January 30, 2015, Friday - Mississippi River Forum: "Hold the Salt, Please: Chloride Pollution in our Waters"

Time:  8:00am-9:30am

Location: McKnight Foundation, 710 2nd Street S, Suite 400

Happy winter, Minnesota! We seem to love (hate?) our extreme weather here, and our public works crews make it possible even to bicycle through the nastiest of wintry conditions. But many Minnesotans don't realize that road and sidewalk salt is polluting our waters. When snow and ice melt from roads, parking lots, and sidewalks, the salt we apply to those surfaces goes with them, washing into our lakes, streams, wetlands, and groundwater. It takes only one teaspoon of road salt to permanently pollute five gallons of water. Once in the water, there is no way to remove the chloride that comes from salt; at high concentrations, chloride can harm fish and plant life.

Brooke Asleson and Rachel Olmanson are Watershed Project Managers with the MN Pollution Control Agency.

This event is free but please RSVP to lark_weller@nps.gov.

The Mississippi River Forum seeks to increase coordination between a multidisciplinary group of water resources practitioners and decision-makers. The Forum is also an opportunity for practitioners to connect their work to those in different fields who also impact the quality of the river.

January 30, 2015, Friday - Live Music at Crooked Pint

Time: 9:00pm

Location: Crooked Pint Ale House, 501 Washington Avenue South

Tonight: Grand Dynasty and Straya

January 30, 2015, Friday - Callaghan at Aster Cafe

Time: 9:00pm (Advance $12/Day of show $15)

Location: Aster Cafe, 125 Main Stree SE

Tonight: Callaghan

All reservations for the show MUST be made by calling Aster Café directly at 612-379-3138, and include Brown Paper Ticket confirmation numbers for each member of the reservation.

Originally from the UK Callaghan moved to the USA in summer 2010 to record and tour with Grammy- Nominee Shawn Mullins and has been touring and building her audience ever since. Callaghan plays piano and guitar and delivers a vocal which earns frequent comparisons with artists like Sarah McLachlan and Emmy Lou Harris. Her songwriting chronicles the stories, experiences and emotions which are part of everyone’s lives. Watching her show you’ll enjoy thoughtful lyrics, haunting vocals, and catchy melodies.

A long-time Shawn Mullins fan, she contacted the Atlanta singer-songwriter through MySpace, and after being knocked out by her music he agreed to a rare collaboration. Callaghan left her London digs and boarded a plane headed for the American South: the experience was the inspiration for the opening track from her album, Best Year.

Her debut album, Life in Full Colour was tracked in and around Atlanta with Mullins both producing and playing on the record. It released in summer 2012 to a great reaction. The Huffington Post describes the album as “joyful listening”, while InLiveMusic says “Callaghan’s voice is stunning, clear and is perfect for the story telling of her songs”

Since then Callaghan has been on the road touring with artists including Shawn Mullins, Ed Kowalczyk, Matthew Sweet, Jake Shimabukuro, Matthew Perryman-Jones and more. She’s now headlining shows across the USA. Callaghan has just finished tracking her new studio album in Nashville. The recording was entirely financed by fans through pledge music and the new record will release in 2015.

Please join us to enjoy this artist’s gorgeous voice and songwriting live!

To download a free 6 song EP please visit www.callaghansongs.com. 

January 29, 2015, Thursday - The State of the Ward and Third aWards at Nye's

Time:   6:30pm to 8:30pm

Location:  Nye's Polonaise Room, 112 East Hennepin

Please R.S.V.P by calling 612-673-2203 or emailing zack.farley@minneapolismn.gov.

Join Council Member Jacob Frey for his 1st annual State of the Ward Address and Third aWards. Awards will be given for Leader of the Year, Local Business of the Year, Neighborhood Project/Initiative of the Year and Youth Leader of the Year.
 
“The Third aWards is a time to recognize our amazing residents and small business owners that help make the Third Ward a spectacular place.” Council Member Jacob Frey.

The State of the Ward and Third aWards will take place Thursday, January 29, 2015 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Nye's Polonaise Room, 112 East Hennepin. Please R.S.V.P early by calling 612-673-2203 or emailing Zack at zack.farley@minneapolismn.gov

January 28, 2015, Wednesday - Nicollet Mall Project Update at Central Library

Time:  8:00a-9:30a

Location: Central Library, Pohlad Hall, 300 Nicollet Mall

Learn more about the Nicollet Mall Project.  Also see www.nicolletmallproject.com

January 28, 2015, Wednesday - Happy Hour With a Preservationist: Pillsbury A Mill

Time: 5:30pm to 6:30pm

Location: Meet at the construction office door 301 Main Street SE, Minneapolis. (Parking at meters on the street.)

Preserve Minneapolis

Cost: This event is free, but reservations are required, as space is limited. Click here to reserve.

 

One of the landmark structures of the Minneapolis riverfront, and a major force in making the city what it is today, the Pillsbury A Mill opened in 1881. It was the largest flour mill in the world, a title it held for the next four decades.

 

Now, after sitting empty and unused for years, this iconic structure is being turned into the A-Mill Artists Lofts. This project is currently under construction with plans to be open mid-summer 2015. It’s a perfect time to view the evolution of a riverfront landmark.

 

We’re delighted to offer a sneak peek, with a guided tour led by John Stark, AIA, project architect with BKV Group; Richard Kennedy, Superintendent from Weis Builders; and Owen Metz, developer from Dominium Inc. Join us to learn about the restoration process and the plans for the artist lofts and studio spaces, and to see firsthand how the building it being restored and put back together. If it’s very quiet, you may even hear the Mississippi River still flowing through the tunnel under Main Street.

 

The tour will take about an hour and a half. Construction is still underway, so please wear solid shoes and long pants, and know that some areas will be unheated and cold.

 

** THIS TOUR IS FREE, BUT RESERVATIONS ARE MANDATORY, SPACE IS LIMITED, AND TICKETS ARE EXPECTED TO GO FAST. RESERVE YOUR SPOT ON EVENTBRITE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/happy-hour-with-a-preservationist-pillsbury-a-mill-tickets-15129339261 **

January 27, 2015, Tuesday - Seminar Series at the SAFL

Time: 3:30pm - 5:00pm

Location: St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL), 2 3rd Avenue SE

The Minneapolis Parks Foundation Executive Director, Tom Evers, will kick off the 2015 weekly seminar series at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (also known as the Stream Lab).

RE-ENVISIONING THE MINNEAPOLIS RIVERFRONT

Tom Evers, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation will delve into the vision this unique organization is creating for the future of Minneapolis Parks and the people they serve. Highlights will include the Water Works park plan, released and presented to the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board in October 2014, and fully funded by the private sector. This fresh look at a critical nexus of public space on the West Bank of St. Anthony Falls was developed in part through an intensive community engagement process and puts forward a comprehensive vision for a next-generation park that meets the needs and reflects the values of today’s generation and those to follow. Evers will also explore next steps in the visionary RiverFirst plan, through which the community will re-invest in the Minneapolis Upper Riverfront with four new parks and miles of new riverfront trails. Running through both of these projects and connecting them throughout the city and region are four strategic focus areas on which the Parks Foundation will focus beginning in 2015: Envisioning and creating the Next Generation of Parks; Enhancing existing parks and public space; Supporting and promoting innovative pilot programming in our parks, and; Convening dialog about the value of parks and Minneapolis Parks System.

**********

The weekly series, which runs January-April, features a hodgepodge of speakers from academia, government and industry espousing on topics related to the environment, geophysics, biological fluid mechanics and engineering. Which might make you wonder why the Executive Director from a non-profit will be at the podium, 3:30-5pm, Tuesday, January 27, but rest assured, the topic is relevant: Re-envisioning the Minneapolis Riverfront.

All Stream Lab seminars are free and open to the public. So read up on Tom’s abstract and then join us for the talk in the auditorium of the Stream Lab, which is located at 2 Third Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.

Can’t make Tom’s engagement in-person, or prefer to watch from the comfort of your own desk? Then check out the Stream Lab’s livestream during the event.

January 25, 2015, Sunday - Baking Memories: White vs. Whole Wheat at Mill City Museum

Time: 2:00pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 2nd Street South

Fee: $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MHS members. Tour includes museum admission.

See how history is revealed in food in the Baking Lab. Museum staff demonstrate making brownies from scratch versus a mix and share the history of the development of baking mixes. Visitors will be able to taste the results and vote on their favorite, learn home baking tips and take home a copy of the recipe.

January 24, 2015, Saturday - History Day Hullabaloo at Central Library

Time: 11:00am-3:00pm

Location: Central Library, Room N-361, 300 Nicollet Mall

History Day Hullabaloo

For teens. Get personalized help with narrowing your topic, developing your paper, identifying primary resources and finding the best library materials. Librarians, Minnesota History Day staff and mentors from the University of Minnesota will help you make sense of and break down your project into workable phases. Plenty of time for questions.

Presented in collaboration with Minnesota Historical Society.

Future date: Saturday, Feb. 14, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

January 24, 2015, Saturday - Taste Twin Cities Downtown Minneapolis Skyway Tour

Time: 2:00pm

Location: 800 LaSalle Plaza (On Hennepin Avenue between 8th & 9th)

Taste Twin Cities Food Tours - Downtown Minneapolis Skyway

Future dates: Jan 31; Feb 7, 14

Tour Facts
•Indoor 3 hour walking tour in the heart of downtown Minneapolis using the skyway system
•Saturdays at 2:00pm
•Flat route with slight inclines and declines, approximately .8 of a mile, bathrooms available at some stops
•5 stops
•Tour limited to 12 people, advance tickets required. Private tours available year round for larger groups.
•Begins at LaSalle Plaza (800 LaSalle Plaza), located on Hennepin Ave between 8th & 9th Street; ends at Metro Building (80 9th Street S)
•$45/pp

While it's chilly outside, join us as we weave our way through the cozy corners of downtown Minneapolis skyways on a food adventure. We will stroll through the "Broadway" Theatre District and enjoy VIP service as we visit some of the newest and hottest award winning restaurants downtown has to offer. The tour includes seeing the Minneapolis skyscraper that was modeled after the Washington Monument and visiting the famous Statue of Mary Richards tossing her hat. Along the way we will also visit quaint eateries that have pride in local ownership; including a favorite since 1932. You will participate in tea sampling and learn the secrets behind the great food you are enjoying. You'll leave the tour with a tasty experience of some of the best food finds Minneapolis has to offer all while learning history of downtown and soaking in the local culture.

•Mouth watering flat bread pizza at a local hot spot
•Fine chocolates to be savored
•Locally brewed Minnesota draft beer paired with appetizer (non-alcoholic tastings available)
•Ham and Pear Crisp Sandwich with fresh home-made chips from the restaurant that has "damn good food"!
•Sinfully delicious variety of cupcakes
•Deliciously sweet and salty popular Chicago Mix® popcorn
•Sip on warm and comforting loose leaf tea (private tours only)
•Variety of a delicious French pastry; the Macaroon
•Featured on the Cooking Channel Unique Sweets - Bourbon Whiskey Caramel Donut Bread Pudding Loaf (private tours only)

*Tastings subject to change without notice. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated.

Register.

January 24, 2015, Saturday - Wintertide: Biennial Juried Art Exhibition, Opening Reception

Time: 7:00pm - 11:00pm

Location: Public Functionary, 1400 12th Avenue NE

Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) and Public Functionary present Wintertide, a biennial juried art exhibition debuting in January 2015. $10,500 in cash awards will be presented to artists at the opening.

Come celebrate the bounty of outstanding artwork that NEMAA artists have to offer - a bright light in Northeast during the coldest time of the year.

Opening Reception/Prizes Awarded: Saturday, January 24, 7pm-11pm

Exhibit Dates/Hours
January 24 - February 7, 2015

Hours: Thursday, 12pm-6pm / Friday, 12pm-6pm / Saturday, 12pm-6pm

January 23, 2015, Friday - Teen Open Mic Night at MacPhail Center for Music

Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: MacPhail Center for Music, Room 126, 501 S 2nd Street

Teen Open Mic Night Hosted by the MacPhail Teen Advisory Council

Open mic night is a casual, fun and social night presented by teens for teens! We’re looking for a variety of styles and instruments—everything from Bach to Rock! You are welcome to perform individually or in a group. Or—just come and enjoy the music of other performers. All teens are welcome!

Email macphail.tac@gmail.com to sign up or if questions. Deadline: Friday, January 9.

Please include your name, song title and song length (under 6 minutes, please) and if you have any set up needs. An accompanist will be provided if you sign up in advance. The accompanist needs 2 weeks of lead time. Please include piano part to accompanist with form (will be emailed to you at time of sign up).

January 23, 2015, Friday - 1 Year Anniversary Party at Day Block Brewing (5 days)

Friday, January 23, 11:00 AM - Tuesday, January 27, 11:00 PM

Help Day Block Brewing celebrate ONE YEAR with a 5 day Anniversary celebration.

This event will feature special beer releases including our Coffee Porter, Black IPA, Imperial Stouts and Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Rye, Hot Scotchieswill be served all weekend (What's a Hot Scotchie? Come in and find out!).

Weekend of Giveaways! -  Chances to win 6 pack of Growlers, Gift Cards, Bacon Raffles, Brewer for a Day (You can choose Paul or Dan). Visit Day Block any time during our anniversary and receive a raffle entry with every beer purchased!

January 23, 2015, Friday - Live Music at Aster Cafe

Time: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm $10

Aster Cafe, 125 Main Street SE

Tonight: Michael McDermott’s new band “the Westies”

This is no guy/girl group. The Westies are a band that unabashedly confronts the trials of the inner city heart with a slow burn delicacy that juxtaposes many uncomfortable subjects with a tender and elegant beauty that is rare in the current music landscape.

The Westies album “West Side Stories” is a song cycle inspired by the real life Westies “a ruthless gang of Irish mob punks that ruled Hell’s Kitchen in the 60’s and 70’s”. The gangsters serve as a metaphor for the dark side that lurks inside us all. The unexplained forces that cause internal struggles, destroy relationships and leave us clinging to love as just a memory.

Call it Ameri-gangsta-cana.

January 23, 2015, Friday - Mentor Series Reading: Diego Vázquez Jr. at The Loft

Time: 7:00pm

Location: The Loft Literary Center, at Open Book (Performance Hall), 1011 Washington Ave

Tonight: Mentor Series Reading: Diego Vázquez Jr.

The 2014–15 Loft Mentor Series in Poetry and Creative Prose presents fiction mentor Diego Vázquez Jr. reading along with program participants Rebecca Diaz (fiction) and Timothy Otte (poetry).

Diego Vázquez Jr. is a poet, novelist, storyteller. He comes from indigenous migrants who crossed invisible lines to become immigrants under a common sky. He has never met an illegal human. Vázquez is grateful for his ongoing participation in The Women’s Writing Program at the Ramsey County Correctional Facility and the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River. This remarkable experience allows him new insights into the strength and joy of the human heart. Vázquez is the author of Growing Through the Ugly. He is completing work on a forthcoming novel, Border Town Sky.

Rebecca Diaz graduated from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University with her BA in Writing & Literature. She is a homegrown artist, enchanted and inspired by the landscape, culture and psyche of her rural Minnesota hometown of Crookston. Growing up with Christian Fundamentalists and her love for the Red Lake River taught her almost everything she needs to know about life and writing. She is a poet turned fiction writer, looking into the tributaries of language, healing, and religious addiction. Rebecca has been published in S(y)mposium, BASE: Building Alliances for Social Engagement, Flaneur Foundry Arts Journal, fre-quen-cy: the poethics of change, Monkey Puzzle Magazine, Stays Magazine, and others. She lives in Minneapolis with her dog, and is courting the Mississippi River.

Timothy Otte writes text for page and performance. His work has appeared online at Paper Darts and at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. He is Senior Editorial Associate at Hazel & Wren, an online literary community. He is from and lives in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, but keeps a home on the internet at http://www.timothyotte.com/.

January 23, 2015, Friday - Live Music at Crooked Pint

Time: 9:00pm

Location: Crooked Pint Ale House, 501 Washington Avenue South

Tonight: Fuzzy Math, Dan Fowlds (Pill Hill) & Friends 

January 22, 2015, Thursday - Minneapolis After the Locks - Unlocking Opportunities at Mill City Museum

Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 South 2nd Street

Minneapolis After the Locks - Unlocking Opportunities

Hosted by the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership

The lock is scheduled to be closed in June 2015.  Its closure will change river management practices and have an environmental and an economic impact far beyond the Falls and the local area.  The Forum is designed to help us better understand both the immediate and longer-term consequences of the closure and to hear ideas about how the site and the river can be used in new and different ways.

January 21, 2015, Wednesday - Superior Plating Task Group Meeting at Our Lady of Lourdes Church

Time: 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Location: Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 1 Lourdes Place

Lennar Multifamily will present their design for the redevelopment of the former Superior Plating site.

Agenda is attached and details will also be available at the Nicollet Island – East Bank Neighborhood Association (NIEBNA) website (http://www.niebna.com/).

The conceptual design package for the project is available at https://lennar.box.com/s/hgm62wnahtntf3fouw6ehjmjfrhmuvbj.

January 20, 2015, Tuesday - MN Songwriter Showcase at Mattie's on Main

Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm 

Location:  Matties on Main, 43 Main Street SE

MN Songwriter Showcase is an artist showcase fro local musicians, poets, etc.

Future dates: Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 17, Feb 24, 2015.

January 19, 2015, Monday - DMNA Meeting and A Public Forum: Downtown 2015 - Project & Priorities for the Year Ahead at Mill City Museum

Schedule:
 - 5:45pm DMNA Board Meeting
 - 7:00pm Public Forum: Downtown 2015 - Project & Priorities for the Year Ahead

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 South 2nd Street

Joint Event of the Mill District Neighborhood Association & the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association 

DMNA Board Meeting Agenda:

5:45 pm
  Call to order and introductions
5:50 pm
  Consideration of agenda
5:52 pm
  Consent Agenda
   Consideration of December 4, 2014 Board meeting minutes
   Consideration of December Neighborhood Coordinator Report
5:55 pm
  Financial Update
6:00 pm
  Guest Presentations / Speakers
   Presentation by Webster School Principal Ginger Kranz (15 min)
   Introduction of NCEC 5th District Commissioner Kenya McKnight (10 min)
   Introduction of Toni Newborn, Assistant Director of the Minneapolis Civil Rights   Department (10min)
6:35 pm
  Old business / new business / other business
   Consideration of sending DMNA representation to the Minneapolis Downtown Council Annual Meeting on Tuesday, February 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Hilton Minneapolis (cost $50)
   Continued discussion regarding the Minneapolis Downtown Council’s Greening Minneapolis Task Force
   Update on outreach and collaboration with other downtown organizations
6:40 pm
  Strategic Thinking / Planning Discussion
  Future Meeting Topics - Board or Community Forum
   Consideration of continued sponsorship of the Mill City Farmers Market
   Presentation by Tom Hoch, President and CEO of the Hennepin Theatre Trust and incoming Chair of the Minneapolis Downtown Council regarding the Hennepin Cultural District Branding Campaign
   Presentation by Zan Associates regarding the Nicollet Avenue Streetcar Study
   Hoodstarter.com presentation by Justin Ley
   Introduction of Jack Goldenberg, new owner at Sorella Wine & Spirits
6:45 pm
Adjournment - Community Forum starts at 7 p.m.

A Public Forum: Downtown 2015 - Project & Priorities for the Year Ahead

Following the board meeting, at 6:45 p.m., there will be a joint neighborhood forum hosted by the DMNA and the Mill District Neighborhood Association. The title of the forum is “Downtown 2015 Projects & Priorities.”  This will be the first of a series of forums hosted by the neighborhood groups in 2015.

Guest speakers include the following:
◾Jacob Frey, 3rd Ward City Council Member, Co-Host / General overview of downtown, projects, priorities
◾Tom Evers, Exec. Director Minneapolis Parks Foundation / Downtown Riverfront, Water Works Park
◾Tony Barranco or Mike Ryan, Ryan Co. / Downtown Development look ahead, “The Commons”
◾David Wilson, Accenture / Downtown Public Realm projects, Nicollet Mall Redesign
◾Kjersti Monson, Director of Long Range Planning CPED / Downtown Development and the Downtown Public Realm Steering Committee

Each panelist will give a 5 minute presentation, which will be followed by a panel discussion & audience Q&A session. Please invite your neighbors and friends to attend this great event.

The next DMNA Board Meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 16, 2015, at 5:30 p.m., at the Mill City Museum.