Covering life, work, and play in the Historic Mill District and Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront neighborhoods. Have an opinion, local news or events to share? Contact us.
It's a win-win for everyone - stock up on the ice cream you love while helping support the important work at People Serving People. On February 1, a portion of each purchase at Izzy's Ice Cream goes to support People Serving People, and helps move families from homelessness to self-sufficiency.
Carnaval Brasileiro, now in its 12th year, celebrates with TWO shows at Muse Event Center March 8.
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan 23, 2014 -- It’s time for winter's biggest party, "Carnaval Brasileiro 2014" (Brazilian Carnival)! On March 8, over 80 singers, drummers, samba dancers, and artisans will transform Muse Event Center into an authentically festive Brazilian cultural experience!
Guitarist/vocalist Robert Everest and his ten-piece group Beira Mar Brasil host Carnaval Brasileiro. Everest is a world music expert and leads a band steeped in the sounds of Brazil -- Samba, Baião, Frevo, and other dance-inducing styles from throughout the country. Singer and samba dancer extraordinaire Dandara Odara will join Everest on stage. Direct from Salvador da Bahia, Brazil’s famous party-loving city, Dandara performs at over 50 carnival celebrations around the world each year in Europe, North America, and of course, Brazil. 2014 will mark her eighth straight appearance in Carnaval Brasileiro of the Twin Cities.
In addition to Dandara, Everest, and Beira Mar Brasil, other performers will include the fifty drummers from Brazilian percussion ensembles Batucada Do Norte and Drumheart, professional samba dancers Edilson Lima and Vanessa Luiz from São Paulo, Brazil, and the Brazilian martial arts group Omulu Capoeira Guanabara.
Carnaval guests will be able to purchase true Brazilian drinks, try out carnival masks created by master Brazilian artisan Goretti, or have their face and body painted (just like they do it in Rio!).
This year’s event will include an all-ages afternoon family matinee (with mask and instrument making, dance lessons, and face painting for kids). Both afternoon and evening shows will take place at one of the premier venues in the Twin Cities, the newly opened venue Muse Event Center (formerly Trocaderos, completely renovated).
The annual Carnaval, celebrated throughout Brazil, lasts nearly a week and has roots dating back to the 1700s. Like Mardi Gras, Carnaval is an all-out party with music, masks, dancing, food and drink - a final blowout before Lenten traditions kick in for the Easter season. This Minneapolis edition of Carnaval falls a week after it is celebrated in Brazil, allowing for so many of the special guests to come to Minneapolis.
Beira Mar Brasil, a band with over 15 years of history, features Brazilian music veteran Robert Everest on guitar, cavaquinho, and vocals. He is joined by keyboards, bass, drums, a horn section, and multiple percussionists. The group has performed at prestigious events, including the 15th Anniversary of the Sculpture Garden at the Walker, the planet Ordway series at the Ordway and at the 2011 Children’s Heartlink Gala. Everest has toured throughout the world, has performed with Manhattan Samba in New York, and has appeared at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's annual gala in the Twin Cities. Special guest Dandara, who has been referred to as the "Brazilian Tina Turner," has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival and other premier events in cities including Los Angeles, Paris, London, and Lyon.
DATE: Saturday, March 8, 2014
TIMES: 2 pm (doors at 1:30) Special All-ages Family Matinee
9 pm (doors at 8) 18+ Full Brazilian Music, Dance, & Drink Extravaganza
VENUE: Muse Event Center, 107 3rd Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401
TICKETS: 2 pm Afternoon Show: $10 in advance, $15 at the door
9 pm Evening Show: $17 in advance, $25 at the door
Tickets available after Feb. 1 at www.carnavalbrasileiro.org
Excavation continues, demolition to start soon.
We're attempting to publish a photo with this same view each week from the start of construction through the first game played at the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis.
Magna Health and Fitness recently announced they will be a 2014 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) drop site LTD (Livng the Dream) Farm.
Photo credit - LTD Farm website
Dr. Tara Schug explained, "Magna wanted to become a CSA drop site because it directly speaks to our core mission statement 'to teach people to be healthy for life'. A big part of this is a lifelong commitment to healthy eating and a diet rich in clean, wholesome, locally-sourced foods. By providing easy access to fresh produce and proteins, we are encouraging our community to live more healthy lives.
LTD Farm was recommended to us by a local health coach and friend of Magna, Jenni Floring. She blogs about her personal health struggles and shares some great recipes that she created using items from her CSA from LTD Farm last summer. Her story and recipes can be found at www.thehealingplate.blogspot.com.
After researching many options, it was obvious that LTD farm offers great variety, has a farming philosophy that aligns with Magna's core philosophy, and has an easily maneuverable website to serve it's members."
Click here for more information on LTD Farm's CSA program.
We're excited to welcome our newest Mill District neighbor, Day Block Brewing Company, 1105 Washington Avenue South. They officially open tomorrow, January 27, at 3pm.
Below, Partners Chris Hahn, Jeff Hahn and Cory Williamson raise a toast, each with a glass of their favorite brew.
Last week the staff invited us to a Happy Hour preview of their beers and menu. The following are a few samples to whet your appetite.
We started with the Bacon Flight and Pickle Flight from the Snack menu. Both are based on daily selections. Each bacon cup includes a specially paired dipping sauce.
Next, we sampled three specialty pizzas, starting with Hungry Hungarian (Sour cream spread, Hungarian bacon, sausage, pickled onion, dill, ricotta):
Followed by the Taco Truck (Flank steak, radish, cilantro, pickled jalapeno, onion, cotija cheese):
... which I thought would be my favorite hands-down, but then we were introduced to the Bahn Mizza (Gochujang mayo, Vietnamese pork, scallion, pickled slaw, cilantro, maple-soy glaze) - wow!:
We finished off with cheesecake. The one we sampled was peanut butter cup, but the flavor will change daily.
With each sample, Head Brewer Paul Johnston (pictured below in the bibs) and Chef/General Manager Joe Williams (to the left of Paul), explained how to pair beer with food. They also discussed Day Block Brewing Company's philosophy on using locally-sourced ingredients.
Check out the What's on Tap? page for details on the current five brews.
The second floor is available for events, such as weddings and corporate meetings. Drop them a line at contact@dayblockbrewing.com or call 612-617-7793 for more info. Follow Day Block Brewing Company on Facebook to keep up with their latest happenings. You might even get a chance to savor a "Hot Scotchie"!
In case you missed this piece when it aired last week:
Via a January 22, 2014, e-newsletter from the Metropolitan Council:
(St. Paul) - Light rail between Minneapolis and St. Paul will link Twin Cities residents to neighborhoods and the two downtowns starting Saturday, June 14, with free rides and day-long community celebrations, Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh said today.
“Starting service 60 years to the month after the last streetcar left the Twin Cities is fitting.” said Haigh, whose work on the METRO Green Line (Central Corridor LRT) dates back to her days on the Ramsey County Board. “For me, seeing two vibrant downtowns, numerous job, education and medical centers, and, tens of thousands of people connected by this project is the most exciting part.”
The 11-mile corridor between the two downtowns links Union Depot in St. Paul’s Lowertown to the State Capitol complex, Midway, University of Minnesota and Target Field. As the region’s second light rail line, the METRO Green Line will connect to the Blue Line (Hiawatha) at Downtown East Station.
The mid-June opening will allow the line to serve baseball fans attending Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game at Target Field in July.
The opening is nearly six months earlier than required by the Federal Transit Administration, which is funding half the $957 million project. The project is on budget.
The project created 5,445 construction jobs and $252 million in construction payroll, with workers coming from more than 60 Minnesota counties ranging from the Canadian border to Iowa. The METRO Green Line also created 177 permanent operations and maintenance jobs for downtown St. Paul and has spurred more than $1.7 billion in development along the line.
Event planning for opening day is underway, with the help of the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, and involvement of the surrounding communities and businesses. Following a 9 a.m. speeches and ceremonial ribbon cutting at Union Depot, festivities and events for all ages are being planned from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at Union Depot Station, Central Station, Western Avenue Station, Victoria Street Station, Hamline Avenue Station, Raymond Avenue Station, Stadium Village Station and West Bank Station. Metro Transit will offer free rides on the METRO Green Line and all other rail and bus routes June 14-15.
“The Central Corridor Funders Collaborative is a proud partner in planning and raising funds for the opening weekend,” said Polly Talen, program director for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and co-chair of the Funders Collaborative. “We want to celebrate the opening of the line and all the neighborhoods along the way. Our intention is to help make possible large, community-driven celebrations on opening day that will acknowledge the community contributions to this line.” Talen explained that station-area events will reflect the distinct flavor of the various neighborhoods and communities on the corridor and provide an opportunity for riders to experience what the communities have to offer.
Haigh thanked and acknowledged project partners, including the Federal Transit Administration and the Minnesota congressional delegation, Counties Transit Improvement Board, the State of Minnesota, Hennepin and Ramsey counties and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. She noted that both cities went above and beyond in encouraging and creating vibrant neighborhood development with excellent bicycle and pedestrian access along the line. Haigh heaped significant praise on the businesses and institutions, and community organizations along the corridor.
“This transit investment is finally on the verge of paying off for so many business owners, customers, students and others along the corridor. I can’t thank them enough for their patience and guidance during construction. I am anxious for all of them to experience the vitality and renewal that has already begun along this light rail line and will continue far into the future,” Haigh said.
Project partners highlighted the significant impact opening the METRO Green Line will have on the entire region and the regional transit system.
Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, Chair of the Counties Transit Improvement Board and the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority noted, “The Green Line will re-twin the Twin Cities and move the regional transit system forward for everyone. This will become the impetus for investment in other lines critical to the east metro.”
"From early planning studies almost 30 years ago to this moment, Ramsey County has understood the imperative of a central transit line connecting our Capitol city with neighborhoods, major institutions and Minneapolis,” said Commissioner Rafael Ortega, Chair of the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority. “We made significant financial investment into the planning, development and construction of this line and eagerly await opening day to be celebrated at Union Depot, our historic multi-modal transit hub.”
Regional business leaders also praised the project, highlighting its role in economic development.
“Nine years ago, the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Chambers launched the Central Corridor Partnership to ensure that this line would be built on time and on budget. It is exciting to see both of those objectives realized in the emergence of the Green Line, a vital link in the transit infrastructure necessary to support a thriving region,” said Todd Klingel, president of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber.
“The opening of the Green Line opens a new chapter in the storied history of the Twin Cities. Connecting the two downtowns, through the heart of the urban core, this line will spur economic development and provide dependable, consistent transit options in the years to come,” said Matt Kramer, president of the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce.
Updates to the June 14th celebration will be posted at www.metrotransit.org/greenline. Chick here to view a fact sheet on the project.
The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization in the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Council runs the regional bus and light rail system and Northstar commuter rail, collects and treats wastewater, coordinates regional water resources, plans regional parks and administers funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income families. The Council board is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Governor.
The Metrodome was deflated this weekend (see the video).
We're attempting to publish a photo with this same view each week from the start of construction through the first game played at the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis.
The Mill District Neighborhood Association, Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association, Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc., and the East Downtown Council held a joint neighborhood meeting on Thursday, January 16, at Open Book. Ryan Companies gave downtown residents and businesses an update on their Downtown East Redevelopment Project.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The owners of the Wilde Roast Café along with longtime friend Brian Gilligan will be opening a new concept bar/restaurant next to Wilde Roast Café, in the space formerly occupied by Kikugawa restaurant.
Mattie St. Clair’s House of Spirits on Main Street, or “Mattie’s on Main” for short, will be a modern-day saloon featuring a year-round patio and a stage for live music and entertainment. The bar is named after Mattie St. Clair, a well-known madam and brothel owner in the late 1800s, whose brothel was located near this site.
Renovation of the 5860 square foot space begins in January 2014 with an opening date of spring 2014. Noted restaurant design firm Smart Associates has been contracted to design a space that calls to mind the feel of an updated saloon.
“We want to create a place where it’s easy to enjoy the company of friends, and make new ones”, said co-owner Dean Schlaak. “The year-round patio will have great views of the Mississippi and downtown Minneapolis. Our aim is to serve as a comfortable neighborhood gathering space with quality food and entertainment. We’re excited to be working with Smart Associates to create a space that is warm, welcoming, and with just maybe a hint of naughtiness from the bar’s namesake.”
Mattie’s on Main will feature a full liquor bar, 16 local beers on tap, and signature craft cocktails. In addition, the bar will feature upscale pub food, unique appetizers, adult shakes, and signature desserts from the Wilde Roast Cafe Pastry Chef Jeff Christianson. The performance stage area of the restaurant will provide space for live music acts, local performers, and themed events.
# # #
MINNEAPOLIS, (JANUARY 17, 2014) – Day Block Brewing Company announced this week that doors to their pizza-based brewpub will open to the public on Monday, Jan. 27, 2014. Located in the historic Day Block building on Washington and 11th Avenues, Day Block Brewing Co. will feature quality ales and lagers and use locally-sourced ingredients in its beers and handcrafted pizzas.
Day Block Brewing Co. was founded by Jeff Hahn, who renovated the Day Block building in 2005 to house Internet Exposure, a digital agency.
“The opportunity to build a brewery represents another interesting chapter in this 130-year-old building, which has housed a hospital, a furniture maker/undertaker (really!) and Frank’s Plumbing in recent years,” said Hahn.
Hahn and a few of his craft beer enthusiast employees started brewing small batches in their offices two years ago. When retail space became available in the Day Block building, they decided to turn their decade-old tradition of “beer Fridays” into a larger operation.
The team renovated the entire basement and first floor of the Day Block building to fit a 10 barrel brewing operation. The building’s first floor will house the brewpub, complete with a kitchen serving handcrafted pizza from locally-sourced ingredients. Patrons can look forward to unique pizzas like the “Bahn Mizza” with Vietnamese pork, Gochujang mayo, scallion, pickled slaw, cilantro and maple-soy glaze.
Cory Williamson, Managing Partner of Day Block Brewing Co. and Lead Internet Exposure Interactive Producer explains the importance of the brewery’s roots, “Being an active member of the Twin Cities beer scene is very important to us, and the majority of our beers will be Minnesota born. We’ll be sourcing grains and hops from various farms in Minnesota and western Wisconsin and have an enthusiastic staff of craft beer ambassadors.”
Day Block Brewing Co.’s small-scale brew house will allow the brewery to be creative with recipes and beer styles offering a large variety of ales and lagers ranging from typical pub beers to unconventional brews. There will be six beers on tap opening day: an American IPA, American Amber Ale, Porter, American Pale Ale, Black IPA/Cascadian Dark Ale and Belgian Witbier.
Paul Johnston, formerly of Lucid and Harriet Brewing, will serve as head brewer and Joe Williams, who previously worked at Punch Pizza, will manage the kitchen. Stephanie Smith will run front of house operations and Chris Hahn will manage events in partnership with the brewpub at Day Block Event Center, operating out of the second floor of the Day Block building.
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The National Park Service submitted the following letter to FERC, opposing the Crown Hydro attempt to ammend their existing license. Download the original at the bottom of the article.
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United States Department of the Interior
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
December 30, 2013
Mr. Thomas Griffin
President, Crown Hydro LLC
5885 139th Street West
Apple Valley, MN 55124-6465
Dear Mr. Griffin:
The National Park Service (NPS), Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (NRRA), has reviewed Crown Hydro’s latest proposal to amend its license for the Crown Mill Hydro Electric Project (Project) – FERC Project No. 11175-024. We concur with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that the proposed Project is substantially different from the one for which Crown received a license in 1999, and that you should submit a new license application. (April 15, 2013 letter to Crown from FERC).
The Project is located entirely within the Mississippi NRRA. The NRRA was designated by Congress in 1988 to “preserve, protect and enhance the significant values of the Mississippi River and to provide for orderly public and private development in the Twin Cities metro area.” The authorizing legislation requires that all federal agencies undertaking projects within the NRRA coordinate with us (P.L. 100-696). Also, the Federal Powers Act requires consultation with the NPS for amendments or modifications to an existing license (18 C.F.R. §4.38 et. seq.).
The NRRA, however, was not invited to consult on the currently proposed Project prior to the public meeting on November 26, 2013, either by Crown or the Corps of Engineers. For some reason, the NRRA is no longer listed on the official service list. FERC, in its letter directed to you on April 15, 2013, required consultation with the NRRA. Due to the serious questions we have with the new proposal, we formally request to meet with Crown before the company submits the project’s license application to FERC.
A representative of the NRRA attended the November 26 public meeting. The public and various agency representatives asked many important and pertinent questions that Crown was unable to answer. Without answers to the questions raised, the NRRA cannot adequately assess the viability or impacts of the proposed project. FERC and the Corps of Engineers also requested information and studies that would help the NRRA and public better understand the Project’s potential impacts, but Crown has not addressed those requests or provided the studies.
As currently proposed, the Project has a new boundary and new lands and resources not previously analyzed when FERC first issued the license. The tailrace discharge tunnel is in a new location, which may cause different construction, hydraulic and environmental impacts. The NRRA is concerned that the Project could seriously impact nationally significant cultural, natural and recreational resources, as well as the visual integrity and economic vitality of the St. Anthony Falls area. The St. Anthony Falls Historic District and the individual sites within it are nationally significant and helped convince Congress to establish the NRRA. As proposed, the new project could adversely affect individual sites, the overall historic district, and the scenic and recreational qualities of the area.
We continue to be very concerned about the potential impacts to St. Anthony Falls’ aesthetic character, which is central to the area’s economic revitalization. As pointed out in the November 26 public meeting and in comments from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and others, the St. Anthony Falls area has seen tremendous monetary investments since FERC initially granted Crown its license in 1999. Far more people live and recreate in the area. Visitation has climbed to over one million people annually. The flow of water over the falls is a key aesthetic component of the visitor experience. What might have been acceptable in 1999 is not today. The issue is more complicated than the quantity of water. Previous discussions of this issue have raised the potential of treating the spillway surface to create the appearance of more flow, by making the water jump and splash more than it does now. Overall, this issue needs much more public review and consideration than it has received.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this project. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Paul Labovitz
Superintendent
cc:
Edward A. Abrams, FERC
Nicholas J. Utrup, USFWS
Nick Chevance, NPS
Official Service List – FERC Project No. P-11175
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The dome was deflated this morning, demolition will follow soon to make way for the new Vikings stadium. Video courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings.
Pete Hohn is an award winning photojournalist for the Minneapolis Tribune and Rochester Post Bulletin. He captured Twin Cities life from the 1950s - 1980s.
Carbon Chroma Gallery, located in the Northrup King Building, is hosting an Artist Reception tonight, January 18, from 6-9pm. Pete's retrospective is on exhibit thru January 25.
Ryan Companies Downtown East Redevelopment Update
Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location: Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South
The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association, Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc., the Mill District Neighborhood Association, and the East Downtown Council are co-hosting a joint neighborhood meeting tonight, January 16, 6:30pm at Open Book.
The joint meeting is an opportunity for Ryan Companies to give downtown residents and businesses an update on their Downtown East Redevelopment Project. This project was approved by the City’s Community Development Committee on Tuesday, December 10, and approved by the full City Council on December 13.
A preview of the deflation of the Mettrodome scheduled for January 18, 2014. The picture below is from the December 12, 2010 deflation of the Metrodome caused by a large snowfall.
We're attempting to publish a photo with this same view each week from the start of construction through the first game played at the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis.
One last spectactular sunset before the Metrodome is deflated and demolished.
This is a shot at sunrise on a bitterly cold afternoon. I researched this phenomenom and found that I captured a "light pillar". A light pillar is a visual phenomenon created by the reflection of light from ice crystals with near horizontal parallel planar surfaces. The light can come from the Sun (usually at or low to the horizon) in which case the phenomenon is called a sun pillar or solar pillar. It can also come from the Moon or from terrestrial sources such as streetlights.
We're attempting to publish a photo with this same view each week from the start of construction through the first game played at the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis.
THE CRASH REEL is screening January 10-16 at The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul's St. Anthony Main Theatre.
This eye-popping film seamlessly combines twenty years of stunning action footage with new specially-shot verité footage and interviews as it follows U.S. champion snowboarder Kevin Pearce and exposes the irresistible but potentially fatal appeal of extreme sports.
View Trailer.
Mill City Times | 35W Bridge Memorial | Mill District Block Party | Mill City Media
Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 2:01AM