[Video] Hill's Folly: James J Hill and the Stone Arch Bridge

One of the most recognizable architectural landmarks of Minneapolis is the Stone Arch Bridge. Built by Railroad Baron James J. Hill back in 1883, the Stone Arch Bridge is the only bridge of its kind spanning the Mississippi River. Built of 100,000 tons of granite and limestone, this 2,100 foot long structure, composed of twenty-three gracefully curving arches, helped usher the railroad age into the city of Minneapolis.

In its heyday, forty-eight passenger trains crossed the Stone Arch Bridge each and every day bringing thousands of travelers into and out of the central business district of Minneapolis. But as air travel replaced passenger train travel, the bridge went into decline. By 1980 it had become little more than a fenced off, derelict structure surrounded by crumbling, abandoned flour mills. In 1994 a partnership of public agencies rehabilitated the bridge for pedestrian use.

Today the Stone Arch Bridge is the jewel of the brilliantly redeveloped Minneapolis Riverfront. Thanks primarily to the Minneapolis Park Board, our grandchildren, as well as our grandchildrens' grandchildren, will one day be able to stroll across the Mississippi River on James J. Hill's monument to the railroad age.

Hill's Folly: James J Hill and the Stone Arch Bridge

Tomorrow Night - Operation Raging River at Boom Island

This email was forwarded to me by one of our readers.  Should be interesting.  Here's a link to some photos from the last training exercise in August 2012.

> Operation Raging River
>
> 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tuesday, August 12
>
> Boom Island
>
> The Minneapolis Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will be hosting a full-scale public safety exercise on Boom Island, Tuesday, August 12. The exercise will provide law enforcement and emergency responders from a number of jurisdictions the opportunity to train together.
>
> As exercise coordinator I want to continue to advise the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board that there will be a large increase in activity on and around Boom Island that day. OEM has been working in conjunction with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's Events and Permits Department and has obtained a use permit for this exercise.
>
> The exercise will include participants from the Minneapolis Fire Department, Minneapolis Park Police, St. Paul Fire, Emergency Medical Services Community, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, United States Coast Guard, and the Minnesota National Guard's 55th Civil Support Team as well as other agencies.
>
> All agencies will be responding to a simulated release of a radiological dispersal device or "dirty bomb".
>
> Exercise coordinators have appropriate involvement with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board as well as its consent and cooperation. The Park and Recreation Board has agreed to limit access to the entire park during the exercise but will not completely close the park.
>
> I have notified Minneapolis Police 2nd Precinct Inspector Kathy Waite of the increased level of public safety personnel and vehicles. This exercise will include volunteers acting as victims. We anticipate a total of 165 people to participate in this exercise. Control measures are in place to protect all participants.
>
> Law Enforcement Reserves and Community Emergency Response Team-members (CERTS) will be used around the perimeter to alert citizens of the public safety exercise. Signage will also be used throughout the area to let citizens know that a public safety exercise is in progress.
>
> We will distribute information to area neighbors advising them of the exercise. We will put the information on Minneapolis OEM letterhead in a Minneapolis OEM envelope. The targeted areas for the letter drops would be in Ward 3, Precincts 3-5 and 3-7. This includes residents bordering Boom Island Park.
>
> While residents and passersby may hear a loud noise and possibly see smoke it is important to convey that at no time will residents be in danger. Full-scale exercises provide important training to law enforcement and first responders. This training exercise is not designed to address any specific deficiency in the emergency management training process or any specific threat.
>
>
> Thomas J. Miller
>
> Operations and Training Section Chief
>
> Office of Emergency Management
>
> City of Minneapolis
>
> Emergency Operations Training Facility

[Video] National Night Out Block Party in the Mill District

Over 500 neighbors gathered on the Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront overlooking the Stone Arch Bridge for food, drink, music and fun for National Night Out on August 5, 2014.

Many thanks to our sponsors, without whom the celebration would not have been possible:

American Academy of Neurology

Men's Spa

Mill City Times

Zen Box

Luke Kleckner, Realtor

Cynthia Froid Group

Sorella Wine & Spirits

Litin Party and Paper Company

Izzy’s Ice Cream

Kramaczuk's Sausage Company

Bobby & Steve's Auto World

Caribou Coffee

Day Block Brewing Company

Elisabeth Lucas, Realtor, Coldwell Banker Burnett

Periscope

AAA Movers

Mill City Farmers Market

Mill City Museum

Spaghetti Factory

Grumpy' s Bar & Grill

Phillips Distilling

Sawatdee

Maxwell's

Crooked Pint  Ale House

Kindee

Guthrie Theater

Dunn Bros

Samantha's Mini Spa

Magna Health & Fitness

Level Salon

Week 14 at the Mill City Farmers Market

August 9 at the Market - the bounty is overwhelming!

Author James Norton and photographer Becca Dilley were guests at the August 9 Mill City Cooks Demo, followed by a meet & greet and book signing for Lake Superior Flavors: A Field Guide to Food and Drink along the Circle Tour.

I ran into quite a few exhausted people at the Market - maybe we all need to set aside an hour for a soak with this Organic Herbal Bath from Olsen Naturals.

CSA boxes - like Christmas morning every Saturday.  :)

Lemon cucumbers are named for their appearance, not taste.

Here's a video on using squash blossoms.  Seems easy enough.

Master Weaver Wilber is creating a special bee-themed "Pollinator" wall hanging for the September 7 Sustainable Soiree auction.  Next Saturday we'll get a picture of the nearly finished piece, along with a video of commentary by Melanie Ebertz of ArtAndes.  Very cool!

The goat - feeling fearless in the furry fennel.

MacPhail Announces August 23-24 Twin Cities Scandinavian Family Festival

MacPhail Center for Music, 501 2nd Street South, will host The Twin Cities Scandinavian Family Festival August 23 and 24.

Discover your heritage, deepen your roots, learn with your family! Bring the whole family for this exciting weekend of Scandinavian Folk Arts. Featuring all-ages workshops in Norwegian Halling Dance, Folk Singing, Early Childhood Music, Wool Spinning and Nordic Roots Dance. All workshops are designed for parents, kids, grandparents and grandkids to attend together. Also featuring concerts, dance parties, and more.

Daily schedule:

Saturday, August 23, 2014
9:30am - 10:30am Scandinavian Early Childhood Music Class (birth - 8 years +caregiver(s))
11:00am - 1:00pm Halling Dance Workshop (all ages)
2:00pm - 4:00pm Kveding Workshop (8 and up)
2:00pm - 4:00pm Klippe Sauen (Shear the Sheep) Workshop (all ages)
7:00pm Artist's Showcase - A Minnesota Folk Crossover Experience
featuring Rachel Ulvin Jensen on Hardanger Fiddle, Amanda Underwood - Norwegian folk singing, and Julie Johnson and the No-Accounts playing French voyageur songs, Lumberjack songs, and other non-Scandinavian Minnesota folk music (all ages)

Sunday, August 24, 2014
11:00am - 2:00pm Nordic Roots Dance Workshop (break for lunch at noon) (all ages)
11:00am - 12:00pm Kveding for Performance Workshop (8 and up)
1:00pm - 2:00pm Halling for Performance Workshop (all ages)
3:00pm FREE Student Showcase - Festival Students and Teaching Artists
4:30pm - 6:30pm Festival Closing Party and Dance (all ages)

Registration and Tickets. Cost: $5-$75

Updates on the August 24 Minneapolis Duathlon

Team Ortho asked us to share this update on the upcoming August 24 Minneapolis Duathlon:

On Sunday, August 24, 2014, Team Ortho Foundation will be holding the Minneapolis Duathlon - a running and biking race in Minneapolis. The event will have approximately 1,700 participants. Our runners would love to have you come cheer them on! The Minneapolis Duathlon race will be a fun way to get active! Team Ortho Foundation is happy to be the organizers of this and six other races we hold each year.

Our mission is to keep people active and healthy by organizing well-run races for new and veteran runners alike.

We are working with the City of Minneapolis, their police and parks departments regarding all event details. We have also arranged temporary street closures and detours with the Minneapolis Police Department:

From 5:00 a.m.- 12 Noon
    S 2nd Street will be closed from 3rd Avenue S to 5th Avenue.
    S 5th Avenue will be closed from 1st Street to 2nd Street.

From 6:00 a.m.- 10:30 a.m.
    One north bound lane of 3rd Avenue/Central Avenue SE will be closed S 2nd Street to SE 2nd Street. The additional northbound lane along with the two south bound lanes will remain open for traffic.

From 6:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
    West River Parkway from River Street to 11th Avenue S.

From 6:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
    West River Parkway from 11th Avenue S to East 54th Street.
    13th Avenue from S 2nd Street to West River Parkway.
South 2nd Street from 5th to 13th Avenue.

The Minneapolis Police will reopen the roads after the last runner has passed.

During this time, cars and parking are also not allowed on these streets. Please take this into account when making plans in the morning of August 24th.

Please mark your calendar and share this information with others who may also be impacted in your neighborhood. You can see additional information on our website at http://www.minneapolisdu.org/.

Eloise Butler Wildflower Florilegiu​m Exhibit Opens August 14 at Central Library

The Eloise Butler Wildflower Florilegium Exhibit opens Thursday, Aug. 14, with a free welcome reception and tour, 6:30-8 p.m., and runs through Wednesday, Oct. 15, in Cargill Hall Gallery at the Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall.

The exhibit includes nearly 50 botanical paintings by students of the Minnesota School of Botanical Art. The paintings depict native plants found at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, which was established in 1907 and is the oldest public wildflower garden in America.

The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Gallery hours are the same as the library’s: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

The public is also invited to the welcome reception and related lectures during the exhibit run:
 
Welcome Reception and Tour
Thursday, Aug. 14, 6:30-8 p.m.
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room
Welcome Reception with Artists
Exhibit and Athenaeum Special Collections Tour

All About Bees Lecture
Thursday, Aug. 21, Reception 6:30-7 p.m., Lecture 7-8 p.m.
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room
Register at http://www.hclib.org/ or call 612-543-8000
Crystal Boyd, Bee Researcher, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Exhibit Tour and Botanical Painting Demonstration
History of Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Botanical Art Lecture
Saturday, Sept. 6, Lecture 1-2 p.m., Tour and Demonstration 2-3:30 p.m.
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room
Register beginning Saturday, Aug. 9 at  http://www.hclib.org/ or call 612-543-8000

Susan Wilkins, Curator, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
Marilyn Garber, President, Minnesota School of Botanical Art

Exhibit Tour and Botanical Painting Demonstration
 
Exhibit and related lectures are presented in collaboration with the Minnesota School of Botanical Art, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, with support from the Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library.
 
Look for more news on the Hennepin County Library website: www.hclib.org/newsroom.

Nominations Accepted thru August 13 for the 2014 Downtown Greening Awards

Submit Your Nominations!

Summer nominations will be accepted through August 13, 2014. Nominees must be located in downtown Minneapolis and the greening project must be visable from the public sidewalk.

More info.

Tonight - National Night Out!

Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Chicago Plaza (between the Guthrie and Spoonriver)

Join your Mill District neighbors for food, drink, prizes and music by Jack Klatt at the 2014 Mill District NNO!

Check out these pictures from our Mill District Neighborhood 2013 National Night Out:

Update from Eric Laska on the New Downtown/East Bank School

I wanted to let you know about one thing that Jacob Frey has secured with Clear Channel Communication - a free billboard advertising the new Webster School!  Here are a few more details about the Webster School:

-It is an existing Minneapolis Public School property that will start extensive renovation soon and open the fall of 2015.

-It will open as a Pre-Kindergarden to Grade 2 school, adding a new grade level each year after until it is Pre-K to Grade 5.

-It will be the default community school for the brand new attendance area 1G.  (1G has not been completely defined yet.  Please see the MPS flyer attached for their defined boundaries right now.)

I have attached photos of one of the billboards outside of the new Vikings Stadium.

Download the postcard...

Tuesday Night - Block Parties for Riverfront Neighborhoods

Tuesday August 5, times vary.  Here's a listing of the block parties being held in Central Riverfront neighborhoods:

Mill District

View online - http://milldistrict.org/party/2014-mill-district-block-party-national-night-out.html

Download flyer - https://app.box.com/shared/static/1orq3ue9owk4vkurisg4.pdf

Marcy Holmes

View online - http://marcy-holmes.org/news-events/national-night-out-aug-tuesday-5th-6-8-pm/

Download flyer - https://app.box.com/shared/static/bvx7woljr3zjrs1rg8cn.png

North Loop

Download flyer - https://app.box.com/shared/static/b9ni5aek0sa3m7fgt4il.jpe

Nicollet Island/East Bank

View online - http://niebna.com/

Wednesday Morning - Wake Up with Jacob

Congressman Keith Ellison will be Council Member Frey's special guest at August's Wake-up with Jacob! Ellison will bring news from Washington D.C. and talk about how his work impacts the Third Ward.

The event will be held at Mattie's on Main at 43 Main Street NE (just next door to Wilde Roast Cafe) on Wednesday, August 6th from 7:30 to 9:00 am. Bottomless coffee and a pastry item will be available for $4.00. RSVP to assure seating at: http://minneapolismn.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ab10caacad3986ae6780de874&id=18c193ee9c

Week 13 at the Mill City Farmers Market

Kids in the Kitchen was the theme of the August 2 Market.  Monica of Budding Farmers hosted a kids activity table and Market Chef Heather Hartman welcomed Kids in the Kitchen Cooking Contest winner Vanessa Reyes-Romero to the Mill City Cooks demo.  And, the sweet corn is in!  :)

New bicep excercise - rhutabega curls:

Market Sponsor UCare included this handy bowl with their other useful give-aways at the August 2 Market.  You can't tell by the picture, but there's a 1 Cup marker line stamped on the inside.

Love was in the air...

The goat!

The Film Society of Mpls St. Paul presents Masterpieces of Polish Cinema Aug 8-31

Famed Polish auteur Krzysztof Zanussi will make a special appearance at The Film Society's summer exhibition Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema. The notable retrospective series of restored classic Polish films is touring select venues throughout U.S. and Canada, and features films from some of Poland's most accomplished and lauded filmmakers.

On August 14, Krzysztof Zanussi will introduce and discuss three of his razor-sharp contemporary dramas The Illumination (1972), Camouflage (1976) and The Constant Factor (1980).

Tickets to this special series are $8 Film Society and PACIM Members, $10 General Admission, $9 students/seniors. Presented by PACIM, and screening in partnership with Twin Cities Polish Festival.

The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership Invites You to Enter the Mississippi Minute Film Festival Contest!

One River, One Minute, Your Vision – The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership invites you to share your vision of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in a 60-second long video that informs, energizes and inspires.

Sitting within blocks of thousands of Minneapolis downtown workers, residents and visitors is one of the greatest natural wonders in the world, a national park, the Mississippi River. The trouble is, too many people don’t realize it’s there. While revitalization efforts have reclaimed portions of the Minneapolis riverfront, much of it is still inaccessible and in places virtually invisible. The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership seeks to make the invisible visible and will unveil the best submissions at their annual Riverfront Summit on October 20 via the engaging medium of video. Create a vision that tugs at heartstrings or makes people laugh, that showcases an appreciation for– or the future potential of – the urban riverfront in Minneapolis.

Submissions are due August 31, 2014, at 5:00pm!

Click here for more information, including the categories, jury list and how to submit an entry. 

Marcy-Holmes “Box Fresh” Utility Wraps Project

The Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association (MHNA) commissioned six local artists to create original artwork to cover utility boxes throughout Marcy-Holmes.  These utility boxes, formerly covered with graffiti, are now permanently wrapped with original designs.

The “Box Fresh” Utility Wraps Project is a collaboration of the MHNA and The Soap Factory.  Images range from a city nightscape and vintage photo booth to contemporary and conceptual designs.

Friends of the Mississippi annual “Evening Celebrating the Mississippi River” set for October 1

Friends of the Mississippi has held their annual “Evening Celebrating the Mississippi River” since 2002.   This year’s location is the Weisman Art Museum, overlooking the beginning of the River Gorge, and a beautiful place to celebrate the Twin Cities stretch of the Mississippi River.

This year’s event will feature playwright and storyteller Kevin Kling as the guest speaker. Kevin is perhaps best known for his popular commentaries on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” and his storytelling stage shows like “Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log”. He delivers hilarious, often tender autobiographical tales that are as enchanting as they are true to life: hopping freight trains, getting hit by lightning, performing his banned play in Czechoslovakia, growing up in Minnesota, and eating things before knowing what they are. His storytelling started when a friend from the now defunct Brass Tacks Theatre asked him to perform his stories. Since then, he has been awarded numerous arts grants and fellowships. The National Endowment for the Arts, The McKnight Foundation, The Minnesota State Arts Board, The Bush Foundation, The Jerome Foundation and others have recognized Kling’s artistry. On October 1, he will be highlighting the Mississippi River in his tales and stories.

The live auction will feature delicious food and beer experiences, outings, art, and far away destinations – all with a link to the Mississippi River! More details will follow in the coming months.  Expect fantastic hors d’oeuvres and beverages, the company of fellow river lovers, a testimonial or two, and more.

NOTE - The evening is invitation only, and invitations will be sent in August. Please contact John at jbriel@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x19 to receive an invite.

Public Invited to Attend Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Ecological System Plan Meetings August 7 & 27

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) are preparing the first-ever Ecological System Plan. This plan will set a vision for making parks and public lands more friendly to the environment.

The initial Public Meeting is August 7, 5:30-7:30pm, at the Minneapolis Park and Rec Board, 2117 West River Road.

The Ecological System Plan will seek to first understand the ecology of the city and watershed, then plan for parks and public lands management and improvements that benefit both humans and nature. It will address specific threats such as climate change, decreasing water quality, explosion of invasive species, increasing runoff, and fragmentation of habitat. It will envision a more environmentally sound way of managing the impacts of the city, so that the city can be cleaner, greener, cooler, and more efficient.

 Specifically, the ecological system plan will:

• Compile, create, and illustrate city-wide ecological data;
• Craft a vision for natural resources and public lands within the watershed and city;
• Outline guiding principles for management; and
• Challenge the community to rethink the city around them—from the local neighborhood park to the Grand Rounds to backyards—in terms of ecological function, benefit, and health

In addition to attending the first CAC meeting, the public may provide input and stay informed about the project in the following ways:  

• Visit the project website to stay up to date on the project and see some of the amazing maps and drawings we plan to create. Go to www.minneapolisparks.org/currentprojects and select “Ecological System Plan.”
• Attend the second CAC meeting scheduled for August 27 and another in October, the exact date of which is to be determined. All CAC meetings will take place from 5:30-7:30 pm at MPRB headquarters.
• Attend any of the planned community events that will take place in the parks over the next year and a half. More details will be made available on the project website as these events are scheduled and planned.
• Sign up to receive e-mail updates by subscribing on the project website or at www.minneapolisparks.org/subscribe or, if you are already a subscriber, by adding “Ecological System Plan” to your subscription preferences.

[Download] West Bank Interpretive Vision - Final Draft

Excerpt from the introduction to the West Bank Interpretive Vision:

The West Bank of St. Anthony Falls was once an internationally known industrial complex built on the only waterfall on one of the world’s great rivers. Today the waterfall and river are attracting millions of visitors each year, many of whom enjoy the historical, cultural, and natural resources of the area.

What draws people to St. Anthony Falls has changed through time. The powerful river that flows over the falls had once sustained native people; today the falls remain a spiritual place for the Dakota. When early tourists traveled far and wide to admire wonders of nature, the falls became a sought-after destination. When rivers powered the nation’s industry, the falls produced enough energy to run the greatest milling center the world had ever known. When only railroads linked western farms to manufacturing centers and international ports, the falls stood at a critical hub of the nation’s rail network. The falls have long sustained an enduring confluence of human and natural systems

As a center for industry, the West Bank reached its zenith between the 1880s and 1920s, when Minneapolis was known as the “flour milling capital of the world.” In the decades that followed much of the area’s waterpower, milling, and railroad complex was buried, removed, or lost to fire. What remains is an extraordinary archaeological resource that holds memorable stories and large-scale artifacts, that if revealed would astonish today’s visitors. The area also holds stories of the falls that transcend history—in relationships with people and animals that are as present today as they have been for millennia.

Stay tuned for when the download of the West Bank Interpretive Vision is available!  Sorry for the error.

Fireworks Finale Framed by the Guthrie Theater

A glass half empty view might be that the fireworks Saturday night on the riverfront were partially blocked while watching from our balcony. I thought the silhouette of the Guthrie provided an interesting frame for the video. You be the judge: