2011 Mill City Farmers Market Opens Tomorrow at 8am!

We're finally done counting down the days to the Mill City Farmers Market! See you there tomorrow!

Enjoy! :)

Call for Donations: MCBA Book Arts Rummage Sale

Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA), 1011 Washington Avenue South, is seeking donations of gently used, saleable book arts-related items for its first annual Book Arts Rummage Sale, to be held Saturday, June 11, 10am-5pm. Accepted items may include:

- Hand tools (bone folders, awls, brushes and needles)
- Bookmaking materials including text-weight, cover-weight and decorative papers, thread, and bookboard
- Art supplies (brushes, inks and paints)
- Artwork
- Trade books -- no encyclopedia sets or non-art related books please

All donations must be dropped off Friday, June 10 between 10am and 5pm. Donations to MCBA may be tax deductible. If you have equipment or materials you'd like to donate, we ask that you please send a brief summary of the items to Sara Parr, Studio and Artist Co-op Manager ( sparr@mnbookarts.org). This will help us in advertising big-ticket "For Sale" items, as well as help us manage space in the studios the day of the sale. Please email the following by Friday, June 3:

- Donor name(s)
- Mailing address
- Phone number
- Email address (Please place “Rummage Sale” in the subject line of your email.)
- Description of items to be donated
- Optional:  Digital images of the equipment/items

Questions? Contact Sara Parr at sparr@mnbookarts.org.

2 Days to Go - Countdown to 2011 Mill City Farmers Market

We're counting down the days to fresh produce, cheese, meat, bakery, honey, preserves, grains, etc.   I can't wait to start sampling the fantastic food, enjoying the live music, and watching our grandson interact with the animals.  And then there's the local artists, unique clothing and special events - so much packed into each weekly 5-hour Mill City Farmers Market!

See you there! :)

Only 2 More Nights to Enjoy the 2011 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival at St. Anthony Main Theatre

CELEBRATING THE BEST OF INTERNATIONAL AND INDEPENDENT FILM!
 
The Film Society of Minneapolis-St. Paul 2011 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival ends Thursday night, May 5.  During this years festival over 170 films from some 50 countries were presented at the five-screen St. Anthony Main Theatre.  Only two nights remain to enjoy the best of international and independent filmmaking in the region.

Click here for daily list of films. 

3 Days to Go - Countdown to 2011 Mill City Farmers Market

We're counting down the days to fresh produce, cheese, meat, bakery, honey, preserves, grains, etc.   I can't wait to start sampling the fantastic food, enjoying the live music, and watching our grandson interact with the animals.  And then there's the local artists, unique clothing and special events - so much packed into each weekly 5-hour Mill City Farmers Market!

See you there! :)

Construction Starts on 35w Bridge Memorial - Mill City Times Exclusive

Construction started today on the 35w Bridge Memorial across from Gold Medal Park in the Mill District of Downtown Minneapolis.  The crew was surveying and excavating all day.  Work on the tribute to the victims of the 35w Bridge collapse is scheduled for completion in time for the 4th anniversary of the tragedy in August.

Below are a few shots of the action:

Mill District Business Spotlight: Spill the Wine

Spill the Wine, 1101 Washington Avenue South, has been a Mill District dining and wine bar destination since April, 2007.  We recently met owner Katie Greeman (below, left) who shared with us some of the restaurants history and uniqueness.

While Katie features about nine wines each month, she carries over 100 at any given time.  But more importantly (and uncommon) is that 40 wines are offered by the glass.  Per Katie, some restaurants will carry a huge selection, but may offer only 15 wines by the glass.  Spill the Wine has been named #1 Wine Bar by both Minnesota Monthly and Mpls St. Paul Magazine.  (In case you were wondering, the restaurants name was indeed inspired by the 1970 song performed by Eric Burdon and War.)

 

The open kitchen allows diners a great view of Executive Chef Craig Johnson and his staff (along with a non-stop parade of heavenly aromas).

Although the wine bar (below) is typically reserved for private events, there are times it's needed for regular dining when the main restaurant is hosting a private party. 

We were surprised to learn the upstairs accomodates wedding ceremonies - quite a few, actually.  At the time we spoke with Katie, there were already 32 weddings booked for the year.  Spill the Wine also hosts corporate events, and there's even a wine boutique on site: 

Business has been steady for the first four years, and Katie projects year five to be the best yet.  She mentioned the Minnesota Twins' move across town was a postive for Spill the Wine, as game day traffic caused accessibility issues for her customers. 

Wine Dinners are held twice each month.  A Wine Dinner pairs wines from a featured winery with a special menu created by Chef Johnson.  Click here for the calendar, where you'll find Wine Dinners, as well as other special Events.

Reservations can be booked online, or call 612-339-3388.   Mother's Day brunch reservations are recommended (10:00am, 11:30am and 1:00pm). 

4 Days to Go - Countdown to 2011 Mill City Farmers Market

We're counting down the days to fresh produce, cheese, meat, bakery, honey, preserves, grains, etc.   I can't wait to start sampling the fantastic food, enjoying the live music, and watching our grandson interact with the animals.  And then there's the local artists, unique clothing and special events - so much packed into each weekly 5-hour Mill City Farmers Market!

See you there! :)

Give & You Shall Receive, The Sanctuary Motto it Seems @SanctuaryRest

The Sanctuary has the most passionate, engaged fans I can think of.  Every time Naomi tweets or makes a Facebook post mentioning Mill City Times, the article she links to becomes the most popular on our site. Seriously, every time.

I think I know why - she and her restaurant are always giving.  Seems she is holding a charity event every week.  She is constantly promoting other neighborhood businesses on social networks without expecting anything in return.  When Kim and I stopped by 2 weeks ago for a drink and appetizers, she took the time to sit and chat in the middle of dinner hour.  And energy?  Wow, I don't know where it comes from.  Well, some of her energy must come from totally loving what she does, because it's obvious.

Thanks for everything you do for our neighborhood, and Mill City Times Naomi.  If there's such a thing as Karma, you have a lot of good things coming your way!

Valuable Input at the April 25 Workshop for St. Anthony Falls Historic District Design Guidelines

A second public meeting regarding development of the new Historic District Design Guidelines for the St. Anthony Falls Historic District was held April 25 at City Hall.  This workshop was a follow up to the initial April 6 meeting held at the Mill City Museum. Brian Schaffer, Senior City Planner, provided background on the process:

Noel Winter (below) of Winter & Company introduced the three professional teams who will consider the input gathered during these two public meetings as they work developing the Design Guidelines.

During the April 25 workshop, attendees worked in groups to help shape Design Guidelines in the following areas:
 
- Refine and define character areas within the district.
- Identify key views.
- Define the vision and guiding principals of the design guidelines.
- Identify design issues.

Below, each group used maps and other materials to accomplish the above tasks. 

 
Historic district design guidelines are a local policy and regulatory tool used in decision-making to evaluate alterations and new development within the historic district.  The new design guidelines will include guidance on the following:

- Archaeological sites and sites of specific cultural/historical significance.
- Existing and new infrastructure; sites of specific engineering and transportation significance.
- Natural features and open space.
- Existing buildings and the construction of new buildings; sites of specific architectural significance.

Below, Steve Minn and Marcy Schulte explained the overall vision of their group: 

Followed by Judith Martin and Laura Salveson's group:

The workshop wrapped up with a lively debate of very different visions and concerns - all valuable feedback for consideration while developing the new St. Anthony Falls Historic District Design Guidelines.

More information on the project can be found online or by contacting:

Brian Schaffer, AICP, Senior City Planner
Minneapolis Department of Community Planning & Economic Development 
Planning Division, Preservation & Design
250 South 4th Street, Room 300, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: 612-673-2670 Fax: 612-673-2526
brian.schaffer@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

5 Days to Go - Countdown to 2011 Mill City Farmers Market

Days to Go - Countdown to 2011 Mill City Farmers Market

We're counting down the days to fresh produce, cheese, meat, bakery, honey, preserves, grains, etc.   I can't wait to start sampling the fantastic food, enjoying the live music, and watching our grandson interact with the animals.  And then there's the local artists, unique clothing and special events - so much packed into each weekly 5-hour Mill City Farmers Market!

See you there! :)

6 Days to Go - Countdown to 2011 Mill City Farmers Market

We're counting down the days to fresh produce, cheese, meat, bakery, honey, preserves, grains, etc.   I can't wait to start sampling the fantastic food, enjoying the live music, and watching our grandson interact with the animals.  And then there's the local artists, unique clothing and special events - so much packed into each weekly 5-hour Mill City Farmers Market!

See you there! :)

Countdown to May 7 Opening Day at the Mill City Farmers Market

It's almost time! Next Saturday we'll be enjoying Opening Day at the 2011 Mill City Farmers Market.

See you there! :)

Local Outlet Available for Recycling Batteries

From the April 28 Hennepin County Greennotes E-news:

Rechargeable batteries are found in many products we use every day, including cell phones, laptop computers, cordless power tools, camcorders, digital cameras and more. Hundreds of millions of rechargeable batteries and cell phones are retired each year, and they often end up in the “junk” drawer or worse – in the trash – because consumers are unsure how to dispose of them.

Since 1990, Hennepin County has partnered with the Call2Recycleprogram to provide an easy solution that keeps rechargeable batteries out of landfills and protects natural resources. By doing so, the county has recycled more than 550,000 pounds of rechargeable batteries.

You can do your part by dropping off your rechargeable batteries and used cell phones for recycling at a Hennepin County drop-off facilityor at many convenient retail locations, including The Home Depot, Interstate All Battery Centers, Lowe’s, RadioShack and Staples nationwide.

In our neighborhood, it's the Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall. I noticed the recepitals near the elevators (inside the library itself, not in the main corridor).

Visit www.call2recycle.org for more information on this program.

This Weekend in Mill City / April 29 - May 1

Events this weekend in and around the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis and across the Stone Arch Bridge in Old St. Anthony.

Friday, April 29

Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative Public Meeting

MacPhail Spotlight Series: Musical Folklore

Ten Thousand Things Theatre "Man of La Mancha" at Open Book

Voices of Experience Concert at MacPhail

Live Music at the Aster Cafe

Saturday, April 30

The Southern Theater’s 7th Annual Benefit Gala

Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative Public Meeting

Bird Walk at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park

Children's & Young Adult Literature Conference at The Loft

Northeast Icebreaker Shop Crawl

Lucia Watson, 'Eating Local' at Mill City Museum

Live Music at the Aster Cafe

Sunday, May 1

Children's & Young Adult Literature Conference at The Loft

Live Music at the Aster Cafe

Weekend Brunch

Saturday & Sunday

Brunch at Spoonriver
750 South 2nd St (at Chicago Ave S)
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612-436-2236

Reservations recommended

10:00am - 2:00pm

See the menu...

Saturday & Sunday

Brunch at the Aster Cafe
St. Anthony Main
125 SE Main Street
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-379-3138

Until 2pm.

See the menu...

Sunday

Brunch at Spill the Wine
1101 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-339-3388

brunch buffet 10am- 2pm Sunday
$12/person (kids 3 and under eat free, 4-12 years are 1/2 price!)

includes: eggs, bacon, french toast, hash browns, fresh salad and fruit, pastries, build your own omlette bar and more...

featuring absolut bloody bar for $5.

also offering fair trade coffee and full bar.

Mill District Business Spotlight: Sweet Light Studio and Alli Jagoda Photography

Our neighbor, Rachel, recently introduced us to Alli Jagoda, owner of Sweet Light Studio and Alli Jagoda Photography, 500 Washington Avenue South.  Rachel and her husband, Wade, hired Alli for a portrait session with their newborn son.  The result was a collection of treasured pictures.

Alli (above) and her husband moved to Minneapolis about 11 years ago.  She's been doing commercial photography (under Alli Jagoda Photography) for 10 years, and has amassed an impressive portfolio of clients, including Target, Best Buy and Creative Kidstuff. 

She mentioned her most unique engagement was with The Mall of America when they promoted the newly opened Nickelodeon Universe. The work took place both onsite and in studio, and featured kids having fun playing with their food (something normally frowned upon at the dinner table).

After becoming a parent, she discovered how fun it was to photograph kids - and Sweet Light Studio was born.  Below are some samples of her portrait work.  View more on her blog.

 

She also does work with Adsoka, another neighborhood business.

Alli moved her studio to the Mill District in 2007.  She explained that while this area is a magnet for photographers (she considers it to be the best neighborhood in Minneapolis for photographers) it is cost prohibitive for most to have a studio here. By sharing a studio with 2 other photographers and a videographer, the foursome is able to have the best of both worlds.   With different specialities and schedules, and large space and individual offices allows them both privacy and flexibility.

While Alli has a supply of props, she encourages clients to bring items with personal meaning for their shoot.  Sessions can be held at the studio, or clients can opt to shoot around the neighborhood landmarks.

Alli can be reached at 612-460-1212 or info@sweetlight-studio.com.

Sweet Light Studio is offering an incredible deal on Groupon TODAY and TOMORROW only (April 29 and 30) for a 1-hour studio photo session and a CD of 10 high resolution images for only $69.

MacPhail's Annual Music Matters Luncheon - an Incredible Experience

Dave and I immediately became fans of MacPhail while attending our first event there.  

We were fortunate to have been guests at the April 20 MacPhail Center for Music "Music Matters" Luncheon held at the Convention Center.   It's an annual fundraising event in which attendees experience first hand what an incredible institution MacPhail.   We enjoyed numerous live performances, heard from students and staff, and watched videos of how music through MacPhail has transformed lives in very different ways. 

Below, some scenes and videos from the event:

MacPhail was established over 100 years ago - that it continues to thrive is no accident.   An example of using technology to meet student needs is internet real-time training.  And while not obvious by the below video, what we are witnessing here is cutting edge technology.  As Nathan Hotchkiss, piano student of Irina Elkina, played piano live from San Francisco, he was actually controlling the piano on the stage at the Convention Center. 

Meg Gehlen Nodzon, Director of Development, commented, "It was amazing to see over 1,000 people at the luncheon in support of MacPhail and its programs.  Music DOES indeed matter to this community.” 

Yesterday we learned that over $400K was raised in support of MacPhail’s programs.   If you'd like to make a contribution, please click here or call Amanda Schroder at 612-767-5343.

Over half of the 8,400 students experience MacPhail free or at a greatly reduced cost.  In 2010, $306K in financial aid was awarded to students who would not otherwise be able to afford music education. Dave and I agreed it was a great investment to become Music Matters Circle members.

Click here for more pictures and videos.

New Living Areas Further Enhance Life at People Serving People

From an April 26 People Serving People E-news:

Homeless Families Get Comforts of Home at People Serving People

Homeless children and families at People Serving People can now gather, relax and play in six new living areas at our shelter.  The International Interior Design Association donated over $100,000 in products, as well as the talents and time of some of their top designers, to help comfort and inspire the families at People Serving People.  Please take a look at some of their amazing work!

The International Interior Design Association Northland Chapter has transformed blank-walled common areas in our homeless shelter into comforting and inviting spaces for struggling families to unwind and catch their breath.  Additional funds for the makeover were donated by Target, as well as thousands of children's books to go in each redesigned room.
 
Since the fall of 2010, the IIDA Northland Chapter has been in and out of People Serving People’s shelter for homeless families – speaking with shelter guests, taking measurements of spaces, and gathering materials so they can use their talents as leaders in the industry of business space renovation to make the most out of the underutilized common areas in this bustling shelter.
 
Dr. Craig J. Lewis, President of People Serving People, said, “The first thing I noticed about the lounges is they inspire children’s curiosity and their imagination. We forget that kids live in an imaginary world.  This one little girl walked into a lounge for the first time, and went straight to the dress-up area, put on a princess gown, and started performing on the stage.  She was four years old, and already knew just what to do.  The second thing about the lounges that I saw is the increased connectivity that parents now have with each other.   There was one mother I spoke with in a hallway near the lounge, who was worried about getting clothing for herself, her whole wardrobe was actually on her back.  She stopped by the lounge, saw a comfy couch, and took respite.  As she sat there, another guest at the shelter approached her to enjoy the comfort of that same couch.  As they spoke with each other, I witnessed that mother receive numerous resources for free clothing from her new friend.  That is when I realized that the new spaces at our shelter serve as a catalyst for building connections between families.  This is truly amazing.” 

Tonight - TLS/KVA Presentation and Design Q&A - Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative

Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Where: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, 2117 West River Road

This two-hour session features MR|DI designers TLS/KVA, who will give a 90-minute presentation of their RiverFIRST design proposal for the Upper Riverfront. Following the presentation, there will be 30 minutes for Q&A and feedback with the designers and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

People Serving People Named Cornerstone of the Mill District Neighborhood

We're proud to announce People Serving People as a Community Cornerstone of the Mill District.  

"People Serving People plays a vital role beyond being a haven for families in need of shelter" according to Kim Eslinger, Editor of the Mill City Times. "They help prepare families for success in living after they find permanent housing" said Eslinger.

View the press release here...

The Community Cornerstone Awards are given to organizations that contribute to the growth, health and vibrancy of the Mill District neighborhood of Minneapolis. The Mill City Museum, Guthrie Theater, MacPhail Center for Music, Open Book, People Serving People and Mill City Commons are currently recognized as cornerstones of the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis.