FACETS
APRIL 2020
The magazine for women.
Earth Day Marks 50th Year Kalton active in the art of genealogy
Tedesco Learning Corridor’s next phase
FACETS 2 | FACETS | APRIL 2020
The magazine for women. Contributors
MARLYS BARKER RONNA FAABORG DAVID MULLEN KYLEE MULLEN ROBBIE SEQUEIRA KILEY WELLENDORF Design
CHELSEA PARKS Tribune Editor
MICHAEL CRUMB
ADVERTISERS To advertise in Facets magazine, contact Mary Beth Scott at (515) 663-6951 PHONE (515) 663-6923 ADDRESS 317 Fifth St. Ames, IA, 50010 EMAIL news@amestrib.com ONLINE www.amestrib.com/sections/ special-sections/facets Facets is a monthly publication of Gannett.
Nevada High School senior, Calissa “Callie” Derrick, poses with her book, “Cubbie and the Perfect Gift.” Photo by Marlys Barker see PAGE 4 & 5
ON THE COVER
Katherine Kerns, of rural Ames, says if we all make minor changes in the way we consume single-use containers, the ripple effect will be profound. see PAGE 6 & 7
FACETS Table of Contents Features 6
8
‘Activist heart’
Local woman’s ‘go green’ mentality
Ames woman using GoFundMe
Protecting Worle Creek
10 Earth Day marks 50th year Call to ‘Climate Action’
14 Nevada mom - Tonya Sorem Love of hiking 18 Tedesco Learning Corridor Connect city to bike trails
Spotlight 4 Nevada student’s book project 11 Macubana offers ‘comfort food’ at new Campustown location 12 Ames Middle School art teacher receives art educator award 16 Kalton active in the art of geneology 19 From undocumented immigrant to national award recipient 21 Home, green home
Savor 23 Avocado green goddess dressing Star of this crisp, bright salad
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Spotlight
Nevada student’s book project highlights the success of LAUNCH project Nevada High School senior, Calissa “Callie” Derrick, poses with her book, “Cubbie and the Perfect Gift.” Photo by Marlys Barker
By Marlys Barker Contributing Writer
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Nevada High School student’s completed book project is a shining example of why the district’s LAUNCH program is earning its stripes. Calissa “Callie” Derrick, 18, a senior at Nevada High School, will present copies of her book, “Cubbie and the Perfect Gift,” to both the Central Elementary Library and the Nevada Public Library. At approximately 20 pages, the children’s book features the Nevada School’s mascot and many images of places in the community. On the final page of her book, Derrick explains a little bit about LAUNCH — Learning, Application, Understanding, iNquiry, Compassion and Honor. “Students lead their own class, creating a final project that they then present. This book was one of those projects,” she wrote. Derrick, daughter of Beth and Tim Derrick of rural Nevada and a student worker in Nevada’s Public Library, was in her second term of LAUNCH (each term being roughly 2 to 2 1/2 months) when she decided she wanted to create a book as her class project. She’d taken LAUNCH first term, when she completed a ghost tour of Nevada. “I researched the history of Nevada and used old records and books and listened to stories from residents about different ghost experiences,” she said of the firstterm project. “Then I walked down main street and talked about the history of Nevada (during a fall tour).” Her favorite haunting in town, she admitted, was Evergreen Lane, shared with her by Nevada Historical Society member Kris Corbin. Her second-term project combined her passion for writing and art, Derrick explained, noting that she plans to pursue a degree in art education when she starts college next year. “I got the suggestion from a friend to make it about Cubbie, and it kind of grew from there,” she said. Her ideas were also inspired by the Ames Public Library’s Smyles books, she noted. Derrick used pictures she’d taken in the community and inside the school, and even a few pictures from friends, working on those and her Cubbie character in a digital art program called Paint Tool SAI. “I’ve done digital art on my
own for a while now,” she said. Getting the right Cubbie for the book was a big task. “I actually went through around 30 different designs for him, trying to make him the cutest Cubbie he could be.” As she worked on his image, she consulted friends to help her choose the features they liked most in each Cubbie to get to her final “most adorable” one. While many students were enjoying winter break, Derrick was continuing work on her project. “I spent most of my winter break working on the illustrations,” she admitted. This project demanded time, and wasn’t easy, especially the writing of the story. “It was a lot harder than I imagined to write a story for children. ... It was actually kind of difficult to construct a story for children so that they could understand and enjoy it.” The story of her book, she explained, is about the school principal’s birthday and Cubbie’s desire to find the principal the perfect gift. Cubbie leaves school and heads out into the Nevada community for his search. Derrick admits she isn’t quite sure how she came up with that idea for the story. “I just knew I wanted a plot that would show off the different sites in Nevada,” she said. In the end, it all came together, and because the task of actually getting the book published would take too long, Derrick printed several hard copies of her book through Shutterfly. “I had one printed for my (LAUNCH) teacher (Kimberly Huegerich), one for my parents, one for my sister (Brianna, who is studying elementary education at Iowa State University) and one for myself.” She plans to print two more copies, complete with jackets (an option Shutterfly allows), to give to the school and city libraries. The book has already been tested on some of its most important critics. Derrick visited the room of kindergarten teacher, Terrie Heiden (the teacher she’d had in kindergarten) and read it to Heiden’s class. “It was so great to see what they thought. A lot of them said the same thing, ‘I really liked your book.’” Even big kids, like Derrick’s parents and teachers, are amazed at what she did with this project. “My dad said it
LAUNCH, continued from page 4
looked so professional. ... (Mrs. Huegerich) really liked it. And I’m glad that she did. I knew I had put in a lot of work on it.” Huegerich even passed it around her classroom to show other students, and Derrick said it’s been suggested to her by friends that she use the book as her “signature book” at her graduation party this year. Nevada Schools Associate Superintendent of School Improvement Justin Gross is glad that the Nevada Schools curriculum is providing students the LAUNCH opportunity. “I am glad that we are able to provide our students with opportunities to engage in projects that allow them to follow their passions and apply their learning in ways that have value beyond school. This (book project) is just one example of many that showcases what happens when you give students voice and choice over their learning,” he said. Derrick’s biggest hope the book she created is that it will inspire kids to tell their own stories. “That’s what the book is meant to be.” She wants to show younger students that “it’s important to be able to share your experiences and your different perspectives that you have with the world.” On the last page of her book, she also talks about the goal of highlighting Nevada and Nevada High School through Cubbie. “This book shows how stories and creativity are gifts to be shared, and it in itself is a gift to the town of Nevada and its people,” she wrote.
Spotlight
Callie Derrick has written a children’s book, whose main character, Cubbie, is based on the Nevada High School mascot. Photo by Marlys Barker
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Feature
Katherine Kerns, of rural Ames, says if we all make minor changes in the way we consume single-use containers, the ripple effect will be profound.
‘Activist heart’ led to local woman’s ‘go green’ mentality By Sara JordanHeintz Contributing Writer
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atherine Kerns, of rural Ames, says if we all make minor changes in the way we consume single-use containers, the ripple effect will be profound. “I grew up in a household where my mom recycled a bunch, so that planted a seed early on about being resourceful,” she said. A graduate of the University of Iowa, she is the founder of the downtown Ames-based store Miss Meyer’s Clothing Consignment. With a love of thrift, she now works at JB Knacker vintage shop in Gilbert. “I shop thrift before I do any new shopping,” she said. Possessing an “activist heart” Kerns said while in college she was involved in social justice causes. In Ames, she’s an active member of Collegiate United Methodist Church and part of its Creation Care program. Kerns said motherhood further opened her eyes to how wasteful consumer-driven products can be, especially single-use drink containers at restaurants and the myriad of packaging in which snack foods are sold. “Right now we live in a time of cheap abundance and it
just makes it so easy to replace something quickly. You need to think about where it would end up if I threw it away,” she said. “Straws are what I call the poster child for single-use plastic, but if your cup is Styrofoam and lid is plastic, the straw isn’t the whole unit.” Kerns and her husband Nathan have two children — Abram, 7, and Annie, 5, who attend Gilbert Elementary School. This gave Kerns the idea to approach the school about implementing ways in which it could reduce its eco footprint. “She’d come to us last year about some ideas, and we really started with marker recycling in the building,” Principal Staci Edwards said. “At the beginning of this year she and teacher Katie Wallace and myself met to brainstorm ideas.” The talks launched Gilbert Green, an educational program to inspire youth to be good stewards of the earth. Students use both sides of a sheet of paper, single-use container usage in the lunchroom has been curbed and youngsters have learned about the life cycle of a piece of
Feature
ACTIVIST HEART, continued from page 6
plastic. But Kerns’ efforts are about more than getting people to recycle. “Recycling is a last option: rethink your choices, refuse single use containers, reduce consumption, reuse what you can, refurbish the old, repair before replace, repurpose, then recycle,” she said. “There are a lot of resources that go into making something that we use for 20 minutes, and if we really understand that process, it’s a no-brainer that it’s a huge waste of resources. Convenience cannot be the leading factor of our choices.” Kerns is a believer in practicing what she preaches. She makes her own soaps, uses cloth instead of paper towels and napkins, and she and her family never go anywhere without reusable cups and utensils for eating out. She brings two sets of bags: one to tote clean utensils and the other for the used. The Kerns family uses bamboobased toothbrushes, which are biodegradable. Bringing her own cloth or nylon bags to run errands is how she eliminates being reliant on plastic bags. She said a delicate garment bag works well when picking up produce at the grocery store; she also saves netting from fruit bags. Purchasing products sold in glass rather than plastic containers is also key. Plastic containers in her home are converted to snack holders and are what leftovers are stored in after meals. Kerns said those who feel overwhelmed by going green should start by making a few easy changes — and commit to them daily. “If I’m out and forget to bring my coffee (tumbler) I guess I’m not stopping for coffee,” she said. Instead of relying on an endless stream of paper-based napkins and towels, Kerns has her family use bandanas, noting their absorbent quality and small size ideal for sticking in the washing machine alongside any load. She has a kitchen drawer full of colorful bandanas, perfect for all occasions and seasons. Kerns said many people already have all-natural cleaning agents in their homes such as vinegar and baking soda. “Use what you have first,” she said. To calculate your eco footprint, carbon footprint and water footprint, visit www.globalstewards.org/ecotips.htm. Follow Kerns on Instagram @kernsfamilyhome. She can be reached at gilbertgreen@ gilbertcsd.org. “There are a lot of things we can control and react to. We all have a voice and the more people that get involved, it will force companies to change,” she said.
Katherine Kerns makes her own hand soap using water, liquid Castile soap and vegetable glycerin. Photo by Sara Jordan-Heintz
Foaming hand soap recipe: Fill a hand soap bottle with water 2 Tablespoons liquid Castile soap 2 teaspoons vegetable glycerin Essential oils (optional)
Foaming face wash recipe: Fill a bottle with water 2 Tablespoons liquid Castile soap 2 teaspoons jojoba oil 1-2 drops tea tree oil 1-2 drops rosemary extract
Instead of relying on paper-based napkins and paper towels, Katherine Kerns has her family use bandanas. She has a kitchen drawer full of colorful bandanas, perfect for all occasions and seasons. Photo by Sara Jordan-Heintz
FACETS | APRIL 2020 | 7
Feature
The 145-acre Champlin Lloyd Farm is located southwest of the Ames city limits, adjacent to the current city boundary, along Dartmoor Road, north of Zumwalt Station Road and to the west of 520th Avenue. Screen clipping courtesy of Google Maps
“I feel like I have to do this. I have to protect this beautiful, unique place.” Christine Hausner launched a GoFundMe campaign, with a target goal of $1.9 million to in hopes of purchasing the Champlin Lloyd Farm, a 145-acre parcel that lies just southwest of the city limits. Photo by Nirmalendu Majumdar/Gannett
Ames woman is using GoFundMe to protect Worle Creek By Robbie Sequeira
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Gannett
s a young girl growing up in the unincorporated rural area southwest of Ames, Christine Hausner’s memories are flooded with towering 300-year-old oak trees, rows of picturesque acres of rolling farmland and timber and its “crown jewel,” Worle Creek. “My favorite thing was to go down to the creek and find this big boulder in the middle of the creek and hop the shore to sit on this boulder,” said Hausner, whose family has lived in southwest Ames for more than 90 years. “I remember all this water rushing around everything, and my mom would ring this huge German cowbell. And when it was time for me to come in, that’s what we did. We grew up outside.” However, Hausner feels that the preliminary conversations of urban development and annexation in the southwest area could affect not only the unique rural way-of-life for Washington Township residents, but also the environment. It’s the impetus for Hausner’s crowd funding campaign, via GoFundMe, to raise $1.9 million to purchase the Champlin Lloyd Farm, a 145-acre parcel that lies just southwest of the city limits. The property is located southwest of the corporate limits of the city of Ames, immediately adjacent to the current city boundary, along Dartmoor Road, north of Zumwalt Station Road and to the west of 520th Avenue. In January, the Ames City Council decided on a 4-2 vote to shelve an annexation request by Champlin Farm property owners. The property owners were unable to be reached for comment,
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but realtor Paul Livingston said there is no pending residential development of the Champlin Lloyd Farm. However, the fundraising effort, Hausner said, can ensure environmental protections for Worle Creek, which would be used for storm sewer drainage, if residential development took place. “If urban development occurs, the city plans for Worle Creek to be used for storm sewer drainage,” said Hausner, who started the campaign a week ago. “The city and developers don’t see what we see, smell what we smell, and hear what we hear every day. I am trying to preserve this area so that my son and hopefully grandchildren have the opportunity to grow up the way that my brother and I did, and how my dad and uncle did.” Hausner has raised more than $1,500 so far, and she said that if she cannot raise funds or a lower offer is not accepted by the seller — she will refund 100 percent of the donations. “Even if 200,000 people donate just $10, we can do this,” she said. “I feel like I have to do this. I have to protect this beautiful, unique place.” The decision to shelve the request is heavily factored by the city council’s decision to forgo Ames Plan 2040 expansion in the area and the soon-to-expire Ames Urban Fringe Plan. “With the Ames 2040 Plan and the Urban Fringe Plan both up for consideration, I’m not interested in considering the annexation of anything currently in our fringe areas without understanding more about how those two plans will turn out,” said council member Gloria Betcher.
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Christine Hausner, her 4-year-old son Jackson and her father Erv Hausner represent three of the five generations that have spent more than 90 years in southwest Ames. Photo by Nirmalendu Majumdar/Gannett
Phil Iasevoli, a longtime resident in southwest Ames, said he enjoys seeing the different ecosystems and wildlife that are near Worle Creek. Photo by Nirmalendu Majumdar/Gannett
Residents, both in open forums and interviews for this story, said that development in southwest Ames isn’t feasible. They cite topography of the landscape and limitations on useable land, as the area is comprised of nearly 4,000 acres of private land and ISU-owned research facilities. Kelly Diekmann, planning director for the city, said that development in the southwest area is possible, and could lead to an estimated 300 homes. Any development that happens would have conservation elements to it and conservation easements that protect the sensitive areas,” Diekmann said. “Without saying a precise plan, we estimate that probably over 300 homes could be built in single family homes on that property. So development is viable.” Council member Tim Gartin, who made the motion in approval of annexation, said that annexation is a difficult conversation, but not one that can’t be explored. “Annexation is one of the hardest tasks that we ask city council members to take on,” Gartin said. “Because almost inevitably, there will be a situation where someone says, ‘I think it’s a terrible idea.’” Gartin added that, the prospect of development can also meet sustainability and environmental goals. “I’m willing to make hard decisions with respect to annexation, and it’s not because I’m callous,” Gartin said. “I’ve been in the area many times and familiar with it, it is a beautiful piece of land, but that doesn’t mean we can’t entertain conversations of annexation while also finding protections in place to protect the land.” However, long-time residents like Phil Iasevoli, believe that any development will cause environmental harm to Worle Creek. “We know that this is a healthy creek because of the abundance of crayfish, amphibians, frogs and wildlife,” he said. “If you start polluting this with runoff from the storm sewer, those species are all going to disappear.” Iasevoli, a former zoologist, said that residents have been pushing back at development in the area since 2003, when the city proposed a $1 million proposal to run a sewer line along Worle Creek. The backlash led to a 2005 environmental study of the creek and the surrounding environment in Washington Township, and the conclusions from the study classified the area as an ecologically sensitive area that “should be highly conserved.” “The bulk of the species I found are considered ‘common’ but the concentration of these species in Worle Creek makes the area highly valuable for conservation,” an excerpt from the study reads. “Development of this area is a decision not to be taken lightly.” The study is still being echoed today by residents and by opponents of annexation.
A 2005 study of the creek and the surrounding environment in Washington Township classified the area as an ecologically sensitive area that “should be highly conserved.” Photo by Nirmalendu Majumdar/Gannett
“It’s hard to prove feelings to someone, prove why something I matters so much,” Hausner said. “But this study shows that there is science behind this. That there’s a study that show why this is so important.” Iasevoli said that development on the Champlin site would carry ramifications for residents — since a sanitary system in Worle Creek would need to tie into Kelley and tie into State (Avenue) from there,” he said. “And then for us, since we’re at the bottom, we would have to go ahead and put a grinder system into our septic system, we wouldn’t be allowed to have a septic anymore.” Unlike areas in city limits, the area has no direct access to CyRide, and is more than a mile away from the nearest commercial property. “The main infrastructure issue is that there’s gravel roads that serve in the area need roads, and some improvements would need to be done long-term to support the construction of the overall subdivisions,” Diekmann said. According to city documents, the cost of paving Dartmoor was estimated at $2 to $2.5 million. Additionally, paving of Zumwalt Station Road and a portion of State Avenue is estimated at $2.5 to $3 million dollars. When the issue is addressed on a future agenda, Diekmann said there is an opportunity for the City Council to explore the southwest growth area without forcible annexation and still protect environmentally-sensitive areas in the Worle Creek area. “There’s a way the council could choose to move forward with Champlin Farms, without annexing other rural homes,” Diekmann said. “I also think the city does a good job of doing environmental protection through our erosion control, our stormwater ordinances and our infrastructure requirements that exceed county development standards.” As for Hausner, between regular meetings with neighbors, refreshing her GoFundMe page, and even considering a career in public office — she intimated that she doesn’t know if her GoFundMe campaign is “too little or too late.” But nonetheless, she plans to pursue her goal of protecting her home and Worle Creek. “I don’t know how many people are going to see this and think I’m crazy or think this isn’t a battle worth fighting,” Hausner said. “But I do. I know people in this community do, too. I urge anyone who doesn’t know how special place is, to visit and see for yourself why we need to protect Worle Creek and southwest Ames.” If you’d like to contribute to Hausner’s efforts, go to www. gofundme.com/f/SaveTheWorleCreekArea. FACETS | APRIL 2020 | 9
Feature
Earth Day marks 50th year with call to ‘Climate Action’ By Ronna Faaborg Gannett
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ive decades have passed since the first Earth Day was celebrated by the activism of millions of Americans. April of 1970 in America was a pivotal month in many ways. On April 11, Apollo 13 was launched to the moon and was to be the third manned capsule to land there. But mechanical problems caused the crew to make on-the-fly changes, looping around the moon and returning back to Earth in just six days without landing on the lunar surface. That Apollo 13 flight was watched and followed in the news by millions of Americans. It’s something that brought us together as a country and continues to do so as we watch movies such as “Apollo 13” and “Hidden Figures,” which dramatically chronicle the accounts from different perspectives. It’s the flight that put the phrase, “Houston, we’ve had a problem,” in the lexicon for Americans, who still commonly use it for times when they are in trouble. On April 10, Paul McCartney officially announced the split of The Beatles. The next day the band’s song “Let It Be” went to No. 1 and stayed there for two weeks. On April 29, the Vietnam War expanded as U.S. forces invaded Cambodia. War protests at home were common, but the fall of Saigon didn’t occur until April of 1975. It was a time when many Americans were looking out into space and at the world around them and deciding they wanted to see a cleaner, more beautiful place. In April of 1970, there started to be a push to Keep America Beautiful, and an organization by that name became better known as it put out public service announcements to “keep litter in its place” and encouraged people not to be a “litterbug.” April 22, 1970, was the first observance of Earth Day, and millions of Americans gathered in protests — at college campuses and in hundreds of cities — to demand an end to environmental ignorance. Earth Day mobilized 20 million Americans, which was then about 10 percent of the population. That first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement that is now the planet’s largest civic event, according to EarthDay.org. Earth Day protests and activities led to passage of landmark environmental laws in the United States, including the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species acts. Many countries adopted similar laws, and in 2016, the United Nations chose Earth Day as the day to sign the Paris Climate Agreement into force. Earth Day in 2020 will be held on Wednesday, April 22, and the theme this year is “Climate Action.” The 50th anniversary of the day of celebration and activism is 10 | FACETS | APRIL 2020
“far more than a day. It must be a historic moment when citizens of the world rise up in a united call for the creativity, innovation, ambition and bravery that we need to meet our climate crisis and seize the enormous opportunities of a zero-carbon future.” “Despite that amazing success and decades of environmental progress, we find ourselves facing an even more dire, almost existential, set of global environmental challenges, from loss of biodiversity to climate change to plastic pollution, that call for action at all levels of government,” said Denis Hayes, the organizer of the first Earth Day in 1970 and Earth Day Network’s Board Chair Emeritus. “Progress has slowed, climate change impacts grow, and our adversaries have become better financed,” said Earth Day Network president Kathleen Rogers. “We find ourselves today in a world facing global threats that demand a unified global response. For Earth Day 2020, we will build a new generation of environmentalist activists, engaging millions of people worldwide.” Locally, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day coincides with the 10th anniversary on April 25 of the city of Ames’ EcoFair, which is an outreach event with the goal of connecting residents with city staff and experts who provide resources focused on energy, water, land and resources. Additionally, residents can learn about environmentally minded projects and groups, and how to support a more sustainable future. The city of Ames invites the public to join the activities and educational opportunities on Saturday, April 25. As part of the dual celebrations, the city of Ames is holding a series of lectures about sustainability. For example, the public is invited to hear Chad Pregracke share his story as the founding member of Living Lands & Waters at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, at Ames City Auditorium. Pregracke started Living Lands & Waters in 1998 as a not-forprofit organization dedicated to the beautification and restoration of America’s major rivers and the education of environmental issues. From his single-boat beginning, LL&W has grown to an industrial strength, internationally known organization with a fleet of barges and workboats. LL&W engages thousands of volunteers each year in river cleanups, hands-on environmental education workshops, the Great Mississippi River Cleanup, Adopt-a-River-Mile program, Invasive Species Removal and the MillionTrees Project.
Spotlight
Macubana offers ‘comfort food’ at new Campustown location By Kylee Mullen Gannett
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hat started as a food cart on the corner of Chamberlain Street and Stanton Avenue has grown much bigger, as Macubana celebrates a successful beginning in its recently-opened restaurant. The brick-and-mortar business, at 116 Welch Ave., opened Sept. 29, 2019, with the well-known late-night food cart and “Macu-Truck” both continuing to operate throughout the community. According to co-owner Claudio Gianello, whether customers satisfy their appetites at the new restaurant or dine on the road, the goal always has been, and always will be, the same. “Our goal is to make sure our food is incredibly good, and there’s no excuses for it being just OK,” Gianello said. “We try to give a great service, and quality is the most important. Reputation relies a lot on word-of-mouth, so we really enforce quality, service, cleanliness, and that kind of thing.” Gianello, who also owns Campustown’s Cafe Beaudelaire, said Macubana first started in 2014 when his kitchen assistant, Herbert Dardano, came forward with an idea to open a food truck serving Cuban sandwiches. The idea, he said, was inspired by the movie “Chef,” in which a man restores a food truck and travels the country serving Cuban cuisine and yuca fries. “(Herbert) said ‘I might want to do something like that, let’s give it a try.’ So we started with the food cart,” said Gianello, who also said Macubana started as a part of Cafe Beaudelaire rather than its own business. That changed when Macubana started to see increased popularity, and the partners decided to “make a brand out of it.” They started shopping for a bigger truck to meet its growing demand. They found, and restored, a 1955 International Metro in Maryland, which they began to serve food out of on Iowa State University’s campus. Nick Bergen, manager at Macubana who first joined the team in January 2015, said it was at that point the business, which “started as a side project,” began to gain a lot more traction. “We started to get a lot more people, and it was getting really popular,” Bergen said. With a larger menu, both a food cart and truck serving food throughout Ames, and a catering service on the side, it was time for Macubana to find its own home, Gianello said. That home was found after Arcadia Cafe closed its doors last year. According to Bergen, they added a cooler with 20 beer lines, a full bar, new lighting and shelving. They also brought in a local artist, Jordan Zantow, to create murals
The brick-and-mortar Macubana location, at 116 Welch Ave., opened Sept. 29. The well-known late-night food cart and “Macu-Truck” both continuing to operate throughout the community. Photos by Kylee Mullen/Gannett that “tell the story of Macubana.” Then they were ready to start serving both Ames residents and ISU students. The restaurant now serves “Mac Attack,” Cubano sandwiches, Brazilian burgers, gyros, empanadas, Belgian fries and more Monday through Sunday. It is also open late most nights, closing at midnight on Monday and Tuesday and at 1:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Bergen said, “It’s comfort food,” and he hopes Macubana can be “a home away from ho me” for ISU students. “Growing up, you eat a lot of grilled cheese and mac and cheese, and it’s that kind of thing where you can sit down and feel that little bit of home,” Bergen said. “I just hope Macubana can become a part of Campustown, a part of the life down here. I think that’s what any business wants to do, to become a place everybody knows.” And while the first few months have seen success, Gianello said the business is not done growing. They recently purchased another food truck, which they hope to start operating by next summer. The brick-andmortar Macubana location, at 116 Welch Ave., opened Sept. 29. The well-known late-night food cart and “Macu-Truck” both continuing to operate throughout the community. Photos by Kylee Mullen/Gannett FACETS | APRIL 2020 | 11
Spotlight
Ames middle school art teacher receives art educator award contributions, service and achievements of an outstanding NAEA member annually at the regional level associated with their division. The award was presented at the NAEA National Convention, which was held in Minneapolis from March 26-28. There is much to do in art education, according to Dobyns, who is advocating for art classes at the Ames Middle School to become a 90-day elective class for students, she said. “While ensuring all (students) take art is a noble cause, with today’s learner, I wonder at what cost,” Dobyns said. “Many are not enjoying their art experience, teachers are exhausted and devalued, and our students wanting talent development are overlooked.” During her time as an art teacher in Iowa, she’s worked collaboratively to create a statewide art competition that aligns with the National Core Arts Standards, called “Emerging Excellence.” The competition allows students to showcase their artwork and then meet one-on-one for a jurying process, where they receive feedback on their strengths and areas of growth. “My work, just like many, is to champion the needs of these students,” Dobyns said. Ames Middle School art teacher Cappie Dobyns has been named the 2020 Western Region Middle-Level Art Educator Award winner for The National Art Education Association. Contributed photo
By Kiley Wellendorf Gannett
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mes Middle School art teacher Cappie Dobyns has been named the 2020 Western Region Middle-Level Art Educator Award winner for The National Art Education Association (NAEA). This is the second time Dobyns has earned the NAEA Western Region Middle School Art Educator award, as she first received it while teaching in Texas. Dobyns has been with the school district for 17 years and teaches art and the extended learning program (ELP) at the middle school. “It’s true that when someone gets an award more opportunities open up,” Dobyns said. “If your mission is to do as much as possible for these kids who deserve quality art education, if you feel like it’s important to advocate for families of our visual artists and to help our community — the award brings opportunity and awareness.” “The award is for allowing greater growth,” Dobyns said. The award, which is determined through peer nominations, recognizes recipients who exemplify
MIDDLE SCHOOL ART TEACHER, continued from page 12
Spotlight
“If your mission is to do as much as possible for these kids who deserve quality art education, if you feel like it’s important to advocate for families of our visual artists and to help our community — the award brings opportunity and awareness.”
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Feature
Tanya and John Sorem pose for a photo during one of their many hikes together. Contributed photo
No one has to tell this Nevada mom to ‘take a hike!’ By Marlys Barker Contributing Writer
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anya Sorem has made hiking her top hobby in life. “I have always enjoyed the outdoors,” said Sorem, 37, who was born and raised in Elk River, Minn., about 30 minutes northwest of the Twin Cities. “I grew up tent camping with my family on our summer vacations.” Sorem, who ended up in Nevada after marrying hometown native, John Sorem, graduated from college with a degree in recreation and leisure with an emphasis on outdoor recreation. In college, her love of hiking was shown as she planned a “thru-hike” of the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail. “I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors,” Sorem said. Her first job out of college was as a naturalist at an environmental learning center in southeast Minnesota. Now working as part of the Sorem family business in Nevada, she said it wasn’t until her second daughter was born that she emphasized her desire to hike. In 2017, when her youngest daughter was 1-and-a-half, “our family began our first 52 Hike Challenge,” she said. This challenge means the family attempts to hike at least one mile on a trail 52 times in 52 weeks. “We completed the (2017) challenge with one week to spare and immediately began our second challenge.” The family wasn’t as successful in 2018, but she said, but they were able to wrap up their 2019 challenge not long ago
and have now started their 2020 challenge. “By starting a new challenge each year, it motivates us to make this a priority,” she said. Proudly, she shares, “since January 2017, we have hiked together as a family a total of 124 times and (have hiked) over 300 miles and in 16 different states.” One thing that Sorem and her family have embraced with their challenges is the idea of hiking in all seasons. “We log just as many hikes November through March as we do April through October,” she said. “Winter is one of my favorite times to hike. There are no mosquitos or ticks. I don’t have to worry about getting into wild parsnip or poison ivy. There isn’t much foliage, which makes it easier to see the landscape or animals in the woods. And, after a fresh snowfall, it is easier to see all the different animal tracks in the snow.” The 52 Hike Challenge does require a lot of planning, Sorem said. And, it has forced the family to search out the trails in and around Story County. “I discovered so many new trails and was amazed at how many miles of trails are really out there for us to use.” Her family loves Robison Wildlife Acres, just south of Nevada, and McFarland Park near Ames, which has quite a few miles of trails that “lead through the woods and up and down the hills along the creek and also along the South Skunk River.”
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NEVADA MOM, continued from page 14
Ledges in Boone County is always a favorite, she said, as it gives a little extra challenge and incredible views. “Outside our local area, we enjoy hiking up along the North Shore of Minnesota, Loess Hills State Forest in western Iowa and around the bluffs of the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa. Other favorites are Indiana Dunes State Park and National Park, and almost anywhere our travels take us. I’m not sure we have ever found a trail we didn’t enjoy.” Sorem mostly hikes with her family but said she has made an effort to share her love of hiking with others, too. “I try to schedule a few group family hikes throughout the year, and every year for my birthday, I plan a hike with my friends. I also enjoy getting out with other moms to snowshoe or hike.” One of Sorem’s community commitments is being a Girl Scout leader in Nevada. She is trying to instill her love of hiking to her troop members. “Our troop has adopted the Hertz Woods Nature Preserve Trail here in Nevada for the 2019-2020 year. The girls take care of it and pick up trash on a monthly basis,” she said. Another hiking challenge that Sorem is working on with her family is one that started back in 2017 — the Minnesota State Park Hiking and Passport Club. “Each Minnesota State Park has a designated ‘Hiking Club Trail’ and along the trail is a password that you write down in your logbook. By accumulating passwords and miles, the girls can earn patches and stickers and eventually free nights of camping. It will take us years to accomplish all 68 designated trails, but it is still fun to do.” Sorem believes that hiking will be a lifelong hobby for her and for her family, which in addition to her husband and two daughters, also includes Tally, the family’s golden retriever, who likes hiking trails more than walking around town. At this time, her girls look forward to hiking. “My 8-yearold is a slow and steady hiker. She takes her time and chats and sings during the entire hike, and she ‘stops to smell the roses,’ but she can keep going and really enjoys her time out there. ... My 4-year-old goes fast and hard when she hikes ... but tires quickly and starts complaining after one-and-a-half to two miles and wants to go on her dad’s shoulders. I have no shame in a little bribery when it comes to her,” Sorem admitted. Last year, the Sorem family spent 3,485 minutes on trails, which doesn’t include travel time and time researching new hikes, or the time “dreaming about being on the trail,” she said with a laugh. “We try to camp in locations that have good hiking so that we can hit up multiple trails in a weekend.” Hiking is a hobby Sorem would strongly recommend to anyone. “Hiking is an easy, free, accessible activity. It can be done on a paved trail in the middle of the city, or it can be on a single track trail far away from civilization,” she said. She also boasts the incredible hiking opportunities of Story County. “There are over 90 miles of land and water trails managed by Story County Conservation, plus many more managed by local communities. As long as you have a pair of shoes, you can set out on the trail!” Even if you can’t leave the Nevada area, you have excellent choices. “There are three short trails you can try out — Hertz Woods Family Preserve, which is a wide, crushed limestone
trail; the paved Indian Creek Greenbelt trail that runs right through town; and Robison Wildlife Acres that is south on S-14.” Sorem basically is saying, “Go take a hike!” “As long as you have a pair of shoes, you can set out on the trail. Iowa doesn’t charge entrance fees to get into their state parks, nor do most of the county parks in Iowa charge a fee. ... And if you’re looking for a way to become more involved with trails, trail maintenance and trail development in Story County, you can join the Trails Advisory Committee through Story County Conservation. “There are countless benefits for spending time out in nature, and I encourage everyone to give it a try!” (*Some of Sorem’s favorite resources for finding hikes are the AllTrails app, Google maps (it is amazing the different trails you can find by zooming in on an area), and the “Best Easy Day Hikes” series put out by Falcon Guide Books. You can find Sorem on social media sharing about her family’s travels at Good Times and Sunshine on Facebook, Goodtimes_and_sunshine on Instagram and she occasionally blogs at www.goodtimesandsunshine.com. She shares with hopes to inspire others to get outdoors and explore more!
Hiking is the favorite hobby of Tanya Sorem, of Nevada. Contributed photo
Tanya Sorem, her husband John and their two daughters spend a lot of time hiking together. Contributed photo
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Spotlight
Kalton was active in the art of genealogy By Marlys Barker Contributing Writer
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f you walked into Vivian Kalton’s apartment at Windsor Manor in Webster City on any given day, you would likely find the little white-haired beauty, 97 years young, with headphones on watching her television. Asked what she likes to watch on a recent afternoon, Vivian leans over and whispers with a smile. “Murder mysteries on Oxygen,” she said, of the television channel that airs shows about investigations and cold cases. It’s not surprising that Vivian is drawn to that type of show. Vivian herself was an investigator of genealogy for many years and has an impressive resume when it comes to tracing family history. It all started when her husband, the late Robert Rankin Kalton, was looking at a Webster City directory shortly after the couple moved to Webster City from Ames. “He said, ‘Look here, your ancestor started Webster City,’” Vivian said. Her husband was talking about Tolman Wiltsey, a significant name in Hamilton County’s history. Wiltsey was Vivian’s maiden name. “I said, ‘I don’t think so,’” she recalled about the answer she gave her husband. But she wanted to search out information to see if she could connect that man to her family. “I never did (make the connection),” she said, “but my daughter found out this past year that he was a relative — a brother to one of my great-great, I’m not sure how many greats, grandfather.” She is glad her daughter finally solidified the connection. “I knew there was going to be one, because I was, for a long time, studying the same county in New York for both families.” The loss of some of her eyesight and hearing caused Vivian to give up her genealogy hobby around three or so years ago. But it was a great pastime for many years. She said it started right after she and her husband moved to Webster City in 1973. At that time, there wasn’t a genealogy group in Webster City or Hamilton County, so Vivian got involved in the Story County Genealogy group. She had friends in Ames, where the couple had lived from 1942 for most of the years up to 1973. Her husband was first finishing up his degrees in agronomy at Iowa State when they first moved to Ames. After graduating with a doctorate in 1947, he took a position in Texas for two years, but then returned to Iowa State University as a professor in agronomy. “We came back at Christmas time, 1949, and he started there in 1950. He was a professor for 10 years,” Vivian said. The family also became devout Cyclone fans — all five of their children graduating from ISU. “My husband had seats in the Williams Stadium from 1944 until the new Jack Trice Stadium was built, and then we had seats there.” Her youngest son, Martin, still holds the tickets for those four seats.
Vivian Kalton holds a photo of her husband Robert, who died in 1996. Photo by Marlys Barker
As one might imagine for a woman that was once so heavily involved in genealogy, Vivian has an impressive ability to remember dates, which you pick up on in talking to her about the past. “I know the date each of my grandchildren was born and my great-grandchildren,” she said. The Kaltons continued to live in Ames even after her husband left the university professorship to work in private industry. “He had five children to support, and he thought he could do better (financially) in the commercial world,” Vivian said. Robert did very well indeed, working with the Rudy Patrick Seed Company and, eventually, Land O’ Lakes. Four of the Kaltons’ children graduated from Ames High School; the youngest graduated from Webster City High School. It was just before her last child graduated that Vivian became involved in genealogy, something to help occupy her time with no children at home. Her love of genealogy took over an entire bedroom of her home. “It was a small bedroom, but I had bookcases and a file cabinet and two desks, one for my computer (in later years) and one for other things, and a huge commercial copy machine,” she said. She was the reporter for the Story County Genealogy Society, and also for the Hamilton Heritage Hunters, of which she was a founding member. She needed that copy
Spolight KALTON, continued from page 16
machine to put out the groups’ newsletters. “I remember buying that from a man in Fort Dodge who wanted $200 for it,” she said. Her search for family history took her all over the United States, and she visited nearly every library in Iowa, as well. “My father’s family was all in the Cedar Rapids area, so I became a lifetime member of the Linn County genealogy club, too,” she noted. “When I found out my dad had so many relatives, I could go to any county and find a relative. His original two brothers, who came here before Iowa was even a state, each had 12 children, and their name was Usher. Today there’s an Ushers Ferry Park in Cedar Rapids,” she said. “I made many, many trips to many counties in New York, and I went to Salt Lake City, Utah, six different years for two weeks at a time.” The Mormons, she noted, have incredible genealogy-related records in their library. Two very good friends of hers from Ames, Lucille Wahrenbrock and Jackie Nelson (both deceased), often traveled with her, which made for fun times and interesting conversations. Her favorite part of genealogy, Vivian confided, was “collecting the information.” And you never knew what you were going to
find. When asked about those “aha” moments, she leans over and whispers, “There were skeletons.” Skeletons? Vivian’s eyes light up as she says it, “A murder.” Vivian found out that a brother of her great-grandfather murdered the hired man in Cedar Rapids and went to prison for it. “That’s part of the interest,” she said. She pulled up all the newspaper articles she could find to read about it. No matter what you find out about your ancestors, it’s all fascinating to uncover in Vivian’s opinion. A Methodist, Vivian said she is drawn to genealogy just like the Mormons. “You’re supposed to know your family.” For those who are in genealogy today or those who might have an interest, Vivian said the internet has made it an entirely different process. In her day you traveled all over the state and country to obtain information and records, “now you just sit at a computer.” One thing Vivian advises is that the work of looking into the past, while exciting and gratifying, is also addictive. “If you ever get involved, you will never leave it. … You will want to know everything you can about who you are and where you came from.”
Vivian Kalton looks at a family photo. Vivian has five children, nine grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and three step-great-grandchildren. Photo by Marlys Barker
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Feature
Phase III of the Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridor includes a 10-foot wide, multi-use paved trail from University Boulevard to county road R-38 on the south side of Ames along 260th Street. Gannett file photo
Next phase of Tedesco Learning Corridor aims to connect city to bike trails By Robbie Sequeira Gannett
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fter making its long-waited debut last June, the Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridor (TELC), a 37-acre park located at the Iowa State University Research Park, is embarking on its third phase of improvements that would provide multi-use connectivity from the park to outside of Ames. “The Conservation Board and the Board of Supervisors were very concerned that in order to do the corridor, we leverage a trail connectivity to (county road) R38 to Tedesco,” said Mike Cox, the county’s conservation board director. “This is bringing that project forward now, and it would essentially pave 2 1/2 miles of new trail.” In February, the Board of Supervisors approved plans for Phase III, which includes a 10-foot wide, multi-use paved trail from University Boulevard to county road R-38 on the south side of Ames along 260th Street. The 2 ½-mile trail west from the middle roundabout at University Avenue along the vacated Old Chicago and Northwestern railroad bed diagonally to 260th Street will eventually connect to R-38. Cox said that all the necessary easements have been acquired for the project. County staff said that, weatherpermitting, construction could be completed by late
summer or early fall. “This really connects the Research Park to go down to the Heart of Iowa trail,” said Supervisor Lauris Olson. “You’ve got to get on some public roads, but it’s still a connection.” Ryan Weimold, parks superintendent with Story County Conservation, said that since the Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridor’s mid-summer grand opening, it has meet goals for “natural resource protection” and “environmental educational opportunities.” “We’ve seen increased use as people have become aware of (TELC),” said Weimold. “We had quite a bit of community support with this project, feedback has been largely positive, and when people have seen what we’ve been able to do, they’ve been really impressed.” The corridor was named after former Ames mayor and businessman Ted Tedesco, and development of the park was done in three phases and cost $4.5 million. The Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridor has been developed on land that was donated to the county by the Iowa State Research Park. It has two creeks which drain a watershed of 1,200 acres of agriculture, residential and commercial land.
Spotlight
From undocumented immigrant to national award recipient, ISU student uses her past experiences in her research By David Mullen Gannett
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lot has changed for Iowa State University doctoral candidate Maria Alcívar-Zúñiga since she first arrived in the United States from Ecuador
in 1999. She’s graduated from college, finished her master’s program and is working on a PhD. She’s become a citizen of the United States, was married and had her first child. Three days before giving birth to her son, Ricardo, in December, she opened her email account and found an email that only seven other graduate students across the country received. The email notified Alcívar-Zúñiga that she was needed in Washington, D.C., in six weeks to accept the prestigious, K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders award, which is awarded to graduate students “who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education; who demonstrate a commitment to developing academic and civic responsibility in themselves and others; and whose work reflects a strong emphasis on teaching and learning,” according to the Association of American Colleges and Universities website. “I was shocked,” Alcívar-Zúñiga said. “It took me the whole day to realize what had happened. … I was like, wow, people actually think that my leadership skills on my work is something to be recognized, I was honored.” To many of her colleagues and professors at Iowa State University, the award personifies Alcívar-Zúñiga’s work in immigration policy and empowering those in the Latin community in Iowa. “The description of the award is exactly how I would describe Maria,” said Tera Jordan, assistant provost for faculty development and associate professor in Human Development and Family Studies. Alcívar-Zúñiga will soon become a doctor in human development and family studies, which is something she never thought was possible as an immigrant arriving in New York City at 11 years old. Her focus is on community empowering within Latin youth and families in Iowa, and her past experiences, are what drives her, she said. “My personal experience and my journey as a former undocumented immigrant to now a U.S. citizen, my academic background and the research I’ve done so far is what drives my desire to know and learn more about immigration policy and families in general,” AlcívarZúñiga said.
Maria Alcívar-Zúñiga, right, holds up her award with a fellow recipient of the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award in Washington, D.C., in January. Contributed photo
ISU and the Iowa Department of Human Services collaborate each year on a research training project. Alcívar-Zúñiga’s created a specific webinar that assists social workers who work with immigrant families and immigrants who are survivors of domestic assault. Although most of these training projects are only temporary for DHS, Alcívar-Zúñiga’s has become a permanent webinar for their staff members. Growing up as an immigrant Coming to a new country at any age is never easy, especially when you’re 11-years-old and have to learn an entirely new school system, language, culture and social norms. When Alcívar-Zúñiga arrived to the east coast in 1999 with her mother and brother, they moved into a one-bedroom apartment with their cousins that already had three people occupying it, until they could afford rent. And although it was hard for Alcívar-Zúñiga and her brother, their mother had the hardest time, she said. “My cousins helped my mom figure out the school system, had to connect her with people to get a job, and how to get an apartment,” Alcívar-Zúñiga said. “It was hard.” FACETS | APRIL 2020 | 19
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During that transitional phase Alcívar-Zúñiga begged her mother to allow them to return to Ecuador, despite a terrible economic recession ongoing at the time. “Moving to the U.S. to us was a downgrade for us because we were now living with all these folks, when before, we weren’t well off, but we had our place to live, we had our own bedrooms,” AlcívarZúñiga said. A few years passed and her feelings began to change. However, when she was a senior in high school at Memorial High School in West New York, N.J, just across the Hudson River from Upper Manhattan, she saw her friends and classmates get accepted into college, but since Alcívar-Zúñiga was undocumented, college wasn’t even an option. This is when she realized the limitations that undocumented immigrants have, but at the time there wasn’t anything she could do about it. Luckily, she received recognition as a stand-out soccer player and was able to start her secondary education at New Jersey City University. But a torn meniscus ended her career there. After hours of thinking about her next step, she decided to pack her bags and move from the east coast to Ames to join some family members.
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One of her aunts who graduated from ISU’s Veterinarian Medicine recruited Alcívar-Zúñiga and her brother to attend Iowa State University. In 2011 she graduated from Iowa State University with a double-major degree in women’s studies and international studies. Four years later she received her masters and is now working to finish her doctorate by “hopefully” next fall, she said. Alcívar-Zúñiga said she has learned through her experiences that the sky is limit and she’s aiming to be the second top adviser on immigration Latina women following in Cecilia Muñoz’s footsteps in the Obama administration, she said. To everyone who’s experienced working with Alcívar-Zúñiga, it’s not a just a dream, but it’s a possible reality. “She’s an amazing young woman,” said Janet Melby, a child welfare research and training project director and adjunct professor at ISU. “She just received this national award and at the same time she’s creating progress towards finishing her PhD, and she’s a new mother, so she’s juggling a lot, but she’s passionate about the work she does, and really anything she puts her mind to can be accomplished.”
Home, green home By Jura Konciuss The Washington Post
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s concerns about global warming, pollution, habitat loss and plastic islands in the Pacific grow, more and more households are making small, daily changes to live a more eco-friendly life. Greener-living ideas are being chronicled on blogs, Pinterest, podcasts and Instagram, and a new generation of research, ideas and products is sparking an increase in Earth-friendly action. Considering a reboot? Here are five ideas for greening your household. 1. Laundry It’s easy to make some simple changes while doing laundry that will be healthier for you and the planet, and that might save you money, said Melissa Ozawa, Martha Stewart Living’s features and garden editor. Use cold water as much as possible. Don’t overdo the detergent. (Consult your washer care manual and the detergent package to determine how much you need.) Over the years, Ozawa has changed her drying routine. She uses a dryer less often, hanging clothes on a rack indoors, or outside in warm weather. When she does use a dryer, she has dumped dryer sheets in favor of wool dryer balls. (Put a drop of essential oil on them for a natural fresh scent, she says.) She hand-washes things like cashmere sweaters instead of dry-cleaning them. She also wears some clothes more than once to save on washing machine use. She often consults the Environmental Working Group’s website when choosing laundry or cleaning products. Not too long ago, Ozawa learned about Guppyfriend Washing Bag for fleece and acrylic items. The bag collects microfiber particles released during the washing process so they don’t go into the water. “These are not scary things; they are very easy things to do that don’t require a lot of effort,” Ozawa said. “You’ll have the benefit of knowing you are doing something good that is not damaging the Earth.”
Blueland’s Clean Essentials kit includes three cleaning bottles, one foaming hand soap bottle and four tablets (multisurface, glass and mirror, bathroom and foaming handsoap). Photo by Blueland
2. Cleaning Take a good look under your sink and in your utility closet. Are there piles of one-use plastic bottles holding cleaning products? How much do you know about their formulas? Some consumers are eschewing harsh chemicals and creating cleaning potions using baking soda, vinegar and lemons. Some seek out brands with plant-based, natural or nontoxic ingredients, such as Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyer’s or Method. Ikea just introduced Borstad, a spring-cleaning collection made of natural, sustainable materials, including a steel dustpan/beech brush set ($12.99) and a rattan carpet beater ($5.99). One cleaning product start-up is combining ingredients on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Chemical Ingredients List with BPA-free, refillable acrylic bottles. Blueland sells four types of cleaning products; the bottles are shipped empty, and you just add water and a dissolvable cleaning tablet. The cleaning system, which launched last year, made an appearance on “Shark Tank” and is attracting social media attention from celebrity influencers such as Kim Kardashian and Drew Barrymore. Sarah Paiji Yoo, co-founder and chief executive of Blueland, imagined the line when she became a new mom, cut back on her own plastic consumption and started questioning ingredients. Starter kits ($39) have four bottles and four corresponding tablets: bathroom, glass and mirror, multi-surface and hand soap. (Additional tablets are $2 each.) “People think cleaning in an eco-friendly fashion will be less effective, more expensive and more work,” Paiji Yoo said. “We wanted to put all those notions on their heads.”
Organizer Margaret Richey likes to use leftover wrapping paper to line drawers. Photo by Margaret Richey
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3. Organizing Recycling, repurposing or donating clutter is a worthwhile project, but when you start straightening what’s left, don’t begin by buying unnecessary organizing supplies, said Margaret Richey of Margaret Richey Design Sense, whose Maryland business combines home organizing and interior design. “My goal is to create order and design out of chaos and clutter. In most cases, I try to do that without bringing anything else into the mix,” Richey said. “A lot of my clients don’t have huge budgets. They just need to know how to better work with what they have.” She shops the house first. “I am amazed at what I find,” Richey said. Sometimes she spray-paints glass jars and cans, or dips them in paint, to make them into decorative storage containers. Richey, a designer with Crate and Barrel for 18 years before starting her own firm in 2016, has lots of ideas: When sorting, use a color-coding system to mark items and bags destined for various places. Richey’s system is as follows: Pink is trash, yellow is donate, green is sell and orange is keep. Before tossing half-empty paint cans, consider using the paint for another DIY project. “There is often enough paint to do a bedside table or dresser and you don’t have to buy more,” she said. Leftover wrapping paper, anchored with a bit of double-sided tape, can be used to line drawers. It makes opening and organizing them more fun, she says, and if you’re lucky, it might encourage kids to keep them neater.
Merida’s Sahara rug is made of wool and linen, with cotton backing. Photo by Merida 4. Rugs When you assess your household’s carbon footprint, you might not initially think about rugs. Most sold today are nylon or polypropylene, making them difficult to recycle. When buying carpeting, ask about the materials and the company that makes it, says Catherine Connolly, chief executive and owner of 22 | FACETS | APRIL 2020
Merida, a high-end rug maker based in Fall River, Massachusetts. Merida has been all about natural fibers throughout its 40-year history. The company works with fibers from rapidly replenishable materials: jute, sisal, wool, alpaca and linen. No toxic chemicals are used in spinning or dying. When shopping for a rug, the Environmental Working Group suggests looking for rugs made of wool or other natural materials such as sisal, jute or sea grass; padding made of wool or felt; and no stain or waterproofing treatments. Look for certification labels such as Green Label Plus or Greenguard low-VOC (meaning volatile organic compounds that can affect indoor air quality). Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, also suggests choosing PFAS-free rugs. (Lowe’s and Home Depot recently announced that they would no longer be selling carpeting with PFAS, a category of chemicals that do not break down in the environment and can cause health issues.) Stoiber recommends rugs with backings made of natural rubber and not PVC, a plastic that can off-gas and contain other harmful chemicals such as phthalates. If you need to get rid of a rug, it can be hard to find eco-friendly solutions. Rug backing has to be removed for recycling, and it’s expensive to do that. There also aren’t many recycling facilities. Connolly suggests the Carpet America Recovery Effort website for information. You can also donate or give your old rugs away. As Connolly said, “If you buy good-quality rugs, you’ll probably be able to pass them down to the next generation.” That’s living green. 5. Furniture Cheaply made plastic or particleboard furniture (fast furniture) is likely to end up in a dump before long. Instead of heading to the big-box store, consider giving an old piece of furniture a new life in your home. And when you’re in the market for a new table or chair, check online or in your neighborhood for what’s available in the previously owned marketplace. “With old furniture, you get a lot of bang for your buck and you get your own signature look, instead of the same style everyone else has these days,” said New York designer Anthony Baratta. Baratta is a fan of antique and vintage stores and is always scrolling through online auctions such as liveauctioneers.com or invaluable.com. “I like giving something a third or fourth life in my home,” said Julia Noran Johnston, president of Business of Home, a media company that recently published a sustainability issue. She shops Facebook Marketplace, Chairish and other consignment platforms. Baratta showcases his finds in his book “Decorate Happy: Bold, Colorful Interiors,” which comes out in February. In many of the spaces, including at Colonial Williamsburg, where he was designer-in-residence last year, he shows examples of taking antique or vintage sofas and chairs and upholstering them in unexpected fabrics such as menswear plaids, bright tartans and large-scale florals. Old wood end tables can be lacquered black for a classic look. Mid-century modern bedroom furniture sets can be broken up; the chests look great in living rooms. “You can look at your grandmother’s dining table, a reproduction French provincial table from 1960, and say you hate it and don’t ever want to see it again,” Baratta said. “Or, you can cut it in half and make a pair of console tables out of it.”
Savor
Gem Salad With Grapefruit, Picked Onions and Avocado Dressing. Photo by Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post
Avocado green goddess dressing is the star of this crisp, bright salad By Ellie Krieger Washington Post
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ere, four contrasting elements come together, and they result in a stunning salad that brims with fresh, exciting flavor. At its base is Little Gem lettuce (or romaine, if Little Gem is unavailable), which is so crisp and cool, it practically quenches your thirst as you bite into it. The leaves are slathered in a gorgeous pale-green and luxuriously creamy (but healthful) dressing made by blending cilantro or basil with scallion, avocado, yogurt and a splash of vinegar. Once plated, the dressed leaves are topped with juicy, tart-sweet red grapefruit segments (blood orange or Cara Cara segments would work here as well) and zingy quick-pickled red onions, which can be prepared in the time it takes to pull the salad together or made ahead. Crisp, juicy, creamy, tangy and tart with beautiful hues of pink and green, it’s a salad that brings a bright ray of light to any meal in need of a little sunshine. While it pairs well with just about any soup, stew or sheet-pan dinner, this salad is my absolute go-to with a hearty bowl of chili. GEM SALAD WITH GRAPEFRUIT, PICKED ONIONS AND AVOCADO DRESSING 20 minutes 4 servings In this salad, cool, crisp lettuce leaves are tossed with a luxuriously rich (but healthful) avocado, yogurt and herb dressing, then topped with juicy grapefruit segments (you could substitute orange segments, if you prefer), and a crunch of zingy quickpickled onions. It’s a stunning salad that is not only bursting with fresh flavor but also pairs well with soups, stews, roasts or chilis. Storage Notes: The pickled onions can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Ingredients FOR THE PICKLED ONION 3 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon honey 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion (half-moons) FOR THE DRESSING
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or basil leaves 1 scallion, coarsely chopped 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted and peeled 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (low-fat or full fat) 2 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste FOR THE SALAD 2 red grapefruits 8 cups (4 ounces) lightly packed torn gem or romaine lettuce leaves Steps Make the pickled onions: In a small bowl, whisk together the hot water with the honey until fully combined; then whisk in the vinegar. Add the onions and let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours. Make the dressing: In a small bowl of a food processor, pulse the cilantro or basil with the scallion until finely chopped. Add the avocado, vinegar, yogurt, water, salt and pepper and process until smooth. Make the salad: Cut the top and bottom off each grapefruit, then, resting the fruit on one end, remove the peel and pith by cutting down from top to bottom, following the shape of the fruit with your knife. While holding the fruit over a wide bowl, use a paring knife to remove each section of grapefruit from its membranes (this is called supreming the fruit), collecting the sections in the bowl. Squeeze the juice from what’s left of the fruit into the same bowl. In a large bowl, gently toss the lettuce with the dressing until evenly coated. To serve, place about 1 1/2 cups of the dressed lettuce onto each serving plate. Pluck 3 to 4 segments of grapefruit and place them on top of each salad serving (reserve the juice for another use — or drink it) and several slices of the pickled onion. Serve, grinding more black pepper, to taste. Nutrition | Calories: 90; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 100 mg; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 7 g; Protein: 2 g. (From nutritionist and cookbook author Ellie Krieger.) FACETS | APRIL 2020 | 23
