Preserve.Revitalize.Connect.
Gold Medal Park to Be Preserved for 50 Years
Letter to the Editor - Ideas for the Minneapolis Riverfront
A nine part series capturing 3 brothers on a canoe trip from Lake Itasca to Lake Pepin on the Mississippi River. The brothers eventually paddle the 2,500+ miles to the Gulf of Mexico.
From the Journal Sentinel:
With federal researchers in the midst of a search for long-term solutions to the threat of an Asian carp invasion into the Great Lakes, the Obama administration announced Thursday that it is updating its immediate strategy by committing $50 million to DNA sampling, underwater cameras, sophisticated tracking systems and projects exploring ways to poison the ravenous invaders without harming native species.
"I've been doing this work for 34 years, and this is as well as I've seen state and federal environmental agencies working together," said Charlie Wooley, deputy regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Minneapolis. "We want to do everything humanly possible to prevent Asian carp from getting into the Great Lakes.
Greetings, friend of the Mississippi River,
Voting is officially open for the 2012 MillerCoors River Network Grant Contest and Friends of the Mississippi River is one of the finalists for a $25,000 grant! With a few clicks, you can help FMR win $25,000 for river and watershed protection right here in the Twin Cities! Please vote for us, share this email, share it on Twitter and Facebook, and ask all your friends to vote, too! It's a vote for your river and your community.
From Minneapolis Park Watch:
The following is a letter to Charles Hallman, the reporter for the Spokesman-Recorder who wrote the February 12, 2012 article about employee criticisms of the Park Board:
Charles,
As a co-founder of Park Watch, I read your recent article with interest. Yes, we have been aware of MPRB employee dissatisfaction; but, as quoted in the article, "many of the deficiencies and issues noted are not new but have been present for years."
In the years prior to Superintendent Miller's arrival, there were many stories about long time employees who mysteriously disappeared from their positions at the Park Board. There is the one story about an employee who simply went in on a weekend, emptied his/her desk and resigned.The current administration inherited a dysfunctional organization that was known for its tactics of intimidation and retaliation. An article entitled "Angry Management" that was extremely critical of the former superintendent was published in a 2010 issue of City Pages. (This March 3, 2010 article can be found on www.mplsparkwatch.org)
Radical change does not happen overnight; we have observed recent staff hirings that indicate Superintendent Miller is serious about her role in transforming the Park Board.
We believe that her contracting with a consulting firm to conduct an organizational analysis of the MPRB demonstrates her intention to foster positive changes within the Park Board and the community it serves by implementing a proactive strategy to address and resolve long-standing problems.
"Providing the Best Environmental Outcome: The Right BMP in the Right Place"
Shawn Tracy, Landscape Restoration Specialist, Metro Conservation Districts
Friday, February 24, 2012. 8:00-9:30 a.m. (at the offices of Stantec (formerly Bonestroo), 2335 Hwy 36 West, 55113)
Light breakfast provided. Free. To RSVP, e-mail Lark Weller, Water Quality Coordinator, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
As attention increasingly turns to ensuring that effective water improvements are being made, stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) have become an important tool in communities' clean-up efforts. In order to achieve the magnitude of clean-up requirements, these BMPs must help communities make substantial improvements. To address this efficacy issue, the Twin Cities' metro area Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) developed an urban stormwater analysis tool to identify the highest-value stormwater treatment options.
The analysis identifies subwatersheds, catchment areas, and specific locations to target specific BMPs, and builds from the Center for Watershed Protection's "Urban Stormwater Retrofit Practices Manual" and Minnesota's Stormwater Manual. It ultimately provides a multi-year, multi-scale implementation plan for watershed managers. This allows decision-makers to confidently direct funds and labor toward the right BMP in the right place--all leading to the best environmental outcome. Come learn how to maximize the performance of stormwater BMPs!
The Mississippi River Forum is made possible by the generous support of the Mississippi River Fund and the McKnight Foundation.
From the River Talk Blog:
Usually when you read something like “six steps to…” the word “easy” is included. To his credit, Dennis Anderson, the outdoors columnist for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, does not say that these are easy or simple. Still, a recent column outlines six things that Anderson argues must be done if Minnesota’s waters are not to be overrun with invasive carp.
Here are Anderson’s steps, followed by my comment. My summary of his points is only my summary; read his full column to get the depth of his views.
On February 15, at the Board’s 5:00 PM meeting, Park Board Planning Services staff will recommend to the Board’s Planning Committee that the RiverFIRST plan be formally adopted. The recommendation is being made as part of a proposed resolution that will move RiverFIRST into a 2012 planning and design phase for projects to be built beginning in 2013. Following the Planning Committee’s review and feedback on the RiverFIRST resolution, Park Board Commissioners will vote on adoption at the 5:00 PM Board meeting on Wednesday, March 14.
Monday, February 27, 5:30-7:30PM at the Mill City Museum.
*****Events and Activities*****
Mpls Photo Center
Mpls Photo Center, 2400 North Second Street
For information on classes and other events: http://www.mplsphotocenter.com/
Exhibit: Layne Kennedy: Art of the iPhone
Through February 26
It is not uncommon for artists to step out of their medium to dabble in other creative adventures. Doing so profits the mind. New artistic pursuits keep us fresh, allowing room to wander into new creative reaches, thereby cleansing our own, while also confirming the gifted skills and talents of others. This collection of images from Layne Kennedy's Apple iPhone are moments that called out to him, neither forced or waited for. It is a reminder to Kennedy of the spiritual, instinctive nature of photography. No over-thinking, no grabbing the perfect lens, or waiting for the ideal time of day. It's gut photography and the joy of being unburdened using only the most basic of his equipment, an iPhone.
A SIP OF SCIENCE –Rivers, Plate Tectonics and People: Life on the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta
Wednesday, February 8, 5:30 pm
Aster Cafe, 125 SE Main Street, St. Anthony Main
Bangladesh, one of the world’s most densely populated and impoverished nations, occupies an extremely dynamic and hazardous portion of Earth’s surface. The ongoing collision of tectonic plates between India and Asia produces very large earthquakes within and around Bangladesh. Meanwhile, one of the world’s largest river systems, the Ganges-Brahmaputra, constantly changes the landscape through yearly monsoonal floods and channel shifting. Researchers at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory at the University of Minnesota are involved in a project to understand how the tectonic forces interact with these rivers to create the landscape on which 150 million people try to live their lives. Join Andrew Petter, one of the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory scientists, in exploring life on a tectonically-active delta. A SIP OF SCIENCE bridges the gap between science and culture in a setting that bridges the gap between brain and belly. Food, beer and learning are on the menu in a happy hour forum that puts science in context through storytelling. The talk takes place during happy hour at the Aster Café. No cover; food and drink are available for purchase. For more information: http://www.nced.umn.edu/content/sip-science-rivers-plate-tectonics-and-people-life-ganges-brahmaputra-delta.
February Valentine Brunch
Sunday, February 12, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Danish American Center, 3030 West River Parkway South
Come and enjoy a brunch of an egg dish, æbleskiver, meat, fruit, bread, juice and coffee. Members $9, non-members $10, children 12 and under $5. No reservations required. Remaining breakfasts for the 2011-2012 season will be on March 18, April 15 and May 14 (Mother’s Day brunch).
Kroening Interpretive Center Programs (Three Rivers Park District)
North Mississippi Regional Park
For information: 763-694-7693; for map and driving instructions: http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=430. For programs that require reservations, call 763-559-6700 or register on-line: http://www.threeriversparkdistrict.org.
Young Children Activities: My Baby, Me and the Mississippi -- The Things You Love to Hate
Wednesday, February 15, 10 – 11 am
It is never too early to begin exploring the natural world! Increase your knowledge while introducing topics to your child at the same time. Have a fun outing, create a timeless craft and enjoy the company of other parents. See website for full program description. Only the adult pays. Reservations required, by phone only, at least two days prior to program; call 763-559-6700 and reference activity #116903-05. $5. Ages: 0-2.
Free Family Funday: Tales of Scales
Sunday, February 19, 1 – 3 pm, ongoing
They swim, slide and slither, but are they slimy? Meet live animals covered with scales and find out. Drop in; no reservations needed.
Sample of Activities and Classes at The Loft
1011 Washington Avenue South
For information about The Loft’s wide variety of classes and other activities: http://www.loft.org.
Publication Reading: JoAnn Guernsey and Ethna McKiernan
Wednesday, February 15, 7 pm
JoAnn Guernsey has been a writer, teacher and freelance editor for almost 35 years. She began working on Glass Asylum after receiving a McKnight Fellowship. She has written 19 fiction and nonfiction books for young readers (published primarily by Clarion Books and Lerner Publications), as well as several stories in journals and anthologies including one story selected by Susie Bright for The Best American Erotica of 1997. She also collaborated with Jim Brandenburg to write four award-winning books for children chronicling some of his adventures as a wildlife photographer and environmentalist. Glass Asylum is a novel about a troubled woman who attempts to escape reality by becoming a fiction writer and, in a sense, rewriting her life. Ethna McKiernan has been twice awarded a Minnesota State Arts Board grant in poetry, most recently in 2011 for the completion of her newest book, Sky Thick with Fireflies. She has won artist residencies at Annaghmakerrig and at Centrum Port Townsend, Washington. McKiernan’s first book Caravan (Dedalus Press and Midwest Villages & Voices, Minneapolis) was a Minnesota Book Award Nominee. Characterized by Booklist as a poet with “an exacting sense of metaphor,” McKiernan’s second book is The One Who Swears You Can’t Start Over (Salmon Poetry), about which the Corresponder wrote, “McKiernan is a poet’s poet, assuming one believes emotion is the beating heart of literature.” McKiernan ran an Irish book distribution outfit (Irish Books and Media) for almost three decades and has worked the past four years for a nonprofit serving the Minneapolis homeless. She holds an MFA from Warren Wilson Program for Writers. Literary punch card eligible. See www.litpunch.com for more information.
A Wine Affair – Tour de France
Friday, February 17, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
St. Anthony Main Event Center, 219 Main Street SE
The first A Wine Affair of 2012 will take a culinary "Tour de France." Join organizers to celebrate Valentine's with your loved one or come to simply enjoy the sumptuous food prepared by Executive Chef Ben McCallum. This month's dinner features wines from several regions of France. Sample varieties from Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Loire Valley, Medoc and Provence while feasting on rich French cuisine. Executive Chef Benjamin McCallum revisits his roots in traditional French cuisine and creates another menu masterpiece with courses to complement each of the six wines selected. Buy tickets before February 15 for $50 per person. Tickets include a six-course menu created by Chef Ben, wine tasting, coffee, desserts,and a cash bar. For information and the menu: http://www.awineaffair.net/.
Winter Market
Saturday, February 18, 10 am – 2 pm
Local D’Lish, 208 First Street North
On the third Saturday of the month from November through April, Local D’lish will be transformed from a grocery store to a bustling farmers’ market. Meet your farmers and food makers, sample some tasty treats and buy gifts for any occasion. Choices will include jams, chocolates, baked good, apples, honey, all-natural skin care products, granola, meat, cheese and so much more. For information: 612-886-3047 or http://www.localdish.com.
Minnehaha Park Family Nature Quest
Saturday, February 18, 10 -- 11:30 am
Meet at the Minnehaha Park music pavilion
It’s time for a winter quest! Bring the family out to Minnehaha Park where you will be able to hike, explore and follow the clues placed throughout the park to unlock its secrets and find a hidden treasure. It's a nature-based scavenger hunt in winter. After the quest is completed, stick around to spend some time in the park while enjoying some warm and delicious treats! Call 612-313-7725 for more details or register here.
Samples of Classes and Activities at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts
1011 Washington Avenue South, 612-215-2520, http://www.mnbookarts.org.
Hours: Monday 10 am -- 5 pm, Tuesday 10 am -- 9 pm, Wednesday-Saturday 10 am -- 5 pm, Sunday 12 noon – 4 pm
Class details, instructor biographies, registration details and online registration are all available at http://www.mnbookarts.org/classes/classes/html. You may also register by calling 612-215-2520.
International Cartoonist Conspiracy Meet-up
Saturday, February 18, 12 noon – 4 pm
Hosted by the Minneapolis cell of the International Cartoonist Conspiracy. Draw and chat with your fellow cartoonists at this monthly open studio meet-up. Location within MCBA's studios may vary (you can always check in at The Shop). For more info, visit the Cartoonist Conspiracy blog. Free and open to the public. No need to pre-register, just drop in! All skill levels welcome.
Mill City Museum Programs and Events
704 Second Street South
For more information about Mill City Museum events call 612-341-7555, or visit http://www.millcitymuseum.org.
Washburn A Mill Tour
Saturday, February 18, 1 pm
Take an in-depth look at the historic Washburn A Mill complex and the award-winning Mill City Museum building on this guided tour. A museum interpreter will take visitors into the building’s many nooks and crannies, highlighting the lives of the men and women who worked there, how the building functioned during its peak flour milling years and the many changes to the building over time. Also covered will be how the mill ruin was converted to a museum and office building. Although many parts of the A mill can be explored on a self-guided basis during a regular museum visit, this is the only opportunity for a guided tour through the entire museum building, and the only chance to see some of its non-public spaces. The tour includes admission to the museum gallery as well as the Flour Tower show. Fee: $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MHS members. Tour includes museum admission. Reservations recommended; call 612-341-7555 or visit http://www.millcitymuseum.org/tours.
Weisman Art Museum
Weisman Art Museum, 333 East River Road
Public Tour | Taking a Closer Look at the Work of Eun-Kyung Suh
Saturday, February 18, and Sunday, February 19, 1 pm
Free guided public tours are offered each Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Tours are thematic and have topics that relate to current exhibitions or artwork/artists. This week, explore and discuss Eun Kyung Suh’s installation for Sympathies.
*****Planning Ahead*****
Restoring a Precious Jewel Benefit
Tuesday, February 21, 5:30 pm
Jax Café, 1928 University Avenue NE
You’re invited to the RESTORING A PRECIOUS JEWEL benefit to benefit the restoration of Our Lady of Lourdes Church. Social hour (cash bar) begins at 5:30 pm with evening prayer at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $55, and an hors d’oeuvres buffet will be served. Tickets for sale after this weekend's Masses. What a great way to celebrate Mardi Gras!
Theater for the Thirsty
March 19 - April 18
Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Avenue South
For details visit http://www.theaterforthethirsty.com/
*****Reminder of Ongoing Activities*****
Classes at Surdyk’s
Mondays and Tuesdays
Surdyk’s Liquor and Cheese Shop, 303 East Hennepin Avenue
Surdyk’s offers an extensive and fun choice of classes to help you learn about wine, beer and cheese (both in general and specific types). Check out their calendar at http://www.surdyks.com/events.aspx.
National Park Service “Ranger on Call” Virtual Tour of the Mississippi River
Visitors and residents of the Twin Cities can now have a national park experience 24 hours a day with Ranger on Call, a new virtual tour of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Ranger on Call is an audio guide to exploring some of the park’s most special places. The guide features a series of 20 stops designed to expand users’ knowledge of the Mississippi River and provoke exploration. Users can listen to stories from all along the 72-mile corridor of the national park, and download podcasts and maps online at http://www.rangeroncall.com. Or, for an all-encompassing park experience, users can visit the featured sites along the river in person and dial 1-877-727-1172 (toll free) for the cell phone tour. Ranger on Call features narration by Don Shelby, who brings to life the stories from diverse communities along the river. Tour stops feature the Minneapolis Riverfront, Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary and Lock and Dam #2 in Hastings. Ranger on Call was created by the National Park Service and the Mississippi River Fund. The national park’s 72-mile boundary stretches along the Mississippi River from Dayton/Ramsey, through Minneapolis and Saint Paul, to just south of Hastings. It includes a range of cultural, economic and natural resources — from historic sites like Fort Snelling to unique features including the river’s only waterfall and gorge, to public parks and wildlife refuges. In addition to protecting the river’s ecosystems and water quality and providing access points for recreation, the park offers a range of volunteer and educational activities, including ranger-led canoe, fishing, biking and hiking programs and school programs. http://www.nps.gov/miss. The Mississippi River Fund is the official charitable partner of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. The fund supports stewardship and community engagement programs that support the park and its mission. These programs include water quality protection, habitat restoration, formal education, and interpretive programs that share with the public the significant role our National Park plays in American history and culture. http://www.missriverfund.org.
Horse and Carriage Tours
Enjoy a tour of the riverfront via a horse-drawn carriage ride. Regular tours are available from both the Nicollet Island Inn and VIC’s Restaurant on Main Street. For information: http://www.thehitchingcompany.com.
Acme Comedy Club
Tuesdays through Thursday, 8 pm; Fridays and Saturdays, 8 and 10:30 pm
708 North First Street
Enjoy stand-up comedy at one of the top five comedy clubs in the country. For more information: http://www.acmecomedycompany.com.
Classes Available at the Lundstrum Center
Lundstrum Center for the Performing Arts, 1617 North Second Street
Dream of performing on Broadway? Preparing for your college audition? Looking to get back into class? Let the Broadway veteran faculty at the Lundstrum Center help develop your gifts. Fall session registration is now open. Children and adults, all levels welcome. Programs include:
The center offers state of the art, spacious, sun lit studios, with free parking and #14 Metro Transit bus-accessible. Class cards available! For a class schedule please check out the center’s website http://www.lundstrumcenter.org or call 612-521-2600 to be put on their mailing list.
Keegan’s Pub Entertainment
Keegan’s Irish Pub, 16 University Avenue NE
Keegan’s Pub offers a full schedule of live music, Irish lessons, pub quizzes and other activities each month. For more information and a full event calendar, visit http://www.keeganspub.com.
*****Informational Resources*****
Park Board Event Calendar
Having fun in Minneapolis parks just got easier! The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB)’s website now features a multi-month event calendar. The current event calendar is now available at http://www.minneapolisparks.org/documents/events.pdf and is a quick guide to MPRB-sponsored and co-sponsored events as well as outside organizers’ permitted events in the parks. Check it out, mark your calendars and enjoy the many events occurring in Minneapolis parks!
Mill City Times
This web site covers “life, work and play in the Historic Mill District.” It also includes an event listing that is more expansive than the Mill District and that would be a useful resource for you in between issues of the RiverCurrent (or if, as sometimes happens, you accidentally deleted it).
Mississippi River Trail
The Mississippi River Trail follows the course of the mighty Mississippi from its headwaters to the Gulf. A new MRT resource website has been launched for the Minnesota segment of the trail http://www.dot.state.mn.us/bike/mrt.html complete with interactive Google Earth based maps, and a complete series of maps printable at 8 1/2” by 11.”
1 Mississippi Campaign
This site includes information on the entire Mississippi River and how you can help protect and enhance it.
*****Riverfront News Articles*****
New Approach by Crown Hydro
http://www.downtownjournal.com/index.php?&story=17952&page=65&category=134
Apartment Developments in Riverfront (and Nearby)
http://finance-commerce.com/2012/01/schafer-richardson-ready-to-start-north-loop-apartments/
End of the Rainbow at Guthrie
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/stageandarts/138166284.html
MWMO Headquarters (fifth item in this piece)
Keegan’s Tenth Anniversary and Eli’s (fourth and sixth items in this piece)
Izzy’s and Park Board Land Acquisition (second and third items in this piece)
Layne Kennedy Exhibit at Mpls Photo Center
Impact of Agriculture on Mississippi River Watershed
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/01/120123-mississippi-river-basin/
Weisman Art Museum Vimeo http://www.minnpost.com/minnclips/2012/01/30/34703/archictecture_minnesota_weisman_art_museum_by_frank_gehry/?utm_source=MinnPost+e-mail+newsletters&utm_campaign=e4b2269a0c-1_30_2012_Daily_Newsletter1_30_2012&utm_medium=email
Above: Minneapolis Riverfront 1973
From MinnPost:
The Mississippi River is cleaner today than it was just 40 years ago. Not coincidentally, it was 40 years ago this year that the Clean Water Act was passed and signed into law. Everyone in the land became liable for his or her own pollution — everyone, except farmers.
The lion's share of the work to clean up the Mississippi, and all rivers across the country, fell on industrial polluters and cities. Governments fined polluting industries, and cities spent millions in storm water and sewer facilities. The taxpayer, in one way or another, footed much of the bill.
Below: Minneapolis Riverfront 1973 Slideshow
Mill City Times | 35W Bridge Memorial | Mill District Block Party | Mill City Media
Monday, February 27, 2012 at 11:00AM