Tomorrow Night: "A Choice of Weapons: A Living Legacy" Exhibit Opening Reception at Mill City Museum

Via an October 23 e-ALERT from the Minnesota Historical Society:

Local High School Students to Showcase Work Alongside Gordon Parks Photography in New Exhibit Opening Thursday 

WHAT: "A Choice of Weapons: A Living Legacy" exhibit will go on display at Mill City Museum Oct. 24, 2013-June 8, 2014 with a companion exhibit at Juxtaposition Arts Oct. 24-Dec. 1, 2013. Both exhibits are free.

WHEN: Opening reception and panel discussion, Thursday Oct. 24, 6 to 9 p.m. (7 p.m. panel discussion)

WHERE: Mill City Museum, 704 S. Second St., Minneapolis

COST: Free. RSVP to oneread@minneapolismn.gov or 612-673-2509. 

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT: The exhibit features approximately 30 photographs created by local high school students alongside images by Gordon Parks, on loan from The Gordon Parks Foundation. Using Park's autobiography "A Choice of Weapons" as inspiration, the students created images portraying people in their communities with dignity and pride. "A Choice of Weapons" is this year’s One Minneapolis One Read selection.

"A Choice of Weapons: A Living Legacy" is made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. Administered by the Minnesota Historical Society.

Long Term Plan for Gold Medal Park Announced at Mill District Neighborhood Forum

City Council Member Lisa Goodman announced a long term solution for preserving Gold Medal Park at the October 21, 2013 meeting of the Mill District Neighborhood Association.

Dubbed the “Gold Medal Park Permanence Plan”, Council Member Goodman outlined a very simple plan:  Use the existing lease arrangement between the Parks Foundation and the City, due to expire in 2 years, as the template and make two simple changes – the term of the lease would be 50 years and the foundation would no longer pay the City of Minneapolis $50,000 per year for the “right” to provide a public amenity for city residents.

Goodman stated that she believes she has the votes to pass the plan, targeting December 2013 for passage.  Prior to the vote, the plan would be heard by the City Planning Commission.

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Rental Property Owner Workshops from the Minneapolis Police Dept.

One of our Mill District neighbors recently obtained a Rental Property Owner Workshop Certificate from the Minneapolis Police Department and wanted to share the information for the benefit of others who own rental property.

The Minneapolis Police Department provides ten or more Rental Property Owner Workshops for rental property owners and managers each year.  Attending the workshop provides attendees with valuable information, resources and opportunities to network with other property owners.

If you own or manager rental property and haven't yet attended one of these workshops, or enrolled in Action Alert lists, contact Luther Krueger, Crime Prevention Analyst.  He can also provide you with a list of owners who have rentals on the same blocks as your rental properties. 

You can reach him at:

Luther Krueger, Crime Prevention Analyst
Minneapolis Police Dept., Property Information Center
350 S. 5th Street, Room 100 City Hall, Minneapolis MN 55415
612-673-5371, Luther.Krueger@MinneapolisMN.gov

Week 24 at the 2013 Mill City Farmers Market

Shoppers looking for the perfect Halloween pumpkin, decorative gourds or yummy squash for baking had the pick of the crop at the October 19 Market.

Public Comment Opportunities for Proposed 2014 Minneapoli​s Park Board Budget

Excerpts from an October 17 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board:

Proposed 2014 Minneapolis Park Board Budget Continues Focus on Fiscal Responsibility, Service Delivery and Maintaining Park System.
 
The Superintendent's Recommended 2014 Budget for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) focuses on maintaining park services and facilities, strategically addressing financial and operational challenges, improving organizational efficiency and service delivery, and addressing threats to the urban tree canopy.

The proposed budget and budget related documents are available for viewing at www.minneapolisparks.org/budget or by calling 612-230-6400. The public may comment on the proposed budget during the following times:
 
Nov. 6, 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. 20, Public Comment Session– Regular Board meeting, MPRB Headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Minneapolis, at 5 pm
 
Dec. 11, Public Hearing – City of Minneapolis public hearing on 2014 tax levy and 2014 Budget, City Hall, Council Chambers Room 317, 350 South 5th Street, Minneapolis, at 6:05 pm

Click here for full announcement and details.

This Weekend at the Guthrie Theater - Telling: Minnesota

This weekend the Guthrie Theater will present The Telling Project's production of Telling: Minnesota in association with the Guthrie Theater's production of An Iliad.
                                                  
The Saturday, October 19, performance at 10:00amis being made available for active military service people, veterans and their families, and the public. The performance will be followed by a reception for attendees in the Pohlad Lobby.
 
The Sunday, October 20, performance at 1:00pm is for the general public as well as active military service people, veterans and their families. This performance will be followed by a short discussion.
 
Detailing military service from Vietnam through to the present, six Minnesota veterans will step onstage at the Guthrie Theater's Dowling Studio to give their first-hand accounts of their lives and the military. Telling: Minnesota is an original play written from interviews with the performers themselves, interwoven into three continuous acts.
 
The performances are free, but tickets are required. Tickets may be reserved by phone at 612.377.2224 or toll-free at 1.877.44STAGE or in person at the Guthrie's Box Office.
 
This piece is recommended for adult audiences, as it contains mature content and themes.

Restaurant Week Fall 2013: October 20-25

Time to start planning for the upcoming October 20 - 25 Restaurant Week. It's a week's worth of fabulous food at unbeatable prices from some of the best restaurants in the Twin Cities. Participating restaurants will present specially priced meals (lunch, dinner, or both) that showcase their culinary offerings in the local dining scenes.

In our neighborhood and near by, visit the following restaurants:

Sanctuary, Sea Change, Red Stag Supperclub, and Haute Dish.

Friday Night - The Great Northeast Pumpkin Grab and Costume Contest

Time: 4:00pm-7:00pm

Location: Outside the Bulldog NE @ E Hennepin & 4th Street NE

Get your Halloween spirit started with a neighborhood pumpkin sale featuring prizes and giveaways. Trick or Treat!

Festivities include:
- Costume Contest
- Trick or Treating at participating locations
- Free Prizes and Gift Bag for Early Birds

Creative City Challenge Returns for 2nd Year - Entry Process is Under Way

The Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) and The Office of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy of the City of Minneapolis, and Meet Minneapolis, in collaboration with Northern Lights.mn and the Northern Spark festival, are pleased to announce the second annual Creative City Challenge, a competition for Minnesotan architects, urban designers, engineers, scientists, artists, students and individuals of all backgrounds to create and install at the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza a temporary, desitnation artwork, which acts as a sociable and participatory platform for summer-long onsite programming, reflects the city's commitment to sound ecological practices, and encourages a sense of connectedness to the city as a whole and its rich cultural and natural offerings.

In its inaugural year, the Creative City Challenge selected the Minneapolis Interactive Macro Mood Installation (MIMMI) as the winner.

This year a jury of city officials and urban placemaking professionals will select 3 finalists to receive a stipend to develop their proposals. The public will then vote on the final proposals, and the selected proposal will receive a $75,000 commission to produce their project for a summer-long installation on the Convention Center Plaza in 2014. The installation will be unveiled at the Northern Spark Festival on June 14, 2014.

Entries are due by 4:30pm November 18.  The first information session is October 15 at 8:00am.  Here is the link to this webinar and additional details.

2nd Annual Riverfront Summit - A River of Opportunity [Video]

A Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership Event.  Featured keynote speaker was Dorothy Bridges, Senior Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank. In addition to the first release of the Minneapolis Riverfront Vitality Report, sponsored by MRP, this event showcased key Riverfront plans, highlighted progress, and reinforced the strong partnerships that support Riverfront development.  October 7, 2013 at the Mill City Museum.

Download a copy of the 2013 Riverfront Vitality Project...

October 21 - Lisa Goodman Farewell & Crown Hydro Forum

THE OCTOBER MILL DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING

WHEN - Monday, October 21, 2013 / 6:30 – 8:00 PM
WHERE - *Mill City Museum / 1st Floor Commons* (note room change)
Arrive early to assure a seat

AGENDA

- Lisa Goodman / 7th Ward Update
City Council Member Lisa Goodman will give her last update as our Mill District representative.  Redistricting has shifted us to the new 3rd Ward.  Hear her thoughts on the past, present and future of our neighborhood.  Lisa will also be giving an update on Gold Medal Park.

- Laurie Jones, HOA Update
Update on the Minneapolis Riverfront HOA Collaborative.

- Magna Health and Fitness / New Business Introduction

- John Erwin / Crown Hydro Forum
The Crown Hydro project has taken an unexpected turn.  Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board President John Erwin will discuss the specifics of the proposed project in the Mill District, on the Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront. Learn about potential impacts on:

  () St. Anthony Falls

  () The Stone Arch Bridge

  () Economic development, and more…

Bring your questions about Crown Hydro and share your opinions.

The First Shakespeare Crawl on the Minneapolis Riverfront [Video]

A first of it's kind theater crawl was held on the Minneapolis Riverfront.  It took place on October 13 & 14 starting at Mill Ruins Park and was free and open to all!

From Director Josh Fazeli:

In world where we face impossible odds against a myriad of various of pressures, citizens committed to the community purpose have consistently prevailed in their cause. Whether it was 600 years ago and thousands of men less than the overwhelming favorite - the French, mankind has prevailed for the cause in the act of valor and courage. We achieve this because we stand together, work together, and band together as brothers, sisters, neighbors, families, and comrades in the act of setting aside our differences and coming together in the practice of intentional and amicable purposes.

This piece ignites theatrical activism in the community by calling upon people who live next to one another to get to know their neighbors and reacquaint their surroundings. While the weather is still above sub-zero, lets come together and call upon our city to ask for a re-igniting activism that creatively purposes new approaches by looking at our architecture and bestow new ways to honor those who blessed our land with the options we are afforded to live by today.

Henry V and the St. Crispin's Day Speech is an example of heroism and champions community advocacy. We hope you will join in banding together with our brothers and sisters and support artists expressing their form of engagement in the NEW third Ward.

Cast Your Vote for the 2013 Charlie Awards!

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

Here's how it works:

Find your favorite restaurants and food trucks online, try the food item they've chosen, then vote for which item(s) you believe should receive the 2013 Charlie Award for “Outstanding Food Item.”
 
To cast your vote, simply click on the restaurant and/or food truck, which are organized by neighborhood.   Restaurants participating in and around our neighborhood are listed in the Downtown Minneapolissection, including Sawatdee, Sea Change, Spoonriver, The Bachelor Farmer, Zen Box Izakaya, Masu, Red Stag and Vics.

The 3rd Annual Charlie Awards will be held on Sunday, November 17, at the Pantages Theatre. Immediately following the celebration, an after-party reception will be held in the IDS Crystal Court. Succeeding the after-party, a VIP dinner will be held at the Walker Art Center and include a four course meal created by 2012 Charlie Award winning chefs.

Week 23 at the 2013 Mill City Farmers Market

We're in the final weeks of the outdoor Market, but new products continue to pop up - like this Basil Blossom Vinegar from Page & Flowers:

Below, MCFM Executive Director, Martha Archer, proudly models an authentic handwoven Peruvian jacket - a gift from her father.  He obtained it from Market Vendor, Art Andes.  Lucky her! :)

Historic Main Street Repairs in October and November

Via an October 11 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

Historic Main Street Repairs coming in October and November

Repairs will soon begin along historic Main Street, between Hennepin Avenue and SE 3rdAvenue. Work will begin late October and is expected to be complete by mid-November.  Repairs will include patching of the street and walks, and reinstalling loose and uneven pavers. A decision was made to make repairs of a temporary nature that will improve conditions for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians, without undergoing extensive and expensive work at this time. An entire road and walk reconstruction project is expected sometime in the next few years. While repairs are being made, one lane of the parkway may be temporarily closed. Areas of walk may be temporarily closed, also, with pedestrian traffic re-routed.

Thank you for your patience while these necessary repairs are made.

Contact Information:
Julia Cline, Project Representative, MPRB Planning  jcline@minneapolisparks.org or 612-230-6463

Mill City Market Grocery and Deli Closes Today

After more than three years of being a wonderful resource in the Bridgewater Lofts building, the Mill City Market Grocery and Deli closes today, October 11.

It's an understatement to say we're sad about the loss - to many, it's a huge loss. Those of us who were daily or near-daily customers will sorely miss this convenient and well-stocked store, and of course the friendly staff.  Rick Pratt was always open to suggestions on items to stock, and went the extra mile to accommodate his customers.

Thank you, Rick - we wish you and your staff all the best.

The above picture was taken when the store opened.  Rick, far left, is pictured with his two kids and long time employee Ed. 

Parkway Closure for October 12 for the Zombie 6.66K

There are some temporary road closures during the October 12 Zombie 6.66K race:

9:00a.m. – 1:00p.m. – Historic Main Street – West River Parkway from Plymouth Avenue North to Franklin Avenue South – Stone Arch Bridge. 

Please note that the duration of the closure is subject to change based on the event's start and finish times.   Also, the races event website shows the route crossing on Broadway, but the Park Board states it crosses on Plymouth.  The Park Board notice also mentions Franklin Avenue, but since the race is less than 7K, it's not likely to go that far south either - be prepared either way!

A complete list of current and upcoming parkway closures is available online. 

Public Open House for Solar Grant at MPRB

Via an October 9 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

Public Open House for Solar Grant

The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board will hold a public open house from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at Park Board headquarters to gain community ideas for solar energy demonstration projects in the Minneapolis park system. Possibilities could include roof panels, fence-mounted panels, shade canopies or other techniques there is room for creativity.

Xcel Energy has recommended full funding of the Park Board’s grant request for 200 kiloWatts (kW) of Minnesota-made solar panels from Xcel’s Renewable Development Fund. The grant award is $970,000 with a $150,000 Park Board match. The grant still needs approval by the Public Utilities Commission. The community input received at the open house will be important to Park Board determination of the final list of proposed projects.

The MPRB proposal is for one 150 kW roof-mounted installation and five demonstration installations at high visibility locations. The project will also include an interpretive and educational program. Because of its large, year-round energy consumption and large roof area, Parade Ice Garden has already been identified as the proposed roof-mounted installation. Annually, the project will produce roughly 280,000 kiloWatt hours of electricity and offset 400,000 pounds of carbon.

The Park Board was one of only 20 projects out of 67 applications to receive funding. Xcel is recommending a total of $30,122,346 in grant awards to 20 energy production projects, 4 Research and Development projects, and 3 Higher Education block grants.

Video of the Final 3rd Ward Candidate Debate

The final debate for the 3rd Ward City Council race took place at Open Book last night.  All candidates for the new 3rd Ward participated:

- Jacob Frey (DFL Endorsed Candidate)

- Kristina Gronquist (Green Party Endorsed Candidate)

- Diane Hofstede (DFL Incumbent Councilwoman)

- Michael Katch (Libertarian Endorsed Candidate)

Sarah McKenzie from the Downtown Journal moderated the debate.

Shakespeare Crawl on the Riverfront - Sunday & Monday / October 13 & 14

A first of it's kind theater crawl on the Minneapolis Riverfront.  6:00 PM - October 13 & 14 starting at Mill Ruins Park.  Free and open to all!

From Director Josh Fazeli:

In world where we face impossible odds against a myriad of various of pressures, citizens committed to the community purpose have consistently prevailed in their cause. Whether it was 600 years ago and thousands of men less than the overwhelming favorite - the French, mankind has prevailed for the cause in the act of valor and courage. We achieve this because we stand together, work together, and band together as brothers, sisters, neighbors, families, and comrades in the act of setting aside our differences and coming together in the practice of intentional and amicable purposes.

This piece ignites theatrical activism in the community by calling upon people who live next to one another to get to know their neighbors and reacquaint their surroundings. While the weather is still above sub-zero, lets come together and call upon our city to ask for a re-igniting activism that creatively purposes new approaches by looking at our architecture and bestow new ways to honor those who blessed our land with the options we are afforded to live by today.

Henry V and the St. Crispin's Day Speech is an example of heroism and champions community advocacy. We hope you will join in banding together with our brothers and sisters and support artists expressing their form of engagement in the NEW third Ward.

Download the flyer here...