We’re on a Quest for a Cure… Join us for the 2011 Susan G. Komen Nebraska Race for the Cure. ®
5k Run and a 5k/1 Mile Fun Walk Its time to register, recruit your team now!
NEW ION!
LOCAT
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2ND: OMAHA Qwest Center Omaha
TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT OUR SECOND LOCATION! SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1ST: CENTRAL NEBRASKA University of Nebraska at Kearney
www.komennebraska.org
features / DEPARTMENTS
metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
features
events
cover STORY
COMMON GROUND 11 project interfaith
11 knowing
nonprofits
22 WOMEN’S FUND OF OMAHA articles | columns
25
TODAY’S SAVINGS with swartzbaugh-farber & associates, inc.
47
DREAMS COME TRUE
35 50
SAVE THE DATE
metro
24
shopper
MAKING A DIFFERENCE counterparts
metro
26 27
spirit
SANTOSHA: CONTENTMENT with mary e. vandenack
HONORING YOURSELF with dixie clark
table giveaway update
54
the metroSCENE
HOROSCOPES with sue moon
departments
19
working
READY 2 SERVE YP news & non-profit profile
31 31 15
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YP Q&A • YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
28 29
with roger fransecky
KINDNESS & GENEROSITY
LOOK WHO’S SHELTERING nebraska humane society
smart specials!
bravo!
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hooring our local WAS ROSES THE SUBJECT lauritzen gardens celebrates 10 years
featuring! your passport to greater omaha:
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DESTINATION: shadow lake towne center
51
MIND THE GAP
with aristotle group
“what is your favorite seat in omaha?”
34
wisdom
6
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
USE UR SMARTPHONE to scan this code & like metroMAGAZINE on facebook for special offers and giveaways
Comprehensive cancer treatments for new hope
Lisa, Radiation Therapist
What does hope mean to a cancer patient? It means treating brain tumors once thought inoperable. Detecting lung cancer at its earliest and most curable stages. Offering access to clinical trials for better chances of survival. Because every patient deserves hope. And this is where you find it. Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center. That’s the meaning of care. bestcare.org Š2011 Methodist Hospital, an affiliate of Methodist Health System
from the PUBLISHER
SOMETHING TO
like.
“Like.” With the Social Media Revolution, this is a word that’s come to mean so much more than it used to. True, it’s always been a verb, but there’s something about our evolving communal usage of it nowadays that has definitely moved it from feeling a bit more passive to feeling decidedly active! (Yes, I’m leading up to something.) I’d very much like to introduce our newest annual publication, “101 Things to Love about the Greater Omaha Metro!” This beautiful and informative publication serves as an insider’s guide to great shopping, fabulous food and fun things to do, see and enjoy in the Greater Omaha area; spotlighting restaurants, boutiques, specialty shops, attractions and everything in between. I’m very proud of this newest addition to our stable of publications, and I’d like to share that it emphatically lives up to the standards of beauty and excellence that our other publications, and our website, SpiritofOmaha.com, are known for. I also wish to share that I really liked helping to bring this vision into reality– I had a terrific time working on this project. It served as an opportunity to connect with the owners of my favorite shops and restaurants and it was also a wonderful opportunity to meet with businesses that are fairly new to the Omaha Metro. Please accept this invitation to like it along with us. You can pick up a copy at participating businesses as well as learn more about them on SpiritofOmaha.com. I would also like to encourage you to like us on our “101 Things to Love About the Omaha Metro” Facebook page. Here’s a few more items worth liking: voting for The Big Event 2011 is now underway. We are pleased and privileged to honor all of those who serve our community and to celebrate the people and organizations making a difference in the metro area. This annual star-studded gala honors 52 fundraising events nominated by you! You are the “academy.” Those events from the preceding year which you liked the most make up our nominees. Now, as academicians, it’s time to vote for the winners you like most among those 52 finalists– check out the list of nominees on page 49 and then go SpiritofOmaha.com to vote for your favorites! We also would like to invite you to “Save the Date” and mark your calendars for Tuesday, November 29th at Ak-Sar-Ben Cinema where will be rolling out the red carpet to celebrate all of these nominees and the hard work that went into putting on their successful charity events... and, of course, to announce the winners! Tickets will go on sale in October for this annual Academy Awards style party. We look forward to seeing you there to celebrate these wonderful individuals and organizations along with us! After all, what’s not to like about that?
ANDREA L. HOIG ahoig@SpiritofOmaha.com
alh P U B L I C A T I O N S
metro The Spirit of Omaha
SEPTEMBER 2011 • VOL. 23 NO. 9 Press releases and other editorial information may be sent to: P.O. BOX 241611, OMAHA, NE 68124 or e-mailed to: Editor@SpiritofOmaha.com
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Staff Photographers
Andrea L. Hoig
Robert P. Killmer
Daniel Flanigan Cindy Grady Linda Shepard Dave Stock
Managing Editor
Contributors
David J. Williams
Dixie Clark Jim Farber Elizabeth Ford Roger Fransecky Sue Moon Gordon H. Parry Mary E. Vandenack
Senior Editor/ Creative Director
Senior Accounts Manager
Ryan Lally Account Executive
Katie Fourney Administration
Francesca Peterson Web Content Manager
Megan Olson Events Editor/ Production
Erin Sarmiento
Interns
Shelby Craw Kaitlin Doty Michael Neisius Katie Williams
SpiritofOmaha.com metro MAGAZINE is wholly owned and operated by the publisher and is not affiliated with any other publication, operating solely on subscription and advertising revenues and the good will of the agencies and charities we support; all of which are very important to the continuing growth and quality of this publication. Thank you to all who support this endeavor. OFFICE/SALES
402-333-7499 sales@SpiritofOmaha.com MISSION STATEMENT The mission of ALH Publications is to recognize the ongoing efforts of Omaha-area businesses, organizations and individuals to better the community through their support of charitable and civic causes. ALH Publications also encourages people’s desire to give something back to the community through volunteerism and philanthropy. Contents of this magazine are copyrighted by ALH Publications, Inc. in their entirety. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the prior consent of the publisher. ©Copyright 1990 – 2011 ALH Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
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metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
cover STORY metroMAGAZINE
common ground project interfaith DIVERSITY IN DIALOGUE STORY BY DAVID WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ©LAURIE AND CHARLES
BETH KATZ • FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
metroSPIRIT
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE
an armchair psychologist to understand that fear is a powerful sensation, one that has an oddly dual nature. Teaching a small child to fear an open flame speaks to practical issues of common-sense safety. There can be little debate that fear, manifested in this form, is anything but healthy and beneficial. Other types of fear, especially ones that require increasingly convoluted or spurious connect-the-dot thinking, have the power to become toxic. MELISSA ROTOLO knows about fear.
“I was afraid of Muslims,” Rotolo admitted. Islam’s place in 20th century America was typified not so much by malaise as by a largely nebulous ambivalence. For many, the events of September 11, 2001 changed all that. What was perhaps once akin to the glowing embers of an unattended campfire burst forth, for too many, to become a pyrrhic cataclysm of fear.
metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
interactive elements, will be available “Isn’t that what’s great about life,” on the Project Interfaith website in Sagheer said as Rotolo’s head bobbed January when the Community Mosaic in agreement, “It’s a journey and you Video Project is launched. meet the most interesting people along the way.” “I thought I was in the wrong place,” Rotolo said in recalling the “I think Melissa and Kael’s friendship introduction to her Community speaks to what we are most focused Mosaic Video Project partner. “I knew on at Project Interfaith,” said Katz. I was being teamed with a Muslim,” “It’s about building understanding and she said, “so I expected a hijab or a relationships, not agreement, so that burqa or a… I guess I didn’t know we can stamp out stereotypes and what to expect. Instead I got her,” she have a community where people of chuckled in giving a good-natured all faiths, beliefs and cultures are elbow to her new friend. valued, included and protected.” The “her” in question was KAEL SAGHEER, a blue-eyed, fair-haired native of Kearney who converted to Islam in her 20’s. To Rotolo, Sagheer was anything but frightening.
REFLECTION AND REMEMBRANCE Project Interfaith is now gearing up for one of its most ambitious public events in its six-year history.
“The arrangement was wholly On September 11th the JOSLYN intentional,” said BETH KATZ, Project ART MUSEUM will be the scene of Interfaith’s founder and director. “Then & Now: Civil Liberties and “Through our varied programs ranging Interfaith Relations Ten Years After from the most intimate, one-on-one 9/11.” A Project Interfaith interactions like Kael and Melissa’s partnership with the CENTER FOR volunteer experience, to small group FAITH STUDIES AT COUNTRYSIDE initiatives and community-wide COMMUNITY CHURCH, the event efforts like the Community Mosaic offers the entire community an Video Project, we hope to connect opportunity for reflection and “I decided I didn’t want to live in fear,” community members and to facilitate remembrance. The program features conversations and learning on the Rotolo explained. “How was I to civil rights attorney and writer rich, diverse religious and cultural teach my two young sons about the SAHAR AZIZ, a frequent contributor landscape in Omaha.” difference between ‘good’ fear and to such media outlets as CNN.com ‘bad’ fear if I can’t address my own? and The Huffington Post. A former SISTERS IN SPIRIT So I decided to meet some Muslims.” senior policy advisor at the U.S. Rotolo and Sagheer, who bear more DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND than a little of a resemblance, met COMMUNITY NARRATIVES SECURITY, she will share her with metroMAGAZINE for a recent Rotolo’s introduction to PROJECT insights on the delicate balance photo shoot at the beautiful grotto in INTERFAITH was through its between national security and civil ELMWOOD PARK on a crystalline CoMMunity MosaiC Video liberties in our post-9/11 America. Saturday morning. The casual ease of ProjeCt. That’s where 35 their interaction — the interview was volunteers armed with video cameras Melissa Rotolo plans to be there, but continuously interrupted by laughter visited 47 places of worship in what she would have previously and gentle back-and-forth ribbing — educational institutions, businesses, considered the most unexpected of was like that of sisters. community groups and nonprofits to positions; as a volunteer with Project chronicle the many religious and Interfaith now working to promote spiritual identities of the people who “It’s funny that you mention that,” interfaith dialogues that, among other Sagheer said, “because we are now weave the rich fabric of faith in things, battle the sort of fear she often confused as sisters.” Omaha. The initiative began with an knew all too well. aim to capture 150 stories. “Yes,” added Rotolo, “like the time you Things didn’t quite go as planned. INTERNATIONAL came to my church! We spent a lot of Response was so strong that the ATTENTION time together… and I was surprised nonprofit now has a library of 720 Increasingly the focus of national and to find that we had so much in stories and counting. international attention as a model for common. We talked about what you interfaith work, the nonprofit has The videotaped narratives, along with might call the ‘tough issues’ and… enjoyed a notably momentumboth of us came to understand that educational resources, community discussion guides and other building 12-month stretch. we didn’t have all the answers.”
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metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
cover STORY
common ground project interfaith
DIVERSITY IN DIALOGUE (CONT’D.)
Filming for the Community Mosaic Video Project launched in September 2010. October found the organization receiving a community service award from the niagara Foundation and in April Katz was at the White house to be honored by PRESIDENT OBAMA in the 50 CoMMunity Leaders program. In June Project Interfaith was awarded a $100,000 Challenge Grant by the Peter KieWit Foundation even as HARVARD UNIVERSITY’S PLURALISM PROJECT cited the organization as among “the most innovative in the country.” And Katz recently returned from England, where she was among 23 social entrepreneurs invited to participate in the prestigious ARIANE DE ROTHSCHILD FELLOWSHIP, a collaborative effort to increase the scale and impact of the most promising social enterprises.
MELISSA ROTOLO AND KAEL SAGHEER
COURAGE CONQUERS FEAR Rotolo and Sagheer remain fast friends, and they have Project Interfaith to thank for that. “This experience has been so important to me,” Rotolo said. “It’s made me a better mom, a better wife, a better Christian… a better person.” Courage, PLATO once wrote, is knowing what not to fear. “I give Melissa Rotolo a lot of credit,” Katz explained. “She had the courage not just to confront her fears but to openly talk about them. There is tremendous power in that.” m
Visit www.projectinterfaith.org for information on their 9/11 event, the Community Mosaic Video Project, and more.
PHOTO SERIES BY DAVE ELFERING 12
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF GROWTH FREE Admission | FREE Cake October 8 and 9
100 Bancroft Street | Omaha, Nebraska 68108 | www.lauritzengardens.org | 402.346.4002
destination: SHADOW LAKE TOWNE CENTER What I expected to be a linear route involving a series of left turns turned into a zig-zag path from MORNING NOON & NIGHT (and while it was too early to the sort of person who consigns the very notion of “shopping” to the farthest frontiers participate in one of their wine-tasting of gray matter. When the occasion arises soirees, but we did enjoy a savory, localthat the act itself must be undertaken, roasted cup of joe that became our false shopping is a largely stoic, transactional start number three) to VICTORIA’S SECRET “Happens all the time,” said Chocolaterie process where decisions usually involve such Stam owner Suzi Bonnett. “When in doubt, (where I had to do the purse-holding thing weighty issues as whether to splurge on I always recommend our real Italian gelato,” while also averting my eyes). Then it was reinforced toes when it comes to tube socks. she said of the concoction that blends over to CHARMING CHARLIE (oceans of baubles, baubles everywhere) and onto ingredients imported from Italy with the It has been suggested to me that many WHEATFIELDS (how does Lauren do it if freshest products from a hyper-local dairy. women may not share those same traits she subsists largely on a diet of chocolate when it comes to shopping; that the and Wheatfields’ famous Strawberry Wedding NOW SUFFICIENTLY FORTIFIED experience is just that- an experience. Cake?). We later managed to find room for (Lauren’s gelato was a bold chocolate, some patented Brewhouse Rings at the mine a delicate tiramisu), I thought So when it came time to explore NEBRASKA BREWING COMPANY. we’d do a little shopping. Instead we SHADOW LAKE TOWNE CENTER, encountered false start No. 2. If we mapped it out, the whole thing I thought it would be wise to employ a would look something like that crazily guide to help me navigate the shops, “You never have your nails done before convoluted dotted line that traces the restaurants, venues and services of the chocolate,” Lauren explained as though it path of “The Family Circus” kids in the sprawling lifestyle center in Papillion. were all so intuitively obvious. “That might Sunday comics. “I’M ON IT,” came the almost too exuberant invite disaster.” I didn’t have time to inquire if she was referring to disaster in marring IN THE PROCESS, we passed more than voice at the other end of the phone. the fresh chocolates or disaster for her once a pair of lawn chairs on the adjacent “Meet me at CHOCOLATERIE STAM on the fresher nails (both?) before we had popped lawn. The sentries were standing guard roundabout and I’ll show you around.” into TOP Q NAILS & SPA for a bit until their owners returned later that of pampering. metroMAGAZINE is interested in engaging evening for one of Shadow Lake’s Friday only the most astute of consultants, thus night concerts in the beautiful center Our journey continued in a way that my daughter-in-law, Lauren Williams, a court’s ALEGENT HEALTH AMPHITHEATRE. reminded me about another difference in manager at Shadow Lake’s Best Buy, the sexes, one that had to do with seemed a spot on choice. She knows every THOSE DOZING LAWN CHAIRS directional aptitude. Shadow Lake consists cobblestone of the town-within-a-town reminded me that Shadow Lake offers so of a ring of popular department stores that evokes images of a simpler and more much more than mere flashes of debit cards. (think GORDMANS, JCPENNEY, T.J. MAXX personal time when a tree-lined Main The concert season is now over, but that and more) girding a central core laid out in only means that Arts Alive! (September Street meant more than just commerce; it a simple X shape. meant community. 17th) is just around the corner.
AS SOMETHING of a stereotypical “guy’s guy,” this writer is
The little shop that brought to America a 100-year Dutch tradition in artfully rendered chocolates was the best place to hit the ground running on our little tour, even if a staggering array of bite-sized goodies made selecting a treat an almost impossible task.
metro Magazine••The metroMagazine TheSpirit SpiritofofOmaha Omaha
This is a perfect venue… It harkens back to a time when ‘town squares’ like Shadow Lake were the place where [people] came together.
ha a m o r e t rea g o t t r o p your pass
~ RYAN HORNER SARPY AREA ARTS COUNCIL
This third annual event organized by the Sarpy Area Arts Council merges an art fair vibe with a slate of crowd-pleasing performances that showcase the cultural diversity of a rapidly growing Sarpy County.
Check out the calendar accompanying this story for more of Shadow Lake Towne Center’s autumn events.
“OKAY, DAVE,” Lauren chirped, “now that you know your way around, our next trip will Hosting Arts Alive! is just one of the ways be to come back at night because Shadow that Shadow Lake Towne Center contributes Lake has all kinds of fun family dining spots. to building stronger communities by Oh, wait, let me just introduce you to my supporting the cultural landscape. friends over at FREDDY’S FROZEN CUSTARD and STEAKBURGERS before we go.” “This is a perfect venue for Arts Alive!,” said Ryan Horner of the Sarpy Area Arts Council. “Uh,” I stammered, now completely exhausted, “do they happen to also sell “It harkens back to a time when ‘town tube socks?” squares’ like Shadow Lake were the place where communities came together to enjoy art, fun family activities, music and a wide variety of performances, all of which you’ll find at Arts Alive!”
STOR Y BY
DAVI D WI LLIA MS SHAD PHOT OS C OW L OURT AKE TOW ESY NE C AND ENTE ELIZ R ABET H FO RD
destination:
shadow lake 15
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
destination: SHADOW LAKE TOWNE CENTER
money magazine recently ranked papillion #5 on its top 100 list of “best places to live.” shadow lake towne center and its “main street” vibe is at the intersection of commerce, culture and community in anchoring the best of papillion. SO MANY CHOICES FOR SELF-PROCLAIMED ÜBER-SHOPPER, LAUREN
m
autumn calendar: SHADOW LAKE TOWNE CENTER
ongoing events KIDS CLUB Second Thursday of Every Month - 10:30 a.m. (Year-Round) Once a month, Shadow Lake invites area children to come for free activities. Each Kids Club is hosted in a different location, with a wide variety of activities. The series is sponsored by Boys Town Pediatrics, in partnership with Alegent Health.
sept ARTS ALIVE! HOSTED BY SARPY AREA ARTS COUNCIL Saturday, September 17 Arts Alive! provides the opportunity for people to meander Main Street and enjoy artworks for show and sale for the home, garden and body, all produced and presented by local artists. The event also features performing arts entertainment along with art workshops and demonstrations by professional artists.
oct HALLOWEEN HOOPLA Sunday, October 30 In celebration of Halloween, Shadow Lake welcomes children in costume to trick-or-treat around the amphitheatre. Families can also enjoy free hayrack rides around the shopping center.
Discover YOUR P PLACE to shop, dine and d discover d the latest
CHARMING CHARLIE
Fall styles. Whetherr y you’re searching for a casual look or a classic
GORD DMANS
outfit, Shadow wL Lake Towne Center® ha as the brands and
SEPH HORA
TYLE vari riety to express YOUR ST TYLE.
LO OFT THE CHILDR REN’S PLACE CHOCOLAT TERIE STAM JCPE ENNEY CHICO’S MORNING, NO OON, & NIGHT RUE 21 VICTORIA A’S SECRET C OLDWATER CREEEK COLDWAT And many more of your ffavorite brand retailers
Gift Cards available in n the t Shadow Lake Management M Office on the 2nd floor ab bove Wheatfields
Highw way 370 & 72nd Street, Pa apillion 402.5 537.0046 Mon-Sat 10-9, S Sun 12-6 ShadowLakeShopping.com
LADIES...
THIS FALL, SPEND YOUR AFTERNOONS WITH “THE SILVER FOX” AND “PHIL”!
AT A T 3:0 3:00 00 P P.M. .M.
A T 4:00 4: P .M. AT P.M.
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metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CONNECTING YOUNG PROFESSIONAL NEWS
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION PROFILE
omaha on list of best cities for young professionals
heartland hope mission WWW.HEARTLANDHOPEMISSION.ORG
It’s official. Omaha is the place to be - especially for the newest professionals fresh out of college. Omaha ranked number five on Forbes’ list of “America’s Best Cities for Young Professionals.” And how did our city make it into such elite company? Forbes looked at the 100 largest cities and assessed them based on seven such factors as unemployment rates, growth projections, cost-of-living, and others. Combine these elements and Omaha has more to boast than being the perfect collision of big city fun and small town charm. Other Midwestern cities topped the list with the help of low unemployment rates, large college-educated demographics and low cost of living. Des Moines took the number one spot, and Madison, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, found themselves in the top ten. All of these cities, including our own, offer eager college grads more and better job opportunities than many other large cities. In another coup for the city, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance gave Omaha top honors in naming it to the No. 1 position of its list of “Best Value Cities.” Our growing business opportunities, easy-to-access arts and entertainment, and affordable living, the list cited, make us a valuefriendly city where reasonably high-salaries go a long way.
Over 736,000 meals served. And that was just in one year. Heartland Hope Mission, formerly Mission For All Nations, has become one of the largest food providers for low income families in Omaha. Those in need who contact the organization are given a supply of food to make a week’s worth of meals. Heartland Hope Mission provides more than just canned and boxed foods; they also distribute fresh produce, dairy products and frozen meats. Families are able to choose their canned and boxed goods so they get to take home the foods they enjoy. To further the work of the organization’s main location in south Omaha, Heartland Hope Mission has satellite locations in Millard and Papillion. Although best known for their food pantry program, Heartland Hope Mission provides clothes, hygiene products, furniture and other necessities through their pantry. By alleviating the burden of buying some of the essentials of life, families are then able to use funds to pay bills and other expenses. The organization strives to help families regain self-sufficiency rather than enabling dependency on outside aid. Interested in helping out? You can make donations or volunteer your time at a pantry near you.
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN THE NEWS
house of loom weaves the social fabric YOU CAN’T REALLY CALL it a club, even though they serve specialty cocktails featuring onsite-squeezed juices and custom-created syrups under the direction of bartender Chris Engles, formerly of the Boiler Room. BRENT CRAMPTON And you can’t really call it a performance venue, even though the rotation of gigs showcases a mix of spoken word, film and performance art complimented by the occasional live band. So just how does one define the business launch housed in the former Goofy Foot Lodge space at 1012 S. 10th St.? “The House of Loom is an artful social experiment that happens to sell booze in order to keep its doors open,” explained Brent Crampton. Loom is Crampton’s nomadic mash-up that is part dance
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party, part platform for social change and part diversity blender that connects disparate communities in Omaha. One-off Loom happenings have traveled to such digs as the Joslyn Art Museum and Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, all while operating out of an erstwhile pseudo-home base of España in Benson. The House of Loom establishes a permanent home for the endeavor that also often acts as a forum for non-profits seeking to get their message out to young professionals. Crampton’s House of Loom partners are Loom co-founder Jay Kline and entrepreneur Ethan Bondelid. “Loom is all about weaving a social fabric,” Crampton added, “and at House of Loom people can expect to be creatively engaged. You’ll hear, taste and experience something new.”
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
favorite “what is yourseat in omaha?
“
metroMagazine • SpiritofOmaha.com
cindy vaccaro erin stoll community advocate • 31
THERE IS NO BETTER SPOT in Omaha than a patio seat at La Buvette in the Old Market. Spend an hour there (or two if you’re lucky!) doing some people-watching and your senses will be filled with the amazing spirit of our city. Some of Omaha’s greatest assets are its people and the dynamic local businesses they have established. I love how each area has something unique to offer, especially if you’re bold enough to venture off the beaten path! There’s South Omaha, full of vibrancy with its great food and incredible original art. Downtown offers the best local restaurants and pubs, somehow achieving a big-city and smalltown feel all at once. Don’t forget North Omaha, Florence and Ponca Hills, strong in local history and a natural environment that has escaped development. There are great seats all over this town. Challenge yourself to explore new ones and you’ll learn more about the community, and maybe even a few things about yourself in the process!
aubrey sookram founder and owner • 27 MARKOOS MODERN DESIGN MY FAVORITE SEAT IN OMAHA is, without a doubt, a seat on a stationary bike at Lifetime Fitness.With two home-based businesses and three children 6 and under, I need a little time to decompress and plan for what’s next. I find myself completely absorbed by this crazy life any other time than when I am working out, so I use these precious moments when I am not being constantly interrupted for potty breaks and scraped knees, not only to get some much needed “me” time, but also to do a little thinking about the next step for my new business. Being in the ever-changing fashion industry, it takes a lot of strategic planning in order to stay on the right track. Trends and styles, even in children’s wear, change quicker than lighting. Everything from fabric choice, style, photography, and marketing to budgeting and shipping costs must be carefully considered. I find myself to be the most clearheaded when I am working out. I probably spend too much time on that seat!
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director of development • 33 TOGETHER, INC. MY FAVORITE SEAT IN OMAHA? Any seat that faces a stage. Whether watching my friends on stage at the Omaha Community Playhouse, enjoying groundbreaking theatre at the Blue Barn or the many great Broadway productions at the Orpheum, any seat in a theatre is my favorite seat in Omaha. The theatre community here is alive, vibrant and exciting. I love that there is so much opportunity for theatre lovers and theatergoers. From professional touring companies to small grassroots troops like The Candy Project, you can see a different show at a different venue every night of the week. I never got to perform on Broadway, but I am honestly proud to say that I’ve been lucky enough to be in shows at the Omaha Community Playhouse, the Shelterbelt and many others. I hope to be on stage again soon, but for now I’m happy to sit back, relax and enjoy the show from my favorite seat.
kristen hughes teacher • 27 MONROE MIDDLE SCHOOL MY FAVORITE SEAT IN OMAHA is on the patio in my backyard. It is a refurbished rocking chair that was saved from a pile in a neighbor’s garage destined for the dump. Of course, I’ll take your trash and turn it into my favorite seat in town! That rocking chair is where I get to sit next to my husband and relax after an exhausting day of inspiring the city’s finest at Monroe Middle School (truth be told, they’re generally the ones doing the inspiring). On a good day, I might be joined by a group of my closest friends, hula-hooping their worries away in my little piece of heaven. That’s right, I said hula-hooping. On a great day, I am enjoying one of our patented “BazaarBQ” gatherings from that chair. I wouldn’t trade the seat that came from a garbage pile for any other; it is where I’m rejuvenated and free of worries... except for the weeds in the yard, the ever-growing garden and the squirrels digging up my bulbs! There’s no place like home…
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
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jams grill and bar
Isn’t that the mayor at the next table? Which one? It seems that all the city’s mayors fingers crossed future are past, present and counted as regulars at Jams. For over two decades, Omaha’ located “Home of Independen s centrally t Food” has featured only the best and freshest locallysourc Voted as offering the best salad selection in Omaha, ed flavors. Jams also boasts a wine list the perfect party room for for any budget and it has your next special soiree.
jams grill and bar 7814 dodge st., omaha, ne 68114 www.jamseats.com | 402.399.8300 5
metro
101things to love
Touch it! This beautiful & informative annual publication spotlights restaurants, boutiques, specialty shops, attractions, nightlife and everything in between that makes living in the greater Omaha area fun, delicious and unique! Includes two directories & a map in the back, one categorized by industry and the other by area of town.
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metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
knowing NONPROFITS: THE WOMEN’S FUND OF OMAHA
the same success at the ballot box. Recent Ready to Run participants who went on to secure elective office include Lorraine Chang (elected to the inaugural Learning Community Coordinating Council in 2008 and reelected in 2010) and Marian Fey, whose political debut landed her a spot on the Omaha Public Schools Board in last year’s election.
the women’s fund of omaha provides informed support for initiatives that improve the lives of metropolitan area women and girls
in visible •
THE VOICE OF EMPOWERMENT STORY BY JOHN RAY
IT
may be said that the WOMEN’S FUND OF OMAHA is “invisible,” but only in the same sense that oxygen is invisible. Just as the most common of gases has the power to sustain life and to spark a flame, the Women’s Fund provides needed resources and is a catalyst that feeds the fires of service that burn brightly all throughout the area. They don’t have an extensive, cast-ofthousands roster of volunteers, nor do they administer a wide array of household name, logo-branded programs of their own, but they prepare women for leadership roles in the many roll-up-yoursleeves organizations that do. Part research-conducting think tank, part advocacy group and part educational entity, the nonprofit has in its 20-year history invested over $3 million to fund initiatives that build stronger communities by providing opportunity to women and girls.
“Over the past two decades,” said Women’s Fund Executive Director ELLIE ARCHER, “the Women’s Fund of Omaha has become a respected, expert and effective voice of empowerment for the women and girls of our community.” The organization that publishes Today’s Omaha Woman has released over two dozen research reports on a wide variety of topics and retains a focus on programs that combat intimate partner violence and promote economic self-sufficiency, but its leadership efforts are equally notable in terms of developing the next generation of women who will lead our community. Its Ready to Serve series works to prepare women for leadership roles on the boards of area nonprofits and civic commissions and its Ready to Run program aims to position women for 22
“Women are underrepresented both on local boards and in elective office,” said Fey, who now serves on the Ready to Run steering committee. “Just as women bring such a different perspective to elected office – different, not better – we also approach the very idea of running in a different way. We represent half of the population but, unlike men, often need to be coaxed into running. The Women’s Fund’s Ready to Run program does a vitally important job. It says ‘not only do we want you to do this, but we need you to do this and we’ll help you do this.’” The next Ready to Run session will be held in February. For young women looking to enhance their personal and professional growth, a new program offers opportunities to become familiar with the Women’s Fund’s work while also connecting with prominent female leaders in the Omaha area. Women’s Fund Circles will launch in December and applications for the inaugural class are being accepted through September 30th. And up next for this most visible of “invisible” nonprofits is the October 27 Women’s Fund of Omaha Fall Luncheon, where the featured speaker will be CARLA HARRIS, a managing director at MORGAN STANLEY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT. Harris is also an avid gospel singer who has released her own recordings. She has been named to Fortune Magazine’s list of 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America, Black Enterprises’ Top 75 Most Powerful Women in Business and Essence Magazine’s 50 Women Who are Shaping the World. m
Visit www.omahawomensfund.org for ticket information for the Women’s Fund of Omaha Fall Luncheon and for more on its initiatives and programs
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
brilliant.
birthstone of the month SPONSORED BY BORSHEIMS
ACCORDING TO ANCIENT LORE, the sapphire gave the sky its blue color. The sapphire is a symbol of truth, sincerity and consistency, and can protect its wearer from poisons and evil spirits. It is from the corundum family and is a sister gem to ruby. Although it is most commonly thought of as dark blue in color, corundum is available in every hue. All may be considered sapphires except for those that are red, which places those stones in the ruby family. Color is paramount when selecting this gemstone. Most sapphires are heat treated or irradiated to enhance their color at the time they are mined. Stones with strong saturation, in any color, are considered the most desirable. This fun sterling silver, multicolor sapphire pendant displays the colorful spectrum in which the gemstone is available.
BIRTHSTONE OF THE MONTH
Sapphire is the birthstone for September.
Retail $825, Borsheims price $540
sapphire
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metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
businesses MAKING A DIFFERENCE
“THAT
would be the goat,” asserted Counterparts owner Jim Shaffer. “Definitely the goat.” It had seemed a simple enough question at first. What was the oddest request ever fulfilled by Counterparts, the concierge and errand service that offers a staggering array of timesaving and profit-boosting “let us do it for you” services. “You remember, Richard,” Shaffer said in turning to Richard Patterson, the company’s operations director, “the time we had one of our people milk a goat three times a day for two weeks along with taking care of the client’s other assorted critters?” “No, no, no,” Patterson retorted. “You’re forgetting about the aquarium and the logistical challenge it was to keep that huge thing heated and bubbling so the fish wouldn’t die when we transported it all the way to Missouri Valley.” Playful debate ensued. Goat. Fish. Goat. Fish. Then more debate.
RECLAIM SATURDAY Goats and aquariums aside, Counterparts is more than just the outfit that, as Patterson put it, “gives you back your Saturdays.” From office to home and from event planning to concierge desk services delivered facility-wide to residents of condo developments and retirement living centers, Counterparts helps people find equilibrium in their increasingly hectic lives and helps businesses manage scarce resources at a time when being laser focused has never been more critical. The inspiration for the business was, in part, born when Shaffer came to appreciate what his wife went
through in choreographing a gaggle of children. A simple trip to the grocery store was anything but simple when six hats and 13 mittens (one would invariably get lost in the chaos, wouldn’t it?) would have to go on and off and on and off again in a drill that was as dizzyingly frenetic as that of being a wig wrangler for Lady Gaga. “A lot of people and businesses suffer from time poverty,” Shaffer said. “We help harmonize life and work. It’s all about finding balance. It’s about the choices we all make. You can spend your time in line somewhere, at a grocery store or dry cleaners or the service department of a car dealership, or you can spend time with your kids. What is a more valuable use of your time?”
THE GIFT OF TIME Counterparts excels at giving time back to clients, but also excels at giving back to the community as a whole. Wednesdays at the RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE? That’s when families know that Counterparts COUNTERPARTS’ COURTNEY YOUNG will provide shuttle service for AT THE NEBRASKA HUMANE SOCIETY shopping trips. A certain series of scorching days in August? That’s when staffers exhibited their trademark cool when a small army teed it up with Thursday afternoon volunteering at the NEBRASKA HUMANE SOCIETY, a host of services provided in support all on Counterparts’ dime. of the COX CLASSIC. “I love my time spent here with all “I like that ‘small army’ analogy,” the animals at NHS,” said Young, Patterson said, “because we sometimes act as the cavalry, riding in “but it’s also a great learning experience. Not only do I get to to save the day. It gives us a great feeling to be somebody’s hero, even if benefit from the amazing expertise of all the staff here, I also get to interact it’s just in the smallest of ways.” No job (or goat) is too small and no with a broad range of animals, all with unique personalities. And that challenge (or aquarium) too great for mirrors what I do for a living with the team that uses the same outside-thebox thinking in their approach to giving. Counterparts. It means I become a Just ask Courtney Young about better pet sitter for my clients in the Thursdays and the humble “power of one.” process, even as we contribute to the The company’s pet service efforts of the Nebraska Humane coordinator, she can be found every Society along the way.” m
tear up that to-do list. from running errands to planning a wedding, this team can do it all.
at your service COUNTERPARTS no job too big or small STORY BY DAVID WILLIAMS | PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZABETH FORD
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metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
todaysSAVINGS • swartzbaugh-farber & associates, inc.
arewe broke?
with jim farber
when you read this,
the question will have been answered. As this is being written, Congress is wrestling with the impending financial default of the United States. Do we cut expenses by reducing Social Security payments, Medicare, Medicaid and military spending? Do we increase revenue by raising taxes. Or will an in-between compromise be reached?
Sound familiar? Most of us personally go through the same thing from time to time. The consequences may not be published in the Wall Street Journal, but they can be just as devastating for a family if we are not prepared. Helping families plan for a secure future has taught me that whether you allocate money to insurance, retirement plans, medical expense offset, or emergency cash funds, the key component is saving part of what you earn – pay yourself first. The four letter word “save” can pay big dividends. S – Build SECURITY for family needs and wants through life and disability insurance. Life insurance will protect the family in the event of the premature death of a breadwinner, especially when the family has young children. Disability insurance is equally as important. Disability insurance on a breadwinner will pay a portion of the family’s income if the individual cannot work due to an accident or illness. Life insurance proceeds are tax-free to the beneficiaries. Disability benefits can be either tax-free or a taxable benefit. If your premiums are being taken out pre-tax, the benefits are taxable. If the premiums are post-tax, the benefits are tax-free, allowing you to make the most of the insurance. Be sure to ask your employer if your disability benefits are subject to tax so you can plan ahead in the case of a disability. A – Accumulate ASSETS to strengthen your foundation through 401(k) and other personal savings. Savings and retirement plans can produce dramatic results, especially with help from an employer match and tax deferral from Uncle Sam. Find out how much your employer will contribute to your 401(k) and maximize their contribution to make the most of your 401(k) plan. If you are eligible for a Health Savings Account, this is another great way to set aside pre-tax money for future medical expenses. V – Be VIGILANT. We can’t predict but we can prepare for some future expenses like college educations and set up a savings account and for emergency situations. Take advantage of 529 education savings plans that grant you a deduction on state income taxes and allow the funds to grow tax-deferred if used for qualified college expenses. Plans can vary from state to state, so do some research to make sure this is a viable option. Try to put even just a few dollars away per pay period in a savings account for unexpected expenses. This is a much cheaper way to finance the new brakes or A/C tune-up than using credit cards. E – Control EXPENSES. The best way to come out ahead is to be sensible and buy within your means. That doesn’t mean don’t borrow, but if the home you want or the new car creates a mortgage or a loan, make sure you can pay it off out of your current income. Bottom line: Eliminate your deficit and prepare for the future. That way you will never have to look for someone to bail you out. For more information, please contact your trusted advisor at Swartzbaugh-Farber, Client Centered – Client Advocates™ Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through M Holdings Securities, Inc., a Registered Bro2er/Dealer and Investment Advisor, member FINRA/SIPC. Swartzbaugh-Farber & Associates, Inc. is independently owned and operated. 25
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
satisfaction santosha: metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
contentment
with mary e. vandenack
“CONTENTMENT CONSISTS IN REMAINING CONTENTED WITH WHAT IS IN ONE’S POSSESSION, I.E. NOT HANKERING AND EVER EXERTING FOR GETTING MORE AND MORE.” ~ Yoga Kosa, Kaivlayadham Santosha is the second niyama (observance). Santosha is defined as living in a state of satisfaction and happiness with that which is available to us. We live in a culture that fosters discontentment. If we watch television, we are inundated with advertisements that feed on our insecurities and lead us to believe we are inadequate and that we need all types of things to become adequate. We become attached to people, places and things. We covet that which we don’t have and believe that we will only be happy when we have the right person, the beautiful house, the fabulous sports car, enough Botox and filler to make us look ten years younger, enough money in our bank account, or the drug that is going to have an amazing impact on our intimate relationships. Many of us are in constant pursuit of an object outside ourselves.
CONTENTMENT Many of us spend a lot of time wishing things were different. We know we will feel better when we lose ten pounds and may be constantly frustrated with our seeming inability to drop them. We wish for our children to grow up and, when they do, we wish we had a full house again. We wish for the right job and complain about the one we have.
Contentment is not coveting that which we don’t have. We become independent of objects, activities and people for our happiness and find satisfaction with who we are, just as we are. Our happiness becomes unconditional. Contentment is a peaceful kind of happiness in which we can rest without desire for that which is “more” or different.
HAPPINESS IS A VERB How many times have you said something like, “Well, I tried and it just never happens for me. I give up!” Or, “It’s not in the cards for me.” Or, “I’m used to it so it doesn’t matter anymore.” There is a difference between an attitude of self-consolation and contentment. Self-consolation reflects disappointment. Such disappointment is likely to lead to anger and resentment. Achieving serenity is a decision. It is a personal commitment, not complacency. It requires a decision and action. It doesn’t just happen.
PRACTICING CONTENTMENT The path to contentment is individual. I find that the daily practice of yoga and meditation supports me in finding contentment. Another approach might be to keep a gratitude journal. In keeping such a journal, it is important to use
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it on difficult days. Noting those things for which you are grateful can pull you out of almost any funk. You might support a practice of contentment by sharing gratitude thoughts at a family meal. You might adopt practices such as opening shades in the morning and just noticing and appreciating the light or the birds flying about or even the bricks that block your view. An important part of gratitude practice is to learn to express to yourself appreciation for yourself. So many of us spend so much time berating ourselves for not making the mark in some manner during the day. Look in the mirror and list the positive things about yourself. It is within that body, mind and soul that you will find contentment. Selfloathing will keep you on the path of unhappiness.
WITH CONTENTMENT COMES EMOTIONAL MATURITY When we learn to find satisfaction with ourselves as we are and with what we have, we become emotionally mature. Our personal crisis is no longer the end of the world. We are not devastated at the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, or the onset of an illness. We stop asking “Why me?” and find a positive way to handle the challenges life throws our way.
metroMagazine • SePT 2011
the soul’s journey
n honori bengyoursel truef
with dixie clark
“DON'T COMPROMISE YOURSELF. YOU ARE ALL YOU'VE GOT.” ~ Janis Joplin One of the greatest gifts of service we can bring to the world is that of honoring ourselves. When we honor ourselves, we become real and authentic. We acknowledge our feelings, our mistakes, our gifts, our accomplishments, our regrets and our dreams without getting caught up in them and thinking they define us. We give ourselves permission to love fully, connect with others and continue our growth and expansion on our personal/spiritual path because that is our Soul nature. By first honoring ourselves, we are then able to be fully of service to others. When we’re born we have little trouble in honoring who we are. When our body tells us we need something, we’re very verbal in expressing ourselves to be heard in the world and get what we want. If our needs are met in a loving way as we grow up, we learn to trust what our body is telling us and that what we want is important. As we move through each developmental stage we learn more about trust, taking initiative, our own sense of identity and sense of connection. Sometimes the lessons we receive growing up come in negative ways and we learn distrust of others and our own perceptions. We hold back on trying new things or on being curious because “we only do it wrong” or it gets us into trouble.
Depending on our interpretation of the situations we were involved in, we can learn to believe that our sense of worth is dependent on others’ approval of us, or by doing the “right thing” according to the opinions of others. We can become discouraged about opening our heart or dreaming of what we want because, on some level, we feel we don’t deserve it or we have someone else in life tell us that’s stupid. So we begin to say yes when we mean no. We say, “I don’t know” when we do and we say, “it doesn’t matter” when it does. That voice of our deepest wisdom that used to be so strong in us, that guiding light that is there to lead us on our path of destiny, becomes softer
and is the voice of fear, of wanting to fit in, of not wanting to look foolish. Other voices get louder and start to run the show. We lose ourselves and our true nature in order to keep the peace, to sacrifice for others … to stay “small.” Learning to honor ourselves is a lifelong process that takes commitment and devotion. These are some suggestions: • Honor your time and energy. These two are precious resources. Look at how you spend both. Are they being spent on your priorities, on what you value? Are they focused, or just being frittered away? Take a look at your life and how you operate in it. What brings you energy and what drains it? Whether it’s how your home is decorated or the relationships you keep, there is a part of you that knows whether or not it’s serving you at this stage of your life. Pretending that it’s okay doesn’t make it so. • Honor who you are at each stage of life. Be open to how you are growing and learning. Allow some stillness in your life to really get to know who you are and accept the wonderful complexities and paradoxes that make up “you.” Awareness of who we are, what we’re feeling, what our motivations are, what’s important to us and what we want are essential to being able to honor ourselves. • Honor your word to yourself. How often do you not follow through with what you say you’re going to do? That’s the same as breaking your word to yourself. There is a level of consciousness that listens and believes everything we say. Any time we put in motion something we say we’re going to do, it believes us and holds back the energy necessary in order to complete the effort.
Two things happen when we continue to say we’re going to do something and then don’t do it. The first is that part of us loses trust in us. It no longer believes us, so it doesn’t put forward any energy for what we want to do or the changes we want to make. We lose the cooperation of some very important energy that can sabotage our moving forward. It’s important that we either do what we say we’re going to do or declare it done. The second thing that happens when we don’t keep our word to ourselves is our energy gets blocked from receiving more into our lives. If we’re not being good stewards of what we already have, if we’re not taking care of our bodies, money, house, car or relationships, we may not be ready to move to the next level of manifesting something new and different. Keeping our word to ourselves sends the message that we matter. That we are worthy of our trust.
Give yourself permission to be who you are in the world. Honor your time, your intentions, your priorities and your boundaries. Believe that who you are and what you bring to the world has value and is unique in all the world. Honor the Soul energy that flows through you. Let your Spirit soar.
Dixie Clark, MS, MSS, LPC is Director and co-founder of Morning Star Center, a holistic wellness center. a licensed counselor and ordained minister, she holds a masters’ degree in both counseling and spiritual science and is currently obtaining her doctorate in spiritual science. With over 26 years experience in mind/body therapies, she combines spirituality and psychology to help people release emotional blocks, heal past trauma and change limiting beliefs to open to soul awareness.
dixie clark, ms, mss, lpc | www.morningstarcenter.com | www.dixieclark.com 27
metroMagazine • SePT 2011
leading & LiVing •apogee group metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
on track mind the gap with roger fransecky
On a recent trip to London, I stole some time for myself at the end of a seminar– a new plan of mine to begin slipping into another “pace” when I travel– and took the sort of long walk that this city seems to always provoke in me. Serendipitously, I found myself standing in front of the London Transport Museum, a glorious collection of historic trains, carriages, buses and the city’s fabled black taxicabs. I had never been inside. I loved it. As I walked through the exhibits, I re-discovered the famous signs warning passengers to “Mind the Gap” between the train door and the station platform. Introduced in 1969, it is painted on the edge of curved platforms as well as played as an audio message as a train arrives. The phrase is widely used in transit systems around the world, from Paris to New Delhi. But it’s one of those phrases that keep replaying in my head. Aren’t we often too busy to mind the gaps in our life? That is, until we are jarred by an experience that suggests we don’t have enough money or time; we’re not tall enough, handsome enough; that we were just short of being chosen? In our leadership practice, we provide formal evaluations for executives to carefully measure the gaps between where they are and what they aspire to become; the gaps between self-awareness and others’ perceptions. I worry that we too often get stuck in certain gaps that we choose to make permanent. I believe we can transcend our gaps and gaffs with awareness, less personal judgment of our lapses, and a guilt-free action plan. We are so hard on ourselves. A mentor, partner or pal can give us the insight to push through our perceived lapses like a butterfly bolted to a bullet, if we are paying attention and we have the courage to try. Baseball great Satchel Paige reminds us to “Work like you
don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Dance like nobody’s watching.” Our challenge: to stop constant multitasking and begin listening and paying attention. We can, if we try, become a person on whom nothing is lost. We can choose to enter our own life again. There will always be gaps in our understanding, our skills, our judgment, in what we thought we should have happened. But loving ourselves enough to discover and celebrate our gifts gives us the deep breath we need to step over the space between where we are standing and the obstacle (real or imagined) that may stand in our way. As we slip into midsummer, hot days still are upon us, but our nights begin to lengthen along with the reminder that time is flowing into a new season. Shouldn’t we, like this month, surrender our harsh assessments and inventories of what we don’t have, what should or could have been ours, and lean into the wisdom that this moment, rich or poor, fruitful or barren, is what we have? What we chose. And use it? It’s not a time for “minding” all of the gaps because in doing so we obsess about them and miss the magic of what sits on either side. It is time to accept the very gift of life; the precious moments we are granted. Will we, like late summer, allow ourselves to ripen and mature? To be open to, accept, and dare I suggest welcome our next season? I know... it’s easy to say... the transition from parchment to pavement requires courage and the willingness to trust that it will be alright to pause, listen, sort for surprise and delight, and take the next step. We never know how much time we have. Perhaps, in this season of transition, it is time to surrender and enjoy what we have and who we actually are. Sigh. Learn more about Roger Fransecky and the services available for developing your resources at www.apogeeceo.com
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metroMagazine • SePT 2011
optimal LiVing • aristotle group
kindness and generosity
altruism While there are many virtues and core values, kindness is one from which many of the others flow. It is a simple yet profound virtue with far-reaching impact. Moments that we most remember are frequently associated with small yet powerful acts of kindness, and our relationships are changed by the caring and compassionate action of others. Kindness / generosity is one of the 24 strengths of character identified in the Handbook of Character Strengths and Virtues by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman. It is strength of humanity closely aligned to care, compassion and altruism, all sharing a common orientation of self to others. Kindness and generosity are motivated by a care and concern for others and, by definition, are devoid of assurance of reciprocity, a gain in reputation or other self-benefit. Take a moment to think when kindness or generosity had been extended to you. What was the impact? Now think of a time when you have witnessed acts of kindness or generosity. What was the impact? Finally, think of a time when you have extended kindness or generosity toward others. What was the impact? In each answer, you will likely find that your heart warmed, sometimes strangely and even inexplicably. You now have an indication of the power of kindness. In his book The Power of Kindness, psychologist Piero Ferrucci asserts that “Kindness might seem lightweight, and yet it is a central factor to our lives. It has the surprising power to transform us, perhaps more than any other attitude or technique.”
Kindness and generosity are tied to volunteerism that in the United States now exceeds 20 billion hours of
service and $200 billion in charitable contributions per year; a tangible societal benefit of an often otherwise intangible concept. On an individual basis, kindness and generosity have been shown to have a positive impact on health, productivity, longevity and overall life satisfaction. What are the key drivers of kindness and generosity? Three main enabling factors have been identified. When taken together, the trio of empathy, sympathy, and the ability to see another person’s perspective is perhaps the most powerful driver. As we are able to put ourselves “in other’s shoes” the action to take becomes clear. A sense of social responsibility causes some to act while others move on. People high in social responsibility are more likely to render aid at the site of a car accident than those scoring lower in social responsibility. Finally, positive mood is highly correlated to helping behaviors. People who are put into a positive mood show a consistently higher willingness to help others. While the benefits to others are significant, kindness and generosity also generate benefits for the provider. Ralph Waldo Emerson perhaps put it best in saying that “No man can sincerely help another without helping himself.” Science bears this out. Acts of kindness have the ability to reshape our self-image. Being kind can also help in building relationships. Strong relationships are one of the key drivers of happiness and overall life satisfaction.
There is a wonderful paradox inherent in kindness and generosity. Only when we care for others in a truly altruistic way do we receive the benefits. In giving of ourselves, we are enriched. “Those who refresh others are themselves refreshed,” Psalm 11:25.
with gordon h. parry
Kindness and generosity can help us navigate trying times. While recently traveling in another country and following a frustrating series of flight cancellations, I found myself walking from the airport to find lodging for the night. Stopping at a local store to ask for directions, the first two people I approached were not able to help me. Witnessing this, a young woman came over to me, kindly offered directions, suggested that I take a trolley and then handed me local currency to use on the trolley.
This small act of kindness stays with me nearly three months later, especially because it had a ripple effect. I received a phone call from someone back in the U.S. who secured a hotel reservation. The airline agent changed my flights with no additional fee. A colleague delivered my suitcase that had been left in a car earlier in the day. That initial, single act of kindness by a complete stranger who I will never see again seemed to trigger a whole series of events that not only had a tangible effect on my circumstances, but forever changed my memory of this trip and my impression of the city. Difficult circumstances will continue to arise. Pain and periods of suffering are part of the human experience. Kindness and generosity provide a way through and a way out, all with the power to transform our experiences and ourselves in the process.
If you are interested in determining your unique set of core values, the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIAIS) takes approximately 30 minutes and results in a printable report providing a rank order of strengths. The VIA-IS can be accessed free of charge at www.authentichappiness.org.
Open a new charitable account by December 15, and we’ll match 10% of your donation, up to $1,000.
A D ONATION ON BEHALF OF YOUR D ONATION.
Thanks to Carl Mammel and Bill March, whose generous support made this incentive possible.
Let good grow. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL (402) 342-3458 OR VISIT WWW.OMAHAFOUNDATION.ORG.
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metroMagazine • SePT 2011
gallery spotlight
Don't confine art solely to the realm of that which hangs on walls or adorns shelves. Let the gallery and working studio at Springfield Artworks introduce you to bold, contemporary masterpieces for your interiors, exteriors, and even you! Show off your artistic sensibilities wherever you go with a hand-painted silk scarf, a one-of-a-kind felted hat or a signature statement jewelry piece. With these wearable pieces of art, you’ll never again have to worry about that awkward moment we’ve all experienced in bumping into an “outfit double” on the street. Keep your home equally charming with whimsical glass garden markers - Springfield Artworks has an array of colors and designs that will add year-round little pizzazz to your lawn. Or add an elegant wall
sconce or decorative glass bowl to give your décor that smart, artsy edge. Springfield Artworks even offers such architectural creations as stunning glass tables and delicately etched doors and windows where beauty meets both form and function. Bitten by the art bug? Try your hand at creating your own masterpiece with a variety of classes offered by principal artists and owners Margie and Glenn Trembley. Spend an afternoon at the studio working with glass to create your own pair of salad plates, coasters and vase, or put on your creativity cap to decorate a uniquely-yours felt beret. Visit www.springfieldartworks.com for more information and opportunities.
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metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
SPRINGFIELD ARTWORKS 183 Main St. Springfield, NE 68059 (402) 301-9162 Open Tue-Fri 1pm-6pm; Sat 11am-5pm
metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
celebrating the arts
omaha • lincoln • council bluffs
{LauRitzEn GaRdEnS at tEn YEaRS }
the subject was ROSES
by david williams
WHAT COULD BE A MORE FITTING START FOR A VISIT TO LAURITZEN GARDENS THAN TO BE PRESENTED WITH A BOUQUET OF … UH, WEEDS?
FRESH AS A BELLIS PERENNIS (you may know the familiar jewel by its more common name, the daisy), Joan Goldapp arrived bearing a fistful of what turned out to be the most undaisy-like of blooms. The eagle-eyed volunteer at one of Omaha’s most colorfully vibrant of cultural gems apparently can’t so much as make her way from the parking lot to the door without spying an interloping offender or three to pluck. Goldapp is one of 22 volunteers whose contributions predate the building of the Lauritzen Gardens visitor and education center. Seeds, both literal and figurative, had been planted years, even decades earlier, but the 2001 completion of the 32,000square-foot facility represented the nonprofit’s permanent stake in the ground. The milestone went on to be considered its official “birthday” as the organization now celebrates its 10year anniversary.
VOLUNTEER JOAN GOLDAPP
WE’D BE MUDDY AND TIRED AND SCRATCHED UP FROM ALL THOSE THORNS, BUT I LOVED
}
EVERY MINUTE WORKING AMONG MY ROSES. ~ JOAN GOLDAPP
DIVA OF THE DIRT Don’t let her demure appearance in the accompanying photograph fool you. This 75-year-old diminutive diva of the dirt will not wilt, even when discussing the “thorniest” of issues whenever talk rolls around to – and it always does with Goldapp - her long tenure of digging and grooming in the botanical center’s famed rose garden. Make that, as she repeatedly put it, “my” rose garden. continued
LAURITZEN GARDENS VISITORS AND EDUCATION CENTER
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metroMagazine • SePT 2011
omaha • lincoln • council bluffs
continued
“There was nothing quite like the feeling you get after a nice day with friends deadheading in my rose garden,” she said in referring to a pruning term that is not to be confused with the moniker adopted by those who exhibit an almost cultish devotion to a certain acid-era rock band. “Oh, we’d be muddy and tired and scratched up from all those thorns, but I loved every minute working among my roses.” While it’s fair to say that Goldapp sat up a little straighter whenever the subject was roses, she also admitted to having another favorite spot in the lushly variegated grounds that keep a hilltop vigil above the Missouri River. NEW FRIENDS, JOAN’S “LITTLE BOY LOST”
Dodging swirling eddies of leaves kicked up by leaf blowers and keeping time with the rhythmic whoosh-whoosh-whoosh of water sprinklers, we made our way down the meandering lane that Goldapp had traveled thousands of times before.
WOODLAND MAGIC “This is it,” she said as we came upon the space known as the woodland waterfall. “This is where I go to relax.” But the serenity of the otherwise idyllic scene was soon shattered when Goldapp made an unsettling discovery. “Hey, where’d he go?” she said with raised eyebrow and a noggin’-scratching tone of voice. “Where’s my little boy?” Goldapp’s “little boy” is the child portrayed in New Friends, the bronze of a young lad cupping a frog in his tiny hands. Perhaps his amphibian companion had bolted and the statue had darted into the dense undergrowth in pursuit? Lauritzen Gardens is full of woodland magic, but unravelling this little mystery required no such fantastical plot twists. Goldapp had forgotten about Outside Kaneko, the crowd-pleasing exhibition (see our May issue for more on Outside Kaneko) that continues at Lauritzen Gardens through September. No Amber Alert was needed for her sculpted friend; his pedestal was merely being temporarily occupied by an untitled work by the internationally acclaimed ceramic artist.
GREEN-GREENER-GREENEST “I can’t quite explain why,” she continued, “but I love that little boy. This is where I go to chase away all the stress and worries in the world. It’s just such a peaceful, meditative place,” Goldapp said above the murmur of water gently cascading down the boulders that buttress the hillock.
{
WE GROW TOGETHER AND WE LEARN TOGETHER AND WE CELEBRATE TOGETHER… AND ISN’T THAT A PRETTY GOOD MEASURE OF WHAT THE BEST FAMILIES DO? ~ SPENCER CREWS
Her “little boy lost” will soon emerge from storage to take his rightful place among the garden’s green-greener-greenest palette. And Joan Goldapp will continue to resist the temptation to carry pruning snips wherever she goes. In the meantime, wide-eyed visitors will continue to be welcomed by a virtual army of dedicated volunteers. “Lauritzen Gardens began as a volunteer effort,” said Executive Director Spencer Crews, “and that spirit remains today.” Garden volunteers racked up over 27,000 hours of service in 2010 alone. That’s the equivalent of over 900 hours for each of the site’s 30 acres. “Our volunteers are an important part of our family,” Crews continued. “We grow together and we learn together and we celebrate together… and isn’t that a pretty good measure of what the best families do?”
Outside Kaneko continues through September at Lauritzen Gardens, located at 100 Bancroft St. in Omaha. Also this month is a George Washington Carver event on September 17th, a European Car Show on September 18th, and the popular Lauritzen Gardens Antique and Garden Show runs September 22 through 25. Visit www.lauritzengardens.org for more on these and other 10th Anniversary events.
ROSE GARDEN
}
JOAN GOLDAPP WITH AN UNTITLED KANEKO
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metroMagazine • SePT 2011
Look Who’s Sheltering Shelter Pets!
Save the Date! Walk for the Animals Sunday, Sept 25•8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. NHS Campus Come enjoy the morning with us as we host a few thousand people and several hundred canines on our meadow in our biggest annual fundraiser. If you love animals, this is a not-to-miss event. The Pancake Man will start flapjacks at 8 a.m. sharp. Stroll the Flea-less Market and Vendor Village, let your pooch meet other dogs, watch the adoption dog parade and get ready for a walk along the Keystone Trail. You can walk The Walk or simply catnap and enjoy munchies and libations in Club 400, which is open to anyone who raises $400 for the animals. That will also get you valet parking, free flapjacks and a stage-side seat for all the hoopla. There’s still time to form a Dog Pack Fundraising Team with family and friends. Or you can raise funds on your own. All money raised stays right here in Omaha to help rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals. Check out www.nehumanesociety.org/walk for details.
Fido Need a Fall Fix Up? Bone Jour Dog Daycare and Grooming
Susie Baer Collins and Gracie
Susie Baer Collins Gracie Collins is the perfect dog for her owner, Susie. “She is so smart and well-behaved. From the beginning, she would go to the door and wait to be let outside. Whoever had her before I did trained her very well.” So how Gracie ended up raising seven pups of dubious origin on a trash heap remains a great mystery. That was Gracie’s plight when she was found and brought to NHS. She was emaciated but her pups were thriving. After foster care, Gracie was ready for a new home. “The first day she just settled right in,” says Susie, “it almost seemed she was thankful the pups were adopted and she could finally rest.” Today she has blossomed into a beautiful, healthy girl with enough spunk to enjoy attending Bone Jour Dog Daycare. “She has turned out to be such an athlete, but she’s not overbearing,” explains Susie. “We have 10 grandchildren and she is wonderful with all of them. I could not have picked a better dog.” We think Gracie would say the same about her owner!
www.nehumanesociety.org gives you all the info!
Groomer Tara Crawford knows how to keep your dog looking good with suds and scissors. Tara is part of the Bone Jour Dog Daycare team on the NHS Campus. Your dog can come for grooming, a day of fun, or both! Bone Jour offers the best dog-to-proctor ratio in the metro, plus indoor and outdoor play areas. Our team works to ensure that Fido has fun in a safe and happy environment. And best of all – as you care for your dog the proceeds stay right at NHS to help homeless animals. We know your pet will approve! Call 402 571-CARE for details on all services, or visit www.Bonejour.org.
For more information go to “Programs and Events” on the NHS Website at www.nehumanesociety.org, or call 444-7800 ext. 273.
event gallerieS
the
metro
scene
omaha • lincoln • council bluffs
Using your smartphone, scan various QR codes throughout this section and view additional photos from each event. When you purchase photos online or mobile, metroMAGAZINE donates 10% back to that organization. To join us in giving back, enter the code “GIVE10” on the checkout page.
JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION WALK TO CURE DIABETES
HEARTLAND FAMILY SERVICE STRIKE A CHORD 7
SAIGON SURFACE GRAND OPENING
NEBRASKA KENNEL CLUB 2011 DOG SHOW
CIRCLE OF RED BENEFITING AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION’S GO RED FOR WOMEN
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THE PARTNERSHIP FOR OUR KIDS SUMMER WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL
AK-SAR-BEN ROYAL COURT WEEKEND ROYAL COURT BRUNCH
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ADULTS AND CHILDREN LIVING WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES
JDRF MASCOT LIL’ SNEAK WITH WALK VOLUNTEER
awalkingsuccess jdrf walk To cure DiabeTeS More than 4,000 walkers representing local corporations, families, schools and other organizations participated in the 20th annual Walk to Cure Diabetes for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). This year’s Walk to Cure Diabetes was held on Saturday, August 6th at Elmwood Park. Fundraising efforts continue until the end of the month and the organization plans to exceed last year’s goal of $875,000 for diabetes research.
CARLY PRIEST
UNION PACIFIC TEAM MEMBERS Bank of the West was the presenting sponsor for the Walk and Robert Dalrymple, Executive Vice President was this year’s Corporate Chairman. “Bank of the West is proud to partner with JDRF to find a cure for type 1 diabetes,” Dalrymple said. “The cost of diabetes – both in terms of healthcare and the toll it takes on individuals with the disease and their families – will rise this year. Now,----- more than ever, JDRF needs our support and funds to maintain the pace of research and expedite treatments for today and a cure for tomorrow.”
DAVID DVORAK, ROBERT DALRYMPLE, COUNCIL BLUFFS MAYOR TOM HANAFAN, OMAHA MAYOR JIM SUTTLE, EMILY BRUMMUND AND JDRF YOUTH AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN STEINAUER
For more information, visit www.jdrf.org.
Photos courtesy of JDrF
UNO DANCE SQUAD MEMBERS
Thank you to ALL of our corporate partners, families, schools and volunteers for putting your feet where your heart is for the past 20 years and raising over $9 million for diabetes research! We humbly thank you for your passion and commitment to a cure!
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metroMagazine • SePT 2011
2011 CORPORATE C HAIR Robert C. Dalrymple Executive Vice President
PRESENTING S PONSOR
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SUSAN JASMAN AND TRISH OWNES
LACEY WILLIAMS AND MELISSA MAYO
THERESA AND DAVID HARTMAN
midtownmagic the partnership for our kids SuMMer wine & FooD FeSTival
SHARON MELODY AND DONNA NOVAK
ANNIE BRUNER AND MACKELA SMITH
Tastings of wine, food and music made up The Partnership For Our Kids' Summer Wine and Food Festival held on July 30th. Guests gathered in the Midtown Crossing promenade to enjoy wine from six local distributors, food selections from five Midtown Crossing restaurants and live music from local jazz band, Black Ty Affair. Silent and live auctions featured such vacation excursions as a Napa Valley Tasting Tour and a Chicago Cubs weekend. A patron party at Republic of Couture that was hosted by vinNEBARASKA preceeded the festival. For more information, visit www.thepartnershipforourkids.org.
Scan this QR code with your SmartPhone to view more photos online at SpiritofOmaha.com.
EMILY O'NEILL AND LIZ JENSEN
SUE WALSH, TERRY DOLNICEK AND COLLEEN BUESCHER
mobile m obile m me metro! etro ro get th the he iPhone/iPad iPhone/iPad app p now ow
metroMAG
Your Y our ultimate ultimatte pock pocket p et gguide to businesses & serv services vices in the th metro etro ar area, vview iew m metroSCENE etroSCENE pphoto hoto ggalleries, alleries, s aaccess ccess ccomprehensive omprehensive eevents vents & special interest calendars and MORE!
or visit SpiritofOmaha.com 37
metroMagazine • SePT 2011
Photos by Shelby craw and liz Ford
event gallerieS
meetandgreets royal court weekend ak-Sar-ben royal courT welcoMe
EMILY, SUZANNE AND LYNETTE SINGER
STEVE MARTIN, AMY HADDAD, KYLE AND MIKE ROBINO
The 2011 Princesses, Heartland Princesses, Escorts and Heartland Escorts were welcomed at a cocktail party in the Physician’s Mutual Building hosted by the Women’s Ball Committee. A light cocktail buffet was served as the court was introduced. A traditional prelude to the formal brunch, the Princesses, Heartland Princesses, Escorts and Heartland Escorts with their families met for the first time at this light-hearted and casual affair. Viv Ewing served as Royal Court Welcome Chair and Julie Taylor served as assistant chair. For more information, visit www.aksarben.org.
Scan this QR code with your SmartPhone to view more photos online at SpiritofOmaha.com.
MARY JO LANGDON, KELLY THEDINGER, KELLI DRAPER, JULIE KENNEY, CHRISTINE STEVENS AND VIV EWING
KRIS AND BROOKE HERBIG WITH BRANDON EBBERSON
CANDY, MADDIE AND TOM HEMMING
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metroMagazine • SePT 2011
Photos by Shelby craw, Dan Flanigan and liz Ford
TOM AND KATHY LANGDON WITH DUANE AND KATHLEEN POLODNA
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aroyal announcment royal court weekend ak-Sar-ben royal courT brunch The official announcement of the 2011 Court of Ak-Sar-Ben occurred on July 31st at the CenturyLink Center Omaha. Guests were greeted by Women's Ball Committee Chair Kyle Robino and her husband Mike, as well as Amy Schmid, advisor and 2010 Women's Ball Committee Chair, and her husband Jeff. The announcement of the Royal Court included the naming of Princesses, Heartland Princesses, Escorts, Heartland Escrots, Standard Bearers, Pages and Court of Honor. Heidi Schneiderman served as Royal Court Brunch Chair, and Stacy Wilson served as assistant chair.
PRINCESS CHAIRMEN MARY DE SOUZA AND MARY JO LANGDON
MAGGIE AND JULIE WEIR
For more information, visit www.aksarben.org.
Scan this QR code with your SmartPhone to view more photos online at SpiritofOmaha.com.
ERIC FORNEY, WILLIAM ECKSTROM, ANDY RECKMEYER, MATTHEW DUNLAP AND DAN GILLESPIE
Photos by Shelby craw, Dan Flanigan and liz Ford
KATHY LANGDON, MARK LANGDON, JULIE TAYLOR, TREVOR TAYLOR, ALLIE MCGILLICK, SUSAN MCGILLICK, AINSLEY THEDINGER AND KELLY THEDINGER
DR. BOB AND KARIN HOGAN WITH LUKE LEMKE
DANA, ZACK AND MIKE BOYLE 39
metroMagazine • SePT 2011
event gallerieS
chopstech saigon surface granD oPening
RACHEL RICHARDS, LAURIE AND CHARLES KAY, ANDREA HOIG
Downtown Omaha's newest and most innovative restaurant, Saigon Surface, welcomed patrons to experience the restaurant and lounge's hip and techy style at its interactive grand opening on August 4th. Upon arrival, effervescent hostesses offered guests a cocktails and appetizer samples. DJ Cicio and live percussion lent to the unique environment inside the restaurant. The lounge area itself was standing-room-only and was dotted with QR codes linking patrons to Saigon Surface’s Yelp.com page, Facebook page and profile in metroMAGAZINE's 101 Things to Love about the Omaha Metro. IPad signage and menus encouraged guests to explore the modern and classic cocktail offerings and special five-course menu created for the event. The evening was produced by STEP Group. For more information, contact owner Tu Nguyen at info@saigonsurface.com.
Scan this QR code with your SmartPhone to view more photos online at SpiritofOmaha.com.
TARA NORDGREN AND CASEY GRIESE
CHRIS AND GARY FLAXBEARD WITH SUE AND JEFF PUTMAN
Margaret Block k,, M.D. M. Salman Haroon, M.D. Ralph J. Hauke, M.D. Robert M. Langdon, Jrr.,., M.D. Kirsten M. Leu, M.D.
John M. Longo, M.D. Patrick J. McKenna, M.D. Geetha Palaniappan, M.D. David A. Silverberg, M.D. Gamini S. Soori, M.D.
Yungpo B ernard Su , M.D. Stefano R. Ta arantolo, M.D. Stephan D. Thomé, M.D. Peter M. To Townley, M.D.
Alegent Health Cancer Center - Bergan (402) 393-3110 Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center (402) 354-8124
Midwest Cancer Center Papillion (402) 593-3141 Midwest Cancer Center Legacy (402) 334-4773
West Dodge Medical Plaza (402) 445-8010 Pluss, Fremont and West Point (402) 941-7030
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metroMagazine • SePT 2011
Photos by liz Ford
2011
SpiritofOmaha.com
event gallerieS
bootscootin’fun heartland family service STrike a chorD 7
JANET RICHARDSON AND TOM WHITSON
LINDA AND JOHN ALLEN
A western theme provided the atmosphere for the seventh annual Heartland Family Service Strike A Chord fundraiser held August 5th at Harrah's Convention Center in Council Bluffs. This casual, fun-filled evening raised nearly $70,000 to help less fortunate children and families in Southwest Iowa. An art contest of original works by local "saloon" owners, who adorned large Pilsner glasses, was among the highlights of the event, in which Brandon Juon from Glory Days won the People's Choice Award. The emcee for the event was Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilbur. The audience raised donations to coax Wilbur to sing songs of their choice. Honorary chairs for this year's event were Josh and Shelly Guttau. For more information, visit www.heartlandfamilyservice.org.
Scan this QR code with your SmartPhone to view more photos online at SpiritofOmaha.com.
KIRA MATTESON, LAURA TENNANT, CARYN FICCO AND JEN PAVKOV
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metroMagazine • SePT 2011
Photos by Dan Flanigan
4th ANNU ANNUAL AL
H Hop Hope
EXPRESSIONS EXPRESSSIONS OF
GALA GALA
Call for Reservations 402.341.4673
Friday, October 7, 2011 Embassy Suites, LaVista, NE
6:00 pm Social Reception with Beverages and Hors d’Oeuvres 7:00 pm Dinner and Program Raffle . Cocktail Attire
BLUEPRINT BL UEPRINT for for S SUC SUCCESS CESS
.
givemorehope@hopecenterforkids.com www.hopecenterforkids.com
in i Sh
O n
ng the Lig ht
n Fo io pt ste o r Child Ad
October 3-4 Tree goes up!
October 29
10am-2pm
Family Festival and Pumpkin Carving
October 29
7:15pm
“Shining the Light” celebration
Village Pointe 168th & West Dodge
Omaha’s Great Pumpkin
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foreagoodcause scottish rite foundation golF ouTing For many, a day of golfing just doesn’t get much better. For the 18 foursomes that participated in the Scottish Rite Foundation of Omaha’s annual Golf Outing and Benefit on July 22nd, the joy of teeing off was accompanied by helping out the community. Golfers found themselves enjoying the summer at Shoreline Golf Club in Carter Lake, Iowa. Prizes up for grabs included a Ford Mustang courtesy of McMullen Ford. All that was necessary to win a new ride was a hole-in-one. Afterwards, participants and guests were treated to a gourmet prime rib dinner, thanks to the Scottish Rite’s Culinary Masters. Nearly $10,000 was raised for the foundation, which is the force behind 13 $2,000 merit- and need-based scholarships, including one for a student specifically studying speech pathology. Chairs Pete Larson and Rick Whitefield declared the event to be among the best ever for the annual fundraiser. For more information, visit www.scottishriteomaha.com.
Photo courtesy of Scottish rite Foundation
OKLEY GIBBS AND HENRY CARNABY
gripitandripit child saving institute golF Fore kiDS The Players Club at Deer Creek was bustling on June 27th with a recordbreaking 200 golfers for the 15th Annual CSI Golf Fore Kids hosted by the Child Saving Institute. Also known as the Tagge-Rutherford Omaha Open, this event raised $100,000 to help the Child Saving Institute’s dedication to the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Once all the clubs were put away, golfers enjoyed the 19th Hole awards ceremony that was emceed by retired radio celebrity Gary Java. Even if participants didn’t win the TwoPerson Best Ball or Four-Person Scramble, they still could be a winner. The event’s premium hole prizes and silent and live auctions featured $25,000 in prizes, including a golf vacation to Scotland. Allan Hughes acted as the auctioneer for the live auction. Co-chairs for the event were Jennifer Rutherford, Carol Knobbe and Laura Worick. For more information, visit www.childsaving.org.
COMMITTEE CHAIRS LAURA WORICK, JENNIFER RUTHERFORD AND CAROL KNOBBE
Photo courtesy of child Saving institute
inthehole! cystic fibrosis foundation Dinner & golF claSSic Golf, food and bids contributed to the over $228,000 raised during the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Dinner and Golf Classic. This two-day event began June 9th with a dinner at Embassy Suites La Vista. Approximately 550 guests gathered to enjoy a social hour and to participate in a silent auction with over 175 items, including autographed sports memorabilia. The keynote speaker for the dinner was Danny Woodhead, Nebraska native and New England Patriots running back. He shared his experience of visiting a cystic fibrosis patient at the Children’s Hospital & Medical Center earlier that day. Woodhead explained that taking hard hits carrying the pigskin is nothing compared to the daily struggles of a child facing cystic fibrosis. The 2011 Nebraska Golf Classic committee chairs were Sam Tynan and Matt Hickey. For more information, visit www.cff.org.
NICK BAHE, ALEX HENERY AND MATT SCHICK
Photo courtesy of cystic Fibrosis Foundation 44
metroMagazine • SePT 2011
6915 CASS STREET | (402) 553-0800 WWW.OMAHAPLAYHOUSE.ORG spon sponsors: sor s:
orchestra orches tra sponsor: sponsor: and
media m e dia sponsor: sponsor:
update metroMAGAZINE & SpiritofOmaha.com partner with ZONGKERS CUSTOM FURNITURE to design and deliver ROYANN HEDELL’S custom table.
dreams come true new heirloom is oaken treasure is looking and kind of discreetly write my name underneath this table,” Anita Willard whispered in a conspiratorial tone as her eyes darted about the room. Contests are meant to engender happy thoughts, not sibling rivalries. But humorously good-natured ribbing can also be the unintended consequence whenever mom and dad have tough decisions to make, especially the very personal ones that revolve around the inevitable (though far off) “who gets what” kind of thinking that is the luggage of any journey through life. “You’d better add a date as long as you’re at it so there’s no confusion later,” chimed in her mother, Royann Hedell. “You girls will just have to fight it out someday, I guess,” she said of her daughter’s perhaps overly zealous effort to stake a premature claim on a future heirloom.
They and a group of family and friends were in the home Royann shares with her husband, Lynn, oohing and aahing at the unveiling of the grand prize in the “Thanks for the Memories” Dining Table Giveaway contest. Royann’s essay about her grandmother’s table being lost in a fire was the winning entry in the contest sponsored by metroMAGAZINE and ZONGKERS CUSTOM FURNITURE in recognition of both businesses celebrating 20th anniversaries in the same year. “I was so excited to enter the contest,” Royann said in fighting back tears, “but I never thought I might actually have a chance to win. A metroMAGAZINE Facebook announcement reminded me that I needed to tune into “The Morning Blend” to follow the announcement of the winner and I couldn’t believe it when Andy (metroMAGAZINE publisher ANDREA “ANDY” HOIG) called out my name! It’s so very
“
we’ve rebuilt not only grandma’s heritage here today, but that of two family histories. ~ DAN ZONGKER
generous of you and Zongkers to do this. It’s been a wonderful experience.” The 11-ft. white oak behemoth crafted by the award-winning artisans of the company known for its residential, commercial and liturgical designs was built to blend the look and feel of both Royann’s grandmother’s table and a sideboard that is equally important to Lynn and his side of the family. “This has a double meaning for me,” Lynn said, “because it salvaged the sideboard that belonged to my mother. Royann was convinced that it was time to move it into the basement. Then the contest came along and now look at these two pieces together! This gives new life to one heirloom and creates a new tradition for another.” Zongkers Custom Furniture’s DAN ZONGKER agreed. “We have rebuilt not only grandma’s heritage here today, but that of two family histories.” A rather serendipitously outcome of the contest was the discovery that Royann and Dan already knew each other. They had first met years earlier in a leadership initiative where one of the group exercises was to talk about vision, ambitions and dreams. What did Royann describe as her dream when it was her turn to speak that day? “Owning a piece of custom furniture from Zongkers!” she beamed.
DAN ZONGKER, ANDY HOIG, ROYANN AND LYNN HEDELL WITH DENNIS ZONGKER
47
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“I’M GOING TO just crawl under this thing when no one
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
m
52 FABULOUS EVENTS • 10 CATEGORIES • ONE BIG NIGHT!
It’sTime to Vote! Cast a ballot for your favorite event in 10 categories!
For events presented between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011.
First 1,000 Voters online receive a FREE six-month subscription! Voters are automatically registered to
WIN 2 TICKETS to your
2012 “Charity of Choice” Event*
2011
PRESENTED BY
*Some restrictions apply
Voting Deadline is September 30th
AND THE NOMINEES ARE… 1ST OR 2ND ANNUAL
SPEAKER
BEST THEME
NEBRASKA CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY
FILM STREAMS
OMAHA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
Holidazzle
Feature III, featuring Steven Soderbergh
For the Kids Benefit 2011 –Monster’s Ball
OPERA OMAHA
PROJECT HARMONY
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OFTHE MIDLANDS
Spirits Of the Opera
Speaking of Children, featuring Andrew Bridge
NEBRASKA HUMANE SOCIETY
LUTHERAN FAMILY SERVICES OF NEBRASKA
Dining With Dogs
Luncheon benefiting At Ease, featuring Bob Kerrey
JOSLYN CASTLE TRUST
THE SALVATION ARMY
On the Road Benefit: On the Road Goes Back to College
ADOPTION LINKS WORLDWIDE Fandango –Hit a Home Run for Kids!
Joslyn Castle Classic Weekend
2011 D.J.’s Hero Awards Luncheon with Apollo Ohno
THE ROSE GUILD
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF OMAHA
GIRLS INC. OF OMAHA
Rockin’ Rosie 2011 – Rosie Rocks the Silver Screen
Lunch for the Girls, featuring Madeleine Albright
HETRA
High Heel Dash
UNDER 500 NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL, GREATER OMAHA CHAPTER
EDUCATION BROWNELL-TALBOT SCHOOL Gala 2011: Hats Off to B-T
Havana Garage Kentucky Derby Gala
Soiree 2010: ABBA Mania
BEST ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
OMAHA HENRY DOORLY ZOO
OMAHA SYMPHONY
Earth and Wine Event
90th Anniversary Gala
Angel Flight 2010 - Jazzed Up for Green
OMAHA COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE ACT II
WOMEN’S FUND OF OMAHA
MERCY HIGH SCHOOL FIESTA a la Mercy - How Sweet It Is
Destination World’s Fare
YOUTH EMERGENCY SERVICES
MOUNT MICHAEL BENEDICTINE ABBEY AND SCHOOL
Metro Stars Dance for a Chance
Night of Knights - Knights in Tuscany
MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION
SACRED HEART SCHOOL / CUES
Blue Jean Ball –Wild About Wishes
YOUTH EMERGENCY SERVICES
OVER 500
NEBRASKA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
SKUTT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
The Gathering
FOOD & WINE
BIG OMAHA 2011
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF OMAHA
vinNebraska Spring Wine Event 2011
Brew HaHa
CAMP FIRE USA (NOW COMPLETELYKIDSSM)
CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE
Pinot, Pigs & Poets
Wild and Crazy Cabaret with Melissa Peterman
EASTER SEALS NEBRASKA
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
Easter Seals Nebraska’s Wine Event 2011
Irish Fest 2011: Living the Legacy
LUTHERAN FAMILY SERVICES
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
Wicker & Wine Basket Auction
2011 Omaha Heart Ball
OMAHA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION
ANGELS AMONG US
Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
Omaha Says Farewell: Oprah Finale Event
HOPE CENTER FOR KIDS
HEALTH & WELLNESS JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION 14th Annual Gala - Big Dreams... Big Hearts: Real Hope for a Cure
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY & UNMC
Expressions of Hope Gala
2010 Fall Luncheon (celebrating its 20th anniversary)
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, MID-AMERICA COUNCIL Centennial Celebration Banquet All About Omaha 10th annual Torchlight Ball 25th Anniversary and Birthday Bash
Tuesday, November 29th Aksarben Cinema
OVER 1,000 OMAHA FILM FESTIVAL 2011 WOMEN’S FUND OF OMAHA
Kicks for a Cure
Omaha Fashion Week Grand Finale Runway Show
THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY
GREATER OMAHA YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
Man & Woman of the Year 2011 Grand Finale
2011 Young Professionals Summit
MIDWEST HEART CONNECTION
NEBRASKA CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY
Hearts of Hope
Sand in the City
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL & MEDICAL CENTER
LAURITZEN GARDENS
Gala 2010, featuring an evening with Kenny Rogers
Antique & Garden Show
Cast your Vote at
Look for more details and ticket information in upcoming issues of
savethedate September 8 LEADERSHIP LUNCHEON Benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska This event features Dick Vitale, college basketball’s top analyst and ambassador, speaking on philanthropic responsibility for the corporate leader in today’s world and the benefits of giving. Probably no one can inspire an audience with enthusiasm and energy and teach us lessons of life and business that transcend athletics better than the incomparable, one-of-a-kind Dick Vitale. CenturyLink Center Omaha–11:00 A.M. Visit www.nebraska.wish.org
September 9 ZOOFARI A benefit for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo This biennial fundraising event features a lively oral auction, exquisite food and entertainment, and captivating imagery. The evening promises to entertain and educate guests on the past, present and future of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo Omaha–5:00 P.M. Visit www.omahazoofoundation.org
September 11 WALKRITE FOR RITECARE Benefiting the Scottish Rite Foundation’s RiteCare Clinics This second annual event is a family-friendly day with entertainment, clowns, food and fun, while supporting a great cause. Zorinsky Lake–Omaha–9:00 A.M. Call 402-342-1300 or visit www.scottishriteomaha.org
September 15 BREW HAHA A benefit for Habitat for Humanity of Omaha This food, microbrew and brewed coffee tasting event features over 20 restaurants, coffee and microbrewers. A signature “friend-raising” event, this year it is cohosted by the Habitat FRIENDS and Habitat Young Professionals. Relax with friends and enjoy some of the best food and beer the area has to offer. Lewis and Clark Landing Omaha Riverfront–5:00 P.M. Visit www.habitatomaha.org
September 16
September 24
September 25
HALFWAY TO SAINT PATRICK’S DAY A benefit for Project Harmony The Project Harmony Service League will host this eighth annual event, a casual party that starts with Irish music and continues with dancing to Finest Hour. Omaha Firefighters’ Union Hall–Omaha Visit www.projectharmony.com
ANGEL FLIGHT A benefit for Skutt Catholic High School This annual event includes dinner, silent and live auctions and lottery. Funds raised ensure that the school’s general operating expenses are met, while augmenting Skutt Catholic’s financial aid program and technology fund. Skutt Catholic High School Omaha–5:30 P.M. Call 402-330-0818
WALK FOR THE ANIMALS A benefit for the Nebraska Humane Society Come walk to help save the lives of homeless animals in NHS’s biggest annual fundraiser. A morning of fun with Fido on our meadow culminates with a leisurely walk on the Keystone Trail. Nebraska Humane Society Omaha–8:00 A.M. Visit www.nehumanesociety.org
September 20 FAITH IN ACTION DINNER Hosted by Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska During the annual Faith in Action Dinner, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska (LFS) honors three community leaders: Community Partners of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, and the top honor the 2011 Faith in Action Award. The recipients are those whose actions demonstrate their commitment to integrity, community, and faith-based values and principles. Honorees this year include names that everyone in the state of Nebraska will recognize. Embassy Suites–La Vista Call 402.342.6408
September 25 September 24 STEP OUT: WALK TO STOP DIABETES A benefit for the American Diabetes Association Walking is one of the easiest, most relaxing forms of exercise for many people, but especially for those living with diabetes. Walk individually or gather your friends, family and co-workers to for a Step Out team. It’s a great way to do something good together and share in a fun and healthy community experience. Stinson Park at Aksarben Village–Omaha Call 1-888-DIABETES x6886
September 21
2011 PURPLE RIBBON AUCTION Hosted by the Ak-Sar-Ben Buyers Club This event is the culmination of the Ak-Sar-Ben 4-H Stock Show and raises scholarship and program funding for 4-H Heartland youths. The event includes cocktails, dinner and auction. CenturyLink Center–Omaha–5:00 P.M. Call 402-554-9600 x100
October 6
2011 IGNATIAN DINNER Benefitting the Jesuit Partnership Council of Omaha This event is a celebration of Lay/Jesuit collaboration in our community. Funds raised go to educate and train new Jesuits for service to others, care for older and infirmed Jesuits, and continued ministries of faith, education and justice. Harper Center at Creighton University Omaha–6:00 P.M. Call 402-397-2909
September 23-25 LAURITZEN GARDENS ANTIQUE & GARDEN SHOW Benefiting Lauritzen Gardens This event brings together more than 30 of the nation’s most highly respected dealers representing American, Asian and European antiques. In addition to the spectrum of period furnishings, decorative pieces and fine art, the show also will feature booth chats, a wine and cheese event, garden walking tours, a chance to shop the show while sipping mimosas, appraisal clinics and more. Lauritzen Gardens–Omaha Visit www.OmahaAntiqueShow.org 50
September 24 A VINTAGE AFFAIRE III A benefit for Autism Action Partnership Join AAP for a champagne-tasting like you have never experienced as you are personally escorted through tastings of fine champagnes in Riedel stemware. This will be followed by a silent auction, dinner and live auction of rare wines and other exquisite items. Downtown Hilton–Omaha Visit www.autismaction.org
WOMAN OF THE YEAR GALA Benefiting the Arthritis Foundation, Nebraska Chapter The 2011 gala event will honor Sandy Parker. The money raised will be used to support patient education programs, research patient services, public awareness and professional education for those in our community suffering from the debilitating effects of some form of arthritis. Embassy Suites–La Vista–5:30 P.M. Call 402-330-6130
September 24
October 6
JEWELS OF AUTUMN A benefit for Alegent Health Lakeside Hospital Alegent Health Foundation hosts this annual event featuring food and beverages, live entertainment and the Nebraska vs. Wyoming game on two giant screens. Monies raised will benefit the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Lakeside Hospital. Alegent Health Lakeside Hospital Omaha–6:00 P.M. Visit www.alegent.com/jewels or call 402-717-8182
LOYOLA DINNER OF HONOR AND DISTINCTION Benefiting Creighton Preparatory School This annual event recognizes the Alumnus of the Year awardee, the Hall of Fame inductees and the Ancilla Domini awardee. The event gives the Prep community an opportunity to celebrate the honorees’ accomplishments. Creighton Preparatory School Omaha–6:00 P.M. Call 402-393-1190
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
October 7
October 13
October 15
EXPRESSIONS OF HOPE GALA A benefit for Hope Center for Kids Join other members of the community, dignitaries, and the Hope Center for Kids at this fourth annual event featuring cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and program. Help provide HOPE for Omaha’s inner city youth and children. Embassy Suites–La Vista–6:00 P.M. Visit www.hopecenterforkids.com
SPICE OF LIFE SIGNATURE CHEFS AUCTION A benefit for March of Dimes At this event, 25 of Omaha’s finest chefs will serve their favorite dishes. Guests can graze all chefs or go back to their favorites again and again. Each chef will contribute a unique gift that will be sold at the live auction. Hilton Omaha Omaha–5:30 P.M. Visit www.marchofdimes.com/nebraska
BEMIS CENTER ART AUCTION Benefitting Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts Celebrate contemporary art and support the Bemis Center’s exceptional artists, innovative programs and public projects and this expansive auction featuring international, national and regional artists. Bemis Center – Omaha For more information visit www.bemiscenter.org.
October 7 BIG RED TAILGATE A benefit for CompletelyKIDSSM This event is an evening of tailgate revelry and Big Red spirit, all to benefit the kids of CompletelyKIDSSM (formerly Camp Fire USA). The event will include cocktails, raffle, silent and live auctions, and dinner. Ramada Plaza Omaha Hotel and Convention Center–Omaha–5:30 P.M. Visit www.completelykids.org
October 12 POWER OF PREVENTION LUNCHEON A benefit for PRIDE-Omaha, Inc. This inaugural event will feature speaker Henry Lozano, who served under the administrations of both President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton. PRIDE’s mission is preventing the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs by children through education, training and services. Embassy Suites–La Vista–11:30 A.M. Visit www.prideprevention.org
October 15 MARIANFEST A benefit for Marian High School This is the 30th annual MarianFEST, Marian’s largest fundraising event of the year. This year’s theme is “We Can Do It!” Marian High School – Omaha For more information visit www.marianhighschool.net.
October 14 ART IN THE BAG A cancer benefit hosted by The Midwest Lampmaker’s Guild and Wear Yellow Nebraska Join in for an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and live music featuring a silent auction of handcrafted bags, purses and totes with dazzling lampwork beaded key chains. Hot Shops Art Center–Omaha Visit www.artinthebag.com
October 16 OMAHA HOSPITALITY HALL OF
October 14 FASHION VICTIM 2011 Fashion Victim is an injury prevention program combined with a fashion show and charity concert. The program includes a diverse panel of speakers with donations distributed locally on prevention efforts and to provide victims with services. UNO Milo Bail Student Center Omaha–6:00 P.M. Visit www.fashionvictimshow.com
October 12 PEOPLE OF VISION DINNER A benefit for Prevent Blindness Nebraska John and Lynne Boyer have been selected as the 2011 People of Vision honorees. This award was developed to honor people of vision, whose clear perspective and farsightedness in community service and devotion to the fellow man have earned them the respect of our community. Join Prevent Blindness Nebraska in recognizing the Boyers and their significant contribution to our community as People of Vision. Omaha Country Club–Omaha Visit www.nebraska.preventblindness.org
October 15 FRIENDS OF SCOTTISH RITE CHARITY GALA A benefit for the Monroe-Meyer Institute This fun evening includes cocktails, a gourmet dinner, extraordinary silent and live auctions, and wonderful entertainment. A local celebrity will be honorary host and will assist with presenting a prestigious Annual Achievement Award to someone who has made a significant contribution to children in need. The Scottish Rite Omaha–6:00 P.M. Visit www.friendsofscottishrite.org 51
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
savethedate October 15
October 21
October 27
BEMIS CENTER ART AUCTION Benefiting Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts Celebrate contemporary art and support the Bemis Center’s exceptional artists, innovative programs and public projects in this expansive auction featuring international, national and regional artists. Bemis Center–Omaha Visit www.bemiscenter.org
SOIREE A benefit for the National Safety Council, Greater Omaha Chapter This year it’s a British invasion at the National Safety Council’s Soiree, where guests will enjoy Yesterday… a Tribute to the Beatles. The event also includes cocktails, dinner, dancing, and silent auction. Embassy Suites–La Vista Visit www.SafeNebraska.org
WINE ‘TIL NINE A benefit for the Arthritis Foundation This casual event features a selection of wine, microbrew and spirit tasting along with complimentary appetizers. Patrons will also enjoy bidding on impressive silent auction and raffle items as they enjoy music by the Chris Saub Trio. Marriott Regency Omaha–5:30 P.M. Visit www.OmahaWTN.com
October 15
October 22
MARIANFEST A benefit for Marian High School This is the 30th annual MarianFEST, Marian’s largest fundraising event of the year. This year’s theme is “We Can Do It!” Marian High School–Omaha Visit www.marianhighschool.net
REFLECTION BALL A benefit for Midlands Community Foundation This annual event honors individuals who have contributed significantly to Sarpy and Cass counties, with proceeds from the event donated to non-profit organizations that provide service in Sarpy and Cass counties. Embassy Suites–La Vista–6:00 P.M. Visit www.MidlandsCommunity.org
October 16 OMAHA HOSPITALITY HALL OF FAME DINNER A benefit for the MCC Institute for the Culinary Arts This event celebrates the achievements of the best in the Omaha area food and restaurant industry, recognizing the inductees while providing the opportunity for students at the ICA to prepare and present the meal. Event proceeds provide scholarships for culinary arts students and fund scholarly academic work. Institute for the Culinary Arts at MCC Omaha–5:00 P.M. Call 402-457-2510
October 27 WICKER & WINE 2011 A benefit for Lutheran Family Services This is a lovely evening of food, wine, and opportunities to support the at-risk families in our community. The event features an incredible collection of auction items with the proceeds all going to support the Pottawattamie Center for Healthy Families. Mid-America Center Council Bluffs–5:00 P.M. Visit www.lfsneb.org
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November 1 CREATING FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP DINNER A benefit for Omaha Christian Academy Join in an inspiring evening with former Arkansas Governor and Fox News Commentator, Mike Huckabee. His message will focus on the important role that character plays as young people face life’s challenges. Embassy Suites–La Vista–6:00 P.M. Visit www.OmahaChristianAcademy.org
October 27
November 3
WOMEN’S FUND OF OMAHA’S FALL LUNCHEON Benefiting the Women’s Fund of Omaha This 11th annual event will feature keynote speaker Carla Harris, who will share knowledge she’s gathered during a two-decade-long career working in the intense and competitive Wall Street environment. Ramada Plaza Hotel Omaha–11:30 A.M. Visit www.omahawomensfund.org
RAISE THE ROOF GALA A benefit for Habitat for Humanity of Omaha Habitat for Humanity of Omaha honors the significant contributions by its community partners by presenting the Spirit of Humanity Awards during this special gala. The gala serves to honor the commitment and dedication of those organizations and individuals who have helped Habitat for Humanity fulfill its mission in the Omaha area for the past 25 years plus. Harper Ballroom at Creighton University Omaha–5:30 P.M. Call 402-457-5657
October 28 TEAMMATES TAILGATE GALA A benefit for TeamMates Mentoring Program This fantastic “tailgating” party includes an auction full of fun and unique items and guest appearances by Larry the Cable Guy, Warren Buffet and Mary Maxwell. Embassy Suites La Vista–6:00 P.M. Visit www.teammates.org
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
November 3 LIFE CELEBRATION A benefit for Lifestyle Innovations For Epilepsy This inaugural event is hosted by Bill Randby and Julie Cornell and features cocktails, hors do’oeurves, live music, and silent and live auctions. Nomad Lounge–Omaha–6:00 P.M. Call 402-850-7680
November 4 FALL FESTIVITY Benefiting Angels Among Us An evening of food, fun and entertainment, this event features cocktail hour, silent and live auctions, and dinner. Harrah’s Casino & Hotel Council Bluffs–5:00 P.M. Visit www.myangelsamongus.org
November 10 MILAGRO DINNER A benefit for One World Community Health Centers This event recognizes the significance of contributions made by volunteers and partnering organizations. The evening includes social hour, silent auction, dinner and keynote speaker, Dr. Joann Schaefer. Historic Livestock Exchange Building ballroom–Omaha–5:45 P.M. Call 402-502-8855 or visit www.oneworldomaha.org
November 11 TGIF! A benefit for the Women’s Center for Advancement The WCA Partners Guild hosts this night of cocktails, dinner and live and silent auctions. Omaha–6:00 P.M. Visit www.wcaomaha.org
November 12 CANDLELIGHT BALL A benefit for Bergan Mercy Hospital Join the Bergan Mercy Auxiliary for the 52nd Annual Candlelight Ball, this year honoring John J. Ferry, M.D. and R. Michael Gross, M.D. Embassy Suites–La Vista Call 402-398-6199
November 19 CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL & MEDICAL CENTER GALA A benefit for Children’s Specialty Pediatric Center This year’s Gala promises to be starstudded evening with singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins as the featured performer and Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan, serving as co-emcee for the night’s festivities. CenturyLink Center–Omaha 53
metroMAGAZINE • SEPT 2011
evolve
embrace
metroMagazine
vibrations • with sue moon
your transformation
September is usually about going back to school and cooler weather, but this year, August filled that role. September is different this year. It’s a heads-up to realize that life is changing and what used to be will be quite different from now on. The Full Moon on the 12th is in spiritual Pisces, calling us to awaken to that nature within us. We are reminded with this Full Moon that we are collectively and individually birthing a new prototype that is beyond human. David Hawkins calls it Homo Spiritus, the awakened man; and it is happening much faster than older evolutionary jumps. The New Moon on the 27th is in peace-loving Libra and is sitting with Sun-Mercury-Venus-Saturn and the asteroid Juno, all in Libra. We are starting to realize the importance of cooperation, being fair, withholding judgment and striving for peace. Pluto has been retrograde since April 9th and it goes direct on the 16th, which will release a wallop of transformational energy that all will feel in whatever area of life needs changing. We are in the last throes of the ending of the Mayan Calendar on October 28. September will reflect a “quickening” of that ending and all will awaken a little more according to their evolution.
aries
mar 21 - apr 19
The Full Moon on the 12th beckons you to dive deeper into the mysteries of life and your role as an evolving human. A hard energy persists regarding your body/personality challenging you to take a closer look at how you present yourself. The New Moon on the 27th offers you an opportunity to start over by making amends in an existing relationship.
taurus
apr 20 - may 20
leo
jul 23 - auG 22
The Full Moon on the 12th shines brightest in your death/birth house. This could bring you a little money from someone. It calls your attention to connect in a more spiritual way and remember you aren’t here very long. The New Moon on the 27th asks you to make your everyday life a little more fun and not so routine. Your health gets a boost by month’s end, thanks to Mars.
virgo
This is a good month to join a little spiritual group, or start one of your own. Work could be more of what you want if you can just clarify what it is you want. Children are a lovely surprise at this time; be sure to pay attention to them. Avoid arguing in the home toward month’s end.
gemini
libra
may 21 - jun 20
cancer
Career continues to shine for you all month, while home fulfills you spiritually. When Pluto goes direct on the 15th it will open up your talents/money sector and you will see more energy in both of those. Friends and small groups support you. Be sure to call on them if you need help with any of your dreams. They’ll be there.
capricorn
dEC 22 - jan 19
auG 23 - SEp 22
This month starts with the focus on your relationships to others and ends on your relationship to yourself. That’s a lot of examination! Friends are fun and it’s a good time to have even more fun with them. It’s time to re-write that budget and maybe get a part time job to clear up old bills so you can feel less financially burdened.
Some opposition between home and your career may have you feeling irritable. The Full Moon lands in your career sector on the 12th, which may cause an emotional outburst or spur you on to achieving more. Pluto frees up other people’s money for you mid-month. The end of the month finds you wandering off alone for a little escape; you will need it.
sagittarius
nOV 22 - dEC 21
It’s been a little hard to get the recognition you desire since April when Pluto in Capricorn went retrograde. Not to worry. On the 15th it goes direct and you had better be ready for a power surge of transformation regarding your personality and physical body. A new workout program would be a good use of Pluto’s energy; otherwise you might get sick.
aquarius
jan 20 - fEb 18
SEp 23 - OCT 22
Your star is shining this month, especially at work where you will be noticed for the good you do. When Pluto goes direct on the 15th you should be able to put the finishing touches on any redecorating you’ve put off. You have an opportunity at month’s end to start an exercise program and stay with it. Jupiter is retrograde in your transformation house, which is holding back your growth a bit. But it lets loose for you on Christmas Day, so start making plans now.
Money– yours and others– seems to preoccupy you these days. You can be so very creative and this is a good time to use that gift to develop other talents and seek out new resources. Your daily living situation is a little unpredictable and will be so for a while. Use this time to create a fresher and more original way of living your life.
pisces
fEb 19 - mar 20
jun 21 - jul 22
Mars has been giving you a great deal of physical energy and that is now transferring to your money house. Don’t be surprised if you get a raise. Everyday life has been fun with lots of socializing and good times. Unexpected power struggles between work and partner continue. Month’s end is a good time to retreat into your own little space and figure out what just happened.
scorpio OCT 23 - nOV 21
It’s a good month for playing and enjoying travel, friends, children and more. Mars will give your career a boost late in the month and through the next. If you have any career plans, make them happen then. The New Moon on the 27th gives you an opportunity to start something new; could have positive legal implications.
It is time for you to reinvent yourself and maybe your partner in life too. Listen to your dreams; there are strong messages coming through for you at this time. Work and health improve at month’s end. When Pluto goes direct on the 15th you will start seeing transformation concerning your friends and small groups. This will winnow out false friends and show you who your real ones are. You have an opportunity to change old negative patterns with the help of the New Moon on the 27th.
Sue Moon has been a student of astrology since 1972 and is an experienced journeyman and practitioner in a number of life enhancement disciplines. You can find her astrology materials and dailies at www.suemoon.com and on Facebook. She is locally based at Bright Spirit Center • www.brightspiritcenter.com. 54
metroMagazine • SePT 2011
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