Are You MN Enough? (I guess we'll find out!)

Welcome to season 3 of Are You MN Enough?, an original series from Rewire - Twin Cities Public Television.

Twin Cities video makers – be they amateurs or professionals, individuals or production companies – are invited to submit their entertaining, original, engaging 2-6 minute take on a quintessential Minnesota topic. In previous seasons, topics ranging from food on a stick, weather obsession, Scandinavian stereotypes and “Minnesota nice” have been covered.  What other unique aspects of life in Minnesota does the greater internet need to know about? What cliché would you like to overturn or prove true?

Video submissions for Season 3 of Are You MN Enough are being accepted now through September 12.  They will first be reviewed by the Rewire team, with up to 6 finalists put up for public voting beginning September 18. The winning entry will be awarded $2,000, with $1,000 for 2nd place, and $500 for 3rd place.  Submitted videos will be judged based on their originality, production quality, and caliber of content.

Questions? Please consult the official rules or contact rewire@tpt.org.

Whole Foods Sponsors Support Minnesota City Supper

Article by Rachel Kahn, MCT Contributor

In the Midwest we often use the word supper to describe that after 6:00 meal (or 5:00 if you are my grandma).  Well, I gotta tell you this is not your grandma’s supper and ‘supper’ may have just become the new word for rock star! Introducing the Whole Foods sponsored Support Minnesota City Supper! Totally the coolest local inspired food extravaganza ever.

I was thrilled to be invited to the City Supper by Lauren of the Whole Foods downtown location. I rapidly realized that such fabulousness needed many more hours. “What do you mean it is time for dinner already?! I love to eat, yet look how much fun I'm having talking to these fabulous earth loving vendors!”, I thought as time flew by in a blink.

Whole Foods hangs out with some amazing people! Picture this. Starting with the venue. Have you heard of Peace Coffee? If you haven’t, look ‘em up. They are all about fair trade and partnering with small coffee farmers across the globe. Want to know where your coffee comes from, map it on their website, and the smart Zen folk at Peace Coffee will tell you all about the ‘faces and places’ behind your cup. The event took place in the transformed factory of Peace Coffee. Once again, we have a word that may inspire a new definition. This factory felt more like a hip artist loft with the soaring ceilings of a caffeine lover’s dream.

Upon entering, I was met with the smiling faces of Jen and Rachelle from the Edina and Maple Grove Whole Foods stores. They grinned, handed me a goodie bag and a GF tag. GF? What? Gluten free?! Wow. Who remembered to tell them? We were off to an amazing start.

Next I came to a long row of local Minnesota farmers and producers. My first stop was Garden Fresh Farms to chat hydroponics! Don’t know what hydroponics is? Simply stated hydroponics allows plants to grow indoors, in a nutrient rich environment, without soil. This topic could cover an entire LoveSelf article. For now, just know that hydroponics are awesome and The Garden Fresh Farms dudes are giving the Minnesota frozen tundra fresh organic greens and herbs all year long. I had the privilege of gobbling down alfalfa, broccoli, clover, and radish sprouts. Yummmm. I could taste the love.

My next stop was Bee Free Honee. Bee Free is a vegan honey made from organic apples and is delicious. I am happy to announce that I was able to correctly answer the trivia challenge and won a free bottle of Ancho Chile Bee Free Honey! Have I mentioned lately how much I was having?! Of course, you want to know the question... Question - Is there a Whole Foods in England? Answer - Yep! Two! Ding ding. I get the prize. Yay!

On down the line I went grinning like a happy organic elf and found myself transitioning from honee to honey. Introducing Worker B. Leisa and her brother Michael are two of the three musketeers that make up Worker B. Leisa describes creating their natural skin care line to heal her own health and skin concerns. Their raw honey products are organic and skin nurturing. This dynamic duo is all about protecting our bees and honoring our health. I am planning to spend more time with them very soon. Oh, and remember how I said Whole Foods hangs out with some amazing people? A little bee whispered in my ear that this tiny brother and sister founded company was featured in an issue of Oprah Magazine. Shhhh… They may just be too humble to tell ya.

Oh and there is one more. The chai guys of Prairie Chai. All whole ingredients. Clove, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and other loveliness are combined to create their rockin’ chai. No cutting corners for these handsome fellows.

I didn’t get to everybody so for those I missed, reach out and say hello to Lucky’s Hot Sauce, Lucille's Kitchen Garden, St Paul Bagelry and Deli, Salad Girl Dressings, Homestead Honey, Textile Center of Minnesota and JOIA All Natural Soda.

Dinner Time! Yes, there is more!!! We were served a three course Minnesota local ingredient dinner, family style. With the hundreds of attendees becoming my family. Did I mention that all of the proceeds from this dinner are being donated to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)? Pete from IATP summed it up extraordinarily well when he said “…change starts with conversation around tables like this". I would say so!

And I can’t close without telling you about a couple members of my new extended family. Zac is a passionate 7^th grade math teacher who volunteered to serve all of us around the family style dinner even when it meant forgetting to save enough for himself. And Susan, the incredible textile artist, who told me ‘through fiber’ she learned about sustainability and earth sustaining connection - both to our textiles and our food.

We are all connected in our love of mama earth and what we eat. Thank you Whole Foods and everyone who made such a night possible.

I am honored to be part of your great work.

- - - -

You can reach Rachel at rachel@loveself.org, www.loveselfmagazine.com

MPRB Adopts Plan to Support Urban Agriculture

From an August 12 Minneapolis Park and Rec Board e-newsletter:

On Wednesday, August 6^th, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation (MPRB) Board of Commissioners adopted the Urban Agriculture Activity Plan at its regular meeting. The Urban Agriculture Activity Plan was developed in cooperation with residents and park visitors interested in the growth of a healthy, local food system. The activity plan addresses Board policy, programs, facilities and services to better support food-related activities within the parks.

As the plan is implemented, residents and park visitors can look forward to increased visibility and support for urban agriculture and over time, experience the benefits these activities provide to personal health and well-being, the local economy, and our environment.

Key goals of the plan include:

• Park programs and services provide public education, assess to healthy foods, and economic support for the local food system.
• Park facility renewal and development fosters urban agriculture activities.
• Food available on parkland benefits residents, park visitors and the environment.

The plan will help inform future budget strategies and park master plans, and be integrated into the revision of the MPRB’s 2007-2020 Comprehensive Plan.

To stay informed and involved of the plan’s next steps, please sign up for email updates by clicking on the red envelope at the bottom of this page or refer to this link for more details.

Minnesota Center for Book Arts Announces Community Contest

Via an August 5 MCBA e-newsletter:

MCBA is pleased to launch our first-ever community contest to design our 2014 Bookmark Broadside!

The winning design will be letterpress printed in our studios and distributed to everyone who donates to MCBA on Give to the Max Day this November. The winner will also receive a $100 gift certificate to The Shop at MCBA; the winner and two runners-up will receive recognition on MCBA’s website, e-Newsletter, and social media.

The submission window is open through August 31. During the public voting period (September 5-21), visitors to our Facebook page can vote for their favorite designs; the public votes will help MCBA determine finalists and the winner!
 
Interested in submitting a design? First, check out the details and submission guidelines on our website. 
 
Then submit your design via our Facebook contest page, or via Instagram or Twitter!

Good luck, and thanks for supporting Minnesota Center for Book Arts!

[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.