Queer as Folks

Taste of Lake Street Raises Funds For Minneapolis Food Shelves

The second annual Taste of Lake Street beat all odds in this down economy. It featured cuisine from 40 Lake Street-area restaurants; wine and beer; family-friendly entertainment and music; a silent auction; and a raffle. The event was a great deal of fun for everyone who showed up. It took in more than 340 pounds of food brought by attendees. To top that, it raised an amazing $63,000 for Minneapolis food shelves, which not only surpassed all fund-raising goals, but also bested last year’s total by 66 percent. The food and money will go to food shelves selected by the sponsoring Rotary and Rotaract clubs. For more information, visit www.tasteoflakestreet.org.

Brave New Workshop Goes Green

Brave New Workshop (BNW), known for hilarious sketch comedies, has upgraded its old theatrical and general building lighting with new, high-efficiency instruments. It not only will reduce energy usage by a whopping 73 percent annually, but also will reduce carbon dioxide usage by 14,939 pounds annually. BNW completed this transition with the help of the “One Stop Efficiency Shop” program created by Xcel Energy and The Center of Energy and Environment. Appropriately enough, all this took place during the successful run of The Brave New Workshop Saves the Planet; or Yes We Can, but Do We Have To? BNW now has one of the most energy-efficient theatrical lighting systems in the country, which has helped it move one step closer to the goal of having a carbon footprint of zero.