Events

Join us to hear more about the history of the beautiful Woman's Club of Minneapolis and learn about their work to address food insecurity in Minneapolis. Woman's Club Executive Director Kevin Winge and Director of Strategic Growth Jennifer Van Wyk will join us to share more.      

Dr. Claudia Kittock joins us to share the evolution of Be That Neighbor (formerly Friends of the Mill District.)   Their work started over 5 years ago with a vision to deliver community programming free of charge and available to every resident, including the disadvantaged and others who sometimes feel invisible. Programs have grown to include the Mill City Singers community choir, the Mill City Players theater group for young people, Yoga in Gold Medal Park, meals and donations for those experiencing homelessness, support for Cedar Riverside youth programs, Community Conversations and more. Hear how the mission to build community by ‘connecting, convening, and supporting’ neighbors has continued to evolve through the Covid-19 pandemic to serve the Mill City District and beyond. 

Looking outside the window, it’s clear that the leaves have now started to lose their color and are beginning to carpet the ground. For us, that can only mean that our City of Lakes Rotary Club annual “Rake, Rattle, and Roll” event is coming up soon. The date will be Saturday, November 6.

Those of you who have participated in the past know that this is a fun, family-friendly event with a valuable service component. We will be raking 12 yards for seniors, shut-ins, and other challenged homeowners in the Longfellow-Seward neighborhood of South Minneapolis. This is a rain or shine event, so you will need to dress according to the weather conditions. The only thing that would prevent us from raking would be lightning or more than an inch of snow on the ground. In the 25 or so years that we have been doing this, we have never had to cancel, so we hope our luck continues!

If you have a rake, please plan on bringing it (it’s ok if you don’t, as you can always help bag the leaves). Leaf blowers also come in handy if you have one. Be sure to mark your rakes with your name and phone number, as they occasionally get left behind. You will also want to bring a good pair of gloves.

We will meet promptly at 8:20 in the morning in the parking lot at the US Bank facility located at 2800 East Lake Street. After a brief sign in and orientation, we will divide up into three teams and disperse to our assigned gardens. We will likely finish raking all of the yards no later than 11:00, and those participants who wish are invited to gather at Matt‘s Bar (located at 35th St. and Cedar Avenue South) for their famous Jucy Lucy burgers, fries, and beverages of your choice.

In order to ensure that we have enough help on our raking day, we were are asking you to please register for this event. I am well aware of the propensity of members to put off registration until the last minute (I am equally guilty), but I would really appreciate it if you could register as soon as possible. It’s to your benefit as it minimizes the number of times that you have to listen to me pleading.

I look forward to seeing you on November 6 and completing this valuable service project!

Please let me know if you have any questions

Thank you!

Gary Mosiman

 Ron Wirtz from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis joins us to discuss the current business climate.  Using recent data and ongoing surveys by the Minneapolis Fed, Ron will discuss the speed and breath of recovery among firms, workers and broader Minnesota economy, and the role of labor force on economic growth going forward. Using an interactive survey, Ron will also gauge attendees’ sentiment regarding recent business activity, hiring demand, labor availability, wage trends, and outlook. Ron pays special attention to employment and wages – which are central to the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate of promoting stable prices and maximum employment – along with construction, real estate, consumer spending and tourism.