Giving Thanks for a Great Place to Live [Video]

We originally posted this video in the Spring of 2011 - enjoy!

From Seven & Sixty Productions:

With all the possibilities around the world, what is the “it” that keeps people here in the Twin Cities? We suspected the answer to the question "Why We're Here" was both simple and incredibly nuanced -- worthy of art. We took our camera to the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul to find people willing to talk, unscripted, on film. The result is our collective love poem to the Twin Cities.

Why We're Here: Twin Cities is a six-minute film that explores what unites us, and unites us here, in the Twin Cities. Filmed on location the spring and summer of 2010 in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, the film features an original score by John Munson of the New Standards, the Twilight Hours, Semisonic and Trip Shakespeare, camerawork by Adam Olson and editing by Sam Heyn.

Visit http://www.sevenandsixty.com/ to post your response and tell us, with all the possibilities that exist in the world, why you’re living where you do.

Produced in association with the Minnesota Culture Club. Visit them at http://mncultureclub.com/

Reminder - West River Parkway Closed Tomorrow Morning 8:00am-10:00am

The annual Turkey Day 5K will kick off the Thanksgving Holiday again this year, which will close a few local streets for a few hours in the morning, including 2nd Street South and West River Parkway.

Cub FOODS Distributes 2,000 Thanksgiving Meals for People Serving People families as Part of Unity in Community Campaign

The holidays are a time when families look to celebrate the joy of the season with a traditional turkey meal that includes all of the trimmings.  But for those living on the fringes of homelessness and hunger, it’s difficult to envision securing even the simplest of meals.

This Thanksgiving season, thanks to Cub FOODS, 2,000 free turkey meals will be distributed to formerly homeless families and clients of People Serving People (PSP), Simpson Housing Services, Project Pride for Living and St. Stephen’s Human Services at a special distribution event.

During a November 21 event at People Serving People, 150 families, many of whom used to stay at PSP, were invited to recieve frozen turkeys and dinner ingredients.  Hundreds more families who did not attend the event will receive gift certificates.

“Homeless families have a long journey to stability.  Through the “Unity in Community” effort, Cub is helping PSP and our partner organizations give these families hope for tomorrow and a good start on the road to recovery.  Indeed, Thanksgiving is the one day where everyone deserves a place at the table,” emphasized Daniel Gumnit, CEO, People Serving People.

Special Guests Included:                 
- Mr. Sherman Patterson, Policy Aide for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak
- Cathy Ten Broeke, Coordinator, End Homelessness, Minneapolis/Hennepin County
- Mary Tingerthal, Commissioner, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency

MinnPost posted a story yesterday on one of the families attending this event.  It's a great example of the difference PSP and events like Unity in Community make.

Unique Floral Arrangement from City Gardens' Flower Mill says 'You're Special'

We are fortunate to have City Gardens' Flower Mill in our neighborhood (231 10th Avenue South, in the Bridgewater Lofts building).  

Every arrangement I've received from Dave - Birthday, Valentine's, or most recently, Anniversary - has been unique and absolutely gorgeous.  He just asks Dan to create something special - and voila, a work of art comes together.

Dan and Kaia's shop is filled with super fresh flowers and lovely gifts.  If you want to show someone how special they are, give them a bouquet from City Gardens' Flower Mill.  612-332-7377 

Tonight - Publication Reading: Marge Barrett and Joanne Esser at The Loft

Publication Reading: Marge Barrett and Joanne Esser

Time: 7:00pm

Location:  The Loft, 1011 Washington Avenue South

Join two Finishing Line Press authors to help celebrate their new poetry books.

Marge Barrett will read selections from her recent chapbook My Memoir Dress. The poetry chapbook was a finalist in Finishing Line’s critically acclaimed New Women’s Voices Competition. Of the chapbook, acclaimed author Wang Ping says, “Each poem from Memoir Dress is a seed from the rich soil of Minnesota. It may appear small and quiet, but read it slowly, and it blossoms with the smell and color of the prairie, each as hot as the noon sun. Every Minnesotan deserves this book.

MacPhail to Receive Matching Dollars on all November 16 'Give to the Max Day' Contributions

Two great reasons to add MacPhail Center for Music to your Give to the Max Day list:  Your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar thanks to a matching gift from the Classics for Kids Foundation, and your gift will help purchase new instruments for students who cannot afford them.

Help put an instrument in every hand! Click here for MacPhail's Give to the Max Day link.

The Soap Factory and Mill Ruins Park Awarded Grants from Partners in Preservation

Partners in Preservation announced the 13 2011 award winners to receive a share of $1 million in preservation grants. Included on that list was The Soap Factory, receiving $70,000 towards the repair of the failing roof of the main building.

Twenty-five historic sites participated in the program, competing for votes on Facebook for a part of the $1 million.  The remaining 12 sites participating in the initiative, including Mill Ruins Park, were each granted $5,000 in funding.

Star Trib Article on Central Library's Treasures in the Special Collections Room

We were shown the grand entry to Central Library's Special Collections room during a tour last year.  With reservation-only access, I assumed it housed old and rare items of historical significance, but Father Hennepin's 1698 journal?  Now that's old and rare!

Kevin Duchschere's Star Trib article about the Minneapolis Athenaeum, a private subscription library founded in 1859 that gave birth to the Minneapolis Public Library, gives us an idea of what can be found in the Special Collections room.  Click here for the online version. 

Only two items from Minneapolis' original 1889 library were incorporated into the new Central Library.  One is this ornate doorway, which currently serves as the entrance to the Special Collections room on the 4th floor.  The other is a statue of Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom, which stands at the base of the escalator on the ground floor.

November 3-13 Latin Film Festival Starts Tomorrow at St. Anthony Main Theatre

NOTE - Mention this article in Mill City Times and receive a discounted ticket rate of $7.50! 

CELEBRATING THE BEST OF LATIN FILM FROM AROUND THE WORLD

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul is hosting the the Twin Cities’ first-ever major Latin Film Festival at St. Anthony Main Theatre tomorrow, November 3, thru Sunday, November 13.   View the 30+ film titles from Central and South America, Mexico, and Spain on mspfilmsociety.org.

The Opening Night Gala will be held at El Bonito Café Aster November 3 at 9:00pm.  After the credits have rolled on our Opening Night Film, join the Film Society and your fellow filmgoers for the Opening Night Party at the Aster Café - right down the hall from the theatre - for a night of Latin-themed food, drink, dance, and entertainment!

Tickets for the Opening Night Gala are available at the St. Anthony Main Theatre Box Office, and include one complimentary Estrella Damm beer, or other beverage option, and complimentary snacks and food provided by Chowgirls Catering.

During the Fest’s ten-day run, audiences can celebrate the diverse world of Spanish language cinema, and enjoy Opening and Closing Night parties. Visiting filmmakers include Gabriel Figueroa Flores (Mexico), photographer son of the celebrated Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, here for a retrospective of his father’s work, Trisha Ziff (Mexico), director of the acclaimed documentary THE MEXICAN SUITCASE, and Viviana García Besné (Mexico), director of the festival darling PERDIDA.
 
The Latin Film Festival is produced by The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul.  The Film Society also presents a diverse slate of international, independent, and art-house films year-round on Screen 3 at St. Anthony Main Theatre, as well as the annual Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Film Festival each April.  The Latin Film Festival is part of a series of geographically focused film festivals, the Asian Film Festival in 2010, the Latin Festival in 2011, and the Trans-African Film Festival in 2012, all made possible in part by funding from the Legacy Amendment.   
 
For more information about the Latin Film Festival and other Film Society programming, contact Jesse Bishop at 612.331.7563, or visit The Film Society website. 

And don't forget, mention this article in Mill City Times and receive a discounted ticket rate of $7.50!

East Bank Neighborhood Volunteers Seek to Update Chute Square Park

We've posted a number of articles regarding how enriching our membership to Mill City Commons has been, mainly for the interesting people we've met.  One fellow MCC member is Lou Burdick, who made us aware of a Chute Square Park revitalization project she's involved with.  Located across from Lund's, Chute Park Square is home to the Ard Godfrey House - the oldest existing wood-frame house in Minneapolis.  Lou recently provided us with the following information regarding this project:

Download - Chute Square Park Design

View more documents from Mill City Times

Download - Chute Square Park Press Release 102711

View more documents from Mill City Times

Inspirational Story from People Serving People

From an October 26 People Serving People e-news:

October is Hunger and Homelessness Month, and we wanted to share a story about a homeless child who has taught our staff and volunteers a lot about how much POTENTIAL is in each child who passes through the doors of our shelter.

Because of volunteer and donor support, our Children’s Services and Family Advocacy staff are able to arrange for fun activities for the homeless children and families at our shelter.  One of the programs that we offer is Boy Scouts - a great way for boys to forget about their lives' struggles and concentrate on doing their best.

 

The other day, the scouts had set up a tent in the room, and leaders brought in bugs to show the kids.  While most kids were running around the room in a wild frenzy, one boy, Devin, sat quietly in the tent.  He had found a 3D wooden puzzle and was working to put it together.  No one had told him that it was meant to match together to form an object.  He had simply found separate pieces strewn across the bottom of the tent, and within minutes had completed the complicated puzzle. Later, some of our staff had attempted to put it together - unsuccessfully.

 

This wasn't the first time that Devin stunned our staff with his outstanding mind and manner.  Although he was only 6 years old, he spoke to staff and volunteers with respect and sincerity in a way which made us feel we were talking to an adult.  Curious about everything, Devin enjoys reading encyclopedias in his spare time.  During his stay at the shelter, Devin continually surprised us with his intelligence, kindness and heart.

 

Because of the volunteers and donors that keep our programs going, we can work directly with children like Devin to give them opportunities to discover that they are great and capable individuals – and overcome homelessness with their families.

 

With much appreciation,

 

Lauren Rimestad

Development Coordinator

People Serving People

612-277-0219

Join MacPhail in Two Performances of Handel's "Messiah"

Call for Handel “Messiah” choral singers! Join Sonomento, MacPhail’s premiere choral ensemble, professional soloists and full orchestra, conducted by Craig Fields, in two performances of Handel’s “Messiah.”

No auditions are necessary for chorus members, but there will be a $50 fee.

Rehearsal schedule:
Nov. 21, 28 and Dec. 5 and 6
6:30-9 p.m.
MacPhail Center for Music, 501 S. Second St., Minneapolis, Room 127

Concerts:
Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m., Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis
Dec. 18, 6 p.m., MacPhail Center for Music, Antonello Hall

For more information or to sign up, call Craig Fields at 763-229-5426 or email cfields49@comcast.net.

Interesting Things Come to Light When the River is Low

While out enjoying the gorgeous weather this past Saturday, we of course spent time on the Stone Arch Bridge.   With the river being so low right now, you can get a feel for how deep it is in various parts.  As it turns out, it's fairly shallow under the Stone Arch by the East Bank - so much so that if you look real close you can see 3 drowned bicycles on either side of the bridge:

In the above picture, the bicycle is in the lower middle portion of the shot, directly below the left end of the tree trunk.  Below are two of the three bikes (the third picture was too blurry due to angle and lighting).

View the full sized photos on our photoblog here...

Restaurant Week and Charlie Awards Voting Both End Friday, October 28.

Restaurant Week Fall 2011 started October 23 and runs through Friday, October 28. Voting for the Charlie Awards, which you can do once a day online, also ends on the 28th.

In our neighborhood, enjoy great food at unbeatable prices at 'Restaurant Week' participants Sanctuary ($30 Dinners) and Sea Change ($10 Lunches and $30 Dinners).

Neighborhood restaurants who have Charlie Awards entries include Sanctuary, Sea Change, Spoonriver and Zen Box Izakaya.

The Charlie Awards recognizes the exceptional contributions that our Twin Cities metro area food and restaurant industry make to ensure a diverse, vibrant and creative Twin Cities lifestyle and economy.

The November 20 event will be held at the Pantages Theatre, with 90 minutes of live entertainment and highlighting some of the best and brightest in the business. The awards will consist of two components - individuals and businesses honored by their peers and outstanding food recognized by the public and industry leaders. It is affiliated with Second Harvest Heartland, which will receive a portion of the Charlie Awards proceeds.

Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership in the News

Maria Elena Baca wrote an information piece about the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership in the October 22 Star Trib.  Click here to view online.

The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership serves as a champion for a vibrant Mississippi riverfront, to create an enduring legacy now and for future generations. They advocate for a vibrant  riverfront,  increase public awareness of existing river access, create public forums to address riverfront issues, and host public outings.  Their upcoming events can be found on their website, and are also listed under the Events section of Mill City Times.

Real Ghost Tours in the News

Real Ghost Tours, 125 Main Street SE, was recently featured on WCCO:

Public Comment Opportunities for Proposed 2012 Minneapolis Park Board Budget

From an October 19 MPRB e-newsletter:

The Superintendent’s Recommended 2012 Budget for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) focuses on neighborhood parks, financial sustainability and enhancing service delivery to the community.

“The Park Board is living within its means with a zero percent property tax levy increase and a proposed operating budget slightly below the 2011 Approved Budget,” explained Superintendent Jayne Miller. “In 2012 the Park Board will focus on reducing operating costs and creating new revenue by maximizing technology, identifying work process improvements, increasing workforce flexibility and investing in neighborhood parks.”

The Superintendent’s Recommended 2012 Budget totals $58,687,896 for the general operating fund, a 0.6 percent reduction from the 2011 approved budget.

According to Miller, the 2012 Recommended Budget reflects the Park Board’s commitment to service delivery and does not include service reductions or staff layoffs.

“We are committed to improving our work processes and maximizing technology to enhance service delivery,” Miller explained. “In 2012 we are expanding our communication and community outreach to improve transparency, information sharing and service delivery. We are assessing youth and adult program services, user satisfaction and fee structures to reduce barriers and improve services. We are also assessing needs and opportunities for volunteerism to increase recruitment and retention of volunteers.”

The proposed budget is available at www.minneapolisparks.org (select left link “About MPRB” then “Park Board Budget”) or by calling 612-230-6400. The public may comment on the proposed budget during the following times:

- Nov. 9, Public Comment Session – Administration and Finance Committee meeting, MPRB Headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Minneapolis. The Committee meeting will follow the Board’s regular meeting at 5 pm
- Nov. 22, Public Comment Session – Regular Board meeting, MPRB Headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Minneapolis, at 5 pm
- Dec. 14, Public Hearing – City of Minneapolis public hearing on City levy and 2012 Budget, City Hall, Council Chambers Room 317, 350 South 5th Street, Minneapolis, at 6 pm

“The budget is built on sound financial management and strategic long-range planning,” said Miller. “The Recommended 2012 Budget strategically positions the organization, from a service and financial perspective, to prepare for projected funding gaps in 2013 through 2016.”
According to the Park Board’s five year projections included in the 2012 Budget, Local Government Aid is estimated to be reduced from $7.6 million in 2012 to $5.6 million in 2013 through 2016. The Park Board believes this is a conservative estimate based on a projected $2 billion state budget deficit for the next biennium.

The Superintendent’s recommended budget outlines initiatives aimed at meeting the Board’s strategic goals and budget frameworks, including:
• Focus resources on maintaining the park system, addressing issues of aging infrastructure and repairing parkway paving and lighting
• Make our city greener, cleaner and energy efficient through recreation center energy improvements and green events
• Focus on City and school partnerships and identifying strategies to improve delivery and coordination of recreation center programs and services
• Increase revenue with enhanced grant writing, improved operating efficiencies and expanded revenue growth with nontraditional sources
• Assure that basic services and programs remain accessible, and enhance community based programming  
• Shape city character through implementation strategies for upper riverfront development to spur economic development

Not Ready for Halloween? Check Out Monster Halloween Store!

Still undecided on your perfect Halloween costume?  Need some cool party decorations?  Check out the Monster Halloween store 1211 Washington Avenue South (next to Bobby & Steve's Auto World).  They're open daily 10:00am-10:00pm, and you can reach them at 612-338-5161, or email info@gosota.com, with any questions.

The store features two levels stocked with decorations, makeup, accessories, props and costumes for both kids and adults.

Marilyn Monroe is out front to welcome customers, along with a host of other characters.

The day of the Zombie Pub Crawl, a make up artist was on site getting customers prepped.

First-Ever Major Latin Film Festival Presented by The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul at St. Anthony Main Theatre, November 3-13

NOTE - Mention this article in Mill City Times and receive a discounted ticket rate of $7.50! 

CELEBRATING THE BEST OF LATIN FILM FROM AROUND THE WORLD

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul announced the Twin Cities’ first-ever major Latin Film Festival, presenting more than 30 films from Central and South America, Mexico, and Spain at St. Anthony Main Theatre, is slated for November 3-13.
 
During the Fest’s ten-day run, audiences can celebrate the diverse world of Spanish language cinema, and enjoy Opening and Closing Night parties. Visiting filmmakers include Gabriel Figueroa Flores (Mexico), photographer son of the celebrated Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, here for a retrospective of his father’s work, Trisha Ziff (Mexico), director of the acclaimed documentary THE MEXICAN SUITCASE, and Viviana García Besné (Mexico), director of the festival darling PERDIDA.
 
Stay tuned for more on the Opening Night Film And Party!
 
Chosen as the closing night film is the gritty crime thriller ELITE SQUAD 2: THE ENEMY WITHIN, Brazil’s highest-grossing film ever made and winner of multiple festival awards for Cinematography, Best Actor, and Best Picture. The film, by writer-director José Padilha’s (Bus 174), follows a crack team from Special Police Operations in their battle to oust drug traffickers from the slums of Rio de Janeiro.
 
Noteworthy programming includes retrospectives on Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa and Chilean director Patricio Guzman, as well as an impressive slate of films by women filmmakers.  In addition, the Festival’s visiting filmmakers will participate in discussion panels and presentations.
 
Notable films and programs include:
 
A PORTRAIT OF DIEGO: THE REVOLUTIONARY GAZE:  Dir. Gabriel Figueroa Flores (Mexico) attending! Considered the greatest Mexican painter of the 20th century, and known for his enormous frescos capturing moments in Mexico’s history, Diego Rivera began this documentary in collaboration with Mexico’s renowned cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa and world famous photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo. Completed by Rivera’s grandson Diego Rivera Lopez and Figueroa’s son Gabriel Figueroa Flores, the film was released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Rivera’s death, and illustrates the socio-political impact of Rivera’s work during the end of Mexico’s Civil War.
 
THROUGH THE LENS OF GABRIEL FIGUEROA: A RETROSPECTIVE:  Gabriel Figueroa Flores (Mexico) attending!  The work of Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa is legend.  His award-winning, Oscar-Nominated, and prolific chef d’ouevre of more than 200 films includes numerous Buñuel titles (The Exterminating Angel, los Olvidados), an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, and John Houston’s Under the Volcano and Night of the Iguana. Selections from his work will be introduced and discussed in this unique retrospective by Figueroa’s son, Gabriel Figueroa Flores.
  
THE MEXICAN SUITCASE:  Director Trisha Ziff (Mexico) attending!  This internationally acclaimed documentary highlights the extraordinary recovery of a forgotten suitcase containing 4,500 photos taken between 1936 and 1939. Shot by legendary photographer Robert Capa and fellow photographers Gerda Taro and David “Chim” Seymour, these intrepid images dramatically changed public opinion on the home front during the Spanish Civil War, and altered how such conflicts will forever be viewed.
 
POR EL CAMINO:  Director Charly Braun (Brazil) invited and Actor Esteban Feune de Colombi (Argentina) attending! Brilliantly melding South American, Francophone, and U.S. influences, award-winning director Charly Braun captures the airy restlessness of youth in this spirited road movie following two twenty-somethings who meet while traveling through the breathtaking costal vistas and back roads of Uruguay.
 
GRANITO: HOW TO NAIL A DICTATOR:  Director Pamela Yates attending! Reinforcing the power of film to effect change, this poignant and compelling documentary from director Pamela Yates shares a spirit of revolutionary solidarity with her 1984 feature-length debut “When the Mountains Tremble” as she revisits the horrors of Guatemala’s Civil War and the genocide trials of convicted dictator Efraín Ríos Montt.
 
PERDIDA: Director Viviana García Besné Present!  This film traces the unbelievable true story of the Calderón family, which built grand movie palaces in Mexico and the U.S. and employed thousands to produce incomparable, hugely successful, often reprehensible populist-genre films utterly and uniquely Mexican. Told by Viviana García Besné—whose grand-uncle was mogul José Luis Calderón—this personal tale from inside an alternate universe offers glimpses of utterly unknown zaftig saturnine actresses, overweight masked wrestlers, human robots and Aztec mummies… all driven by a shameless but keen commercial impulse. And the cinematic fantasies are mirrored by an even stranger labyrinth of internal sibling strife, film business clashes, Hollywood affairs, bankruptcies and anti-intellectual tirades. –Telluride Film Festival
 
THE LIFE OF FISH: Matias Bize’s Goya Award Winner and Chile’s candidate for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film.  A theatrically staged and insightful story in which an upscale party becomes the backdrop for sophisticated Chileans to confront their pasts and revisit lost loves.  The film features a not-to-be-missed performance from award-winning Chilean actress Blanca Lewin. 
 
BONSÁI: Adapted from the novel by Alejandro Zambra, a Chilean Critics Award-Winner, and Latin America’s hottest new writer, who is considered by many to have instigated a new era in the nation’s letters. Thoughtfully composed and brilliantly photographed by Cristian Jimenez, this delicate, whimsical, and melancholic romance fluidly moves back and forth eight years in the life of would-be writer Julio.
 
Check mspfilmsociety.org for more titles, and stay tuned for the unveiling of the Official Latin Film Festival website.
 
The Latin Film Festival is produced by The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul.  The Film Society also presents a diverse slate of international, independent, and art-house films year-round on Screen 3 at St. Anthony Main Theatre, as well as the annual Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Film Festival each April.  The Latin Film Festival is part of a series of geographically focused film festivals, the Asian Film Festival in 2010, the Latin Festival in 2011, and the Trans-African Film Festival in 2012, all made possible in part by funding from the Legacy Amendment.   
 
For more information about the Latin Film Festival and other Film Society programming, contact Jesse Bishop at 612.331.7563, or visit The Film Society website. 

And don't forget, mention this article in Mill City Times and receive a discounted ticket rate of $7.50!

Thousands Participate in the Big Gay Race 5K October 15

Thousands of runners and walkers participated in the October 15 Big Gay Race 5k, sponsored by Minnesotans United for All Families. All proceeds go towards opposing the proposed constitutional amendment, which would ban same-sex couples from getting married.

Minnesotans United for All Families is the official campaign created to defeat the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. According to their website, Minnesotans United is a broad coalition of faith organizations, members of the business community and communities of color, progressive organizations, nonpartisan organizations, organized labor, community leaders, current and former elected officials, Republicans, DFLers, Greens and Independents.