Lake Street News Brief
www.lakestreetcouncil.org 
November 18, 2008
 
Lake Street Council's mission is to build
a cohesive strategy to ensure the ongoing vitality
of the Lake Street Corridor business community.
 

The Latest on Lake:
Kori's Corner - Customer Service Tips:

Kori Hennessy is a Workforce/Community Developer for Goodwill Easter Seals, and a Lake Street Council board member

Today's topic is cleanliness and presentation of your store. Presentation plays a crucial role in customer service. If the store does not feel clean and inviting, a customer may be less inclined to make a purchase or come back. With holiday shopping already starting, this is a great time to get your store spruced up and think about putting up a holiday display. Consider clearing out those items that haven’t been selling well. Items that don’t sell may actually be preventing you from selling other items because they cause the store to feel cluttered. Think about making a cleaning list for staff to work on during the down times. This is a great way to keep your staff engaged in the operations of the store and to keep the store clean. And, if you see some trash on your way into or out of your building, take a moment to pick it up, and encourage your staff to do the same.

Lake Street Calendar:


November 19th: The Alley Newspaper Annual Allies Gathering
5:30 - 7:30 PM, 2120 Park Ave. (Park House)
"This year, in appreciation of the achievements of Joyce Krook for her 48 year career serving the community, we will gather to 'inform and engage' each other in the challenges and joys of building community."

November 19th & 20th: 20/20 Community Development Expo
5:30 PM opening reception on the 19th, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM on the 20th
1300 Nicollet Mall (Hyatt Regency)
Presented by MCCD and LISC Twin Cities. Bringing together community development practitioners, partners, and policymakers to celebrate our collective work in the Twin Cities and look ahead to the future of community development's role in promoting neighborhood revitalization and regional vitality.

November 20th: Community Celebration for Retiring State Representative Neva Walker
5:30 - 7:30 PM, 3400 15th Ave. S. (Powderhorn Park Recreation Center)
Featuring presentations by Dr. Josie Johnson and Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati, with light refreshments and DJ & youth entertainment.

November 20th: Author Reading, at Magers & Quinn
7:30 PM, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S.
Wellstone Action Executive Director Jeff Blodgett leads a post-election debrief and discusses his book Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way.

November 20th-22nd: I Land, by Pangea World Theater and Intermedia Arts
7:30 PM, 2822 Lyndale Ave.
"Expands on the Hawaiian tradition of talk story, combining theater and dance, bringing dramatic narrative, comedy, hula, and hip-hop dance together to tell a unique and compelling story."

November 22nd: Feathers and Strings, at In the Heart of the Beast Theatre
10:00 AM and 12:00 PM, 1500 E. Lake St.
Nationally renowned marionette expert, Kurt Hunter, will delight the whole family with a series of short inventive pieces, accompanied by a wide range of musical styles.

Through November 23rd: Quickies 2008: Human Curiosities, at Bryant Lake Bowl
Fridays & Sundays at 7:00 PM, 810 W. Lake St.
"Observe oddities of all orders: from (metaphorical) miniature horses, the surprising rigors of fishing, and radical female terrorists to the betrayal of Mother Time and the machinations of the modern business man. Now, as we pull back the curtain on these wonders, peer inside...if you dare!"

Through November 23rd: The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, at Old Arizona
7:00 PM Fridays and Saturdays, 2:00 PM Saturdays and Sundays, 2821 Nicollet Ave.
"Maurice is no ordinary cat.  He’s amazing.  He can think, he can talk… and he has an amazing scam going.  And all he needs to pull it off is an army of intelligent rats and one stupid-looking kid."

November 29th: Kids Book Club, at East Lake Library
2:00 - 3:00 PM, 2727 East Lake Street
This month's book is The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin. "Frustrated at her seeming lack of talent for anything, a young Taiwanese American girl sets out to apply the lessons of the Chinese Year of the Dog, those of making best friends and finding oneself, to her own life.

December 5th & 6th: Cabaret, at Patrick's Cabaret
8:00 PM, 3010 Minnehaha Ave.
Featuring spoken word, comedy, singing, and more.

December 5th & 6th: No Coast Craft-O-Rama, at Midtown Global Market
3:00 - 8:00 PM on the 5th, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM on the 6th, 920 E. Lake St.
Two day event featuring a variety of designers, artists and crafters of unique handmade goods.

December 15th: The Holiday Pageant, by Open Eye Figure Theatre
7:00 PM, 710 Hennepin Ave. (Pantages Theater)
"Combines The Second Shepherd’s Play, with the Nativity story, but all told from Lucifer’s point of view giving a crackling contemporary voice to these stories, revealing playwright and Open Eye Artistic Director Michael Sommers’ puckish sensibilities."

Through December 21st: Souvenir, at Jungle Theater
2951 Lyndale Ave. S.
"A wildly funny and surprisingly touching portrait of real-life musical laughingstock Florence Foster Jenkins - a wealthy society widow who professed to be a great opera soprano, but instead had an uncanny ability to stay consistently off-key."