February 16th, 10-4

Have old books you'd like to donate!

Corcoran Neighborhood Organization will be having it's annual book and bake sale fundraiser. If you'd like to donate books, they can be dropped off at the CNO office during normal business hours through January 31st. The sale will be Feb 16 from 10 to 4.  We will be posting updates here, on Next Door and facebook. Thanks in advance for your generosity!

Every year the South Minneapolis community welcomes South High students on the first day of school. Neighbors, business owners, community leaders, religious leaders, artists, nonprofit leaders, South HS alums and parents come together to give high fives and smiles to let the students know that our community cares about them and their education. Take a little time to join us and add your energy to our community’s future leaders!

Monday, August 27 at 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

South High School (Minneapolis)
3131 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55407

Mixed Blood Theatre is pleased to announce its 2018-19 Season, Transforming the Impossible to the Probable. Speaking truth to power and upending the status quo through theater via provocative programming in which comedy, drama, satire, and extravaganza take on Me Too, automation, Black Lives Matter, abortion, climate change, gender identity, NFL player protests, and, throughout everything, race. The season will put on display Mixed Blood’s core value to be predictably unpredictable.

From Artistic Director Jack Reuler: “At Mixed Blood the stage is a soapbox and compassion is a verb. How do we move from seeing each other  to acting for each other? How can an arts organization be an antidote for dominant trauma? Transforming the Impossible to the Probable aspires to have a moral imagination that stimulates ripples of hope. I was once told that ‘The work of an artist is to make revolution irresistible.’ That is the aim for the half dozen shows that populate our offerings before Memorial Day, 2019”

Click here to learn more about our season's offerings. And remember that you can take advantage of our programming at no cost through Radical Hospitality! We believe theater to be a space for all people, and are working to break the barriers preventing people from participating in the genre. 

Corcoran Community Garden At 3301 24th Ave S And Milly’s Peace Garden at 2017 E 38th St are now accepting applications for the 2018 gardening season. Due to time contrasts we are unable to mail out the application with the paper this year. But you can download the application  here - 2018 Garden Application. Or you can come pick one up in person at the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization, located at 3451 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55407.

APPLICATION PROCESS: Please complete and sign the Application Form and Gardener Agreement and return both with your payment to the CNO office (3451 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407) by Monday, May 7 at 4:00 p.m. Applications can be mailed or dropped off at the office. Payment is by cash or check (payable to CNO). This is a lottery system and applicants will be notified within one week if they will receive a plot. Applicants not selected will have their application fees returned. Application and Agreement forms must be complete and signed, with payment included.

PLOT SIZE AND COST: Corcoran plots are 4’x12’, 6’x12’, and 10’x12’ in size; Milly’s plots are roughly 72-96 sq feet. Several accessible raised bed plots will be available for disabled gardeners. Cost for plots vary based on size. Raised beds and 4’x12’ are $35, 6’x12’ is $50, and 10’x12’ is $60; $10 of this will be returned at the end of the season after inspection by the Garden Coordinator confirming final clean-up of your plot. If you would like to share a plot with another gardener, please specify this in the application. If you are financially unable to pay $35-$40, contact CNO staff (see below) for help.

LOTTERY PROCESS: Garden plots will be assigned to applicants using a blind lottery administered by CNO. The lottery will give top priority to returning gardeners; they will receive the same plot if they request it. Second priority will be given to residents who live within ¼ mile of their preferred garden who do not have access to gardening space at home. Third priority will be given to other residents who live within ¼ mile of their preferred garden. All other applications will be considered in the final round of the lottery.

Questions? Please contact [email protected] or 612-724-7457.

Neighborhood carry-out spot Vittles Deli has closed, a victim of its creators’ own success.

The good news is that the storefront will remain the catering headquarters for Vittles Catering, and the great news is that you can still order many of their popular items for pick-up. (Go to www.vittlesdeli.com, click on Catering, then click on Deli Menu.)

It all started with a food stand. Corcoran residents Greg and Chelsea Miller started Kabomelette as a food tent at the Midtown Farmers Market in 2011. They started by offering gourmet omelettes and steak kabobs. As the menu grew, so did their sales, and they were quickly able to expand to a mobile red and yellow food truck. Now the food truck can be seen all over town.

“People do eat eggs at all times of the day,” said Chelsea Miller, though she mentioned that when they are at, say, a brewery taproom, they change up the menu a little and offer things like nachos as well.

The Millers were also growing quite busy developing their catering business, called Vittles Catering. By March 2017, they were able to build out the space in the storefront at 3507 23rd Ave, just across from The Chatterbox and next to Blue Tree Music Education, into their central commercial catering kitchen facility. At the front of the kitchen, they opened Vittles Deli. Corcoran residents celebrated the arrival of this carry-out joint that featured a menu that changed daily and offered scratch-made, healthy food.

On March 10, after a year in business, Vittles Deli announced that it was closing. “Vittles Catering is thriving and it was too hard to run the catering company and the deli out of the current space,” the announcement read. “We are so grateful to all of our customers. Thank you!”

Chelsea said it was a challenge to generate the volume of carry-out sales necessary to sustain the deli -- without offering seating. They figured they had room in the space to put seating, but not the large restroom that would be required if they offered seating. So it had to remain carry-out only. As they approached peak catering booking season this spring, Chelsea and Greg decided to re-focus on the aspects of their business that gave the best return on their time. They are exploring the possibility of having a Vittles stand at the Midtown Farmers Market.

Chelsea doesn’t regret the work put into developing the deli only to have to close it after a year. “It’s really great to take risks and live outside your comfort zone,” she said. “As an entrepreneur, you can’t be afraid to take a risk and learn from that.”

But they’re only closing the deli part. “We’re excited to stay at the [farmers] market,” Chelsea said, “and stay active in the neighborhood!”

Arbeiter Brewing

3036 Minnehaha Avenue

Juno Choi, Josh Voeltz, Garth Blomberg, Co-Founders and Aaron Herman, Head brewer

https://www.arbeiterbrewing.com

Anyone still devastated about Harriet Brewing closing should be watching the old space closely this summer. Arbeiter Brewing will be remodeling and taking over the space and should open in late fall.  With the German name, they will feature German-style brews, but plan to be innovative and customer-driven when it comes to developing new beers. With ten tap lines, it doesn’t sound like anyone will ever need to drink a style of beer they know they won’t like.

I also have no doubt that the beer will be delicious as the guys have a collective 40 or so years of experience in the beer industry, from marketing and events to retail and brewing (both home and commercial). In fact, they all met through Northern Brewer where they worked together in some capacity or another. Additionally, Aaron, their brewer, can boast five years of brewing experience at Town Hall with three as the lead brewer.

I had the pleasure of meeting the guys and touring the space and I can tell you there will be some big changes from the former tenant. The taproom will move to the front of the building and have garage doors that open to a patio on the parking lot side -- think big windows and lots of light. As for events, they are already planning to partner with Moon Palace Books to bring outdoor events to the green space between the buildings and are working to build relationships with other area businesses. The taproom plans include long communal tables to bring that German feel and encourage socialization which will be great for larger groups and for making new neighborhood friends. They will also have some cozy seating for that first date or special occasion.

For neighborhood beer enthusiasts, you may want to check out the Arbeiter Union Beer Club Membership. Donate a minimum $1,000 and receive triple credit when they open. Yes, that adds up to a 66% discount! Other memberships or special offers are in the works, so keep your eye on the webpage for exciting updates. Join me in welcoming Arbeiter, because every neighborhood needs a good beer and a place to gather.

Dead Media - Business Spotlight

1828 E 35th St, Minneapolis, MN 55407
(612) 222-1655
http://dead-media.org/

Owners: Simon Brooks, Walker Neudorff and Colin Wilkinson

There’s a hip spot in town and now it’s right in our neighborhood!  Locally owned Dead Media specializes in buying and selling used records, both vinyl and cassettes, and has a selection of used books as well.  The volunteer-run shop moved into the space adjacent to Northern Rose Bicycles that had formerly been running as an underground music venue. 

Dead Media has made this “venue” legit.  The second Saturday of each month features “Vector 9,” an all ages show featuring up and coming bands and comedians that’s always over by 10pm.  The show is pay what you can with a suggested $5 donation.  What better than inexpensive entertainment you can walk to?

What about the goods?   Dead Media has a selection of vinyl and cassettes by artists to delight the old and young alike.  Classic rock, noise, punk and hip hop, they carry it all.  Cassettes are making a huge resurgence within certain genres as they provide a different fidelity and tone to the music and, among collectors, CDs are starting to take a back seat to other traditional media types. As musicians, the owners recognized this trend and knew it was hard to get music from local bands around the region, and started an online cassette distribution site that catered to the Midwest.  Then, in came John Kass with his Dead Media record and book shop in the Seward neighborhood and a partnership was born.   Having run Dead Media on their own the last few years, Simon, Walker and Colin currently fill the Twin Cities audiophiles’ needs in this particular niche.

You don’t need to be a collector, however, to enjoy the store. I perused the albums, seeing many I had owned or wanted as a kid, as if I were in a museum.  I plan to follow them on Facebook to find out dates and times for events like Vector 9. For anyone with an interest, please note the cashiers are volunteers.  Volunteers work one 3-4 hour shift a week and are compensated with discounts and other offers.

Local bands, Dead Media will buy some of your product to sell to your local fans, without consignment. They also provide blank tapes for small run releases and have equipment to help with dubbing. 

I get the feeling this is a great location to hobnob with musicians and other people “in the know” on the local scene, so I’m planning on stopping in regularly. Hope to see you all there!

Midtown Farmers Market Vendor Application Now Open

Mallory Forseth | Manager, Midtown Farmers Market

The Midtown Farmers Market is currently accepting vendor applications for its 2018 market season! Quality vendors are the heart and soul of the market and we strive to create a balanced and diverse vendor mix each season. Applications from Minnesota and Wisconsin farmers, artisans and producers are welcome! We are especially in need of a bread vendor this season, and are also seeking applications from more art and craft and value-added food vendors. Visit www.midtownfarmersmarket.org/vendors to access the 2018 vendor application, which includes vendor requirements, fee schedules, and other pertinent information. Questions? Contact Market Manager Mallory Forseth at [email protected].

2017 Application Schedule and Deadlines:

• February 16: Priority application deadline for all food vendors*
• March 30: Priority application deadline for art & craft vendors*
• April 7: Spring Vendor Meeting
• May 5: Opening Day, Saturday Market
• June 5: Opening Day, Tuesday Market

*Applications received after the due date will be considered if space is still available.

The Midtown Farmers Market Try It! Program is Back for 2018

New to the Midtown Farmers Market? Got a product you’d like to give a go at market? The Try It Program is back for 2018! Entrepreneurs can try out farmers market vending with limited

investment. CNO will help lower the entry barriers so you can bring your product to market. Interested? Contact [email protected] for more information and application instructions.

Get Involved! Seeking Market Advisory Committee Candidates and Special Project Volunteers

The Midtown Farmers Market Advisory Committee (AC) seeks candidates to fill open committee seats. The The mission of the Midtown Farmers Market Advisory Committee is to support market staff in carrying out the market's mission statement and to advocate for the success of the market through their individual talents, relationships, ideas and by fostering community leadership. The AC meets on the 4th Wednesday of every month from 6pm-8pm at the CNO office. Committee membership requires attendance at these meetings and an additional 8 hours per month of volunteer time working on special projects including: fundraising, marketing and communications, event planning, volunteer recruitment, partnerships and outreach, administrative duties and more. The market is also seeking volunteers to assist with a number special projects in preparation for the 2018 season. To learn more about any of these opportunities, contact Market Manager Mallory Forseth at [email protected].

If you’ve ever worked somewhere when a key executive leadership role vacates, resigns, retires or is let go, you may understand how this type of turbulence can trickle down through an organization.  I have been in such a situation and have seen the type of chaos that can result: loss of long term good employees, fear of the unknown, and possibly, the dreaded rumor mill runs amok.

Willow consulting is a small local business with just 2 employees.  Amy Arcand specializes in interim executive management, primarily with small to medium sized non-profit organizations, and Brigid Riley specializes in strategic planning.  

Amy will step into an interim management role after an executive director leaves or is terminated and manages the day-to-day operations until the position is filled.  She relies on years of nonprofit experience, including being the former Executive Director of the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization, to manage the chaos of transitions.

In fact, it was that job that exposed Amy to our neighborhood. She liked it so much she moved here!   Even after leaving the CNO, she has remained in Corcoran as both a resident and local business owner.

She’s been running her business from her home for the last 5 years. Most of her business comes from word of mouth through the grass roots organizations she has worked with in the past.  From speaking with her, you immediately sense she loves her job.  She’s passionate about stepping in and triaging the chaos, understanding the organization and its culture, and then working out the kinks. She focuses on the people who remain, and ultimately developing new goals and visions to pass on once new leadership has been hired.  Her goal is to stabilize the organization during the transition and set the new leader up for success.

As Amy’s business developed, she found that many organizations also needed strategic planning to help facilitate and solidify the changes put into place.   She admired the work that Brigid Riley was doing in this arena so they decided to join forces in 2016. Amy and Brigid have worked informally on several projects over the years, including the creation of the Midtown Farmers Market, and are excited about their formal collaboration.

Willow consulting also provides organizational coaching to younger or up and coming executive leaders as well as community engagement strategies.   If you are interested in Willow Consulting services please contact Amy at the above email or visit their website.

Willow Consulting
Amy Arcand
http://willow-consulting.com/
amy at willow-consulting.com

If you’re anything like me, you probably assumed I am referring to a lyric from a Prince song. As it turns out, it’s actually an engineering term to describe a type of traffic interchange. The reason I’m telling you all this is because a “tight diamond” is currently the preferred redesign approach to the Hiawatha – Lake Street intersection.

As someone who is fired up about improving this node, I find this to be really exciting! Engineering means design change, and design change means construction, and construction means physically reconfiguring the Hi-Lake intersection for pedestrians and cars alike!

Of course there is that pesky issue of funding these changes, but I feel momentum building, and I want you to hear from those who know their engineering from their R&B lyrics.

So, I invite you to look for invitations and public meetings in the coming months as the city of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, MNDOT and Metro Transit works to engage the community in this discussion.

In the meantime, if you want to know more about tight diamonds, Google “Hi Lake Interchange Study.” It will pull up a presentation that the Land Use and Housing Committee heard 18 months ago. And while you’re at it, come join a Land Use and Housing meeting. We’re a fun bunch of people and our next meeting is Thursday, November 2, at 6:30 at the CNO office.