Minneapolis Riverfront News
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.
Entries from October 1, 2015 - October 31, 2015
Monday, October 12, 2015 at 7:37AM
Week 23 at the Mill City Farmers Market
Tim Page and Cherry Flowers of Page & Flowers had a "Mini-Hooper" on display at the October 10 Market. In addition to selling produce, Infused Vinegars and other items, Tim and Cherry educate and empower people to grow food to eat and sell.
As part of Apple Harvest Day at the Market, there were book signings with Joan Donatelle, author of Astonishing Apples, and Sue Doeden, author of Homemade with Honey.
Frank Jackman and Mike Stalebaum of Local Crate introduced shoppers to their company, which features fresh, local ingredients and chef-designed recipes delivered weekly to your home or office. Look for a separate post on Local Crate later this week on our Farmers Market blog.
Every time I think I've seen the prettiest pumpkin, an even prettier one presents itself.
The goat!
Evening Benefit for the Downtown Library November 5
Maria Jette will perform, along with pianist Dan Chouinard, Nov. 5th, at Minneapolis Central Library. The event - from 5:30-8:00 - is part of a fundraiser to support historic collections and programs unique to the Central Library, presented by the Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library.
Jette and Chouinard will perform works from the Central Library's extensive music collection. Examples from the library's Preservation Department, including significant historic works, will also be on display.
Cost is $50 per person. Light hors d'oeuvres and wine will be served. For more information and to register, please email minneapoliscentral@suppporthclib.org.
Celebrate the Future of HCMC on Thursday, November 12
Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) invites you to join them in celebrating the opening of a new helistop for helicopter ambulance service, and groundbreaking for their new Ambulatory Outpatient Specialty Center (AOSC). The event takes place November 12 - look for the big tent across the street from the 730 S. 8th Street entrance.
Activities start with a program at 1:00pm and continue with a reception and tours until 4:00pm The new helistop will make the region’s best trauma center even better by reducing transport time to HCMC for critically injured patients. The new clinic and surgery specialty center will make HCMC's primary and specialty care clinics and same day surgery center the most convenient and contemporary in the Twin Cities.
According to Jane Lieberman, HCMC Community Events Manager, one of the special events (weather permitting) will be the inaugural landing on the new helistop. A LifeLinkIII helicopter is scheduled to arrive with this little patient: http://www.startribune.com/alexandria-girl-recovers-after-traumatic-facial-injury/322898741/.
Whole Foods Market to Donate 5% of October 20 Sales to University of Minnesota Press
Via an October 7 Press Release from University of Minnesota Press:
On Tuesday, October 20, 2015, Whole Foods Market will donate 5% of its daily sales from six Twin Cities locations to the University of Minnesota Press.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (October 7, 2015) — The University of Minnesota Press has been selected as a beneficiary of Whole Foods Market’s 5% Community Support Day this quarter. On Tuesday, October 20, 2015, all six Twin Cities-area Whole Foods stores will donate 5% of their sales to the University of Minnesota Press in support of its forthcoming publication, Fresh from the Garden: An Organic Guide to Growing Vegetables, Berries, and Herbs in Cold Climates by John Whitman. Publication is planned in fall of 2016.
"The University of Minnesota Press’ Fresh From the Garden aligns with our commitment to sustainable, organic farming and environmental stewardship," says Rachelle Petersen, Whole Foods Market Marketing. "This organic guide to growing vegetables, berries and herbs in cold climates will surely pique the interests of those seeking knowledge on successfully growing organics right here in Minnesota."
"In his new book, John shares knowledge rooted in years of experience growing organic food in Minnesota," says University of Minnesota Press outreach and development manager Caitlin Newman. "The Press is honored to work with an organization that values his experience and is invested in passing it on to our community. Support from Whole Foods Market and its shoppers will help the Press enhance the design and production of Fresh from the Garden while also keeping its price affordable for readers."
University of Minnesota Press staff will be at Twin Cities-area stores from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to share information about the book and about the Press’s publishing activities.
The University of Minnesota Press is a self-supporting unit of the University of Minnesota. Ninety-five percent of its operating funds come from sales and from the generosity of those who share our passion for connecting readers to the Upper Midwest and to groundbreaking writing and scholarship. More information about our donation program can be found at http://z.umn.edu/givetoump.
About the University of Minnesota Press: Founded in 1925, the University of Minnesota Press is widely considered one of the most innovative U.S. university presses. Minnesota publishes a diverse list of books on the cultural and natural heritage of the state and the upper Midwest region, and is also known as the publisher of groundbreaking social and cultural thought, critical theory, race and ethnic studies, urbanism, feminist criticism, and digital media studies. The Test Division of the Press publishes highly regarded personality assessment instruments, including the MMPI-2-RF.
For more information, visit www.upress.umn.edu.
Twin Cities-area Whole Foods Market stores are located at:
Maple Grove: 12201 Elm Creek Boulevard North, Maple Grove, MN 55369
Hennepin: 222 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Edina: 7401 France Avenue South, Edina, MN 55435
St. Paul: 30 South Fairview Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105
Minnetonka: 1001 Plymouth Road, Minnetonka, MN 55305
Lake Calhoun: 3060 Excelsior Boulevard, Minneapolis, MN 55416
New Green Disposal Guide from Hennepin County Available Online
New Green Disposal Guide tells you the best way to get rid of your stuff
Fall clean up can be frustrating unless you know how to get rid of your unwanted stuff. Hennepin County has done the heavy lifting with the new online resource, Green Disposal Guide.
Yard waste, mattresses, paint or fluorescent light bulbs—some stuff just needs to go. The Green Disposal Guide offers a range of disposal options—from recycling to donation to disposal—while also giving tips on shopping smarter, living greener and creating less waste.
With a click on a computer or smart phone, Hennepin County residents can easily learn more from the Green Disposal Guide.
"Closing the Gap: Insider Insights for Park Funding" Looks at Neighborhood Park Funding
Via an October 6 Minneapolis Park and Rec Board e-newsletter:
(L to R) Panel moderator Linda Mack, New York City Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Liam Kavanagh, Portland Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Warren Jimenez, Former Indianapolis Parks and Recreation Director Joe Wynns and Seattle Parks Foundation Executive Director Thatcher Bailey
How did other cities address neighborhood park funding shortfalls?
Park advocates from across the country share their experiences
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) staff hosted more than 30 public meetings throughout Minneapolis this summer to discuss how insufficient funding has impacted its highly-used, aging network of neighborhood parks.
While MPRB processes feedback received from the community, four distinguished park and recreation advocates from large urban park agencies across the country were invited to Minneapolis on September 29 to share how their cities tackled similar funding challenges.
“Closing the Gap: Insider Insights for Park Funding” featured representatives from Indianapolis, New York City, Portland and Seattle participating in a 90-minute panel discussion on creative park funding strategies, followed by a question and answer session with the audience. Each city’s park agency deals with its own unique challenges, complicated by vastly different methods of governance, but common themes still emerged.
For a full recap of the fascinating discussion please see the full news release.
Electronic Upcycle Fest, a FREE Electronic Recycling Event, at Target Field Station October 9
The Twins Community Fund is teaming up with America Upcycles to host a free electronic recycling event on Friday, October 9, at Target Field Station. Help keep electronics out of landfills, and reduce carbon emissions all while helping to support youth baseball and softball.
Date: Friday, October 9
Time: 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Location: Target Field Station
Stop by Target Field Station and drop off your electronics into designated containers to begin the upcycling process. This sustainable solution to the buildup of old electronics helps to decrease the negative global impact that throwing out devices has on our environment. Upcycling gets rid of electronic clutter without adding to landfills. It also re-purposes your gently used electronics for the secondary market.
•100% Tax Deductible
•Free (for qualified devices)
•Data Destruction is guaranteed
•Proceeds support the Twins Community Fund
Details, including list of items accepted: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/community/events/electronic-upcycle-fest/
Do you have a story about the Red River Oxcart Trail?
Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership wants to hear from you!
The Red River Oxcart Trail was an important route in the fur trade in the mid-1800s. Traders moved furs and buffalo hides from Pembina, near the Canadian border, to St. Paul, where they were shipped east. The children of European traders and American Indian women were central to this trade, thanks to their language skills, social ties and knowledge of the land. Others used the trail too, including statesmen, soldiers and eventually settlers seeking homesteads to the north.
The Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership is developing an audio bike tour for a portion of the trail that followed the Mississippi River from Anoka to St. Anthony Falls. We are learning about local connections to the trail, and we’d like to hear from you. Are you descended from someone who traveled the trail? Have you heard stories about family members who worked in the fur trade? Do your neighbors still talk about the days when oxcarts caravans came through town? Please tell us about it. Contact us at oxcart@minneapolisriverfront.org
J. D. Steele to Lead New Downtown Choir
By Joan Bennett:
A free Downtown community choir, with J.D. Steele at the helm, launches this fall. The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA), MacPhail Center for Music and Emanuel Housing have partnered to bring this new choir to life. Singers of all abilities (or inabilities) are welcome. If you enjoy singing in the shower or at karaoke bars, then you are fully qualified to join.
In this choir, building relationships between neighbors will matter just as much as the music. The DMNA seeks to foster a range of free opportunities for neighbors to connect. Initially proposed by a resident of Emanuel Housing, the DMNA Board unanimously agreed to fund the administrative costs of the choir as well as allocate staff time to coordination. A member of the DMNA community, who wishes to remain anonymous, came forward with a donation to cover the cost of rehearsal space.
When the DMNA and Emanuel Housing approached MacPhail with the idea for a downtown community choir, staff were enthusiastic. MacPhail then upped the ante by securing J.D Steele, a nationally recognized musician and producer, to direct the group. Though he has spent much of his career working with highly decorated musicians, J.D. Steele is known for his ability to bring the best out of novices and currently leads MacPhail Community Youth Choir.
Rehearsals are scheduled for 2:00-3:30 on Saturdays on October 24th, 31st, November 7th, 14th, December 5th, and 12th at First Covenant Church (810 S. 7th Street). Contact Joan.Bennett@thedmna.org to pre-register. All are welcome. Registration is free.
Opinion: East Downtown Council Has Concerns re: Working Families Proposal
Published today on the Opinion Page:
Dear Members of the East Downtown Council,
We are writing to you today (a PDF of this letter is attached to this email) - at the request of the full board - to bring to your attention two city regulation changes that the Minneapolis City Council are beginning to consider. While neither proposed regulation has been put into final text and content, there are talking points the city staff have created to discuss these issues and council members have been speaking publically about these ideas, so the intended reach of these regulations has been clearly articulated. A city website containing more information is atwww.minneapolismn.gov/workingfamiliesagenda where you can access the information released by city staff and the working group formed in April 2015.
The Jewel of Minneapolis - Mississippi River Gorge
David C. Smith, from a presentation at the Minneapolis Central Library on October 3, 2015.
Many people overlook what a spectacular asset has been preserved for our health and enjoyment. So often the emphasis on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis is on reclaiming the river at and above St. Anthony Falls -- and that is an exciting development that is overdue -- but I think we take for granted the truly unique resource that was preserved for us below the falls. I don't know that a similar riverfront exists in an urban environment anywhere else in the world. Come and say "thanks!" with me to some people with extraordinary vision and persistence more than 100 years ago.
2nd Annual Mississippi Minute Film Festival - Entries in; Vote for Your Favorite!
Mississippi Minute Film Festival
Entries in; Vote for Your Favorite!
Winners Screened October 26 at Riverfront Summit, Mill City Museum
October 4, 2015: Minneapolis, MN: All films are in for the 2nd Annual Mississippi Minute Film Festival, an event of the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership (MRP.) Judging is now underway; MRP is asking people to vote for their favorite film to win the Festival’s People’s Choice Award. Voting is online at www.mississippiminute.org. A one minute trailer showing some of the entries for this year’s Festival is available on You Tube at: Mississippi Minute Trailer.
“We have an exciting and creative batch of new films entered in this year’s Festival,” notes Kathleen Boe, executive director of MRP. “We are encouraging folks to watch this year’s films online and vote for their favorite!” she said.
All category winners and runners-up, plus a Best of Show and a People’s Choice Award, will be screened October 26, 2015 at MRP’s Riverfront Summit, 5:30 p.m. at the Mill City Museum. The Summit is free and open to the public. Guest speaker is John Anfinson, Superintendent of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Learn more about the National Park Service’s upcoming 100 year celebration and this one-of-a-kind park in the midst of our city.
Judges for this year’s Mississippi Minute Film Festival are:
- Whitney Clark, Executive Director, Friends of the Mississippi River
- Lisa Goodman, Council Member, Minneapolis City Council
- Brenda Langton, owner/founder of Spoonriver Restaurant; founder of the Mill City Farmer’s Market,
- Tom Meyer, Founding Principal, Meyer, Scherer and Rockcastle, Ltd
- Dean Otto, Program Manager, Moving Image, Walker Art Center
- Blong Yang, Council Member, Minneapolis City Council
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Our West Bank Human Landmark Has Left Us
Submitted by Susan Schaefer, Riverview Tower Resident
Photo credit: ©2015 Susan Schaefer
The Last Cigarette
Saturday 10/3/15 10PM
I felt privileged to have had a slice of time with the man in the top hat and tails who has been a West Bank fixture for years, and my neighbor. Today, returning from a photo shot at Mill City Farmer’s Market I felt an uncanny pull as I walked by his infamous encampment directly next to my building, Riverview Tower, tucked under the 10th Avenue Bridge. Had I done as my entire being was directing me, I might have become the last person to see the man so many Twin Citians know as Chester alive. But I didn’t follow my instincts. And tonight, after an evening out with friends at Seven Corners, I returned home to find law enforcement quietly conducting their business exactly at Chester’s outlier campsite home. I knew without even asking that this man whom I photographed was no longer among us.
I am sure the formal details will emerge, but it seems he died of natural causes.
According to our building’s evening attendant, his female companion of years, Marcia, asked to call the police, explaining that she had found Chester “cold and motionless”.
Most old timers in our building had a great fondness for this enigmatic outsider who rode a bicycle throughout the West Bank and Dinkytown, most often soliciting change from passersby. But the afternoon I snapped my portrait on a Dinkytown corner, Chester had just given his last cigarette to another homeless young man. That’s the only Chester I knew. I hope there’s a peg in heaven for his top hat.
Drs Susan Schaefer, APR, is a communications consultant, executive coach, corporate trainer, university professor, writer, published poet, and former newspaper editor and publisher.
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Editors Note -
Here is a Star Trib article about Chester (a.k.a Bruce, a.k.a. Charlie) from May, 2014 - Chester's West Bank Hideaway is Changing.
In case you're not familiar with Chester's home camp, it's located under the 10th Avenue Bridge on the Midtown Greenway bike route by the Bluff Street Park. Dave took these pictures this morning, October 4:
A couple of videos from one of our Facebook followers:
Week 22 at the 2015 Mill City Farmers Market
In spectacular fashion, October 3 kicked off the final month of the 2015 outdoor season.
A budding cheese connoisseur.
Dueling photographers...
Melanie having fun with finger puppets.
Come to the Market hungry - go home with a happy tummy!
The goat! (Nancy - what's going on with that pepper !?!)
Free Events Honoring the Voices of Soldiers and Veterans
Free events honoring the voices of soldiers and veterans
What
More than 8,000 soldiers and veterans lives are lost to suicide each year – a fact that is brought into sharp focus through The 8030 Project currently on exhibit at the Hennepin Gallery.
In conjunction with exhibit and Veterans’ Voices Month, two events open to the public will take place in October.
When and where
Thursday, October 8, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., a special screening of “Surviving the Peace,” a film by The 8030 Project artist and curator Mara Pelecis will be held in the Hennepin County Government Employee Development Classroom, A110, on the southwest street level.
Thursday, October 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 22 among us, a panel discussion about returning veterans and mental health services will be held in the Hennepin County Government Center Auditorium, A-level.
Submit your photos
People are invited to submit their own images via 8030project.com. Images will be continually added to the gallery online and images submitted in September will also be added to the Hennepin Gallery in October.
About The 8030 Project
The 8030 Project art installation will continue to be on view in the Hennepin Gallery until October 27. Images featured in the installation are curated from The 8030 Project's open call to create individual memorials for these lost lives. The memorials use everyday objects in everyday spaces; 22 items represent the 22 solders and veteran lives lost each day to suicide. The exhibit is a selection of the submissions with the stories that accompany them as curated by Ms. Pelecis.
The project is sponsored by the Hennepin County Multicultural Arts Committee, in partnership with Forecast Public Art.
Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.
Parkway Closures for October 3 and 4
Franklin Avenue Bridge Closure and Construction Updates
Via an October 1, 2015, Hennepin County e-newsletter:
Franklin Avenue Bridge Construction Update
Planning ahead for weekend traffic impacts
Before we get to a construction update, we have important information about weekend traffic impacts to share.
Saturday, October 3
Motor vehicle traffic will be reduced to one lane on the Franklin Avenue Bridge from 5 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, for concrete delivery. Flaggers will guide traffic. Please use caution when traveling through the area.
Similar to a few weeks ago, concrete trucks will be on the bridge deck throughout the day, transporting concrete through a hose to equipment located on a barge below the bridge.
The concrete will be used to create a floor of the Pier 3 cofferdam. Previously, crews dove sheet pile to create walls for the cofferdam. Next, crews will drain the water within the cofferdam to create a dry work area. This will allow them to conduct concrete repair to bridge piers normally below water level.
The bike and pedestrian lanes on the south side will remain open.
Sunday, October 4
This Sunday is the annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. A portion of the route travels across the Franklin Avenue Bridge. As a result, the roadway will be closed to traffic from approximately 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The bike and pedestrian lanes on the both sides will remain open during the marathon.
An update on construction
Crews have been active around the project site for the past few weeks.
Above water level
Crews continue their work to restore concrete below the bridge deck. This includes work on the piers. Below is a picture of a section of a pier that has been restored using shotcrete. Shotcrete is a special concrete that is applied using a controlled spray.
At and below water level
Crews have also been using the cofferdams in the river to get access to the parts of the pier that are at and below river level. Below is a picture showing concrete removal at one of the piers.
Concrete is being restored in a way that protects the integrity of the structures.
Roadway deck panels
Crews continue to work at the casting yard at Bohemian Flats area up the river. At present, more than 160 of the 366 panels needed for the roadway deck have been completed. All panels will be floated down the river next year and hoisted into place.
Detours and closures
West River Parkway and trail remain closed at Franklin Avenue Bridge. View detour map.
The Lower East River Parkway trail is closed between the East River Flats (University of Minnesota Boathouse) and Cecil Street while crews restore concrete below the bridge deck.
