Kim Eslinger
Editor
612-321-8040
kim@millcitymedia.org

Brianna Ojard
Associate Editor

David Tinjum
Publisher
612-321-8020
dave@millcitymedia.org

Claudia Kittock
Columnist / Non-Profits
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Becky Fillinger
Small Business Reporter
Producer / Milling About
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Michael Rainville Jr.
History Columnist
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Doug Verdier
River Matters

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MILL CITY FARMERS MARKET

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Hennepin History Museum is your history, your museum. We preserve and share the diverse stories of Hennepin County, MN. Come visit!

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MEET MINNEAPOLIS

Maximizing the visitor experience of Minneapolis for the economic benefit of our community, making Minneapolis the destination of choice among travelers.

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Promoting the art of film as a medium that fosters cross-cultural understanding, education, entertainment, and exploration.

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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.

Entries by Kim Eslinger (4201)

Wednesday
Feb152012

Our Mill District Valentine's Day

"Thank You!" to City Gardens Flower Mill and Sanctuary for making our Valentine's Day special!

Whenever an occasion calls for a special meal, Sanctuary is our go-to spot.  Our Valentine's dinner started off with drinks from the Martini and Potions menu - After the Storm and Orange Gargoyle.

Valentine Dinner at Sanctuary

For this visit we chose the Marinated Giant Shrimp and Hawaiian Opakapaka.

Valentine Dinner at Sanctuary

Valentine Dinner at Sanctuary

We usually start with an appetizer, but this time we opted to have dessert instead.  The Caramelia Chocolate Marquise is pure melt in your mouth ecstasy.   You just have to try it to understand.

Valentine Dinner at Sanctuary

Sunday
Feb122012

City Gardens Flower Mill can Help Create an Unforgettable Valentine

Valentine's Day is Tuesday! Whether you want to woo a new love interest, or show your long time significant other how your love continues to grow - City Gardens Flower Mill can put together the perfect arrangement for you.

From the classic red rose to delicate yellow oncidium orchids...

City Gardens Flower Mill Valentines Day

City Gardens Flower Mill Valentines Day

City Gardens Flower Mill Valentines Day

... ask to be surprised with something out of the ordinary.

City Gardens Flower Mill Valentines Day

City Gardens Flower Mill Valentines Day

City Gardens Flower Mill Valentines Day

They also carry cards and gifts.

City Gardens Flower Mill Valentines Day

City Gardens Flower Mill Valentines Day

City Gardens Flower Mill Valentines Day

City Gardens Flower Mill Valentines Day

City Gardens Flower Mill is located at 231 10th Avenue South in the Bridgewater Lofts retail section.  Dan and Kaia Seefelt's philosophy is to offer only the finest floral arrangements and gifts, backed by friendly and prompt service. Call Dan today at 612-332-7377 to place your special order.

Saturday
Feb112012

2012 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival Set for April 12 – May 3, 2012

THREE WEEKS OF INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT CINEMA
The largest annual film event in the Upper Midwest returns…

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paulannounces the 2012 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, returning to the five screens of the St. Anthony Main Theatre April 12 through May 3.   The program of this exciting three-week celebration of independent filmmaking from around the globe will include some 250 documentary, narrative, and short films from more than 60 countries, visits from numerous international filmmakers and celebrities, and a host of gala events, parties, and receptions.

The Festival lineup includes a Spotlight on the Middle East highlighting the current rich mix of films coming out of Israel, many Arab countries including those in North Africa, and Turkey, long known as the gateway from East to West - curated by Alissa Simon Senior Programmer at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.  Also included is the always highly anticipated MINNESOTA-Made Showcase returning with great offerings from our own back yard - curated by Tom DeBiaso Professor of Media Arts at MCAD.

In addition, and in recognition of the 50th anniversary of The Film Society this year, Festival fare will include a retrospective highlighting favorite films from the last half-century, and a look forward to the next 50 years of innovative Film Society programming.
 
Save the date – Saturday Evening, April 21 – for the 50th Celebration Bash!  The Festival will also stage an array of panels, discussions, presentations and special events including Opening and Closing Night Galas, three MINNESOTA-Made parties, live music events.
 
Principal Sponsors of the 2012 MSP International Film Festival are The Star Tribune, The Thomas Lowell Grady Visiting Filmmaker Fund and Donors, and Summit Brewing.
 
Stay tuned for the Official Revamped Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival Website, going live soon.

For more information about the 2012 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival and other Film Society programming, contact Susan Smoluchowski at 612 331-7563 or visit http://www.mspfilmsociety.org/.

Thursday
Feb092012

Mill City Farmers Market Visits Singing Hills Goat Dairy

I'm a huge fan of the yogurt, chevre and other cheeses produced by Singing Hills Goat Dairy, one of my must-see vendors at the Mill City Farmers Market.  Thanks to the winter Farmers Markets at Local D'Lish, we don't have to go without Singing Hills' products during the Mill City Farmers Market off season.

MCFM recently paid a visit to Singing Hills Goat Dairy this winter took this video:

Thursday
Feb092012

Washburn Crosby Elevator No. 1 to Get Repairs

 

According to Brian Johnson's article in the February 4 Finance & Commerce, the Minnesota Historical Society is seeking construction bids to patch and repair the Washburn Crosby Elevator No. 1, part of a complex that rates among the most historically significant structures in Minneapolis.

MHS owns the building and wants to make it safe and prevent further decay. The estimated $1.25-$1.5 million in repairs will be paid for with asset preservation funds the MHS received from the state over several bonding cycles. 

Bids are due to MHS by February 23 for services that include demolition of the mill’s cast-in-place concrete roof over the grain bins, application of a waterproof membrane on head house roofs, concrete repairs, and installation of window and door coverings.

Wednesday
Feb082012

MacPhail Music for Life™ Program in the News

MacPhail Music for Life™ is a unique, participatory, lifelong learning program that engages adults, ages 55 – 103 plus, through music.  Music is used as a way to enhance the physical and mental well-being of the participants as well as improve their overall quality of life. 

Kim Ode's 'Projects help through art of healing'article in today's Star Trib introduces us to staff members Jeanie Brindley-Barnett and Elise Midelfort, and describes a typical class.

Music for Life™ is just one example of how MacPhail Center for Music enriches lives - from babies to centenarians.

Tuesday
Feb072012

Mill District Valentine's 

What do you love about our neighborhood?  Cynthia Froid Group, 709 2nd Street South, set up a pink Valentine's mailbox for people to drop off "love letters" - notes sharing favorite Mill District experiences, activities, businesses, landmarks, etc.

Mill District Valentines

Cynthia, Holly and Pamela are displaying these love notes in the window, as well as posting them on their website

Mill District Valentines

We encourage residents to relate what they love about the Mill District.  You can drop off a prepared note, compose one on site using the pen and blank Valentine note cards provided by the mailbox, or enter a note online.

Mill District Valentines

Mill District Valentines

Mill District Valentines

Mill District Valentines

Aaaaaw - now that's sweet! :)

Thursday
Feb022012

Summer Camps from MacPhail Center for Music

Summer Camps at MacPhail Center for Music provide a fun and unique learning opportunity for children to explore music in a creative environment and develop skills that will last a lifetime.

Camps begin June 11 and run through August 31.

Download the brochure...

Monday
Jan302012

Job Posting at MacPhail Center for Music

STUDENT SERVICES MANAGER

MacPhail Center for Music, a nationally recognized community music center, has a FT Student Services Manager position opening. Manage dept providing support, oversight, direction and assessment in addition to high quality customer service.

Cover letter & resume to resume@macphail.org by 02/12/12.

No phone calls. EEO/AA.

Monday
Jan302012

The Week Ahead in Mill City / January 30 - February 5

Sunday
Jan292012

1st Precinct Issues Wallet and Purse Theft Alert

From a January 27 e-news alert:

The 1st Precinct has once again seen an increase in wallet thefts over the last few weeks.
 
Typically wallets are taken from open purses hung on the back of chairs or left unattended on a table or bar in high traffic, public spaces.  This includes coffee shops, restaurants and dance clubs.

For more information please read this document  Wallet Thefts.pdf

If you have any concerns or would like to report any similar trends, contact Minneapolis Police Crime Prevention Specialist Renee Allen at renee.allen@minneapolismn.gov.

Thursday
Jan262012

Registration Now Open for 'Arts on the River Day Camp' at Mill City Museum

Online registration is now open for the June 26-29, 2012, Arts on the River Day Camp at Mill City Museum.

Designed for children ages 9-11. Play music, get creative, bake bread and construct books while exploring the rich culture along the Minneapolis riverfront district.

Campers start each day at Mill City Museum, and on three of the days will walk with camp leaders to other nearby arts organizations - the Guthrie Theater, Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) and MacPhail Center for Music.

Wednesday
Jan252012

Valentine's Trunk Show Hosted by The Cynthia Froid Group at Park Avenue Lofts Premier Listing

The Cynthia Froid Group will be hosting a Valentine's trunk show on February 7th at one of their premier listings at Park Avenue Lofts in the Mill District. 

The Cynthia Froid Group will be hosting a Valentine's trunk show on February 7th at one of their premier listings at Park Avenue Lofts in the Mill District. 

Sheila Moar, Alora Ambiance, Shop Pretty Mommy, and Christina Hankins will be showcasing everything from original art to handbags, and nationally recognized fragrances and jewelry.

Please call or email Cynthia for more information or to RSVP:  612-578-1303, cfroid@kw.com.

Tuesday
Jan242012

3rd Annual Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Photo Contest

Attention photography enthusiasts - the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board(MPRB) has posted preliminary information on their 3rd annual 'Picture A Park' photo contest, sponsored in conjunction with People for Parks(PFP) and National Camera.  

Photos and completed entry forms will be accepted between May 1 and September 4, 2012.  Photos from any time of the year may be submitted. The name or location of the Minneapolis park, parkway or lake property is required with each submission.

Click here to view previous year's winners, and check back frequently for contest updates.

Thursday
Jan192012

Get in the Mood for Paris Fashion Week with A Woman’s Paris™

Barbara Redmond of A Woman’s Paris™ would like to help you get in the mood for next week's Paris Fashion Week!  She shared the following:

French Impressions: an interview with Jack Edwards, our exclusive interview with costume and fashion designer, Edwards.  At the Goldstein Museum of Design, "Character in Costume: A Jack Edwards Retrospective."

Fashion trends from the street, Rule of Five. In Paris I've seen trends take hold. French sailor jerseys: waves of blue and white stripes shifting in the Paris breeze; each wave like a cat-paw on the surface of the ocean, now dark, now light, now gone. Still, the Parisienne never tried to fit in. Daring, carrying herself confidently, with her own inbred style, she moved quickly through the city, hardly disturbing its surface, with a slight breeze that riffled through her hair; as sexy and seductive as ever... 

French Lessons: Pack It, Wear It, Buy It! whimsical pairings for Paris Fashion Week coming this Friday at A Woman’s Paris™.

Subscribe for FREE to A Woman’s Paris™ blog, follow on Twitter, like on Facebook.

Wednesday
Jan182012

Take Advantage of Mill City Commons' New Membership Promotion

Join Mill City Commons in January and have your annual membership extended through March 31, 2013!

Our mission: Mill City Commons’ members build community through social, educational, cultural, and wellness activities and connect with each other and the resources to maintain healthy and vibrant lives as we age.

For more information, please contact Executive Director Linnea Tweed at linneatweed@millcitycommons.org or 612-455-3329.

Dave and I have been members for a year now and consider it a valuable part of our lives in the Mill District.

Friday
Jan132012

Showing through January 19 - "Sleeping Beauty" from the Film Society of Minneapolis/St.Paul

Where: St. Anthony Main Theater - Screen 3, 115 SE Main Street

When:  See The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul website for a full listing of January 13 - 19 show times.

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul presents SLEEPING BEAUTY, the provocative directorial debut by Australian novelist Julia Leigh (The Hunter, Disquiet). This official selection of Cannes and Toronto film festivals stars Emily Browning (Sucker Punch, A Series of Unfortunate Events) as young Lucy, a college student possessed by a radical passivity who takes on niche sex work to fund her studies. Australian auteur Jane Campion (The Piano, Bright Star) served as a consultant and mentor to Leigh, and subsequently endorsed a “presented by” credit on the film.



SLEEPING BEAUTY —
Sleeping Beauty is a fascinating depiction of a young woman’s reckless decent into a shocking world of erotic desires. Lucy (Emily Browning) is a young university student possessed by a kind of radical passivity. She lets a flip of a coin decide the outcome of a random sexual encounter and she displays an uncomplaining patience when facing the repetitions of her various menial jobs that fund her studies. One day she answers an ad in the student newspaper and interviews for a job to be a lingerie waitress. But she is secretly being initiated into a world of strange new work; one where she will have to give into absolute submission to her clients by being sedated; becoming a Sleeping Beauty.

Eventually this unnerving experience begins to bleed into her daily life and she finally develops the will to break the spell by discovering what happens to her while she sleeps. With a fearless performance by Browning, director Julia Leigh creates a bold cinematic vision; one where Lucy, both in her clandestine sexual adventures and in her mundane daily existence, lives with the same unflinching and brutal honesty. (IFC Films)

Sleeping Beauty, Director Julia Leigh, 101 min, Australia, 2011, HD

Monday
Jan092012

Showing through January 12 - "How the Richest Man in Russia Became Its Most Famous Prisoner" from the Film Society of Minnesota

Where: St. Anthony Main Theater - Screen 3

When:  See the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul website for a full listing of January 6 - 12 show times.

This exhilarating documentary chronicles Mikhail Khodorkovsky's transformation from a self-proclaimed socialist to a fully realized capitalist – also recounting the stunning turn of events that made him one of world's most famous political prisoners.

Weaving together in-depth interviews (including the first on-camera exchange with Khodorkovsky since his arrest), archival material, and stylized computer-animated reenactments, Tuschi shows us a man who embodies the paradox that is modern Russia – condemning the very corruption that helped make his fortune and envisioning a new Russia with respect for the rule of law.

Saturday
Jan072012

2012 Volunteer and Internship Opportunities at The Soap Factory

The Soap Factory is proud to be supported by a team of over 400 volunteers and 20 interns each year. In 2011 volunteers completed over 14,000 hours of work, supporting programs like The Ten Second Film Festival, The Amazing Adventures of the Corporate Wizard in the Land of LARP, The Haunted Basement and all the regular exhibitions and building improvements.

Applications are now being accepted for 2012 volunteers and interns.

All prospective year-round volunteers must attend a New Volunteer Orientation session. The next orientation session is scheduled for March 10.   Internships at The Soap Factory are a terrific way to explore working at a nonprofit art gallery. Every year over 20 interns work closely with Soap Factory staff, board members and exhibiting artists.

See the website for application deadlines and other details.

Thursday
Jan052012

Park Board Selects Officers, Committees, Representatives for 2012

From a January 4, 2012, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board e-newsletter:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) held its annual meeting Tuesday, Jan. 3, and elected its officers for 2012. Commissioners elected John Erwin as President for the third consecutive year and Liz Wielinski was elected Vice President.

“I’m proud to continue the role of President, representing a Board that has made significant changes the last two years. Those changes include responsive leadership, a more efficient workforce, expanding our city’s tax base through riverfront development, and enhancing our parks and increasing greening while holding the line on property taxes,” said John Erwin, President of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

At the meeting President Erwin also acknowledged Commissioner Young’s contributions last year as Vice President, stating that Young’s service has been instrumental to the progress the Board and the organization has made.

The Board also elected Karen Robinson to continue serving as Secretary to the Board and Brian Rice as General Counsel.

President Erwin appointed the following Commissioners to serve on Standing Committees of the Board (one-year terms):
Administration and Finance Committee– Chair Scott Vreeland, Vice Chair Anita Tabb, Brad Bourn, Bob Fine, Liz Wielinski
Recreation Committee– Chair Bob Fine, Vice Chair Brad Bourn, Carol Kummer, Liz Wielinski, Jon Olson
Planning Committee– Chair Anita Tabb, Vice Chair Bob Fine, Annie Young, Scott Vreeland, Jon Olson
Operations and Environment Committee– Chair Jon Olson, Vice Chair Annie Young, Carol Kummer, Scott Vreeland, Brad Bourn
Legislation and Intergovernmental Committee– Chair Carol Kummer, Vice Chair Jon Olson, Anita Tabb, Liz Wielinski, Brad Bourn
Standards and Conduct Committee– Chair Annie Young, Vice Chair Scott Vreeland, Liz Wielinski, Bob Fine, Carol Kummer
Innovation and Development Committee– Chair Brad Bourn, Vice Chair Anita Tabb, Bob Fine, Annie Young, Scott Vreeland

Park Board Commissioners, ten citizens and Superintendent Miller were appointed to serve on the following external boards, commissions and panels:
Planning Commission– Liz Wielinski
Board of Estimate and Taxation – Bob Fine
Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission (citizen appointment)– Ali Warsame
St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board– Scott Vreeland, Liz Wielinski, citizen appointee Stephanie Gruver, John Erwin, Superintendent Jayne Miller
Youth Coordinating Board – Bob Fine
Minneapolis Institute of Arts Board– Anita Tabb
Middle Mississippi Watershed Management Organization – Scott Vreeland, alternate Annie Young
John H. Stevens House Organization– Carol Kummer
Minneapolis Parks Foundation – John Erwin, alternate Brad Bourn
Minneapolis Tree Advisory Committee– Scott Vreeland, citizen appointees John Uban, Peggy Booth, Gay Noble, Jeanne LaBore, Don Willeke
Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership– Liz Wielinski, Scott Vreeland, Bob Fine
Minneapolis DID Greening Design & Infrastructure Committee – John Erwin
City-MPRB Green Ribbon Committee– John Erwin, Anita Tabb
Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee– Citizen appointees Janice Gepner, Matthew Hendricks, Joshua Houdek

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board typically meets at 5 p.m. every first and third Wednesday of each month for regular meetings. MPRB Board meetings are broadcast live from 5-9 p.m. on the Minneapolis Government Meeting Channel 79 on Comcast cable and online on the Channel 79 webpage.

Meeting agendas and related information are typically posted on http://www.minneapolisparks.org/ two business days prior to each meeting.