Embrace Winter! MPRB Offers Programs, Classes and Events

The Minneapolis Park & Rec Board recently announced their winter programming line up. Below is a sampling.  Check out the full list online.

- Kids Camps & Classes

Winter Outdoor Adventure Camp Week 1 & Week 2
Spend your winter break in extreme action! Build snow forts, find hidden treasure by compass, go sledding and snowshoeing, track animals in the snow and more! No snow? Don't worry. Our naturalists will still provide fun alternative activities. Be prepared for outdoor winter adventures and dress appropriately. Please click on Week 1 or 2 to register.

Happy Groundhog’s Day!
Tuesday February 2nd 2015 10:30am – 12:00pm: Join us as we celebrate Groundhog’s Day. Stop by Theodore Park any time during the event. Read a story, make a craft, play games, touch animal furs and go on your own groundhog scavenger hunt. Learn more about these animals and about this American holiday. Will the groundhog see his shadow this year? Ages 2-6. $5 dollars per child; adults free.

Come Out and Play Family Nature Club
You don't need to leave the city or even your neighborhood to enjoy fun in nature. It's time to get outside and play! Come Out and Play is a FREE, no-registration, no-obligation program that encourages families to get out and enjoy nature. Research shows that kids who spend time in nature are more relaxed, happier, learn and sleep better, and enjoy better physical health than those who spend the majority of their time indoors. Join our club leader and her children in a natural setting for some unstructured play and exploration. Kids of all ages and their adults are welcome, including (of course) babes-in-arms. Each month the club leader picks a new location in a Minneapolis park to explore. The club meets on weekdays and weekends so all families have the opportunity to participate. For more information contact natureclub@minneapolisparks.org

- December Cooking Classes

Kombucha
Tuesday December 11, 2014 6:00-8:00pm at Theodore Wirth Park Picnic Pavilion (3275 Glenwood Ave.)
Help yourself and your family avoid the cold and the flu season this year by regularly taking your homemade elderberry syrup. We will be making syrup in class to learn the process, so that you can make it at home.
Instructor: Iman Mefleh, co-owner of You Betcha Kimchi, LLC.

Greek Yogurt & Lebneh- Simple Milk Ferments
Thursday December 18, 2014 6:00-7:30pm at Theodore Wirth Park Picnic Pavilion (3275 Glenwood Ave.)
Yogurt populates a whole section of most grocery stores. Yet you can make your own simply and for less money and packaging. Learn to make traditional creamy yogurt and variations: Greek yogurt and "lebneh"- Lebanese strained yogurt spread. Taught by Iman Mefleh, who learned from the "Lebanese Grandmother School of Cooking."
Instructor: Iman Mefleh, co-owner of You Betcha Kimchi, LLC.
 
- Family Winter Programs

Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and for that it is celebrated in many different cultures as the renewing of a season. Learn about the history of the Winter Solstice, catch the sun, make a nature craft, and enjoy a bonfire with treats as we celebrate too!
Saturday December 20th 4pm-6pm

Snowshoeing When the Moon is Full
Join us on snowshoes as we hike through Theodore Wirth Park while the moon is full. Follow animal tracks, listens for owls’ calls and enjoy nature’s evening beauty. Join us for one or both sessions. Snowshoes are provided.
Sunday January 4th 2015, 6pm-8pm and Tuesday February 3rd 2015, 6pm-8pm

Night Owl Snowshoeing
Travel through the Bird Sanctuary on snowshoes while tracking nature's nocturnal hunters. Its owl nesting season and we'll look for signs of local owl species, such as Great Horned Barred and Screech. Meet at the Rose Garden Parking lot on the Roseway RD just east of Lake Harriet Parways. Snowshoes provided. Dress for the weather.
Saturday February 7th 5-6:30pm and Friday February 27th 5-6:30pm

Winter Snowshoe Hike and Bonfire
Follow the moonlit trail along Minnehaha Creek to the Mississippi River, then back to the fire pit to warm up and roast marshmallows. Meet at the Minnehaha Falls Pavilion. Snowshoes provided. Dress for the weather. Winter boots are a must.
Friday January 16th 5-7pm and Friday February 6th 5-7pm

Snowshoeing for the Family at Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary
Drop in any time for this laid back family fun day. Try on a pair of snowshoes and take a hike around the park. Make a snowshoe craft, meet some live animals and stay to enjoy a warm fire. Children under 10 are free with an adult. $5 dollars per person 11 and up.
Saturday January 17th 2015, 10am -12pm

Valentine’s Day Snowshoeing
Looking for an outdoor adventure on Valentine's Day? Travel by sunset or moonlight through the park on snowshoes and go to areas seldom visited in winter. End your evening at the Wirth Pavilion where you'll warm up by the fire and make homemade hot chocolate. Meet at the Wirth Beach parking lot. Snowshoes provided. Dress for the weather. Winter boots are a must.
Saturday February 14th 5pm-7pm and 7:30pm-9:30pm

Snowshoeing and Birding
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean all the birds have headed south. Join us at Theodore Wirth Park as we hike through the park on snowshoes looking for birds. Learn how to identify bird calls as well as examine some bird bio facts. Join us for a warm drink and fire inside the pavilion after we hike. If the snow has melted by the day of the hike, still plant to hike on foot with binoculars. Snowshoes and binoculars will be provided but feel free to bring your own. $7.00 per person
Saturday February 28th 9am-11am
 
Maple Syruping Demonstration
Learn about the history of Maple Syruping and experience the process first-hand, from sap to syrup. Discover how and why trees produce sap, see demonstrations of traditional and modern syruping techniques, participate in hands-on activities, and pick up some delicious maple syrup recipes to try at home. Meet at the Theodore Wirth Pavilion. Parking is available across Glenwood Avenue at the Wirth Beach Parking lot. Live trees will not be tapped at this event.
Saturday March 14th 11am-1pm
                              
- Preview January Cooking Classes

Look for more cooking classes to come in 2015:  Pizza-making, Dark chocolate from scratch, cooking with herbs, spices and "weeds," Gluten-free baking, preserving the harvest classes, easy at-home ferments, cooking with honey, children's cooking classes, personal and household cleaning products and much, much more!
  

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul's December Lineup

December offerings from The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul:

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

December 5 - 11
MN Premiere | MN Theatrical Exclusive

Legendary Studio Ghibli cofounder Isao Takahata adapts Japan's most famous folktale in this gorgeous, hand-drawn masterwork, decades in the making. Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter, a tiny girl grows rapidly into a mysterious young princess. She enthralls all who encounter her, but harbors a dark secret that she alone must confront. Presented in both English and Japanese!

The Liberator

December 5 - 11
series: Cine Latino | MN Theatrical Exclusive

A sell out smash hit at the Film Society's Cine Latino Film Festival, this Venezuelan Oscar® hopeful returns for a special theatrical run! Rising international star Édgar Ramírez takes the lead in this dramatic story of Simón Bolívar, one of Latin America's most inspirational and influential figures, and his lifelong quest for independence from Spain.

The Babadook

December 12 - 18
Minneapolis Exclusive

When William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, calls it the most terrifying film he's ever seen, one should take note. Directed by a former apprentice of Lars Von Trier, the film follows a single mother who struggles to control her son's fear of a monster he believes is coming to kill them both: the Babadook.

Awake: The Life of Yogananda

December 12 - 18
Minneapolis Exclusive

An unconventional documentary about the Hindu Swami who brought yoga and meditation to the West in the 1920s, and authored the spiritual classic "Autobiography of a Yogi," which has become a spiritual classic used by yoga lovers and philosophers everywhere, and bears the distinction of being the only book Steve Jobs kept on his iPad!

Eugene Onegin

December 16 at 7:00pm | December 21 at 1:00pm
series: Opera on Screen

Tchaikovsky is best known for his symphonic scores and ballets, yet his operas also occupy a place of honor in his oeuvre. Eugene Onegin, based on the novel by Pushkin, is without a doubt, one of his very finest works. Peter Mattei, who "has acquired a fabulous vocal profile and is a gifted actor blessed with debonair self-confidence," carries the title role superbly.

JOHN

December 29 at 7:00pm | January 3 at 1:00pm
series: National Theatre Live

Internationally renowned DV8 Physical Theatre bring their powerful new production to the National Theatre. The company's new production, JOHN, authentically depicts real-life stories, combining movement and spoken word to create an intense and moving theatrical experience. 

Holiday Music at the Government Center

The Hennepin County Government Center (Skyway Level, 300 South 6th Street) will continue its annual tradition of seasonal and holiday performances, free and open to the public.  All performances are Noon – 1:00pm unless otherwise noted.

SCHEDULE:

Dec. 5:  City-County Chorus
Hennepin County, City of Minneapolis and 4th Judicial District Court employees perform a variety of songs of the season.

Dec. 9:  City-County Chorus
Hennepin County, City of Minneapolis and 4th Judicial District Court employees perform a variety of songs of the season.

Dec. 12:  Chippewa Middle School, Noon – 12:50pm
8th grade orchestra plays to communicate a love for beauty in sound, an appreciate for teamwork, and a sincere wish for the audience to have a happy holiday season.

Dec. 16:  Ameriprise Holiday Choir
Sponsored by Ameriprise Financial, Inc. since 1986, 25 members performing secular, Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa holiday songs.

Dec. 18:  City-County Chorus
Hennepin County, City of Minneapolis and 4th Judicial District Court employees perform a variety of songs of the season.
                                                         
Look for more news on the Hennepin County website.

Minneapolis Tops in the Nation in National Night Out Participation

Via a December 1 City of Minneapolis e-newsletter:

December 1, 2014 (MINNEAPOLIS) Thanks to incredible community support and an increase in community policing, Minneapolis has once again grabbed the trophy for top National Night Out (NNO) city in the country. It is the city’s 3rd year in a row topping the charts nationwide.

1,484 events were registered for NNO in 2014, setting a record on our City streets the night of August 5th. Attendance totaled more than 74,000 and more than 23,500 of them were kids and young adults. All told, 19% of Minneapolis’ total population participated in the celebration and 100% of city’s 83 residential neighborhoods participated this year.

“Our communities and block club leaders realize what a tremendous honor this is for our City. Our Officers and Crime Prevention Specialists certainly do. The numbers prove that we have a very strong partnership with the neighborhoods that play a huge part in helping keep our streets safe,” Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau said. 

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Mill City Times Note - Over 500 neighbors gathered on the Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront overlooking the Stone Arch Bridge for food, drink, music and fun for National Night Out on August 5, 2014:

MacPhail Music for Life™ Offerings

MacPhail Music for Life™ is a new program for adults 55+ looking for a comfortable and inviting place to pursue music. These offerings are specifically tailored for adult learners and provide a diverse range of musical experiences in a relaxed, enjoyable, and supportive environment. 55+ adults choose music for many reasons: relaxation, "Alzheimer’s prevention," "bucket list" or just pure joy. Whatever your reason, MacPhail Music for Life™ will help you have fun making music with people like you.

More info at: http://www.macphail.org/OFFERINGS/ADULTS/mmfl

New, Healthy Lunch Spot Opens Downtown

With a name like Sprout Salad, it has to offer healthy choices, right?  Well, this new lunch spot in the skyway has 10 entree's - salads & wraps - on the menu, all between 200-485 calories.  Open between between 10am and 3pm, it's produce is delivered each day,  ensuring fresh , high quality meals. They also prepare each meal in front of the customer, so you know what you're getting.  From the Sprout Salad website:

Inspired by clean eating and healthy lifestyle, we became obsessed with solving the “typical salad bar” problem.  For way too long, your everyday salad bars and delis have been making salads less and less appetizing. Same boring ingredients, same lack of creativity, same old dressings and most importantly, same old experience.

With Sprout, we wanted to take something that’s been around a long time and introduce it in a new and fresh way.  How does one reinvent the wheel?  Simple, build it the way it’s supposed to be in the first place: use the freshest locally sourced ingredients, prep and cook in-house daily, create unique small batch dressings from scratch, and never stop innovating the menu and introducing new and exciting options for our customers to try.  We also suspected that some people may not always want a salad, but the same overused tortilla wrap just didn’t seem right, so we decided to make our wraps in a warm and delicious lavash flatbread instead.  Trust us, it’s better!

The Menu:

SPROUT CLASSICS

Mighty Aphrodite $7.5 320 Cal

Orzo, tri-color quinoa, cucumber, red bell pepper, teardrop tomatoes, Kalamata olives, chickpeas, red onions, imported Feta cheese with romaine & baby spinach

best with grilled chicken +$2.5

suggested with: fresh lemon-oregano vinaigrette

Sprout Chicken Caesar $7 340 Cal

Grilled chicken with romaine, handmade sourdough croutons and shaved parmesan cheese

suggested with: Sprout virtually oil-free Caesar

Sienna $8.5 300 Cal

Grilled chicken, radicchio, Kalamata olives, Italian parsley, toasted almonds, dried cranberries with Napa cabbage & baby kale

suggested with: lemon Creole mustard vinaigrette

Heartland Cobb $9.5 485 Cal

Grilled chicken, avocado, Nueske bacon, teardrop tomatoes, Maytag blue cheese, hard-cooked egg, olives with romaine

suggested with: classic French vinaigrette

LIGHT & FUN

Chop Chop $8.5 225 Cal

Grilled chicken, golden beets, radish, carrots, bean sprouts with baby kale & cabbage mix

suggested with: fresh carrot ginger vinaigrette

South Beach $9 250 Cal

Teardrop tomatoes, golden beets, frisee, tri-color quinoa, toasted Marcona almonds, citrus segments, with arugula & watercress

best with grilled wild salmon +$3.5

suggested with: citrus solara sherry vinaigrette

Riviera Nicoise $10 200 Cal

Grilled wild salmon, frisee, fingerling potato, green beans, Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, hard-cooked egg with arugula & watercress

suggested with: classic French vinaigrette

FOODIE

K-Town $9.5 365 Cal

Korean BBQ steak, crispy wontons, kimchee, hard-cooked egg, scallion, carrots, roasted seaweed, toasted sesame seeds, with baby spinach

suggested with: spicy gochujang vinaigrette

Ensalada Mexicana $8 390 Cal

Avocado, teardrop tomatoes, pickled red onions, grilled corn, crispy jalapeños, pepitas, Cotija cheese with romaine & cabbage mix

best with blackened shrimp +$4

suggested with: jalapeño honey lime

Argentine Steak $9 400 Cal

Grilled USDA Choice flank steak, roasted red peppers, grilled red onions, tri-color quinoa, black beans with romaine & arugula

suggested with: chimichurri vinaigrette

[Download] A-Mill Hydro Project / Fish Entrainment and Mortality Study

The objective of this fish entrainment and mortality study is to provide the information necessary to estimate potential project operational effects on fisheries resources in the upper Mississippi River, namely the potential for fish to become impinged or entrained at the proposed Project facilities. The general approach utilized to conduct this study is as follows:

1. Describe the physical characteristics of the proposed Project that may influence fish-related turbine entrainment, impingement, and survival;

2. Describe the species composition of the existing fish community;

3. Assess the potential for trashrack exclusion and/or impingement of the target species;

4. Provide monthly turbine entrainment rates from existing empirical data, and utilize these rates to estimate monthly turbine entrainment for the target species using existing hydrologic records or information and proposed Project operations; and

5. Calculate turbine mortality rates for the range of target species’ sizes expected to become entrained, and apply these rates to the monthly entrainment estimates.

Download the report...

Monday, December 15 - Later with Lisa

From the office of Council Member Lisa Goodman:

Later with Lisa

Monday, December 15, 2014

4:30 pm—6:30 pm

The Normandy Inn - 405 South 8th St

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Council Member Goodman is excited to invite you to a non-traditional “Lunch with Lisa”:

We are hosting “Later with Lisa” at the Historic Normandy Inn.

Complementary Hors D’oeuvres, parking and cash bar.

Please Join Lisa, Patrick & Ruth Along with Special Guest Commissioner Marion Greene

Socialize, nibble and visit with your Ward 7 neighbors

We wish you a wonderful Holiday Season and a very Happy New Year

Please let us know if you are able to attend.

RSVP to: 612.673.2207 or ruth.weakly@minneapolismn.gov

RSVPs appreciated but not a must.

Monday, December 15 - Jacob Frey's First Annual Holiday Party

Please Join Us For

Jacob Frey's First Annual Holiday Party

 

Monday, December 15

5:00 - 7:00 PM

 

At the Soo Line Building
501 Marquette Ave S

Downtown Minneapolis

 

Along with co-hosts:

Siyad Abdullahi - Tony Barranco - Jennifer Breitinger - Richard Carlbom - Joel Carlson - Jackie Cherryhomes - John & Laura Crosby - Barb Davis - Fran Davis - Jonna Davis - Lou Demars - Sen. Scott Dibble - Kelly Doran - Dean Dovolis - Tyrone Folliard - Ted Grindal - Joe Grunnet - Clayton Halunen & David Duddingston - Tom Hoch - Fabian Hoffner - Nancy Hylden & Commissioner Peter McLaughlin - Ted Johnson - Ambassador Sam Kaplan & Sylvia Kaplan - Michelle Kelm-Helgen - Todd Klingel - Kathleen Lamb - Len Levine - Peggy Lucas - Bob Lux - Curt Martinson - Dan McConnell - Bill McGrann - Matt McNeill - Dore & Ron Mead - Charlie Nauen - Michael & Darcel Rainville - Larry Redmond - Win & Binky Rockwell - Carl Runck - Andy Schriner - Jim & Cindie Smart - Cecil Smith - Melvin Tennant - Paul Rexford Thatcher - Dave Tinjum & Kim Eslinger - Brent & Nora Webb

 

(Co-host committee is currently in formation. Please contact Joel Dumonsau at joel.dumonsau@unitedstrategiesllc.com to join!)

 

You can contribute online today!

 

To RSVP or for more information, contact Joel Dumonsau at joel.dumonsau@unitedstrategiesllc.com.

 
Thank you,

JACOB FREY

Our Flickr Photos Hit the One Million Views Mark

Our Flickr photo sharing account - https://www.flickr.com/photos/millcitytimes - hit 1 million views last week.

Hennepin County Public Truth in Taxation Meeting is December 2

Via a November 26 Hennepin County e-newsletter:

Hennepin County will hold a public meeting on the proposed 2015 budget and property tax levy – commonly called the Truth in Taxation meeting – at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 2, in the County Board Room on the 24th floor of the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S. Sixth Street in downtown Minneapolis.

Hennepin County is proposing a 2015 budget of $1.802 billion – an increase of 0.27 percent from the 2014 budget – and a property tax levy of $699.988 million– a 2.75 percent increase in the net property tax levy from 2014.

The budgets and levies for the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority and Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority also will be discussed at the meeting.

For more details, go online to www.hennepin.us/hcbudget. Contact the Hennepin County Clerk's Office to sign up if you wish to speak: 612-348-4019.

Free parking is provided for residents attending the meeting if they park in the Government Center’s underground ramp after 5 p.m.The ramp entrance is on Third Avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets.

Small Business Saturday, November 29

Please join us in supporting our neighborhood businesses!  :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and here's my all-time favorite Turkey Day 5K picture (from 2011):

La Rive Condominiums Becomes Energy Independent

Via a November 25, 2014, Press Release from La Rive Condominiums:
 
LA RIVE CONDOMINIUMS BECOMES ENERGY INDEPENDENT

On November 6, 2014, La Rive Condominium completed the construction of its own heating/cooling and domestic hot water energy plant. Previously, La Rive received its energy from Sentinel Property Management under a 30-year legacy agreement with Riverplace Eastbridge offices and Falls/Pinnacle residences. By establishing its own energy source before the legacy agreement expired December 31, 2014, La Rive now provides its homeowners with the most cost efficient and state-of-the art equipment to serve current and future homeowners.

La Rive is proud that its energy plant was designed and built with the latest energy-efficient technology and sound reduction equipment to benefit both its residents and neighbors.

Items of note are:

   • Three high efficiency-small footprint boilers providing 7.5 million BTU heating capacity for homeowner units, common spaces and garage areas, and converting the pool and hot tub heating from less efficient electric.
   • A single 440-ton cooling tower surrounded by a high technology sound enclosure that assures whisper-quiet performance in a bricked enclosure that matches and blends with existing exterior.
   • A boiler exhaust plume abatement system that recaptures the heat from the boiler exhaust in the winter and injects that energy into the core-heating loop.  The result is lower energy costs and virtually no unsightly plume to block resident’s views or ice formation under the discharge area.

“We were very pleased to report to our residents that the net result of over five  years of hard work by our energy committee is that we were able to build this project on-time and on-budget and deliver a 2015 dues reduction from the energy efficiency of this system” said Gary Gleason, Board President.

Kate Grutzmacher, Property Manager with First Residential (formerly Gittleman), added “LaRive is one of the premier condominium properties in Minneapolis and will continue to be because of the outstanding leadership of its board of directors and the dedication of its residents to serve on committees to continuously improve its facilities.”

Our Lady of Lourdes' Famous French Meat Pies Now Available

Our Lady of Lourdes began serving French Meat Piesin the late 1800's at it's traditional holiday dinners at the church. Many of the French and French Canadian parishioners also prepared the "tourtieres" for their own families to serve at Christmas and New Year's Day.  Over the years at Our Lady of Lourdes, people would prepare and serve their meat pies at various parish events.  The women who cooked for funerals, in particular, would have different recipes, so they worked through to create a consensus in order to find the best one, which is now the recipe for the parish.

These French Meat Pies are now available for purchase at the Parish House during office hours, and also on weekends after Masses. Pies are $20.00 each - receive a free insulated bag with the purchase of two!

What Happens When History Relocates?

Susan Wakefield, the corporate archivist at General Mills, talks about the new location for the company's one-of-a-kind Archives collection.

Read the General Mills blog post on the topic...

Holidazzle Village Volunteer Opportunity

You can be part of the management of the Information Booth, which is in Santa's Workshop, on Nicollet Mall / Peavey Plaza.

Volunteers are needed for nine (9) weekend dates, beginning Friday, November 28, from 3 pm to 8 pm.

Download the volunteer flyer:

https://app.box.com/shared/static/si8igtro8ucr895z8pkq.pdf

The Doughboy Rises Again!

Excerpt from the General Mills Blog:

A new Pillsbury Doughboy balloon will make its first official flight in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

But thanks to its test launch earlier this month, you’re seeing it first right here.

The Doughboy was one of six new balloons made for the parade to fly at “Balloonfest” on a sunny Saturday, Nov. 8, high above a parking lot at Citi Field.

And I was there to see the Macy’s team unload the balloon, spread it out, inflate it and launch it – all in the course of six hours or so.

- See more at: http://blog.generalmills.com/2014/11/the-doughboy-rises-again/

Planning Underway for Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Reconstruction

From MPRB:

Planning is underway for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Reconstruction and Cowles Conservatory Renovation. To learn more and get involved, visit the project webpage or go to www.minneapolisparks.org/currentprojects, then select Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Reconstruction and Cowles Conservatory Renovation. 

On the project webpage, you can: 

• Sign up for email updates,
• Share your ideas on an online survey,
• Apply to serve on the Community Advisory Committee (CAC). Applications are now being accepted for the Community Advisory Committee for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Reconstruction and Cowles Conservatory Renovation. Applications will be accepted until noon on Wednesday, November 26, 2014. Download an application and learn more by visiting the project webpage,

Learn more about the project.  

Take the Annual Downtown Minneapolis Perception Survey

From Minneapolis D.I.D:
 
Your input on safety, cleanliness, and the public realm will be used to help make downtown Minneapolis a better place to live, work, and visit.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and your responses will be kept confidential.

Upon completion of this survey you will have an opportunity to enter a prize drawing! Five lucky winners will receive a $50 gift card to one of these great downtown businesses: Butcher & The Boar, The Loon, Mason, McCormick & Schmick's, and Sawatdee.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MDIDSurvey2014EDC