The Freehouse and Surly Brewing Earn Medals at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival

Two Minneapolis craft breweries were honored for their beers at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival (GABF), the nation’s premier beer festival and competition, in Denver, CO on Saturday, September 23. A GABF medal is recognized around the world as a symbol of brewing excellence, and these awards are among the most coveted in the industry. This year, there were 303 medals awarded from the 9,298 beers entered.

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The Freehouse won a coveted gold medal in the Rye Beers category with their No. 68 Red Lager, which also won a gold medal as well as one of the Best in Show awards earlier this year at the statewide MN Brewers Cup awards. In the American Fruit Beer category, Surly Brewing Co. won a bronze medal with their Lemonade.

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“Minnesotans should be very proud of the quality and craftsmanship of our local craft beer,” said Jess Talley,

Executive Director of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. “These breweries are continuing the tradition of

phenomenal, award-winning craft beer being made and enjoyed across our great state.”

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Minnesota Medals:

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● Gold: The Freehouse, Minneapolis: “No. 68 Red Lager” - Rye Beers

● Bronze: Surly Brewing Co., Minneapolis: “Lemonade” - American Fruit Beer

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See all 2023 GABF winners.

Early Voting Now Open for November 7 Election

Early voting has begun for the November 7 municipal election. All 13 City Council seats are on the 2023 ballot.

Voters can cast their ballots early by mail or in person at the Early Vote Center, 980 E Hennepin Ave.

Voting by mail

The City is now mailing more than 1,000 requested mail-in ballots to Minneapolis voters. If you've requested one, allow seven-10 days for it to arrive.

All mail-in ballots need to be received by Election Day (November 7) to count. If you choose to deliver your ballot in person to the Elections & Voter Services office, it must be returned by 3pm on Election Day, November 7. Mail ballots cannot be dropped off at polling places on Election Day.

Find more information on how to vote by mail on the City website.

Voting at the Early Vote Center

The Early Vote Center, 980 E Hennepin Ave., makes early in-person voting more convenient for Minneapolis voters. It’s especially helpful to people who need language support or other special accommodations, such as curbside voting. Voting early can also help people avoid lines and crowds at polling places on the day of the election.

The Early Vote Center’s hours are 8am-4:30pm Monday-Friday. The center will extend its hours for the final two weeks of voting, including Saturdays and Sundays. Find all Early Vote Center hours on the City website.

Save time by taking these three steps

1. Make sure you’re registered to vote, or pre-register at least 21 days before the election. Voters can register or check the status of their registrations on the City website.
2. Download and complete the absentee ballot application form in advance and bring it when you go to vote early.
3. Look at a sample ballot ahead of time; even bring it to refer to when you go to vote. Your sample ballot is customized to your ward and precinct.

About ranked choice voting

Minneapolis voters will use ranked choice voting in this election to elect members of the City Council. Ranked choice voting is a way of voting that eliminates the need for separate primary elections. For each of the 13 wards, voters rank up to three candidates for each office in order of preference.

Ranked choice voting is used only for municipal elections in Minneapolis.

Find more information on ranked-choice voting on the City website.

Major Summer Events Lead to Strong Results for Minneapolis Hotels

Signs of positive recovery for the city’s tourism industry continue as Meet Minneapolis announces that the final week of summer recorded the highest weekly demand for hotel rooms in Minneapolis since the fall of 2019. More than 56,000 hotel rooms were occupied from Aug. 27 to Sept. 2, thanks to events throughout the city and region, including the 2023 Gay Softball World Series. That week capped a successful summer as major events – many of which were booked by Meet Minneapolis – translated into significantly improved overall performance for Minneapolis hotels.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day this year, demand for hotel rooms in Minneapolis increased nearly 11% compared to the summer of 2022. On June 23-24 – with Taylor Swift concerts, the Twin Cities Pride Festival and the Kiwanis International Convention all taking place in the city – Minneapolis set a new all-time record for total hotel rooms occupied on a weekend with 19,531.

“We’re thrilled with the summer we had in Minneapolis as people from all over came to our city for the many theater, sports, arts, music and business events hosted across our community,” said Meet Minneapolis President and CEO Melvin Tennant. “All of that activity provides a significant boost to the Minneapolis economy and supports the nearly 30,000 tourism and hospitality workers in the city.”

“Minneapolis shone brightly this summer,” said Meet Minneapolis board member Christy Loy, General Manager of the Canopy by Hilton Minneapolis Mill District. “Visitors from near and far came to our city for a wide variety of events and the hospitality community really came together to showcase Minneapolis. We’re excited to carry this momentum forward in the seasons ahead.”

Minneapolis hotel performance for summer 2023 – by the numbers*:

2023 Demand (rooms sold)

617,616	Total rooms sold, an increase of nearly 11% from summer 2022
210,702	August hotel rooms sold; highest since October 2019 (218,764)
56,248	Highest weekly hotel room demand in 2023 (Aug. 27-Sept. 2.)
	Highest since Oct. 20-27, 2019 (56,406)

2023 Occupancy

63.0%	Hotel occupancy rate, an increase of nearly 7% from summer 2022
66.2%	August hotel occupancy rate; highest since October 2019 (75.4%)
78.3%	Highest weekly hotel occupancy rate for the year (Aug. 27-Sept. 2.)
	Highest since Oct. 20-27, 2019 (81.4%)

2023 Revenue

$107M

Total guest room revenue; increase of more than 10% from summer 2022

* All data according to hospitality industry data provider Smith Travel Research (STR)

Many of the summer’s highest in-demand days for hotel rooms in Minneapolis occurred when large events were held at major venues in the city, such as the Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC), Target Field and U.S. Bank Stadium: 

Date / Rooms Sold / Occupancy / Large Events

June 23 / 9,888 / 96.3% / Taylor Swift concert, Twin Cities Pride Festival, Kiwanis International Convention

June 13 / 9,888 / 96.3% / USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships, Twins-Brewers

July 25 / 9,818 / 92.0% / Microscopy & Microanalysis 2023, AVID Summer Institute, Minneapolis Aquatennial, Twins-Mariners

June 24 / 9,643 / 93.9% / Taylor Swift concert, Twin Cities Pride Festival, Kiwanis International Convention

Sept. 2 / 9,422 / 91.8% / Gay Softball World Series, Minnesota State Fair

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That good news is tempered by the continued lag in business travel, which is still slow to return to pre-pandemic levels. Work is ongoing at Meet Minneapolis to continue supporting and stimulating the city’s tourism and hospitality industry.

Today, Meet Minneapolis launched a fall leisure tourism campaign to promote the wide variety of world-class experiences that visitors can have in the state’s largest city. The campaign invites visitors to “take it all in” and shares itinerary ideas to encourage overnight stays in Minneapolis. The marketing initiative – featuring digital, social and video advertising, and a dedicated web presence – is targeting communities that are 15 to 300 miles from Minneapolis.

Earlier this year, Meet Minneapolis launched a major leisure tourism campaign – See What All the Fuss Is About – which addressed misperceptions of the city head-on and highlighted the city’s offerings available to people who used to travel to Minneapolis often – as well as to those who are new to the destination. In a post-campaign analysis, 71% of targeted visitors in Duluth, Fargo, La Crosse/Eau Claire, Mankato, Rochester and Sioux Falls indicated they were likely or very likely to recommend Minneapolis as a place to visit.

In addition, in late August, more than 2,500 people – including nearly 900 meeting and event planners – gathered at the MCC for Connect Marketplace, a major convention in the events industry. Attendees learned about Minneapolis as a meetings and events destination, and many planners are now considering the city for their next conference or event. As a result of hosting Connect Marketplace, Meet Minneapolis anticipates receiving numerous requests for proposal for future events that will bring significant economic impact for the city.

“While we celebrate the summer we had in Minneapolis, we must acknowledge that the path to full recovery stretches ahead of us,” Tennant added. “Alongside our partners, we will continue working to support our city’s tourism and hospitality businesses and their workers. The journey continues, and we are committed to making every step count.”

For the latest from Meet Minneapolis, go here and here, or follow us on social media.

Local Business Spotlight: Galois - Scientific R&D in the Mill District

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Did you know that the Mill District is home to a business that takes on the toughest work in technology – creating trustworthiness in critical systems, for clients like NASA and the Space Development Agency? Shpat Morina, Galois' Director of Business Development and IR&D (Internal Research and Development), told us about their very important and impressive work happening at 111 3rd Avenue S. 

Q:  I really like the company’s tagline – software to solve your hardest problems. It makes me believe that at Galois you don’t shy away from difficult business problems. Talk to us some more about that notion.

A:  We definitely don’t shy away from that, quite the opposite.

Our researchers love that they get to tackle questions for which there literally might not be an answer and for which they might fail. We take on work at the bleeding edge, because "What if?" is a compelling question to research scientists. And when we do solve a problem, it's usually very significant. For example, making it cost effective to apply the kind of technology that used to be reserved for expensive space missions to secure everyday encryption software that secures internet traffic. Or, our work at the bleeding edge of human-machine teaming (helping people and AI learn better from each other and work better together) and digital engineering (a kind of digital cartography for complex systems).

But the unifying umbrella, and what universally drives the R&D we do is this notion of creating trustworthiness in critical systems. A critical system is one that simply cannot fail without catastrophic consequences. A plane’s software can’t cause it to just fall from the sky, for example, or the encryption software that protects extremely sensitive data can’t be flawed and exploitable by an adversary. 

Our work largely focuses on developing tools and approaches to get an ever higher level of assurance of trustworthiness, often via rigorous engineering and mathematical verification, in systems that simply cannot fail. In other words, it is all about ways to make sure that really important systems work so reliably and securely that you could, in theory, bet your business or even matters of national security on their trustworthiness.

Q:  Why does Galois have an office in downtown Minneapolis? Is it driven by your client locations? Could you please tell our readers about the technological innovation happening in our midst?

Shpat MorinaA:  Well, getting a bigger presence in downtown Minneapolis isn't just about moving offices. We acquired Adventium Labs in late 2022, and they were based here. So, the move was primarily driven by the merger and wanting to be intentional about the environment that our team operates in. Our clients are nationwide, so location isn't that big a factor in this case.

As for the tech innovation happening here, it's frankly amazing. For context, as the sheer amount of code that makes up software gets bigger and bigger, and as things like factories, airplanes, power grids are increasingly intertwined with software systems, the result is an environment that can be very complicated and difficult to keep reliable and secure. Adventium Labs was at the forefront of creating tools that help navigate, update, and secure complex cyber-physical systems, and we’ve fused this strength with Galois's historical focus on trustworthiness. It's creating an even more powerful force in the world of mathematically-principled computer security & reliability.

Projects like FRIGATE, RMF, and CAMET, among many others, had their genesis here in Minneapolis. These are tools that aim to do audacious things like making space exploration safer. And that’s a very small taste of the impact we get to make.

Q:  Why the name Galois for the business?

A:  We named our company “Galois” as a nod to the 19th century French Mathematician Évariste Galois. Some of his contributions are now fundamental to computer science and have applications in the work we do. His contributions are even more remarkable when you consider how much he accomplished before his untimely death at 20 in a duel.

His work, specifically his development of Galois theory, hinged on the idea of finding new solutions to problems by changing the way you look at them. We see a direct parallel to our work in computer science. Not to get too nerdy, but a lot of our work involves reworking clients' problems from domains where there is no straightforward solution into alternate but equivalent mathematical domains in which solutions do exist. We like to think that, in our own way, we're carrying on that innovative spirit. Minus the duels.

Fun and obscure fact, the original name of the company was Galois Connections. It turned out to be a little too technical. It turns out that, to a lot of people in the early 2000s, Galois Connections sounded like a dating company :). We eventually shortened it to Galois.

Here's a bit about Evariste if you're interested! https://galois.com/team/evariste-galois/

Q:  So happy you’re not dueling in downtown Minneapolis! Galois does a lot of work for the federal government. Does it ever bog down your research by taking the time to comply with the contractual compliance terms?

A:  Working with the government comes with its own set of requirements, but I wouldn’t say it bogs down our research at all. When you think about the impactful nature of the work, it really is important to get things right, and not just technologically. So, we’ve built a culture of care and of ensuring trustworthiness that isn’t siloed in the technical team alone.

That, plus the level of operational support we have to make sure that all aspects of the work are taken care of, makes the actual R&D work fun.

And after all, if we get to work with NASA to come up with better failure recovery for future manned missions, for example, or get to work with the Space Development Agency to explore better ways to secure information in space, what’s a few additional requirements to meet? :)

Q:  You mention on X that "while most engineers and scientists join Galois to be part of a company that conducts groundbreaking research, for our unique culture of collaboration, or for the great benefits and work-life balance, there’s a lesser-known but equally exciting perk of working at Galois: participating in the creation of spinouts." What’s a spinout?

A:  A spinout is basically when we create a new, independent company to take a technological opportunity that arises from our R&D, and turn into a full-fledged supported product or set of services with its own specialized support and development team. We do this instead of changing our own company focus or trying to juggle various product lines.

Why spinout? Well, it protects the special creative culture and flexibility we need for our core R&D work, which isn't quite the same as the flavor of speed and expertise needed to run a product-focused business. And our clients get to see the R&D they support become more applied and deeply useful to their mission in a different way. Plus, it's exciting! We get to see our breakthroughs making a real-world difference, which is a huge draw for many of our team who moved here from academia.

And let's not forget the financial aspect – since we're employee-owned, we all have a stake in the success of spinouts. Besides, it's a clever way of managing risk, because we only invest what we can afford to lose. It's a win-win-win situation, really, for Galois, our clients, and the new spinout.

P.S. - We love this topic almost as much as we love the scientific work we do.

Q:  Have any Minneapolis spinouts occurred?

A:  Not yet!

Q:  I think the Downtown community would love an ongoing Ted Talk-type event where your engineers tell us about their research and clients' problems solved - in layman’s terms – possible?"

A:  We would like to make that happen. I love that our Minneapolis team is very engaged in the community and is extremely passionate about building community here, whether that be through internships, supporting student-led capstone projects, getting engaged in local events, or participating in and supporting all sorts of tech education organizations. I have no doubt we’ll come up with new ways to do that.

September Issue of Public Health Matters from the City of Minneapolis

Via a September 19 e-news from the City of Minneapolis:

Welcome to the September edition of Public Health Matters. The Minneapolis Health Department is committed to supporting a healthier city. Through this newsletter, we will bring you important issues affecting public health. 

Our vision

Healthy lives, health equity and healthy environments are the foundations of a vibrant Minneapolis now and in the future.

Health Department social media channels

For the latest Health Department news, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Find important information on our website. 

In this month's edition: 

• You Matter: Suicide Prevention Month
• New COVID-19 vaccine guidelines
• Upcoming events
• Health Department employee spotlight
• Items of interest
• Department updates

September is Suicide Prevention Month. It gives us an opportunity to rededicate ourselves focusing on our own mental health as well as others.

It's important to really listen to our loved ones, friends and colleagues. Listening and knowing how to respond can help lead to better mental health outcomes.

If you know someone struggling, learn how you can help someone with these 5 Steps for Helping Someone in Emotional Pain by the National Institute of Mental Health:

1. Ask
2. Keep them Safe
3. Be There
4. Help them Connect  
5. Stay

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers 24/7 call, text and chat access to trained crisis counselors. Please use 988 if you are in a crisis or provide this information to someone you know struggling.

According to preliminary data, Minneapolis lost 262 people to suicide in the last five years (2018-2022). The 58 suicides in 2022 were the most since 2019 (72) There were 685 reports of self-inflicted injuries in Minneapolis ER visits in 2021. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for teens 15-19-years-old.

Resources

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is committed to preventing suicide and supporting frontline professionals. There are many resources available if you or someone you know is in crisis — whether they are considering suicide or not. They include: 

• The Crisis Text Line also offers free 24/7 mental health support. Text “10-18” or “SCRUBS” to 741741 for help.
• Safe Call Now is a confidential, comprehensive, 24-hour crisis referral service for all public safety employees, all emergency services personnel and their family members nationwide. Call 206-459-3020.
• The City has created this public list of mental health support resources for residents and loved ones.
• Support after a suicide loss 

Videos

• How Suicidal Tendencies Spread Through Families and Classrooms
• The Suicide Rate is Going Up. Here’s What We Can Do to Stop it

Minnesota Department of Health statement on new COVID-19 vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated COVID-19 vaccines aimed at the circulating COVID-19 variants. These new vaccines are approved by the FDA for everyone 6 months or older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued formal vaccine recommendations Sept. 12.

Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham stated that these vaccines are an even more effective tool, targeting the variants we know are in our communities right now. Cunningham encourages eligible Minnesotans to contact their doctors or pharmacists to schedule an appointment.

Cost
These are the first COVID-19 vaccines to be commercialized, which means there may be costs. To avoid a surprise bill, speak with your health insurer about your coverage before scheduling a vaccination.

Free or low-cost vaccine options for people without health insurance:

• Contact the nearest Community Health Center (CHC) near you. Find locations at Minnesota Health Centers: Find a Health Center.
• Find a community vaccination event near you by calling the Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 public hotline. Call the hotline at 1-833-431-2053 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Visit Vaccines.gov to find other locations including pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccines at no cost.
• Ask your clinic about getting free or low-cost vaccines for your child.
• Check the MDH Vaccination Clinic Web Map to find clinics that offer low-cost shots.

COVID tests available

Help reduce the spread of COVID. The state is offering free, rapid, at-home COVID-19 test kits to residents of eligible communities. Get a free at-home COVID test kit

The Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council is now taking applications.  As a member, you’ll help improve the way we grow, process, distribute, eat and compost our food.Together we can make a difference by building a more equitable and sustainable local food system in our city.  Applications are open through Oct. 31. Apply now!

Information Session When: Oct. 11 from 5-5:30 p.m. (Food Council meeting runs from 5:30-7:30 p.m.) Where: Northeast Recreation Center – 1530 Johnson St. NE

Protect yourself from the flu by getting vaccinated

The flu season is almost here. Starting today, the City will be offering flu shots at our free vaccine clinics.

Last season in Minnesota, the flu reached pre-pandemic levels with more than 3,300 hospitalizations and 182 deaths.

The flu can affect all of us but is especially dangerous for: Children under 5 Adults 65 and older Pregnant women People with chronic health conditions Getting vaccinated helps protect you, your loved ones and our community. Let’s all enjoy the fall activities with one less worry. Together we can make a healthier and happier community.  Resources Find a free vaccine clinic near you Learn more about the flu Know the facts about the flu

September flu clinics

A Mother’s Love
Tuesday, Sept. 19 from 4:30-7 p.m.
Northside Community Center
701 W. Broadway Ave.

Partners in Prevention
Thursday, Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Center for Changing Lives
2400 Park Ave. S.

Fall Harvest Health Fair
Friday, Sept. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Native American Community Clinic
1213 E. Franklin Ave.

Fighting the flu

Minneapolis Firefighter Mark DeLude, who is following in his father’s footsteps as a firefighter, encourages everyone to get their flu shot.

Mark lost his father, who was not vaccinated, to complications from the flu.

Watch Mark’s story: Fighting the Flu: Minneapolis Firefighter Saving Lives in Father’s Memory

School supply drive

Tyronda Powell and Laura Green with our School Based Clinics recently led the charge to help make sure Minneapolis High School teens have the basic needs as we start the school year. 

Tyronda and Laura held a supply drive, asking Health and City employees to donate basic needs such as:

• Deodorant
• Soap
• Toothbrushes
• Toothpaste
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Tissues
• Body lotion

The drive collected approximately $1,000 in supplies. Great work!

Eduardo Mardones Eduardo Mardones is one of our registered environmental health inspectors who is dedicated to his job. His job consists of inspecting food businesses, lodging establishments, swimming pools and spas, and body art businesses. Eduardo, who has been with the City since 2015, was inspecting food vendors at the Southside Back in the Day city celebration when he ran into Mayor Frey. The mayor told Ed he was very appreciative of all the inspectors’ work in the city.   Keep up the great work, Ed!

National Food Safety Education Month!

National Food Safety Education Month is a good time to remember the importance of proper food safety. The four steps to food safety: Clean, separate, cook, chill. 

• Wash your hands and work surfaces often
• Do not cross-contaminate food
• Cook food to the right temperature
• Refrigerate perishable food promptly

Learn more about the four steps to food safety

Pledge to take more trips by walking, biking or transit

Pledge to boost your health, save money and reduce stress by shifting at least one of your weekly car trips to walking/rolling, biking or transit. Maybe you opt for a short walk to the grocery store, hop on the bus to work or bike your kids to school one day this week.

The As You Go MPLS campaign celebrates getting around the city in ways that support the City’s mode-shift goal in the Transportation Action Plan. By 2030, the City aims to have three out of every five trips taken by walking, biking or transit.

Visit the City’s website to take the pledge. It’s available in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong. You can also choose to share your personal experience or story about what motivates you to get around by walking, rolling, biking or transit.

Fairgoers ranked Minneapolis’ tap water the best tasting water in the state!

Random State Fair goers blind taste tested 16 different Minnesota tap waters inside the State Fair’s Eco Experience during the fair.

Did you know tap water is more heavily regulated than bottled water, and costs a fraction of the price? Minneapolis tap water costs about a half cent per gallon. Compare that to an average 20-oz bottle of water at $1.50, which translates to $9.60/gallon on average. Not to mention the extra waste of single-use plastic bottles!

Request for Proposal: Community Opioid Response and Engagement

The Minneapolis Health Department is requesting proposals from organizations that focus on treatment and long-term recovery for traditionally underserved communities. This request uses $150,000 of the City’s Opioid Settlement Funds and is part of a larger strategy responding to the opioid crisis. We are seeking qualified organizations to support community driven projects to prevent, treat, and maintain long-term recovery of opioid use and addiction in underserved and underrepresented communities, including our Native and East African populations.

Apply now

Healthy Homes & Lead Hazard Control

Free child lead testing events  We are bringing a mobile testing lab to your neighborhood. A blood test is the only way to know if your child has lead poisoning. The Minneapolis Health Department recommends children who live in homes built before 1978 get tested every year of their life, up to 6-years-old.   Lead poisoning can cause serious health issues, such as:  Learning problems Behavioral problems Slowed growth Hearing problems Developmental problems Find an upcoming free lead testing event near you Read more about our lead testing program in the Sahan Journal

Homegrown Minneapolis

2023 Farm to School Community BBQ 

Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Culinary & Wellness Services is excited to host their annual Farm to School Community BBQ -- a celebration of local food in our district and community! This free outdoor event includes delicious local foods, fun hands-on activities, live music, a corn-shucking contest, and more.

Where: MPS Culinary Center – 812 Plymouth Ave. N.

When: Sept. 27 from 4-6:30 p.m. (Sept. 28 rain date)

Learn more about the event on the MPS Culinary & Wellness Services webpage

In Case You Missed It: Minneapolis Food Vision 

Homegrown Minneapolis recently announced the release of the final draft of the Minneapolis Food Vision (MFV). Developed by people who live, work, and eat in Minneapolis, the MFV is a 10-year plan meant to build and support a local food system that is resilient, just, and equitable. It also builds on previous efforts and plans of the City and is a companion to the recently adopted Climate Equity Plan. 

Learn more about the MFV and view the full PDF on the City's program page

Opioid Response Team

National Recovery Month

Did you know that 3 out of 10 people in the United States face challenges related to mental health or substance use?

This month, we come together to offer hope, embrace acceptance, and celebrate the incredible power of recovery.

If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse, remember, you're not alone. There's a network of compassionate resources ready to help you on your journey to recovery.

Find resources on our opioid webpage

Sustainability, Healthy Homes and Environment (SHHE)

Phasing out black plastic

The Green To Go ordinance addresses recyclable and compostable to-go containers for food.

Black plastics have been allowed under Green To Go. However, we plan to phase it out because black plastic is problematic.

We are interested in your comments on making this change.

During the summer, we will meet with businesses and other stakeholders to collect feedback. We will review your comments and suggestions to determine how we move forward to reduce the impacts of black plastic.

Black plastic issues

Black plastics are trash. Using black plastics do not align with the City of Minneapolis Zero Waste Plan goal of reducing waste.

Some of the problems:

• Recyclers are no longer accepting black plastics
• Black plastics do not have good end markets to make them into new materials
• Black plastics are not allowed in Minneapolis residential recycling carts
• Black plastics end up in the landfill or are sent for incineration

What you can do

We encourage you to stop using black plastics when your current supply is used up.

Instead of black, purchase clear or white recyclable plastic. Another alternative is to use compostable containers.

Resources

Find out more about Green To Go

Read the Green To Go ordinance 

Learn about the City's Zero Waste Plan 

If you have questions about Green To Go, contact Minneapolis 311 by emailing Minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov or calling 612-673-3000. Ask for an Environmental Health supervisor. 

Green Cost Share Program

The Minneapolis Health Department is working hard to build a more climate resilient City. The City’s Green Cost Share Program provides financial assistance to help community members pay for property upgrades that help the environment.

The program helps pay for a variety of projects, including solar installations, energy-saving improvements, innovation pollution reduction efforts and projects that reduce vehicle pollution.

Video
Green Rock Apartments. Building a more climate resilient Minneapolis. The video showcases how the City helped a 4d affordable housing property owner make investments in electric car charging stations, a solar array and new roof installation, among other upgrades.

Programs like this are helping to build a better tomorrow in our city.

Sign up to get alerted when the next round of applications begin

Green Careers Exploration Program: Solar installation training 

Are you interested in Solar Energy Career Pathways?  

Jobs in clean energy and solutions for climate change are some of the fastest growing and best paying in the nation. 

The Minneapolis Health Department’s Green Careers Exploration Program is partnering with Minneapolis Climate Action and other community partners for the next round of Solar Installation Training.

The 56-hour credentialed training for people who have an interest in the solar industry is administered by Midwest Renewable Energy Association. 

Young adults, people of color and women are encouraged to register. No experience or prerequisites are required.  

While the training is free, you may also qualify for a stipend if you meet income qualifications.

Register for the next training Oct. 9-19

Space is limited. 

Questions
Contact Akisha

Apply now to lower your gas bill

Minneapolis residents eligible for energy assistance may qualify to have the additional cost of a winter storm surcharge removed from their gas bills.

Gas customers eligible for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can qualify to have a gas surcharge removed. The extra charge is associated with extreme fuel costs during Winter Storm Uri in 2021.

The City of Minneapolis is encouraging anyone who may qualify to apply for assistance:

• See if you qualify
• Apply through the Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County

The fee will be removed through September 2026.

Additional benefit
Those who qualify for (LIHEAP) will also be enrolled in the CenterPoint Energy Gas Affordability Program. This will limit the amount a customer will pay per month on their gas bill. 

Director of Health Operations

The Director of Health Operations ensures that the foundational elements of the Health Department are executed in an efficient and effective manner. The core infrastructure of the department, its administrative, legislative, financial, and operational functions are housed within this division, and they are essential to the work that the department does in the community.

This position works to develop and maintain highly effective teams that can support the programmatic work of staff across the wide range of service areas that exist in the department.

Apply now!

Mid-September Third Avenue Bridge Pictures by Doug Verdier

Submitted by Doug Verdier

Lots of changes can be seen during a quick walk around around the riverfront beneath the Third Avenue Bridge. Barriers and equipment have been removed from some areas, and grassy areas that were used to stage equipment have had fresh soil emplaced and hydro seeded to refresh the green spaces. Following are some images showing the progress noted just this past week.

This waterway beneath the bridge next to the walking path was formerly filled with crushed rock to enable heavy equipment access to the underside of the bridge as well as inside. The waterway beyond the bridge pier once had much debris floating in it. That was also removed during the cleanup.

The area in this photo was used for equipment and material staging during construction. That and the fencing that once surrounded the area has been removed and the grassy area restored with hydro-seeding.

The partially completed concrete retaining wall can be seen from the iron bridge passing over the woonerf above First Street S. The West end of the Third Avenue Bridge with the reinstalled railings can be seen above the work below.

New light fixtures are being installed on both sides of the bridge. 

Another view of the new light fixtures along the barrier protecting pedestrians from the bridge roadway.

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Editor's Note: As of today, the project page states, "Let’s celebrate the reopening of the Third Ave. Bridge this October. More details coming soon." So, the end is in sight!

The Cowles Center Presents Second Annual Fall Forward Festival

The Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts announced this year’s Fall Forward Festival line-up. The annual festival features shared evening performances over the three weekends of October 21 & 22, October 28 & 29, and November 4 & 5 on the Goodale Theater Stage. In-person, single tickets for each weekend of the festival are $30 or Pay As You Are. Tickets are on sale now through the Box Office at (612) 206-3600 or online.

The Fall Forward Festival celebrates nine different dance artists across three fantastic weekends. Talents collide onstage as our diverse dance community showcases an assortment of genres across this momentous festival. Each weekend features a new roster and a variety of experiences from percussive footwork to physical feats to modern expressions and more.

Said Cowles Center Co-Director, Jessi Fett, “We’re so thrilled to be bringing back the Fall Forward Festival. It’s so exciting to see an artist from our Generating Room program join the festival this year and support four commissions for new work. This just highlights the power of creating pathways for artists to grow.”

Co-Director, Joseph Bingham added, “Just as thrilling is our ability to add Pay As You Are pricing options to this year's festival, continuing our work to make The Cowles Center and dance as accessible as possible.” 

October 21 and 22

• Concerto Dance
• Kaleena Miller Dance*
• Afoutayi Haitian Dance, Music, and Arts Company*

October 28 and 29

• Ballet Folklorico Mexico Azteca*
• STRONGmovement
• Yuki Tokuda

November 4 and 5 

• Katha Dance Theatre*
• Shapiro & Smith Dance
• Alternative Motion Project

*Denotes new work commission

Pay As You Are

In order to make performances more accessible, The Cowles Center is joining many Twin Cities performing arts organizations by offering Pay As You Are at select performances throughout the season. Pay As You Are pricing asks those who routinely pay the fair market value for tickets to choose to pay that amount. If an audience member needs to pay less, they can choose to pay less — as little as $5 per ticket, while those who are able to pay above market price are welcome to do so.

The Cowles Center is a dance and performing arts hub that promotes movement and growth for artists through supportive programs and spaces; engages audiences through dynamic performances; and educates learners of all ages through robust and inclusive education initiatives. The Cowles Center is owned and operated by Artspace. 

Autumn Brew Review Returns to Boom Island October 14

Each fall, thousands of craft beer lovers gather at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis for Autumn Brew Review, Minnesota’s longest-running beer festival. Described as “fall fun for adults,” attendees of the afternoon festival can enjoy live music, games, and bonfires in the golden-hour light as they sample unlimited craft beer from over 90 Minnesota breweries and brewpubs.

This year, on October 14, the festival will feature a live music stage to highlight local bands Grunge Unplugged and Pleezer. There will also be a new designated area for lawn games along the Mississippi River waterfront.

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Autumn Brew Review is put on by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, a not-for-profit organization made up of brewery and brewpub members. Like other MNCBG festivals, ABR exclusively showcases Minnesota breweries and brewpubs, often with owners or brewers present. At the festival, breweries will be grouped by region, so fans can more easily explore the variety and quality of craft beer that our state offers. Whether discovering new favorites or enjoying old ones, craft beer fans are able to enjoy fresh Minnesota beer, poured by the people who brew it.

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The 2023 Autumn Brew Review festival will feature:

● Unlimited samples from 90+ Minnesota breweries, brewpubs, and cideries

● Autumn games and activities

● Live music by local bands Grunge Unplugged and Pleezer

● Bonfires

● Food trucks

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Early-bird general admission tickets are $65, non-alcoholic tickets are $20, and VIP early-access tickets are $85. Ticket prices increase October 1. Tickets, event details, and more can be found online at mncraftbrew.org/ABR.

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Founded in 2000, the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild is a not-for-profit organization made up of more than 180 Minnesota brewery and brewpub members. The Guild showcases the talent of Minnesota’s craft brewers and promotes Minnesota’s brewing industry by sponsoring festivals and special events, including the MN Brewers Cup, the State Fair’s Brewed in Minnesota exhibit, All Pints North, and Autumn Brew Review. The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild’s mission is to promote, protect, and grow a robust Minnesota craft brewing industry by building a healthy beer culture and community that allows for independent brewers, industry stakeholders, and craft beer fans to thrive.

Dr. Kathy Klink on the Zero Waste Program at the Mill City Farmers Market

Article by Becky Fillinger, photo provided

A Discussion with Dr. Kathy Klink, Zero Waste Educator and Volunteer

Mill City Farmers Market has been a zero-waste market since 2009, and was the first zero-waste market in Minnesota. Although zero waste is hard to achieve given current constraints in the world today, it's a definite aspiration of the market (and of other zero-waste businesses and organizations). At MCFM, "zero waste" means the staff works to ensure serviceware from food sales and sampling - such as cups and lids, straws, plates, napkins, and forks - are recyclable or compostable. This has a huge impact on reducing the actual "waste" generated at the market. We wanted to learn more about the program, which led to a discussion with Dr. Kathy Klink, one of the market's fabulous Zero Waste Educators.

Q:  What is the impact of MCFM's Zero Waste initiative? 

A:  Prior to the pandemic, MCFM was able to achieve 93-95% diversion rates for waste generated at the market. That means that of all of the visitor-generated discards, 93-95% were either composted or recycled and only 5-7% was waste that was sent to a landfill or incinerator. Post-2020, the diversion rate has slipped a bit but it's still pretty darn impressive at around 90%. I believe this "slippage" is due at least in part to a general tightening of restrictions on the materials that recycling companies and industrial compost sites will accept. Recyclers can't turn around and sell plastics that have no market (usually that's 3s, 4s, and 6s), and black plastic typically is not accepted because it's difficult to process in automated recycling facilities. Compost facilities such as SMSC and SET only accept BPI-certified compostable packaging and serviceware, and not every item labeled as "compostable" has that certification. If it doesn't, it goes in the trash.

Q:  You have a truly impressive volunteer history in recycling programs – including Hennepin County Recycling Ambassador, Ramsey County Recycling Ambassador and Zero Waste staffing and education at the MCFM. Why is recycling and zero waste important to you? 

A:  Reducing waste is an important way that we as individuals can help to improve the quality of our air, soil, and water, and nobody wants to see garbage strewn around their neighborhood, or floating in a river or lake, or turned into ash to float into the air! Recycling - yes, it does happen - allows us to reuse resources rather than digging for new ones, which also helps to reduce our environmental footprint. Composting turns food waste (among other compostable items) into a nutrient-rich amendment for soils that can supplement or replace the need for synthetic fertilizers. I also have to admit that there's something weirdly satisfying about picking through the recycling, organics, and trash bins at MCFM to make sure that the right things go into the right containers, and then seeing the market staff and vendors' hard work show up in those impressive zero waste counts.

Q:  In addition to your volunteering, you have a Ph.D. in Climatology and teach at the University of Minnesota. Do you have any advice for Minneapolis citizens in terms of practical things we can do to protect our local environment?  

A:  There are lots of ways we can help protect the environment. Reduce-reuse-recycle is near the top of my list, of course, including taking a minute to think before buying or picking up freebies (do I *really* need that item?). If you have any hazardous items (including batteries), it's important to take them to a hazardous waste drop-off site rather than putting them in the trash, which most likely ends up in a landfill or incinerator. And it can be fun to get involved in environmental activities in your community, in ways that make sense for you. That might be attending a neighborhood cleanup event or maybe talking with your elected representatives about environmental issues. These may seem like small things, but if a lot of people do them, they add up to something big.

Q:  How can a person get involved by becoming a Zero Waste Educator at MCFM? 

A:  You can just sign up! The MCFM Zero Waste page includes a link to the sign-up sheet. Training is provided on site and no, you don't actually have to stick your hands into a trash or recycling or organics bin (but you can if you want to - we have gloves!). And if folks would like to go a little deeper into waste reduction, zero waste, and environmental health, I highly recommend the Hennepin County Community Recycling Ambassadors program and the Ramsey County Recycling Ambassador program.

Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis Reveals Celebration of Winter, Including Nordic Village Expansion

Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis will kick off its five-month celebration of winter with the expansion of Nordic Village, special offers on hotel rooms and suites, guided sauna experiences through The Spa, seasonal shopping and holiday happenings at Mara.

“After such an incredible response to Nordic Village in our first year, we decided to grow this initiative by building more cabins, keeping them open longer, and providing new activities and experiences in year two,” says General Manager Florian Riedel. “At Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis, we love winter, and we love bringing people together. Nordic Village is a shining example of this.”

NORDIC VILLAGE:

Offering a Minnesota cabin experience in the middle of the city, Nordic Village will be open for dinners, private events and buyouts Wednesdays through Sundays from November 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. The expanded setup spans Riva Terrace and Riva Plaza with five cabins that seat up to four guests and three cabins that seat up to eight guests.

Designed and decorated by MartinPatrick3, an internationally recognized boutique dedicated to building a one-of-a-kind experience, each cabin will bear a unique name inspired by the Star of the North. The interiors will feature skylights, personalized Spotify accounts and TVs to watch favourite sporting events or a holiday classic. Insulated and heated, cabins will stay warm and cosy no matter the weather.

This year’s four-course menu will again feature Onion Soup, Cheese Fondue and Minnesota-shaped S’Mores. Pricing begins at $165 per person, with the option to order craft cocktails or mocktails, local beers and a variety of wine pairings as well as supplements like caviar and truffles a la carte. New for 2023-24, those who dine in Nordic Village will be invited to unlock seasonal savings on an overnight hotel stay.

RESERVATIONS INCLUDE SPECIAL OFFERS ON HOTEL ROOMS AND SUITES:

Dinner in Nordic Village with an overnight guest room will be available from $595, while suites – which include a bottle of Dom Pérignon – will be available from $975. Reservations for Nordic Village and an oversight hotel stay will become available one month at a time, starting Monday, October 2, at noon CT on Tock.

Interested event hosts and meeting planners are invited to contact the Events Team at sales.minneapolis@fourseasons.com for more information and to arrange pre-opening tours.

GUIDED SAUNA EXPERIENCES:

In collaboration with cedar + stone, a brand dedicated to providing the highest quality sauna experiences with thoughtful Nordic design, The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis is expanding its wellness offerings to include two saunas in the outdoor space adjacent to the fitness centre. Starting in November, customizable, guided sauna experiences will be open to residents, guests and community members seven days per week. Reservations may be made online or by calling (612) 895-5707.

SEASONAL SHOPPING:

On November and December 2023 and January 2024 weekends from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm, Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis will host a Nordic Village Market inside the cabins on Riva Terrace and Riva Plaza. Here, market curator Mich Berthiaume will introduce patrons to local artists, makers and creators offering a rotating selection to include kids’ toys, pet food, clothing, spices, home décor, jewellery, blankets and more. Open to residents, guests and community members, all will be welcomed with hot cider and a small bite upon arrival.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS:

Named Restaurant of the Year by both Minnesota Monthly and The Star Tribune in its first year open, Mara shines especially bright during Festive Season. Celebrations begin with Halloween Brunch on Sunday, October 29, and continue with Thanksgiving events on Thursday, November 23. Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis will also offer Thanksgiving to-go kits with no cooking required.

During the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Mara will welcome residents, guests and community members to enjoy Brunch with Santa on Sunday, December 3, and meals and events on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Additionally, Mara will host a signature event during The Great Northern’s 2024 winter festival. Those interested in Mara’s holiday happenings are invited to subscribe for email updates, which will provide more information.

Chris Rackley: Life As A Mall Brat Artist Reception at Kolman & Reeb, Sept. 23

Chris Rackley: Life As A Mall Brat - A Kolman & Reeb Gallery Project Space Exhibition 

Life As A Mall Brat runs thru October 21

Artist Reception: Saturday, September 23, 7:00p – 9:00p

Artist Talk: Thursday, October 5, 2023, 7:00p – 8:00p

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Visitors have a chance to step into the art of Chris Rackley at the Kolman & Reeb Gallery during the gallery’s current Project Space grant exhibition, Life As A Mall Brat.

Spending a large part of his youth at a shopping mall where his father managed a shoe store, Chris Rackley is a self-proclaimed mall "brat." On days when not in school, Rackley spent his time at the mall sketching, reading, and exploring; curiously comparing what we experience as shoppers with the hidden inner workings of the retail meccas. From these unique and humble beginnings, Rackley examines the inaccuracy of memories with how we perceive them as truths. 

Rackley uses drawings, sculptures, and an interactive video to explore his memories of a shopping mall in Duluth, Georgia. Rackley recreates miniature versions of architectural elements of the mall—a place he wandered every day for ten years in the 1980s. These recognizable facades and embellishments are presented at different scales relative to one another, emulating the way memory can be fragmented and accompanied by a longing to reconstruct significant moments from the past.

You Are Always Here by Chris Rackley

From miniature replicas of lost toys and misplaced trash as bits and pieces of memory, Rackley has opened his mind to expose a childhood of experiences, immortalizing a shopping mall from a young boy's perspective as though daring us to go back into this precious place of youth in our own minds.

"People visiting the gallery will have a chance to step into Chris' art, and that's really what interests me most about his show," says Anita Sue Kolman, Kolman & Reeb Gallery co-founder and co-partner. "With the resources he received from our Project Space grant, Chris used a variety of materials and mediums to create so many interesting pieces."

Jodi Reeb, gallery curator and co-partner, comments, "We are excited to bring this exhibition to the gallery, which features Chris' memories as drawings, sculptures, and an interactive video, where he explores his childhood at the mall that he wandered for ten years."

Rackley received his BA in Studio Art from Davidson College and his MFA in Painting from George Mason University. Rackley’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally. Rackley currently lives and works in Rochester, MN.

Kolman & Reeb Gallery is in Studio 395, Northrup King Building at 1500 Jackson Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. For more information, please visit: kolmanreebgallery.com or call 612-385-4239.  

Small Business Spotlight: Innovative Food Upcycler, Netzro

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

A Discussion with Founder and President, Sue Marshall

Sue MarshallYou’ve heard of furniture and clothing upcycling. Did you know that food can also be upcycled?

We have a trailblazer in food upcycling in our midst, Netzro, 817 5th Avenue S, founded by Sue Marshall. Netzro was recently selected by Tyson Ventures (the venture capital arm of Tyson Foods) as one of four national entrepreneurs to receive mentorship and partnership opportunities. We talked to Sue about the importance of food upcycling and what the recognition by Tyson will mean for the company.

Q:  Let's start with a very basic question: What is food upcycling?

A:  NETZRO’s definition of food upcycling is the process of safely capturing and converting food byproducts into new upcycled ingredients at scale. It expands the food economy without growing more food.

Q:  Your LinkedIn profile tells us that you're "partnering with Mother Nature to correct the mistakes of my generation and generations past." Please tell us more about that notion. 

A:  In the U.S. we have taken for granted the resources it takes to grow food, putting pressure on the environment unnecessarily. This might begin at the farm level, but exists all the way through the food supply chain. The biggest opportunity is to create a more equitable, resilient closed loop food system.

Q:  How does Netzro facilitate food upcycling? Do you have a means of measuring the impact of Netzro?

A: Having the opportunity to be a founding and executive board member of Upcycled Food Association has given NETZRO a role of advisor in the food tech space within the industry. We receive calls from food and beverage manufacturers all around the world that have all types of food byproducts that need to be processed, supplying an endless number of leads. Being considered a leading expert has given me the chance for speaking engagements in various food and agriculture ecosystems. Being a supplier of food technology to assist powering food forward at scale is where the impact exists. Using some food byproduct to create a new snack is cute, but taking a problem of tons of food per day that is wasted and upcycling it to higher value is truly solving the problem of food waste while creating new opportunities. In terms of impact, in 2022 the Upcycled Food Association companies recovered a projected 991,681,940 pounds of food from waste - the carbon equivalent of taking 242,000 cars off the road.

Q:  And congratulations for also being a founding member of the Upcycled Food Association, which includes over 260 companies in 20 countries.  

A:  Thank you. It has been heavy lifting, but all worth it. The folks who I have had the opportunity to do this work with are incredibly passionate about making a difference. It has been a very humbling experience to say the least.

Q:  The major recent news is that Netzro was recently chosen as one of four startups at the Tyson Foods Demo Day pitch event. What does this recognition mean for you and the company?

A:  Being selected by Tyson gives NETZRO the chance to work on a level of scale that we are ready for. Their people are some of the brightest scientists and engineers in the world, so to be connected to them is an opportunity of a lifetime. Not to mention the access to resources that very few companies have gives us the chance to accelerate our work even faster.

Q:  What's next for Netzro and you? May individuals invest in Netzro?

A:  The NETZRO team will be expanding, which gives me a chance to focus my skills and passion in the areas that matter most to feed more people, while reducing the effects of climate change. NETZRO was selected for the MN Angel Tax credit program and using it to raise a seed round. For more information, contact cody@netzro.us. Please follow our social channels - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Rue Duffy - Hard to Believe That Voice is Only 13

By Claudia Kittock

Rue Duffy is 13 years old. Why does that matter? When you hear her sing you won’t believe she is only 13 years old. This young woman has a voice that sounds far older than her short life. She is incredibly talented and a recipient of Be That Neighbor's Sallie Steele Birdsong Scholarship.

Rue can never remember a time in her life when there wasn’t music. She loved to sing with her Dad when she was 2 years old as he played his guitar. Rue started studying with J.D. Steele when she was 6 years old. She heard about him from the stylist who was cutting her hair, and when they met, J.D. heard the potential in her voice and in her personality.

Rue hears music wherever she goes, even when you and I can’t hear it. It is inside her and even though that music may not always come with words, it is there and it is real. When you hear her sing, you can imagine the music inside of her.

She loves virtually every genre of music, and has recently become interested in scat singing. In Rue’s words, “It shows off the singer and what the singer can do with just notes.”

Music is Rue’s dream and she hopes to become a performer. She would love to go to a performing arts high school, followed by attending a college where she could major in voice.

Chef Yia Vang Announces Vinai Restaurant Will Open in the Space Being Vacated by Dangerous Man's Taproom

1300 2nd Street NE

Vinai is expected to open in Spring 2024 at 1300 2nd Sreet NE, in the Northeast Bank Building 

Chef Yia Vang has announced that his restaurant, Vinai, will move into the space at 1300 2nd Street NE in Minneapolis’ Northeast Bank Building. The announcement comes after Yia Vang first publicized the restaurant’s plans back in early 2020, prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The restaurant is expected to begin construction on the space in late 2023/early 2024 and is aiming for a Spring 2024 opening. 

Vinai gets its namesake from the refugee camp in Thailand where Vang’s parents met and where he was born. The restaurant is meant to serve as an homage to the heritage of Vang’s family while also continuing to share Hmong culture, traditions, and stories with the Twin Cities community and beyond. 

“The road to opening Vinai has been a much longer one than we expected, but we are finally at a point where we have a home,” said Vang. “It was a roller coaster of a process but we’ve learned so much in that time and we’ve been so thankful for the patience and support that we’ve been shown over the years.” 

While Vinai will be a tenant of the space, founder and owner, Yia Vang will also be partial owner of the building itself. 

Chef Yia Vang, Photo credit: Lauren Cutshall Over the last decade, the space has been the home of the Dangerous Man Brewing Company taproom, which has announced its closure. The brewery will continue producing and distributing its well-known brews through its production brewery location. 

“This restaurant is about carrying on my parent’s legacy. But it’s also about carrying on a piece of Dangerous Man’s legacy, and the legacy of the community here.”    Chef Vang

In the Sheridan neighborhood, Vinai will be joining a well regarded team of restaurants in the area. Ann Kim’s Young Joni is down the block, Gustavo Romero’s Oro is across the street, and Christina Nguyen’s Hai Hai is less than a mile away. “We love the neighborhood, and we feel so lucky to join the strong community that these restaurants and Dangerous Man have cultivated over the years,” said Vang. 

While navigating the funding hurdles of Vinai’s opening, Vang has been operating Union Hmong Kitchen for over 7 years. Union Hmong Kitchen has two locations in Minneapolis – one in the North Loop and one on West Lake Street – and has expanded the brand to serve Hmong food at the Minnesota State Fair, Target Field, and US Bank Stadium. Union Hmong Kitchen was nominated for a James Beard in 2022 for Best New Restaurant and Vang has received multiple James Beard nominations for Best Chef Midwest. 

Food Waste Reduction App, Too Good To Go, Launches in Minneapolis, Promoting Savings and Sustainability

Too Good To Go is available in 19 cities across the U.S. and has saved more than 6.8 million meals from waste 

A popular food-saving and money-saving app, Too Good To Go, is launching in Minneapolis on September 20.

Too Good To Go partners with local food businesses to reduce food waste by rescuing unsold food from being thrown out and selling it for a reduced price. The app a win-win-win as it allows local businesses to recoup food costs, and consumers can access great food at affordable prices, and it helps with the massive food waste problem that our planet faces. 

Minneapolis Launch Partners Include:

Mama Sheila's House of Soul

• Black-owned, family-owned & operated business in the heart of Minneapolis. 

• A museum styled restaurant in Minneapolis where you'll find great down-home soul food and more in an elegant environment.

• Sheila, who also serves as the main cook, grew up in Chicago. Starting off in the kitchen at 15 years old, she developed a love for cooking and the skills to cook.  

T-Rex Cookie Kitchen

• Women-owned & operated business.

• Dinosaur-themed hangout with jumbo cookies in creative flavors, locally roasted coffee & light fare.

• Baking nationally recognized 1/2 pound and 5 pound cookies in 200+ Flavors. Small but mighty company with big cookies! 

The Buttered Tin

• Women-owned & operated business. Founded by James Beard-recognized chef and Cupcake Wars winner Alicia Hinze. Fun fact: she competed on The Food Network’s hit show Cupcake Wars several times with competition-winning results!

• Serves up house-made sweets and scratch-made breakfast, brunch, and lunch in St. Paul and Minneapolis. All items are made with simple, clean ingredients and love. 

Backstory Coffee

• A specialty coffee roaster that sources from relationship-focused producers and importers.

• Very rooted in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul community–many local coffee shops roast Backstory coffee. The company’s mission is to cultivate deeper connections between people by sharing their love of delicious coffee. 

Butter Bakery Cafe

• Locally owned, independent business rooted in Southwest Minneapolis since 2006 and deeply committed to producing not only good food, but also good community.

• They partner with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, a local non-profit working to end homelessness, in giving youth living at Nicollet Square supportive work experience. 

• As a Social Benefit Corporation, they’re focused on being a business for good, modeling sustainable practices, advocating for improvements to worker rights, and bringing positive change to our food service industry. 

With approximately 10% of greenhouse gas emissions stemming from discarded food, reducing food waste is key to solving the world’s climate problem. Too Good To Go forges a direct connection between conscientious consumers and forward-thinking food businesses. Through the free mobile app, consumers gain access to high-quality, surplus food at an average discount of ⅓ the full retail price, while businesses can recoup otherwise lost revenue  from selling fresh surplus food.

By partnering with Too Good To Go, local businesses gain a powerful platform to showcase their commitment to sustainability. By reducing their surplus food inventory, they also lower disposal costs and play a pivotal role in creating a more sustainable food system. With more partners added weekly, consumers are encouraged to check back often to see what new stores and categories have joined.

According to MPCA’s recent report on the state of waste, food makes up 18% of landfills in Minnesota, where it breaks down and produces methane, a greenhouse gas with heat-trapping potential 25 times greater than carbon dioxide. Minnesotans throw out approximately 62% of food that could have been eaten or donated. A family of four in Minnesota could save $1,200 a year by reducing their wasted food. Since launching in the US, Too Good To Go has saved more than 6.5 million meals from more than 14,000 partners, resulting in over $50M in savings for consumers to-date.

“We are excited to bring Too Good To Go to Minneapolis, a city that shares our values of sustainability and community engagement,” said Chris MacAulay, Too Good To Go US Country Director. “Our app empowers individuals to make a positive impact on both the environment and their wallets, while supporting local businesses."

The Too Good To Go app is available for iOS download in the Apple App Store and Google Play for Android.

Too Good To Go is a certified B Corp social impact company, on a mission to inspire and empower everyone to fight food waste together. Through its marketplace, Too Good To Go’s community connects to save unsold food from a variety of business partners, including retailers, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, and manufacturers. In 7 years of operation, Too Good To Go has helped to save over 220 million meals from going to waste - the equivalent of 550,000 tonnes of CO2e avoided. Since its launch in 2016, Too Good To Go has grown to over 80 million registered users and 140,000 active business partners across 17 countries in Europe and North America, making it the leading company in the fight against food waste. To learn more about Too Good To Go and its impact, visit toogoodtogo.com and follow on Instagram.

Ric Rosow's Downtown Skyscrapers

Submitted by Ric Rosow

On August 29th a group of 20+ Mill City Commons (MCC) members took a 2-hour sidewalk tour of downtown Minneapolis buildings, led by MCC member David Evelo. David provided excellent commentary as we walked, and provided to each of us a multipage document describing each building.

On the walk I took the opportunity to experiment with taking vertical panoramas. Normally I take horizontal panoramic photos of the city from a vantage point giving me a view of all that lies below the horizon. In this instance I was of course on street level. Normally for a panoramic I would use a tripod to make sure the stitching of the images went smoothly. In this case I hand held the camera as I did not bring a tripod. For each series of photos that would go into making the panoramic I turned the camera to a “portrait” orientation. Taking anywhere from five to ten photos of each building, I started composing at the street level of the building and with each subsequent photo I raised the camera lens higher, taking care to overlap each image with the prior image. Photoshop then did its job of seamlessly stitching together the series of photos of each building into one image. I love the way surrounding buildings are reflected on the buildings that have a glass exterior.

150 S 5th Street

AT&T

Capella Tower

Foshey Tower

Four Seasons

Marquette Plaza

US Bank Plaza

Well Fargo Center

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I also took time to take a photograph (below) of the beautiful chandelier that hangs from the high ceiling of the first level of the Star Tribune Building. That is a building I worked in for about 20 years when it was known as the IBM Building. To highlight the beauty of the chandelier, in processing the image I masked out the surrounding ceiling and walls so that all one sees is the chandelier.

Downtown is a short walk from the Mill District, so anyone can easily take their own tour. Be sure to stop at each building and LOOK UP!

Riders in the Sky are Coming to Dakota, September 28

America's favorite two-time Grammy Award-winning comedy cowboys, Riders In The Sky, are performing at Dakota on September 28. Ranger Doug, Too Slim, Woody Paul and Joey the Cowpolka King believe in preserving the heritage of Western music and presenting it to a new generation, and have been doing so for 40 years. Their list of accomplishments include 7,200+ appearances, 35 years on the Grand Ole Opry, 40+ records, and tours of all 50 states and all over the world.

This is what we love about Dakota - performances in every genre imaginable. And the food, drinks and service is pretty darn good, too!

September 2023 Minneapolis Central City Tunnel Project Update

Via an September 8 e-announcement from the City of Minneapolis:

Project Overview

The City of Minneapolis Public Works Department is constructing a new parallel storm tunnel, enlarging a portion of the existing storm tunnel, and constructing a new tunnel access in Downtown Minneapolis.

The new tunnel is being constructed parallel to the existing tunnel located under Washington Ave S between Nicollet Mall and Chicago Ave. The existing tunnel under Chicago Ave between Washington Ave S and the Mississippi River is being expanded to handle the increased stormwater capacity. The purpose of this project is to reduce pressure in the existing tunnel, provide more room for future growth, and to reduce the need for future repairs and tunnel failures.

Project Map

Latest Project News

Mississippi River Portal

• Crews continue to work on lining the existing storm tunnel at the Mississippi River with concrete. Excavation will resume later this fall when they can access the storm flow again.

2nd Ave

• Crews continue to work on lining the new parallel storm tunnel under Washington Ave from the new tunnel access shaft in the southbound lanes of 2nd Ave S, just north of the Washington Ave intersection.

Portland Ave

• Crews continue to work on lining the new parallel storm tunnel under Washington Ave from the existing tunnel access shaft at the northeast corner of the Washington Ave and Portland Ave intersection.

Lining progress

In August, crews continued to work on the concrete tunnel lining pouring about 1,400 cubic yards of concrete. To date 8,200 cubic yards of concrete have been poured. As noted in the infographic above, this is just over two and a half times the volume of an Olympic swimming pool. This process is approximately 52.6% complete.

Long-term closures/restrictions

• The north westbound lane, bike lane, and parking lane remains closed on Washington Ave between Portland Ave and Park Ave. These closures will remain in place until the project is completed.
  • During this closure, pedestrians can still use the sidewalks along Washington Ave.
  • Crosswalks across Washington Ave and Portland Ave will remain open.
  • Bicyclists will share the traffic lane.
  • The existing left turn lane on Washington Ave at the Portland Ave intersection will temporarily become a left turn and through lane.

• Northbound lane of Portland Ave will be periodically closed between Washington Ave and 2nd Closures will happen during the workday only.
  • Closure is for the placement of concrete into the tunnel.
  • East crosswalk across Washington and north crosswalk across Portland will be closed.
  • Sidewalks will remain open to businesses and residences.

• The north sidewalk along Washington Ave remains restricted between Hennepin Ave and Nicollet Mall.
  • During these restrictions, pedestrians share the bike lane on Washington Ave.
  • The crosswalks at the Washington Ave intersections of Nicollet Mall and Hennepin Ave remains open.

• The sidewalk on the east side of 4th Ave S remains restricted through the end of the project. The dewatering well and pumps are installed in this area.
  • Pedestrians can use the sidewalk on the west side of 4th Ave S.
  • The crosswalk at the Washington Ave and 4th Ave intersection remains open.
  • Access to driveways off 4th Ave S remains open.

• The west sidewalk of Portland Ave south of Washington Ave will remain restricted to pedestrians around the dewatering well and pumps until the project is completed.

• The parking lot and trail near Mill Runs Park has reopened.
  • During the summer, the trail will have flaggers to allow concrete trucks to pull into and out of the work site.

• 2nd Ave S remains a single lane in each direction using the northbound lanes between Washington Ave and 1st St S. Access will be restricted until the project is completed.
  • Access to driveways off 2nd Ave S remain open. There may be short-term access delays while crews move equipment and materials around.

Stay Connected

There are multiple ways to get information including email updates and ongoing stakeholder meetings. Visit the project website for more information and to sign up for project updates.

Email the project team: info@mplscentralcitytunnel.com

Contact the project hotline: 612-888-9418

Wilderness Inquiry Announces 2023 Great River Race on the Mississippi River

The September 16 event marks the 13th anniversary of racing to close the opportunity gap for thousands of youth in the Twin Cities and beyond

Wilderness Inquiry, a nonprofit providing equitable access to the outdoors through guided trips and educational programs, has announced its annual fundraising event, the Great River Race, will take place September 16 at Hidden Falls Regional Park where more than 25 teams will race down the Mississippi River in 10-person canoes. The big race centers around closing the opportunity gap for thousands of youth across Minnesota and beyond by raising funds for Canoemobile, Wilderness Inquiry’s outdoor education program that engages youth and communities in environmental learning and water-based recreation close to where they live.

In 2023, Canoemobile will reach more than 20,000 youth in 50+ communities across the country, teaching them about science, history, geography, and culture while navigating local waterways in 10-person canoes. 

Great River Race partners include the National Park Service and Mississippi Park Connection. Past attendees include Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, who have paddled in the race. 2023 presenting sponsors are Nature Valley, Thomson Reuters, and Winnebago Industries. For a full list of sponsors and more details about the Great River Race, visit www.greatriverrace.org. 

“Our proud sponsors and strong partnerships are key to creating a successful event that champions equitable outdoor connections for all youth,” said Wilderness Inquiry’s Executive Director Erika Rivers. “The Great River Race is a day full of fun, purpose, and impact. This year, our goal is to raise $150,000 for programs that will engage more than 20,000 youth in life-changing outdoor educational and recreational opportunities.” 

Nonprofit News: World Savvy, Bridgemakers and Youthprise Awarded New Pluralists Grant

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Dana MortensonThree local non-profits were awarded a New Pluralists Healing Starts Here grant to co-create a set of youth-led, intergenerational listening sessions to understand what young people and other community leaders want to see in their schools. We spoke to Dana Mortenson, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of World Savvy to learn more about the unique collaboration, the grant and how it will be rolled out in the coming academic year.

Q:  Congratulations on the grant awarded to World Savvy, Bridgemakers and Youthprise to develop youth-led programs on civil discourse. How did the partnership of the three organizations come about? Did you jointly apply for the grant? 

A:  World Savvy, Youthprise, and Bridgemakers have a long history of collaboration and mutual support. With similar missions to empower students from all backgrounds to succeed, commitment to youth voice and leadership, and a strong belief that we are stronger when we work together, our organizations have been vocal advocates and thoughtful partners for each other. For example, we collaborated in January 2022 on an event in World Savvy’s Changemaker Series on Supporting Youth-Led Systems Change. In addition, all of our organizations are headquartered in Minnesota - a state of great prosperity and also a state that is rapidly shifting demographically and economically and has work to do in creating shared prosperity for all youth. We all have a deep interest in, and commitment to, expanding youth opportunities here locally. 

When the opportunity to seek financial support through a New Pluralists Healing Starts Here grant came about, we knew this could be a perfect fit for our organizations to work collectively. This grant at its core is about expanding “pluralism,” which New Pluralists really sees as people coming together to learn and discover breakthrough solutions to the common challenges we face. With so much division happening in conversations around education, and much of it drowning out the voices of those most impacted - our youth - we knew we wanted to submit an initiative that focused on youth facilitating this work across difference. 

We put together a collaborative team from across our three organizations in the summer of 2022, and developed the project vision and plan called Youth Reimagining Education. We were thrilled when our joint application was accepted in late 2022!

Q:  How will you recruit and train the youth leaders for the programs? 

A:  Fostering youth leadership is an expertise of each of our organizations. Bridgemakers was founded by youth, for youth—to build purpose, prosperity, and power for youth facing adversity. Youthprise has spent over ten years helping organizations across our community to build programs with and for youth and responsive to their needs. World Savvy works nationwide with districts and schools to create schools and classrooms that foster youth voice and leadership.

The facilitation of the work will be carried out by existing Bridgemakers youth leaders, with additional training and support from Youthprise and World Savvy in frameworks and facilitation practices relevant to the project.

Q:  I know these may be early days, but where and when will the programs be offered? 

A:  The Youth Reimagining Education project will host 5-8 youth-led listening sessions, with participants of all ages, across Minnesota in the fall and winter of 2023-24. Youth will then lead the consolidation and synthesis of themes, culminating in a Knowledge to Action Summit next spring, which will bring back together participants from the listening sessions into a day-long design workshop to co-create actionable solutions that can be actively advanced by Minnesota youth. 

Q:  News of your grant award is encouraging to everyone who envisions a more thoughtfully engaged population in Minnesota. I hope the grant will be renewed in future years. How will you measure the success of the programs?   

A: We hope the collaboration will result in changes at the local and state level that have a profound impact on the state of education in Minnesota, so that a great quality education that meets the needs of diverse individuals will be available to all students across the state, regardless of their address, income level, or racial or ethnic identity. However, we also have another equally important goal for the project, which is that youth and other members of the community are empowered by this process to lead inclusive dialogue and find solutions with those who may hold different beliefs in a way that yields returns for our community and democracy.

Q:  How may we follow progress and news of the program?   

A:  The best way is to follow World Savvy, Bridgemakers, and Youthprise on our social media channels - especially LinkedIn and Instagram. You can also check out World Savvy’s blog, or subscribe to our mailing lists on the World Savvy, Bridgemakers and Youthprise websites.