass underneath! We have a Kosher for Passover display located at the end of Aisle 1 that we just built, and there is already lots of Easter candy throughout our store. Hams are just around the corner, too!
Q: I know you have a lot of choices - do you have a favorite prepared food from the store? How about from the bakery?
A: This one is a tough one for me, because we have all sorts of tasty food. I’d have to say my favorite prepared food throughout the store right now is our Mexican Street Corn salad. I like a little bit of a kick, and it tastes like warmer weather! If I had to select something in the Bakery, I’m a sucker for our new bundt cakes.
Q: Any food or grocery innovations on the horizon from Lunds & Byerlys Northeast?
A: We are always looking to improve the shopping experience at our stores by creating new and flavorful food combinations. Some recent examples are our produce potato steamers, or the bundt cakes that I mentioned earlier. We are constantly rolling out new products that we developed in our test kitchen, which adds some fun surprises when coming in to work each day.
Q: How may we follow your news?
A: Stop by and say hello, or visit us on our store’s Facebook page!
Submitted by Ric Rosow
A full moon several nights ago afforded an opportunity to go out late and take some photographs. As I walked from my condo to the park I turned and saw the moon low in the horizon between the Eleven and the Legacy. I took a number of shots there and then set up on the hill in the park to broaden the scene. The only people I saw were neighbors walking their dogs.
After photographing the moon I turned towards the Guthrie Theater and downtown. The lights were bright and colorful. The brilliant red glow on the river side of the building that appeared to flow down the middle of the Endless Bridge caught my attention. Do you see the silhouette of a man on the side of the building? Having just seen The Tempest two nights before, I thought that indeed a tempest was brewing inside the building to produce that red hot glow.
Full Moon Next to Eleven
A Red Hot Tempest is Brewing
Earth & Sky
Opening Reception Sunday, April 3, 4:00 - 6:00PM
Stonebridge Lofts, 1120 S 2nd Street
Join us at The Mill Yard opening reception to meet the featured artists. Wine, beverages, and snacks are served.
The new show runs from April 3 – July 21, 2022
Artists featured at this show:
Artist details:
In the Shadows
Lisa received her BA in Studio Art at Luther College in Decorah, IA. As a junior she studied at the University of Nottingham, England expanding her knowledge of Art Theory, Art History and Photography. Growing up her family instilled the value of being good stewards of the environment. Her travel has “fueled her passion for understanding the human experience, the human form, and our relationship with the landscapes.” Her pieces have appeared in numerous group and solo exhibitions.
The Wetland
Marilyn grew up in an artistic family in the Red River Valley. In the early 1960’s she joined other artists to display work at the juried Uptown Art Fair. For 33 years her work was on show there and at many other locations in the metro area. Her inspirations come from her passion for the natural world, the woods and water, and especially the textures of trees, leaves, and the different natural palettes of the seasons. Oil paints “allow me to mix my colors. Recently, I have explored incorporating oil paint with organic material as I find it adds an extra dimension to my art.”
Megan & JD Jorgenson, Maine Prairie Studio
Piglets
Megan & JD operate Maine Prairie Studio in Kimball, MN, a ceramics studio, teaching space and gallery. Megan received her MFA at Utah State and teaches in St Cloud. Both her sculptural and functional ceramics are inspired by her curiosity of forming methods and application processes to clay. JD received his BA at University of Iowa. He apprenticed with Richard Bresnahan at St John’s Pottery and has taught ceramics at numerous locations. His functional objects reflect “the true beauty of clay itself, unglazed and raw interacting with fire, charcoal and atmosphere in a wood burning kiln.”
Nether Largie Standing Stones
Kathleen is a Minneapolis abstract painter working in encaustic “for its translucency, luminosity, malleability, and strength.” Her work has been juried into numerous exhibitions. She was the recipient of the 2019 Emerging Artists Grant from IEA, and teaches workshops locally. She finds the process of encaustic meditative; scraping away and rebuilding. “Transformed from molten to solid, encaustic underscores the paradox of vulnerability as the true source of strength. My paintings are infused with my visual language of human emotions and experiences.”
Abstraction of Abstraction
Dean works in multiple mediums including watercolor, encaustic, intaglio, pastels, acrylic, oil and mixed medias. The natural world is the inspiration for his abstract compositions. He combines geometric shapes with natural light and color to develop visually complex paintings, drawings and prints. “My approach lets the art remain open to interpretation while retaining familiarity. My goal is forms filled with joy I find in reflective observation.”
Thirty-one City boards and commissions have openings for appointments this spring. The City seeks applicants with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences representing the demographics of Minneapolis to strengthen the work of the City. Translation and interpreting is available so all residents can participate. Applications are open now.
City boards and commissions have brought forward recommendations that resulted in renter protections, wage protections and a ban on a hazardous chemical in dry cleaning. Board and commission members in the City of Minneapolis help shape key policy decisions, give community-based input into the City’s administration of services and supply valuable insights.
The positions are open until filled; application review begins April 15 unless marked otherwise.
Article by Becky Fillinger
Josh Hochstatter Photo: Amy Lynn Wagner PhotographyHave you been craving a new dining experience in Minneapolis? Check out noa at 77 S 7th Street in Downtown. They’re now open for lunch and dinner. We spoke to Josh Hochstatter, General Manager, about the dining experience at noa and some wonderful menu items.
Q: You opened a few months ago and are increasing hours to include dinner service - congratulations! What are you noticing about people now dining out in Minneapolis?
A: I've noticed that the clientele here seems eager and ready for a fun time. Apps, drinks, the whole shebang. I think maybe we have all been cooped up for a bit too long with COVID and winter weather and as the season is finally changing over to spring, a sense of excitement to get out and live a little is in the air.
Flat iron steakQ: What's your favorite item on the menu?
A: Crispy fried tofu, then the flat iron steak with house miso-steak sauce - both are to DIE for. Yum!
Q: How do you describe the dining experience at noa?
A: We designed the space, menu, and service to reflect a chill California fusion vibe. Essentially, we brought in bright light, TONS of plants, fresh health-inspired flavors and an energetically-subdued ambience. The staff are top-notch as well.
Q: Are there happy hour specials?
A: Yes! Happy Hour is Mon-Fri 4-6pm. We have great featured snacks and beverage deals that are worth a 2nd or 3rd glass.
Enjoy happy hour with hummus and wine
Q: Infuse Hospitality also owns Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea in the North Loop - will noa collaborate with Fairgrounds on menu items, events?
A: Infuse Hospitality does own Fairground. We have already implemented a lot of similar vibes, coffee programs, and staffing ethics into our program here.
Q: How may we follow your news?
A: Definitely on Instagram, but we will also include special events, menus, etc. on our website.
It was recently announced that Mustaches for Kids Twin Cities (M4KTC) selected Firefighters For Healing to be their 2022 charity partner. All proceeds of the April campaign will benefit Firefighters For Healing’s Camp RED program for burn survivors between the ages of 5 – 15 years old. In 2021, the first year of M4KTC, the local community raised just under $100,000. In 2022, the goal is to exceed that in honor of the burn survivors who could not attend camp for the last 2 summers due to Covid. We want to make it extra special!
The Director of Camp RED, Jeff Larson was elated when he heard the news that Mustaches for Kids Twin Cities selected Camp RED as the 2022 charity partner. He said, “The children who attend our camp have survived burn trauma but that does not define them. The money raised through the Mustaches for Kids events will help us provide these campers with memories to last a lifetime while building their confidence to embrace their scars.”
Founding Member of M4KTC John Resman said, “We are excited to partner with Firefighters For Healing this year. They are an inspiring organization that provides an important summer camp experience for some amazing young survivors of burn trauma. Our goals are simple - have fun while raising money for a charity supporting youth in the Twin Cities area.”
M4KTC is looking for men to GROW Mustaches in April
The Mustaches for Kids Twin Cities (M4KTC) campaign is simple: Anyone who can grow a mustache should visit M4KTC.com by April 4 to register as a GROWER or learn more. Anyone who wishes to show support or make a donation is invited to attend the clean shave event on April 4 at Excelsior Brewing Company. If you’re not local, you can still join the fun by donating online until the Stache Bash on Thursday, May 5, 2022.
Spring arrived this Sunday, and at the Nicollet Island Inn, Caryl and Larry Abdo are welcoming the change of season with specialty teas, a cabaret and the return of the Twilight River Cruise. Check out what's on their calendar and menus.
A recent article in Eat This, Not That shared that tasting experiences are trending, offering guests the opportunity to enjoy special menu experiences packaged for one price as they sample the chef's culinary creativity.
If you ask owners owners Caryl and Larry Abdo if they're "trending with that trend," they'd inform you it's nothing new. For nearly all of the 17 years they've owned the historic inn and restaurant, they've been doing just that.
With every season and holiday, the Abdos package experiences that include seasonal afternoon teas and special culinary and cabaret dinners. Last summer when guests were somewhat hesitant to dine inside, Caryl and Larry launched the Twilight River Cruise Experience - a one-hour river taxi cruise. Chef Michael Rain prepared wicker baskets for each excursion filled with wine, cheese, bread, fruit and chocolate, followed by dinner inside. And during the height of the pandemic, romantic room service menus accompanied roses and champagne during guest stays that were routinely booked. Both experiences were so popular they're returning.
Via a recent e-announcement
Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) continues its 70th Season with a theatrical adaptation of the beloved French novella, The Little Prince, in weekend performances from April 8th to May 1st.
Engaging for young and old alike, The Little Prince follows a world-weary Aviator stranded in the Sahara Desert and the mysterious child that appears and tells of his adventures through the galaxy. This classic story explores love, loss, hope, and what it means to have an open heart.
Gretchen Weinrich directs the 6-member cast, with sets designed by Philip Hoks, costumes by Morgan Groff, sound by Kristin Smith, lighting by Andy Kedl and props by Mary Gravenstein.
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Audience discussion following April 24 performances.
Additional programming will be offered opening and closing weekends; audience members can visit the “Family Creation Stations” sponsored by ARTrageous Adventures to create a Little Prince themed art project. Creation stations will open 45 minutes prior to evening performances and immediately after matinees at select performances.
Tickets are $25 for Adults, $20 for Students. For information, call the theatre’s box office at 612-333-3010 or visit the website.
Masks and proof of vaccination or negative test required for all patrons.
YogaFit Studios supports educators and support staff!
Through April 15, YogaFit Studios is offering FREE yoga, barre and fitness classes at all five of their studios for Minneapolis educators, assistants and all support staff who are on strike.
It’s easy to get started:
1) Download the YogaFit Studios app.
2) Create a profile in your preferred location.
3) Email the studio - they’ll take it from there!
Excerpt from the Ward 7 March 18 e-newsletter:
The City of Minneapolis has improved its online crime dashboard. The new dashboard connects to Minneapolis Police Department data better than before, providing more comprehensive results that align with national standards.
The MPD data accessible through the dashboard uses the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which contains more categories than the City’s previous dashboard, including weapon law violations, destruction/damage to property, fraud and drug/narcotic offenses. The dataset also has specific crime data categories not included in the FBI’s system, including carjackings, domestic assaults and gunshot wound victims.
The dashboard’s new interface has a “summary view,” providing year-to-date statistics for crimes and their locations, and a “details view,” providing more in-depth views of specific crimes within customizable date ranges. Charts can be generated using both views, and data visualizations can display crimes by hour, weekday, precinct, ward and neighborhood as well as during certain time periods, such as seven-day, 28-day, 12-week, 13-month and four-year.
The dashboard accesses crime data back to Jan. 1, 2019. Because different methods were used to create this more comprehensive dataset, data obtained through the old dashboard may not align with the data now available.
Mill City Times | 35W Bridge Memorial | Mill District Block Party | Mill City Media
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 4:23AM