Konkurs Pieczenia - New Baking Contest at the August 11-12 Twin Cities Polish Festival

Konkurs Pieczenia – A Polish Pastry Baking Contest
in the Heart of the Historic Minneapolis Milling District
 
Love to bake?  Showcase your baking prowess at the Konkurs Pieczenia – Polish Baking Contest, a new event at the Twin Cities Polish Festival August 11-12, 2012.  This contest is open to everyone (you don’t have to be Polish or live in Minnesota to enter)!

Marcia Novak, Director, Sponsorship Marketing & Promotion for the Twin Cities Polish Festival, provided us with an overview of the event.

In this Konkurs Pieczenia, bakers will compete in three categories of traditional Polish pastries: 

Makowiec - A sweet bread, rolled up jelly-roll fashion, with a poppy seed filling.
Kolaczki - A delicate cookie-like pastries traditionally filled with fruit, poppy seed or sweet cheese fillings.
Babka- A sweet, rich leavened cake traditionally baked in a classic Babka or other fluted pan.

 “Every year we’ve added a new activity to the Festival.  Since Poland is known for its hospitality and love of good food, hosting a Polish pastry contest, seemed like a natural fit.” commented Ed Rajtar, Festival co-chair.  I have personally sampled many delicious Babka and other pastries served at holidays, family parties and bake sales. So, I know firsthand there are many excellent bakers in the area,” he added with a grin.
 
Awards will be given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each category.  Contestants may enter all three categories, but are allowed only one entry per category.    Entry forms must be postmarked by Tuesday, August 7. Contest rules and entry forms are posted on the Twin Cities Polish Festival website.
 
The Twin Cities Polish Festival, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) created to bring Minnesotans of all nationalities together to experience a world-class celebration of Polish culture and heritage in the Twin Cities.

The festival is held across from Riverplace and St. Anthony Main on SE Main Street.  It is open 10:00am–10:00pm on Saturday, August 11, and 11:00am-6:00pm on Sunday, August 12. Admission is free.

Device Invented at SAFL Means Big Saving For Cities

Thank you to The RiverCurrent for bringing this to our attention.  It's an example of the work being done at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory(SAFL), an interdisciplinary fluid mechanics research and educational facility of the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota.

The SAFL Baffle is the flagship product of Upstream Technologies, a stormwater product development company with products that help keep lakes, rivers, and oceans clean.  The SAFL Baffle is a system developed by researchers at the University of Minnesota that reduces the costs to municipal governments for managing their stormwater.

The stainless steel device helps keep sediment in place so it can be collected and removed by maintenance crews. Without the baffle, sediment escapes to ponds and wetlands, which need periodic dredging to comply with stormwater regulations. Using the SAFL Baffle, a city’s costs for managing sediment could be reduced up to 90 percent compared to dredging.

Week 12 at the 2012 Mill City Farmers Market

Is it me, or the does Market just keep getting better every week?

Cast your vote for the Mill City Farmers Market in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest by clicking here. 

Preserve Minneapolis Park Avenue Walking Tours Featured in Star Tribune Article

We enjoy the tours offered by Preserve Minneapolis, and were happy to see their upcoming Park Avenue Walking Tours covered in an article by Lynn Underwood in this Sunday's Homes section. Click here for the online version.  The article also features the tour guides, Ryan Knoke and Montana Scheff.

Here are the two tour titles and dates:

Historic Park Avenue Part I: The Mansion District
Age of Opulence Along the Minneapolis Golden Mile
Date: Saturday, August 11

Historic Park Avenue Part II: The Southern District
Queen Annes, Classical Revivals, and Stories of Their People
Date: Saturday, September 15

Crown Hydro Update

July 11, 2102 - Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board votes to support termination of the Crown Hydro license:

July 17, 2012 - Crown Hydro letter opposing termination of license:

July 19, 2012 - MPRB letter supporting terminationof license (Thanks to Minneapolis Park Watch for the heads-up):

Don't Miss the Annual Northeast Dog Parade!

The Northeast Dog Parade departs Chute Square (across from Lunds) this Friday at 6:15pm.  This year, the new parade route ends at Wilde Roast Cafe, 65 Main Street SE.

There will be free gifts, refreshments, and exciting new features.  Also, prizes for Best Trick, Best Costume, and more.

"Boot Camp in the City" at Gold Medal Park - Try it FREE this Saturday

Even if you can't participate, this is fun to watch.  We stopped by the last time Hamish held this event and enjoyed the unusual approach to group fitness.

Saturday, July 28, at Gold Medal Park - 9:30am SHARP!  Get HAMISHED in the city!!

Tonight - Patio Party at The Depot

Time: 5:00pm

Location: The Depot, 225 3rd Avenue South

Meet your friends after work at the Stone Arch Bar and Patio at The Depot for their monthly Patio Party, featuring Skinny Girl flavored vodka, live DJ, Signature drinks, discounted appetizers, free Skinny Girl samples and prizes.

Follow The Depot on Facebook and Twitter.  Parking available on the street or enter our ramp from 5th Avenue side.

Week 11 at the 2012 Mill City Farmers Market

Anyone who let the early rains keep them from the July 21 Market really missed out!

Minneapolis Warehouse District Walking Tour With Preserve Minneapolis

We recently took the Minneapolis Warehouse District Walking Tour with Preserve Minneapolis.  Located just west of Hennepin Avenue in Downtown, the North Loop Warehouse District is Minnesota’s largest commercial historic district.  We began at the Truss bridge on Washington Avenue with guide Rolf Anderson.

The North Loop area served as the city’s warehouse and wholesaling district during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, expanding when Minneapolis became a major distribution and jobbing center for the upper Midwest.

Out of all the interesting things we learned, what stood out the most for me were these wood pavers:

Got a Minneapolis City Service Request? There's an App For That!

From a July 18 City of Minneapolis News & Events Page posting:

Reporting potholes, graffiti, and broken street lights to the City of Minneapolis just got easier with today’s launch of the new Minneapolis 311 mobile application.

Minneapolis residents can now report issues to the City through a free app on their iPhone or Androiddevices without calling 311 or visiting the City’s website. Those who use Blackberry or Windows Phone devices can report service requests to Minneapolis 311 by visiting SeeClickFix.com on their mobile browser. Ten service requests are available with the launch of the app and more will be added throughout the year as the seasons change. With the launch of the mobile app, folks will be able to report issues to Minneapolis 311 related to the following:

Abandoned vehicle - Graffiti - Parking meters - Parking violations - Potholes - Traffic signal timing - Broken street light - Traffic sign repair - Traffic signal trouble

More info and app download link.

Check out What's Happening at The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul

From the July 18 eNewsletter:

Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Seeks Volunteers - Deadline July 28

From a July 13 Hennepin County Sheriff's Office e-newsletter:

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is seeking qualified candidates to volunteer as Special Deputies.  Becoming a Special Deputy is a fulfilling way of serving your community by working in law enforcement.

Daily responsibilities may include searching for a missing child, helping a stranded motorist, or directing traffic around a crime scene.  The Sheriff’s Office currently has 125 Special Deputies.

“Special Deputies are extremely dedicated people who provide a critical component to emergency preparedness,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, “When disaster strikes, we call on our highly-trained volunteers who are ready and able to assist.”

After Special Deputies receive training, they are sworn-in and they are scheduled to perform important public safety duties. Special Deputies have responded to many major incidents and events including the tornado in north Minneapolis, the response to the 35W Bridge collapse, and the Republican National Convention.

Special Deputies are needed in all four volunteer units:

Emergency Squad: Patrol roadways, assists at vehicle crash scenes and other emergencies
Water Patrol: Educate residents about water safety and patrol waterways
Mounted Patrol: On horseback, assist in search and rescue efforts and attend community events as Sheriff’s Office representatives
Mobile Amateur Radio Corps (MARC): Assist with communications support by providing interoperable radio communications at large community events and emergency scenes
 
Special Deputies come from all walks of life -- young adults looking to explore a possible career in law enforcement, adults with full-time jobs, business owners, and retirees looking to serve in their spare time.  Prior law enforcement experience is NOT needed to volunteer. Special Deputies need to have a strong desire to help others, compassion, and time.

The initial training program requires completion of the Sheriff’s Office Reserve School which takes place one night per week, for ten weeks. With further training, Special Deputies may serve on special units such as the Sheriff’s Underwater Recovery Team. To qualify as a Special Deputy, you must be at least 21-years-old, have a high school diploma or GED, hold a valid driver's license, be a United States citizen and pass a background investigation.
 
The deadline to apply is July 28, 2012. To learn more, visit the volunteer section at our website, http://www.hennepinsheriff.org/ or contact Sgt. Jennifer Johnson 612-596-9818 Jennifer.E.Johnson@co.hennepin.mn.us. 

Preserve Minneapolis Walking Tours

Whenever possible, we take advantage of the Walking Tours offered by Preserve Minneapolis.  This past Saturday, it was the The Authentic East Hennepin Experience, led by Tammy Lindberg, Co-Vice President.

We started with Our Lady of Lourdes Church and ended with the Red Stag Supperclub.  Tammy shared insight into the neighborhood's diverse history, architecture, building rehabs, and buildings that were lost prior to preservation becoming a priority.

These tours are a fairly new offering, and as you can see by the gathering crowd of attendees below, they are quickly gaining popularity.  Tours are 90 minutes to 2 hours - an incredible bargain at $5 per person.

Did you know "Polonaise" is a Polish word meaning a slow dance consisting of a march or promenade in couples? 

Surdyk's was originally in the building now occupied by Ginger Hop.  If you peak around the back you'll see the remains of a Surdyk's mural. 

While our tour was in front of Kramarczuk Deli, Mr. Kramarczuk was kind enough to join us and entertain the group with some history and stories from his youth.

Some nearby businesses were against the mid-1990's rehabilitation of the 200 block of East Hennepin (they preferred the vacant buildings be demolished to make room for parking).

The current home of Masu Sushi & Robata was built in 1893 as the St. Anthony Falls Bank.

The well-preserved former Masonic Cataract Lodge Building is now the Aveda Institute.  A comparison of historic pictures against the building today show numerous original details.

We haven't had occasion to visit Whitey's Saloon, but after learning about it on the tour, it's on our to-do list.  According to the tour materials, in addition to displaying many historic photos of Northeast Minneapolis, there is a gigantic carving of a burlesque-style lady sprawling over the bar.

More buildings on our tour...

We look forward to the 7:00pm Minneapolis Warehouse District Tour this Thursday.

It's never too early to start learning the history of your city!

Week 10 at the 2012 Mill City Farmers Market

July 14 was a fantastic Market day.  Svihel Vegetable Farm offered the first sweet corn of the season - yum!  Sweet corn ice cream from Sonny's can't be far behind.

July 18 and 21 Aquatennial Road Closures

Via a July 12 email from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

The following parkways will be temporarily closed next week/weekend, July 18 and 21, during these designated times: 
 
Wednesday, July 18 - Life Time Torchlight 5K
7:30pm - 10:00pm
Main Street, Stone Arch Bridge, West River Parkway
 
Saturday, July 21 - Aquatennial Fireworks
6:00pm - 10:30pm
Main Street, Stone Arch Bridge, West River Parkway

A complete list of parkway closures through December 2012 is available online.

Unwind After a Hectic Day With Music and Movies in The Park

We first saw Felonious Bosch last year at the Mill City Farmers Market.  It was a treat seeing them again, this time for Music in the Park this past Tuesday at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park.

Music & Movies in The Parks is produced by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, bringing us more than 250 FREE concerts and movies in Minneapolis parks during the summer.  Visit their facebook or twitter page for entertainment listings and weather cancellations.  (Tuesdays at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park is Music and Movie Combo night).

After a hectic workday, an hour or two relaxing in the park with live music is a nice way to unwind.  It's good to see young families, retirees and others hanging out on blankets, picnicing and enjoying this neat offering for the MPRB.

Tonight - Twin Cities River Rats

The 2012 Twin Cities River Rats shows are scheduled for 7pm Thursday nights through August 30, and take place at 1628 West River Road (between the Plymouth and Broadway).

The Twin Cities Rivers Rats describe their show as an aquatic Broadway musical featuring multiple water ski acts choreographed to music and built around a theme.

If you haven't already enjoyed a River Rats show, their website is loaded with fun videos to give you an idea of what to expect.  These are free events.

Tonight - Movie in the Park at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park

Time:  Movie starts 15 minutes after sunset. Click here to find out sunset time.

Location: Father Hennepin Bluffs Park (East Bank of the Stone Arch Bridge)

Tonights Movie:  Summer School

What to bring: Blanket or chair, sunblock and bugspray, picnic basket.

Reminders: Watch our facebook or twitter page for weather cancellations of the evening festivities. Post photos on our facebook page of you enjoying the concerts. Support the artists by picking up a CD or other merchandise.

Enjoy Music and Movie combo nights: Tuesdays at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park, start your evening with 7:00pm music!  June 12, 19, 26, July 10, 17,24, 31, August 7, 14, 21.

Questions or comments? Email us at concerts@minneapolisparks.org

Music & Movies in The Parks is produced by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board. Enjoy more than 250 FREE concerts and movies in Minneapolis parks this summer!

Week 9 at the 2012 Mill City Farmers Market

Just in time for the July 7 Market - a welcome break from the sweltering heat.  Gorgeous display of garlic from Swede Lake Farms - can't wait to roast it with cauliflower and olive oil.