December News: Shop Locally This Holiday Season, Classes and More

Scroll down to read about some exciting upcoming classes and events, and to read our editors’ reports about the highlights of the past month. But first, I want to say a few words about shopping locally this holiday season, and the Daily Planet’s directory of neighborhood attractions and independently owned businesses.

At the Twin Cities Media Alliance, we strongly support locally owned independent businesses. Supporting the vitality of neighborhoods and communities is an important part of our mission, and a healthy local business community is essential to the vitality of local communities. Here’s what the Metro Independent Business Alliance says about shopping locally:

“Supporting locally owned, independent businesses keeps more of your money in your community.  When you spend $1 at a local independent, an average of 68 cents is recirculated into the local economy.  In contrast, when you spend $1 at a national chain, only about 43 cents stays at home.  If Twin Cities consumers shift even 10% of their spending from chains to locals for one day, the Twin Cities economy gains some $2 million.”

That’s why we belong to the Metro Independent Business Alliance, and why we carry the business listings ofBuyLocalTwinCities in the Twin Cities Daily Planet’s directory of local businesses and attractions, and on our Minneapolisand St. Paul neighborhood pages.

Another way to support local businesses: be sure to check out our new program, Theater All Year. Theater All Year ticket vouchers offer you an easy and affordable way to enjoy a huge variety of Twin Cities theater offerings throughout the season – and support the Twin Cities Media Alliance and TC Daily Planet at the same time. The cost is only $99 for six vouchers – a saving of more than 50% off the retail ticket price at some of the participating theaters.

Upcoming classes:

The New Normal: Deciding Community Priorities in a Downsized Economy is the Daily Planet’s year-long project of news stories and community conversations, funded by the Bush Foundation, devoted to finding solutions to new economic challenges in our communities. Here’s project manager Lisa Peterson-de la Cueva’s report on our October conversations:

Daily Planet Editor Mary Turck reports:

Arts Editor Jay Gabler reports:

The list of November’s most-read arts and lifestyle stories demonstrates why the Daily Planet has become a must-read for everyone interested in the breadth and depth of the local arts scene. Readers across the country appreciated our reviews of movies like The Muppets and the touring show Cavalia, but we also found a lot of readers for my review of the Minnesota Opera’s world premiere Silent Night and Matthew Everett’s review ofThe Inland Sea—a play by a MacArthur “Genius Grant” winner that was given its world premiere by none other than the students at Macalester College. Our strong food coverage was represented by Lu Lippold’s and Jeremy Iggers’s coverage of the new Rye Deli, and Sheila Regan produced what a dance insider told me she considers the best coverage of Frank Sonntag’s controversial decision to step down from his leadership role at the Cowles Center after only a few months. Finally, our Who is that? series shone a light on an unsung hero of the local theater scene: superfan Scott Pakudaitis, who attends over 200 performances a year. You won’t find Scott on the pages of any glossy magazines, but at the Daily Planet we know it’s those grassroots advocates who keep our arts scene strong.

You can support our work by donating to the Twin Cities Media Alliance through the GiveMN.org donation website, (http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Twin-Cities-Media-Alliance).  If you prefer, you can send a check to TCMA, 2600 E. Franklin, suite #2, Minneapolis MN 55406.