Signs of Mill City

Last summer.

Laughing Baby

This belongs on The Wire, but it's too good to bury.

Sonoma Wine Seminar at Sorella Wine & Spirits

Time: 5:30pm-7:00pm 

Location: Sorella Wine & Spirits, 1010 Washington Avenue South

Reservations Required - 612-339-4040
 
Sonoma Winemaking with a brief historical perspective by Kathy Jones of Heck Estates.

The talk will be illustrated with one dry rose and seven reds highlighting Sonoma's key varietals and distinct growing regions. We'll be tasting some special wines from Kenwood's Jack London Series along with some items from Valley of the Moon and finishing off with one very special surprise.

Viking Stadium Update: The city has the infrastructure and the transit. The only thing it needs is you know what.

Bad news for the Mill District and Downtown East neighborhoods - City Council Member Lisa Goodman does not sound very interested in keeping the Vikings downtown, saying in the Star Trib article:

"Professional sports are good for cities," she said. "There's the unquantifiable pat-on-the-back we all feel, knowing we're a four-sport town. But I'd rather have that for the best higher education, or the most children graduating from high school, or having more people housed. You can quantify that."

But at least she will only support a Vikings Stadium near the current Metrodome site, according to the article.

From the Star Tribune:

Minneapolis has the infrastructure, the transit links, the demonstrable success of Target Field, and encompasses most of the sites the Vikings are known to be considering for a new stadium.

But the city's quest to have that stadium built on its turf still appears to lack what it most needs -- money.

Read the full article...

Tonight - Paula Poundstone at the Guthrie

Time: 7:30 pm

Location: Guthrie Theater, Wurtele Thrust Stage

Appearing on stage with a stool, a microphone, and a can of Diet Pepsi, Paula Poundstone is famous for her razor-sharp wit and spontaneity. Paula's commentaries can be heard on NPR's Morning Edition and read on the Huffington Post, and she is one of the most popular panelists on NPR's hilarious weekly news quiz show, Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me. It's impossible to attend a Paula Poundstone performance without marveling at her ability to interact spontaneously with audience members, who leave her live shows often leave complaining that their cheeks hurt from laughter.

Tweaking Exercise Routine to Enhance Marathon Training

This week I met Deb, who was already in great shape prior to seeking out a personal trainer.

As you'll learn in the video, Deb is now training for her first marathon.  Working with Andrea Austin will help assure her success.

Email Andrea at andrea@tweakmyworkout.com if you'd like to try a complimentary RealRyder spin class at 501SP1N, or if you have a fitness or nutrition question. 

Tonight - MacPhail Spotlight Series: Keys of Love and Death

Time: 7:00pm
Location:  MacPhail Center for Music, Antonello Hall, 501 South 2nd Street

This collection of pieces thoughtfully weaves together the composers’ own stories of love and loss. Experience this unique piano concert that dramatically conveys the complex emotions of love and death through intricate and tender music.

More info...

Today - Washburn A Mill Tour at Mill City Museum

Time: 1:00pm

Location: Mill City Museum

Fee: $12 adults, $10 seniors and college students, $8 children ages 6-17 and MHS members. Tour includes museum admission.

Reservations: required, call 612-341-7555

Get an in-depth look at the historic Washburn A Mill complex and the award-winning Mill City Museum building. A museum interpreter will take visitors into the building's many nooks and crannies, highlighting the lives of the men and women who worked there, how the building functioned during its peak flour milling years and the many changes to the building over time. Also covered will be the challenges of preserving the 120-year-old, fire-damaged building; its art, architecture and interior design; and the St. Anthony Falls Historic District.

Although many parts of the mill can be explored during regular museum visits, this is the public's only opportunity for a guided tour through the entire museum building.

This Weekend in Mill City / February 25-27, 2011

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

Friday, February 25

Ten Thousand Things' Doubt, A Parable at Open Book

Talk of the Stacks - T.C. Boyle: When the Killing's Done at Minneapolis Central Library

A Wine Affair: South America at St. Anthony Main Event Centre

Live Music at the Aster Cafe

Saturday, February 26

Graphic Novels: Q & A with Mark Siegel at Open Book

Percussion Showcase at MacPhail

Washburn A Mill Tour at Mill City Museum

Live Music at the Aster Cafe

Sunday, February 27

MacPhail Spotlight Series: Keys of Love and Death

Live Music at the Aster Cafe 

Weekend Brunch

Saturday & Sunday

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

Reservations recommended

10:00am - 2:00pm

See the menu...

Saturday & Sunday

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

Until 2pm.

See the menu...

Sunday

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

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

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

featuring absolut bloody bar for $5.

also offering fair trade coffee and full bar.

Vikings Stadium Update - They Prefer the Star Tribune Site

According to Bill Lester, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, the Minnesota Vikings prefer the site for the new stadium next to the Metrodome over the existing site because it will allow them to continue playing in the Metrodome while the New Vikings Stadium is being built. He did not say however, that the Star Tribune site is the overall front runner. Lester made his remarks to the East Downtown Council at their monthly luncheon, held at the Metrodome yesterday. Also speaking at the luncheon was Steve Maki, Director of Facilities/Engineering for the MSFC.

Washington Avenue Bridge Delays Start Saturday, February 26

This Central Corridor Light Rail Transit News Advisory was recently issued:

MINNEAPOLIS - Feb. 23, 2011 - People headed Saturday to University of Minnesota men's basketball and hockey games and other East Bank events can expect delays on the Washington Avenue Bridge due to work on the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project. 

Drivers should use either the Tenth Avenue or Interstate 35W bridges as alternate routes to reach Williams and Mariucci arenas and other campus destinations via University Avenue.

Weather permitting, crews on Saturday will close the bridge's inner lanes to traffic to remove a median at the east end of the Washington Avenue Bridge.  Traffic will be restricted to one lane each way on the outer lanes. Drivers can expect continued delays next week as crews remove the median on the west end of the bridge.

Drivers will see more lane shifts beginning in early March, when traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction on the north side of the bridge. This change is needed to make room on the south side of the bridge to erect equipment so construction can begin in late March to replace the bridge's vehicle deck and add double tracks for Central Corridor trains.

In 2012, traffic will be shifted to the newly built south side while the vehicle deck is removed on the north side.

Cyclists and pedestrians on the upper deck of the bridge will continue using the north side this year and be shifted to the south side in 2012.

Crews have been working on the piers under the bridge off of West River Parkway in Minneapolis since late 2010. There are no anticipated impacts from this work to pedestrian and bike paths along the parkway nor are there anticipated impacts to those traveling on the bridge or under it via the parkway. Work in 2011 and 2012 will include adding girders and other design elements to strengthen the bridge.

Heavy construction on Washington Avenue on the East Bank will begin after classes end in mid-May. At that time, vehicles will be removed from the avenue between Pleasant and Oak streets during construction. The avenue will be converted into a transit-pedestrian mall from Pleasant to Walnut streets with two tracks in the middle and one lane on each side for emergency vehicles and cyclists. This work will continue through 2012.

More detailed information will be made available online at www.centralcorridor.org and distributed via a weekly electronic construction update. The public can sign up for those updates online.

For answers to frequently asked questions about the bridge and how LRT will change Washington Avenue through the University of Minnesota, see: http://www.metrocouncil.org/transportation/ccorridor/ccWABfaq.htm

Another Vikings Stadium Site In the Neighborhood

The Minnesota Vikings are considering another site for a new stadium - right next to the Metrodome.  A major benefit to this site is the fact that they could continue playing at the Metrodome while construction is underway.  The site below includes land owned by the Star Tribune.

Like the existing site, this one would help boost local businesses in the Mill District and Downtown East.  It would also get rid of surface parking lots that continue to be the scourge of the neighborhood.

Hennepin County Libraries Update

I recently received a notice that the newly renovated Hennepin County Library-Northeast (2200 Central Avenue NE - artist's rendering below) will reopen on Saturday, April 2.

Also mentioned in the notice: "Hennepin County Libraries are nationally recognized as one of the top library systems in the United States. The 41-libraries serve 1.2 million residents in Hennepin County and offer about 5 million books, CDs, DVDs, electronic resources and other items in more than 40 languages, as well as over 1,775 public computers."
 
We of course have the incredible Central Library close by on Nicollet, with it's seemingly endless array of programs for both children and adults. 

If an onsite visit isn't feasible, there's 24/7 online access to items such as the Hennepin County Library catalog, electronic databases and other online resources, the program calendar, information about the Library Foundation of Hennepin County, and other library information. 

Tonight - Free Restorative Yoga Class

Time: 6:30PM

Location: The Zenith, 901 South 2nd Street

Victoria Rico is hosting a Restorative yoga class in penthouse #904 at the Zenith.  Space is limited - the first 15 folks to call text or email Victoria will enjoy a yoga class with beverages and snacks after class.  To make a reservation for a free yoga class at the Zenith Condominiums contact Victoria at 612.554.7755 or victoria@victoriarico.com

More info...

Show Off Your Vocal Talents at Grumpy's

In case you missed it, Grumpy's (1111 Washington Avenue South) was featured in Alex Gaterud's February 21 Star Trib articleregarding the resurgence of karaoke. 

Tonight - 'Telling True Stories Panel' at The Loft

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South

Admission:  $10 admission/$5 for Loft members, ASJA members and students. (Tickets available at the door. No advance ticket sales.)

Telling True Stories: 

Three Award-Winning Writers Talk About Literary Journalism
Panel discussion with Deborah Blum, Michael Perry and J.C. Hallman

The future of publishing may be in flux, but one thing remains constant:  There will always be a need for writers who can tell a good story.  This panel brings together three master storytellers to discuss their craft and to examine the role of narrative journalism in the 21st century.

More info...

Twin Cities Named 7th Most Active

Time named the 15 most active cities in the United States on Friday, with the Twin Cities coming in at #7.  The graphic with the article was of runners on the Stone Arch Bridge in the Mill District.

From Time.com:

Although it has the coldest average yearly temperature (45 degrees F!) of any major U.S. metropolitan area, Twin Cities residents manage to avoid hibernation. It could be the city's abundance of water ways: lakes, wetlands, waterfalls and the Mississippi River are all within city limits. Or it could be the designated bike paths and greenway trails through which 10,000 Minneapolitans commute to work each day — the second highest rate of bike commuters in the country. In fact Bicycle magazine named Minneapolis the best biking city in 2010. If this city's residents can endure Arctic air masses on two wheels, the rest of us have little excuse.

Today - Anime Showcase at the Central Library

Time: 4:30pm–6:30pm

Location: Pohlad Hall, Central Library

Anime Showcase:  Hayate the Combat Butler
 
Grade 7 and up. Don’t miss this chance to watch an amazing line-up of Japanese animation on the big screen! Anime Twin Cities and Teen Central have teamed up to offer something for everyone. Cosplay encouraged.

Sponsored by the Anime Twin Cities.

Vikings Stadium - Downtown Offers Most Potential for Economic Impact

Existing Metrodome site has a cost advantage of $200 million over prospective North Loop site, according to Star Tribune editorial.

While they don't come right out and say it, it's clear the site of the Metrodome is the overall best site for a new Vikings stadium.  Parking, mass transit and other infrastructure seem to give a big cost advantage to the current site relative to any other in the Twin Cities.  The importance of the core cities to the overall economic vitality of the State of Minnesota should give priority over a suburban site.

Read the full article...

Tonight - Randy Newman at the Guthrie Theater

Witness an American-music legend as he performs favorites including Louisiana, Leave Your Hat On, Feels Like Home, I Love to See You Smile and You've Got a Friend in Me live at the Guthrie Theater.

More info...