JANUARY/FEBRUARY • 2015
we lo ve da ve
deconstructing the most popular governor ever
Bud Crawford Local Hero WBO Champ From Paris, With Love Fashion Wunderkind Kate Walz Tim Miles Basketball Whisperer
4909 S 235 St., Omaha
$739,900
All one level living in this functional home. Zero entry from garage, walk in pantry, and large laundry w/ lockers. Nice size master w/whirlpool with heated floor and towel warmer. Lower level finished out like an entertainment mecca! Huge bar, game room. 2 bedrooms w/ J&J bath. West facing walkout on acre lot.
Richard Adcox • 402.676.7425
7407 N 116 Ave. Cir., Omaha
$649,900
Denice Coenen • 402.677.7538
$639,000
Street of Dreams 2014 home! This stunning G. Lee custom home features an open floor plan, gourmet kitchen with hidden pantry, top of the line appliances and upgrades galore. The walkout basement features a rec room, theatre room, and wet bar. Huge yard with firepit that backs to trees.
Katie Mack • 402.953.6293
16606 Jackson St., Omaha
1510 N 189 St., Omaha
$645,000
This fabulous ranch sits on a gorgeous private lot that backs to trees and features a top-of-the-line gourmet kitchen. Fantastic master suite, finished lower level with open family area, wet bar, hobby room and 2 additional BR’s & baths. Entertain in the front court yard or on the covered deck.
Justin Pogge • 402.639.5473
10205 S 164 St., Omaha
$579,000
$595,000
Distinctive home in prestigious estate neighborhood features a private beautifully landscaped .8 acre yard. Main flr office, spacious open rooms, expansive hearth room kitchen, “T” staircase, impressive master suite has cozy sitting area w/fireplace. Great location next to Chalco Park/Wehrspann Lake.
16811 Spring Plaza, Omaha
$659,000
Gated community in the heart of West Omaha. Custom built walkout ranch with open floor plan. Granite countertops, walnut cabinets, maple floors, 10+ ft ceilings on main, open atrium to lower level. Lake Zorinsky within walking distance. Lawn care, snow removal & window washing included in monthly assessment.
The Dooley Group • 402.319.9678
10703 S 168 Ave., Omaha
$639,000
A quality designed mission style front, w/many architectural details. You will love the 10’ ceilings on the main floor, huge kitchen w/ large island, gourmet appliances & beautiful birch cabinetry. All bedrooms are “in suite”. The huge master suite features a cozy sitting area w/ fireplace & “spa” like master bath.
19204 Sahler St., Omaha
$585,000
Every amenity! The great room features a dramatic cathedral-ceiling with a 2 story fireplace. Sumptuous master suite offers a 10 ft tray ceiling and lavish master bath. Loaded with extras from-customized garage, den, outdoor living areas, dual HVAC, surround sound inside and out, central vac, and more!
Kristen Wehner Jacobsen • 402.672.7701
$575,000
Custom built in 2012, this open concept ranch villa offers secluded evenings at home or is also great for entertaining. Main floor master and office or second bedroom! Walk out lower level, Heated garage & covered deck. Chef’s kitchen with walk-in pantry and 1/2 main floor laundry.
Dirk Blume • 402.672.0391
3207 S 169 Plaza, Omaha
Susan Hancock • 402.215.7700
Jim Marriott • 402.681.1181
Exceptional Cambridge Oaks home. Grand 2 story foyer separates spacious living and dining rooms. Dramatic sunken family room. Enjoy the natural light in the sun room. A chef’s kitchen with stainless steel appliances, new double convection ovens and induction stove, granite counters and backsplash.
Therese Wehner • 402.670.0101
$735,000
Over half acre of lush treed property. Beautiful 2-story with 900 sq ft slate tiled covered porch. Gorgeous gourmet kitchen built for entertaining with 2 refrigerators, 2 dishwashers, gas range w/ salamander broiler. Spacious master with peaked ceiling. Over 4600 fsf with another 2,000 plus in the unfinished walk out.
Julie Stangl • 402.689.6181
Feel the entire experience of resort living in Deer Creek. Amazing home with tremendous views…on 6th tee, Arnold Palmer’s signature hole! Tall ceilings. Designer windows. Walnut wood floors. Exquisite master suite. 4 fireplaces. Timbertech deck. Country Club with golf, swimming pool, restaurant, and workout room. This home is a must see.
23632 Laci, Omaha
4501 Lake Forest Cir., Papillion
18629 Gold Circle, Omaha
$550,000
Beautiful new 2 story home on a walkout lot built by Villotta Homes. Open floor plan with 4 bedroom, 4 bath, and 4 car garage. Kitchen with granite tops and walk-in pantry. All bedrooms have direct bath access and walk-in closets.
Jeff Villotta • 402.598.4252
V I R T U A L TO U R S A N D M O R E AT NPDODGE.COM
We’ll frolic and play the Fontenelle way
WALKING IN OUR WINTER WONDERLAND No matter what the thermometer reads, the forest never closes. Minutes away from downtown, it’s an adventure in your backyard. This winter, make it yours.
FontenelleForest.org
Nominate a Nurse Voting ends January 31, 2015 at midnight.
Omaha Magazine proudly presents the inaugural Excellence in Nursing Awards. Designed to showcase the region’s outstanding male and female nursing professionals, we would like to honor nurses for their extraordinary contributions to patients, their families, the nursing profession, and the community. To nominate a nurse, please go to
omahamagazine.com/nursing Omaha Magazine will pay tribute to the top winners at an awards ceremony and in our May/June Omaha Magazine issue.
A completed nomination form, including a detailed description of how the nurse’s actions made an important difference in the lives they serve, is required. All nurses must be currently licensed, practicing Registered Nurses (RN) and work at least 20 hours a week. A national panel will review each submission and determine the finalists and winners.
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
features volume 31 • issue 7
FEATURES
table of contents features
Sparring For Omaha Boxer Terence Crawford defends his title in the city he calls home. PAGE 122 From Paris, With Love Fashion Designer Kate Walz PAGE 126 Tim Miles Basketball Whisperer PAGE 156
De con struct ing Dave
Why was this guy our most popular governor ever? PAGE 117 omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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DEPARTMENTS & SPECIAL SECTIONS 41 • kelli schilken
volume 31 • issue 7 55 • rev. timothy lannon
30 • john lajba
49 • joy johnson 160 • CLayton chapman
the usual suspects
9 Editor’s Letter 10 Instagram – Be Social 14 Between the Lines community
16 For Starters
47 Giving
18 Calendar of Events 28 Obviously Omaha 202 The Closer
Anne Thorne Weaver
people
35 Sports
Mavboni Driver Greg McVey
Why Nebraska Hates Us
the next generation
37 Gen O
Aguek Arop, Nebraska Basketball Recruit
39 Gen O
Kianna Ibis, Arizona State Basketball Recruit
41 Gen O
Musician Kelli Schilken
omaha magazine visitors edition
35-154
these pages are not included in the visitors edition of OMaha magazine
Articles online at OmahaMagazine.com. Purchase a subscription at OmahaMagazine.com/ subscribe. 6
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
49 Giving Feature
The Centering Corporation’s Joy Johnson
45 Faces
52 Giving
55 Faces
52 Giving
Girls Inc.’s Roberta Wilhelm Creighton University’s Rev. Timothy Lannon
58 Faces
Criminologist Sam Walker
Gala Rewind Gala Calendar
The creative class
30 Art+Culture, Visual Arts
Sculptor John Lajba
food
160 Chef Profile
33 Art+Culture, Media
164 Travel Dining
43 Art+Culture,
Clayton Chapman’s Provisions Kansas City BBQ
166 Restaurant Review Mula Mexican Kitchen and Tequileria
170 Dining Guide
Editorial Cartoonist Jeff Koterba
Visual Arts
Watie White
62 Art+Culture, Performance
Hilary Adams, Omaha Community Playhouse
january/february 2015
EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR DAVID WILLIAMS MANAGING EDITOR ROBERT NELSON EDITORIAL INTERN CLAIRE MARTIN SENIOR ARTS CONTRIBUTOR KIM CARPENTER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS LINDSEY ANNE BAKER LEO ADAM BIGA • JUDY HORAN BEVERLY KRACHER • JASON KUIPER CLAIRE MARTIN • ROBYN MURRAY SANDRA MARTIN • SUSAN MEYERS CAROL CRISSEY NIGRELLI JAMES WALMSLEY • SARAH WENGERT
Handcrafted Custom Jewelry Stop in today to view our selection 13013 West Center Road Montclair On Center 402.558.1307 • SilverofOz.com silverofoz@silverofoz.com
CREATIVE
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY & INTERACTIVE MEDIA BILL SITZMANN SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER KRISTEN HOFFMAN
“
If you follow all the rules, you miss all the fun! – katharine hepburn
“
CREATIVE DIRECTOR JOHN GAWLEY
GRAPHIC DESIGNER RACHEL JOY CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS LAURIE AND CHARLES PHOTOGRAPHS JUSTIN BARNES SCOTT BRUN, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA TOM KESSLER • MARK KRESL LETTERING ARTIST ERIN PILLE
Comments? Send your thoughts to: david@omahamagazine.com
Owned and managed by Omaha Magazine, LTD
FEBRUARY 7-APRIL 26, 2015
durhammuseum.org omaha magazine • january/february 2015
7
Volume 31 •
Issue 7
ACCOUNTS PUBLISHER TODD LEMKE PUBLISHER’S ASSISTANT & OMAHA HOME CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SANDY BESCH-MATSON VICE PRESIDENT GREG BRUNS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT SALES & MARKETING GIL COHEN
JAN. 23 – FEB. 22, 2015
SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE & 60PLUS IN OMAHA CONTRIBUTING EDITOR GWEN LEMKE
FEB. 13 –MARCH 22, 2015
6915 CASS STREET | (402) 553-0800 | WWW.OMAHAPLAYHOUSE.COM sponsors:
Friends of the Playhouse
orchestra sponsor:
media sponsor:
sponsors:
orchestra sponsor:
media sponsor:
Whitmore Charitable Trust
BRANDING SPECIALIST KYLE FISHER ANGIE HALL GEORGE IDELMAN SALES ASSOCIATES DAWN DENNIS ALICIA SMITH HOLLINS JUSTIN IDELMAN JESSICA LINHART JESSICA SMITH
OPERATIONS VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS TYLER LEMKE
Whether it is day or night, inside or out, Joslyn has so much to offer.
EVENT DIRECTOR ERIN COX
FREE GENERAL ADMISSION
(paid ticketed admission for some exhibitions)
THURSDAYS: Open ‘til 8 pm! SCULPTURE GARDENS Open and free – all day every day!
explore AT
NOW
Joslyn Art Museum features works from antiquity to the present with an emphasis on 19th- and 20th-century European and American art. A fun, educational, relaxing, and artful destination for the whole family.
Open Tuesday through Sunday.
October 11, 2014–January 11, 2015 IN LIVING COLOR: Andy Warhol and Contemporary Printmaking from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation 2200 Dodge St. | Omaha, NE | (402) 342-3300 | www.joslyn.org
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
ACCOUNTANT JIM HEITZ DISTRIBUTION MANAGER MIKE BREWER FOR ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: 402.884.2000 All versions of Omaha Magazine are published bimonthly by Omaha Magazine, LTD, P.O. Box 461208, Omaha NE 68046-1208. Telephone: (402) 884-2000; fax (402) 884-2001. Subscription rates: $19.95 for 6 issues (one year), $24.95 for 12 issues (two years). No whole or part of the contents herein may be reproduced without prior written permission of Omaha Magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. Unsolicited manuscripts are accepted, however no responsibility will be assumed for such solicitations. Best of Omaha®™ is a registered tradename of Omaha Magazine.
FROM THE EDITOR
david williams
Cultural Literacy Keeping Things Local
S
o I was doing some rare channel surfing the other day when I paused for a moment on a talk show. The guest was some guy named Jeremy Renner. I didn’t recognize his name or face. Turns out he’s an accomplished actor. Turns out he had been nominated two years in a row for Oscars with The Hurt Locker (2011) and The Town (2010). A quick web search confirmed what I already suspected; that I had never seen any of his movies. Which isn’t saying much because I haven’t been to a movie in ages. The last film I saw in a theater was from the Batman franchise. No, not that one. And, no, not that one, either. The last movie I saw in a theater was two caped crusader gigs ago, Batman Begins. (2005). Which means that I will soon observe the 10-year anniversary of the last time I had to fork over a zillion dollars for a bucket of tepid popcorn. Oops, I almost forgot about the fact that I had taken my grandkids to a kiddie flick not too long ago, which I write about in The Grandpa Chronicles space of this issue. But in term of movies for my own enjoyment… none, nada, zip. It’s the same with TV. I miss out on a lot of water cooler talk here in the office (we really
facebook.com/omahamagazine @omahamagazine @omahamagazine
W
do have a water cooler, you know) because pretty much the only thing I watch is news and sports. I don’t do Netflix or Hulu. And don’t even get me started on popular music. W hich practica lly begs the question, “How in the world can someone who is so obviously and pathetically a cultural illiterate possibly perform his duties as an editor of a magazine?” In my defense, I did spend the better part of the last decade as a performing arts critic and was out an average of three nights a week collecting ticket stubs bearing titles of a plays, musicals, ballets, or operas…hundreds of them. Writing about visual artists was also part of my beat. All of which, I like to think, positions me perfectly for my work here…for what’s important to you, the reader. No, we (luckily for me) don’t cover cinema or TV, but we do try to bring you the very best stories that connect you in a hyper-local way to the pulse of a city’s creative class, the people who are more than just images dancing across a silver screen. I’m perfectly okay with that. And I trust that you are, too. OMAG
And now, time for a shameless plug!
e like to make stuff pretty and all, but we weren’t expecting to bring home quite so much hardware from this year’s AIGA Nebraska design competition, aptly named ‘SHOW,’ which spotlights the very best work in Nebraska’s tremendous design community. Our six honors included two first place awards. Our January/ February 2014 Best of Omaha issue was awared Gold status. And one of the three coveted Judges’ Choice Awards went to Bill Sitzmann and John Gawley’s piece, Modern Housewife. While we’re at it, we’d like to thank the other creatives involved in helping us win these various accolades…Paul Lukes, now of Smart Minds in Fort Collins, Col., and Ben Lueders of Fruitful Design. OMAG omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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Share your photos of Omaha and be featured here. #omamag
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
family values and service to country
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. La Vista . 402.690.3490 . soldiervalleyspirits.com A short drive from downtown Omaha
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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RESTAURANT REVIEW
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
story by • photography by bill sitzmann
AUGMENTED REALITY
omaha magazine
augmentedreality OMAHA MAGAZINE COMES TO LIFE THIS JANUARY/FEBRUARY WITH AUGMENTEDREALITY! Scan the interactive pages of Omaha Magazine with your smartphone or tablet using the free LayAR app.
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Download the LayAR app. get.layar.com google play apple app store
3 Look for the icon.
Scan the entire page with the LayAR app.
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4 Enjoy the digital experience of Omaha Magazine.
page 127 page H30
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BETWEEN THE LINES
omaha magazine
between
THE LINES
A look at three Omaha Magazine team members
angie hall is a Nebraska native who moved to Omaha with her family in 2003. It is her goal-oriented drive, combined with a desire to deliver the very best customer experience, that has been the key to her success over a sales and account management career that has spanned more than two decades. She and her husband, Mick, are parents to Zach, Isabella, Alex, and Max. Outside of work and parenting, Angie still makes time to read fiction thrillers and work out. Perhaps most importantly, she likes to tinker around with home projects big and small… sometimes even for friends and neighbors. Angie hall • brand manager
Lindsey Anne Baker is a former hipster-turned-fashion-columnist who’s turned into, in the natural order of things, a regular grownup (with a lasting penchant for black). She holds a degree in news-editorial journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; she’s written for the Omaha World-Herald and a host of local alternative newsweeklies. She’s currently an editor for Hayneedle, as well as a coach for Louder Than a Bomb: Great Plains, where her slam poetry students supply her with a fresh dose of hopefulness every week. Her first poetry chapbook, Fine Warm Pulse, was published by Chicago’s Dancing Girl Press in 2013; her poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in journals, including Sweet: A Literary Confection, Two Serious Ladies, Sugar House Review, and Omaha’s own burntdistrict. Chances are, if she’s not reading poetry somewhere in town, she’s at La Buvette, eating cheese, checking out what people are Linsey Baker • freelance writer
wearing. Some habits never change.
Michael Lang grew up in Ralston, Neb. dreaming up stories in the wooded area behind his house and taking art lessons from his grandfather. It wouldn’t be until after a decade in LA and an Associate of Arts degree in acting that he would find his true passion; cinematography. Michael draws inspiration from a variety of places including chess, comic books, photography, music, the outdoors, painting and of course film. Currently he owns a lighting rental company called Death Grip Electric, Inc. and a production company called Spectral Chemist that makes commercials, branded content, and narrative films. His life’s work is a pursuit of the perfect moment—that space in time when there is no past and no future...only michael lang • cinephotographer
now. Spend any time with Michael and you will quickly realize that he believes unequivocally that “light is a beautiful mistress.”
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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Siou Lab omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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CALENDAR
this is omaha for starters
THIS IS OMAHA
JERRY SEINFELD LIED CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS JANUARY 8
SHEN YUN ORPHEUM THEATER JANUARY 13-14
One of America’s premier comedians, Jerry Seinfeld, will be performing his signature stand-up routine at the Lied Center for the Performing Arts. Seinfeld has been hailed for his uncanny ability to joke about the little things in life that relate to audiences everywhere. Seinfeld returned to comedy instead of continuing his acting career. In 1998, he went on tour and recorded a comedy special, I’m Telling You for the Last Time. The process of developing and performing new material at clubs around the world was chronicled in a 2002 documentary, Comedian. Seinfeld has written several books, mostly archives of past routines. Seinfeld now sets his sights on performing both nationally and internationally in 2015.
For 5,000 years divine culture flourished in the land of China. Humanity’s treasure was nearly lost, but through breathtaking music and dance, Shen Yun is bringing back this glorious culture. Through the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales, taking you on a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese culture. Shen Yun’s stunning beauty and tremendous energy leave audiences uplifted and inspired. It features the world’s foremost classically trained dancers, a unique orchestra blending East and West, and dazzling animated backdrops—together creating one spectacular performance. Think of it as a journey into a long-lost world you cannot see anywhere else—from ancient legends to heavenly palaces to the dusty plateaus of the Middle Kingdom. You cannot even find a show like this in China, where this ancient heritage has been destroyed, but now you can experience it live on stage. For thousands of years, Chinese artists cultivated virtue, believing that to create true art worthy of the heavens, there must first be inner purity. Today, Shen Yun’s artists follow this noble tradition. The result is a performance of consummate beauty, purity, and goodness. It is a show that nourishes the soul.
Tickets $79 301 N. 12th St Lincoln, NE. 402-472-4700 liedcenter.org
Tickets $50-$120 409 S. 16th St. 402-345-0606 ticketomaha.com
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
this is omaha for starters
CALENDAR
FOR STARTERS FOUR
AMERICAN MODERNS, 1910-1960: FROM O’KEEFFE TO ROCKWELL JOSLYN ART MUSEUM FEBRUARY 8-MAY 17
The five decades between 1910 and 1960 witnessed a period of tumultuous change in American society. As the United States assumed international prominence as an economic, industrial, and military superpower, it also faced the challenges of two world wars and the Great Depression. During this time of change and upheaval, many artists rejected accepted traditions of realism and narrative, while modern European styles served as catalysts for experimentation. While some discovered new visual possibilities in the vertical architecture of skyscrapers and the streamlined shapes of machines, other artists evoked America’s small-town past to offer a sense of continuity amid the swift changes that surrounded them. American Moderns, 1910—1960: From O’Keeffe to Rockwell, an exhibition of 55 masterworks from the Brooklyn Museum, explores the ways American artists engaged this ever more modern society. Featuring work by Milton Avery, Stuart Davis, Arthur G. Dove, Marsden Hartley, Georgia O’Keeffe, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, and Max Weber, the exhibition tells the lively and vigorous story of the ways painters and sculptors sought to make their work relevant to contemporary audiences.
David Sanborn Holland Performing Arts Center February 15
One of the most commercially successful American saxophonists to earn prominence since the 1980s, Sanborn is described by critic Scott Yannow as “the most influential saxophonist on pop, R&B, and crossover players of the past 20 years.” In his three-and-a-half decade career, saxophonist David Sanborn has released 24 albums, won six Grammy Awards, and has had eight Gold albums and one Platinum album. Among his many accomplishments, Sanborn played Woodstock with Paul Butterfield, toured with Stevie Wonder, played with the Rolling Stones, and toured with David Bowie. Considered as a whole, He is an artist who pushes the limits and continues to make music that challenges the mind and goes straight to the heart. Tickets starting at $39 1200 Douglas St. 402-345-0606 ticketomaha.com
$10 general public, Free for members 2200 Dodge St. 402-342-3300 joslyn.org
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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CALENDAR
january/february 2015
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Orly Genger. Through January 11, Joslyn Art Museum – 2200 Dodge St. Orly Genger’s installations draw inspiration from across the history of art, from early 20th century masterpieces of Modern painting, to large–scale Land Art works, to the pared–down forms of Minimalist sculpture. This exhibition in the Riley CAP Gallery will feature Genger’s most recent work, which includes cast bronze sculptures, and a monumental woven sculpture. Tuesday–Wednesday & Friday–Sunday 10am – 4pm; Thursday 10am – 8pm. Free admission. 402–342–3300 – joslyn.org CARIBBEAN WAVES UP NORTH. Through January 31. El Museo Latino—4701 S. 25th St. Collective members address the universality of the immigrant experience; its crises of identity and longing for home. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 am to 5 pm; Tuesday and Thursday, 1–5 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm. $5 Adults, $3.40 Seniors and K–12; $4 College Students; Free for members. 402–731–1137. – elmuseolatino.org Linda Stephen & Iggy Sumnik Exhibits. Through February 6, Fred Simon Gallery—1004 Farnam St. Linda Stephen, origami paper artist, and ceramics artist Iggy Sumnik, present their works in this dual exhibition. 8–5pm. Free. 402–595–2142. – nebraskaartscouncil.org
Linda Stephen & Iggy Sumnik Exhibits.
ART AND MUSEUM EXHIBITS Selected Works of Cedric Hartman, Wallace Cunningham’s Reality < An Idea, and Olson Kundig: Anthology. Through January 3, 2015, Kaneko—1111 Jones St. Local artist Cedric Hartman is known for making thoughtful, idiosyncratic work in the architectural realm – and an ever–evolving array of furniture, lighting and hardware. Now 85 years old, he still works at his Omaha studio workshop every day. This exhibition at Kaneko will be the first time Hartman has curated a public exhibition of his work. Kaneko also will feature the innovative architectural designs of Wallace Cunningham (Reality < An Idea) and Olson Kundig (Anthology). Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; Sat 1–5pm. Free admission. 402–341–3800 – thekaneko.org
Andy Warhol in Living Color: Contemporary Prints from Jordan D. Schnitzer. Through January 11, Joslyn Art Museum–2200 Dodge St. This exhibit examines how color impacts both subject and viewer, creating a dialogue between Warhol and 19 contemporary artists who all use color to shape how the viewer understands images. 402–342–3300 – joslyn.org Identity: An Exhibition of You. Through January 11, Durham Museum—801 S. 10th St. What makes you…you? Find out what makes you tick in Identity: An Exhibition of You, the highly entertaining exhibit on display this fall from Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute. Children $6, Adults $9. 402–444–5071. – durhammuseum.org
calendar as of 12/09/14. Check individual organization website for updates.
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen. February 7–April 26, Durham Museum—801 S. 10th St. This exhibition from the Kent State University Museum features more than 35 costumes worn in 21 films and 6 stage productions as well as other personal items spanning Hepburn’s illustrious career. Come see how this true icon of American culture came to epitomize the modern woman of the 20th century. Children $6, Adults $9. 402–444–5071 – durhammuseum.org Andrew Borowiec. February 7–May 17, Joslyn Art Museum—2200 Dodge St. Andrew Borowiec has been photographing the changing landscape of industrial America for more than 25 years. This Riley CAP Gallery installation features both black and white images from his Along the Ohio series and color work from his recent project, Post–Industrial Rust Belt. Regular museum admission. 402–342–3300 – joslyn.org
january/february 2015
CALENDAR
JANUARY/FEBRUARY American Moderns: From O’Keeffe to Rockwell. February 8–May 17, Joslyn Art Museum—2200 Dodge St. Between 1910 and 1960, the United States emerged as an international power, while also experiencing two world wars and the Great Depression. New technologies changed all aspects of life, while the art world witnessed dramatic transformations of its own. This exhibition explores the ways American artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, Stuart Davis, Rockwell Kent, and Norman Rockwell engaged the modern world. This exhibition will have a ticket fee. Free for members, youth ages 17 and younger,
José James. January 15, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Singer/songwriter José James is regarded as an underground sensation in both the modern jazz and DJ culture. Recognized for his intoxicating blend of jazz, hip–hop, R&B and electronica. 7:30pm. $22. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com
& college students with ID. 402–342–3300 – joslyn.org
tower,” The Who’s “Pinball Wizard,” and Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart.” 7:30pm. $22. 402–345–0606 – omahasymphony.org
BAM! It’s a Picture Book: The Art Behind Graphic Novels. Through March 29, 2015, Joslyn Art Museum – 2200 Dodge St. Popular among young readers, graphic novels are known for their comic format. They are generally described as “sequential art,” where a series of illustrations tell the story, but, unlike newspaper comics, they are the length of a novel and include narrative development. This exhibition features the work of Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Mark Crilley, Matt Holm, Raina Telgemeier, and Lincoln Peirce. Tuesday–Wednesday & Friday–Sunday 10am– 4pm; Thursday 10am– 8pm. Free admission. 402–342–3300 – joslyn.org Cody Heinert Exhibit. Through April 3, Fred Simon Gallery—1004 Farnam St. Mixed media artist Cody Heinert from Sparks, NE, exhibits his collages— many made with found materials on his farmland. 8–5pm. Free. 402–595–2142 – nebraskaartscouncil.org CONCERTS JAM AND BREAD. Every Thursday beginning January 1. Western Historic Trails Center— 3434 Richard Downing Ave., Council Bluffs. Gather for great historic, old–time, or folk music “jam” plus jam and bread. Acoustic instruments only, voices welcome! Free. 1–4 pm Thursdays. 712–366–4900. – iowahistory.org/sites Bach: More or Less. January 11, Joslyn Art Museum – 2200 Dodge St. A Bach bounty featuring the pinnacle of the Baroque, Johann Sebastian, and his musically successful sons Johann Christian and Carl Philipp Emanuel, with a dash of Peter Shickele’s humorous modern invention, P.D.Q. 2pm. $36. 402–345–0606 – omahasymphony.org
discover
MONTESSORI
A Night at Woodstock. January 17, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Experience the music that defined an era with watershed classics from Woodstock, including Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love,” Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watch-
Symphonic Space Odyssey. January 18, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Blast off from earth, travel to distant stars, and explore new galaxies. A visual and musical journey through the wonders of space, the concert will feature larger than life visuals from NASA above the orchestra. 2pm. $15. 402–345–0606 – omahasymphony.org Cold War Kids. January 22, Slowdown – 729 N. 14th St. Watch Cold War Kids perform with Elliot Moss. Anyone under 18 years of age must have notarized parental permission slip to attend a concern. Everyone who enters Slowdown must have an ID. Tickets $22. 8pm. 402–345–7569 – theslowdown.com Northern Lights Festival. January 23–24, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. “The Inextinguishable” Northern Lights blaze with poetic and passionate works by the three pillars of Scandinavian music. Each night features a unique program, including a concerto performed by a rising star of classical music. 7:30pm. Tickets start at $19. 402–345–0606 – omahasymphony.org The Music of Marvin Hamlisch: One Singular Sensation. January 31–February 1, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Nobody did it better than Marvin Hamlisch, award–winning composer of A Chorus Line, The Way We Were and The Sting. Stars of the Broadway stage join the orchestra to pay tribute to the legendary songwriter and performer. 7:30pm, 2pm. Tickets start at $22. 402–345–0606 – omahasymphony.org
185th & West Maple 72nd & Center 39th & Harney 126th & Pacific
Call for a tour! 402-393-1311 www.OmahaMontessori.com omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Chicago Symphony Orchestra. February 6, Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St, Lincoln, NE — Hailed as the top American orchestra by international music authority Gramophone Magazine, experience the majesty of Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony along with songs by Richard Strauss and Franz Schubert in this remarkable concert. Leading baritone soloist Matthias Goerne joins the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s for their Lincoln debut. 7:30pm. Starting at $50. 402–472–4700 – liedcenter.org Haydn’s London Symphony. February 8, Joslyn Art Museum – 2200 Dodge St. “London” Music for a tragedy and a comedy set the stage for a horn concerto by W.A. Mozart’s father and Papa Haydn’s masterful final symphony. 2pm. $36. 402–345–0606 – omahasymphony.org GAELIC STORM. February 13. The Arts Center at Iowa Western—2700 College Road, Council Bluffs. Over the course of 10 albums and nearly 3,000 live shows,
Gaelic Storm—the chart–topping, multi–national Celtic band—is dishing up a hearty serving of Full Irish: The Best of Gaelic Storm. Adults, $32; Students and Seniors, $29. 712–388–7140. – http://www.facebook.com/ artscenteriwcc Pixar in Concert. February 14, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Treat your family to favorite scenes from Disney/Pixar films, including Toy Story, Wall–E, Up, and Brave – all with the scores played live while visually stunning clips from the movies play on the big screen. 7:30pm. Tickets starting at $22. 402–345–0606 – omahasymphony.org David Sanborn. February 15, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. In his three–and–a–half decade career, saxophonist David Sanborn has released 24 albums, won six Grammy Awards, and has had eight Gold albums and one Platinum album. Among his many accomplishments, Sanborn played Woodstock with Paul Butterfield, toured with Stevie Wonder, played with the
Ladysmith black mambazo
calendar as of 12/09/14. Check individual organization website for updates.
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Rolling Stones, and toured with David Bowie. 7pm. Tickets starting at $39. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com Ladysmith Black Mambazo. February 20, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. South African a capella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo is celebrating 50 years of joyous and uplifting music, along with the 2014 Grammy Award for Best World Music CD. The intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African traditions continue to gain praise and accolades, leaving impressions on audiences worldwide. 8pm. $34.75. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com THOMAS’S ADVENTURES IN MUSIC. February 22. Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Thomas Wilkins takes you on an exhilarating journey full of energy and fun, straight into the heart and soul of music. 2 pm. $15. 402–345–0606. http://www. omahasymphony.org
calendar january/february 2015
APPAREL, ACCESSORIES & SPECIALTY Ann Taylor Anthropologie Borsheims Christian Nobel Furs Evereve Francesca’s Collections Garbo’s Salon & Spa Learning Express Toys LOFT Parsow’s Fashions Pottery Barn Pottery Barn Kids Rhylan Lang The Linen Gallery Tilly White House|Black Market Williams-Sonoma
Randy Brecker. February 27, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Jazz trumpeter and composer Randy Brecker has helped shape the sound of jazz, R&B, and rock for more than four decades. As multi–Grammy winner, Brecker has worked with a wide range of artists from his early work with Blood, Sweat & Tears and the bands of Horace Silver and Art Blakey, to his co–leadership of the Brecker Brothers Band with his brother Michael. 8pm. $22. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com FAMILY & MORE Sesame Street Live. January 2–4, CenturyLink Center Omaha. – 455 N. 10th St. Sesame Street Live are live show tours based on the much–loved Sesame Street television series. The shows feature the Muppet characters, original music and professional dancers. The Sesame Street Live Shows are something the under–six crowd will be smiling about for a long time. After all, here are their much beloved television characters come to life right in front of their very eyes. 8pm. $21–$117. 402–341–1500 – centurylinkcenteromaha.com
DINING Bonefish Grill Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Paradise Bakery & Cafe
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enLIGHTen: An Illumination of the Forest & Mind. Through January 3, 2015, Fontenelle Forest—1111 Bellevue Blvd. This fall, experience a transformation of nature with glowing colors and visitor–controlled pop–up stations. Vibrant lighting designs build the stops on a one–of–a–kind interactive, educational journey of the Forest and Mind. 5:30–9pm. Nonmembers: Children $8, Adults $10; Members: Children $4, Adults $5. 402–731–3140 – fontenelleforest.org Holiday Poinsettia Show. Through January 4, 2015, Lauritzen Gardens–100 Bancroft St. Thousands of poinsettias bursting with rich, vibrant color fill the floral display hall in a glowing tribute to the holidays during the spectacular holiday poinsettia show. 9am– 5pm, $3–$7. 402–346–4002 – lauritzengardens.org Jerry Seinfeld. January 8, Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St, Lincoln, NE —America’s premier comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, will be performing his signature stand–up routine. Seinfeld has been hailed for his uncanny ability to joke about the little things in life that relate to audiences everywhere. Seinfeld now sets his sights on performing both nationally and internationally in 2015. 7pm. Starting at $64. 402–472–4700 – liedcenter.org
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ballroom with a twist
STANDING ON CEREMONY: THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS. January 8–17, Blue Barn Theatre – 614 S. 11th St. Two little words, and suddenly the whole world changes. An A–list lineup of writers offers unique takes on the moments before, during and after “I do.” Witty, warm and occasionally wacky, these plays are vows to the blessings of equality, the universal challenges of relationships and the often hilarious power of love. $25. 402–345–1576 – bluebarn.org BALLOONACY. January 10–31, The Rose Theater—2001 Farnam St. Back by popular demand, Balloonacy explores the power of friendship. A solitary old man is steady in his silent routine until a mischievous balloon finds him and insists on becoming his friend. Through all the ups and downs of a new relationship, the balloon teaches the old man to play again. This sweet and inventive tale is packed with physical comedy especially suited for very young audiences. You don’t want to miss this charming, award–winning play. Starting at $10. 402–345–4849 – rosetheater.org
HOT CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO. January 17, Arts Center, Iowa Western Community College—2700 College Road, Council Bluffs. Imagine yourself in the idyllic French countryside in the 1930’s. Sometime before dark, a gypsy caravan sets up camp in a field outside of town, luring the locals out for an evening’s fun. The wanderers travel with a film projector, pointing it at the side of a barn. As the images flicker to life beneath the stars, gypsy musicians play their guitars and fiddles, matching every movement on the screen with characteristic virtuosity, passion and humor. Reviving this lost entertainment, The Hot Club of San Francisco presents Cinema Vivant, an evening of vintage silent films accompanied by live gypsy swing. 8 pm. $30 712–388–7140. – artscenter@iwcc.edu Ballroom With a Twist. January 21, Orpheum Theater– 409 S. 16th St. “Ballroom with a Twist” brings a frenzy of dance numbers featuring Dancing with the Stars pros along with So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol finalists. This ballroom production, spiced with hip–hop and a few surprises, makes for an exciting
calendar as of 12/09/14. Check individual organization website for updates.
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family–friendly evening. 7:30pm. Tickets starting at $51.75. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com Dinosaur Train LIVE! January 23, Orpheum Theater– 409 S. 16th St. Dinosaur Train Live! Buddy’s Big Adventure brings the beloved stars of the hit PBS series to Omaha for the first time. Come join Buddy, Tiny, King, Don, and more in this fun–filled, interactive and immersive lie trip back in time to an age when dinosaurs roamed the earth…and rode in trains. 7pm. Tickets starting at $22. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com Buffalo Bill’s Cowboy Band. January 23– February 8, The Rose Theater—2001 Farnam St. Buffalo Bill was an adventurer, cowboy, buffalo hunter, Pony Express rider, and showman. He was so famous a city was named after him: Cody, Wyoming. In that town a hotel was named after his beloved daughter Irma. On a long train trip from Omaha, where his Wild West show started, to the Irma Hotel, Buffalo Bill tells his daughter his story. $18 for nonmembers. 402–345–4849 – rosetheater.org
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144th St.
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14406 Harrison St. • Omaha, NE 68138 • 402.403.5735 www.OmahaDentists.net omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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john targalia’s IMAGINOCEAN
49th Annual Omaha Home & Garden Expo / 16th Annual Lawn, Flower & Patio Show. February 5–8, CenturyLink Center Omaha – 455 N. 10th St. Step out of Winter and into Spring at Omaha’s most colorful and largest showcase of landscaping, home–gardens and outdoor living, as well as the latest products and services for the home– inside and out. Adults $8, children $4. 402–341–1500 – centurylinkcenteromaha.com
Extreme Planet. February 10, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Take an electrifying journey into some of our planet’s most extreme environments with Carsten Peter. The German photographer and filmmaker is enthusiastically obsessed with devising innovative photographic techniques that allow him to capture dramatic, never–before–seen images of places few humans have dared ever go. 7:30pm. $22. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com
Sinbad. February 6, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Ranked by Comedy Central as one of the top 100 stand–up comedians of all time, Sinbad tells stories, and boy, does he tell stories. The actor and comedian arrived on the comedy scene with a “hit ‘em in the face” style that has kept audiences laughing in the aisles for decades. 8pm. Tickets starting at $39. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com
LOWERED EXPECTATIONS. February 13–March 7, Apollon–1801 Vinton St. Let’s face it—modern romance is a disaster. At this themed performance, food, and art event we’ll examine Cupid’s domain in an OKCupid world. No one will be spared. Online dating, matchmaking services, speed dating...if you’ve been looking for love through Craigslist Missed Connections, we will find you and, let’s be honest, we will probably laugh at you. Lowered Expectations continues the Apollon’s tradition of anti–Valentine offerings. Doors 7pm, Event 7:30. Tickets $35. 402–884–0315 – apollonomaha.com
calendar as of 12/09/14. Check individual organization website for updates.
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John Targalia’s IMAGINOCEAN. February 19, Orpheum Theater– 409 S. 16th St. A one–of–a–kind black–light puppet show, John Tartaglia’s ImaginOncean is a magical undersea adventure for kids of all ages. Jam– packed with music ranging from swing to R&B to Big Band, John Tartaglia’s ImaginOcean is a blast from first big splash to the last wave goodbye. 7:00pm. Tickets starting at $22. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com BAD JEWS by Joshua Elias Harmon. February 19–March 14, Blue Barn Theatre – 614 S. 11th St. Described as a comedy about the holy and the holier–than–thou, Bad Jews is the story of Daphna Feygenbaum, a “Real Jew” with an Israeli boyfriend she met on a Birthright tour. When Daphna’s cousin Liam brings home his shiksa girlfriend Melody and declares ownership of their grandfather’s Chai necklace, a vicious and hilarious brawl over family, faith, and legacy ensues. $30. 402–345–1576 – bluebarn.org
calendar january/february 2015
ZEN TIES. February 20–March 8, The Rose Theater—2001 Farnam St. When Koo the Panda visits her uncle, Stillwater, he offers her a special challenge: LISTEN. In the quiet, they discover people are not always what they seem. With Stillwater’s positive influence, children in his neighborhood learn there may be more to mean old Mrs. Whittaker’s story than they thought. A gentle tale about patience and compassion, Zen Ties will make you remember how much wisdom can come of simple mindfulness. Starting at $18. 402–345–4849 – rosetheater.org The Second City. February 26, Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St, Lincoln, NE. The world’s top sketch and improv comedy troupe returns to the Lied. This hilarious cast of comedians joins a long line of former Second City performers who have gone on to superstar status including John Belushi, Bill Murray, Steve Carell, Tina Fey, and Stephen Colbert. The Second City comedians take on all the news that’s fit to twist, served with a side of famous Chicago–style improv. 7:30pm. Starting at $20. 402–472–4700 – liedcenter.org From Field to Fork. Through April 2015, Omaha Children’s Museum–500 S. 20th St. Exhibit teaches kids and their families all about the role of agriculture in their daily lives and what is produced in Nebraska. $9, free admission for kids under 24 months of age. 402–930–2352 – ocm.org PERFORMING ARTS Shen Yun. January 13–14, Orpheum Theater– 409 S. 16th St. 5,000 years of civilization on stage. This is the world’s premiere of the classical Chinese dance and music company based in New York. 7:30pm. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com ANYTHING GOES. January 23–24, Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St., Lincoln. All aboard for one of the greatest musicals in theater history. Anything Goes is the winner of three 2011 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and Choreography. Peppering this Cole Porter comedy are some of musical theater’s most memorable standards, including “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” and of course, “Anything Goes.” 7:30 pm, Jan. 23; 2 pm, Jan 24. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS CAMELOT. January 27–February 1, Orpheum Theater– 409 S. 16th St. The four–time Tony Award–winning show Camelot tells the story of the infamous love triangle between King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot. Never has this story of passion and betrayal been more fascinating. 8pm. Tickets starting at $72.50. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com DIAVOLO. February 3, Lied Center for Performing Arts – 301 N. 12th St., Lincoln. Brace yourself as Diavolo pushes the boundaries of dance with explosive choreography and colossal set pieces. Artistic Director Jacques Heim of Cirque du Soleil’s KÀ cleverly mixes acrobatics and architectural engineering into a thrilling and gravity–defying performance. 7:30 pm. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org HANDS ON A HARDBODY. February 13–March 22, Omaha Community Playhouse—6915 Cass St. How much will a group of hard–luck Texans endure to win a pickup truck? When a local dealership offers a free Nissan Hardbody to the last person standing in a competition of mental and physical endurance, heart and determination, only the strong survive. The rules are simple: don’t take your hand off the truck. Only one winner can drive away with the American Dream. As hours turn into days, the American spirit shines in this inspiring and humorous musical based on a true story. Full of catchy Gospel and Country Western hits, this wildly entertaining, yet endearing musical will renew your faith in the human spirit. 402–553–0800 – omahaplayhouse.com
CAMELOT
THE MIRACLE WORKER. January 23 through February 8, The Bellevue Little Theatre – 203 W. Mission, Bellevue. The true story of teacher Annie Sullivan and her volatile relationship with the blind and mute student Helen Keller. Trapped in a silent world, unable to communicate, Helen is spoiled and violent. Only Annie has the heart to realize that there is a mind and a spirit to be rescued. Physical and emotional, Annie’s success comes with Helen’s first wonderful word, “Water.” 7:30 pm, Friday and Saturday; 2 pm, Sunday. Adults $15, Seniors $13, Students $9. 402–291–1554. – bellevuelittletheatre.com
LITTLE WOMEN. January 23–February 22, Omaha Community Playhouse—6915 Cass St. Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy, guided by their beloved Marmee, are more different than any sisters could be. With their father off to war, the women find strength in themselves and each other to endure heartache and loss and celebrate joys and accomplishments. Experience this timeless, beloved, literary classic as an exhilarating musical with stunning production elements and a powerful score. Share laughter and tears with your entire family in this can’t–miss production. 402–553–0800 – omahaplayhouse.com
calendar as of 12/09/14. Check individual organization website for updates.
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SWAN LAKE: THE SUZANNE FARRELL BALLET. February 14, Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St, Lincoln, NE — Balanchine’s legendary muse Suzanne Farrell brings her ballet company from the Kennedy Center to Nebraska for the first time. A performance of Balanchine’s Swan Lake headlines the evening. This one–act enchanting story is performed to the original Tchaikovsky score. The program also includes Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Agon. 7:30pm. Starting at $29. 402–472–4700 – liedcenter.org HOT SARDINES. February 17. Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Celebrate Mardi Gras with the sounds of the Hot Sardines—wartime Paris via New Orleans —is steeped in hot jazz and salty stride piano. The space is transformed into a comfortable nightclub with table seating, light fare, and a full bar. Tickets: $26 and up. 402–345–0606. – omahaperformingarts.org
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calendar january/february 2015
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NATALIA MAGNICABALLI IN SWAN LAKE. PHOTO BY ROSALIE O’CONNOR. IMAGE COURTESY OF BALETT ARIZONA
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Omaha’s First Brewing Company with Unique Jalapeño and Indian Pale Ale Beer. Thank You Omaha for Voting us the Best Indian Resturant for 9 Years! Lunch: Thurs. & Fri. - 11am to 2pm Dinner: Sun. to Thurs. - 5pm to 9:30pm Fri. & Sat. - 5pm to 10:30pm Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. February 19, Orpheum Theater– 409 S. 16th St. The brilliant contemporary Aspen Santa Fe Ballet returns to Omaha with a stunning new production featuring the Square None. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet personifies unique modern dance style and broad appeal. 7:30pm. Tickets starting at $26.25. 402–345–0606 – ticketomaha.com
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THE CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES IN THE LAST (POTLUCK) SUPPER. February 21. The Arts Center at Iowa Western—2700 College Road, Council Bluffs. The Church Basement Ladies in The Last (Potluck) Supper is the fifth installment of the national hit musical comedy series. 2 pm and 8 pm. Adults, $35, Students and Seniors, $32. 712–388–7140. –http://www.facebook. com/artscenteriwcc
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OBVIOUSLY OMAHA
omaha magazine
Historic Buildings of the Old Market A walking tour part III
Union Station, 1931 Now: The Durham Museum 801 South 10th Street
M
ore than 40,000 people came on Jan. 15, 1931, for the dedication of Omaha’s
A
rguably the most iconic
structure of the Old Market is Union Station, built in 1931 to accommodate the booming rail travel in the region. Today, the Union Pacific’s once bustling station stands as a testament to our city’s passion for preserving the historic structures of the city, particularly those of the Old Market. When the abandoned station faced the wrecking ball in 1973, a group of civic leaders formed the Western Heritage Society with not only a vision of saving the structure, but of turning it into the premiere history museum in the region. That passion for saving Omaha’s historic gems can also be seen in the other buildings featured in the third installment of our walking tour of the Old Market. From the Overland Hotel to the Poppleton Block, each of these structures not only has a storied past, but a very bright future. Old Market Historic Tour The Old Market is filled with historic sites and buildings. Several of these have been specifically identified and researched. As a result, an Old Market Historic Walking Tour, with plaques identifying points of interest, was created in 2003. Audio Walking Tour Download Download the podcast for the Old Market audio tour by searching “Omaha’s Old Market Walking Tour” on iTunes. 28
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Union Station, an Art Deco masterpiece intended to convey “the distinctive character of the railroad — strength, power, masculinity.” The structure was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the noted chief consulting architect for Union Pacific Railroad and later, the National Park Service. During World War II as many as 64 passenger trains carrying 10,000 soldiers and civilians passed through the station each day. Passenger service declined through the 1950s and 1960s, and Union Station closed its doors in the spring of 1971. Union Pacific donated the building to the City of Omaha in 1973. That year, the Western Heritage Society was formed to preserve the building and to establish a museum. Today, Union Station is home to The Durham Museum, which features first-class exhibits preserving the region’s history as well as traveling exhibits from national partners such as the Smithsonian Institution, the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and the Field Museum covering a vast array of fascinating subjects.
The Overland Hotel, 1889 Now: Ashley,s Collectibles 1218 Howard Street
T
he Overland Hotel originally was a two-story building with the main floor in
1889 occupied by P.J. Karbach & Sons, builder of carriages, donkey carts, and wagons for vendors of Jobbers Canyon and early businesses. Workers from these businesses, and from the Union Pacific Railroad, occupied the upper level hotel rooms. Around 1934, the Barrel House Saloon occupied the main floor corner. Affordable Piano & Organ Company and the Nebraska Department of Labor came in the 1940s. Randy Ashley, the current owner, has renovated the main floor, exposing the building’s beautiful, original staircase.
OBVIOUSLY OMAHA
photos courtesy of the bostwick/frohardt collection of the durham museum
Poppleton Block, 1880 Now: Omaha Visitors Center 1001 Farnam Street
T
he three-story Italianate
Aquila Court, 1923 Now: Magnolia Hotel 1615 Howard Street
B
uilt in 1923, the Aquila Court building was designed by the architectural firm
Holabird & Roche and built by Chicago financier Chester Cook. The building was named to honor Chester’s grandfather, and the faces of George and Aquila Cook are featured on the front of the building. The large, U-shaped structure is constructed of Bedford limestone and contains Tennessee marble floors and a Brazilian cherrywood lobby. The building design was based on the Bargello, a palace in Florence, Italy. In 1974, it was named to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, Magnolia Hotels purchased Aquila Court. Today, Magnolia Hotel Omaha is a 145-room boutique hotel.
Poppleton Block was constructed in 1880 for a prominent Omaha attorney, Andrew Jackson Poppleton, who was the second Mayor of the City of Omaha. His most famous case was the defense of Chief Standing Bear. The case set the legal precedent of treating Native Americans “as persons under the law.” The Poppleton Block is significant as a fine example of the High Victorian Italianate style of architecture popular in the Midwest during the latter part of the 19th century. The Poppleton Block was known as the “most elegant and commodious building in the City of Omaha.” The building today is home to the Omaha Visitors Center.
Windsor Hotel, 1885 to 1887 Now: Windsor Square Apartments, Curb appeal salon & the tavern 520 to 524 South 10th Street
T
he Windsor Hotel, designed in
the Italianate style, was constructed in two phases — the east wing was completed in 1885, and an addition to the west was finished by 1887. It was designed to be a workingman’s hotel, and, with its proximity to both the Union and Burlington train stations, it became known as a railroader’s hotel. The Windsor overlooked the stalls of the noisy open-air Public Market to its west from 1903 until the Market folded in 1964. Renamed the Windsor Inn, it was the last hotel in operation in the Old Market when it closed on June 30, 1979. In 1985, Emil Vohoska and Pete Drake completed their renovation of the building as the Windsor Square Apartments. OMAG omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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FACES
John Lajba Exploring the Human Condition
A
greater depth. That’s what
Omaha-based artist John Lajba focuses on when creating his varied body of work. No matter how compellingly lifelike or profoundly abstract, it’s the human condition—with all its emotions and complexities—that he strives to explore. 30
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
“Emotion is the most important to me, whether it’s figurative or not,” emphasizes Lajba. “I look at my work as a journey more than anything.” This journey and sense of heightened emotion are evident in one of his most famous and readily recognizable sculptures, >
by kim carpenter • photography by bill sitzmann
faces john lajba
< the TD Ameritrade Park Omaha “Road to Omaha,” which portrays the joy a winning team experiences after the last out of a College World Series. “You come to Omaha as a player, and it’s about what it takes to get here, what it takes to get to that level,” the sculptor says. “You think of the conversations in the buses—‘Hey, we’re almost to Omaha!’ I wanted to celebrate this.” Other works are similarly moving. He’s created sculptures for over a dozen Omaha parishes, including St. Cecilia’s, as well as several works for the St. Benedict Center in Schuyler, NE. One includes a font that requires visitors to reach into rocklike crevices to touch the holy water, thus interacting directly with the piece. Another depicts the Virgin Mary standing upon the universe fittingly emerging from a cluster of Nebraska cornhusks. Her face is serene, and her gaze focuses directly on the viewer—contrary to the usual depiction of her with piously downcast eyes. Despite such seemingly perfect sculptures, Lajba concentrates on life’s imperfections. “I work on body posture and focus on very small subtleties, like the curve of scoliosis,” he says. “People have gone through life, which is very beautiful, but also very challenging both physically and emotionally. I like to get at what that person is about and show that we’re not perfect human beings.” Even his abstract luminous black square honoring the philanthropist Phil Schrager demonstrates his ongoing exploration of the human experience. Situated in Temple Israel’s courtyard, the sculpture emphasizes the essence of the late art collector. “I didn’t want to make a bust,” he says. “I wanted to show how collecting art gave him energy and how his life touched a lot of people.” While the majority of Lajba’s sculptures are unique—he typically doesn’t recast—he’s created one of the same works for 18 years: the winning trophy for the Daytona 500 held in February, which is painstakingly made over several months. “It’s always exciting for me,” he notes. “The drivers are tense and full of adrenaline, and when they win the trophy, it means so much to them.” Despite this reproduction, Lajba focuses on a common theme throughout all his works—life’s journey. “I don’t set out with an outcome,” says the sculptor. “I like to see how things evolve. I try not to have a point of view, and I don’t have the answers when I start. I like to discover.” OMAG 32
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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ART + CULTURE • MEDIA
by claire martin • photography by bill sitzmann
Jeff Koterba Drawing you in for a quarter century.
P
olitical statements in
Omaha, it would seem, don’t originate solely from behind a podium or during photo ops. For Omaha World-Herald editorial cartoonist Jeff Koterba, his catalog of more than 7,200 cartoons means he has an important voice on the political stage. “I want to be part of the discussion, the great conversation,” Koterba says. “I’m like >
Scan the page with the LayAR app to view a video of Jeff Koterba. omaha magazine • january/february 2015
33
art + culture • media jeff koterba
< anyone else reading the paper or paying attention to the news. I just happen to be able to draw about it.” Koterba, whose 25-year cartoon collection Koterba: Drawing You In hit stores last fall, has drawn editorial cartoons for the WorldHerald since 1989. Although initially a sports cartoonist for the Kansas City Star, Koterba confesses he has a “bigger world in his head” than just athletics. Politics, for him, was the next logical step. “I’m always trying to find not just the middle-ground,” he explains, “but a third or fourth way of looking at an issue. I get really sick of looking at right versus left, red versus blue. I try to go beyond the visible, predictable route.” Which, predictably, provokes some backlash: “I piss off both sides of the aisle frequently.” Koterba admits that he receives a fair amount of both fan mail and hate mail, but both have occasionally been cause to reassess his position on specific topics—topics that Koterba brainstorms from sometimes the oddest of angles. “I try to find inspiration in places beyond the obvious,” Koterba says. “It might be reading the side of a cereal box, listening in on a conversation in a coffee shop, or going to a concert. I never know where an idea might come from.” That diversity of ideas might come easier for Koterba, given the versatile life he leads. His rockabilly/swing/blues band, the Prairie Cats, although currently on hiatus, have released three albums. He’s the author of two previous cartoon collections and has penned a memoir. He even survived a lightning strike in high school. Koterba’s subjects of drawing can range anywhere from ebola to Huskers football to the Omaha weather, but he tries not to be predictable. For him, substance rather than technique is the “meat and potatoes” of any given cartoon. “There are plenty of people out there that can draw way better than I can, but if you don’t have a concept or substance, the drawing falls flat. It’s empty,” Koterba says. “I’d much rather have a great idea. Drawing is sort of like the frosting on the cake.” Koterba’s verve, then, is perhaps his strongest asset. “I try to find some different takes on things,” he says. “I try to keep it fresh.” OMAG
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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story by carol by crissey • photography nigrelli • byphotography bill sitzmannby bill sitzmann
T
SPORTS
he schtick never gets old.
It happens every time the University of Nebraska-Omaha men’s hockey team scores its first goal at a home game: Greg McVey comes rolling onto the ice driving what appears to be a miniature Zamboni, executes a wheelie or two, scoops up a frozen fish that’s been tossed onto the ice (as the opposing team’s goalie “fishes” the puck from the back of the net), then steers the quirky contraption back through an opening in the boards and disappears. The crowd at the CenturyLink Center Omaha roars its approval of the sideshow—and the UNO goal. >
The Mavboni Guy Greg McVey adds humor to Mavericks hockey.
omaha magazine • january/february 2014
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< “Once the fish is thrown,” explains McVey, “I’ve got to get in and out of there fast, driving around four refs and 10 players, so I don’t hold up the game. Complicating matters, he adds that “I never know if the dang thing is going to steer right.” The “dang thing,” designed and built by McVey, made its on-ice debut in January 2003 when the Mavs hosted Ohio State at the old Civic Auditorium under then-head coach Mike Kemp. Dubbed the “Mavboni” by McVey’s fellow Red Army hockey boosters, the nifty fish-retrieval vehicle quickly became part of the whole hockey experience. Well, usually, that is. “Four times in 236 home games the first goal never came,” says McVey, who lives in Lincoln. “They were shut out. Only four times. Impressive.” The Mavboni demonstrates McVey’s evolution as a tinkerer. The Norfolk, Neb. native spent 14 years assembling and racing go-karts. He chased national and world championships all over the country, running on dirt tracks at 105 miles per hour. Later on, an episode of “Monster Garage” inspired McVey to build a motorized bar stool. “Just what everyone needs,” he deadpans, though he sold quite a few in two years. With motors, steel tracks, and tires filling his basement, the life-long hockey fan thought building a shrunken ice-resurfacing machine would bring a laugh at tailgate parties. While McVey is a fan of all things “silly and meaningless,” Coach Kemp looked for gimmicks to lure fans to his young hockey program. In fact, it was Kemp who came up with the fish throw soon after the Mavs played their first game in 1997. He got the idea after he was hit in the head by a flying salmon during a hockey game in Anchorage, Alaska, while an assistant coach at Wisconsin. Is there any doubt the two men would eventually team up? “I was going to my weekly radio show at DJ’s Dugout in Miracle Hills around 2002 when I saw this really neat Zamboni thing racing around the parking lot,” recalls Kemp, now UNO’s associate athletic director. “I said to somebody, ‘we’ve got to get that out on the ice.’” When UNO hockey moves to its new arena in Aksarben in October, the Mavboni will also make the move. “Even after all these years, every time I see it I smile,” says Kemp. Thanks to Greg McVey, thousands of hockey fans can say the same thing. OMAG
B2 B
sports greg mcvey
2 012 • W
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8123 Christensen Lane • Omaha 68122 • www.abestrash.com
GEN O
by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann
Aguek Arop get s a helping hand (make that head) from BFF Leah Huerta
Aguek Arop “All In” For Coach Tim Miles and Nebraska Basketball
A
guek Arop will blow out
the candles on three more birthday cakes before he dons a Big Red basketball jersey for the first time. The 15-year-old Omaha South sophomore is the youngest player ever to commit to the University of Nebraska basketball program. In the meantime, he will be recuperating from another kind of blowout—this one to his knee. Arop suffered a season-ending injury in a recent pre-season practice. > omaha magazine • january/february 2015
37
gen o aguek arop
< At least his downtime will give the native of South Sudan an opportunity to work on rehabilitating his nickname. “You know the scene in the old Disney movie where Bambi slips and slides on the ice?” asks South High Coach Bruce Chubick Sr. in describing the vision of a spindly, wobbly, all-elbows-and-knees form of chaotic locomotion. “He seems to spend most of every practice on the floor,” Chubick adds with a chuckle. “Part of it is his all-out style of play and part of it is the fact that his other senses haven’t caught up with the fact that he has grown so rapidly to…almost 6-foot-5 now. We hope he has a couple more inches to go before he hits Lincoln.” Arop, flashing a wry grin, explains that coach has it all wrong. “My nickname—the one I like—is just Gwookie. That’s all…just Gwookie,” says the young man whose name is pronounced uh-GWOOK uh-ROPE. “Coach is always joking with me that I need to ‘watch out for the line,’” as if the white grid outline of the court’s floor were some insurmountable obstacle to vault. “I run hard. I play hard. Sometimes I end up on the floor,” he adds with a so-what’s-the-big-deal shrug. Living down a nickname and learning to get around in a cast may seem like significant challenges for any teen, but that’s nothing compared to the danger Arop and his family faced in war-torn South Sudan before fleeing to find refuge in the United States before eventually settling in Omaha. “I never could have seen myself here and in this position when I was a little kid,” Arop says. “I started playing basketball in the 4th grade after we got here and now it is really important to me to be successful. I went down to Lincoln when I was in 8th grade. I was already excited about the program and coach, and that was all it took to know I wanted to play for Coach Tim Miles” (see related story on page 172). Arop is a polite, well-mannered sort of young man, but that doesn’t mean he is incapable of some playful theatrics. He revealed his decision to commit to Nebraska in a meeting with Miles in Lincoln. With his parents in tow, bear hugs all-around followed after Arop dramatically peeled off one T-shirt to reveal another. “It said ‘All In’ on that shirt,” Arop beamed. “I’m all in for Coach Miles and Husker basketball.” OMAG
38
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann
Kianna Ibis basketball dreams
T
GEN O
he Omaha Benson Magnet School girls basketball program has a preseason tradition involving a pizza-fueled sleepover on the eve of the first game. Senior Kianna Ibis, who will play for Arizona State next season after graduation, is now preparing for what is the equivalent of a four-year “sleepover” as she looks ahead to Arizona State University after graduating from Benson. >
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
39
gen o kianna ibis
< “The weather,” Ibis quipped on a recent and particularly frigid afternoon when the senior was asked what she’s most looking forward to as she anticipates life in sunny Tempe. “The campus is beautiful. The program is great and I love the coaching staff. They are just amazing. They are like a family down there, just like we are here at Benson.” Ibis averaged 20.2 points and 15.2 rebounds last year as she propelled the 26-2 Bunnies to their first girls basketball championship in the school’s 110-year history. Among her many honors is her selection to the First Team All-State squad in each of the past two seasons. She was the only player from the metro named to last year’s First Team roster. “For Benson she means we have another chance at a run for the state title,” says Benson co-coach Pat Holston. “For Arizona State she means that they get someone with the potential to develop into an All-American-caliber player. Kianna is not only a great shooter, but she’s also a great defender. She’s a complete athlete…the total package. She means a lot to any team she’s on.” The long and lanky 6-footer is known for a spin move that has the ability to leave defenders in a heady daze. It’s a parquet floor ballet that most often results in a pair of points coming as a result of her deadly left-handed hook shot. If her dietary regimen is any indication, it’s a good bet that Ibis may have an inch or two to gain before her Pac-12 career is over. “Food is one of my guilty pleasures,” says the standout recruit who gets pumped for a game listening to R&B. “A whole bag of Cheetos in one sitting. A container of ice cream. Just the usual, normal stuff,” she winks. “To win state for the first time in school history was huge,” explains Ibis, a Sioux City native whose local impact was immediate when she started as a freshman for Benson. When the buzzer sounded as the Bunnies topped Bellevue West 47-43 in last year’s championship game, Ibis says she didn’t know quite how to react. “It took a while for it to sink in,” says Ibis, who is known simply as “Kee” by her teammates. “The thing I’ll never forget…the tears of joy.” OMAG
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
by sarah wengert • photography by bill sitzmann
GEN O
Kelli Schilken Carol of the Belles
I
n
many
ways
Kelli Schilken is just like other teens. The bubbly 17-year-old loves music, hanging with friends, making friendship bracelets, and playing video games. However, there are also differences between Kelli and her peers. Few 17-year-olds, for example, have started college, and fewer yet can tell you stories about the time the band she’s in with her mom opened for music legend Kenny Rogers. “I kind of grew up backstage,” Kelli says in observing the four-part harmonies of Mulberry Lane. That’s Jaymie Schilkens’ (her mother and Belles & Whistles bandmate) former ensemble with her three sisters. >
Scan the page with the LayAR app to view more photos of Kelli Schilken. omaha magazine • january/february 2015
41
gen o kelli schilken
< “Having those experiences as a child inspired me and helped me hear harmonies,” Kelli says. This Belle doesn’t fall far from the family tree. Kelli got her start in local theater (including a seven-year run in A Christmas Carol at the Omaha Community Playhouse) and high school show choir. Belles & Whistles began in 2011, when the stage manager at her mom’s solo Red Sky gig—a former Judds’ road manager—suggested they bring Kelli onstage. Fittingly, Kelli says The Judds are “a big inspiration to us.” Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, and Ed Sheeran are also musical influences. Kelli calls their sound “a mix of old and new country, with strong harmonies.” Music News Nashville’s Janet Goodman observed that their vocals “blend like sweet churned butter on a hot stove.” Speaking of Nashville, the duo visited there last fall to meet with labels and record two new songs there. After Belles & Whistles opened for Kenny Rogers at the 2014 Kentucky State Fair, he said they’d “pleasantly surprised” him. “At the end of our set, we actually got a standing ovation,” says Kelli, beaming. Kelli graduated early from Westside High School and is now enrolled at UNO. With a love of science, she’s taking chemistry, psychology, and also a music course “just to get started” on her higher education. She must also carve out time for her busy music schedule. “This last year I’ve really learned to balance things,” says Kelli, who thrives on busyness. Kelli and Jaymie’s relationship is multifaceted. “There’s the regular, ‘Hey mom, what’s for dinner?’ side,” says Kelli. “On the other hand, [the band] is an equal partnership. She’s great at treating me like an equal. We’ve always been close and she’s one of my best friends. I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else.” While Kelli loves performing, she says the best is when people approach her with how special the music is to them; how they relate to it, how it influences and effects their lives. “We try to write songs with meaning,” Kelli says. “Knowing that things we’ve written have touched people is really cool.” At the end of the day, Kelli says she’s still “pretty much a normal teen.” “I really try to make time for my friends,” she says. “If I didn’t have them, my music could consume my life. I want to have people to share it with.” OMAG 42
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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ART + CULTURE • VISUAL
by kim carpenter • photography by bill sitzmann
Artist Watie White Creating Public Art for Omaha Communities
D
ilapidated houses. Watie
White has learned a lot about working with them, but not in the conventional sense. Last year, the artist partnered with Habitat for Humanity to take three homes slated for demolition on Emmet Street in North Omaha and turned them into monumental installations that focused on the history of a poor neighborhood, one often overlooked or completely ignored by the general public. The project, called All That Ever Was Always Is, involved making 81 paintings, which were turned into vinyl prints and then installed in all the windows of each home. Before making the paintings, White explored the houses’ histories by interviewing previous inhabitants and neighbors. He also used artifacts like letters and photographs left behind to create a narrative history. > omaha magazine • january/february 2015
43
arts + culture • visual watie white
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< “They turned out to be really strong, profound pieces,” says White. “For the people who live in that neighborhood, they’re not just houses—they’re part of a community.” White additionally hosted community dinners and public talks. “It was important because neighbors thought about the personal value of that kind of situation. It was a chance to bring people together and a lot of beautiful, little things happened, things that were good about their neighborhoods,” he explains. “It was a cathartic experience.” Although the homes were demolished in December, the artist is already working on his next public art projects. For New Nebraskans, which is in partnership with Justice for Our Neighbors and representatives from the Intercultural Senior Center, public schools, the South Sudan Community Association, and the Anti-Defamation League, he will create four large-scale murals (a fifth is currently installed at the Justice for our Neighbors’ headquarters). They will feature immigrants and refugees living in Benson, North Omaha, South Omaha, and Little Italy. For You Are Here, White will partner with inCOMMON Community Development to paint a large-scale banner mural for a public housing building located at Park Avenue adjoining Hanscom Park. Like his Emmet Street work, White will feature community members and is interviewing people so he can portray the neighborhood as accurately as possible. “I want people to be touched or at least feel something about the projects,” says the artist. Recently White also received high-profile national attention himself. He (along with Angela Drakeford) was chosen to represent Nebraska in State of the Art, an exhibition running through January 19th at the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville, AR. The selection process began with a list of 10,000 U.S. artists, which was then cut to 1,000. Following nationwide studio visits, he was selected as one of 102 artists to be featured. The inclusion was significant: not every state was represented and such dignitaries as Bill Clinton, Martha Stewart, and Deepak Chopra have visited the prestigious museum founded by Alice Walton, an heir to the Wal-Mart fortune. “It’s hard to know what will come of it,” White says, “but it’s hard to overstate how much it feels like it legitimizes what you do.” OMAG
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FACES
by sarah wengert • photography by bill sitzmann
Eclectic Ladyland Get to know Roberta Wilhelm’s creative side.
G
Inc. of Omaha Executive Director Roberta Wilhelm is known for growing the nonprofit and inspiring girls to be “strong, smart, and bold” with excellent programs and luminous Lunch for the Girls speakers, like President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Madeleine Albright, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Warren Buffett, all three Clintons—Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea—and, most recently, the Bush twins. “The speakers have had great messages,” says Wilhelm, “but [attendees] always say, ‘Your girls are as impressive as the speakers.’ They’re a very important part of the luncheon,” says Wilhelm. While the amazing roster is ubiquitous, what you might not know about Wilhelm is she’s a lifelong theater lover, former military kid, and owner of a very eclectic iPod. > irls
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
45
faces roberta wilhelm
< “I’m a creative person; in my background, the way I operate, approach life, and think about human beings,” she says. “I’m sure that influences my work.” Wilhelm’s background and degrees are in theater. Before her 11 years at Girls Inc., she spent 20 at The Emmy Gifford Children’s Theatre (later The Rose). “I did a little bit of everything there,” says Wilhelm. She got her foot in the door as assistant to the receptionist, later being promoted to receptionist. “I was a very bad receptionist,” says Wilhelm, smiling though clearly not joking. She continued there, in bookkeeping, performing, artistic staff, directing, and eventually Executive Director. Wilhelm’s love of theater began at age 6, when her mother took her to The Miracle Worker, continuing with excursions to Broadway and her own performances. Wilhelm recalls auditioning for a 4th-grade production of The Emperor and the Nightingale. “I raised my hand and said, ‘Is there any reason it couldn’t be The Empress?’” The teacher couldn’t see why not and, with that, Wilhelm had herself a starring role. Her parents are from New Jersey, but with a military father Wilhelm grew up “all over,” meaning: Jersey, New York, Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas, and Tehran, Iran. Wilhelm has five grown children and stepchildren. She and husband, Vic Gutman, are guardian to three boys, ages 14, 12, and 7. “I’m almost never off the clock,” she adds, “but I like to spend time with my [Girls Inc.] mentee and my kids. I like Film Streams… watching documentaries. I’m an avid reader, and I love to have coffee with friends.” She and Gutman enjoy taking their three dogs to the park and share a passion for travel. While she does go see theater occasionally, she prefers being involved in productions to spectating. Whether on or off the clock, Wilhelm always makes time for tunes. “I love music,” she says, “I have it on in the car, at work, everywhere.” Her iPod features everything from her 20-year-old musician son’s music to Motown, disco, rock, pop, and hip-hop. “I like the Neville Brothers, The Blind Boys of Alabama, U2,” says Wilhelm, getting out her iPod for reference. “Adele, Aerosmith, Al Green—I love Al Green—Beach Boys, Beatles, Ben Harper…and that truncated lists didn’t even go beyond the second letter of the alphabet. “I also have some punk stuff on here from my college days.” OMAG 46
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Anne Thorne Weaver Arts patron gives where her heart is.
N
GIVING
ational Society of Colonial
Dames diva Anne Thorne Weaver is at an age when she says and does what she wants. Fortunately for Omaha, this patron puts her money where her mouth is in supporting the arts. When the new Blue Barn Theater opens this spring, the box office will be named in her honor for a major gift she made to the company. She admires the Blue Barn’s edgy work. “I’m just very impressed with what they do,” says weaver. “There’s something about the intimacy of the smaller theater. I think they’ve done some wonderful productions. I think their new facility will be wonderful, and there won’t be any bats,” she adds in referring to a past production when an winged intruder darted overhead. “I thought, that’s an interesting prop,” she quips, “and then realized it was a bat. >
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
47
giving anne thorne weaver
< Suddenly there was this thundering of shoes coming down in a mass exodus.” Weaver likes that the theater’s new site on South 10th Street will be more visible than its Old Market digs. “I think it’s an exciting move and one of the things that’s really going to add to the Omaha scene.” Her gift to Omaha Performing Arts made possible the Orpheum Theater’s Anne Thorne Weaver Lounge. The dedicated private space is a chic oasis for post-show receptions. “I think it really puts a little wow into Omaha,” says its namesake, “and really adds a lot to any attraction you’re doing in the Orpheum.” Outside the metro, her generosity’s recognized in the gift shop named after her at the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) in Kearney and the lobby gallery named for her at the Lake Art Center in Okoboji, Iowa. She also donated the center’s stained glass ceiling created by Bogenrief Studios. She not only gives money but time to venues she believes in, serving on boards for Opera Omaha, the Omaha Symphony, the Omaha Community Playhouse, and MONA. She served on the Western Heritage Museum (now Durham Museum) board and was active in the Joslyn Women’s Association. Weaver, whose civic volunteering includes the Nebraska Humane Society and the Junior League of Omaha, only gives to things she enjoys. “Life is too short, so why fuss around with something I don’t enjoy or work with people I don’t like. When you give, everything is given back.” She traces her aesthetic appreciation to her late artist grandmother, Narcissa Niblack Thorne, renowned for her miniature rooms, dioramas, and shadow boxes. Some of her grandmother’s handiwork is displayed in framed cases hanging on the walls of Weaver’s exquisitely designed home, whose expansive sun room features two Bogenrief windows. Surrounding herself with beauty comes naturally to Weaver, who grew up in the historic Terrace Hill home in Des Moines. The restored structure is now the Iowa governor’s mansion. The well-traveled Weaver considers the vibrant arts scene here a cultural and economic asset that makes the city a more attractive place to live and visit. She takes pleasure helping the arts thrive and sampling all the region’s offerings. “We all need music and art in our lives,” Weaver says. OMAG 48
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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GIVING • FEATURE
by robyn murray • photography by bill sitzmann
Joy Johnson Centering Corporation grief center
I
t wasn’t a funeral. Or a viewing. Or
even a celebration of life. When Joy Johnson’s husband Marvin passed away earlier this year, she held a roast. “We had what Marv would have called one hell of a party,” Johnson says. Johnson, who co-founded with her late husband the Centering Corporation, a nonprofit grief resource center, has spent the last three decades trying to change the language of death, or at least improve the way we communicate about it: you know, that fate we cannot escape, when we bite the dust > omaha magazine • january/february 2015
49
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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GIVING • FEATURE
joy johnson
< or cash in our chips so we can be called home to sleep with the fishes…? “We don’t have a language of grief yet,” Johnson says. Seated around a table eating breakfast with a few old friends—hospice nurses and chaplains who have also spent years around death and dying—Johnson continues. The root of the word, ‘widow,’ she says in citing just one example, is ‘destitute.’ “That’s not a good word,” Johnson says. She and her husband worked with counselors, crisis centers, hospitals, and funerals at Centering Corporation to provide books on death and other grieving resources meant to help people find comfort in the right words. Along with their daughter and former sonin-law, the couple also founded Ted E. Bear Hollow, a nonprofit focused on working through grief with children, who may need different kinds of consoling words. Johnson has also written several books on the subject. But when her husband passed after a battle with esophageal cancer, Johnson found herself on the other side, and those accumulated coping skills were tested. “I like to say I’ve had 37 years of research and writing,” she says, “and now I’m in my practicum.” Johnson knew there were places to turn and people she could talk to, and she knew what she needed: to get out and do things. So she wrote up a list, which she named ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’—30 names of people she could call to go out with, or meet for breakfast. “Every grief has its own note,” Johnson
says, and dealing with each type is different for everyone. Long-time friend and retired hospice worker Marcia Blum says a sudden death can be much harder to handle than a prolonged illness. “There’s no anticipatory grief period,” she says. Blum says her parents died within five months of each other; her mother after a long battle with Parkinson’s, and her father shortly after, suddenly. “They were two totally different griefs,” she says. “It was the wrong death in my mind.” But even in hospice, where one might imagine family members would be prepared for the inevitable, Blum says people are so often surprised by death. It occurs behind closed doors—in hospitals and hospice; it’s not discussed openly. “Nobody sees it,” Blum says. “I think people still avoid real death. There’s the gruesome death that we see on television, but real death is different.” Words didn’t work for Johnson’s daughter when she faced a sudden and up-close death. Janet Roberts, the executive director of Centering Corporation and the daughter behind the founding of Ted E. Bear Hollow, grew up around the family business and started helping out when she was eight. “I was always comfortable with grief as part of the life cycle,” she says, leading a brief tour of the center’s offices—small and unassuming; shelves of books, boxes and packaging tape stacked behind a circle of couches where visitors can warm themselves with hot coffee and tea. But at 18 years old, Roberts’ boyfriend was killed while she was with him, and the shock threw
her into a depression and PTSD. She recalls her mother offered books to help work through her grief, but they were geared to adults, and she couldn’t relate. She left the business for a while, and when she returned decided to start Ted E. Bear Hollow to help teens and children dealing with grief. Teens respond differently, she says; they often they need to write through their grief, or just acknowledge they’ve had a loss. When Roberts went through that loss, there were few books or resources available for teens, she says. But today, she explains in gesturing to the piled-high shelves, there are thousands. Back at the breakfast table, Johnson and her friends said attitudes about death have changed significantly in the last couple decades. Communally tragic events like the bombing of the twin towers on 9/11 have made grief and death more public, and people are able to connect through social media as they mourn. But our words are still lacking and our condolences can seem trite—particularly to a group of people who deal with death and its aftermath on a daily basis. I’m sorry for your loss—that’s one Johnson grew tired of hearing. I know how you feel—that’s another. “Don’t assume you understand,” says Blum. Johnson has her own words for her grief, like DTT, or Designated Tear Time. She’s not a public crier, she says, so she gives herself time alone to let it out. And aside from ‘hello’ when Johnson goes through her list and makes the call, the words of condolence that she’d like to hear? “What a bummer.” OMAG omaha magazine • january/february 2015
51
GIVING • GALA REWIND & EVENT CALENDAR
Events January/February 2015 Galas JANUARY EVENTS
January 15 18TH ANNUAL OUTLAND TROPHY AWARD DINNER
The Greater Omaha Sports Committee DoubleTree by Hilton Omaha Downtown showofficeonline.com January 17 MIDLANDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 2015 REFLECTION BALL
J
Gala Rewind Girls Inc. Lunch for the Girls
enna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush were the featured speakers in October at
the annual Girls Inc. Lunch for the Girls. The event held at CenturyLink Center raised $110,000 for the nonprofit that aims to make all girls “strong, smart and bold.” The twins, daughters of President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush, spoke to a crowd of over 900 people, many of them Girls Inc. members, in delivering inspirational messages on such topics as careers, mentoring, and following your passions. Barbara is the founder and CEO of Global Health Corps, whose mission is to mobilize a global community of emerging leaders to build the movement for health equity. Jenna is a contributing correspondent on NBC’s Today. OMAG
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
Midlands Community Foundation Embassy Suites, La Vista, NE midlandscommunity.org FEBRUARY EVENTS
February 7 FIESTA 2015
Mercy High School Ramada Conference Center mercyhigh.org February 7 ROCKIN’ ROSIE
The Rose Theater The Hilton Downtown rosetheater.org
giving • Rewind & calendar
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American Heart Association CenturyLink Center Peter Kiewit Grand Ballroom heart.org February 22 ART & SOUP 2015
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Taking Care of (God’s) Business Rev. timothy lannon reshaped creighton’s economic landscape.
R
ev. Timothy Lannon has
always been able to size up things pretty quickly. As a math major at Creighton University in the early ‘70s, the likeable young man from Mason City, Iowa, was known for his keen and analytical mind, with a head for numbers. So when he became president of Creighton in July 2011, the first alumnus to lead the Jesuit campus, he knew the numbers didn’t add up. “We have 130 acres of land and 55 buildings with about four million square feet of space,” says Lannon in his staccato delivery. “But we only have 8,236 students total. That business model is tough to manage with such a small student body and such a large campus.” The numbers led Lannon, in one of his first acts, to ask the Creighton trustees to scrap plans for a new building to house the business school. He suggested they renovate about one-fourth of the Harper Center For Student Life and Learning for the school’s expansion. > omaha magazine • january/february 2015
55
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
faces rev. timothy lannon
< “Harper is a magnificent building and was underutilized,” explains Lannon, 64, who stepped down late last year as Creighton’s president. “It didn’t make sense to build a new [business school] building for $35 million and add another million-a-year in overhead.” Thanks to a multimillion-dollar gift from Creighton business graduate Charles Heider and his wife, along with a fundraising campaign that netted $93 million to ensure future academic programs, the Heider College of Business at the Harper Center opened to great fanfare in October 2013. And it set the tone for President Lannon’s visions for Creighton’s future: maximize space, create or integrate programs, and maintain a low student-faculty ratio. Having returned to Omaha from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, where he served as president for eight years and oversaw the most successful capital campaign in that school’s history, Lannon sees the health sciences—a new degree in neuroscience, for instance—as the key to raising Creighton’s already prestigious profile. “We call it inter-professional education,” Lennon explains of his strategic plan. “We want to bring together our Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy programs and connect them structurally to the school of medicine, the nursing school, and the pharmacy program.” This emphasis on a more practical course of study has induced a lively discussion among students, faculty, and staff at Creighton. Many are concerned his plan takes away from the Jesuit tradition of liberal arts and service to others. But Lannon quickly re-affirms the school’s commitment to the liberal arts, pointing out that all undergrads share a common core of classes. Faced with a heavy debt load stemming from the university’s eastward expansion in the early 2000s and a weak economy, Lannon uses the words “consolidate,” “repurpose,” “streamline,” “renovate,” and in some cases, “cut” when addressing the school’s most pressing issues. Although known primarily for his genuine interest in people, his patented smile and larger-than-life Irish personality, Lannon has a pragmatic side he’s not afraid to show. “One thing I’ve learned about leadership is you have to make tough decisions that impact people’s lives, but you do it for the sake of the mission.” One of the toughest decisions Lannon made was to step down from the post he loves. Not long after the new business school opened, Lannon suffered heart problems
Do you have symptoms of the flu?
that required hospitalization. In February he announced his retirement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It gave me a wakeup call,â&#x20AC;? Lannon says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thankfully I lived to learn the lesson.â&#x20AC;? He will only say the incident he suffered is very The FAVOR study is evaluating an rare and physically heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in good shape, but investigational flu medication. â&#x20AC;&#x153;thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a history of heart problems on my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side.â&#x20AC;? Local doctors are currently conducting the FAVOR medical research study for The need for less stress in his life means adults who are experiencing symptoms of the flu. They want to evaluate the leaving a city and a school that, in many safety and effectiveness of an investigational flu medication called favipiravir ways, formed him as a man, a priest, and an administrator. He arrived as a student at People who participate in the FAVOR study will receive the study drug for five days and Creighton with plans to go on to medical will visit the study clinic each day during dosing, as well as two times after dosing ends. If school, following in the footsteps of his physiyou believe you are experiencing flu symptoms now, or you begin to experience flu symptoms later this season, we hope that you will consider participating in this study. cian father who played football at Creighton. He became so involved on campus, even servTo pre-qualify for this study, you must: ing as student-body president his senior year, â&#x20AC;˘ Be between 18 and 80 years of age that his grade- point average dipped to 3.5. â&#x20AC;˘ Have a fever of at least 100.4 F (if over 65 years of age, at least 100.0 F) â&#x20AC;&#x153;So I applied to our medical school and I was â&#x20AC;˘ Have two or more of the following symptoms: - Cough, sore throat, headache, nasal congestion, body aches and pains, or fatigue rejected,â&#x20AC;? he admits. He could have accepted a special appointment to the med school, but â&#x20AC;&#x153;there was a haunting in the back of my mind Local doctors are currently conducting the FAVOR medical research study for about a priest.â&#x20AC;? adults who being are experiencing symptoms of the ďŹ&#x201A;u. They want to evaluate the Favipiravir research safety and effectiveness investigational ďŹ&#x201A;u medication called favipiravir. Lannon hadof an never thought himself To learn more about FAVOR, please To Learn More Contact holywho enough toinbe priest, â&#x20AC;&#x153;until I metthethe People participate theaFAVOR study will receive study drug for ďŹ ve days and will visit visit www.qcromaha.com or contact Quality Clinical Research theJesuits,â&#x20AC;? study cliniche each daywith duringadosing, as He well entered as two times you believe you says laugh. theafter dosing ends. If us at 402.934.0044 At 402-934-0044 areSociety experiencing symptoms now, orand you begin experience ďŹ&#x201A;u symptoms later this season, of ďŹ&#x201A;u Jesus in 1977 was toordained we hope that you will consider participating in this study. at Creighton in 1986, having received sevTo eral pre-qualify for thisdegrees study, you and must: a doctorate from masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s k C @CRUCCL ?LB WC?PQ MD ?Ć&#x201C;C Harvardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Graduate School of Education. k &?TC ? DCTCP MD ?R JC?QR {$ GD MTCP WC?PQ MD ?Ć&#x201C;C ?R JC?QR {$ His first job after ordination was as president &?TC MP KMPC MD RFC DMJJMUGLĆ&#x201C; QWKNRMKQ k of Creighton Prep. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Talk about learningbody aches and pains, or fatigue - Cough, sore throat, headache, nasalacongestion, Thank You for your confidence curve,â&#x20AC;? he remembers about Prep, where he s All study-related care is provided at no cost and payment for your time and travel will and voting us Best Hair Salon again in 2015. be served provided.until 1995. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was very green but was so well mentored by three members of the Voted Best of Omahaâ&#x201E;˘ since 1992! board. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where I realized Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m able to lead To learn more about FAVOR, please visit at a different level.â&#x20AC;? or contact: www.favorflustudy.com Now that the demands of leading an institution of higher learning are winding down, Lannon purposely finds time to reconnect with his Jesuit brethren. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Jesuit first and a president second,â&#x20AC;? he says, reflectively. He plans to go back to Harvard in the fall as part of the President-in-Residence program, working with students who want to develop their leadership skills, then travel to the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio for some spiritual renewal. One of his proudest accomplishments, he says, was moving Creighton into the Big East athletic conference. The publicity from the success of the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball program has created new revenue streams, brought a 12025 Pacific Street spike in admissions, and opened a whole new Omaha, Nebraska 68154 Phone (402) 330-5660 market on the East Coast. Fr. Lannon came Fax (402) 330-5662 back to Creighton with innovative ideas. To creativehairdesign.com its everlasting credit, the university took the ball and ran with it.â&#x20AC;&#x192; OMAG 07242013
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omaha magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x201A;january/februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;2015â&#x20AC;&#x192;
57
FACES
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
by jason kuiper • photography by bill sitzmann
FACES
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
feature sam walker
< the railroad, middle management, and he had no outside interests. He just sat around every day and started drinking and before this he wasn’t a drinker—maybe a drink at a party but that was it. My mother tried to push him to find interests but it didn’t work. So I think, ‘Where was my father at 71?’ He was an alcoholic.” His mother, though, was a very active woman and lived to be 98, tending to her garden and staying busy until her final years. Looking at Walker, you’d never guess his age. He is still tall and trim. A graceful man who speaks very directly and gives answers that are fully thought out—no abrupt pauses or half sentences like most of us communicate. One gets the sense that Walker is constantly taking in information, studying, and collecting data to come to deeper understanding. He is pretty much what one would expect a professor emeritus to be like. A friend and former peer in the 1960s civil rights movement recently found a photo of a young Walker taken in Mississippi standing on a porch working to register AfricanAmerican voters. Walker was a student at the University of Michigan at the time and wasn’t sure what he was going to do with his life. Things changed for him one night in 1964 when he went to see Bob Moses speak about the Mississippi Summer Project. He ended up traveling to Mississippi that tumultuous summer and worked to register voters. Then the conversation quickly turns back to pressing current affairs. Walker gives his predictions on how the Ferguson crisis would play out and what the slew of press leaks might mean to the looming outcome. This is Walker’s world. Strides have been made in police relations with minority communities. Obviously there is much more work to be done. But perhaps more so in this quasi-retirement, Walker can shift gears back toward more traditional leisure-time fare. He loves taking in movies (he’s a frequent patron of Film Streams). This self-admitted “rock and roller” has more than 9,000 records, a collection so large it has outgrown his home. It seems the hectic pace of retirement suits Walker just fine. “I’m working harder than I was when I was getting paid,” Walker says. “And loving it. It is very gratifying when those phone calls and emails come in from people who know me only though my work. And they keep on coming.” OMAG
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ART + CULTURE • PERFORMANCE
62
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann
Hilary Adams The lights go up on the Omaha Community Playhouse’s new artistic director.
T
enures among key leadership
positions at the Omaha Community Playhouse often span decades. It’s perhaps one of the main reasons that the largest community playhouse in America has earned its reputation as a treasured arts organization for generations of Omahans and beyond. When they retired last year, Artistic Director Carl Beck and Associate Artistic >
ART + CULTURE • PERFORMANCE
hilary adams
< Director Susan Baer Collins had racked up a combined 60 years of service. Big shoes to fill, indeed. “I needed a map to visualize where Omaha was as I prepared to visit for my interview,” says new Artistic Director Hilary Adams, who had honed her craft in New York for the past 18 years. “My first impression of the community was how very supportive everyone was… not just with me, but how broadly the arts are supported in this city across the board. It was huge. Astonishing. I learned very quickly that people know how to practice and support the arts here.” Adams, a graduate of City University of New York, was a 2004 Drama Desk Award nominee for Outstanding Director of a Play for the Works Productions staging of Moby Dick. “What’s so exciting to me about being here,” Adams adds, “is to show what community theater can do, what it can be. We are losing our ‘front porches’ in America. We are losing our connectedness. Theater and the other arts have the power to rebuild communities, to restore that connectedness.” Adams made her Playhouse debut last fall directing the comedy The Drowsy Chaperone, which starred popular radio personality and actor Dave Wingert. “She’s just amazing,” says Wingert. “She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it out of an actor.” But not everyone, it would seem, is thrilled with Adams new gig. “I need one of her back here in New York,” Henry David Hwang jokingly lamented in a recent telephone interview. Adams has acted as an assistant for the Tony Award-winning playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. “She’s smart. She’s talented. She’s energetic. Hilary is going to have a major impact on American theater…not just Omaha Theater, but American theater.” As a child growing up in northern Virginia, Adams’ family made frequent trips to New York. “The TKTS booth in Times Square was one of my favorite places on earth. When I stood there in line for tickets to a show, I could hardly bear it…the anticipation.” Not the long wait for tickets, she adds, but the wait to see some magic on stage later that evening. Now Adams is delivering her own special blend of stage magic at the venerable arts institution on Omaha’s Henry Fonda Drive, 1,250 miles west of her beloved TKTS tent and the Great White Way. OMAG 64
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
January/February 2015
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OmahaHome: contents
january/february 2015
features
departments
H12 Threads
The Hottest Textile Trends
H18 If We Had Only Thought of That… Top Ten Add-ons When Building
H30 At Home With
Jack Becker and Lester Katz
H7 Editor’s Letter H8 Architectural Styles Italianate
H10 DIY
River Stone Fireplace
H16 Sandy’s Makeover Thrifting Dreams
H22 Neighborhood Profile Fort Calhoun
H40 Room
Bank Vault Closet
H 42
Hot Products
H 44
Transformations
The Art of Tea Livable Luxury
january/february • 2015 H5
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January/February 2015 VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 1
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Chuck Hagel battles for a future free of the quagmires of the past.
PUBLISHER’S ASSISTANT & OMAHA HOME CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SANDY BESCH-MATSON
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER • 2013
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The Road Home
Prescription Drug Abuse Among Teens Nebraska’s Premier Wealth Advisors The Making of Nebraska John Jackson
$2a$10$BV2a7V/BdNEaP8TLqH43gOY8Gy/Beii 959fEMuGFh6fTZktxU5toeU1BBQ0UgR09FUyBIR VJFTkVXTElORSBHT0VTIEhFUkU=\n$2a$10$VQy5s jVaOIi93aOzrmX/NOWOEU/lVTxtUp4KLHYoUvJH GImzEGnKqU1BBQ0UgR09FUyBIRVJFTkVXTElORS BHT0VTIEhFUkU=\n$2a$10$.BSUej3mkaYgBL6SH dzkruV.CLTOdrTeuMC7tENIJRio4k7r1S522U1BBQ 0UgR09FUyBIRVJFTkVXTElORSBHT0VTIEhFUkU=\ n$2a$10$8lJaZ1bjql9MsIVt9chbEODEK1V4DM h2sWCqgO3EOkcmLDpuOcv2OU1BBQ0UgR09FUyBIR VJFTkVXTElORSBHT0VTIEhFUkU=\n$2a$10$bok og0hs0YeIDLS08Mtz1OiPJn75Gm7kUVRGxWiMvmNK. 96K15omCU1BBQ0UgR09FUyBIRVJFTkVXTElORSBHT0VTIE hFUkU=\n$2a$10$6PwNCHEGBFnlVxWv/tvWyOIUae5YKMb G9AKx4P0QQdYkJFnuQBedGU1BBQ0UgR09FUyBIRVJFTkVX TElORSBHT0VTIEhFUkU=\n$2a$10$0zda1EWkCNLfq3f8/IgljO 0gl8u/8SQWc9tfTcstxEmJlYbx85kAKU1BBQ0UgR09FUyBIR VJFTkVXTElORSBHT0VTIEhFUkU=\n$2a$10$8HQy CRFmAbw.q2RC1u3RBOGPwfqXvS4nK4obI8uQeYN WIAST0cM/2U1BBQ0UgR09FUyBIRVJFTkVX TElORSBHT0VTIEhFUkU=\n$2a$10$UvJ6oFqd 71pgp.O03WVqRuAqoS2JG9CR1BvNEH. KqLySgt2C7hVUWU1BBQ0UgR09FUy BIRVJFTkVXTElORSBHT0VTIEh FUkU=\n$2a$10$FmIjrLTW. ACeLTrwoJXJ.u8b8hgthtLuGD By0sV8EJZjyFkEni0NyU1BBQ 0UgR09FUyBIRVJFTkVXTElORS BHT0VTIEhFUkU=\n$2a$10$C jZNVV1n0igQ5i4xti7eh. yyyTwczBJ4Or3CNfvQsAtx1f HkrPX/mU1BBQ0UgR09FUy BIRVJFTkVXTElORSBHT0VTIE hFUkU=\n$2a$10$uPCa JPhRy7F01s3YTceEkeAtZvK 9r2seNkqA5w3PCqdy Br.0eW.m
VICE PRESIDENT GREG BRUNS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT SALES & MARKETING GIL COHEN SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE & 60PLUS IN OMAHA CONTRIBUTING EDITOR GWEN LEMKE
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BRANDING SPECIALIST KYLE FISHER GEORGE IDELMAN ANGIE HALL
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OmahaHome: from the editor “When the past is recaptured by the imagination, breath is put back into life.” —Marguerite Duras
I
THANK YOU! We Want to Thank Everyone that Voted for Us!
T’S THAT TIME OF year when we are
putting our homes back in order after the holiday season. It’s a great time to fluff and spruce things up, as well as add some light and bright colors into your home. Fun pillows or throws are a wonderful way to add a fresh look without changing what you already have. I love this time to re-arrange and add some spice to my décor. For one idea, check out my project on page H16 to see how an ordinary home item that we all have at our doorstep (literally and figuratively) can inspire you and allow your imagination to run wild. For me, it’s not so much “out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new” in the New Year, but, perhaps, more a desire to bring new life to something tired or mundane. Hey: A doormat need not always remain the doormat of a home. I think you’ll find several fresh ideas in these pages for livening things up around the house. From the hottest textile styles to a list of all those cool things you’ll want to build into your house before you build your house, this issue should help you get this year off to the right start. So get out there and get inspired to do something fun in your home. Maybe, if you’re like me, you’ll be able to look right underneath your feet for something that might inspire you.
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WISHING YOU THE BEST IN 2015
Over 41 years of selling Nebraska and Iowa
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duane.sullivan@cbshome.com
january/february • 2015 H7
OmahaHome: architectural styles story by robert nelson • photography by bill sitzmann
The historic, but quickly fading, Bettison Mansion near Ashland, Neb.
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Italianate At the Foundation of Nebraska
T
HE SPARE LINES OF General
Crook’s frontier military home at Fort Omaha (Metro Community College) don’t quite do justice to the Italianate form. The most regal Italianate homes in Nebraska’s early days were built to send a message: It’s possible to thrive in the “Great American Desert” and, dangit, we’re here to stay. The list of Nebraska homes on the National Register of Historic Places is peppered with these tall, stately boxes with flat roofs topped with square cupolas. Most famous, perhaps, are the Butler, Gillespie, and Kennard houses near the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. In photos from around 1870, the three homes tower over empty prairie and a mostly paper town. “They were built by promoters of Lincoln to say to people, ‘We have confidence in this new town, you should, too,’” says Jim Potter, author and senior research historian for the Nebraska State Historical Society. “All across the state, you see town boosters using that big, bold style to send a message about their town.”
Just to the west of Omaha, on a hill southeast of Ashland not far from Mahoney State Park, sits a long-silent relic of the early days of statehood. The Bettison Mansion, built in 1874 from limestone quarried near South Bend, Neb., has been in decline for decades and abandoned since the late 1990s. Still, preservationists continue to hope that someone will buy and restore the fortress-like structure. “It’s a special place, not one that anyone would want to see lost,” Potter says. (For more information on the house, visit ashlandhistoricalsociety.org.) An Italianate field Guide
• Low-pitched or flat roof • Balanced, symmetrical rectangular shape • Tall appearance, with two, three, or four stories • Wide, overhanging eaves with brackets and cornices • Square cupola • Porch topped with balustraded balconies
• Tall, narrow, double-paned windows with hood moldings • Side bay window • Heavily molded double doors • Roman or segmented arches above windows and doors The Italianate style began in England in the 1840s. For the previous two centuries, English homes tended to be formal and classical in style. Builders began to mimic the more fanciful design elements of Italian Renaissance villas. Like Queen Anne and other architecture styles, when the Italianate movement came to the United States, it was reinterpreted again to create a uniquely American style. Italianate forms were fading from fashion along the coasts of the United States by the early 1870s. But, styles tended to arrive and stay later on the frontier. Italianate houses were being built in Nebraska well into the 1880s. OmahaHome
january/february • 2015 H9
OmahaHome: d•i•y story by jennifer litton • photography by bill sitzmann
River Stone Fireplace
W
HEN KURT AND BETH
Bratches moved to Omaha from Connecticut just over a year ago, one of their must-haves was a home with a fireplace. “I grew up with a fireplace,” says Kurt, owner of All Things Home, a remodeling service. A former day trader, Kurt and his family would often escape the buzz of Wall Street in
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january/february • 2015
the serene calm of the Adirondack Mountains, where cozy lodge rooms were commanded by roaring stone fireplaces. The Bratches channeled their vacation nostalgia as the focal point of the living room in their warm and inviting Country Club home. Built in 1932, the home needed a few updates. “The fireplace was tragic,” Kurt says. “I tore everything out.” Beth, an interior designer with The Designers, came up with the design. “I always think it’s important to let the house speak to you a little bit,” she says. “The paneling is not something we would have chosen. I think it was done in the '60s, but when you look at design, that’s kind of coming back. Let’s just replicate that design there so it goes with the house,” she says. “The key is to update it without taking away the character and integrity of the house,” Kurt says. He first used a hand chisel to take out the existing hearth. “That was the un-fun part of it. It’s messy.” He then built the box and the surround. For the mantle he used a piece of reclaimed cedar from a friend’s barn in Connecticut. He used mason screws to secure the box to the masonry. “The idea is to put your fasteners on a spot that can be hidden.” Kurt then used a sheet of birch over the top. “I laid it up like a frame and then I put the pieces in between it and framed it all out,” he says. He finished it with crown molding and gave it a coat of satin paint. “Satin gives it a nice patina.” A tip from a pro? Kurt first taped the dimensions of the fireplace on the floor to experiment with the stone’s placement, like putting together a puzzle. “That’s how I figured out where everything was going to go,” he says. The entire project cost $400 and took about a week to do. “You buy quality lumber. It just comes out better,” he says. The cedar for the mantle wasn’t the only material that took a circuitous route to Omaha. The Bratches collected the project’s river stones from such sites as the Long Island Sound, Rhode Island’s Block Island, and Omaha’s Standing Bear Lake. One of the stones stands out among all others. The one engraved with the word “home” was a gift from their daughter. The Bratches’ self-styled river stone fireplace now serves as a visual collection of some of their favorite memories…a love story written in stone. OmahaHome
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Omaha · Millard · Bellevue · Ralston · LaVista · Elkhorn · Gretna · Papillion · Carter Lake · Council Bluffs
january/february • 2015 H11
OmahaHome: feature story by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann
Threads The Hottest Textile Trends
T
HE FALL HIGH POINT Furniture Market was
a mecca for the most seasoned of style-spotters. We checked in with the professionals at Interiors Joan & Associates to learn more about the hottest textile trends—and the technologies behind the manufacture of the fabrics that add both texture and timeliness to your decor. OmahaHome
Topsy Turvy by Architex
“Made from recycled polyester, this eco-friendly fabric boasts a patented Crypton finish that makes this textile all but impervious to stains, odors, and mildew. With great durability and light-fastness, this fun fabric would be a good choice for heavy-use applications like pet beds and kids’ booster seats.” Karie Boggs, Allied ASID
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january/february • 2015
Odalisque by Pollack
“Famed furniture and boat designer Matthias Pliessnig also dabbles on occasion in textile art. This dimensional fabric in a silk/acrylic blend melds woodland themes with graceful nautical curves in evoking a soothingly organic motif.” Karie Boggs, Allied ASID
Diety
by Pollack
“A true labor of love, this silk/cotton/poly blend uses a global village approach in its creation. Handcrafted in India, the pattern is first blocked in one village before being handed off to craftswomen in another who do the accent stitching. Artisans in yet a third village apply the mirrored inlays.” Lisa Cooper, Allied ASID
Pallas Faux Fur by Zinc
“Subtle markings and beautiful, natural coloring create a luxuriously tactile experience in this faux fur. Try this fabric on throw pillows to give a room just the right punch of drama.” Beth Settles, Allied ASID
Breathe Velvet Wild Flower by Black Edition
“This work of art was created by Jessica Zoob. The acclaimed British impressionist has been featured in countless home and design magazines, and one of her most recent commissions is for a palace in Dubai. Here her dappled paint strokes form a variegated composition that is at once subtle and dramatic.” Beth Settles, Allied ASID
january/february • 2015 H13
OmahaHome: feature Incognitus Gilded
by Concertex
“This metalized vinyl wonder may not be bulletproof, but it’s the next closest thing when it comes to homes with young children. Crayons? No prob. Ballpoint ink? A breeze. Those dreaded Sharpies? Thought you had us on that one, didn’t you? Just wipe with a dry cloth!” Karie Boggs, Allied ASID
Hop
by Dedar Milano
“This 100% cotton fabric is best used on vertical surfaces. Try this or any of the complementary hues in this line for the oval back of a chair or other accent piece. Be sure to team it with a solid seat fabric that anchors the tone so as to deliver visual impact in small but powerful doses.” Lisa Cooper, Allied ASID
Knight by Zinc
“Glass beads—virtually zillions of them—are embedded in this metallic weave fabric. The play of light and shadow creates a dazzlingly sensual treat in a texture that is still somehow remarkably soft to the touch. This one is great for headboards, cornice boards, or oversized pillows.” Beth Settles, Allied ASID
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january/february • 2015
Kashmir Leaf
by Colefax and Fowler
“Evoking an updated tree of life, this beautifully embroidered linen/cotton/viscose blend features a bold vine motif that is reminiscent of paisley. This textile is particularly suitable for decorative applications, including draperies.” Beth Settles, Allied ASID
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OmahaHome: sandy's makeover story by sandy besch-matson • photography by bill sitzmann
Pilfered Pattern Dramatic Looks May be Right Underfoot
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january/february • 2015
T
HIS QUICK AND VERSATILE
weekend project from my daythrifting turned out to be the perfect storage solution for my little gems. WHAT YOU’LL NEED
• • • • • •
A piece of recycled furniture Patterned doormat Sandpaper Paint Sponge rollers Sealer
Omaha’s #1 Year Round Garden Center Season After Season. TREES
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INSTRUCTIONS
• Remove hardware. • Rough up the surface with sandpaper, taking the sheen off. • Select a paint that works best on wood. ProClassic from Sherwin Williams is a good choice. • Use a sponge roller for painting the wood for a smooth finish. Several coats works best. • Center the doormat mat on the surface. • Using spray paint, apply several light coats from all angles. • Use spray sealer or a roll-on sealer to the desired look. • Spice it up with some new hardware. Don’t throw away that now trashed doormat just yet! You can create a similar vibe in making dramatic wall art on wood panels. This time I went with a rich stain as the base of the artwork. And don’t forget that your most hardware stores will cut a panel into four uniform pieces. Stain the wood after sanding and rounding the corners just a bit. Assemble the panels as though they were one contiguous piece again, position your mat accordingly and get to work with your spray paint and sealer. The needs of each space will vary, but you’ll want to hang the panels with at least a two-inch gap between each panel. OMAG
SEED
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B U L K ROC K & M U L C H
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january/february • 2015 H17
OmahaHome: feature story by robert nelson
If We Had Only Thought of That… Ten Add-ons to Consider in Your New Home Before it’s Too Late
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january/february • 2015
A
STITCH, IN TIME, SAVES
nine.” But in the homebuilding world, the old saying might sound more like, “An additional nine or so electrical outlets added before your new home is finished, in time, will save you from a lot of frustration and probably quite a few additional expenditures and certainly will ultimately reduce the number of petty arguments with your spouse.” You can decide which phrase is catchier. The point: If you’re building a new home, take extra care to think of every possible place you could use an extra outlet, spigot, light switch, drain, jack, closet, or bowling alley before those walls are finished.
“It’s pretty frustrating if you have to go back in to add stuff right after you move in,” says Joe Rongisch, owner of Vantage Design & Construction in Omaha. “It’s doubly frustrating when you realize how much more it costs to do it afterwards.” For example, electrical outlets cost about $75 a piece to install as a home is being built. To install an outlet after a home is completed usually runs more than $200, Rongisch says. With this in mind, here are 10 common features you may want to consider before the drywall crew gets to your new home. OmahaHome
1
Man Cave necessities. And while you’re brainstorming, guys, consider these items for the basement: Think of extra outlets, plumbing for a wet bar, outlets for alternate or multiple television positions (yes, some guys are turning basements into sports bars), man mood lighting (for no better term), speaker niches, and trophy and memorabilia shelving.
Scan the page with the LayAR app to view more photos of the Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory.
4
2
Outlets in the closets. Rechargeable vacuums are handy, but they need a place to hide.
Extra electric outlets in the garage. You’ll probably feel the need to add some sort of workstation to your garage as time goes on. You’ll need outlets for that. Also, the cool kids on the block increasingly have televisions and refrigerators in their garage.
5 Garbage disposal for your wet bar. (Or outlet for a later wet bar). If you entertain, those spent limes and other fun foods could clog drains.
3
Outlets in the bathroom cabinets. These allow you to hide those electric toothbrushes and razors.
january/february • 2015 H19
OmahaHome: feature 7 6 A window in the garage. Once you start working in the garage, you’ll quickly realize you need more light, and more air movement, in that space.
Lights in the closets. It helps to be able to see the coat you want to wear.
8 H20
january/february • 2015
Lights under kitchen cabinets. You don’t want to be dicing food in the dark.
9
A water spigot in the garage. You’ll want to be washing cars and cleaning the grease and dirt off the garage floor. Simple enough, but, it’s often one of those amenities overlooked until it is needed.
10 Pull out drawers in any empty spaces. Homeowners never wish they had less storage space.
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OmahaHome: neighborhood profile story by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann
From Pioneers to Prosciutto Fort Calhoun is on the rise.
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january/february • 2015
U
NTIL NOT THAT VERY long ago, the only major
rumbling in Fort Calhoun was the result of the teeth-shattering vibrations made by a never-ending parade of 18-wheelers lumbering through town along the busy commercial corridor that is Highway 75. “Straightening picture frames is a daily chore here at the museum,” explains Julie Ashton, director of the Washington County Historical Association. “We go through the space to straighten things that forever seem to be just a little out of whack.” >
The rolling hills above Fort Calhoun offer spectacular vistas. january/february • 2015 H23
OmahaHome: neighborhood profile Becky and Penelope Odvody
Joel and Scarlett Odvody
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january/february • 2015
3709 S 1383709 St 3709 S 3709 138S St 138 S3709 138 3709 St 3709 St 138 S St 138 St S 1SS38 3709 138 St St Omaha, NE Omaha, 68144 Omaha, Omaha, NE 68144 NEOmaha, Omaha, 68144 NE Omaha, 68144 NE NE 68144 NE 68144 Omaha, NE 68144 68144 402-330-7676 402-330-7676 402-330-7676 402-330-7676 402-330-7676 402-330-7676 402-330-7676 402-330-7676 rainbowartisticglass@gmail.com rainbowglass@gmail.com rainbowglass@gmail.com rainbowglass@gmail.com rainbowglass@gmail.com rainbowglass@gmail.com rainbowglass@gmail.com rainbowglass@gmail.com
Shatter the Shatter Shatter ordinary. Shatter thethe ordinary. Shatter the Shatter ordinary. ordinary. the theordinary. ordinary. Shatter the ordinary. • Design custom • Design • Design installations • custom Design custom •• custom installations Design • Design installations installations custom custom installations installations Design custom installations • Custom creation and installation • Drop in Fusing -tiles -team building • Install glass • Install for • Install cabinet •glass Install glass for doors ••glass cabinet Install for • Install cabinet forglass cabinet doors glass doors for cabinet doors cabinet doors doors Install glass forfor cabinet doors -leaded glass windows and entries -parties • Hold team • Hold building • Hold team • Hold workshops team building team ••building Hold • Hold building workshops team team workshops building workshops building workshops workshops Hold building -fused glass wall team and table art workshops -family fun • Rent kiln •time Rent •& Rent kiln studio • Rent kiln timespace kiln time & •• Rent studio •time Rent & studio kiln &space kiln studio time space time & studio & studio space space Rent kiln time &space studio space
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West Market Square is one of the town’s three city parks.
< The community first platted in 1855 and now with a 2010 census population of 908 is experiencing something of a youth movement as new businesses launched by an equally new generation of entrepreneurs have opened their doors up and down the main drag of 14th Street. The sleepy little bedroom community, perhaps best known for the Fort Atkinson State Historical Park, is increasingly becoming an attractive day trip offering a folksy alternative to the bustle of Omaha. Fort Atkinson was the first U.S. Army military installation west of the Missouri River in the then unorganized lands of the Louisiana Purchase. The fort was erected in 1819 and abandoned in 1827. The present structure is a replica constructed by the state on the original site that housed a brickyard, lime kiln, stone quarry, grist mill, saw mill, and cooper shop. The site’s position on a bluff above the Missouri River led William Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to recommend the plot of land as being ideal for a military outpost, one that was built 35 years before Nebraska became a territory. Colonel Henry Atkinson, who also became its first commander, established the fort. Which takes us to the question of why the town itself does not carry the Atkinson name. >
Mon - Thurs: 10Mon a.m.-Mon to Thurs: 5:30 -Mon Thurs: 10 p.m. a.m. - Thurs: •10 Fri: toa.m. Mon 10 5:30 10Mon a.m. to a.m. -p.m. 5:30 Thurs: to -toThurs: •5p.m. 5:30 Fri: p.m. 1010 a.m. 10 •p.m. •Fri: a.m. Sat: a.m. to 10 • Fri: 10 to 5:30 to a.m. 5a.m. 10 5:30 p.m. p.m. to a.m. to 5p.m. • •4p.m. Sat: to Fri: p.m. •510 Fri: 10 •p.m. Sat: a.m. a.m. 10•10 a.m. Sat: to toa.m. 4510 to p.m. p.m. to 5a.m. p.m. 4• p.m. Sat: to• 4Sat: 10 p.m. a.m. 10 a.m. to 4top.m. 4 p.m. Mon - Thurs: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. • Fri: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Sat: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on Sundays ClosedClosed on Sundays Closed on Sundays on Sundays Closed Closed on Sundays on Sundays Closed on Sundays
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Omaha Home: neighborhood profile
The faded Metz Beer sign gives away the heritage of the building that now houses Too Far North. Fort Calhoun Elementary School boasts a flair for the contemporary.
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< Legend has it that it was a split decision on the naming of the hamlet, with the winning faction opting for the name of then Secretary of War John C. Calhoun, who would later go on to become a U.S. Senator after acting as Vice President under John Quincy Adams. Back in modern-day Fort Calhoun, cash registers are ringing in a series of new and not so new businesses. Sandy and Dane Kucera operate Too Far North, a charming little wine, craft beer, and gift shop. A faded Metz Beer sign is a clue to the space’s unique heritage. The building dating to 1904 originally housed a Metz Beer saloon in an era when brewers most often also operated their own taverns. “We like to think that Fort Calhoun is a great place for a fun outing,” Sandy says. “The drive from Omaha is beautiful and there’s now lots more to do here, especially after the last few years. It’s an eclectic, friendly little community.” Almost right next door at Cure Cooking, owner Chad Lebo was busy preparing some of his savory Vietnamese potbelly pig prosciutto and pungent, stir-cured cheddar. Lebo’s robust selections of meats, cheeses, and extras are sold mainly at Provisions in Midtown Crossing and at farmers markets. > january/february • 2015 H27
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< Lebo shares the space with Big Green Tomato, whose array of specialty granola products are sold at Hy-Vee, Tomato Tomato, and other outlets. The old blends seamlessly with the new in Fort Atkinson. Lunch at the seemingly always-crowded (and legendary) Longhorn Bar revealed something telling about smalltown life. Glancing up from a plate of yummy, crowd-favorite chicken wings, this writer was suddenly struck by what one didn’t see—cellphones. No texting. No calls. None. It must surely be something of an anomaly even in the small town of Fort Calhoun, but there wasn’t a single cellphone being wielded. Which also meant no annoying ring tones competing with my attempt to tackle a heavenly pork tenderloin sandwich too big for the bun that struggled unsuccessfully to contain it.
The scene was probably much more sedate than in the earlier part of the 20th century when the bar was a roadhouse situated below a hotel that attracted by all manner of rambunctious souls. The Longhorn is also where we found regular Ron Ferring, whose wife happens to be on the board of the Fort Atkinson Foundation. He was chatting about the easygoing vibe at the place, but he could just as easily have been talking about the quaint little community as a whole. “These are good people here; real people,” Ferring says. “Blue collar, white collar, it doesn’t make any difference here. It’s the kind of place where if I happen to forget my wallet, it’s all good. They know it’ll be made right on my next visit.” OmahaHome
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OmahaHome: at home with by jennifer litton • photography by bill sitzmann
Scan the page with the LayAR app to view more phots of Lester Katz and Jack Becker's home.
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Scan the page with the LayAR app to view a gallery slider from our shoot of the CO2 Building.
Urban Oasis An Oakdale home mixes worldly treasures with wide open spaces for an eclectic, yet
I
welcoming effect. MAGINE A BACK-DOOR SETTING that rivals the
headiest expanses of Fontantelle Forest nestled just seconds off busy Center Street. Such a dreamy place does exist and it’s home for two men of the arts—Lester Katz, interior designer with LK Designs and Jack Becker, executive director and chief executive officer of the Joslyn Art Museum. “It’s like a tree house. There aren’t many views like this,” Becker says. “It’s a great little refuge in the city.” > january/february • 2015 H31
OmahaHome: at home with
< The duo purchased the home in May 2013. “We got into serious remodeling mode immediately the day after we closed,” says Katz. The five-bedroom Mid-Century Modern home was built and designed in 1968 by Omaha architect Gary Goldstein. You can’t miss the mounted head of a wildebeest lording over the inviting living room. It’s befitting that his domain is the “tree house.” Wildebeests, who are natives of Africa, prefer life among the open woodlands. The walls are treated with grass cloth in a cozy caramel hue. “It’s warm and it has texture,” says Katz. “In a way, it gives it a dressy look, but also a very relaxed look. I think it fits the room perfectly.” H32
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Katz says he had a vision when he first walked in the house. “I wanted this bright, open feel when you walked in.” He chose a unique porcelain tile for the flooring. “It’s made to look exactly like Calcutta marble. It creates this expanse that you don’t get with a hardwood.” The newly made bookshelves hold a treasure trove of titles on the subjects of art, architecture, and design. They make for perfect reading to cozy up in front of the linear flame fireplace with their faithful Terrier-mix pooch, Tilly, nestled on a lap. >
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OmahaHome: at home with
< “We’re mixing things up,” Becker says. “We have some vintage things that we found here and there. This is 1930’s French Deco, there’s an 1820‘s South Carolina sofa. The little tables are original Saarinen,” Becker says. On a wall opposite the den which houses a fantastic Egyptian Revival chair from the 1960’s hangs Andy Warhol’s original “Cow Wallpaper.” The first in a series of wallpaper Warhol designed from the 1960’s through the 1980’s. “It was cut out and framed,” Katz says. Art dealer Ivan Karp famously said the cows were “super-pastoral” as noted in the book Popism: The Warhol Sixties by Andy Warhol and Pat Hackett. H34
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Katz and Becker keep active by walking the wooded trails in their Oakdale neighborhood. They do a fair amount of travelling, which is their main source of discovery for all of their fabulous furniture finds. They recently visited the dreamscapes of Ravello and Positano in Southern Italy with a stop in zany, hectic Naples. The duo admits to a shared aesthetic, which makes choosing designs virtually pain-free. “If it’s a problem, it’s because we like so many different things,” says Katz. He mentions the neutral, patterned fabric for the chairs in the dining room. “We went through so many choices.” >
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OmahaHome: at home with
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< They created some open space by tearing down the passageway between the kitchen and the dining room. Afterward, the dining room needed something special to offset it from the kitchen. A copper border inlaid in the porcelain floor was the perfect solution. “People are pretty surprised by it,” Katz says. “You want it to age and kind of turn brown, which it is doing,” Becker says. The duo regularly host dinner parties and their guests help with this tarnishing task. “Where people walk on it is where it is aging the most,” he says. The basement is home base for LK Designs. The large space was the perfect place for an impressive fabric library that contains a dizzying array of textures, hues, and patterns. “It takes a long time to collect all of these,” says Katz, who earned his Interior Design degree ten years ago from Watkins College of Art and Design, located in Nashville. > january/february • 2015 H37
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Omaha Home: at home with
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BEST DEAL OF THE YEAR < It is there just outside his workspace that clients can sit on adorably petite 1930s diner chairs from Paris flea markets to discuss their own design dreams with Katz. Back upstairs in the living room on the coffee table is a tiny metal sign, the type that one would set on their desk. It says “Reproductions” in a cool font, possibly from the 1930’s. It is a fitting little logo for their creatively engineered lifestyle of altering objects and spaces to suit their tastes and collective desires. “Someone gave it to me,” Becker says. “They bought it at an antique store. I’ve always had it. I just dropped it here. I don’t know why.” “I think it fits,” says Katz. OmahaHome
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OmahaHome: room story by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann
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9737 “I” Street Omaha, NE 68127 | 402.592.2820 | omahawinnelson.com HOES AND BOOTS COMING out of the Gucci,
Manolo Blahnek, and Claudia Ciuti fashion houses can carry a pretty hefty price tag. “My husband says I’ve become something of a shoot freak, something of a junior Imelda Marcos,” says the homeowner of this handsome Downtown living space. Her collection of about 50 pairs of footwear certainly deserves to be pampered, but doesn’t storing them in a walk-in safe seem to be taking things just a bit too far? The rich patina of the safe manufactured by the Harrigan Safe Co. of Kansas City was probably a lot less rusticated when it sat in the president’s office of the furniture company warehouse that once occupied the building. Today the space has been converted to a beautifully designed and appointed two-level condo. But doesn’t she ever worry about access to her most unusual of closets? What if she forgets the combination? What would Imelda do? “Nothing stands between me and my closet,” the homeowner says. “Just to be ‘safe’ [pun intended], we had the mechanism welded open a long time ago.” OmahaHome
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OmahaHome: hot products story by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann
2. Don’t overlook the
The Art of Tea And the Art of the Teapot
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HE SEASON THAT RUSSIANS
call “the white-nosed months” is upon us, and there’s nothing like a nice cup of tea to battle the malady known as cabin fever. Check out this selection of utilitarian works of art the next time you read the tea leaves. OMAG
1. The Arts and Crafts Movement may have been a reaction
against industrialization and a political statement against factory conditions of late 19th Century England, but we just call it good, earthy design. This cast iron example is a perfect complement to any Mission-themed home. hayneedle.com • $35.66
antique and thrift circuit when shopping for almost any singularly cool or off-beat household accent. We found this charming example straight out of grandma’s curio cabinet at the Assistance League Thrift Store. And what a price! Assistance League Thrift Store • $12.99
1
5. Intentionally or otherwise, this iconic piece from the Frank
Lloyd Wright Collection mirrors the “inverted beehive” silhouette of one of the architect’s most famous works— New York City’s Guggenheim Museum. Gadgeteer • $40
6. First introduced in 1936, the Homer Laughlin China
Company’s Fiesta line has become a timeless classic. Clean lines and oodles of color choices (shown here in Lapis) make Fiesta a go-to choice when creating a funky, mix-and-match vibe. Younkers • $79.00
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5
3. The brightly colored earthenware pottery with a clear lead
glaze known as Majolica was all the rage in Victorian England...and has never gone out of style. This dainty delight is well suited for even the most civilized of afternoon tea affairs. Pier One Imports • $25
7. Big box stores can also bring big drama
when it comes to smart design. This cast iron teapot from Primula proves that boutique looks may be found in the unlikeliest—and most affordable—of retail settings. Target • $34.99
4. The art of tea deserves
to be accompanied by a true work of art when it comes to your brewing gear. This Japanese cast iron tetsubin is a handsome addition to any tea service, but this beauty would be equally at home in the Museum of Modern Art. The Tea Smith • $39.95
8. Set your table just like your favorite
Chinese restaurant by shopping at one of the metro’s many Asian food and gift stores. This piece is sold as a set and comes with four matching teacups. Fortune cookies not included. Midwest Oriental • $25.99
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OmahaHome: transformations story by stacie muhle • photography by tom kessler and mark kresl
MEET THE DESIGNER Stacie Muhle, ASID Artistico Interiors
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Livable Luxury it's all in the details
A
PENTHOUSE SPACE IN RIVERFRONT Place, a spar-
kling anchor in the redevelopment of NoDo, was just the lifestyle change needed for this client. We sought an atmosphere that would be perfect for entertaining in a location perched atop the Missouri river and with a magnificent view of the stunning vista. Moving from the typical West Omaha suburbia home meant that storage could be an issue, so we designed every space possible with an eye to the maximum use of space, from closet systems to a Murphy bed. > january/february • 2015 H45
OmahaHome: transformations
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Hand-picked Each visit to our showroom is a unique experience, because we carefully curate our home furnishing selection. As an independent, locally owned business, Allens Home focuses on design and craft — like our quality treasures from around the world, including many pieces made in America.
< Furniture selections and placement were meticulously planned to accomodate large gatherings, and all of the fabrics and leathers were selected to maximize durability and tactile stimulation. The home also features the integration of lighting, shades, HVAC, sound, and television—even a self-playing piano—all controlled with a touch of an iPad. And the kicker, especially in this muffs-and-mittens time of the year? Heated floors. >
78th & L in Omaha · allenshome.com · (402) 331-8480
january/february • 2015 H47
OmahaHome: transformations
< A dramatic expanse of windows boast electronic shades that give the homeowner the option of mixing things up with a selection of patterned, sheer, and room-darkening options. The client wanted all electrical fixtures to be LED for energy efficiency, color, and aesthetics in highlighting the home’s neutral color palette. Quartz countertops and alpaca area rugs were used for their striking look and feel, texture, and for sustainability purposes. Every last detail was customized to add >
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Omaha Home: transformations
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< to the singular vibe of the space. The client also loves metallic and texture, which we achieved through creatively integrating the use of both porcelain and mosaic, wood, hand-beaded wall coverings, fabric, faux painting, art, wallpaper, furniture, custom doors, cornice boards, and more. Extensive custom woodwork was also used to achieve several curvilinear installations to add extra emphasis and eye-catching appeal. The result is a singularly handsome space looming high above the Missouri River. OmahaHome
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COVER FEATURE
by robert nelson • photography by bill sitzmann
Deconstructing Dave Why is this guy our most popular governor ever? omaha magazine • january/february 2015
117
COVER FEATURE
D
ave Heineman won’t be
remembered as a charismatic governor: Kempt, but not much to look at; personable, engaged, and professional, but often deliberate, starchy, guarded, and political. (Heck: He wouldn’t even loosen his tie when our photographer suggested a more casual shot). His resume and backstory suggest a stalwart, driven, ship-shape, sharp-as-a-tack West Point striver who any mom would embrace and any literary agent would reject. He has none of the sizzle and story of Bob Kerrey, Chuck Hagel, or Ben Sasse. In a couple years, Nebraskans may have forgotten who it was they anointed as the longest-serving and most approved-of governor in state history. Consider this: In his last term of a decadelong run, Dave Heineman’s approval ratings, which danced around the 80 percent mark, were as high as or higher than any governor in the United States. While three-fourths of his approval might come from his party affiliation, it is Heineman who may be most instrumental in helping galvanize this environment in which a mannequin (R-Neb.) could have succeeded him. Ben Sasse would likely not be in Washington right now had Heineman run for U.S. Senate. And don’t forget one of the biggest “Man, Woman, and Child!” moments in Nebraska political history: An almost noname Dave Heineman beat Tom Osborne in the 2006 Republican primary. Tom friggin’ Osborne! Conversely, with his numbers and conservative stripes, Heineman should be a darling of conservative media outlets and the national Republican scouts, but he is not. Dave Heineman has something people like, but it ain’t star power. As far as his actual legacy, any worthwhile denouement will have to come later. Nebraska is pretty dang healthy by most gauges. But, under his watch, Nebraska arguably has become less tolerant and less willing to help those in need or crisis. Also, he has left a mess with his plan to privatize the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. His office pressured prison officials to ease
prison over-crowding without new spending, which, at the least, helped foster the environment that led to the early-release scandal within the Department of Corrections. Will these late-blossoming bungles be remembered amid the successes? History will tell, if History, which bores easily, cares to bother. Pressing the Flesh
I
t is just after the election in November, the first arctic front is sweeping past The Sower, and I am sitting in the governor’s office trying to figure out why this guy I’m interviewing is so dang popular. My mind drifts to “like versus love” issues as he talks about the joy of speaking at some library opening in some town out by McCook. Is “popularity” the same as “approval?” Do approval ratings translate into memorable legacies? There are people I approve of because I believe they are competent executing policies with which I agree. But I don’t necessarily admire them, emulate them, revel in their anecdotes and wit, or secretly want friends to think I’m friends with them. Some people have that “it” factor, and “it” isn’t here today. I’m a little bored, but I’m comfortable. Heineman seems genuinely excited to be talking about Benkelman, McCook, and my hometown of Falls City. His voice quickens as he talks about international trade offices and corn and then corn again and Nebraska being tops nationally in feeding cattle and the growth in both rural and urban businesses that take those raw agricultural products, mix in bushels of economy-stimulating “value adding,” and put them on your table. “We did these things without raising taxes,” he says. He didn’t say it, but he did: It’s about the economy, stupid. And education. He argues that he has made schools better. He has numbers to back his argument (if you agree those numbers translate to better educated kids). “Providing good jobs and a great education,” he says. “That’s what Nebraskans care about.” > omaha magazine • january/february 2015
119
governor dave heineman
< I look at my watch. Thirty minutes? It feels like I’ve been here an hour. But, he’s talking to the wrong crowd here—an Omaha guy who, for one, doesn’t own a business, especially a feed lot. Heineman plays best to business and rural interests. Here are his greatest successes, here are his deepest connections. And here is a major reason, he says, that he and other Republicans now dominate statewide elections: “We have worked very hard to know what Nebraskans want and to reflect Nebraska values. The Democrats have tried to carry that national Democratic message. They’re too much in sync with the national party to be effective here.” Oh, but then I do perk up and re-engage talking about the fact that he was born in Falls City and that his dad was a manager at the very JCPenney store in which my mom bought me my first running shoes. Dave’s brother still lives in Falls City and I tell Dave that his brother reminds me every time I see him about the junior-high wrestling tournament in Kansas in which I lost to a girl. I begin to call him by his first name. Dave and I have a connection. And I am not alone in that fact, or at least in that perception. If you’re from most any town in Nebraska, he probably has some twodegrees-of-separation conversation starter for 120
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
you. “I grew up in Benkelman, Wahoo, I lived in Fremont, and I think that background has really helped me,” he says. “Especially now, having travelled in the state so much, there’s an immediate connection with people. ‘Hey, this guy is one of us.’ It changes the conversation immediately.” Indeed it does. Nebraskans may be friendly in their greetings, but they generally need to sense a kindred spirit before they’ll open the door. In towns across Nebraska, Dave can open those doors. Built to Govern
P
aul Landow, a UNO politi-
cal science professor and longtime political insider in the state, has known Heineman since the 1980s. Landow was chief of staff in Nebraska for Rep. Peter Hoagland, who, in 1992, replaced Rep. Hal Daub, for whom Heineman served as chief of staff. In Landow’s Nebraska Politics and Government class at UNO, Heineman is a recurring topic. Landow breaks down all that is Dave: “He was the consummate politician then, he is the consummate politician now,” Landow says. “He knows exactly how to deal in the political sphere.”
“He’s good at pressing the flesh and he really, truly enjoys it,” he adds. “He knows what makes politicians popular in Nebraska. He’s careful, he’s measured, he says what he believes will work in his interests.” Landow believes Heineman will be remembered as a “popular governor who did a good job.” But massive problems in Nebraska Health and Human Services and the state prison system “may take the luster off the view of his time as governor. “That move to privatization in (HHS)— even calling the director the CEO—that all just proved to make things substantially worse,” Landow says. “The prison issue? It’s not a clear picture, but it all did happen under his watch.” Outgoing U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel says he believes his friend will be remembered for his steady hand guiding the state, especially in economic matters. “His contributions to Nebraska have played a key role in our state’s growth and prosperity,” Hagel wrote in an email. Incoming Gov. Pete Ricketts also focused on Heineman’s economic successes: “With Governor Heineman’s leadership over the last 10 years, our state has seen historic tax relief, weathered a tough national economic climate, and expanded job opportunities for Nebraska’s middle class.”
COVER FEATURE
Prior to his election to Congress, Brad Ashford spent 16 years in the Nebraska Legislature, with eight years of those as a sometimes foil to Heineman. But contrary to the political division and acrimony the first-term moderate Democrat is now seeing in the U.S. Congress, Ashford says that his dealings were Heineman were generally congenial and fruitful. Ashford says he believes one of Heineman’s greatest legacies will be his work to reform the state’s judicial system, as well as “exemplary” judicial appointments, which, he says, “will have very positive long-term implications.” Ashford agrees with Landow and others that Heineman is an unusually political creature. “He’s a lot like Hal (Daub) in that way—they’re products of the party, they view the landscape through that prism.” Ashford says that he considers Heineman a friend, but the two aren’t close, especially after the last two years. “Communication broke down” as the mismanagement of furlough and early-release programs in the prison system came to light. “It all became very political.” Ashford says he believes he saw some insight into Heineman’s personality when the two would golf together. “We had fun, but it really seemed like he had a hard time just letting go for a little while. He was just
more intense about that game than most people. He’s just a very focused, competitive, driven guy.” What’s Next?
I
f ghosts are the lingering spir-
its of those unable to move on, Dave Heineman probably is the governor most likely to haunt this office. He argues that he hasn’t had time to think about the future because the broad administrative responsibilities of a governor will keep him occupied until inauguration day. That said, he truly seemed unable to fathom the thought of not being our governor. In short responses to recurring questions about his plans, Heineman did at least give a few indications of what he won’t be doing: “No gardening.” On a future shot at a U.S. Senate seat: “They debate issues for 10 years that we already know the answers to. I’d be totally frustrated.” Heineman did have one job that interested him, but late in 2014, he found out he was not a finalist to lead the University of Nebraska system. He says the job could have been a good fit because, “The president job is like the governor job. It demands the same skill set that I have.”
Then, finally, an ever-so-slight peek behind the armor: “Honestly, I really have been so consumed with this job for so long, my thoughts are all right here—not on the future. Is that odd? It’s just who I am. “But, will I wake up in January or February and sort of wonder about everything? How could I not? I love this job. How could there not be sadness about it being over?” It wasn’t until after our interview that I remembered a critical detail in Nebraska’s term limit law: A governor is limited to two consecutive, four-year terms. The key word there is “consecutive.” Although it would be impolitic for him to say now, the truth is, in four years, Dave Heineman could once again run for the job he seemingly can’t imagine not having. Then his legacy, whatever it might appear to be in four years, will become his resume. And, while we may not love him, and the rest of America may not know him enough to even like him, there’s a good chance that this driven homer with economic street cred could once again become the most approvedof governor in the country. OMAG
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FEATURE
Sparring For Omaha Boxer Terence Crawford defends his title in the city he calls home.
122
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by leo adam biga • photography by justin barnes
FEATURE
< A gifted but star-crossed amateur boxer, Crawford turned pro in 2008 and for years he fought everywhere but Omaha. It was only after winning the WBO title last March against Ricky Burns in Scotland that he finally returned home to fight as a professional. As reigning champion Crawford headlined a June 28 CenturyLink Center Omaha card. He successfully defended his title with a rousing 9-round technical knockout over Yuriorkis Gamboa before 10,900 animated fans. He made a second victorious defense here Nov. 29 against challenger Ray Beltran. Before a super-charged crowd of 11,200, he dismantled Beltran en route to a 12-round unanimous decision. The convincing win made him Ring Magazine’s Fighter of the Year. Even with everything he’s done, Crawford, who’s expected to move up to the welterweight division, says, “I’m hungry because I want more. I don’t want to just stop at being good, I want to be great. I want to keep putting on performances that will take me to that next level.” This warrior believes winning is his hardearned destiny, saying, “If I fight like I want to fight, can’t nobody beat me.” Through it all he remains devoted to community. Residents reciprocate by turning out in droves, showering him with rock star adulation. Chants of “Crawford, Crawford, Crawford” and shouts of “We love you” filled the arena Nov. 29. When the ripped, goateed Crawford attacked, fans went wild. He fed off dynamic energy and high theatrics, his counterpunching, dancing style a perfect fit for the pulsating music, colored lights, fight video montages and amped-up crowd. When the decision was announced family and friends swarmed him in the ring. He climbed the ropes to acknowledge the fans, his face beaming and his gloved hands raised 124
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
bud crawford
overhead, waving. On his way to the dressing room, the title belt around his waist and his boy at his side, he humbly accepted congratulations and posed for pictures with admirers. Known for cool under fire, he doesn’t let the pressure of the big stage get to him. “With him, man, he don’t give a damn if the fight’s in hell, it’s just another day in the gym,” co-manager Brian “BoMac” McIntyre says. “He knows exactly where he wants to go in this game and he knows how to get there and what it’s going to take to get there.” North O has a history of producing great athletes. Bob Gibson, Gale Sayers, Johnny Rodgers, and Ahman Green all came out of the same poor neighborhood as Crawford. But where the others achieved their real fame outside of the city, Crawford’s doing it in his hometown. Now regarded by most as the best fighter ever from Nebraska and as one of the best, pound for pound, in the world today, he’s become a darling of HBO, whose telecasts of his last few bouts scored major ratings. He’s also become a true people’s champion. His local loyalty is seen in his B&B Boxing Academy located in the heart of the hood. He wants it to be a launching pad for more champions. “I want to show we’re not just stepping stones, we do have talent in Omaha and I’m not the only one with the talent—it’s just that people have never been given opportunities like I’ve had.” He’s “lost count” of the aspiring boxers trying to follow his path. He wants boxing to get kids off the street the way it did for him. “I want to be a positive influence and show them a different route.” McIntyre, his partner in the gym, says they aim “to develop young kids into young men and young men into responsible adults,” adding, “We want to let everyone know if we can make it from this community, they can, too.”
Treven Coleman-Avant is among the fighter stable there trying to emulate Crawford’s ring success. “I pray for many years to come he’ll be the champion,” Coleman-Avant says. “And I plan to come right up along with him.” It’s not all about fighting. Before Thanksgiving Crawford handed out free turkeys outside the gym, personally greeting recipients and receiving hugs, kisses, thankyous and God-bless-yous in return. “If I’m going to have my name out there I want to be in the middle of it interacting with the people I make happy,” he says. “Much appreciated,” a woman in line offered. “He’s not forgotten us,” another woman said. “He takes his and gives back to where he started from,” a man added. Shawntay Crawford says of her brother, “He’s a loving, caring person. You see him being a true champion outside the ring and that’s what its all about,” Coleman-Avant adds. Bud simply says, “We all make the community and I feel like when you’re going good—give back and help out.” The fighter takes care of his own. McIntyre, among several Omaha-based coaches and trainers with Team Crawford, says, “Bud’s assured me we’re never going to fall apart. He’s given us that security we’re here to stay.” Crawford’s also revived boxing in Omaha, where the sport was dormant until his emergence. Few thought Omaha could support a world title card. “A lot of people doubted and now they’re believers,” Crawford says. He expects to fight again in Omaha for Top Rank and HBO. “As long as I keep performing to my best abilities, put on a great show and, as long as everybody keeps coming out to support me, of course they’re going to keep coming back. Why wouldn’t they?” “Like I always say,” Crawford concludes, “there’s no place like home.” OMAG
story by • photography by bill sitzmann
RESTAURANT REVIEW
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STYLE
by david williams • photography by laurie & charles photographs •
M
any little girls like
to play dressup, dreaming of a life on and around the catwalks. Wunderkind designer Kate Walz, the Millard North High School senior who just turned 18, never grew out of her playtime obsession. Her lines have been featured at Omaha Fashion Week, Kansas City Fashion Week, and in an off-site event in conjunction with New York Fashion Week. Walz was the only American designer invited to participate in the J Autumn Fashion Show, the first-ever fashion event held on the Eiffel Tower. The show took place in October and was an effort of London-based J Model Management. OMAG 126
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lettering by erin pille
Scan the page with the LayAR app to view a video of Kate Walz.
This vintage, gossamer gown is from the designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal closet.
STYLE Upholstery fabric top: Walzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2014 Fall/Winter Collection. Vinyl skirt: 2013 Fall/ Winter Collection. Shoes: Steve Madden
kate walz
Wool crepe coat: 2013 Fall/Winter Collection
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STYLE
kate walz
Tapestry and upholstery fabric coat: 2014 Fall/ Winter Collection
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January/February •
2015
Roger Holthaus Front Row to History
The History and Mystery Of Central High School
Beverly Kracher On Top of the World
Faith, Friends, and Facebook The Journey of
Camille Metoyer Moten november/december • 2014
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Maybe you want to explore a new hobby like ham radio? Check out the story of Bill True and the Ak-Sar-Ben Amateur Radio Club on page S5. Looking for some inspiration for a travel adventure? Let Beverly Kracher tell you about her Nepali trek on page S11. Feeling a little blue, a little let down after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? You won’t after reading about the faith, friends, and Facebook journey of popular torch singer Camille Metoyer Moten on page S15. When in doubt, get active. Volunteer. Join a social group. Strive to get the absolute most out of life. Join a group or volunteer—you might meet someone new for friendship or even romance—it’s never too late. In the meantime, enjoy this issue of 60PLUS!
Contents
volume 3 • issue 1 Hobbies Ak-Sar-Ben Amateur Radio Club__ S5 Feature Roger Holthaus’ Front Row to History_________________ S7 History Central High School__________ S9
Happy New Year!
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Gwen Lemke Contributing Editor, 60PLUS In Omaha
Travel Nepal: On Top of the World_____S11 Cover Feature The Journey of Camille Metoyer Moten _____________S14 Active Living Swimming Teacher Rose Baker___S16 Faces Karen and Ron Baker_________S17 Health Enlarged Prostate, Common but Treatable______________S19 The Grandpa Chronicles_________ S20 january/february • 2015
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60PLUS feature by james walmsley • photography by bill sitzmann
Hamming it Up Bill True and the Ak-Sar-Ben Amateur Radio Club
I
F THERE’S A TECHNOLOGICAL/ JARGON gap widening between Baby
Boomers and Millennials, it may have little to do with textspeak and Internet gobbledygook. These days, anyone with at least a flip phone or a dial-up connection probably understands “LOL” and “BRB.” No, perhaps the true remaining esotericists are falling back into the middle of last century. They call themselves “hams” (which just might be old school for “noobs”) and they use such retro terms as, “HIHI,” “88,” and “QTH?” Huh? “We’re not doing a particularly good job at recruiting young people,” says Bill True. He’s 68 years old and is the secretary of the Ak-Sar-Ben Amateur Radio Club (AARC). >
january/february • 2015
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60PLUS feature < True, or WA9ASD, as he is known over shortwave radio transmissions, is an amateur radio enthusiast who doesn’t mind translating Morse code abbreviations for new-fashioned fuddy-duddies, nor recalibrating the habits of Millennials like myself. “Always say the No. 0 as ‘zero,’ not ‘oh,’” he scolds over a scalding cup of 5 p.m. decaf. “Oh,” I reply indulgently. “I’m not so in tune with the ways of ham radio, I suppose.” “You aren’t?” He asks dryly with the hint of a smile. “We have classes for that.” The AARC, according to its website, has been helping ham wannabes attain their amateur radio licenses since at least 1945, educating them in electrical principles, regulations, and types of equipment. And since the end of World War II, full-fledged hams have been using their powers for forces of good. During last October’s Market to Market Relay running event, the AARC teamed up with Lincoln’s amateur radio club to provide communications along the 78-mile route. The club has also lent its services to the CROP Hunger Walk, the MS Walk, and the Omaha Marathon. In more dire circumstances, hams can be a community’s last line of communication. “Ham radio is still relevant because it provides a communications resource in the event of an emergency,” True says. “This is true around the world.” The amateur radio advocate cites the horrific Joplin, Mo., tornado in 2011 that turned cell phone towers into piles of scrap metal. During the disaster, hams used point-to-point communication in assisting the direction of emergency services amid the wreckage. But ham radio has plenty of room for fun and games, too. True, who built his own radio around the age of 14, and who has contacted other hams as far off as Eastern Europe, hopes future generations will be able to reconcile amateur radio with neverending advancements in communication. “Ham radio is fun—to me, it’s fun,” he says. “After every class that I teach, I always ask, ‘Are we having fun yet?’ Because that’s what this is about. It’s a hobby. It’s a way to enjoy yourself.” Oh, and for those Millennials keeping track who are not so hip to their parents’ and grandparents’ patois: “HIHI” is a way to express laughter, “88” means “love and kisses,” and “QTH?” translates to “What is your location?” S6 60PLUS
january/february • 2015
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60PLUS feature by judy horan •
photography by bill sitzmann
Roger Holthaus Front Row to History
R
OGER HOLTHAUS WAS OFFERED a summer job
in 1960 as a park ranger in Wyoming. Several days later, a second letter arrived offering him a job in the Eisenhower White House. The White House job was a perfect fit. He was one year away from graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. Looking back on his time in America‘s most famous house, Holthaus says, “Security was different then. When Vice President Nixon was not there, anyone could do what I did. I would go to his office to chat and have coffee with his secretary, Rose Mary Woods.” Washington, D.C., was filled with Nebraska natives that year. Former Nebraska Gov. Val Peterson was Federal Civil Defense Administrator. Fred Seton was Secretary of the Interior. Seton’s newspaper, the Hastings Tribune, sat down the street from the drugstore owned by Holthaus’ father. > january/february • 2015
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60PLUS feature < Holthaus’ boss in the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization was Bob Gray, special assistant to President Eisenhower and a fellow Hastings High School alum. Gray would call Holthaus and say, “Ike’s out of town. Want to join me in the swimming pool?” “I was the state champion swimmer in high school,” Holthaus says. The retired attorney is still a champion swimmer, traveling the country to compete in National Senior Olympics. Holthaus returned to the State Department in 1961 after college graduation. “That was going to be my career,” he says. But his path took a twist when he was called up by the Selective Service. He applied for a direct commission. Within a week, Lieutenant Holthaus was on his way to Fort Sam Houston and then to a front-line aid station in the DMZ in Korea as part of the Army Medical Service Corps. Holthaus left the Army and earned a master’s degree in political science and government in 1966 from the University of Nebraska. He then taught political science classes at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City for three years. After graduating with a law degree from Creighton University in 1972, he became Deputy Douglas County Attorney and later established his own law firm. Historical buildings have been a big part of his life. His law offices were once in the 1600 Farnam Building, built in 1916 for First National Bank. He also had a condominium there. Today his home is in the St. Joseph Tower on 10th Street, built in the 19th century as a hospital. Although he retired in 2012, Holthaus still maintains an office in the more-than century-old Keeline building near the courthouse. He works there representing District 2 in the Learning Community of DouglasSarpy Counties. He once lived in the nearby Orpheum Towers, which is listed on the National Historic Registry. His Carleton College roommate was Garrick Utley, who became a well-known NBC newsman. Holthaus once jokingly told his friend that he thought Maria Shriver, Utley’s co-anchor on NBC News Sunday Today, was cute and would he introduce them? Utley called back in a few days and said, “She says if I do, I will be terminated.” At the time, Shriver was married to Arnold “The Terminator” Schwarzenegger.
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60PLUS history by judy horan • Photo courtesy of the KMTV/3 Bostwick-Frohardt Collection at the Durham Museum
The historic bell tower awaits demolition after Central High School was erected around the old school building.
The History and Mystery of Central High School
O
MAHA EYES ARE DRAWN
to the massive limestone building towering over 20th and Dodge Streets. How could we miss it? But it’s what we don’t see that tells the history of Omaha Central High School. We don’t see the buildings that sat there before. A commonly held misconception is that the current school building was the original Nebraska territorial capitol. It wasn’t. Built in 1858, Nebraska’s territorial capitol was the first of three buildings to sit on top of Capitol Hill. The second was built as Omaha’s first permanent public high school in 1872. Construction of the structure that is now Omaha Central High School began in 1900. “Omaha became the territorial capital in 1854 when the Nebraska Territory was
founded, a product of the Kansas-Nebraska Act,” says Barry Combs, who graduated in 1950. “The territorial capitol was never used as a school.” Omaha’s territorial capitol lost its status in 1867 when Nebraska became a state. A village named Lancaster, which was renamed Lincoln, was instead chosen as the new state’s capital. With nowhere else to meet, legislators continued holding meetings in Omaha until 1868 when a building was constructed in Lincoln as the first of three state capitols. Omaha’s original territorial building was then donated to the City of Omaha “for educational purposes only.” “The Omaha people brought in an engineer who said the building was too dangerous to use,” says Combs, the school’s unofficial > january/february • 2015
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60PLUS history < historian. “The original capitol was beautiful, but it was put up in such a hurry that it didn’t last.” A second building, constructed in 1872 for both high school and grade school classes, featured a clock tower. But the red brick building was soon overcrowded. Plans began in 1900 for construction of a larger school building on the same site. “But they couldn’t just tear down the second building,” says Combs. “Where would the kids go to school?” So that classes could continue, builders did not remove the old building, but instead constructed around it, one side at a time. Before the buildings’ completion in 1912, Omaha High School—renamed Omaha Central High School in 1915—had to decide what to do about the iconic clock tower rising from the old building’s center. The 185-foottall monolith had historical significance. Omaha’s first electric lights were switched on in the tower on July 4th, 1876, the nation’s Centennial. “That tower was a magnet for any kind of VIP who came to Omaha,” says Combs. “A visiting VIP would be urged to climb the tower’s steps.” The last dignitary to do so was President William Howard Taft. Combs contemplates the vision of the 340-pound president laboriously climbing the stairs. Presidents Rutherford B. Hayes, Ulysses S. Grant, and Benjamin Harrison also visited the school, as did the Emperor of Brazil. All are believed to have climbed the tower. But the school ran out of money and was not able to build a planned new tower after the old tower was torn down. “So the space smack in the middle of the school became a courtyard,” Combs says. “There was an attempt at shrubbery and grass, but kids went back and forth and it didn’t survive.” Helicopters placed a translucent dome over the courtyard during renovations of the school in 1981-1982. Students now gather year-round in the covered atrium. In 1915, the city decided to cut back the steep hill that ran from near the Missouri River to 24th Street. “Streetcars had a difficult time making the hill,” Combs says. Central High School still sat on a hill afterward, just less of a hill.
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Notable Omaha Central High School Alums If all Central High School alums from the last century gathered, it would be one amazing party. They include legendary actor Henry Fonda (1923) and actress Dorothy McGuire (1934), both of whom performed at another vaunted city institution, the Omaha Community Playhouse. Hall of Fame NFL running back Gale Sayers graduated in 1961 after setting records on Central’s varsity football team. Other NFL players who walked the halls of Central High School include Ahman Green, Keith Jones, and Larry Station. Central High School is a tradition for some Omaha families. The late Susan Buffett (1950) and her children Susan (1971), Howard (1973) and Peter (1976) are all alums. She was the wife of Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett, who graduated in 1947 from a high school in Washington, D.C., where his father was a U.S. Congressman. But his business partner, Charlie Munger, is a Central High alumnus (1941). U.S. Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige (1940) followed his father U.S. Congressman Howard Baldrige (1912) as an alum. Actress Inga Swenson, best known as the German cook on the television sitcom “Benson,” is Combs’ favorite famous alum, perhaps because she was in his 1950 graduating class. Many students who climbed the steep stairs to Omaha Central High School’s front entrance later climbed their way to the top of their professions. They had good practice sweating out this and other tough challenges. Central High lacked air conditioning until 2000.
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60PLUS travel story and photographs contributed by Beverly Kracher, Ph.D
On Top of the World A Little Bit Up, A Little Bit Down Beverly Kracher
B
HIMA, OUR GUIDE, WAITED
for us on the trail. We caught up to her after stopping to adjust our daypacks and enjoying some wild berries. Under her umbrella, which protected her from the burning sun, we could see Bhima’s smiling face and playful eyes. She quickly evaluated our moods and stamina. She said to us, for probably the 30th time, “Not far to go before we get to the next tea house. A little bit up, a little bit down.” Bhima was coaching us. Though it was probably another hour before we reached our stopping point, she was saying the thing we needed to hear to make it. “A little bit up, a little bit down.” Those words have had a forceful affect on my life since returning from this year’s trek. I was in the Annapurna Range of the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal. Hikers have tried to describe the magnificence of this massive range—the raw beauty, the incredible scenery, the water buffalo, and the orange/yellow sunsets over the snowcapped mountains. Try as we might, it is impossible. You have to go there on your own to know what Nirvana is like.
This was my second trek. The first was so powerful that I knew I had to come back with my sister. Barb and I had poured over books about the yogis and sadhus in India and Nepal when we were kids. We were inspired by their quest for spiritual enlightenment in the Himalayas. So this time I was with Barb. Her husband, Joel, came with us because he loves to explore life, too. We hired 3Sisters Adventure Trekking Company for our trek. Three Nepalese sisters own the company and provide jobs to Nepalese women by hiring and training them as guides and porters. Walking through the majestic mountains with four Nepalese women (one guide and three porters) brought the heavens to earth. As we walked, we learned about their quest for opportunity, education, family, and freedom. I found, as I always do when I travel, that while people dress differently and have different customs, we basically desire the same things. In this, we are one race. While trekking, Bhima showed us the way yogis and sadhus walk. The technique is two-fold. First, they take it easy. They are the tortoises not the hare. Second, they use
a lower-body relaxation technique. As they hike up a mountain they rest their back leg as they push off with their front leg. Continuous movement creates stress, so relaxing the back leg, even for a second, reduces tension and increases power. In these two ways, Bhima taught us to pace ourselves and to use our legs in a way that would allow us to walk twelve hours a day. A little bit up, a little bit down. Since my return I have learned to pace my life just as I paced my steps up the steepest and longest trails I have ever encountered. The temptation was great to fall back into my hectic work life. When I think about this it’s like listening to a sad song. The beauty of the Himalayas are still with me. I can very easily feel the peace anytime I try. I know that is good for my heart. And there is one more thing. I carry a joyful, even enlightened, attitude where I see the ebb and flow of life as “a little bit up, a little bit down.” I can be my best and do my best. And that attitude makes me feel like I’m standing on top of the world.
january/february • 2015
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60PLUS cover feature by leo adam biga • photography by bill sitzmann
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Faith, Friends, and Facebook The Journey of Camille Metoyer Moten
P
OPULAR SINGER-ACTRESS CAMILLE METOYER Moten is
a fun-loving, free-spirited soldier of faith. That faith got tested starting with an April 2012 breast cancer diagnosis. After treatments and surgeries over two years she gratefully proclaims, “I am healed.” Anyone unfamiliar with her spiritual side before discovered it once she began posting positive, faith-filled Facebook messages about her odyssey and ultimate healing, which she attributes to a Higher Power. Her frequent “Fabulous Cancer-Free Babe” posts gained a loyal following. Many “Facebook Prayer Warriors” commented on her at-once intimate, inspirational, and humorous musings. One follower quipped, “Your posts are like going to church at the Funny Bone.” Metoyer Moten decided cancer was an experience she couldn’t deny. “When you perform, your whole thing is pulling people into this artistic moment with you,” she says. “When I got the cancer and started posting about it I thought, ‘Well, this is my song, this is the song I have right now and I want people to feel everything I’m feeling, the good parts and the bad parts.’ And at the end I want them to see the glory of God in it.” The humor, too. She described the asymmetry of her reconstructed breasts. While losing and regaining hair she called her bald head “Nicki MiNoggin.” Once patches of growth came back it was “Chia Rivera.” She’s since dubbed her swept-back scraggle, “Frederick Douglass.” “I wrote it as I saw it, Metoyer Moten adds. “If it struck me funny, that’s what it was. I will talk about anything, I just will. I’m just like this open book.”
That extended to shares about weight gain and radiation burns. Mainly, she was a vehicle for loving affirmations in a communal space. What support most touched her? “Probably just the amount of prayer,” says Metoyer Moten, whose husband, Michael Moten, heads One Way Ministry. “Every time I said, ‘Please pray,’ there were people right there, and sometimes they would put their prayer right on the post, which was awesome. Some of the encouraging things they would say were really special. The Facebook people really did help to keep me lifted and encouraged and they said I did the same for them. “It almost never failed that there were things I read I needed to hear. We had this beautiful circle going of building each other up.” The sharing didn’t stop at social media exchanges. “The thing I loved were the personal notes I got from people asking me to write to loved ones going through something, and I wrote to them just to encourage them because that was the whole purpose—to tell people who you go to in time of trouble.” She’s now writing a book from her Facebook posts. “My goal is to encourage people and to glorify God and to talk about how social media can be a meaningful thing.” Camille, being Camille, went beyond virtual sharing to invite Facebook friends, all 2,000-plus of them, to “chemo parties” at Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center. “I usually had about 12 to 15 people. The nurses were very sweet because sometimes we’d get too loud. Other patients sometimes joined the party, which was kind of my point, to liven it
up. We just had a ball.” It wasn’t all frivolity. “We would pray on the chemo machine that the chemo would affect only the cancer cells and leave the good cells alone. Once, a woman rolled her machine over for us to lay hands on hers as well. It was just a beautiful testimony.” Cancer didn’t stop Metoyer Moten from cabaret singing or acting “Even though I had a little harder time every now and again,” she says, “it didn’t stop me from doing anything.” She even believes she came out of it a better performer. “I’m not a very emotional person,” she continues, “but sometimes to connect spiritually you have to have a little more emotion involved. I think now the stuff I’m doing on stage is better because I think I’ve connected to myself better emotionally. I think I had stuffed things down a long time ago. This made me realize it’s okay to have some emotions.” Fellow performers David Murphy and Jill Anderson walked with her on her journey. Now that they’re battling their own health crises (Murphy’s vision problems and Anderson’s MS), Metoyer Moten is there for them. She’s glad her saga helps others but doesn’t want cancer to define her. “A long time ago I decided there’s no one thing that’s the sum total of your entire life,” she says. “I’m happy to talk about what God did for me during this experience, but I’m not going to dwell on the cancer bit forever. I don’t want people to look at me and say, ‘Cancer.’ I want them to look at me and say, ‘Healthy…healed.’”
january/february • 2015
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60PLUS active living by david williams •
photography by bill sitzmann
Rose Baker Chlorine Dreams
R
OSE BAKER IS A graduate of
Monroe Elementary School.
That’s not a typo. Monroe Elementary became Monroe Middle School in 1956. Baker doesn’t need much of an excuse to return to her alma mater. She’s there over 20 weeks a year on Saturday mornings giving swimming lessons in the school’s pool. “My dad made sure everybody in the family knew how to swim,” Baker explains. “And I decided I kind of liked it.” She went on to a stint as a lifeguard at a now defunct neighborhood pool. She graduated from (the also now defunct) Tech High School before enrolling at Omaha University (now the University of Nebraska-Omaha), where she won two events at the first Nebraska College Invitational swim meet in 1964. But by then, Baker was already five years S16 60PLUS
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into her work as a swimming instructor, which she began in 1959. That, too, is not a typo…1959. Ike was in the White House. Buddy Holly’s plane went down in an Iowa cornfield. Bridget Bardot was the hottest thing on two wheels. Bobby Dain crooned about menace named “Mack the Knife.” Baker, now a retired Omaha Public Schools physical education teacher, is known for a firm-but-gentle teaching style that has become familiar to generations of Omaha families. “My recollection of Rose is that she didn’t take anything from anybody,” says Brian Neu, who is now 33 years old. “Her no-nonsense style is the key to her success. We started our daughters (Reese, 5, and Morgan, 8) in lessons elsewhere and we didn’t seem to make much progress. Then I learned that Rose was still teaching and now my kids are with the same woman that taught me how to swim. Their
progress with Rose has been just remarkable.” “Swimming is for everybody,” says Baker, who was recently recognized with a place of honor in the Omaha Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame. “I’ve also done a lot of classroom water safety work, but the pool is where it’s at. I want to be in the water. And so do the kids.” What she calls her “tough love” approach is legendary in this city and, after more than a half century of splashing around in the water, she is equally taciturn in talking about the “why” of it all. “Sure, it’s fun and rewarding and all of that,” she says, “but the main reason I do this, the main reason this is so important to me, is pretty simple. I don’t want to ever have to read about a kid in the paper…a kid who drowned because he didn’t know how to swim.”
60PLUS faces by sandra martin • photography by bill sitzmann
Karen and Ron Baker Love Springs Eternal
K
AREN & RON BAKER had their
first date on May 1st of last year. On October 4th, just four short months later, they were married. Crazy kids in love? Impulsive, impetuous teenagers? You might think so, but you would be wrong. These two lovebirds are admittedly far from their teen years, and rather than being impulsive, they explain that they “just knew” that they belonged together. > january/february • 2015
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60PLUS faces < “It did happen fast,” Karen admits, “but it isn’t as if we were strangers. I’d known Ron and his family for years. He was our mail man before he retired. We were in the same parish. Our kids were even in the same dance class together.” But in spite of knowing each other, Ron admits he was nervous when he thought about asking Karen out on a date. “My wife of 48 years had died,” he explains, “and I knew her husband had also died. I was so lonely that I somehow found the courage to call her up.” Karen believes their connecting was a sign of faith, explaining that she had gone to church to offer what’s called a novena, a nine-day prayer, asking God to tell her what she was supposed to do with her life now that her children were grown and her husband gone. “I was amazed to realize,” Karen says,” that Ron’s call to ask me out came either nine or ten days later! I took that to be a direct answer to my prayer. “I felt comfortable with him right away,” Karen recalls of their first date. “We discovered we shared so many interests.” Ron agrees, and adds, “By the end of that first date, I knew I loved her, and I told her, even though I was afraid I might scare her off!” “He didn’t scare me off,” Karen adds, “because I already knew I was feeling the same way.” From that moment on the couple was inseparable. “I asked her to marry me within a few weeks,” Ron says, “because there was no reason to wait. At our age, you understand how limited your time may be, and that anything could happen to change things.” Though their family members were indeed surprised (between them, they have 10 children, 22 grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren, all of whom were at the wedding), they are “150 percent supportive of our decision,” says Karen. “They just want us to be happy.” And it definitely appears that they are. “We’re enjoying doing so many things together,” says Karen, “especially since both of our spouses had been sick for such a long time. We’ve taken up golf again, and we’re also traveling—things that neither of us had been able to do for many years.” “We honestly feel like we’re about 30 years old, in the sense that we’re rediscovering life,” adds Ron. “We’ve been given a second chance at love, and we don’t take it for granted. We’re going to share the rest of our lives together.” S18 60PLUS
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60PLUS health by Susan Meyers
Enlarged Prostate A Common and Treatable Problem in Older Men
T
ROUBLE URINATING. WEAK URINE flow. Frequent urination or
frequently getting up in the middle of the night. While many men chalk these symptoms up to “getting older,” they are often a sign of an enlarged prostate. An enlarged prostate is one of the most common problems among men over 50. The good news is that, in many cases, the symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate can be relieved with medical advice, says Chad LaGrange, MD, urologist at Nebraska Medicine. By age 60, about a half of men will have an enlarged prostate and by age 85, that number climbs to 80 percent. Living with these symptoms can be uncomfortable, embarrassing, and can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep, notes Dr. LaGrange. Some men may even avoid leaving the house for any longer length of time for fear of bladder leakage. “Many men will put up with these symptoms for months until they become intolerable before seeing a doctor,” says Dr. LaGrange.
“This can result in permanent damage to the kidneys and bladder. It’s always important to see a doctor early on to determine if it’s something that needs treatment and to rule out more serious problems like an infection or prostate cancer.” The prostate grows throughout a man’s life. As it enlarges, the layer of tissue surrounding it stops it from expanding. This causes the gland to press against the urethra like a clamp, which can obstruct the flow of urine. Over time, the constant straining of the bladder muscle may cause it to become thicker and overly sensitive, causing it to contract with just small amounts of urine, resulting in the need to urinate frequently. Eventually, as the urethra opening becomes more restricted, the bladder cannot completely empty, which can lead to a urinary tract infection or kidney and bladder damage. “Oftentimes, an enlarged prostate is not a serious problem and can be treated with lifestyle changes and behavior modification,” says Dr. LaGrange. “Medications are
available that can shrink the prostate and relax the muscles in the prostate so the flow is better. Our goal is to avoid surgery until absolutely necessary.” Ultimately, treatment will depend on your symptoms, how severe they are, and whether you have other medical conditions, notes Dr. LaGrange. If you are not able to urinate at all, have significant bleeding, kidney failure, or are not responding to medical therapy, you may be a candidate for surgery. Resection of the tumor growth that is pressing against the urethra is the most common surgery for an enlarged prostate. The risks and benefits should be discussed thoroughly with your physician. “A lot of men think these problems are a normal part of aging and they just have to live with them,” notes Dr. LaGrange. “Just remember, if you are experiencing these symptoms, you are not alone, and in most cases, we can help you greatly reduce your symptoms with the appropriate medical therapy.” january/february • 2015
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60PLUS grandpa chronicles by david williams
The PG Dilemma Lessons Learned in the Dark
M
Y 3-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON, BARRETT, is just
crazy about dragons. His toy box is full of the scaly creatures, and he loves to invent epic narrative tales of good and evil featuring the winged beasts. So it seemed a no-brainer to select How to Train Your Dragon 2 as a good flick for us to see together. Our anticipation doubled when we learned that this would be the very first theater experience for Barrett and his then 4-year-old brother, Easton. My wife, Julie, wisely aired some concerns about the PG rating. I wish I had paid closer attention to her objections. Instead, I convinced her that the label was most likely innocuous. The usual suspects, I surmised, could be anything from an obligatory flatulence scene to a dose or three of fire-breathing violence of the not-too-scary variety. Oh, and don’t forget the likelihood that we would encounter a classic cliché found so often in such movies—that familiar plot device that has the film’s young protagonist being made into an instant orphan early in the story (think Bambi or The Lion King). We’ll be fine, I promised. I was spot on in my guess (spoiler alert) about the circumstances surrounding how the film’s intrepid hero takes on the mantle of clan leadership at such a tender age, but I was dead wrong on everything else. The fast-paced CGI production was a sensory overload featuring a dizzying style—one that employed about a million jump cuts per minute to fuel and punctuate the action. Way S20 60PLUS
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too much to look at. Way too much to follow. There’s a reason why the grandchildren watch virtually no TV when we babysit and, in their own home, are allowed access only to the gentle, parent-friendly fare of Nick Jr. That network’s offerings are created by educators and have clear curriculum goals in mind. A kid named Dora teaches them a little Spanish. They learn about shapes from a bunch of amorphous blobs in a program improbably dubbed Yo Gabba Gabba! Then there’s the D&D duo of dragons and dinosaurs in Mike the Knight and Dino Dan, respectively. How to Train Your Dragon 2 turned out to be something of a poster child for an insipid form of addiction, one that thrives on unceasing stimulation and the need for pointless distraction. The only good news was that Barrett quickly lost interest. Even the fruit snacks smuggled into the cheap-seat theater couldn’t hold his attention, so we ended up spending much of the movie hanging out in the lobby. Barrett soon found the drinking fountain, a
magical device that can occupy his interest for hours and should rank right up there with Lincoln Logs and Legos as the world’s most treasured childhood toys. Back in the theater, Julie was left to field a cavalcade of questions from Easton. “Is that the bad guy? Is that dragon dead? What’s happening?” For fear that we would be exposed as horrible grandparents, Julie practically begged me not to write this column. But this confessional will be a good thing if even one grandparent out there takes my mistakes to heart. Making age-appropriate entertainment decisions for young children carries a responsibility that I shirked. I should have learned more about the film. I should have browsed parenting sites that offer reviews and advice on how to make better choices. It would have been so easy. Simply put, I blew this one. “Horrible” is too strong a word, but we (make that I because Julie was in the right all along) learned some valuable lessons sitting there in the dark that day.
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HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE CHANCE BROUGHT SUZ RECOGNIZES THEIR 2014 CAREGIVERS OF ALMOST THE YEAR 25 YEARS AGO w take long for the two to form
Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face it. Say the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;caregiverâ&#x20AC;? and a female might be the image that comes to mind for many people. But two dedicated males are turning that stereotype on its head, demonstrating thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no gender bias when it comes to providing compassionate care.
Charles Huskey
Verne Sandhurst
Photos courtesy of Home Instead, Inc., Andrew E. Nelson photographer
Omahan Charles Huskey, a retired military man, had that fleeting thought when he saw the ad for â&#x20AC;&#x153;caregiver.â&#x20AC;? A job for a woman? It only caused him momentary pause. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was tired of doing what I had to do. I wanted to do what I wanted to do,â&#x20AC;? said Charles, who spends at least 15 hours a week for Home Instead Senior CareÂŽ helping seniors remain in their homes. Home Instead CAREGiverSM Verne Sandhurst, a former long-time ConAgra executive, echoed a similar sentiment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m having an awesome time. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hooked!â&#x20AC;? The two men, both CAREGivers of the Year for their respective Omaha-area Home Instead Senior Care franchises, are living post-retirement dreams in a profession that too often becomes a clichĂŠ. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found a continual call for male caregivers,â&#x20AC;? said Verne, who regularly provides three senior clients a variety of services including companionship,
personal care and meal preparation. Verne says safety is an impor tant reason why heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nobody falls on my watchâ&#x20AC;? is his goal. The job is really more than just care, though, says Verne, who has been trained in Home Instead Senior Careâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and dementia CAREÂŽ (Changing Aging Through Research and Education) program. He takes one of his clients, who has dementia, on drives to construction sites and the airpor t to help rekindle memories and lost interests. Charles had seen loving home care modeled by professional caregivers for his parents in their St. Louis home before they died in the late 1990s. Male caregivers can be impor tant for both men and women, he noted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If a man needs help with a shower, he often wants another man there for modesty reasons. And some women can feel more secure with a man around to help with things around the house.â&#x20AC;?
Respite for family caregivers is as impor tant as care and companionship. Charles spends an afternoon with a man who has dementia when his wife plays Suzanne Fraser (L) with her cards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We play Sudoko or watch a Armada game onmother-in-law TV. When Carol his wife hosts cards at their house, I might take him out that for asomethin movie. She tells me she has such peace with subtle sig of mind when sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gone.â&#x20AC;? Charles, like Verne, admits that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s but hadto Suzann trouble with the idea of retirement. on Butwith Carol both view their jobs as a labor of love. professional o Says Charles: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Home Instead is moreFour years late than work. It has become an enjoyment.â&#x20AC;? all of their live
As the p time with
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If you are struggling to care for a
Whether you are looking for someone to help an aging family member a few hours a week, or need more comprehensive assistance, Home Instead The Home Instead Senior Care ÂŽ network is t Senior CareÂŽ can help. We are your local, exper t resource for many aging-related topics. Find more information about our services at support and Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s caregiver education a homeinstead.com/omahane or call our local offices at 402-498-3444 (Metro Omaha) or 402-932-4555 (West Omaha).
Each Home Instead Senior Care ÂŽ
Each Home Instead Senior CareÂŽ franchise off ice is independently owned and operated. This message is brought to you by the Home Instead Senior CareÂŽ network.
Athletic war veteran looking for younger woman with a car.
It takes a special person to become a Home Instead CAREGiver,SM not a special degree. Working with seniors in their homes can be challenging but, at the same time, tremendously rewarding. Enjoy training, support, flexible shifts that fit your life, and a job that nurtures the soul. No medical degree necessary | Training and support provided | Flexible shifts
402.498.3444 (Metro Omaha) 402.932.4555 (West Omaha/Elkhorn/Bennington) HomeInstead.com/OmahaNe Each Home Instead Senior Care® office is independently owned and operated. © 2014 Home Instead, Inc.
january/february • 2015
60PLUS S23
Answering God’s call to serve. Compassionate caregivers, providing Radical Loving Care under the Catholic Church’s teachings on End of Life Care. “Although there may not be a Cure, there can always be Healing.”
Omaha: 402-609-4818 • toll free 1-888-980-1226 • www.saintjudehospice.org
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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by carol by • crissey photography nigrelli by bill • sitzmann photography by bill sitzmann
FEATURE
The Basketball Whisperer Tim Miles re-energizes Nebraska’s “second” sport.
W
hen the University of
Nebraska tapped Tim Miles to take over as head coach of the men’s basketball program in early 2012, Nebraska fans everywhere let out a collective “huh?” But in less than three years at the helm of a sport-that-is-not-football, Miles has gone from “Coach Who?” to “Coach Cool.” > omaha magazine • january/february 2015
157
tim miles
< The reigning National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year can’t get two steps from his shiny black Escalade in downtown Lincoln without someone shouting his name, shaking his hand, or asking him to share a selfie. Miles never turns down a photo request (except once in a men’s room when he politely asked the guy to wait outside) and his face is plastered all over Twitter and Instagram. His boyish exuberance, mega-watt smile, and social media savvy make Miles approachable, while his quick wit and self-deprecating humor make him quotable. That he delivers wins to a program starved for them makes this son of the Northern Plains a rock star. Last season the Huskers went on a tear, going 19-13 (11-7 in the Big Ten) and rode a surge into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998. Though they lost to Baylor in the first round, the Huskers put the league on notice that they are no longer a cupcake game on their opponent’s schedule. “There’s a thing all fans need to know, especially Husker fans,” says Miles, 48. “They can make a difference between winning and losing and they’ve already done it. We were 15-1 at home last season. We rattled the cages for basketball.” What was it about the Nebraska job that attracted this married father of two? After all, the Huskers haven’t won a conference title since 1950. They’ve never won a March Madness game. The program was, well, underwhelming. But none of that mattered. “I knew Nebraska was bigger than just football,” he explains. “You see how good the attendance is for all the sports; volleyball sells out. I thought all the resources were in place to be successful here. The facilities were lights-out.” Lights out, indeed. When Miles interviewed to replace 6th-year head coach Doc Sadler, fired after yet another disappointing season, Nebraska’s decision to sink serious money into the program was evident in a new $20 million practice facility. The state-ofthe-art Hendricks Training Complex boasts enough technology and electronic gadgetry to make NASA jealous. And construction was already underway on Husker basketball’s new home, the $180 million, 15,000-seat Pinnacle Bank Arena. Miles knew the state of Nebraska doesn’t yet produce an abundant crop of high quality Division I basketball players on an annual basis, “so I told [the interview committee],
FEATURE
‘you can’t say no to me when it comes to recruiting. We have to travel.’ And we’ve been able to do that.” In November, Miles announced the 2015 recruitment class, one of the strongest in program history. What did Nebraska see in a man whose basketball pedigree is humble? Miles would have us believe, “It’s the photogenic fake teeth,” he says in one of his trademark offthe-wall answers. “I bought these. I had to. They got knocked out in a kickball game in fifth grade.” Miles then demonstrates how the dentist jammed the original front teeth back into his gums, “but they eventually turned yellow and grey: dead. So I got veneers when I got the coaching job at North Dakota State (2001-2007) so I could smile for the cameras.”
A more plausible answer: the committee, headed by then-athletic director and football coaching legend Tom Osborne, smelled a winner. In his previous four head coaching gigs at small colleges in small leagues with bare-bones budgets, Miles transformed squads in a tailspin into contenders, slaying Goliaths along the way—pretty good for a hyperactive kid and the youngest of five from Doland, S.D., whose parents published the local newspaper. Where does he get his sense of humor? “Probably from my Mom,” he says over a pizza lunch. “She could always deliver a punch line.” He rode the bench for most of his four years at the University of Mary in Bismarck, the only private Catholic college in North
Dakota, giving him ample time to watch and study the game he has always loved. A physical education and elementary education major, Miles can break down complex ideas into the simplest terms and communicate them. He has a special gift for getting through to young people. He also has a gift for molding a game plan to fit the talent of his team. “People will ask me, ‘what’s your style of play’ and I tell them, ‘winning.’ That’s the only system I have,” he deadpans. It’s a system that now brings sellout crowds and national attention to Lincoln—even after football season. Can a coveted March victory be far behind? OMAG omaha magazine • january/february 2015
159
CHEF PROFILE
by sarah wengert • photography by bill sitzmann
Labor of Love Provisions extends The Grey Plume’s ethos, quality, and style.
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omaha magazine • january/february 2015
I
n his first venture, The Grey Plume,
chef/owner Clayton Chapman succeeds in proving an old-fashioned belief true: Food made with love truly tastes better. Chapman now extends that truth across Farnam Street in Midtown Crossing, from what may be the nation’s most sustainable restaurant to Provisions by The Grey Plume, a retail store, artisan grocer, and private dining space opened last fall. Those familiar with The Grey Plume’s magnificent house-made butter, preserves, and coffee, will swoon upon entering the lovely new space. Jars of jam, marmalade, mustard, apple butter, sauerkraut, and pickled beets with stylish labels denoting batch and jar numbers neatly line tall shelves, neighboring with coffee, bitters, >
CHEF PROFILE
< chocolate, butter, baguette, and other inviting, house-made vittles. “The [Grey Plume] menu is very seasonally driven and influenced by local farm supply,” says Chapman, “so to continue serving local food in winter months, we did a great series of pickling, canning, and preserving. We wanted to make those things that we’ve come to love so much available for home consumers.” Chapman says he accounted for the short 162
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
Nebraska produce season and forecasted demand to create a rather large Provisions inventory, which saw some late-fall additions including nut butters, charcuterie, and chocolate work (organic, fair-trade chocolate blended with locally sourced ingredients). Beyond crystal-balling Provisions’ inventory, Chapman’s very hands-on with its creation. “The charcuterie production, the coffee roasting, the butter production, the
chocolate-making,” he rattles off. Provisions includes a private dining space accommodating 22 seats. It offers special menus and discreet A/V access, making it ideal for everything from birthdays to business. Provisions also offers a series of Saturday cooking classes in its kitchen, covering canning/preserving, knife skills, meat fabrication, and more. Chapman, his staff, and a series of guest chefs lead the sessions.
provisions • clayton chapman
“We want to make local foods more approachable,” says Chapman. “It’s important to support your local farmers market; we can help people explore what to do with that food once they get it.” Ceramic and wooden wares are also available alongside other select handmade goodies from local merchants. “We want to provide a well-rounded experience,” Chapman says, referring to non-edible items, like those from
Black Iris Botanicals and Benson Soap Mill— vendors perfectly at home here. “The story behind their business practices are pretty wonderful, so we’re happy to partner.” Provisions, like The Grey Plume, is certified by the Green Restaurant Association. “It follows the same model—full recycling, full composting program, LED/CFL lighting, many recycled building materials,” says Chapman, pinpointing dining room
fixtures and flooring made from recycled farm wood, as well as a gorgeous walnut table made from downed trees. “Besides just being common sense, we want to maintain authenticity and transparency in all our business practices that mirrors our food sourcing. “It’s a labor of love,” says Chapman. And it’s true…you can taste the love. OMAG
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163
DINING FEATURE • TRAVEL
I
should start out by disclaiming
that, despite my Kansas City roots, I haven’t always been barbecue’s biggest fan. I grew up an extremely picky eater, despite being ribbed by my various family members, so it wasn’t until fairly recently that I really started to develop a taste for KC’s different flavors. After a particularly scarring childhood experience at Arthur Bryant’s, in which there was chewed food on my fork and I refused to touch my meal (which my uncle still makes fun of me for to this day, by the way), I swore off barbecue for life—despite it being the meal of choice at every, and I do mean every, family reunion. If I’d grown up in a place with less tasty barbecue, I maybe never would’ve developed 164
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
a liking for it. But being surrounded by the country’s best barbecue joints, I consider myself lucky enough to guide my non-local friends on their paths to discovering the food my city is most loved and well-known for. I’ve come to associate even the perpetual smell of barbecue in the city air with the most poignant sense of nostalgia, and if you ask any local native, they’ll probably tell you that barbecue is an unspoken part of Kansas City life. With that introduction, I have a few recommendations. Whether you’re headed down south for a Chiefs game or road-tripping for a night out on the Plaza, here are four of Kansas City’s top barbecue restaurants you don’t want to miss the next time you’re in town. OMAG
Oklahoma Joe’s Bar-B-Que (now Joe’s Kansas City) Opened: 1996 Top pick: There seems to be an ongo-
ing debate about whether the ribs, pulled pork, or brisket is the Joe’s musttry. No harm in trying all of them. Opinion: Voted by critics as Kansas
City’s best barbecue restaurant this year, the newly christened Joe’s Kansas City has yet to receive a poor Yelp review from BBQ fanatics. oklahomajoesbbq.com
by claire martin • photography by bill sitzmann
Sauce Sensations kansas city's bbq scene beckons
Gates Bar-B-Q
Jack Stack Barbecue
Arthur Bryant’s
Opened: 1946
Opened: 1957
Opened: 1930
Top pick: A meaty slab of ribs is most
Top pick: My personal favorite is
Top pick: Although Arthur Bryant may
Opinion: They’ll give you their famously enthusiastic “Hi, may I help you” shout-out the very moment you cross the threshold— but rare are the times you’ll leave Gates dissatisfied.
Opinion: Jack Stack is always my first
Opinion: Even though you may have to
commonly ordered in my house, and always with extra helpings of sauce.
gatesbbq.com
the pulled pork sandwich, but the lamb ribs are perhaps more famed.
choice when introducing non-Missouri natives to the realm of KC barbecue. I have yet to hear a complaint. jackstackbbq.com
have been the King of Ribs, the pulled pork sandwich is a prime second best.
root around to locate a clean fork, the full experience of both good barbecue and an environment rife with KC history remains intact. arthurbryantsbbq.com
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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RESTAURANT REVIEW
166
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
by the mystery reviewer • photography by bill sitzmann
Mula Mexican Kitchen & Tequileria Authentic Mexican street food comes to Midtown.
O
maha has always had its
own unique take on Mexican food. Things like puffy tacos, enchiladas made with flour tortillas, and margaritas made with Rose’s lime juice can be found at just about every Mexican restaurant in town. Some may be surprised to learn that you would be hard pressed to find any of those things in Mexico. Mula, which opened in June, decided to buck this trend by serving authentic Mexican street food. >
RESTAURANT REVIEW
< Owner Michael Sanchez is no stranger to the Omaha style of Mexican food. His Grandmother is Maria, the namesake of the famed Maria’s Mexican Restaurant in Ralston. Sanchez has been running Maria’s for the last several years and has shown his talents by upping the ante at Maria’s in most every way. Regardless of his local knowledge of the ins and outs of Omaha-style Mexican food, he has decided to take a risk and serve a much more traditional style of Mexican food at Mula. The restaurant is located on the corner of 39th and Farnam. The outer brick building gives way to a beautiful modern interior that 168
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
is well-designed but not “over designed.” I really liked the rustic wooden table tops, the pewter-colored bar top, and the bright orange walls. It’s a very handsome space. The menu is straightforward and mainly consists of appetizers, tacos, and tortas, which are basically the Mexican version of a sandwich. There is also a variety of salsas, guacamoles, and side dishes to choose from and, of course, authentic churros for dessert just like you would buy on a street corner in Mexico. Everything is a la carte, so it's fun to just order a taco or three at a time, kind of like you would do when eating sushi. At $2.50 a taco, it's certainly a lot cheaper than sushi
and, for me, much more enjoyable. On a recent visit, we sampled the Queso Flameado Appetizer ($7). This delicious dip features boracho beans, queso chihuahua, ancho chili, chicharrones, and pepita (pumpkin seed) salsa. We also tried the Huevo Con Chorizo Appetizer ($6.5). This was soft boiled egg served with some of the best chorizo I have had in ages topped with a zesty salsa verde. We also tried a plethora of different tacos including Al Pastor Taco ($2.5), Carnitas Taco ($2.5), Baja Fish Taco ($2.5) and Carne Asada Taco ($2.5). All of the tacos were outstanding and went well with the Salsa Flight ($12) that I ordered to
restaurant review mula mexican kitchen & tequileria
dress them up. The salsas included a Charred Pineapple Salsa, Roasted Tomato Salsa and a Tomatillo Salsa. All of which were top notch. We also tried the Machaca Torta ($8) and the Chicken Tinga Torta ($8). The tortas are much bigger than the tacos. Almost a meal in themselves, the tortas are suitable for sharing. They come on a freshly baked telera bread with sliced tomatoes, charred jalapenos, avocado, black bean spread, shredded lettuce, house crema, and roasted garlic mayonnaise. Combined with Mula’s great proteins, these sandwiches are incredible. Of course, we also had to try Mula’s Green Rice and Boracho Beans ($5). These were great and probably the most authentic beans and rice I have ever had in Omaha. As if all of this was not enough I also managed to take a couple of bites out of an order of Churros ($6). If you have ever had these on the street in Mexico, you know how good they can be. Mula manages to duplicate this experience. The food at Mula is some of the best Mexican food I have had in Omaha or, for that matter, in the entire Midwest. Couple that with the service also being excellent. I was particularly impressed with my server’s knowledge of traditional Mexican flavors and ingredients. I have yet to even mention the bar, but I can tell you it has everything you could want in a Mexican Tequileria, including, by my slightly tipsy count, over 160 tequilas. All of which combines to make Mula a place that everyone reading this should make a point of checking out. If you're like me and favor a more traditional style of Mexican food, you’re going to love Mula! Cheers! OMAG
MULA - Mexican Kitchen & Tequileria 3932 Farnam St. 402-315-9051 mulaomaha.com Food & Beverage Service Ambiance Price $ Overall 5 Stars Possible
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DiningGuide AMERICAN
9th Street Tavern & Grill - $
402-315-4301 902 Dodge Street, Suite 101 Home of the Bierock! We are an upscale sports bar that delivers the finest service and excellent atmosphere. Join us inside or out on our patio featuring a welcoming fire pit. In addition to bierocks, our menu includes gourmet pizza’s, melt’s, sandwiches and more. 9thStreetTavernandGrill.com
Addy's Sports Bar & Grill - $
402-991-2663 14110 “S” Street At Addy’s we always put in the extra effort to provide the best experience in town. Mouth watering food, friendly staff and large drink selection makes us the perfect place to enjoy all the games. Come see why everybody is talking about Addy’s. Open daily from 11 a.m.-2 a.m. addysbar.com
Get a Little Saucy.
Bailey’s Breakfast and Lunch Restaurant - $
402-932-5577 1259 S. 120th St. Comfort food done with flair. For breakfast: all your favorites, including Omaha’s finest eggs Benedict—six varieties (with crepes, too) topped with Hollandaise and made fresh every day. Come try the best bacon you will ever eat! Breakfast served all day. And when was the last time you had really good egg salad or chicken salad? Treat yourself to some of Omaha’s finest salads, soups, and sandwiches, plus chicken-fried steak, fresh Angus burgers, and Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Open seven days a week, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
Bulldog Burgers - $
402-933-7555 11811 Fort St. Bulldog Burgers was envisioned in the fall of 2012, when owner and Omaha native, Chuck Pratt decided to take the advice his nana gave him years ago…"Never be afraid of failing, be afraid of not trying!" And with that being said it was time to roll the dice and truly see what his potential was in life! He decided to open a small restaurant focusing on two aspects, quality products and customer service second to none!
SPEZIA SPECIALTIES FRESH SEAFOOD • ANGUS BEEF INNOVATIVE PASTA • RISOTTO GNOCCHI • FRESH SALMON DAILY
Catfish Lake - $
1006 Cunnigham Rd, Bellevue 402-292-9963 Catfish Lake is locally owned and has been in business since 1986. Our famous house-cut steaks are aged to perfection and our housemade food and desserts are modestly priced, making for a very pleasurable dining experience.
SATURDAY LUNCH [11am–4 NOW OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEKpm]
$10
OFF ANY TICKET OVER $25 NO EXPIRES 12/31/2011 2/28/15 NO CASH CASH VALUE. VALUE. EXPIRES
Depot Lounge & Eatery - $
COCKTAIL HOUR COCKTAIL HOUR
MONDAY – SATURDAY EVERY DAY FROM 4-6PM 4 – 6 PM ALL COCKTAILS, GLASS WINE ALL COCK TAILS, GL ASS WINE AND BEERS ARE HALF PRICE AND BEERS ARE HALF PRICE
CALL FOR RESERVATIONS • 402-391-2950 CENTRAL LOCATION • 3125 SOUTH 72ND STREET • EASY ACCESS OFF I-80 • 72ND STREET EXIT
170
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
402-779-4110 310 3rd St., Waterloo, NE Serving excellent, homemade food daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Specialties include turkey fries, 45-cent jumbo wings on Wednesday, and Friday night fish fries. Lowest lounge prices in the county! Keno, pool table, and darts. Open 365 days a year, 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Accepts MasterCard, Visa, Amex. Reservations accepted.
dining guide january/february 2015
DJ’s Dugout - $
636 N 114th St. (402-498-8855) 1003 Capitol Ave. (402-763-9974) 10308 S 23rd St. (402-292-9096) 2102 S 67th St. (402-933-3533) 180th & Q St. (402-292-9096) Catch all of the action at four Omaha locations. Featuring burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, appetizers, and an impressive drink menu along with HD TVs and projectors. Home to Blazin’ Pianos, Omaha’s only dueling piano concept. djsdugout.com
Dundee Dell - $
402-553-9501 5007 Underwood Ave. Famous for fish ‘n’ chips since 1934. Single malt and beer tastings open to the public monthly. Private tastings also available. We serve food from 11 a.m. to midnight Sun.-Thurs., and from 11 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. Fri. and Sat. We also serve a fantastic Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
The best holiday
traditions
hops. start with
View our full menu, happy hours and more at
upstreambrewing.com
Old Market 11th & Jackson 402.344.0200
West Omaha 171st & W. Center 402.778.0100
Jimmy's Egg - $
Various Locations For over 30 years , Jimmy's Egg has served up full cups of coffee, fresh-baked breads and fresh cracked to order™ 3 egg omelets by a friendly and attentive staff. Breakfast and lunch is served every day 6a.m.-2p.m.
Le Peep® - $
177th & Center St. (402-934-9914) 156th & W. Dodge Rd. (402-408-1728) 120th & Blondo St. (402-991-8222) Le Peep® puts a wholesome perspective on your favorite neighborhood Breakfast & Lunch spot. Fresh. Simple. Elegant. Inviting. We put the emphasis on people, both patrons and staff. We focus on providing each of our guests the fresh food and friendly service that they have come to expect. Open daily 6:30 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Sip. Savor. Be Social.
Millard Roadhouse - $ MC, V
13325 Millard Ave. 402-891-9292 The all American neighborhood grill Millard Roadhouse is perfect for the whole family, with hugh portions, great service and even better food. From broasted chicken to fried green tomatoes, theres something for every taste, and trust us your not going to leave hungry. Also serving Sunday Brunch and the Best Happy Hour in the area. Mon.-Wed. 11:00-9:00pm, Thur.-Sat. 11:00am-10:00pm, Sun. 10:00am-9:00pm.
Old Mattress Factory - $$
402-346-9116 501 N. 13th St Within walking distance of Omaha's major entertainment facilities, including TD Ameritrade Park and CenturyLink Center Omaha, this historic building remodeled in 2007 boasts great dining and three private dining rooms for your own events. Stop in before or after any Downtown Omaha event. Open daily at 11:00 a.m. themattomaha.com
LEGEND (average price per entrée) $1 to 10 - $, $10 to 20 - $$, $20 to 30 - $$$, $30 and over - $$$$
MC, V, AE, DC omaha magazine • january/february 2015
171
LEGENDARY PIZZA & PASTA SINCE 1953 Always a Large Selection of Fresh Fish
45th & Leavenworth • 402-556-6464 Closed Monday
LaCasaPizzaria.net
4150 SOUTH 144TH STREET • OMAHA • 894-9411
Family Owned & Operated Authentic Italian Cuisine Party Rooms Available Carry Out Available
The Original Whiskey Steak
Serving Lunch & Dinner
Mon-Sat
3001 S. 32nd Ave • Omaha, NE 402-345-5656
Voted Best of Omaha 4 years in a row
2121 S. 73 St. Just 1/2 block South of Doubletree
Gift Cards Available Open Monday-Friday 11am-2pm Cocktail Hour 3pm-5pm Dinner nightly from 5pm Reservations Accepted DroverRestaurant.com 402-391-7440
VOTED OMAHA’S #1 SPORTS BAR
5 OMAHA AREA LOCATIONS:
DOWNTOWN 10th & Capitol 402-763-9974
BELLEVUE
23rd & Cornhusker 402-292-9096
WEST
114th & Dodge 402-498-8855
AKSARBEN
67th & Center 402-933-3533
MILLARD
180th & Q 402-933-8844
HD TV’S, FOOD & FUN! • HD HEAVEN - OVER 50 HD TV’S • DELICIOUS FOOD - HUGE MENU • LUNCH MENU - REDUCED PRICES & LUNCH SIZED PORTIONS • PARTY ROOMS AVAILABLE @ NO CHARGE • PARTY TRAYS FOR GROUPS
CHECK OUT OUR DAILY SPECIALS & LUNCH MENU! 172
omaha magazine • january/february 2015
WWW.DJSDUGOUT.COM
dining guide january/february 2015
Quaker Steak and Lube - $
712-322-0101 3320 Mid America Dr., Council Bluffs, IA. ”The Lube” serves over 70 million wings annually, has bottled sauces for retail, and has won the title of Best Wings USA. Mondays are Kids Eat Free from 5-9 p.m., and Tuesdays are All You Can Eat Wings for $12.99 all day. The Metro’s only Quaker Steak and Lube also offers great steaks, ribs, and burgers. Live music again this fall on Friday nights. www.quakersteakandlube.com
Omaha’s Only Authentic German Restaurant
Prime Steak Fine Wine Premium Service
Locally Owned for 38 Years!
Railcar Modern American Kitchen - $$
402-493-4743 1814 N. 144th St. Prime rib dinner Fri. and Sat. nights. Happy hour 3:30-6:30 p.m. every day. Reverse happy hour 9 p.m.-midnight. Open Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.-midnight, Sat. 11:30 a.m.-midnight, and Sun. 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday Brunch! Casual dining. All credit cards accepted. railcaromaha.com
Stella’s - $ MC, V, AE, DC
402-291-6088 106 S Galvin Road, Bellevue Since 1936, we’ve been making our Stella’s world famous hamburgers the same way. The family secrets have been handed down to each owner to ensure that your burger is the same one you fell in love with the first time you ever tried Stella’s. And if it’s your first time, we know you’ll be back! Mon.–Sat. 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m., Sun. closed. stellasbarandgrill.com
The Diner - $
402-341-9870 409 S. 12th St This Retro breakfast and lunch spot in the Old Market is as much fun as it looks. The atmosphere is classic and the menu offers surprises, but everything from eggs and bacon to the chicken fried steak, is terrific. Choose a stool at the bar or a cozy booth and enjoy. Mon-Sat, 6 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Sun, 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Upstream Brewing Company - $$
514 S. 11th St. (402-344-0200) 17070 Wright Plz. (402-778-0100) Upstream features an extensive menu of new American pub fare including appetizers, thin-crust pizzas, superb steaks featuring Omaha Steaks, fresh fish, pasta, salads, sandwiches, and a great children’s menu. Fresh, handcrafted beer and root beer on tap. Extensive wine list. Call ahead for group reservations or to be placed on our waiting list. Visit our classic, upscale poolroom located on the second level.
Wedding Cake Specialist Now Featuring Naked Wedding Cake German Strudel, Sauerkraut, & Schnitzel Check website for bakery, restaurant hours and Saturday breakfast
ICE CREAM
13665 California Street Omaha, Nebraska 402.445.4380 www.mahoganyprime.com Private party rooms available for 6 to 40 people.
Ted and Wally’s - $ MC, V
402-341-5827 1120 Jackson St. Come experience the true taste of homemade ice cream in the Old Market. Since 1986, we’ve created gourmet ice cream flavors in small batches using rock salt and ice. We offer your favorites plus unique flavors like margarita, green tea, Guinness, and French toast. Special orders available.
10 years in a row
LEGEND (average price per entrée) $1 to 10 - $, $10 to 20 - $$, $20 to 30 - $$$, $30 and over - $$$$
MC, V, AE, DC
10 min from Downtown Omaha 5180 Leavenworth 402-553-6774
gerdasgermanrestaurant.com
Top 100 Restaurants in America omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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ITALIAN Don Carmelo’s Pizzeria - $$ MC, V
Race cars and Motorcycles hanging from the ceiling! Corvettes in the dining room! Over 30 T.V.s to watch your favorite games. We have a full menu with Ribs, Salads, Burgers, Sandwiches and of course Steak! We feature Jumbo size Chicken Wings with 18 different types of Award-Winning sauces. Our Atomic hot sauce is so hot that you have to sign a waiver to eat them!
402-933-3190 10821 Prairie Brook Rd. Omaha’s first and finest New York-style pizza, stromboli, calzones, oven-toasted hoagies, Philly cheesesteaks, pasta, salads, beer, and wine. We also feature take-out and delivery and can cater your special event, large or small. Stop in for daily lunch specials 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
La Casa Pizzaria - $$ MC, V
3320 Mid America Drive • Council Bluffs, IA 51501 712.322.0101 • www.quakersteakandlube.com
“Best Burger in Omaha”
Stella’s Bar and Grill ·“Serving World Famous Hamburgers since 1936”
106 Galvin Rd • Bellevue, NE • 402-291-6088 • Open Monday-Saturday, 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
402-556-6464 45th & Leavenworth St. La Casa Pizzaria has been serving Omaha it’s legendary Neapolitan Style pizza and pasta for 60 years now. We offer dine in, carryout, party facilities, catering and now pizza shipments to the 48 contiguous states. Open Tues.- Sat. at 11 a.m. and Sun. at 4:30 p.m. lacasapizzaria.net
Lo Sole Mio Ristorante Italiano - $$
402-345-5656 3001 S. 32nd Ave. Located in the middle of a neighborhood, surrounded by charming homes. Everyone is greeted with homemade bread, a bowl of fresh tomatoes and basil, a bowl of oven-roasted garlic cloves, specialseasoned olive oil, and at night, a jug of Chianti! The menu includes a large variety of pasta, chicken, veal, seafood, and even a delicious New York steak. Traditional dishes such as lasagna, tortellini, and eggplant parmigiana are also available. Lunch also offers panini, salads, and one of the best pizzas in town. Patio seating, full bar, and a great wine list complete the atmosphere. No reservations, except for private rooms.
Mangia Italiana - $$
402-614-0600 6516 Irvington Rd. Come taste the cooking traditions of Omaha's Little Italy featuring home made meatballs, italian sausage and pepper sandwiches. We also specialize in homemade pizza and pasta. We know you will enjoy your dining experience. We are open Mon-Sat 11am-9pm. Catering available 7 days a week.
Pasta Amore - $$ MC, V, AE
6207 Maple St.
402-504-4200
lot2benson.com
402-391-2585 11027 Prairie Brook Rd. Pastas are made fresh daily, including tortellini, fettuccine, and capellini. Daily specials and menu items include a variety of fresh seafood and regional Italian dishes, such as linguini amore and calamari steak, penne Florentine, gnocchi, spaghetti puttanesca, and ossobuco. Filet mignon is also offered for those who appreciate nationally renowned Nebraska beef. To complement your dining experience, the restaurant offers a full bar and extensive wine list. Be sure to leave room for homemade desserts, like the tiramisu and cannoli. Lunch: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner: 4:30 p.m. Reservations recommended.
OMAHA’S ORIGINAL STEAKHOUSE
• Proudly serving visitor & locals for 90 years. • Featured on CNN.com Best Meat Cities in America • Serving hand cut steaks, aged on premise and slow roasted prime rib with pride. 402-731-4774 www.johnnyscafe.com 27th & ‘L’ St., Kennedy Frwy, ‘L’ St. Exit 8 Minutes from Downtown Omaha.
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Best Of Omaha 9 Years Running
WHERE WHERE GOOD GOOD FOOD FOOD AND AND GOOD GOOD SERVICE NEVER GO OUT SERVICE NEVER GO OUT OF OF STYLE. STYLE.
LEGEND (average price per entrée) $1 to 10 - $, $10 to 20 - $$, $20 to 30 - $$$, $30 and over - $$$$
MC, V, AE, DC
HAND STRETCHED NEW YORK STYLE PIZZ dining guide january/february 2015
RECIPIENT OF 37 BEST PIZZA AWARDS! HAND STRETCHED NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA
Pitch - $$ MC, V, AE, DC
402- 590-2625 5021 Underwood Ave. Open Table Diners Choice 2014 HotSpot Restaurants in America. Keeping up with the traditional way the first pizzas in Italy were made, our pizzas are cooked in a coal-fired oven. The menu also features seafood, hand-cut steak, housemade pastas, and a burger full of flavor! Our goal is to provide you with local, housemade, and imported ingredients. We offer a Happy Hour menu through the week. And, our bar provides an array of in-house concoctions as well as your traditional libation! Our wine selection is well-thought and most impressive!! You will enjoy Pitch! Mon. 3 p.m.-10 p.m., Tue.-Thur. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m.-10 p.m. pitchpizzeria.com.
Spezia - $$$ MC, V
402-391-2950 3125 S. 72nd St. Choose Spezia for lunch or dinner, where you ll find a casual elegance that s perfect for business guests, get-togethers, or any special occasion. Exceptional food, wine, and service, with a delectable menu: fresh seafood, Certified Angus steaks, innovative pasta, risotto, gnocchi, cioppino, lamb, entrée salads, Mediterranean chicken, flatbreads, and fresh salmon daily. Enjoy a full bar, Italian and California wines, Anniversary Lovers Booth (call to reserve), private dining rooms, and wood-fired grill. Open Mon.-Sun. Cocktail hour: 4-6 p.m., when all cocktails, glass wine, and beers are half price. Evening reservations recommended.
Zio’s Pizzeria - $$ MC, V
7834 Dodge St. (402-391-1881) 12997 W. Center Rd. (402-330-1444) 1109 Howard St. (402-344-2222) Delivery, dine in, and carry out. Serving New York style pizza by the slice or whole pies, calzones, hoagies, pastas, salads, and garlic breads. Our pies are hand-stretched and baked in old-world ovens. We offer 35 of the freshest toppings; taste the freshest pizza at Zio’s! Family dining, open seven days a week. Lunch specials and beer and wine available.
CALZONES · PASTA · SALADS · LUNCH SPECIALS · APPETIZERS · BEER · WINE · MARGARI
391-1881
CALZONES · PASTA · SALADS · LUNCH SPECIALS APPETIZERS · BEER · WINE · MARGARITAS
7834 Dodge St.
391-1881
330-1444
330-1444
344-2222 344-2222
7834 Dodge St. 12997 W. Center Rd. 1109 Howard St.
12997 W. Center Rd.
(Old Market)
1109 Howard S
Happy Hour every day from 4pm-6pm Full Service Mon.-Fri. Nights & Sat.-Sun. All Day Self-Service Lunch Mon.-Fri.
ZIOSPIZZERIA.COM
ZIOSPIZZERIA.COM The Grey Plume
MEXICAN Award-Winning Wine List. Certifed Green Restaurant. Daily Changing Menu. Seasonally Driven. Locally Sourced.
Cantina Laredo - $$ MC, V
402-345-6000 120 S. 31st Ave. We serve modern Mexican food in a sophisticated, vibrant atmosphere. Enjoy our signature margarita, the Casa Rita, made from fresh lime juice and the finest tequila, while savoring guacamole made fresh at your table. Visit Cantina Laredo at Omaha’s Midtown Crossing for lunch, dinner, drinks, and Sunday brunch.
El Alamo - $ MC, V, AE, DC
402-731-8969 4917 S. 24th St. Located in the heart of Omaha’s thriving Hispanic community. We provide catering services and a party room. elalamoomaha.com
Fernando’s - $ MC, V, AE
7555 Pacific St. (402-339-8006) 380 N. 114th St. (402-330-5707) Featuring Sonoran-style cooking made fresh daily. Catering and party rooms also available. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.-9 p.m.
Thank you Omaha for voting us Best Family Restaurant!
“Serving The Best Chicken in Town Since 1997”
13325 Millard Ave. • 402-891-9292 www.millardroadhouse.com
220 S. 31st Ave Suite 3101 Midtown Crossing 402.763.4447 www.thegreyplume.com
PROVISIONS by THE
GREY PLUME
Retail Store Private Dining Cooking Classes 3157 Farnam Street, Suite 7106 | Midtown Crossing
402.763.4447 | www.thegreyplume.com
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Cows, Chickens & Pigs
OH
MY!
La Mesa - $$ MC, V
156th & Q St.(402-763-2555) 110th & Maple St.(402-496-1101) Ft. Crook Rd. & 370 (402-733-8754) 84th & Tara Plaza (402-593-0983) Lake Manawa Exit, Council Bluffs, IA (712-256-2762) Come experience an authentic taste experience at La Mesa! From awesome enchiladas to fabulous fajitas, La Mesa has something for every connoisseur of Mexican fare to savor. Get started with one of La Mesa’s famous margaritas! So kick back in our fun-friendly atmosphere and you’ll see why La Mesa has been voted Omaha’s # 1 Mexican Restaurant 11 Years in a Row! www.la-mesa.com
Margarita's Mexican Restaurant - $
2505 S. 132nd St. (402-991-3555) 4915 S. 72nd St. (402-393-7515) Margaritas is a business with more than 7 years in the food world. We offer authentic food at 2 nice locations in Omaha where you can enjoy a nice moment with your family.
Roja Mexican Grill - $$
17010 Wright Plz. (402-333-7652) 1212 Harney St. (402-346-9190) Modern and vibrant, Roja serves mouth-watering fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, chimichangas, and more, all with sizzling smack and an extra helping of Tex flavor. Happy Hour specials and more than 80 premium tequilas fill the bar with bustling activity. Fire pits and garage doors open to an inviting patio.
SEAFOOD
501 N. 13th St. | 402.346.9116 | www.themattomaha.com Walking Distance to CenturyLink Center & TD Ameritrade Park
801 RESTAURANT GROUP
HAPPY HOUR MON - FRI 3:30 - 6:00 SAT - SUN 2:00 - 6:00 |402| 933-0457 10387 Pacific St Omaha NE, 68114
Charlie’s on the Lake - $$
402-894-9411 4150 . 144th St. Charlie’s is the only fresh-fish-daily seafood restaurant in Omaha. Features a relaxed yet contemporary atmosphere that is fun for all ages. Besides fresh seafood, Charlie’s is the home of the James Bond-style martini (shaken, not stirred) in over 20 varieties in addition to over 60 wines. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sat., 4:30 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m.
Shuck’s - $$
16901 Wright Plz., No. 198 (402-763-1860) 1218 S. 119th St. (402-827-4376) 1911 Leavenworth St. (402-614-5544) Have you ever been to a fish shack on the coast? You’ll like this! Shrimp or oyster po’ boys, fried clam strips, shrimp, walleye, calamari, and oysters (all VERY lightly breaded), crab cakes, clam chowder, gumbo, salads, and daily fresh fish specials. Featuring a large variety of oysters on the half shell, shucked right in front of you. Killer happy hour 2-6 p.m. every day. Open seven days a week.
SUNDAY BRUNCH 9AM-2PM
LEGEND (average price per entrée)
1403 Farnam St, Omaha NE, 68102 176
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|402| 341-1222
$1 to 10 - $, $10 to 20 - $$, $20 to 30 - $$$, $30 and over - $$$$
MC, V, AE, DC
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Try Omaha’s Favorite Reuben! THANKS FOR VOTING US #1 BREAKFAST 7 Years in a Row! 177th & Center • 934-9914 | 156th & Dodge • 408-1728 | 120th & Blondo • 991-8222 Drive-Thru Open (Center St. Only) • Open Daily 6:30am-2:00pm • Serving Breakfast & Lunch All Day!
Established in 1919 Celebrating our 95th year!
Omaha’s largest selection of craft beers.
3578 Farnam St • 402-345-1708 www.beercornerusa.com
Thank You for voting us #1 Best Greek Best Greek.
2202 South 20th Street – Omaha
Orsi’s is famous for our pizza. Our Italian Deli features a variety of meats, homemade sausage, cakes, cannolis, cheese and bread products. 621 Pacific St, Omaha • 402-345-3438
Family Restaurant • Fine Steaks Chicken • Seafood Party Rooms Available
342-9038 • 346-2865
Family Owned Since 1983
Catering ~ Party Room Available Homemade, Fresh Food ~ Always 3821 Center St. 402/346-1528
GreekIslandsOmaha.com
Its not wine or beer, it’s Mead. PREMIUM HOMEMADE ICE CREAM
f Moonstruck Meadery produces the world’s oldest alcoholic drink made from honey. It has a history that goes back 8,000 years.
1120 Jackson Street (402) 341-5827 tedandwallys.com
8 Years In A Row
O’Connor’s Irish Pub 1217 Howard St. • Omaha, NE 68102 402-934-9790 • oconnorsomaha.com
·Tasting room (evenings & weekends) ·Private parties ·Take-Out or Dine-In
Now serving Gourmet Honey Crust Pizza and Appetizers 2221 Madison Street (Bellevue, Nebraska) 402-934-7544 moonstruckmead.com 178
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Celebrating 27 Years! Come in for a taste of one of our amazing specials!
Sonoran Style Cooking Made Fresh Daily.
402.391.5047 7425 Dodge St. www.sushiomaha.com
Catering and Party Rooms Also Available. 7555 Pacific St. 399–8006 380 N.114 St. 330–5707 Omaha, Nebraska
dining guide january/february 2015
SPECIAL DINING Crescent Moon Ale House - $
402-345-1708 3578 Farnam St. Founded in 1996, we’ve grown into Beer Corner USA with the additions of The Huber Haus German Beer Hall, Max and Joe’s Belgian Beer Tavern, and Beertopia, Omaha’s Ultimate Beer Store. With more than 60 beers on tap and Omaha’s best reuben sandwich, we are a midtown beer lover’s destination. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Kitchen hours: Mon.-Wed., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Thurs.-Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight. Closed Sun. www.beercornerusa.com.
A C L A S S I C S P OT Private Party Rooms Business Luncheons Catering
Cut Spike Distillery
402-763-8868 11941 Centennial Rd
lunch Mon-Fri: 11AM-2PM Dinner Mon-Sat: 4:30PM-Close Rockbrook Village (108th & Center) 402-391-2585 · www.pastaamore.net Artisan Cheese • Award Winning Wine List
Cut Spike Distillery is a craft distillery located in La Vista, Nebraska specializing in distilling premium artisan spirits. Visit us and taste our award winning single malt whiskey, our award winning premium vodka, and our newly released barrel aged rum. Proudly distilling since 2008.
Gerda’s German Restaurant and Bakery - $
402-553-6774 5188 Leavenworth St. Omaha’s only authentic German restaurant; a little piece of Germany in Omaha. Gerda herself makes homemade spaetzle, schnitzels, and rouladen Fresh-made soups, red cabbage, sauerkraut, and dumplings are a few other treats. Stay for a dessert of Black Forest cake or grab fresh bakery for breakfast on your way out. Check hours at gerdasgermanrestaurant.com.
Greek Islands - $
402-346-1528 3821 Center St. Greek cuisine with specials every day at reasonable prices. Well known for our gyro sandwiches and salads. We cater and can accommodate a party for 65 guests. Carryout and delivery available. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Discover, MasterCard, Visa, Amex.
Old Market Passageway • 1022 Howard St. Reservations Recommended Call 402.345.8980 Reservations Online www.vmertz.com head chef Kyle Lamb certified sommeliers David Eckler, Jennifer Fravel proprietor David Hayes general manager/wine director Matthew Brown
The Best in Town Tasty & Authentic Mexican Food
Horsemen’s Park- $ MC, V
402-731-2900 6303 Q St. One-dollar pints, $1.75 domestic bottles, and $2 well drinks for our happy hour Mon.-Wed., 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays are 25-cent wings from 3-8 p.m., Wednesdays are Steak Night after 5 p.m., Thursdays are 75-cent tacos and $1.75 margaritas after 5 p.m., and Fridays are Prime Rib Dinner after 5 p.m. Daily specials seven days a week. Open at 10 a.m. www.horsemenspark.com
Stop in today! 4917 S 24th Street |402-731-8969 | elalamoomaha.com
More Than Just a Burger burgers » chicken » dogs
LEGEND (average price per entrée) $1 to 10 - $, $10 to 20 - $$, $20 to 30 - $$$, $30 and over - $$$$
MC, V, AE, DC
OUR BURGERS ARE 100% ALL NATURAL, WITH NO ANTIBIOTICS OR ADDED HORMONES AND COOKED FRESH, NOT FROZEN.
11811 Fort Street 402.933.7555 bulldogburgersomaha.com omaha magazine • january/february 2015
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Jaipur Indian Restaurant and Brewery - $$$ MC, V
402-392-7331 10922 Elm St. A casual restaurant in a relaxed atmosphere. Dinner entrees include fresh vegetables, grilled Colorado lamb sirloin, sushi-grade Ahi, tandoori marinated grilled salmon, and tandoori grilled beef tenderloin to name a few. A wide selection of wines and liquor, as well as on-site brewed beer. Lunch: Thurs. and Fri., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner: Sun.-Thurs., 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; Fri and Sat., 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Katie’s Greek Restaurant & Taverna
402.558.5623 119 S 40th St. We’re a family-run establishment, and we value giving great food at a great price. Omaha agrees! Want to eat light? Try our fine vegetarian cuisine. Have a heartier appetite? How about a nice, juicy souvlakia and gyros? If you have a diner who might not feel adventurous enough for Greek food, we have a nice selection of American items as well. We also have a full bar. We can cater private parties—hold it at your location or ours! Give us a call or find us on Facebook for special offers.
Nosh Restaurant and Wine Lounge - $$
402.590.COAL PITCHPIZZERIA.COM 5021 UNDERWOOD AVENUE · DUNDEE
Open at 11am ,7 days a week
402-614-2121 1006 Dodge St. Located in downtown Omaha blocks away from the CenturyLink Center Omaha, Holland Performing Arts, and the Old Market—Nosh is the perfect place to gather and celebrate good times. Guests are sure to enjoy our comfortable relaxing atmosphere, diverse wine list, impressive cocktails and food that will please any palate. noshwine.com
O’Connor’s Irish Pub - $
402-934-9790 1217 Howard St. Comfortable, relaxing atmosphere. Great before and after games. We offer pub style food—burgers, reubens, daily specials, and homemade soups—as well as all the traditional Irish favorite libations: Guinness, Harp, and Irish whiskey. Grill hours: Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sakura Bana - $ MC, V
402-391-5047 7425 Dodge St. California Rolls, sushi and box lunches are among the specialties here. Menu favorites include beef teriyaki, chicken teriyaki and udon, a flavorful noodle soup served with Tempura Shrimp or Mountain Vegetables. Multiple combinations of sushi or rolls can be ordered from your table or from the sushi bar. California Rolls and Tuna Sushi are the most popular choices. Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Mon.-Thur., 5-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 5-10 p.m.; Sun. 5-9 p.m. www.sushiomaha.com
V Mertz - $$$ MC, V, AE, DC
402-345-8980 1022 Howard St. V. Mertz is locally-owned, and we pride ourselves in offering artisan products and cheeses, organically-grown local produce and Wagyu beef, and sustainably-farmed and line-caught seafood. We believe that dining should be an event, and to this end Chef Jon Seymour has created a harmony of food and wine, culminating in our extravagant 5- and 8-course Tasting Menus. Perfect for business or pleasure, V. Mertz is the premier fine-dining restaurant in Omaha. Tue.-Sat. open at 5:50 p.m. vmertz.com
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Open 11:00 A.M. Mon.-Fri. Open at Noon Sat. & Sun. Happy Hour Mon.-Fri. 4-6 P.M.
STEAKHOUSES 801 Chophouse - $$$$
402-341-1222 1403 Farnam St. Designed with a 1920s-era New York chophouse in mind, 801 is the epitome of elegance. You will not forget the crisp-white-tablecloth, fine-dining experience. From our USDA prime-grade beef and jetfresh seafood from all over the world, we are truly the best Omaha has to offer. Open seven nights a week.
9819 M Street (Just SW of 96th & L) 402-592-3545 • bigjohnsbilliards.com
The Drover Restaurant & Lounge - $$$ 402-391-7440 2121 S. 73rd St.
Famous for the original Whiskey Steak. Truly a one of a kind Midwestern experience. Excellent food, wine, service and value. Rare...and very well done. Reservations accepted. Lunch: Mon– Fri 11am – 2pm. Cocktail Hour 3-6pm Dinner nightly at 5pm. Reservations accepted.
Johnny's Café - $$$
402-731-4774 4702 S. 27th St. Years of quality dining and hospitality make Johnny's Café a restaurant to remember. We serve only the finest beef the Midwest has to offer. Aged steaks and prime rib are the specialties, with homemade bread and pies to complete a meal. An excellent wine list adds to the enjoyment at one of Omaha's original restaurants. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. MasterCard, Visa, and Amex.
Great Food & Drinks
brews cafes chef profiles cocktails dining reviews farmers markets recipies taverns treats Greek & American Cuisine, Homemade Greek Pastries, Drive-Thru, Takeout & Catering,Beer-Wine-Cocktails
FOOD&DRINK
119 S 40th St • Omaha, NE (40th & Dodge) 402-558-5623 • KatiesGreek.com
Mahogany Prime Steakhouse - $$$$ 402-445-4380 13665 California St.
This is a restaurant where steak is the star, using custom-aged, U.S. prime Midwestern beef known for its excellence in marbling, texture, and flavor. We serve it sizzling on a heated plate so that it stays hot throughout your meal. Amazing service in a less-intimidating, fine-dining atmosphere.
Piccolo’s Restaurant - $$$
402-342-9038 2202 S. 20th St. One of Omaha’s finest traditions, this is where quality steaks are served at low prices. Especially designed for a family outing or a business social. The specialty is tasty prime rib, served for the last 60 years under the crystal ball. Lunch: Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thu., 5 p.m.-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Daily and nightly specials.
Mai Thai Restaurant brings you the most authentic Thai cusine in Omaha, in a beautiful, contemporary, atmosphere. Harvey Oaks Plaza & Aksarben Village 402.333.0506 402.884.7888
LEGEND (average price per entrée)
www.maithaiomaha.com
$1 to 10 - $, $10 to 20 - $$, $20 to 30 - $$$, $30 and over - $$$$
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GREATER NEBRASKA HAPPENINGS
JANUARY Around Town: Grant Reynard’s Winter Scenes. Through February 15 at the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney, Neb. During the 1940s, Grant Reynard did a series of drawings titled "Inside Manhattan" for PM Daily, a New York newspaper. These winter scene selections capture another time and setting unlike those of familiar rural Nebraska. 11–5pm. 308–865–8559. – mona.unk.edu Regionalist Works of Grant Reynard. Through March 1 at the Bone Creek Museum in Kearney, Neb. In the 1950s Reynard’s focus began to shift from illustration to his own creative work. Reynard returned to Nebraska almost every summer to conduct lectures and art classes in Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney, and North Platte. 402–367–4488.–bonecreek.org The Art of MONA’S Founders: Zaruba, Peterson, K arraker Exhibition. Through March 15 at the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney, Neb. Gary Zaruba, Larry Peterson, and Jack Karraker are not only founders of the Museum of Nebraska Art, they are also artists in their own right. All are retired art faculty members from the Art and Art History Department, University of Nebraska-Kearney. Recognized for their deep and continuing involvement with MONA, the Museum is proud to showcase their artistic talents with a selection of their artworks. 5–7pm. 308–865–8559. – mona.unk.edu Reverence for the Rural: Dale Nichols. Through May 3 at the Bone Creek Museum in Kearney, Neb. Dale Nichols is the cornerstone artist of the Bone Creek Museum collection. He was also the fourth most famous Regionalist painter after the Big Three: Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, and John Steuart Curry. Here, his work is presented along with other Regionalist artists. 402–367–4488. –bonecreek.org First Day Hike at Ponca State Park. January 1 at Ponca State Park in Ponca, Neb. Ponca State Park is offering a healthy start to your new year with a “First Day Hike.” Guests
Celebrate one of the most historic seasons in the Lied Center’s 25-year history with iconic legends in every art form, including Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Alvin Ailey, The Chieftains, Ricky Skaggs, Mannheim Steamroller, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Tony-winning productions Peter and the Star Catcher, and Anything Goes. Visit LiedCenter.org.
are welcome to take part in unguided hikes. At the conclusion of your hike, stop in at the Resource and Education center to warmup and enjoy a complimentary cup of hot cider and cookies. 8–5pm. 402–755–2284. –outdoornebraska.ne.gov Yule Log Quest. January 3 at Platte River State Park in Louisville, Neb. A fun event for the family and friends. Teams will compete in a scavenger hunt challenge to find the Yule Log based on a series of clues to follow. The day will consist of fun family events with a kindling hunt for kids, crafts and story time. 3pm. 402–234–2217. –outdoornebraska.ne.gov Unsteady Stacks by Jordan Buschur. January 5 at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center in Nebraska City, Neb. This exhibit features paintings that use the avenues of figure, still life, and landscape to implant ordinary objects with psychological meanings. The current group of paintings for this exhibition focuses on an implied human presence through depictions of collections of books. 10am–5pm. 402–874–9600.–khncenterforthearts.org
Starry, Starry Night. January 8 and January 22 at the Nebraska State Museum in Lincoln, Neb. We will tilt our heads back and examine the winter sky. Kids will have fun discovering basic astronomy while visiting the Museum's Ralph Mueller Planetarium and the UNL Student Observatory. 6–7:30pm. Regular museum admission. 402–472–4075.–museum.unl.edu Puzzles of the Past. January 9 at Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering, Neb. Puzzles of the Past helps the museum gather historical information and provides a fun opportunity for socialization. Participants look at historic photos or discuss historical topics. Refreshments are provided at the meetings, which are held on the second Friday of each month. 9am–11am. 308–436–1989. – legacyoftheplains.org
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GREATER GREATER NEBRASKA NEBRASKA HAPPENINGS HAPPENINGS
calendar january/february 2015
Jonathan Biss. January 13 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. American virtuoso Jonathan Biss is one of the most sought–after pianists today for solo recitals and appearances with major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony. Experience works by Schumann, Schoenberg and Beethoven in this remarkable concert. 7:30pm. Starting at $36. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org Poncho Sanchez and His Latin Jazz Band. January 15 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. For more than three decades, Grammy Award– winning percussionist Poncho Sanchez has stirred up a fiery stew of straight–ahead jazz, gritty soul music and infectious melodies and. Sanchez’s nine–piece band creates a kaleidoscopic swirl of Latin and South–American music. 7:30pm. Starting at $28. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org Women’s Wellness Weekend. January 15–18 at Ponca State Park in Ponca, Neb. Ponca State Park will be hosting the 1st annual Women’s Wellness Weekend. This workshop will include presentations and activities on health and wellness, relaxation, meditation, self–improvement, outdoor recreation and more. 402–755–2284. – outdoornebraska.ne.gov Fleetwood Mac. January 17 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb. Fleetwood Mac is currently performing with their five-star lineup, including the returning songbird Christine McVie who rejoined the band following a 16-year absence. 8pm. 402–904–4444. – pinnaclebankarena.com Ogallala Gun Show. January 17–18 at Keith County Fairgrounds in Ogallala, Neb. Buy, sell, and look at guns of all styles and sizes. 308–284–4066. – visitogallala.com Nebraska Jazz Orchestra. January 23 at the Cornhusker Marriott in Lincoln, Neb. The Nebraska Jazz Orchestra will audition outstanding high school and college students to form the 2015 Young Lions All–Star Band, which will perform as part of this series concert. The select student ensemble will be rehearsed and coached by members of the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra. The concert will also feature international trumpet artist, improviser, and composer Kelly Rossum. 7:30pm. 402–477–8446. – artsincorporated.org
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Staying in due to the Nebraska cold, check out GoSarpy.com. The updated Sarpy County Tourism website is sleek and easy to navigate. With a full calendar of Sarpy County events, you can begin planning for the summer. Or browse a complete list of Sarpy County businesses and find an eatery for dinner tonight. The website includes stunning pictures, information on group tours and the opportunity to request a paper copy of the new 2015 Sarpy County Tourism Guide.
ANYTHING GOES. January 23–24 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. All aboard for one of the greatest musicals in theater history. Anything Goes is the winner of three 2011 Tony®Awards including Best Musical Revival and Choreography. Peppering this Cole Porter first–class comedy are some of musical theater’s most memorable standards, including I Get a Kick Out of You, You’re the Top and of course, Anything Goes. 7pm, 2pm. Starting at $48. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org Cold Day, Warm Hearts and Family Fun. January 24 at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb. Celebrate the frosty season by making memories with the family to warm you through the cold days of winter. Bring the whole family to the Owen Marina to learn about surviving the winter wilderness and enjoy fishing and birding activities. Stay to create memories with the children and grandchildren while making winter crafts and enjoy roasting hotdogs and s’mores over an open fire. 3–6pm. 402–944–2523.– outdoornebraska.ne.gov Prairie Princess Party. January 24 at College Park, across the street from Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Neb. Stuhr hosts a beautiful day for princesses of all ages. Crafts, face painting, princess games, a magical tea room, royal photos with Miss Nebraska and more frilly fun await. 9am–4pm. Members, $95 for 2; nonmembers, $115. 308–385–5316. – stuhrmuseum.org
Cafe Monkey Band. January 30–31 and February 27–28 at The Most Unlikely Place in Lewellen, Neb. Cafe Monkey is an eclectic mix of musical adventure, from pop and rock to funk and world music. Come join us for an evening of music and fun. 6:30pm–8pm. 308–778–9557. – themostunlikelyplace.com Winter Blues Festival. January 31 at 508 E. St in Fairbury, Neb. Enjoy an afternoon and evening of blues music featuring some of the area’s best blues artists. 4pm. $25. – fairbury.com FEBRUARY Life in Color: The World’s Largest Paint Party. February 6 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb. Life in Color transports fans into the ultimate mind blowing, head bumping, and heart pumping experience. Featuring the world’s biggest DJs, soaring aerial acts, stilt walkers, contortionists, and fire shows…leading up to the ever so famous paint blast. 8pm. 402–904–4444. – pinnaclebankarena.com Linkin Park. February 7 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb. Linkin Park has announced The Hunting Party Tour, featuring special guests, Rise Against and Of Mice & Men. 7pm. 402–904–4444. – pinnaclebankarena.com
calendar january/february 2015 UNK Presents: Chinese Acrobats. February 7 at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds EXPO Building in Kearney, Neb. 6pm. 308–440–0153. – kearneyhub.com The Baltimore Consort and Soprano Danielle Svonavec. February 13 at the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln, Neb. The Baltimore Consort and soprano Danielle Svonavec will offer “The Food of Love: Songs for Shakespeare.” The Consort, renowned for its winning ways with the music of our shared past, will explore the music of love and dance related to the Bard of Avon. 7:30pm. $25 general admission, $5 students. 402–475–0221.–sfcm.info Florida Georgia Line. February 13 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb. CMA Vocal Duo of the Year Florida Georgia Line will bring their seize–the–day attitude and raucous party anthems. 7:30pm. 402–904–4444. – pinnaclebankarena.com Swing Under the Wings. February 14 at the Strategic Air & Space Museum outside Ashl and, Neb. 10am–2pm. 402–944–3100. – sasmuseum.com
GREATER NEBRASKA HAPPENINGS magic for an evening bursting with girls, glamour and the glorious songs of Gershwin. 7:30pm. Starting at $48. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org Wings Over the Platte Art Exhibit. February 20–April 3 at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Neb. The annual Wings Over the Platte Art Exhibit and Sale is an amazing collection of art featuring life on the Platte River and its tributaries. 9am–4pm. 308–385–5316.–stuhrmuseum.org THE GREAT GATSBY. February 21 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. It’s the 1920s, the age of jazz when wealth, glamour and decadence ignited public fascination for a fleeting moment in time. Montana Repertory Theatre reignites the timeless F. Scott Fitzgerald classic in this bold new production.7:30pm. Starting at $28. 402–472–4700.–liedcenter.org Nebraska Robotics Expo. February 21 at the Strategic Air & Space Museum outside Ashland, Neb. 10am–2pm. 402– 944–3100.–sasmuseum.com
The Second City. February 26 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. The world’s top sketch and improv comedy troupe returns to the Lied. This hilarious cast of comedians joins a long line of former Second City performers who have gone on to super–star status including John Belushi, Bill Murray, Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert. The Second City comedians take on all the news that’s fits to twist, served with a side of famous Chicago–style improv. 7:30pm. Starting at $20. 402–472–4700.–liedcenter.org Bandana Benefit Ball. February 28 at the Gering Civic Center in Gering, Neb. The Bandana Benefit Ball is Legacy of the Plains’ biggest fundraiser of the year. It’s also one of the most enjoyable events on the calendar. It starts with dinner and live entertainment, and concludes with live and silent auctions featuring unique items and one–of–a–kind offerings donated by supporters from throughout the community. Time TBA. 308–436–1989.–legacyoftheplains.org
Birds & Breakfast. February 14–15 at Ponca State Park in Ponca, Neb. The focus of this event package is the Great Backyard Bird Count and Valentine’s Day. Slated for this event is bird tours/count, a Saturday morning breakfast, complimentary wine or cider, lodging discounts and other activities. 402–755–2284.–outdoornebraska.ne.gov Aldrich Birthday Celebration. February 16 at Bess Streeter Aldrich House in Elmwood, Neb. Join us for a guided home tour and complimentary birthday cake and punch, all in celebration of the 133rd anniversary of Bess Streeter Aldrich's birth. 2–5pm. Regular admission. 402–944– 3855. – bessstreeteraldrich.org NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT. February 18–19 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. Direct from Broadway, get ready for this 1920s–era feel–good musical, complete with extravagant dance numbers, glittering costumes and an unlikely love story between a wealthy playboy and a rough and tumble lady bootlegger. This lighthearted crowd pleaser is set against the backdrop of classic Gershwin hits like “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “Fascinating Rhythm.” Nice Work If You Can Get It combines laughter, romance and high–stepping Broadway
experience Linco ln’s energy fo r yo urself
SEE YOU IN LINCOLN!
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THE CLOSER
by robert nelson
Urban Blight Why Nebraska hates us.
I
had a stock comment while at
UNL meant to deflect Omahans who might try to diminish me for being from a town of only 4,600 people. “Just because I’m from a small town doesn’t mean I’m stupid.” I’d say it in a country-bumpkin drawl unlike anything actually heard in Falls City. My Omaha buddies would laugh. It was a standing joke (repetition is the key to comedy, right?). But as with many of those preemptory, self-protecting, self-flagellations, I was never fully sure folks were laughing with me or at me. Sure, I carried a few country-kid resentments; longings turned sour in youth. Particularly in winter I’d imagine the lives of Omaha kids spent in a buzz of light and excitement—a perpetuity on the ground floor of the Brandeis Department Store during holiday. In the passing moments when such trifles are even pondered, many Omahans seem perplexed that outstate Nebraskans have such a range of emotions regarding them. When non-Omahans are stereotyping, Omahans can seem arrogant, self-possessed, and dismissive if not wholly ignorant of the rest of the state. Think of it this way: On a bad day, Omaha is to York what New York is to Omaha. Often we see the schism in sharpest relief at election time. Although he claimed otherwise in my interview with him in November, outgoing Governor Dave Heineman does speak differently in Falls City compared to Omaha (My spies in Falls City say so). And he had the highest approval ratings for any governor in the country to show for it. Pete Ricketts followed the Heineman playbook and he won. Ricketts busted tail driving around the state shaking hands and talking plain. People stopped seeing the 10-zillionaire Daddy Warbucks from Omaha. They only heard the stories about the values he learned from his working-class grandparents in Nebraska City. Heineman, who lived in four small towns 186
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in the state growing up, is very aware that we Nebraskans immediately take a liking to someone who can prove some kinship. Heineman seems to have some connection to every town in the state. Heck: Dave’s dad ran the J.C. Penney store in my hometown. I got my first running shoes in that store. I use to wrestle Dave’s nephew. I’m far from unusual in my accidental acquaintance. In every part of the state he was able to trigger that fond feeling that “he’s one of us.” Here’s my homer pet peeve: People in my hometown and in other rural communities respond too readily to being told they are “good people.” Heineman talks about hard work, small-town values, the Good Life on the farm, the value of community. Wonderful values. Mostly true. But even when all the talk actually meets the walk, the tone is grossly self-congratulatory. And here’s the real drag: Such rhetoric implicitly suggests that there are places out there where people aren’t as wonderful. Those places would be Omaha and that one area of Lincoln where the ladies don’t shave their legs. You know: Gays, big government, and, in hushed tones, “North Omaha.” No way am I claiming this is the voice of the majority. But I know that subtext exists because I have spent a lot of time amongst it. And you know it exists because preaching to that choir is a proven winning strategy in Nebraska. Having long since joined the enemy, I’ve mostly lost touch with any roots of discontent. The smartest, most cosmopolitan overall-wearing hillbilly I know is a guy named John Heaston. Based in Cozad, Heaston is the Platte River Program Director for the Nebraska Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. He has lived in both worlds. Now he bounces between those two worlds. He spends much of his life suffering misconceptions and bridging gaps. “There’s this perception (in rural Nebraska) that people in Omaha think that if you live outside Omaha, you’re automatically
wearing Duck Dynasty beards and freaked out and horrified by the idea of guys kissing guys.” And, that, “The only thing Omahans know about rural Nebraska is that there aren’t many Starbucks to stop at on their drive to Denver.” Then there’s the century-old frustration: “There’s the feeling that Omaha is draining all the money from the downtowns of smaller towns. The fat hogs are getting fatter,” Heaston says. A good part of Heaston’s job is spreading an appreciation for Platte River ecosystem. That has entailed introducing hundreds of Omahans to the river and rural Nebraska. If those Omahans aren’t rural Nebraska transplants, he says, they very often are carrying major misconceptions about life outside Omaha. “I’ll take them for dinner in the area and they’ll just be amazed that we actually know how to cook out here. There are some people who come out and genuinely seem amazed we can do anything at a high level.” Bob Pinkerton, retired publisher of the Western Nebraska Observer in Kimball, argues that the split between urban and rural–and east and west–became exacerbated several years ago when the Omaha World-Herald stopped daily delivery in western Nebraska. “It’s easier to focus on differences when you lose those common threads.” At the same time, though, most every rural family now has someone close to them living in Omaha. And it’s hard not to love an Omahan when they’re your son or daughter, he says. What Omaha needs will continue to be different for what Cozad and Kimball needs. Urban and rural legislators will always wrestle in Lincoln. But perhaps Omaha folks could try a little harder to get to know Nebraska outside of Omaha. And maybe keep the Golden Rule in mind when you meet a Falls City kid: Do unto him as you would have that guy from the East Village do unto you. “Sure, it’s about respect,” Heaston says. OMAG
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