Voices of Experience at MacPhail Center for Music

Voices of Experience, a choir for adults, ages 55 and older, is offering an ‘interim open’ session in January and February at NO COST to participating singers. Additionally, there will be no auditions to be a member for this interim session. The choir will work on a short program of love songs to be performed at one or two outreach mini concerts. Choir members do not need previous choral experience.

The interim session will have six rehearsals on Tuesdays, beginning January 11, 2011, from 10-11:30am at MacPhail Center for Music.

Voices of Experience was created last fall as a collaboration with The Minnesota Choraleand MacPhail Center for Music. Dr. Mary Kay Geston, an associate professor of music at Northwestern College in St. Paul, is the ensemble’s conductor.

To register or for more information, call MacPhail Center for Music at 612-321-0100, or Melissa Falb at 612-767-5438.

It's the Holidays in the Mill District!

From now thru December 31, we'll be posting random shots from around the neighborhood that capture the Holiday Season.  Enjoy!

From the Mill District of Minneapolis.

December 31 is a Great Day to Give Blood!

The Red Cross Blood Donor Center at 1201 West River Parkway is open from 6:45am to 1:15pm on Friday, December 31.  Click here to make an appointment.

What is the most common blood type? According to AABB's website, the approximate distribution of blood types in the U.S. blood donor population is as follows:

 O Rh-positive - 39 percent
 O Rh-negative -  9 percent
 A Rh-positive - 31 percent
 A Rh-negative -  6 percent
 B Rh-positive -  9 percent
 B Rh-negative -  2 percent
AB Rh-positive -  3 percent
AB Rh-negative -  1 percent

Note: Distribution may be different for specific racial and ethnic groups and in different parts of the country.

In an emergency, anyone can receive type O red blood cells, and type AB individuals can receive red blood cells of any ABO type. Therefore, people with type O blood are known as “universal donors,” and those with type AB blood are known as “universal recipients.” In addition, AB plasma donors can give to all blood types.

January, 2011, is National Blood Donor Month. 

Update on Wednesday, December 29, 2010 at 10:55AM by David Tinjum

CORRECTION:  Kim called this morning to schedule an appointment and learned that, contrary to the info on their web site, the Red Cross Blood Donor Center will be closed on New Years Eve.  She'll try for next week, you can too.

China Wok added to the Order-In Dining Link

We recently received direct mail advertising from China Wok, and gave them a try.  The experience was positive on every count: the person taking the order was cheerful, they delivered in half the time estimated, the delivery person was friendly and the food was great.  I should also mention that we called 5 minutes past their posted delivery hours, yet they were happy to accommodate us.

It's the Holidays in the Mill District!

From now thru December 31, we'll be posting random shots from around the neighborhood that capture the Holiday Season.  Enjoy!

From the Mill District of Minneapolis.

Mill City Commons' 2010 Holiday Food Drive and Fundraiser is a Success

Linnea Tweed, Executive Director of Mill City Commons, shared successful results of this year's "TURKEY, DRESSINGS, and EXTRA HELPINGS" food drive and fundraising event:

"We were able to provide all the fixings for holiday dinners for 50 families in the Jordan Neighborhood, and we had enough money to add over $300 of food to their food shelf. Jeff Hamm, the Store Manager at Rainbow Foods, 3505 W Broadway, was an amazing help. This is the second year they've helped us. His staff was so friendly and helpful - they kept telling us how wonderful we were to do this. They looked for the best buys so we were able to spend about $38 per family for their holiday meals including a whole turkey or ham (we purchased 25 of each). Jeff had his bakery bake 50 pumpkin pies for us - he said it was cheaper than selling us the ingredients.  It truly was heart warming.

We loaded an SUV with sweaters, hats mittens, gloves, scarves, some winter shoes and jackets and delivered them to People Serving People.  We also delivered gifts to Exodus House for their annual Holiday Event and took a load of children's clothes and other small gift items to Mary's Place for their residents.  They have many (almost 200) homeless children in families living there."

Below, some of the 50 pies that Rainbow Foods Store Manager Jeff Hamm made sure his bakery prepared fresh the morning of the deliveries.

This initiative started 3 years ago when Mill City Commons members Delia and Tyrone Bujold were enjoying a glass of wine with friends.  They came up with the idea to do food baskets for families in need.  Their goal that first year was 25 dinner baskets - but within a few days of spreading the word, they had enough money to do 50.  Last year they decided to use Mill City Commons as the contact point so that donations could be tax-deductible.

Delia consulted Fr. Michael O'Connell for ideas on where to deliver these baskets the food.  Fr. O'Connell currently serves as Pastor of the Church of Ascension in North Minneapolis, and Delia has known him since he was Basilica Rector.   He recommended the Jordan New Life Community Church because of it's expansive outreach program. 

Many of us want to do something good at the holidays, but are strapped for time, don't know where to start, etc.  People like Delia and Tyrone, along with the volunteers from Mill City Commons, make it effortless for the rest of us to help.  Just write a check and you've given a less fortunate family a Christmas dinner, or helped stock a foodshelf - it's that simple. 

Dave and I look forward to being involved with this fundraiser next year. 

It's the Holidays in the Mill District!

From now thru December 31, we'll be posting random shots from around the neighborhood that capture the Holiday Season.  Enjoy!

From the Mill District of Minneapolis.

Winter Pet Care Tips - An Ongoing Series from Curtis L. Sanford, DVM

This is the sixth installment of Pet Tips from Curtis L. Sanford, DVM.

Housing:
It is best to keep pets indoors during the winter months, but if this is not possible, outdoor pets must be provided with shelter. Their home should be elevated off the ground to prevent moisture accumulation and have a door of some kind to keep out winter winds, sleet, and snow. Shelters should be insulated or heated. Water sources may be heated to permit constant access to unfrozen water; thermal units designed specifically for this purpose are readily available. Outdoor pets require extra calories to keep warm. Feed your pet according to its needs when the temperature drops. In severely cold or inclement weather, no pet should be kept outside. Indoor pets should have sleeping quarters in a draft-free, warm area with their bed or mattress elevated slightly off the floor.

Roaming cats:
Roaming cats, as well as house pets and wildlife, may climb onto vehicle engines for warmth during cold weather. Be sure to check under the hood before starting your vehicle and honk the horn to startle any animals seeking shelter inside.

Frostbite and snow removal salt:
Snow and salt should be removed from your pets paws immediately. Frostbitten skin is red or gray and may slough. Apply warm, moist towels to thaw out frostbitten areas slowly until the skin appears flushed. Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible for further care. Frost bite usually occurs on the extremities; such as the ears, tail and toes but using fleece or other body coverings will decrease possible frost bite on other parts of the body. Snow removal products should be stored out of the reach of pets and small children as their toxicity varies considerably. We recommend to cover feet with rubber boots or other foot covers to keep off salt and snow while walking outdoors. If your pet will not tolerate foot covers, then vigorously washing off the snow and salt with tepid water will prevent irritation to the pads, hair and skin of the feet.

Dr. Sanford is a Veterinarian and Owner/Founder of Minneapolis Veterinary Hospital in the Mill District.   He can be contacted at 612-746-0300 or mplsvet@live.com.

It's the Holidays in the Mill District!

From now thru December 31, we'll be posting random shots from around the neighborhood that capture the Holiday Season.  Enjoy!

From the Mill District of Minneapolis.

Check Out the Guthrie Theater on YouTube

In addition to their recently posted "Guthrie Theater: 2010 in Pictures" video, there are a number of other interesting items.

For instance, did you know you can rent a costumefor Halloween through CostumeRentals - all costumes are from past productions of the Guthrie Theater and Childrens Theater Company.

You can also view performance samplings, staff interviews and more.   As of this posting, there were 98 Guthrie YouTube videos available.

It's the Holidays in the Mill District!

From now thru December 31, we'll be posting random shots from around the neighborhood that capture the Holiday Season.  Enjoy!

From the Mill District of Minneapolis.

It's the Holidays in the Mill District!

From now thru December 31, we'll be posting random shots from around the neighborhood that capture the Holiday Season.  Enjoy!

From the Mill District of Minneapolis.

It's the Holidays in the Mill District!

From now thru December 31, we'll be posting random shots from around the neighborhood that capture the Holiday Season.  Enjoy! 

From the Mill District of Minneapolis.

Mill City Commons Offers January Savings on New Memberships

During the month of January, 2011, Mill City Commons is offering $100 off household memberships.  As an added bonus, members who join in January will have their membership extended through March 2012.

Mill City Commons is a unique neighborhood organization offering members a variety of interesting activities, in addition to other benefits.

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

It's the Holidays in the Mill District!

From now thru December 31, we'll be posting random shots from around the neighborhood that capture the Holiday Season.  Enjoy!

From the Mill District of Minneapolis.

The Line - an Additional Source for Information About our Neighborhood

I recently subscribed to a weekly online magazine called The Line.  

The Line "tells the story of the new economy in The Twin Cities - a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play." 

From a front page drop down menu, you can select what area of Minneapolis you'd like to read about.  For example, the December 15 edition had an article about The Soap Factory under the Riverfront/Mill District section.

While the Riverfront/Mill District section doesn't have frequent entries, it's still another interesting source for information about our neighborhood.

It's the Holidays in the Mill District!

From now thru December 31, we'll be posting random shots from around the neighborhood that capture the Holiday Season.  Enjoy!

From the Mill District of Minneapolis.

Minneapolis Veterinary Hospital Hosts Fundraiser for Pet Project Rescue

Minneapolis Veterinary Hospital, located at 1030 Washington Avenue South, recently hosted a fundraising event for Pet Project Rescue.  Pet Project Rescue is a no-kill, 501(c)(3) non-profit rescue which places homeless animals in foster care homes until they are adopted by their forever families.

Above, Lisa and Curtis Sanford.  Curtis is a Veterinarian, as well as Owner and Founder of Minneapolis Veterinary Hospital. Lisa is the Office Manager and Receptionist.  Below are two members of their staff -  Heather,  a Certified Veterinary Technician, and Kathy, a Veterinary Technician.

Above, Lisa with artist Georgiana Ewing, who contributed this painting of rescued dog Oscar for the silent auction.  Oscar, an 8 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was the inspiration for the fund raising event.  Georgiana is a Texas artist who paints animals in bold, joyous colors.  Below, another example of her work.

Above, Pet Project Rescue Co-Founder and Director, Maia, and Adoption Coordinator, Lindsay, with Aspen, a rescued 10 week old puppy (which they believe to be a Huskey/Samoyed mix).  During the fundraising event, the Sanfords raised $1,900 for Pet Project Rescue. Funds cover animal care expenses, such as spaying/neutering prior to adoption.

In addition to dogs, Minneapolis Veterinary Hospital cares for other small animals such as rabbits, cats, guinea pigs and birds.  Dr. Sanford offers advanced surgical techniques, cutting edge medical care and Stem Cell Certification for Arthritis in dogs and cats.   He also serves on the Board for Pet Accolades, an organization that provides service dogs for those with invisible disabilities.

It's the Holidays in the Mill District!

From now thru December 31, we'll be posting random shots from around the neighborhood that capture the Holiday Season.  Enjoy!

From the Mill District of Minneapolis.

New Exhibit Opening at Mill City Museum in January

The Mill City Museum will hold a public reception to open the exhibit for "Seeing the Big River: The Eco-Art of Peter L. Johnson" on January 13 from 6:00pm-8:00pm.

This new exhibit challenges viewers to 'See Beauty in Damaged Places'.  Peter L. Johnson says of his work that it "seeks and sees beauty in damaged places." By creating what he calls "lyric" photographs, Johnson chooses subjects that present an unsettling truth about the devastating relationship between humans and the Mississippi River.

Johnson will give remarks at 7:00pm and refreshments will be available. The exhibit is located in the museum’s central Mill Commons, and is free and open to the public during regular museum hours.

Photographs accompanied by found "specimens" and videos will be on display at Mill City Museum from January 13 - May 16, 2011.

Johnson draws on his varied background as a documentary photographer, solo street performance artist and social activist to create his body of work entitled "Devastating Beauty." In his recent series called "Specimens" he expands on the bumper sticker slogan, "Take only photographs and leave only footprints." Johnson photographs then removes the "specimen" from the ecosystem finally presenting the item next to the photograph in a gallery setting. Johnson says "this adds another layer of connection between humans and their effect on the environment."

In the "Immersion" series, Johnson sparks a discussion about the dangers of just being in the Mississippi River. In order to enter the waters he had to sign a waiver which he displays alongside the life-size prints and a corresponding video.

This exhibit is part of "Greening the Riverfront," a series of programs that explore how humans interact with nature, in the past, present and future.

Built within the ruins of the Washburn A Mill, a National Historic Landmark, the award-winning Mill City Museum chronicles the flour milling industry that fueled the growth of Minneapolis. The story comes to life through the eight-story Flour Tower, Water Lab, Baking Lab and other hands-on exhibits.