The American Red Cross is in our Neighborhood

Did you know the Twin Cities Area Chapter of the American Red Cross headquarters is in our neighborhood?  They are located at the corner of West River Parkway and 13th Avenue South, and there is a Blood Donor Center on site (open 4 days a week, call 1-800-RED-CROSS for availability).

In addition to the Blood Donor Center, a number of classes are also offered at this location.  Examples include CPR, First Aid and Babysitter Training.

Until taking the time to review their web site, I wasn't aware of all the services offered by this organization.  Check out the How We Help section - it's amazing.

This Weekend in Mill City / September 10-12, 2010

It's a busy weekend in Mill City, my home town.  Events this weekend in and around the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis:

Friday, September 10

Tater Tot Hotdish at Mill City Market & Deli

Riverfront Oktoberfest

Guthrie Backstage Tour

Wine Tasting at Sorella Wine & Spirits

Kramarczuk’s Kielbasa Festival – “Meat Us in Nordeast”

Live Music at the 501 Club

Saturday, September 11

Mill City Farmers Market

Riverfront Oktoberfest

Family Music Event at MacPhail

The Master Butchers Singing Club Opening Night at the Guthrie Theater

Guthrie Backstage Tour

Kramarczuk’s Kielbasa Festival – “Meat Us in Nordeast”

Kitchen Harvests: World War I Tips for Getting the Most from Your Food

Engineering the Falls: Walking Tour by History Player William de la Barre

18th Annual James Page Blubber Run

Live Music at the 501 Club

Sunday, September 12

Riverfront Oktoberfest

Mill City Farmers Market Fall Harvest Dinner

Guthrie Backstage Tour

Railroad History Tour

Weekend Brunch

Saturday

Brunch at Spoonriver

Reservations recommended

10:00am - 2:00pm

See the menu

Sunday

Brunch at Spill the Wine
1101 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-339-3388

brunch buffet 10am- 2pm Sunday
$12/person (kids 3 and under eat free, 4-12 years are 1/2 price!)

includes: eggs, bacon, french toast, hash browns, fresh salad and fruit, pastries, build your own omlette bar and more...

featuring absolut bloody bar for $5.

also offering fair trade coffee and full bar.

New 35W Bridge Memorial Design Unveiled - Memorial Garden to Feature Water Wall and 13 I-beams

The new design was shown at a small ceremony attended by survivors of the 35W bridge collapse and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak across the street from Gold Medal Park.

From the Star Tribune -

The memorial will include a water wall in which the names of survivors will be etched, as well as 13 illuminated steel I-beams, each dedicated to one of the 13 people who died in the collapse.

From Kare11 -

Thirteen lighted columns with names of Interstate 35W bridge collapse casualties are the focal point of a planned memorial that city officials hope will be completed by next year's fourth anniversary.

and

A special wall will include the names of 145 people who survived the rush-hour collapse. An

overlook of the Mississippi River will offer views of the new bridge where traffic zooms by a few hundred feet away.

From Mill City Times - Below is a close-up shot taken through a chain link fence:

Design from oslund.and.associates -

   
 
 
  

MacPhail Center CEO is Departing to the Minnesota Humanities Center

From the MacPhail website -

September 8, 2010 -- David O’Fallon, CEO of MacPhail Center for Music, has accepted the position of President of the Minnesota Humanities Center, beginning November 1. The visionary leader and advocate for music education joined MacPhail as CEO in 2002. During his tenure, MacPhail has become the premier center for music education in the Upper Midwest with a new signature building, more than 60 community partnerships, an innovative music therapy program serving nearly 1,000 people, and enrollment that tops 8,400 students.

According to board chair Andrea Kmetz-Sheehy, David’s greatest achievement at MacPhail is the strong organization that he leaves behind. “MacPhail's programs, its leadership team and faculty, its committed supporters, and its financial position have never been healthier. We are poised to extend our reach to an even broader base of people, thanks in large part to the foundation that David helped build over the last eight years.”

The Humanities Center will give O’Fallon a broad platform from which to continue to advocate for all forms of music and arts. “We are enthusiastic about this next phase of David’s career, and we know that he will continue to be a friend of MacPhail as well as a strong proponent of our mission” Kmetz-Sheehy said.

MacPhail’s directors are determining a succession plan and the process that will bring forward the organization’s next leader. O’Fallon will remain with MacPhail through the end of October.

Contact: Barb Plunkett, MacPhail Center for Music  612-767-5532. 

Free Hip Hop Concert Tonight at the MacPhail Center for Music

7:00 PM Tonight - Hip-hop summer camp students from McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul and MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis are collaborating for a Hip Hop Concert on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. featuring performances by both groups. The concert will be held in Antonello Hall at MacPhail. Admission is free.

The MacNally Smith Hip-Hop camp was held June 26 – July 1, with 36 students ages 13-21. At camp the students studied hip-hop production, hip-hop performance, and music business. Instructors at MacNally Smith included Sean’ Twinkie Jiggles’ McPherson, Brandon and Zach Bagaason, Toki Wright, Frank Sentwali, and Joseph Mabbott.

MacPhail’s Hip-Hop Camp was held Aug. 23-17 with 16 students ages 12-17. During the week students studied beat making, lyric writing, stage presence, mic technique and beat boxing, with a final performance at the historic Capri Theater. Instructors included Desdamona, TruthMaze, Tish Jones and Carnage.

For more information about the concert call MacPhail at 612-321-0100

View Larger Map

City of Minneapolis Seeks Development Proposals for Parcel in Mill District

Note: This property is adjacent to the proposed Park Vista condo development we reported on.

From the Minneapolis Department of Community Planning & Economic Development:

The City of Minneapolis is seeking development proposals for a vacant lot it owns, located at 1100 2nd Street South, one of the last parcels available in the Mill District. The site has spectacular views of Gold Medal Park, Guthrie Theater, and the Mississippi riverfront. It offers great access to downtown, open space, trails, transit, Interstates 35W and 94, parking facilities, and other amenities. Since a range of commercial and/or residential uses are permitted on the site, the City seeks proposals that maximize the number of jobs and/or housing units created to support the overall contribution to the City tax base. Proposed uses should also contribute to the vibrancy of the Mill District area. The City will sell the property "as‐is."

More info and a link to the RFP

Park Vista Condos Looking Like a Go

The Department of Community Planning and Economic Development – Planning Division issued their recomendation yesterday to approve all aspects of the Park Vista Condo development, except for the zoning variance request to have more than maximum allowed number of parking spaces per unit.

This development by Shamrock Development will demolish 2 abandoned 1 story commerical buildings at 110 and 124 12th Avenue South and 1102 2nd Street South on the East end of the Mill District.

The Council met yesterday, we'll report on the results later this week.

Read the entire report here...

American Academy of Neurology and ArtSpace Projects Looking Like They'll Get the Green Light

The American Academy of Neurology and ArtSpace development projects proposed for the 800 block of Washington Avenue South, across from the Guthrie have been recommended by the Minneapolis City Planning Commission for approval.  This will be a great addition to the Mill City neighborhood.  The land sale by the city and the subdivision into 2 parcels has been recommended.  Read the full report here...

Interview with Brenda Langton, owner of Spoonriver

In case you missed Lisa Gulya's recent City Pages articles (under The Hot Dish section), here are the links to her 2-part interview with Brenda Langton, owner of Spoonriver and founder of the Mill City Farmers Market:

Spoonriver's Brenda Langton: Chef Chat, Part 1

Spoonriver's Brenda Langton: Chef Chat, Part 2

The Reports of Harry's Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated

Ever since the story in the Downtown Journal in July, people have been asking what's happening with Harry's Food & Cocktails.  Is it true they're closing?  When are they closing?  So Kim and I decided to stop by Harry's see how they're doing.

(on this trip last week there was a line outside the door waiting to get in)

Pretty well, I think.  Based on conversations with various sources over the last several weeks, they may be here for a long time to come:

They've weathered the loss of the Twins to the other side of downtown

They have an awesome staff who have all been there since before we moved to the neighborhood, a real team

Business is pretty good

They have 5 years left on their lease

They DO NOT plan to close the doors

The contrast from the Downtown Journal story is perplexing.  2 months ago the article stated "They will soon be shutting their business down" yet they're still here with no plans to close, and by all accounts doing well.

We love the staff (and the food!) at Harry's, so I want to know what's really going on.  At best, the way this has been publicly handled is just plain wrong.  At worst...I won't speculate here, but I will say that if this turns out to be a corporate power play to take over the business, Kim and I will never set foot in the door of the new establishment.  I bet we wouldn't be alone.

I think there's much more to this story than what's been published, stay tuned. 

Getting Around in our Neighborhood

I counted 13 ways to get around in our neighborhood:

  1) Walk
  2) Car - your own or hired
  3) Bus 
  4) Light Rail  
  5) Bicycle - your own or Nice Ride 
  6) Pedi Cab  
  7) Motorcycle/scooter
  8) Segway 
  9) Horse-drawn carriage
10) Pedal Pub
11) Skateboard
12) Rollerblades/Inline skates
13) Kayak/Canoe (Ok, probably not practical for getting to work, but it's still transportation!)

Did I miss anything? Let me know.

We recently used Twin Town Pedicabs for a ride to the a Twins game.  Our driver, Annie, was a hoot.  It was a very relaxing alternative to the busy pre-game Light Rail.

Take the Fire Safety Quiz and Help the Minneapolis Fire Department!

Take the online Fire Safety Pledge Program Quiz and the MFD could be awarded a $10,000 Grant.

HOW SAFE IS YOUR HOME FROM FIRE?  Test your fire safety knowledge, and at the same time help Minneapolis Fire Department, by taking an online fire safety quiz.  This quiz is sponsored by Liberty Mutual’s “Be Fire Smart” fire safety resource center, which will reward the departments with the most quiz-takers with a $10,000 grant to support their fire-education and prevention outreach efforts.  To take the quiz, go to:  www.befiresmart.com  and take the quiz in the “Fire Safety Pledge Program”.  Be sure to list Minneapolis Fire Department as your local fire department!  Although a name, email, zip code, and telephone are required to submit the quiz, this information is NOT used to solicit Liberty Mutual Insurance.  It will be used to notify participants of the department winners after the competition is over, end of October.

Questions? Contact: Casidy Anderson, Community Risk Reduction Officer
Minneapolis Fire Department, 350 South 5th Street #127, Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-919-7790  casidy.anderson@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Signs of Mill City

Ceresota Flour

Traffic Armageddon, Not

The media blitz ahead of the September 2nd dual Twins and Vikings games seems to have paid off, at least in the Mill City area.  Every newspaper, radio station, TV station, and local web site published repeated warnings and advice on how to get to the games and avoid gridlock.  The shot below is looking down Washington Ave. S. from in front of Mill City Market and Deli on 10th and Washington, towards downtown.  Time is 5:30PM.  Traffic heading out of downtown Minneapolis seemed a bit heavier than usual, but I did not observe any gridlock.

This Weekend in Mill City / September 3-5, 2010

Events this weekend in and around the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis:

Friday, September 3

September 3, 2010 - Live Music at the 501 Club

Saturday, September 4

September 4, 2010, Saturday - Minneapolis Riverfront Walking Tour

September 4, 2010 - Live Music at the 501 Club

September 4, 2010 Saturday - Italian Cultural Center at the Mill City Farmers Market

Sunday, September 5

Architecture Tour of the Guthrie Theater

Brunch at Spill the Wine
1101 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-339-3388

brunch buffet 10am- 2pm Sunday
$12/person (kids 3 and under eat free, 4-12 years are 1/2 price!)

includes: eggs, bacon, french toast, hash browns, fresh salad and fruit, pastries, build your own omlette bar and more...

featuring absolut bloody bar for $5.

also offering fair trade coffee and full bar.

Downtown Traffic Alert - Today, September 2

Expect extra traffic during the first concurrent Twins and Vikings games tonight, September 2nd.  As many as 100,000 people could fill Target Field and the Metrodome.

The City of Minneapolis, Metro Transit, the Minnesota Twins, the Minnesota Vikings, and many other partners are working together to mitigate traffic congestion as much as possible and to spread the word to people who are living, working or visiting Downtown this evening. 

Mill City Cornerstones Mentioned on Arts.gov

NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman is spending 6 months traveling around the country to learn how art works in neighborhoods and towns across America.

(left to right - (l-r) Justin Huenemann, NACDI President and CEO; Sue Gens, Minnesota State Arts Board Executive Director; Heid Erdrich, Author; and Vickie Benson, McKnight Foundation Arts Programming Director (and President of the Board of Directors, Grantmakers in the Arts).

He just returned from a tour of the Twin Cities, where his host was the McKnight Foundation, right here in the Mill District.  He also spent time visting the Guthrie Theater and the MacPhail Center for Music:

We began our next day, in Minneapolis, with a breakfast at the McKnight Foundation, our host throughout the day. I met Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis, who’s been there a long time and really gets it. We talked about how you have to have a local political structure that’s dialed in, and Mayor Rybak totally understands the importance of the arts in the community. He was very generous with his time, very open and welcoming.

After breakfast, we took a tour of the impressive Guthrie Theater with my old friend Joe Dowling, and then we had a tour of the MacPhail Center for Music with David O’Fallon. At MacPhail, they’re doing a lot of interesting work with music and cognition and the role of music and art—both in very early child development and in geriatrics. We’re hoping that that may be a point of intersection with us and with the Department of Health and Human Services, and we want to know much more about the work the center is doing.

Read the whole article on Arts.gov - http://www.arts.gov/artworks/?p=3816

Minneapolis Central Library Tour

It's amazing how many places there are to tour around here! Last night we took the 6:30pm public tour of the Minneapolis Central Library. 

David Jones provided us with over an hour of interesting facts, figures, features and history of this beautiful facility.

The incredible Children's area offers 40 world languages. According to David, 80% of Minneapolis kids have a library card.

The Central Library's Grand Opening was in May, 2006.  At the time it was built, the library was 30% more energy efficient than what was required by code. One reason is the green roof.  It features 7 inches of soil and 50 varieties of ground cover.  Whatever rain water the roof doesn't absorb is routed to a conduit underground - so no run off.  Another benefit is the rooftop temperature stays moderate on hot days, both extending the life of the roof and saving on cooling costs. 

The building has two sides - the public area and storage/operations - separated by the library commons.  Each floor on the public side features a fireplace and special artwork.  The above picture of  violin artwork is from the 3rd floor, which houses music, art, drama, literature and over 1,000 periodicals.  

Only two items from Minneapolis' original 1889 library were included in the new Central Library. First, the statue of Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom. Second, an ornate doorway (above), which currently serves as the entrance to the Special Collections room on the 4th floor.

I have to confess this was my first time visiting the Central Library. Even so, without all the background and interesting facts David provided, I wouldn't have the same appreciation had I just dropped in. Here are a few fun facts:  

360,000 square feet above ground

250 underground parking stalls

The staff answers 900,000 inquiries per year

There are over 7,000 cookbooks on the 2nd floor

2.5 million pieces of material are housed at the Central Library

40% of the material that goes out is Fiction, and half of that is in electronic format

There is an Adaptive Technology area for people with special needs

Take the tour!