MacPhail Announces 2014-2015 Spotlight Series

Via an October 9 e-newsletter from MacPhail Center for Music:

The MacPhail Spotlight Series showcases the exceptional talents of MacPhail teaching artists and special guests, providing an intimate listening experience in MacPhail's Antonello Hall. Under the artistic direction of Mischa Santora, this series will be brought to life with collaborations from some of the Twin Cities' finest artists.  

Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for youth (6-18) and seniors (55 and older). Please redeem student discount in person at Student Services (Minneapolis, White Bear Lake, Apple Valley, or Chanhassen locations). No refunds or exchanges.

 

Ticket packages:

Four Concert Series: $75 (a savings of 25% off the single ticket price)

SPECIAL DISCOUNT OFFER FOR STUDENTS:

Registered students can purchase two tickets at the discounted purchase price of $5 each. For parents with children under age 6, we invite you to enjoy this ticket offer for yourself.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 612-767-5250 or by visiting our Minneapolis, White Bear Lake, Chanhassen or Apple Valley locations. Detailed program information can be found in our series brochure that will be available for download on our website.

Saturday, November 15, 2014, 8 p.m.
Reflections
Reflections is an experimental idea, bringing together some of the Twin Cities' most creative musicians from different genres and performing music specifically written for this concert. Each piece will reflect the composer's individual background, life story, and musical journey. Compositions by Nachito Herrera, JD Steele, Mischa Santora and also featuring Jaqueline Ultan.

Saturday, February 7, 2015, 8 p.m.
Love Song Waltzes
Just a week before Valentine's Day, this romantic event features some of the greatest love-inspired music, including Schubert's sublime masterpiece for soprano, clarinet, and piano; Gershwin's timeless love tunes; and the rarely heard Love Song Waltzes, among the most charming and wittiest music written by Brahms. Beyond Ballroom Dance Company will enliven the waltzes with their skill and artistry. Performers: Ilah Raleigh, Vicky Vargas, David Kozisek, Seth Keeton, Antonia Daskalova, Timothy DePrey, Nina Olsen, and Jon Iverson.

Saturday, April 11, 2015, 8 p.m.
A Courtship in Music and Words
The exchange of letters between Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck is one of the best documented love stories in music history. Not only does it give us a fascinating glimpse into the minds of two extraordinary artists, but it also tells the story of a hard-fought courtship.

This concert will pair excerpts from the letters with two of Robert's early piano pieces. As these compositions are very autobiographical, the letters often correspond exactly to Schumann's musical intent. The letters will be read by two actors in-between movements. Performers: Julia Elkina,
Ora Itkin, and Miles Duffey as Robert Schumann and Jessie Scarborough Ghent as Clara Wieck.

Saturday, May 2, 2015, 8 p.m.
American Mavericks
Leonard Bernstein and Alec Wilder represent two iconic musicians who substantially shaped musical life in America. Born into a veritable melting pot, their eclectic styles are a direct result of New York's dynamic multi-cultural fabric. Many of Wilder's popular songs became classics, while Bernstein's masterful one-act opera is an ingenious example of social criticism. Performers: Cast: Dinah: Tiana Malone; Sam: TBD; vocal trio: Joey Clark, Andrea Leap and Jerry Rubino
Ensemble: Bob Adney, Rolf Erdahl, Julie Johnson, Rena Kraut, Norbert Neulibowski, Gail Olszewski,Paul Schimming, Takako Seimiya Senn, Karl Wiederwohl, and Carrie Vecchione.

Hennepin County Releases Draft 2040 Bicycle Transportation Plan

Via an October 6 Hennepin County e-newsletter:

Public comment period runs through December 5

Hennepin County and Three Rivers Park District have worked together on updating a county-wide plan that reflects the growing use of bicycling in the region. The Hennepin County 2040 Bicycle Transportation Plan emphasizes a safe and comfortable system that encourages “interested but concerned” bicyclists to bike for everyday trips. The draft plan would add 536 miles of bike lanes, protected bike lanes, cycle tracks, trails and shoulders to the existing 651-mile system. It reflects input gathered from more than 2,700 people, as well as cities and other stakeholders.

Now the county and park district are seeking public comments on the plan before a revised version is brought before the county board of commissioners for approval early next year. The public comment period begins Monday, October 6 and runs through Friday, December 5.

There are several options for reviewing and providing comments on the bicycle plan. It is posted at hennepin.us/bikeplan, where copies can also be downloaded, and printed copies are available at all 41 locations within the Hennepin County library system.

The plan will also be presented at open houses and other public events during the comment period:

Public open houses
•    October 15, 4-6:30 pm at the Minneapolis Central Library
•    October 21, 5-7:30 pm at Fish Lake Regional Park, Maple Grove
•    November 5, 5-7:30 pm at Hennepin County Library — Wayzata, Wayzata
•    November 13, 5-7:30 pm at Hennepin County Library — Brookdale, Brooklyn Center

Other public events
•    October 11, 8 am-noon at the Autumn Woods Classic at Elm Creek Park Reserve, Maple Grove
•    October 18, 8-11 am, Richfield Farmers Market at Veteran’s Memorial Park, Richfield
•    October 20, 12:30-4 pm Workplace Bicycle Commuter Forum at Quality Bicycle Products, Bloomington
•    October 25, 8-11 am, Hopkins Farmers Market, Hopkins

In addition, county staff are available to present the bike plan to interest groups or at events during the public comment period.

ReSee Gallery Pop-Up Event in the North Loop

October 9-11 accross from Bachelor Farmer.

From Jay Nuhring:

"I'm excited to announce a pop-up gallery event titled "THE AMERICAN BILLBOARD - This Is What I See".  I'm including all new images, some printed on watercolor paper with solid maple framing in very limited editions.  The collection will include brightly colored graphic typography and pop culture references as well as some thought provoking figurative compositions.  Please join me and jazz due Mary Louise Knutson and Chris Bates for a fabulous evening in one of the hottest districts in Minneapolis - North Loop.  October 9. 10, & 11 - 2014.

October 20, Mill City Museum - The Mississippi Minute Film Festival

Winners of the Mississippi Minute Film Festival Premiered at

3^rd Annual Riverfront Summit, October 20^th at Mill City Museum,

5:30 P.M.; Admission Free

Vote for favorite films at online link

Minneapolis, MN; October 5, 2014: The mighty Mississippi will be the star Monday, October 20 as the winners of the Mississippi Minute Film Festival premiere at the Minneapolis Riverfront Summit. Organized by the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership, the annual Riverfront Summit gathers the community to celebrate the importance of the Mississippi River. The program begins at 5:30 p.m.; there is no charge for admission however registration is requested, www.minneapolisriverfrontpartnership.org.

All submitted films are available now for viewing and voting for the Viewer’s Choice Award at this link: http://minneapolisriverfrontpartnership.org/mississippi-minute-films-entrants/.

To vote, simply “like” your favorite film or films on the site. Winners will be juried by Brenda Langton, Spoonriver Restaurant; Ben Heywood, The Soap Factory; architect Tom Meyer of MS&R; Sara Mackenzie, editor of the Downtown Journal, and Jesse Bishop, Minneapolis St. Paul Film Society.

With the tagline “One River, One Minute, Your Vision”, the Mississippi Minute Film Festival asked for one-minute video essays that would amuse, inform and inspire viewers about the city’s great river. Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges will present the awards for the winning films at the Summit.

MRPs second annual Riverfront Vitality Project will also be released at the summit. The ongoing report tracks the progress of riverfront development, researching metrics of urban vitality, economic and environmental health, cultural resources and riverfront access. The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership (MRP) is a nonprofit formed to champion the revitalization of the Mississippi Riverfront.

The Riverfront Summit will be at Mill City Museum, 704 South 2^nd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401. Doors open at 5:30 PM; the program begins at 6PM. A short reception follows. The event is free but registration is requested; register at www.minneapolisriverfrontpartnership.org.

For further information, contact Kathleen Boe, Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership, kathleen.boe@minneapolisriverfrontpartnership.org; Merle Minda, mminda@earthlink.net.

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Week 22 at the Mill City Farmers Market

I love the new 9am start time for the October Markets - it takes the edge off the morning chill.

Happy to see Cherry Flowers of Page & Flowers back at the Market.  Looking forward to trying the new Salsa.

Market sponsor Car2Go, a convenient transportation option, returned to the October 4 Market.

We always get a chuckle from these cute veggie jokes the young adults at Urban Roots place in front of their stand.  Their produce is top notch, too!

By bundling the ingredients, Swede Lake Farm makes it easy for shoppers to create Salsa Verde at home:

Many thanks to the Mill City Museumfor accommodating the Market vendors on inclement mornings!

The goat!

Worry, Moodiness Linked to Higher Risk of Alzheimer’s in Women

Via an October 2, 2014, Press Release from American Academy of Neurology:
 
MINNEAPOLIS – Women who are anxious or moody and distressed in middle age may be at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life, according to a nearly 40-year-long study published in the October 1, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

“Most Alzheimer’s research has been devoted to factors such as education, heart and blood risk factors, head trauma, family history and genetics,” said study author Lena Johannsson, PhD, of the University of Gothenburg in Gothenburg, Sweden. “Personality may influence the individual’s risk for dementia through its effect on behavior, lifestyle or reactions to stress.”
 
For the study, 800 women with an average age of 46 were followed for 38 years and given personality tests that looked at their level of neuroticism and extraversion or introversion, along with memory tests. Of those, 19 percent developed dementia.

Neuroticism involves being easily distressed and personality traits such as worrying, jealousy or moodiness. People who are neurotic are more likely to express anger, guilt, envy, anxiety or depression. Introversion is described as shyness and reserve and extraversion is associated with being outgoing.
 
The women were also asked if they had experienced any period of stress that lasted one month or longer in their work, health, or family situation. Stress referred to feelings of irritability, tension, nervousness, fear, anxiety or sleep disturbances. Responses were categorized as zero to five, with zero representing never experiencing any period of stress, to five, experiencing constant stress during the last five years. Women who chose responses from three and five were considered to have distress.

The study found that women who scored highest on the tests for neuroticism had double the risk of developing dementia compared to those who scored lowest on the tests. However, the link depended on long-standing stress.

Being either withdrawn or outgoing did not appear to raise dementia risk alone, however, women who were both easily distressed and withdrawn had the highest risk of Alzheimer’s disease in the study. A total of 16 of the 63 women, or 25 percent, who were easily distressed and withdrawn developed Alzheimer’s disease, compared to eight out of the 64 people, or 13 percent, of those who were not easily distressed and were outgoing.
 
The study was supported by the Swedish Medical Research Council, the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, the Alzheimer's Association, the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation, Swedish Brain Power, Söderström - Königska Nursing Home Foundation, Gamla Tjänarinnor Foundation, Shopkeeper Hjalmar Svensson's Research Foundation, Professor Bror Gadelius Memorial Foundation the Dementia Foundation, Fredrik and Ingrid Thurings Foundation and the University of Gothenburg.
 
To learn more about dementia, please visit www.aan.com/patients. 

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of 28,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.
 
For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com/ or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Community Appreciation! Experience a Free Chair Massage at Magna During October

During the month of October the expert massage therapists at Magna Health and Fitness will be providing FREE 15-minute chair massages in appreciation to the community.   No appointments necessary, but please refer to the available time blocks specified in the below calendar.

Magna is located at 616 South 3rd Street (in the American Trio building).  With more than 7,400 square feet, their full-service facility is equipped with six treatment rooms, an industrial fitness center, group training, private fitness, meditation and an expansive yoga studio. For more information on classes or services, call 612-424-6840 or visit the website.

Parkway Closures for October 4 and 5

The following parkways will be temporarily closed October 4 and 5 for these events:

October 4:  Slut Walk -3:00p.m. to 6:00p.m. – West River Parkway – Main Street.

October 5:  Medtronic TC Marathon – 7:00a.m. to 2:30p.m. - Grand Rounds - Main street - West River Parkway –Nokomis Parkway – Minnehaha Parkway – Lake Harriet Parkway – Lake Calhoun Parkway – West Lake of the Isles Parkway – Dean Parkway - Kenwood Parkway - Theodore Wirth Parkway – William Berry Parkway. Each road section will open as the last marathon participant passes through.
 
Please note that the duration of the closures is subject to change based on the event's start and finish times.

A complete list of current and upcoming parkway closures is available online.

MPRB Announces 2014 Picture a Park Photo Contest Award Winners

Via an October 2, 2014, Minneapolis Park and Rec Board e-newsletter:

2014 Picture a Park Photo Contest Award Winners Announced

Front row (left to right): Larry Risser, Lawrence Syverud, Colleen Martel, Ron Trutty, Shari Seifert, Peyton Woller and Jennifer Beading.
Back row (left to right): Commissioner Steffanie Musich, Vice-President Vreeland, Commissioner John Erwin, President Liz Wielinski, Superintendent Jayne Miller, Commissioner Meg Forney and Commissioner Anita Tabb.

Fourteen images that best represent the unique sights and scenes in Minneapolis parks were announced as winners of the 2014 Picture a Park Photo Contest during the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s (MPRB) Board of Commissioners meeting on October 1, 2014. Sponsored by the MPRB, People for Parks and National Camera Exchange, the contest aims to highlight the beauty, sports and fun throughout Minneapolis parks.

This year more than 250 photo entries were submitted from residents all across the state who visited Minneapolis parks in 2013-14. Winning first place in the “Beauty in the Parks” category and taking home the Gold Best of Show Award for the 2014 photo contest was “Field of Dreams,” taken by Shari Seifert of Minneapolis.

You can view all of the 2013 Picture a Park Photo Contest winning photos here.

The People’s Choice category is open October 2 – 17 for your voting. Vote for your favorite photo in the People’s Choice photo album!

The contest, open to park goers of all ages, encourages photographers to take photos for submission to the categories of beauty, fun and sports in Minneapolis parks. Contest prizes include photo enlargements and gift cards to National Camera Exchange, calendars featuring the winning images, MPRB Annual Parking Permits and passes to the Wirth Winter Recreation Area or the Jim Lupient Water Park.

ADULT DIVISION

Beauty in the Parks
1st Place and Gold Best of Show: Field of Dreams – Shari Seifert
2nd Place: Lake Harriet Little Island – Karen Anderson
3rd Place: Butterfly on a Flower – Lawrence Syverud
Honorable Mention: Water Color – Larry Risser
Honorable Mention: Morning Mist – Colleen Martel

Fun in the Parks
1st Place and Bronze Best of Show: Hello, Summer – Rita Farmer
2nd Place: Group Play – Ron Trutty
3rd Place: Kite Festival – Daniel Rogness

Sports in the Parks
1st Place: Ultimate Tournament – Scott Kopp
2nd Place: Powderhorn Ice Rink – Michael Wright

YOUTH DIVISION

Beauty, Fun and Events in the Parks
1st Place and Silver Best of Show: Shadow of Summer – Paige Simmons
2nd Place: Butterfly Friend at the Falls – Sienna Simmons
3rd Place: Patrick Ginter Rose Garden Painting – Peyton Woller
Honorable Mention: Smile Away – Jennifer Beading

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Go here to vote for your favorite 2014 photo!

We Got What We Came For at the 2014 Ramen Massive Attack!: The Ramen Burger

We found out about this cool food item known as the Ramen Burger via a Zen Box Izakaya Facebook post earlier this year.  Ever since laying eyes on it, I couldn't get it out of my mind.   Out of respect for its creator, Chef Keizo Shimamoto, John and Lina of Zen Box Izakaya will never recreate it at their restaurant here.  So when we heard it would be one of the featured food items at the September 28 "Ramen Massive Attack!", we immediately ordered tickets.

The Ramen Burger!

Creator of the Ramen Burger, Chef Keizo Shimamoto of RAMEN.Co NYC.

Big Thank You to the staff at Mill City Museum for making the train shed available for this event.