INSIDE NEBRASKA’S BIOCONTAINMENT UNIT
18136 Mason St., Omaha
$700,000
Gorgeous 5 bedroom on a 300 ft wooded yard. Beautiful wood floors, XL ceramic drop zone, kitchen office off dinette, butler service to dining room. Deck and large patio with fire pit, and an exceptional finished walkout with granite/stone wet bar.
Jim Marriott • 402.681.1181
19903 Logan Circle, Omaha
$600,000
Marc Cohn • 402.660.6077
$574,950
Caniglia Team • 402.681.6733
$595,000
Gorgeous Crown, Ltd. 2 story with 2 fireplaces and 2 laundry areas. Spacious kitchen, awesome mudroom/ drop zone/pantry area! Bedrooms have walk in closets and bath access. Lower level has a fantastic theater room, bedroom, bath, and wet bar. 4 car garage. Two 95% efficiency furnaces and 14 SEER A/C units.
5520 S 208 Circle, Omaha
$528,500
$550,000
Beautiful new 2 story built by Villotta Homes. Open floor plan perfect for entertaining. 3 plus car garage, 4 bedrooms, 4 bath, all bedrooms have direct bath access and walk in closets. Gourmet kitchen with butlers pantry and large island. Covered patio and French country style natural stone exterior.
19921 Logan Circle, Omaha
$515,000
Amazing 4 bedroom, 4 bath on cul-‐de-‐sac -‐ this is a must see! Double ovens, large pantry, oversized quartz island, flows into family room. Great natural light and upgrades.
Justin Pogge • 402.639.5473
1617 Cty Rd Z, Cedar Bluffs, NE
$649,500
Outstanding country home with unbelievable views. All 2x6 construction, steel log siding, commercial steel roof; walkout basement, beautiful wood throughout, oversized heated garage. Huge heated shop with attached cold storage. Horses allowed, approx. 6.75 acres. 40 min to Omaha. Elevator, handicap access.
Vic Hartford • 402.720.6815
1425 N 191 Ave., Elkhorn
$594,803
Dreamscape Platinum Home Series. Very open plan, curved staircase, must see gourmet kitchen. Covered 15 x 12 composite deck w/metal railings. All bedrooms have access to own bathrooms. Huge master with 2 walk-in closets. Almost 1200 sq ft, 3+ car garage with a very nice circular driveway! Stucco and stone front.
Bob Quartoroli • 402.680.0886
Jeff Villotta • 402.598.4252
New John Caniglia Homes 1.5 story walkout in beauHful Southpointe Estates. 3 bedrooms up with 3 baths, and large loL area. All beds have walk-‐ins. 2 laundry rooms. Unique plan,impeccable quality. Home to be completed 6.30.15
Caniglia Team • 402.681.6733
1331 S 210 Street, Omaha
Sandie McPadden • 402.871.5343
Prestigious 1.5 Story w/4 bdrms, 4 bths, 3car, finished walk out LL. Home has been completely updated. Entertainers dream w/ 2 wet bars, LL walkout w/ wet bar kitchen,huge rec room, wine cellar/tornado room. Large Storage/pantry. Hidden storage safe room. A must see!
1343 S 210 Street, Omaha
$699,900
Amazing Thomas Kimball masterpiece! 2003 Symphony Show House. Gorgeous Italian renaissance revival architecture. Over 9000 finished sq ft meticulously restored w/stunning architectural details. 17+ rooms including a sunroom, 900+ sq ft third floor ballroom and third floor butlers quarters.
The Jeff Rensch Group • 402.391.5333
Dream home by Goodlife Homes! Drop zone with oversized lockers, family office area and gourmet kitchen w/ walk-in pantry. Upstairs features 3 spacious bedrooms all w/ connected bathrooms and a master bedroom suite. 2nd floor bonus room could be a potential 5th bedroom or a media room.
15712 Burt Street, Omaha
3727 Jackson St., Omaha
19263 Pierce St., Omaha
$539,900
4 bedroom, 4 bath 2 story walkout with bonus room upstairs. High lot with great view. Granite countertops, large island, mud room with lockers, walk-‐in pantry, master suite with sittng room and see through fireplace. 2 furnaces, 2 A/C, and 2 water heaters.
John Greguska • 402.612.0594
14906 Hanover Street, Omaha
$500,000
Gorgeous, spacious custom ranch in Waterford Subdivision. Brand new carpet and interior paint throughout, in-‐ground pool, personal movie theater room. Spacious master bedroom completely remodeled. Basement boasts family room, wet bar, 2 bedrooms, office & 3/4 bath.
Mike Horacek • 402.305.3610
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features volume 32 • issue 1
FEATURES
table of contents features
Matinee Marriage Mauro & Christine Fiore PAGE 117 Respect for the Little Guy Federal Judge Joe Bataillon PAGE 118 From the Heart Tunette Powell PAGE 120
Fighting the World’s Worst Diseases Inside Omaha’s World Class Biocontainment Unit. PAGE 122
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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Get away without leaving town Experience the Four-Diamond Luxury of Ameristar Casino Hotel Once again, Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs has been awarded the prestigious Four Diamond rating by the American Automobile Association, bringing the streak to 16 consecutive years and counting. With 160 luxurious and tastefully appointed guest rooms, 40 suites, and an attentive staff to ensure your stay is always a pleasure, it’s easy to see why.
Reserve your room today at Ameristar.com/hoteloffer or call 866.MORE.FUN.
AMERISTAR CASINO HOTEL • 2200 River Road, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 • 712.328.8888 Please have your mychoice card, valid photo ID and credit card available at check-in. Based on availability, guaranteed until 9 PM day of arrival. Terms subject to change. Gambling problem? Call 1.800.BETS.OFF. ©2015 Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.
June 20, 2015 • 1–6p.m. • Free Admission Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park • Council Bluffs, Iowa
friedfoodfest.com
march/april 2015
EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR DAVID WILLIAMS MANAGING EDITOR ROBERT NELSON SENIOR ARTS CONTRIBUTOR KIM CARPENTER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS LEO ADAM BIGA DOUG MEIGS CLAIRE MARTIN SARAH WENGERT CAROL CRISSEY NIGRELLI OTIS XII
CREATIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR JOHN GAWLEY
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
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY & INTERACTIVE MEDIA BILL SITZMANN SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER KRISTEN HOFFMAN GRAPHIC DESIGNER RACHEL JOY ILLUSTRATOR WILLIAM HOLLAND CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS LAURIE AND CHARLES PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREW J. BARAN LEO A DALY SCOTT DRICKEY LYLE CHYLDS DENIS TANGNEY, JR.
Comments? Send your thoughts to: david@omahamagazine.com Owned and managed by Omaha Magazine, LTD
June 20, 2015 • 1–6p.m. • Free Admission Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park • Council Bluffs, Iowa
friedfoodfest.com omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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Volume 32 •
Issue 1
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
MARCH 6 – APRIL 4
APRIL 17 –MAY 10
SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE & 60PLUS IN OMAHA CONTRIBUTING EDITOR GWEN LEMKE
6915 CASS STREET | (402) 553-0800 | WWW.OMAHAPLAYHOUSE.COM sponsor:
orchestra sponsor:
media sponsor:
THE HEIDER FAMILY FOUNDATION
AMERICAN MODERNS 1910 –1960: From O’Keeffe to Rockwell
Organized by the Brooklyn Museum February 8–May 17, 2015
sponsors:
media sponsor:
CARTER & VERNIE JONES Q 98.5
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 40 American artists – including Georgia O’Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, Stuart Davis, Isabel Lydia Whitney, and Norman Rockwell – engaged the modern world. American Moderns is a ticketed exhibition. Admission is FREE for Joslyn members. $10 for general public adults; youth ages 17 and younger and college students with ID are free. Special Thursday pricing (4-8 pm): $5 for general public adults.
preSenting SponSor:
Major SponSorS: Douglas County, Contributing SponSorS: Rich and Fran Juro, Supporting SponSor: Adah and Leon Millard Foundation Additional support provided by Wiesman Development, Nebraska Arts Council and Nebraska Cultural Endowment IMAGE: Marsden Hartley (American, 1877-1943), Handsome Drinks, 1916, oil on composition board, 24 x 20 in., Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Lowenthal, 72.3
2200 Dodge St. | Omaha, NE | (402) 342-3300 | joslyn.org
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
BRANDING SPECIALIST KYLE FISHER ANGIE HALL GEORGE IDELMAN SALES ASSOCIATES JESSICA CULLINANE DAWN DENNIS ALICIA SMITH HOLLINS JUSTIN IDELMAN JESSICA LINHART
OPERATIONS VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS TYLER LEMKE EVENT DIRECTOR ERIN COX 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.
volume 32 • issue 1 40 • tehillah alphonso
DEPARTMENTS & SPECIAL SECTIONS 36 • theresa sindelar
155 • sarah tvrdik
62 • opera omaha the usual suspects
164 • brother sebastian’s steakhouse & winery
12 Editor’s Letter 14 Between the Lines 15 Instagram – Be Social 18 For Starters
people
21 Calendar of Events 34 Not Funny
Nostalgia Ain’t What it Used to Be
181 Greater Nebraska Happenings
184
Obviously Omaha
Street Names
186 The Closer
Divine Excess
the next generation
40 gen O
Tehillah Alphonso
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.
Special Section
42 Faces
Marc Longbrake Omaha Film Festival
45 Omaha’s Best Lawyers in America® 2015
56 Faces
Drew Davies, Oxide Design
community
59 giving feature
Beta Communities, The Essence of Oikos
60 Giving
155 Style Shot
Hello Holiday’s Sarah Tvrdik
156 Sports
Ambidextrous Pitcher Pat Venditte
Calendar of Events
62 Gala Spotlight Opera Omaha
arts + culture
30 Visual Arts
Artist Luke Severson
36 Theater
Queen of Comedy Theresa Sindelar
38 Music
Concertmaster Susanna Perry Gilmore
food
158 Dining Feature Truck Stop Culture at Sapp Bros.
161 Chef Profile
Jason Hughes Happy Hollow Country Club
164 Mystery Review
Brother Sebastian’s Steak House & Winery
168 Dining Guide omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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FROM THE EDITOR
david williams
Keeping it Real
I
Being the Old Dude in an Office of Young People
stumbled on what I expected to be
a great read the other day on the interwebs. The subject of the article was how to deal with being the oldest person in your workplace. That’s me, the oldest person in the creative department of Omaha Magazine. But most of the advice in the piece was aimed at those older workers who felt a longing to interact more with people of the same age. The answer, the writer suggested, was to look outside of the office—to clubs, church, volunteering, and social life. The article, it turned out, was just the opposite of what I thought it was going to be. Instead of emphasizing how to thrive in working with younger people, it dwelled on how to merely survive in such a situation. I am only a couple years away from entering the demographic for our 60PLUS publication. Managing Editor Robert Nelson is a full 10 years younger, a mere kid by comparison. None of the remainder of the neo-natal team here in the creative corner of our offices has yet to blow out a 35th candle on a birthday cake. Our most recent intern, Claire Martin, just turned 21. The year Claire was born, I facebook.com/omahamagazine @omahamagazine @omahamagazine
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
think I was already buying the second HVAC system for the home I’ve lived in for over three decades. Director of Photography Bill Sitzmann is 34. Regardless of the gender or age of the people he encounters, and just like the title character in The Big Lebowski, he keeps it real by simply addressing one and all as “dude.” Coffee aficionado and Creative Director John Gawley is 31. He knows more about trendy beans and brews than I know about…well, practically anything. But I own shoes older than John. Graphic Designer Rachel Joy is 28 and sports a full sleeve of tats. I grew up with Yogi Berra and Yogi Bear. She also happens to be a yogi, but I’ve since learned that her Lycraclad appellation has absolutely nothing to do with either Yankee legends or classic Hanna Barbera cartoons. Senior graphic designer Kristen Hoffman is 26. She claims to have over 2,500 “followers” on something she calls “Instagram,” which, oddly enough, has no affiliation with Western Union. None. Totally different outfit, it would appear. Sitting with these younger people in discussions where subtle nuances of the arts, literature, history, or politics are discussed is
proof positive that the younger members of our nation’s creative are eager to soak everything up before they take over the world. Our little talks can often devolve into the realm of the downright esoteric, which is even more energizing. Heck, I can’t tell you the number of times that I have been yammering away on some arcane topic only to discover that, so rapt is my audience, their eyes practically glaze over in what I can only assume to be awe-filled wonder. Rewarding, indeed. Being able to work with such a talented group of young people is an honor, but there’s also something deeper beneath it all. The dynamics of our age-blended workplace are, I believe, the very essence of why we are successful. It is the foundation that shapes every issue of our magazine. This age gap—this intergenerational mix of backgrounds, viewpoints, and experiences—is not something to manage. It is something to celebrate. I know I am richer for it. And I like to think as we ender our 32nd year of publishing, that the magazine is, too. OMAG
© Littlestar
April 24-26, 2015 | Orpheum Theater
Photo by Frank ockenFels | original broadway cast
Order nOw: Tickets start at $35 | TicketOmaha.com | 402.345.0606
May 12-17, 2015 | Orpheum Theater
Scan the page with the LayAR app to view a video of Jeff Koterba.
Order nOw: Tickets start at $30 | TicketOmaha.com | 402.345.0606 All productions, performers, prices, dates and times subject to change.
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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BETWEEN THE LINES
omaha magazine
between
THE LINES
A look at three Omaha Magazine team members
Anthony Flott first fell in love with magazines in grade school when his carpenter father gave him a huge box of old Sports Illustrated magazines found on a job site. Later, Anthony also worked construction...and laid asphalt...and cut trees...for various family owned enterprises. Eventually, he decided on a career where he could avoid physical exertion and workplaces equipped only with a Porta-Potty. So he went to UNO to learn all about writin’ and stuff. He graduated with two degrees from there but remains at his alma mater as editor of the award-winning UNO Magazine. He’s also been a widely published freelance writer for anthony flott freelance writer
25 years, penning numerous articles for the Omaha Publications family since the early 1990s. He also teaches classes at UNO on magazine editing and writing. Anthony enjoys spending time with his large family (37 nieces/nephews), playing racquetball, and digging into his Creole roots. He is married with four children ranging in age from 13 to 26.
William Holland is an artist that specializes in ink, watercolor, and graphite. Known for simplicity in art and life, his works and personality are creative with a complexity that is hard to see at first. William is a minimalist, childlike at heart, but has seriousness below the surface. The negative space in his work is just as important as the color itself, allowing the viewer to complete the picture. William does not focus on the accolades that come along with william holland illustrator
the art scene. His philosophy is that his artwork should be easily accessible to everyone, even geared toward those who never go to art shows. In a few short years using this model, his artwork hangs in almost every state, many countries, and every continent except Antarctica. These works are not in galleries; they are on everyday people’s walls.
Scott Drickey is a Nebraska native. His work embodies a genuine appreciation of storytelling, from inanimate objects to colorful personalities. He is a 20-year professional with a strict technical background that began at the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, CA. This training propelled him into the start of a storied career, working alongside some of the world’s most notable photographers all across the globe as an on-camera assistant and lighting gaffer. scott drickey photographer
“I’m a seasoned photographer-independent filmmaker hailing from the Midwest,” Scott says. “I love stories from folks that are undeniably themselves.”
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
INSTAGRAM • BE SOCIAL
#omamag
Share your photos of Omaha and be featured here. #omamag
@alexkolbo
@annemaddt
@bartyandlalo
@ccminifactory
@deldrickfranklin
@helveticalight
@jahd626
@lolasblest
@thetimbowden
instagram.com/omahamagazine omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
Siou Lab
Expanded Content On Your Digital Device
AUGMENTED REALITY
omaha magazine
Watch videos, and view photo galleries of select editorial from Omaha Magazine.
1 ge a p
H ge a p
ge pa
1 Download the App Browse the Apple App Store or shop Google Play for the LayAR app.
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S ge a p
55
22
42
2 Look for this icon You’ll see the ‘ar’ icon on pages with expanded content.
3 Scan the page Load the LayAR app on your digital device. Hold your phone/table over the entire page to load content. omaha magazine • march/april 2015 17
CALENDAR
this is omaha for starters
THIS IS OMAHA
Jon Eric Riis’ NEOCLASSIC MALE photo courtesy of the artist
Fiber Legends KANEKO Through April 26
I HATE HAMLET Omaha Community Playhouse April 17 – May 10
As a collective exhibition, Fiber Legends provides a diverse and engaging sampling of the ways in which textiles and fiber art serve as a canvas for various expressions of culture and the creative process. The exhibition features the work of legendary artists Jon Eric Riis, Nick Cave, and Sheila Hicks, all of whom have work represented in the world’s most prestigious museum spaces. Hicks is a Nebraska native and world-renowned fiber artist born in Hastings, Neb., in 1934. Her work is included in such collections as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art; The Art Institute of Chicago; Museo de Bellas Artes, Santiago, Chile; and the Museums of Modern Art, Tokyo and Kyoto.
“To be or not to be: that is the question.” Andrew, an aspiring actor, has landed the role of a lifetime as Hamlet. There is just one problem…he hates Hamlet. As fate would have it, Andrew’s new Manhattan residence is the former apartment of the brilliant actor John Barrymore, whose portrayal of Hamlet was legendary. While Andrew is living in the apartment, he starts to receive visits from Barrymore’s spirit. The deceased actor’s ghost mentors Andrew on all the tricks of the trade and the nuances of the complex character. While Andrew strives to find a love for the character, he also seeks to take his relationship with his prude girlfriend, Deirdre, to the next level. Will Andrew’s relationship with Deirdre skyrocket? Will his Shakespearean debut be a triumph or a tragedy? Find out in this fastpaced, fencing-packed and funny play.
KANEKO 1111 Jones Street Admission: Free thekaneko.org
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
Omaha Community Playhouse 6915 Cass Street omahaplayhouse.com
this is omaha for starters
CALENDAR
FOR STARTERS FOUR
A Katharine Hepburn Costume from ADAM’S RIB (1949)
Arlo Guthrie Holland Performing Arts Center Tuesday, April 28
Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen The Durham Museum Through April 26
Folk icon Arlo Guthrie brings to the stage for the first time in a decade the “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” in its entirety. The Alice’s Restaurant 50th Anniversary Tour will feature the full Massacree along with many favorites from Guthrie’s catalog. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice. “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”, his best-known work, is the satirical talking blues song about 18 minutes in length. For a short period after its release in 1967, “Alice’s Restaurant” was heavily played on college and counterculture and became an iconic symbol of the very essence of a turbulent decade. His song “Massachusetts” was named the official folk song of the state in which he has lived most of his adult life.
This exclusive exhibition features Hepburn’s personal costume collection organized by the Kent State University Museum. The exhibit features more than 35 costumes worn in 21 films and six stage productions spanning Hepburn’s illustrious career. Among the items on display will be an ensemble of her signature tailored beige trousers and linen jackets, vintage posters, playbills, photos, and other Hepburn-related artifacts. From classic Hollywood dresses to Kate’s personal “rebel chic,” the exhibition highlights how Hepburn’s sense of style influenced countless women and fashion designers. It helped to create the informal, elegant approach to American style seen on today’s runways. Come see how this true icon of American culture that came to epitomize the modern woman of the 20th Century.
Holland Performing Arts Center 1200 Douglas Street ticketomaha.com
The Durham Museum 801 S. 10th Street durhammuseum.org
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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June 20, 2015 • 1–6p.m. • Free Admission Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park • Council Bluffs, Iowa
friedfoodfest.com
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
march/april 2015
CALENDAR
CALENDAR OF EVENTS ART AND MUSEUM EXHIBITS Cody Heinert Exhibit. Through April 3, Fred Simon Gallery—1004 Farnam St. Mixed media artist Cody Heinert from Sparks, Neb., exhibits his collages— many made with found materials on his farmland. 8–5pm. Free. 402–595–2142. – nebraskaartscouncil.org Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen. Through 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 six 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 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
American Moderns: From O’Keeffe to Rockwell. Through 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, & college students with ID. 402–342–3300. –joslyn.org Lecture by Dr. Jay Baruch. March 11, Kaneko—1111 Jones St. KANEKO will host a lecture by Dr. Jay Baruch entitled What’s Left Out on Wednesday, March 11 from 7 – 9 p.m. Free admission. 402–341–3800. – thekaneko.org Brett Erickson & Patricia James Exhibits. April 20–May 29, Fred Simon Gallery—1004 Farnam St. Nebraska photographers Brett Erickson and Patricia James showcase their latest works in this dual exhibit. 8–5pm. Free. 402–595–2142. – nebraskaartscouncil.or
CONCERTS Milo Greene. March 3, The Waiting Room Lounge—6212 Maple St. Milo Greene represents an impressive evolution in many ways. What began as a collection of friends is now four–year musical partnership about to release their second album. 9pm. $14–$16. (402) 884–5353. –waitingroomlounge.com Nickelback. March 5, CenturyLink Center Omaha. – 455 N. 10th St. Since first landing on the scene in 1996, Nickelback have cemented themselves as one of the most commercially viable and important acts of the past two decades. 8pm. $5–$80. 402–341–1500. – centurylinkcenteromaha.com STOMP. March 6–7, Lied Center for Performing Arts— 301 N. 12th St, Lincoln. STOMP is explosive, inventive, provocative, witty and utterly unique—an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages. The eight–member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments—matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters and hubcaps—to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms. Year after year, audiences worldwide keep coming back for more of this pulse–pounding show. See what all the noise is about. 7:30pm. Starting at $38. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org
union station andrew borowiec
Andrew Borowiec. Through 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
Union Station: Built to Last. April 25, 2015–January 3, 2016, Durham Museum—801 S. 10th St. Do you know why Union Station is said to be “fire proof?” Ever wondered what makes terrazzo floors so robust? Or, how a room stays cool without air conditioning? The Durham Museum celebrates 40 years of protecting Omaha’s history, by taking a look back at what makes their home—Union Station—unique. – durhammuseum.org
Cassandra Wilson. March 7, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Grammy– winning jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson celebrates Billy Holiday’s 100th birthday anniversary in this unique jazz performance. Wilson is known for challenging the American Standard songbook by incorporating blues, country, and folk music into her work. 8pm. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
calendar as of 02/06/15. Check individual organization website for updates. omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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144th St.
THANK YOU!
Harrison St.
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
14406 Harrison St. • Omaha, NE 68138 • 402.403.5735 www.OmahaDentists.net
march/april 2015
CALENDAR
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Mermaid, Minions, & Dragons. March 22, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Your favorite music from How to Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me, The Little Mermaid, and other family movie hits. Brought to life through thrilling performances of song, dance, and spectacle. 2pm. $15. 402–345–0606. – omahasymphony.org Tierney Sutton. March 27, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. 5–time Grammy nominee, Tierney Sutton displays her vocal talents in this Joni Mitchell tribute production. This is a 1200 Club performance held in the Suzanne and Walter Scott Recital Hall, which is transformed into a comfortable nightclub with table seating, light fare and a full bar. 7–9:30pm. Tickets $30 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
mendelssohn’s 1st symphony
Mendelssohn’s 1st Symphony. March 8, Joslyn Art Museum – 2200 Dodge St. Scrumptious pieces of heaven and hell prepare the way for Mendelssohn’s stormy first symphony. 2pm. $36. 402–345–0606. – omahasymphony.org Cherish the Ladies. March 11, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. With their unique spectacular blend of virtuoso instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements, and stunning step dancing, Cherish the Ladies combines all the facets of Irish traditional culture and puts it forth in an immensely humorous and entertaining package. 7pm. $22 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com Kurt Elling. March 11, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Grammy winner Kurt Elling is among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. He has won every DownBeat Critics Poll for the last 14 years and has been named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association eight times. Audience members may enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails served right to their candlelit table. 7:30–9:30pm. $31 and up. 402– 345–0606. – ticketomaha.com Joshua Bell. March 13, Lied Center for Performing Arts—301 N. 12th St, Lincoln. This classical music superstar has been a featured soloist with almost every major orchestra in the world. A Grammy Award– winner and the solo violinist on Oscar®–winning film The Red Violin, Bell is the most celebrated American violinist of the modern era. 7:30pm. Starting at $42. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org
The Chieftains. March 14, Lied Center for Performing Arts—301 N. 12th St, Lincoln. Winners of six Grammy Awards, The Chieftains are recognized as the best known Irish band in the world. From the pubs of Ireland to Carnegie Hall, this legendary band takes the Lied stage just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. 7:30pm. Starting at $32. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org Symphonic Blockbusters. March 14, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. From the 1812 Overture to the Ride of the Valkyries to Boléro, your Omaha Symphony performs a rousing program of the most popular, exhilarating, and grand orchestral blockbusters. Sat. 7:30pm, Sun. 2pm. $22 and up. 402–345–0606. – omahasymphony.org The Tex as Tenors. March 19, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. The number one vocal group in the history of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, The Texas Tenors, bring their unique blend of country, gospel, classical and Broadway to the stage with breathtaking vocals, humor and cowboy charm. 7:30pm. Tickets start at $18. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com The Best of the 70’s. March 21, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Matt Catingub, conductor Anita Hall, vocals Steve Moretti, drums The Holland Center heats up with the greatest hits of the Doobie Brothers, Paul McCartney and Wings, the Carpenters, the Eagles, and many more. Grammy– winner Matt Catingub returns after his sold–out 2014 Symphony Rocks concert. 7:30pm, 2pm. Tickets start at $22. 402–345–0606. – omahasymphony.org
Glenn Miller Orchestra. March 28, Lied Center for Performing Arts—301 N. 12th St, Lincoln. The most popular big band in the world brings timeless classics like “Tuxedo Junction,” “Moonlight Serenade” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo” back to the stage. The Glenn Miller Orchestra has been on the road longer and more continuously than any other big band in history. It’s no wonder they are known for being one of the hardest working bands in show business. Get “In the Mood” for an elegant evening of swing as the 17–piece orchestra dazzles and delights in their return to the Lied Center. 7:30pm. Starting at $18. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org
the texas tenors
The Okee Dokee Brothers. April 2, Lied Center for Performing Arts—301 N. 12th St, Lincoln. “Two of family music’s best songwriters,” the Okee Dokee Brothers perform folk music to inspire children and their parents to get outside and experience nature. The two– time Parents’ Choice Award winners have garnered praise from the likes of NPR’s All Things Considered and USA Today and are the 2013 Grammy Award recipients for Best Children’s Album of the Year. 7pm. Starting at $16. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org
calendar as of 02/06/15. Check individual organization website for updates. omaha magazine • march/april 2015
23
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
march/april 2015
CALENDAR
CALENDAR OF EVENTS The Fabulous ‘50s: Elvis, Doo–wop, and TV’s Hit Parade. April 11–12, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Heed the call of doo–wop, ducktails, and saddle shoes! With your favorite songs from the malt shop, television shows, and Elvis Presley, you’ll want to rock around the clock with the Omaha Symphony. Sat. 7:30pm, Sun. 2:00pm. $22 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com Black Violin. April 20, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Collaborating with the likes of Kanye West and Tom Petty, classically trained twosome Black Violin blend hip–hop, rock, R&B, and bluegrass for a remarkable performance. During the concert, audience members may enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails served right to their candle–lit table. 7pm. $14 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com Shostakovich’s 1st Symphony. April 24–25, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Shostakovich’s dramatic and exuberant first symphony is paired with a glittering performance of Saint–Saëns’ concerto by Philadelphia Orchestra concertmaster David Kim – always a favorite of Omaha audiences. 8pm. $19 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
FAMILY & MORE Robert Irvine Live. March 6, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Robert Irvine LIVE is a high energy, multimedia and multi–sensory theatrical experience. Witness the challenging nature of the TV show, Dinner: Impossible, as this interactive show provides opportunities for audience participation. 8pm. Tickets starting at $22. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com ZEN TIES. Through 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
spring festival, an arts & crafts affair
Spring Festival, An Arts & Crafts Affair. March 20–22, Ralston Arena—7300 Q St, Ralston. Hundreds of the nation’s finest artists and crafters display and sell their handcrafted works. Our Arts & Crafts tour of shows are ranked in the Top 100 Shows in the Country by Sunshine Artist. Fri. 11am– 9pm, St. 9am–6pm, Sun. 10am–5pm. 402–331–2889. – ralstonarena.com
Arlo Guthrie: Alice’s Restaurant 50th Anniversary. April 28, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Folk icon Arlo Guthrie brings to the stage, for the first time in a decade, the “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” in its entirety. The Alice’s Restaurant 50th Anniversary Tour will feature the full Massacree along with many favorites from Guthrie’s catalog. 7:30pm. $18 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com Good Lovelies Folk Show. April 30, The Arts Center at Iowa Western—2700 College Rd, Council Bluffs. Funny and upbeat, with just a pinch of sass, the Good Lovelies‘ textbook three–part harmonies, constant instrument swapping and witty stage banter have enlivened the folk music landscape. Join us for this folk music show. 8pm. $25. 712–388–7140. – artscenter.iwcc.edu
National geographic live’s ocean soul
National Geographic LIVE’s OCEAN SOUL. March 10, Holland Performing Arts Center— 1200 Douglas St. Photojournalist Brian Skerry takes us from the glacial waters of the North Atlantic to the balmy central Pacific, using his camera to communicate his 10,000–plus hours underwater. Skerry’s riveting presentations inspire reverence for the marine realm and offer hope for protecting the vitality of the world’s oceans. 7:30pm. $9 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
THE RELUCTANT DRAGON. March 20–April 4, The Rose Theater—2001 Farnam St. Glaston is a boy who dreams of having daring dragon encounters like the brave heroes in his books. But when bad things start happening in the town, the villagers fear that a real dragon may be terrorizing the countryside! When Glaston boldly offers to seek out the fearful beast, he is surprised to find a gentle kindred spirit. What will they do when the famed dragon–slayer, St. George, arrives to rid the village of its dragon problem? $18 for nonmembers. 402–345–4849. – rosetheater.org
calendar as of 02/06/15. Check individual organization website for updates. omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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CALENDAR
march/april 2015
CALENDAR OF EVENTS National Geographic LIVE’s PINK BOOTS AND A MACHETE. April 7, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Mireya Mayor is a respected primatologist, audacious explorer, and Emmy Award–nominated wildlife correspondent for the National Geographic Channel. She’ll share stories, images, and film clips of her adventures, offering a behind–the–scenes look at the hardships and danger of life in the field. 7:30pm. $9 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com Omaha Symphony Gala featuring Martin Short. April 18, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Comedy legend Martin Short joins the Omaha Symphony for an evening of music and hilarity. His career includes star turns on Saturday Night Live, the cult classic The Three Amigos, and a guest role on the hit show How I Met Your Mother. 7:30pm. $22 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
CHARLOTTE’S WEB. April 24–May 10, The Rose Theater—2001 Farnam St. Wilbur the pig doesn’t appear to have a very bright future when Fern begs her father not to dispose of the runt of the litter. But surrounded by supportive barnyard friends on her Uncle Zuckerman’s farm—and befriended by a very gifted spider—Wilbur becomes Some Terrific, Radiant Pig! Revisit the timeless magic of a story that’s touched the hearts of generations of families with its universal themes of friendship and sacrifice. $18 for nonmembers. 402–345–4849. – rosetheater.org
LOWERED EXPECTATIONS. Through 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
From Field to Fork. Through April 30, 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
The Untamed Shrews. March 11–15, Omaha Funny Bone—1200 Douglas St. Susan Smith and Marge Tackes are the nastiest of nasty girls with a brutal sense of humor. They cover topics from street signs to sex, all with a wicked slant. While their perspective is definitely feminine, they’re not out to bash men. “In fact,” Susan says, “some of our best customers are men...” While the Untamed Shrews are full of fun, they maintain a high caliber of professionalism and never disappoint. 7:30pm. $16. 21 and over. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
THEATER & PERFORMING ARTS BA D J E WS by J o s h ua Elias Harmon. Through 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 PIPPIN. March 3–8, Orpheum Theater– 409 S. 16th St. 5 Tony–winner for Best Musical Revival, Pippin tells the story of a young prince on a death–defying journey to find meaning in his existence. This captivating musical directed by Tony–winner Diane Paulus, features sizzling choreography and breathtaking acrobatics. Join us for this magical, unforgettable production. $28 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
Omaha symphony gala featuring martin short
Compagnie K äfig. March 18, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. Brazilian dance company, Compagnie Käfig, brings a high energy performance style combining their hip–hop foundation with martial arts and circus elements. Made up of two pieces, Correria (running) and Agwa (water), this dance production will take your breath away. 7:30pm. 402– 345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. March 6– April 4, Omaha Community Playhouse—6915 Cass St. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s highly acclaimed rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar has stunned audiences for 40 years. This raw and contemporary portrayal of Jesus’ last seven days on earth humanizes the struggles of Jesus Christ and his betrayer, Judas Iscariot. Epic songs and a soaring rock score make this groundbreaking musical a must–see. 402–553 – 0800. – omahaplayhouse.com calendar as of 02/06/15. Check organization website for updates.
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calendar march/april 2015
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HANDS ON A HARDBODY. Through 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 PETER AND THE STARCATCHER. March 23, Lied Center for Performing Arts—301 N. 12th St, Lincoln. This swashbuckling prequel takes a hilarious romp through Neverland featuring the most pirates on Broadway. A company of a dozen actors play more than a hundred unforgettable characters, all on a journey to answer the century–old question: How did Peter Pan become The Boy Who Never Grew Up? Winner of five Tony Awards, this magical theatrical production with music will have you hooked from the moment your imagination takes flight. 7:30pm. Starting at $46. 402– 472–4700. – liedcenter.org
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MOTOWN THE MUSICAL. March 25–29, Orpheum Theater– 409 S. 16th St. Featuring more than 50 classic hits, Motown the Musical is the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy. Motown shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat. Tickets $28 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
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CALENDAR
march/april 2015
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MAMMA MIA!
A lv in A ile y A me r ica n Da nce Theater. April 7, Lied Center for Performing Arts—301 N. 12th St, Lincoln. Electrifying. Joyful. Powerful. Gorgeous. Be inspired by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s incomparable dancers as they bring you the pulse–racing thrill of contemporary favorites and the spirit–lifting joy of such classics as Alvin Ailey’s masterpiece, Revelations. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues to confirm what dance lovers have long known – that in terms of unparalleled artistry, athletic strength and boundless passion, nothing beats Ailey. 7:30pm. Starting at $32. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org
It’s All Greek to Me!. April 11–May 2, Apollon–1801 Vinton St You may have noticed that we have a funny Greek name, taken from a funny Greek god. We noticed, too, and decided to bring our artists together to recreate one of the largest and most celebrated Greek festivals of the ancient world. Classics and mythology geeks, this is the month for you. At this themed performance, food, and art event we’ll recreate the kinds of feasts, games, competitions, cultural events, and even sacrifices for the people of our namesake, Apollo. Doors 7pm, Event 7:30pm. Tickets $35. 402–884–0315. – apollonomaha.com
Million Dollar Quartet. April 10, Lied Center for Performing Arts—301 N. 12th St, Lincoln, NE. This thrilling musical brings you inside the recording studio for a monumental night of rock and roll that explodes off the stage, featuring 21 timeless hits. Inspired by the phenomenal true story of the famed recording session where Sam Phillips brought together icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for one unforgettable night. 7:30pm. Starting at $48. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org
The Church Basement Ladies in the LAST (POTLUCK) SUPPER. April 16, Lied Center for Performing Arts—301 N. 12th St, Lincoln. It is the year 1979, the day of the church’s Centennial Celebration, and the parishioners have gathered to share hot dishes, desserts and stories from the last 100 years. This all new production is the final chapter in the series of laugh–out–loud comedies. 2pm, 7:30pm. Starting at $30. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org
calendar as of 02/06/15. Check individual organization website for updates.
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I HATE HAMLET. April 17–May 10, Omaha Community Playhouse—6915 Cass St. Andrew, an aspiring actor, has landed the role of a lifetime as Hamlet. There is just one problem…he hates Hamlet. As fate would have it, Andrew’s new Manhattan residence is the former apartment of the brilliant actor John Barrymore, whose portrayal of Hamlet was legendary. When Barrymore’s ghost appears to Andrew, he mentors Andrew on all the tricks of the trade. Will Andrew’s debut be a triumph or a tragedy? Find out in this fast–paced, fencing–packed and funny play. 402–553–0800. – omahaplayhouse.com Pilobolus Dance Theatre. April 23, Holland Performing Arts Center—1200 Douglas St. This performance features a Penn & Teller piece, described by The Joyce as, “the ultimate in gripping, do–not–try– this–at–home choreography” show, combining Pilobolus’ strength and agility with Houdini–inspired escapism. 7:30pm. $18–$39. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
calendar march/april 2015
MAMMA MIA!. April 24–26, Orpheum Theater– 409 S. 16th St. Mamma Mia! is the ultimate feel–good show that has audiences coming back again and again to relive the thrill. This smash–hit musical combines ABBA’s greatest hits, including “Dancing Queen,” with an enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship. Fri. and Sat. 8pm, Sun. 1:30pm. $35 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
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Golden Dragon Acrobats. April 29, Orpheum Theater– 409 S. 16th St. Golden Dragon Acrobats are a premiere Chinese acrobatic touring company. Enjoy award–winning acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music and theatrical techniques in a spellbinding show. 7pm. $14 and up. 402–345–0606. – ticketomaha.com
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ART + CULTURE • VISUAL
If You’re Not Looking… Luke Severson creates the unexpected.
“Y
ou say hunting morels,
not gathering,” emphasizes Luke Severson when explaining how to find the elusive mushrooms. “If you’re not looking for them, you don’t see them. But if you see one, it opens up and you see 20.” That aspect of the hunt inspired the 32-year-old artist to make small morel mushroom sculptures—each one between three 30
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
by kim carpenter • photography by bill sitzmann
ROCKBROOK VILLAGE
art + culture visual luke severson
and four inches tall—and hide them in places people tend to overlook, such as next to piles of rusty metal, on ledges, or even in people’s gardens. They’re unexpected little gifts of art, ones that take you by surprise with their whimsical, organic beauty In a way, that notion of seeking and surprise applies to all Severson’s work. Before studying art as an undergraduate at the University of Northern Iowa, he was a philosophy major. “I was pretty much done with my degree, but by my junior year I knew I needed to make things and be a creator.” So he took classes in the industrial tech department, where he learned metal casting by making test pours for companies such as John Deere before migrating to the art department. “I immediately gravitated toward metal and sculpture,” he says. Casting in metal, however, proved expensive, so when Severson went to Kansas State University to earn his MFA, he was happy to discover that working with clay provided greater artistic freedom. “I had never touched clay before,” he recounts, “and I went from between $500 to $700 for a casting to clay. Nothing was precious anymore, and I didn’t have the reverence for the material. I figured out how to control clay, but I also gave up a little bit of control and let the clay do what it wanted to do. It freed me up to experiment.” But Severson didn’t just stick to experimenting with clay. He also works with aluminum and plaster, among other materials, which indicates his ability to create >
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ART + CULTURE • VISUAL
< a wide body of work as well as his more practical approach. “If I want to make something, I want to figure out the best way,” he adds. For example, he uses porcelain to create his perfectly smooth, vibrantly colored, futuristic busts, which stand in direct opposition to his earthy, puckered morels. “The busts are blank. They’re half mannequin, half 32
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
luke severson photography by lyle chylds
Hall of Fame, and sexually ambiguous,” he explains. “They obviously denote something, but they’re completely without information— but you know they have status.” That status is not so ambiguous when it comes to purchasing Severson’s work. He has a line of ceramic cups and vases at Hutch, a high-end furniture store in Midtown
Crossing that specializes in mid-century and vintage finds. And like the rest of his work, each sculptural piece is unique. “If you line up my pieces, you’ll see some continuity, but not if you see one piece to the next,” says Severson. “It says a lot about how I approach projects and completing different work.” OMAG
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10th & Howard Streets omaha magazine • march/april 2015
33
NOT FUNNY
Nostalgia Ain’t What It Used To Be
S
o an old friend said to me, “I
used to like living in Omaha, but now it’s too big.” Putting aside for the moment the imprecise nature of what “big” is exactly, I do get it. When I got here in 1967, the town’s west side ended at 79th Street. Omaha was referred to proudly as a “15-minute town.” You could get anywhere in 15 minutes. I remember the shift to “a 20 minute town.” Now I think we may have crept up to the half hour mark. But my friend’s problem isn’t distance, or traffic, or sprawl—he’s simply stuck in the past. It’s impossible to avoid nostalgia. Oh, there was a day when nostalgia had a bad name, but that was a long time ago, back when we all looked to the future for comfort. (Yes, I do plan to write about irony in my next column.) But back to the future—what went wrong with that? For a start, every election we’d hear about how “our children are our future.” Now that seems to be an obvious platitude…unless those of us who’ve had children stopped to think for a second about a world run by our
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
by otis XII
kids. When we considered the implications of that seemingly benign premise, the prospect filled us with a deeply felt sense of doom. None of us want to admit it, but the truth is that parents know at a very primal level, despite all of the love and pride we have for our gifted offspring, that these benighted little creatures have no brains. We’ve observed the tykes at close range over a significant period of time. We’ve observed behaviors that give us cause to examine their skulls for leaks. On top of that we remember when we were “the future.” Look where that got us. So this whole “future” thing makes us quake in our boots—or, tremble in our Birkenstocks if that is the lifestyle we chose back when we were vacant-minded adolescents. I loved Popular Science magazine with its glossy, Technicolor artist renderings of flying cars full of happy nuclear families jetting out of the towering spires of some utopian megapolis into the peaceful green countryside where shiny robots milked the farmer’s cows and fed his bright pink pigs. The future? Well, I’ve lived in big cities and I’ve worked on farms. I know there are very few sparkly spires, pink pigs, or perfect families, and there sure as heck aren’t any flying cars. So we gave up on the future. And that left us only the past—nostalgia. We long for that fabled 15-minute city, part of some Golden Age, enlightened,
peaceful, stable. These yearnings comfort us only so long as we don’t read history, research the ancestral tree, or recall that when we could get around town in a quarter hour, there was really nowhere to go. For me, the final straw regarding the past occurred when it came to my attention recently that my days on rock radio were part of someone’s idyllic past. “Remember when Otis and Diver had that big election party at Peony Park?” Oh, the horror! I had become nostalgia personified. The revelation had the same impact as waking up to discover I was a large cockroach. Thank you very much, Franz Kafka. The future is scary, the past is a dream, and we are left in the unexpected position of having to choose the present...today... the now. So, my humble suggestion, get in the car and go to Fontenelle Forest. Wander down the walkway to the trails and head down towards the river. Find a spot in the trees and sit down on an old stump. Listen. That’s the now welcoming you. From my house the drive is exactly 29 minutes. OMAG Otis XII’s newest book, Tales of the Master: The Book of Stone will be released this summer by Grief Illustrated Press.
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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ART + CULTURE • THEATER
by david williams photography by bill sitzmann
Theresa Sindelar
Puppies…Ice Cream…Glitter
A
s perhaps Omaha’s reigning
queen of comedy, actress Theresa Sindelar is renowned for her ability to evoke peels of laughter on stages all across the city. She understands exactly what to do when the lights dim and the curtain goes up. What is so very puzzling to her, on the other hand, is the rest of her life, and why people find her so darn funny in any setting. “I’ll be working away [at Three Dog Bakery mixing and making doggie treats] and suddenly break into song for whatever reason,” Sindelar says, “and people think it’s downright hilarious. Or I talk to myself in crazy, stupid, silly ways, and people go nuts. I don’t get it. It’s not like I’m doing it for the effect. I’m not trying to be funny. I guess I just don’t know anything else,” she adds with a shrug. 36
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
art + culture • theater theresa sindelar
“I’m just being…me.” Sindelar may not “get it,” but critics and audiences definitely do. Her endless list of Theatre Arts Guild, Omaha Community Playhouse, and Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards trophies is too lengthy to cite in any detail here, but her most treasured role, she says, might be the 2001 Omaha Community Playhouse FondaMcGuire best actress nod for her work in the musical Mack and Mabel. Other favorite, award-winning gigs include such memorably sidesplitting performances as Meredith Parker, who (spoiler alert) spawns the monstrous title character in Bat Boy: The Musical. Add to that Rona Lisa Peretti, the wistfully nostalgic moderator of the The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Paulette, the spunky beautician in Legally Blonde—all at the Omaha Community Playhouse, where she’s performed in “too many plays and musicals to count.” Theatergoers already know Sindelar, who also appears with The Weisenheimers improv comedy group, as the go-to casting choice for any role calling for over-the-top, crazily campy antics, but this towering talent is also towering in stature. “I’m over 6-feet-tall,” she explains. “Sometimes I’m 6’ 2.” Other times I’m merely 6-1-ish. My height on any given day depends on my mood.” Our interview with the admitted ice cream addict and animal aficionado took place in a Midtown ice cream shop at what she calls “my table.” Attempts to steer Sindelar’s thoughts back to the essence of comedy—the how and why of what makes her so organically amusing—went for naught. All it took to send the interview spiraling out of control and into a frenzy of rubber-faced giggles was the passing of a newborn pot-bellied pig—one that could have easily fit into her now-empty waffle bowl—walking its human companion on the adjoining sidewalk. The actress’ signature snort peppered successive waves of guffaws that soon attracted the attention of noshers at adjoining tables and, now convulsed in shrieks and snickers, she wiped tears from her eyes before deciding that she had had quite enough for one day. “Can’t you just run a page filled top-tobottom,” she pleads, “with the words puppies, puppies, puppies [snort], ice cream, ice cream, ice cream [snort], glitter, glitter, glitter? Oh, and add pot-bellied pigs to that list. That pretty much sums me up, I think. There, that was easy! Interview over!” OMAG
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37
ART + CULTURE • MUSIC
Concertmaster Susanna Perry Gilmore Setting a Tone for the Omaha Symphony
by carol crissey nigrelli photography by bill sitzmann
W
hen the house lights dim
at the Holland Performing Arts Center, the formally dressed musicians on stage cease warming up and the rustle of the audience immediately dies down. The silence and stillness in the 2,000-seat, acoustically superior hall signal a very satisfying tradition at every classical music concert: the entrance of the concertmaster. A woman with luxuriously thick, curly strawberry blonde hair and a sweet smile appears from stage left, violin in hand, igniting enthusiastic applause. After bowing to the audience, she turns and faces her 75 or so colleagues, making eye contact with each of them as if to say, “We’re in this together. Let’s do it!” She then nods to the principal oboe to play a concert “A” and that wondrous sound of an orchestra tuning fills the space. Susanna Perry Gilmore is the symphony’s principal first violinist, a high profile “glamour” job
and, after the conductor, an orchestra’s second-most pivotal position. The concertmaster must possess superior playing and leadership abilities, but what the audience sees leans toward the ceremonial. “I symbolically represent the orchestra,” Gilmore explains in her low, assertive voice. “There’s the tradition of entering, my hand gets shaken all the time by the conductor and the guest soloist and I ‘tune’ the orchestra, which isn’t really true but it’s part of the little rituals.” In addition, Gilmore plays all the violin solos within an orchestral work and is often featured as a soloist standing up front on stage. Reviewers have praised her deep tone and impeccable technique. Behind the scenes, the job of concertmaster requires an exhaustive list of qualifications and abilities. Gilmore works closely with music director and conductor Thomas Wilkins to make sure the violins are playing exactly what he wants musically or what the composer intended. “Thomas calls me his field general,” she says with a gentle laugh, amused by the image. “In rehearsal, I’m constantly evaluating
what [the violins] are doing. Are we achieving what he or a guest conductor wants? If not, would a different bowing or a different fingering help? It may be just asking the conductor, ‘May we please just do this passage slower?’” With the negotiating skills of a diplomat, the patience and understanding of a Zen master, and the obsessive drive of a politician, Gilmore gets an entire section of violinists—each with their own personality and style—to play as one voice. Gilmore had just turned 40 when she came to Omaha in 2011 and quickly won the admiration of her peers. “She has been a really important figure in transforming the violin section,” praises 38
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
art + culture • music susanna perry gilmore
principal horn Jason DeWater, currently on sabbatical. The bow strokes are identical, they play the same phrasing and they sound amazing. Plus, she’s humble and kind and very talented.” But a strain of steel magnolia runs through Gilmore. “There’s an intensity about her and she’s no pushover,” reveals DeWater. “She’ll go toe-to-toe with anybody, including a conductor, if she thinks something can be done better.” That kind of self-assuredness grew gradually out of her musical training. Born in Buffalo, N.Y. to a pair of academics, Gilmore always had the music in her. “My mother says I sang before I could talk,” says Gilmore, who has two brothers who, like their parents, became professors. When she was 8, the family moved to Bloomington and Indiana University where she added violin to her piano studies and took lessons at the university’s school of music. She was too young to appreciate I.U.’s string program as one of the most prestigious in the world. Gilmore only knew she loved the violin. “I was a really sensitive, shy, and introverted kid and the violin was, and still is, a tremendous emotional outlet for me.” Her training eventually took her across the pond to London and Oxford University where she received a degree in musicology and theory. Did she want to teach music or play violin fulltime? Her decision led to Boston where she earned a Master’s degree in performance at the New England Conservatory. Two years later Gilmore won the position of concertmaster with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, where she stayed for 15 years and raised a family. She has two daughters: Katy, 13, and Zoe, 10. It was in Memphis as guest conductor that Thomas Wilkins met Gilmore and saw everything he wanted in a concertmaster. Their personalities clicked; their musical tastes meshed in what Gilmore calls “beautiful serendipity.” She was open to the possibility of change and spent a week “auditioning” with the symphony in Omaha. Serendipity struck again. “I felt very embraced by the musicians here; very welcomed and supported,” she recalls of her tryout week. “That’s not always the case in a work environment. It makes making music easier.” With positive vibes all around, Omaha’s concertmaster continues her course of excellence. OMAG
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39
GEN O
Tehillah Alphonso
TAKING CENTER STAGE
40
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
by claire martin photography by scott drickey
F
or 17-year-old Tehillah
Alphonso, landing a spotlight on the big stage is quickly shifting from dream to reality. A junior at Marion High School, Alphonso was recently selected to perform in an Honors Choir at Carnegie Hall after an auditioning process that involved thousands of candidates from all over the country.
gen o tehillah alphonso
“Carnegie Hall is a huge deal,” Alphonso says. “Hopefully what I learn there will help me move forward with what I hope to do in the future.” Alphonso first started singing with her church as a 3-year-old, although she didn’t “really get serious” about vocal performance until her freshman year of high school. Currently, she lifts her voice in multiple organizations, including the A Capella Club at her school and the worship choir at her church, where her father is the pastor. Alphonso’s dreams go far beyond Omaha, though. “If I could, I would definitely want to be performing my own music for people, touring around the world,” she says. “I want to inspire people to take on challenges they wouldn’t think in a million years that they could do.” Alphonso cites the a cappella cover band Pentatonix as a major influence for her own music. She and her choir opened for their concert in A Cappella Academy this summer. The group’s humility, Alphonso says, is what inspired her after meeting them. “As a performer, musician, whatever you are, what you want your main career goal to be is to inspire other people,” she says. “It’s to make people forget about the problems they have, even if it’s just for a moment, or to relax and enjoy life, even if it’s just for a second.” Looking to the future, Alphonso is both excited and nervous about her big performance in Carnegie Hall—but mostly excited about the opportunities it’ll surely foster. “I’m hoping for a measure of growth,” Alphonso says. “I just want to keep improving and getting better. I don’t want to be stagnant in my skill; I want to always be heading upward.” With such a big voice, it can be easy to forget that Alphonso is just beginning to look at college life, where she hopes her vocal talent will carry her to a career she loves. There’s an old joke where a tourist on the streets of New York stops an earnest young man carrying a violin case. “Excuse me,” the visitor begins, “but can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?” “Practice,” begins the reply. “Practice!” Alphonso is committed to the rigors of voice work and is now already looking beyond the famed concert space. “I know Carnegie Hall is setting a platform for where I’ll step in the next few years,” Alphonso says. “I want to be the epitome of what I aspire to be.” OMAG
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
41
FACES
by leo adam biga photography by bill sitzmann
No Passing Film Fancy
Marc Longbrake
T
echie Marc Longbrake was
Scan the page with the LayAR app to view a video of Marc Longbrake.
42
in college when he lost it at the movies. Intrigued with doing something in cinema, he managed computer-aided drafting designers for his 9-to-5 but crewed on local independent film projects for his moonlighting fix. Fast forward to today, when he’s a veteran lighting technician on area shoots, including a feature recently accepted into Sundance, Take Me to the River. Longbrake is also a co-founder of the Omaha Film Festival (OFF). The March 10-15 festival at Marcus Village Pointe Cinema celebrates it 10th
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
season this year. Longbrake and fellow movie enthusiasts Jeremy Decker and Jason Levering distinguish their event from other fests here with an ambitious, multi-day slate of features, documentaries and shorts, a conference of film industry panelists, and meet-andgreet parties. The event receives 600-plus entries from multiple states and nations. A screenplay reading series complements the script competition. A team of judges spends months viewing films and reading scripts to determine which submissions make the final cut. “It’s a pretty intense process,” Longbrake says. Getting all the moving parts in sync is
faces marc longbrake
a feat. He and his partners divvy up duties. Longbrake oversees the technical side. “I deal a lot with the projection. We take great pride and care in the way we project the films we show. That’s a huge part of it.” He also makes sure the fest connects to the local film community via social media. This labor of love is fueled by shared passion. “It’s not been easy, it’s not been without sacrifice,” says Longbrake, a still-video photographer and lighting grip. “The fact we’ve stayed together all this time and managed to get along and to remain on the same page—I mean we’re all very different people with very different opinions—has made for a good marriage that helps us put a good product in front of our attendees.” Longbrake and Co. displayed vision and courage launching OFF when they did as it preceded Omaha’s much-embraced art cinema, Film Streams. They saw an indie void and filled it with the help of sponsors. He says despite the fact “we’re all broke from this, at the end of the day we know it’s a good cultural thing for the city to have,” adding, “We’ve got enough of a fan base that if we were not to do it there’d be some disappointment. I don’t know who would pick up the ball and run with it, so we feel sort of an obligation to keep it going.” Besides, he says “it’s pretty cool to be a part of Omaha’s cultural renaissance the last 10 years.” Occasionally, OFF features break big, giving Omaha audiences sneak peaks of awards contenders. Then there’s moments like the one a few years ago when Longbrake introduced filmmakers Logan and Noah Miller to their idol, screenwriting guru Lew Hunter, at an OFF screening of the brothers’ debut feature, Touching Home. The twins had read Hunter’s Screenwriting 434 to learn how to write a script. “It was a great moment for the brothers and Lew to meet and it was a great moment for me to be able to put them together.” He enjoys it, too, when Nebraska film artists such as Yolonda Ross, Mauro Fiore (see related story on page 117), Mike Hill, Dana Altman, and Nik Fackler make OFF appearances to share their passion with audiences. Now they’re pushing for Alexander Payne to be a future guest. OMAG To view a video of Marc Longbrake, scan page 42 with the LayAR app. For instructions on downloading the free app, see page 17.
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Slowiaczek, Albers & Astley, P.C., L.L.O is a law firm devoted to providing Nebraska families with personal, professional family law services. All of our partners are rated “AV-Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell and we have been named a Tier 1 “Best Law Firm” in the Omaha metropolitan area for our Family Law Practice by US News & World Report. John S. Slowiaczek, Virginia A. Albers and T. Geoffrey Lieben have been named as Best Lawyers for a number of years. Mr. Lieben adds depth to the firm with his estate planning, tax and ERISA practice areas. Ms. Albers and Mr. Slowiaczek devote their practices to the negotiation of divorce settlements, representing clients in contested cases at trial, and in drafting premarital agreements. The firm includes Adam E. Astley, Kathryn D. Putnam and Hannah C. Wooldridge in addition to our three “best lawyers”.
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2015 BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA
Omaha’s Best Lawyers
from The Best Lawyers in America® 2015
O
maha Magazine is proud
to bring you the Omaha results of The Best Lawyers in America,® widely regarded as the preeminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. What makes this list the “goto” guide? Two reasons: one, lawyers are not required to pay a fee for a basic listing in the guide; two, inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® is based entirely on confidential peer review. CREDIT. These lists are excerpted from The Best Lawyers in America® 2015, which includes listings for more than 50,000 lawyers in 137 specialties, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Best Lawyers in America® is published by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, South Carolina and can be ordered directly from the publisher. For information call 803-6480300; write 237 Park Ave., SW, Suite 101, Aiken, SC 29801; email info@bestlawyers. com; or visit www.bestlawyers.com. Online subscriptions to Best Lawyers® databases are available at www.bestlawyers.com DISCLAIMER AND COPYRIGHT. These lists are excerpted from The Best Lawyers in America© 2015, which includes listings for more than 52,000 lawyers in 137 specialties, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The Best Lawyers in America© is published by Woodward/White Inc., Aiken, S.C., and can be ordered directly from the publisher. For information call (803) 648-0300; write 237 Park Ave, SW, Suite 101, Aiken, SC 29801; email info@bestlawyers.com; or visit www.bestlawyers.com. Online subscriptions to Best Lawyers databases are available at www.bestlawyers.com. Woodward/White Inc. has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. All listed attorneys have been verified as being members in good standing with their respective state bar associations as of July 1, 2014, where that information is publicly available. Consumers should contact their state bar for verification and additional information prior to securing legal services of any attorney. Copyright 2014 by Woodward/White Inc., Aiken, S.C. All rights reserved. This list, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission. No commercial use of this list may be made without permission
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2015 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, the pre-eminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. Published since 1983, Best Lawyers lists attorneys in 137 specialties, representing all 50 states, who have been chosen through an exhaustive survey in which thousands of the nation’s top lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The 2015 Edition of Best Lawyers is based on more than 5.5 million evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers. The method used to compile Best Lawyers remains unchanged since the first edition was compiled more than 30 years ago. Lawyers are chosen for inclusion based solely on the vote of their peers. Listings cannot be bought, and no purchase is required to be included. In this regard, Best Lawyers remains the gold standard of reliability and integrity in lawyer ratings. The nomination pool for the 2015 Edition consisted of all lawyers whose names > continued on page 54
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2015 BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA ANTITRUST LAW David H. Roe McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. APPELLATE PRACTICE Steven Grasz Husch Blackwell LLP ARBITRATION James M. Bausch Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P. John C. Brownrigg John C. Brownrigg Mediation & Arbitration Services D. Nick Caporale Baird Holm LLP Michael F. Kinney Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas Matthew G. Miller Matthew G. Miller, P.C., L.L.O. David M. Woodke Woodke & Gibbons, P.C., L.L.O. AVIATION LAW Terrence D. O’Hare McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. BANKING AND FINANCE LAW Thomas F. Ackley Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. Richard L. Anderson Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, L.L.C. Robert J. Bothe McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
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David H. Roe McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
William F. Hargens McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Steven C. Turner Baird Holm LLP
Thomas E. Johnson Baird Holm LLP
John S. Zeilinger Baird Holm LLP
Michael F. Kinney Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas
BANKRUPTCY AND CREDITOR DEBTOR RIGHTS / INSOLVENCY AND REORGANIZATION LAW Robert J. Bothe McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Robert V. Ginn Stinson Leonard Street LLP Richard D. Myers McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O. Martin P. Pelster Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, L.L.C. Douglas E. Quinn McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Charles L. Smith Telpner, Peterson, Smith, Ruesch, Thomas & Simpson, LLP Jerrold L. Strasheim Jerrold L. Strasheim
William M. Lamson, Jr. Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP Joseph K. Meusey Fraser Stryker PC LLO John P. Passarelli Kutak Rock LLP BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS (INCLUDING LLCS AND PARTNERSHIPS) Nicholas K. Niemann McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. CLOSELY HELD COMPANIES AND FAMILY BUSINESSES LAW Nicholas K. Niemann McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Jeffrey J. Pirruccello McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Donald L. Swanson Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
James D. Wegner McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Steven C. Turner Baird Holm LLP
COMMERCIAL FINANCE LAW
Jeffrey Wegner Kutak Rock LLP
Robert J. Bothe McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Michael J. Whaley Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
Max J. Burbach Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
T. Randall Wright Baird Holm LLP
Steven E. Achelpohl Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
Thomas H. DeLay Stratton, DeLay, Doele, Carlson & Buettner, P.C., L.L.O.
BET-THE-COMPANY LITIGATION
Jill Robb Ackerman Baird Holm LLP
Joyce A. Dixon Kutak Rock LLP
James M. Bausch Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P.
James M. Bausch Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P.
H. Dale Dixon III Kutak Rock LLP
Thomas J. Culhane Erickson Sederstrom
Thomas F. Flaherty Fraser Stryker PC LLO
William G. Dittrick Baird Holm LLP
Trenten P. Bausch Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P.
Robert M. Gonderinger Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, L.L.C.
John R. Douglas Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas
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James P. Fitzgerald McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Marlon M. Lofgren Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
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Charles F. Gotch Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas
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Kirk S. Blecha Baird Holm LLP Patrick E. Brookhouser, Jr. McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Michael F. Coyle Fraser Stryker PC LLO Thomas J. Culhane Erickson Sederstrom
Kelly R. Dahl Baird Holm LLP Thomas H. Dahlk Kutak Rock LLP Steven D. Davidson Baird Holm LLP Michael S. Degan Husch Blackwell LLP William G. Dittrick Baird Holm LLP David A. Domina Domina Law Group P.C., L.L.O. John R. Douglas Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas Mark F. Enenbach McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. James P. Fitzgerald McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Gerald L. Friedrichsen Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O. James J. Frost McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Charles F. Gotch Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas Patrick B. Griffin Kutak Rock LLP William F. Hargens McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Edward D. Hotz Hotz, Weaver, Flood, Breitkreutz & Grant David S. Houghton Houghton, Whitted & Weaver, PC, LLO Richard P. Jeffries Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P. Thomas E. Johnson Baird Holm LLP Joseph E. Jones Fraser Stryker PC LLO Michael F. Kinney Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas William M. Lamson, Jr. Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP Gerald P. Laughlin Baird Holm LLP Robert Lepp McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O.
At the most challenging time in your life, you need a lawyer able to provide: the experience, powerful advocacy; steady counsel; and responsive service necessary to protect your rights and the rights of your children. Chris Vacanti has spent his entire career advocating for litigants in complex divorce and custody cases in the State of Nebraska. Every step possible is taken to ensure your interests and those of your family are protected. Vacanti Shattuck, Attorneys is led by partners Chris Vacanti and Kelly Shattuck. The partnership was formed more than 20 years ago, and today is recognized by US News and World Report as one of the Best Law Firms in America. Chris and Kelly have built a strong team of associates; paralegals; and other staff that are experienced and driven to bring results – both in and out of the courtroom. Chris Vacanti is recognized by US News and World Report and one of the Best Lawyers in America – Family Law; and has been selected as a Super Lawyer - Family Law. Vacanti is a former Chairman of the Nebraska State Bar Association, Family Law Section; and past presenter in the area of family law at various classes and seminars. Vacanti Shattuck, Attorneys. Lawyers dedicated to helping families in transition. EDUCATION. B.S. and J.D., University of Nebraska – Lincoln Please ask about our new Criminal/DUI Lawyer - former prosecutor Jonathon Crosby.
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2015 BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA Wayne J. Mark Fraser Stryker PC LLO Bartholomew L. McLeay Kutak Rock LLP Joseph K. Meusey Fraser Stryker PC LLO Robert D. Mullin, Jr. McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
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Douglas E. Quinn McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Bruce D. Vosburg Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O.
CONSTRUCTION LAW
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE LAW
Ronald L. Comes McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. P. Scott Dye Baird Holm LLP
Robert W. Mullin Houghton, Whitted & Weaver, PC, LLO
Lee H. Hamann McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
James G. Powers McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Lawrence E. Kritenbrink Baird Holm LLP
Robert M. Slovek Kutak Rock LLP Patrick G. Vipond Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP Edward G. Warin Kutak Rock LLP COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS / UCC LAW Ronald L. Eggers Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
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Wayne J. Mark Fraser Stryker PC LLO Todd W. Weidemann Woods & Aitken, LLP COPYRIGHT LAW Jill Robb Ackerman Baird Holm LLP Denise C. Mazour McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. James E. O’Connor Baird Holm LLP
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
Dennis J. Fogland Baird Holm LLP CORPORATE LAW Teresa A. Beaufait Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
David E. Gardels Husch Blackwell LLP Stephen E. Gehring Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P. Gary M. Gotsdiner McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O. Deryl F. Hamann Baird Holm LLP
Mark L. Brasee Fraser Stryker PC LLO
David L. Hefflinger McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Joyce A. Dixon Kutak Rock LLP
John W. Herdzina Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP
Donald L. Erftmier, Jr. Erftmier Law, LLC
Michael M. Hupp Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
Thomas F. Flaherty Fraser Stryker PC LLO
Virgil K. Johnson Erickson Sederstrom
Dennis J. Fogland Baird Holm LLP
Howard J. Kaslow Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP
Robert L. Freeman Fraser Stryker PC LLO
John S. Katelman Stinson Leonard Street LLP
R. Craig Fry Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP
Marlon M. Lofgren Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
special section M. Shaun McGaughey Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
J. William Gallup J. William Gallup
EMPLOYMENT LAW - MANAGEMENT
Thomas C. McGowan McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Alan G. Stoler Alan G. Stoler, P.C., L.L.O.
Patrick J. Barrett Fraser Stryker PC LLO
Edward G. Warin Kutak Rock LLP
A. Stevenson Bogue McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Robert J. Murray Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP Douglas D. Murray Baird Holm LLP Daniel C. Pape McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Jeffrey J. Pirruccello McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Richard E. Putnam Baird Holm LLP Todd A. Richardson Husch Blackwell LLP T. Parker Schenken Baird Holm LLP Michael C. Schilken Baird Holm LLP Travis S. Tyler Fraser Stryker PC LLO Bruce D. Vosburg Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O. James P. Waldron Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O. James D. Wegner McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Roger W. Wells McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. R. Thomas Workman McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O. John S. Zeilinger Baird Holm LLP CRIMINAL DEFENSE: NON-WHITE-COLLAR Steven E. Achelpohl Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O. Stuart J. Dornan Dornan, Lustgarten & Troia, P.C., L.L.O. J. William Gallup J. William Gallup Alan G. Stoler Alan G. Stoler, P.C., L.L.O. CRIMINAL DEFENSE: WHITE-COLLAR Steven E. Achelpohl Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
DUI/DWI DEFENSE James E. Schaefer Schaefer Shapiro, LLP EDUCATION LAW Robert T. Cannella Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O. Elizabeth Eynon-Kokrda EEKLegal, LLC ELDER LAW Margaret A. Badura Badura Law, LLC Robert Lepp McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O. Daniel J. Wintz Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. EMPLOYEE BENEFITS (ERISA) LAW Joan M. Cannon McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Gary N. Clatterbuck Baird Holm LLP Peter C. Langdon McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. T. Geoffrey Lieben Slowiaczek, Albers & Astley P.C., L.L.O. Randal M. Limbeck Jackson Lewis P.C. Thomas G. McKeon Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O. Gary W. Radil Baird Holm LLP John E. Schembari Kutak Rock LLP Daniel J. Wintz Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
2015 BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY LAW J. Scott Paul McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. FAMILY LAW
Robert T. Cannella Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O.
Virginia A. Albers Slowiaczek, Albers & Astley P.C., L.L.O.
Joseph S. Dreesen Jackson Lewis P.C.
Patrick A. Campagna Lustgarten & Roberts, P.C., L.L.O.
Christopher R. Hedican Baird Holm LLP
Michael B. Lustgarten Lustgarten & Roberts, P.C., L.L.O.
John C. Hewitt Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P.
Donald A. Roberts Lustgarten & Roberts, P.C., L.L.O. J. C. Salvo Salvo, Deren, Schenck & Lauterbach, P.C.
Dean G. Kratz McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Timothy D. Loudon Jackson Lewis P.C.
John S. Slowiaczek Slowiaczek, Albers & Astley P.C., L.L.O.
Mark McQueen Baird Holm LLP
Christopher A. Vacanti Vacanti Shattuck
Roger J. Miller McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
FINANCIAL SERVICES REGULATION LAW
Scott S. Moore Baird Holm LLP
David H. Roe McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Scott P. Moore Baird Holm LLP
Steven C. Turner Baird Holm LLP
Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. Fraser Stryker PC LLO
John S. Zeilinger Baird Holm LLP
R. J. Stevenson Baird Holm LLP
FRANCHISE LAW Gary R. Batenhorst Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P.
Tara A. Stingley Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P. ENERGY LAW Randall C. Hanson Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP ENVIRONMENTAL LAW John A. Andreasen McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Stephen M. Bruckner Fraser Stryker PC LLO
EMPLOYMENT LAW - INDIVIDUALS
Steven P. Case McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Margaret C. Hershiser Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
Michael S. Mostek Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
Thomas F. Hoarty, Jr. Byam & Hoarty
Nancy A. Roberts McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O.
Trenten P. Bausch Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P. John W. Herdzina Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP John P. Passarelli Kutak Rock LLP Michael L. Sullivan Baird Holm LLP GOVERNMENT RELATIONS PRACTICE David J. Kramer Baird Holm LLP HEALTH CARE LAW Vickie Brady Ahlers Baird Holm LLP Alex M. Clarke Baird Holm LLP
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special section Robert L. Cohen Kutak Rock LLP
Michael G. Mullin Kutak Rock LLP
John R. Holdenried Baird Holm LLP
Robert D. Mullin, Jr. McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Julie A. Knutson Baird Holm LLP
Omaha native Robert E. O’Connor, Jr. has been an active trial lawyer since his graduation from the Creighton University School of Law in 1974. A second generation trial lawyer, he has tried cases at every level in the State and Federal Court systems. His litigation experience includes representing clients before a wide variety of Administrative Agencies and Legislative Bodies. He has extensive experience in disputes over the application, interpretation, existence and termination of all types of contracts. He is a Past President of the Nebraska Bar Association. He has taught, as an adjunct professor, employment law courses at Creighton University for over 20 years.
Phone 402-330-5906 Fax 402-330-9763 2433 South 130th Circle Omaha, NE 68144 www.robertoconnorlaw.com
Amy L. Longo Ellick, Jones, Buelt, Blazek & Longo Thomas R. Pansing, Jr. Pansing Hogan Ernst & Bachman LLP
James L. Quinlan Fraser Stryker PC LLO
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND FINANCE LAW
Charles V. Sederstrom Erickson Sederstrom Karen M. Shuler Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
A. Stevenson Bogue McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Amy L. ErlbacherAnderson Baird Holm LLP Dustin Kessler Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O.
(402) 504-1600 | erftmierlaw.com
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
LABOR LAW - MANAGEMENT Patrick J. Barrett Fraser Stryker PC LLO A. Stevenson Bogue McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Robert T. Cannella Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O. Joseph S. Dreesen Jackson Lewis P.C. Christopher R. Hedican Baird Holm LLP
Stanley A. Krieger Jackson Lewis P.C.
John C. Hewitt Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P.
Amy L. Peck Jackson Lewis P.C. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW Terrence P. Maher Baird Holm LLP James E. O’Connor Baird Holm LLP INSURANCE LAW Steven D. Davidson Baird Holm LLP Thomas A. Grennan Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
11808 West Center Road, Ste 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68144-4434
David E. Gardels Husch Blackwell LLP
M. Angela Krieger Jackson Lewis P.C.
Scott S. Moore Baird Holm LLP
Business Counseling | Mergers, Acquisitions & Divestitures | Estate Planning Estate, Gift and Generation-Skipping Tax Planning | Charitable and Philanthropic Planning Business Succession Planning | Asset Protection Planning | Fiduciary Representation
Rex A. Rezac Fraser Stryker PC LLO John A. Svoboda Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
IMMIGRATION LAW
We are also proud that the Firm was once again recognized as one of the Best Law Firms for its Corporate Law and Trusts and Estates practices.
Frank Pechacek, Jr. Willson & Pechacek, P.L.C.
Barbara E. Person Baird Holm LLP
Patricia A. Zieg Stinson Leonard Street LLP
The Firm would like to congratulate Donald L. Erftmier, Jr., for being listed among the Best Lawyers in America for 2014 in the practice areas of Corporate Law and Trusts and Estates.
Terrence D. O’Hare McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Edward D. Hotz Hotz, Weaver, Flood, Breitkreutz & Grant
Soren S. Jensen Berkshire & Burmeister Dean G. Kratz McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Timothy D. Loudon Jackson Lewis P.C. Roger J. Miller McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Scott S. Moore Baird Holm LLP Scott P. Moore Baird Holm LLP Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. Fraser Stryker PC LLO R. J. Stevenson Baird Holm LLP
special section
2015 BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA
LAND USE AND ZONING LAW
Donald L. Swanson Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
LITIGATION - FIRST AMENDMENT
LITIGATION - LAND USE AND ZONING
Robert G. Dailey McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
T. Randall Wright Baird Holm LLP
Michael C. Cox Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
Scott P. Moore Baird Holm LLP
LITIGATION - CONSTRUCTION
LITIGATION - INSURANCE
James G. Powers McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Robert J. Huck Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, L.L.C. Steven D. Johnson Steven D. Johnson David C. Levy Baird Holm LLP LEGAL MALPRACTICE LAW - DEFENDANTS John R. Douglas Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas Joseph K. Meusey Fraser Stryker PC LLO LEGAL MALPRACTICE LAW - PLAINTIFFS John R. Douglas Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas
Thomas J. Culhane Erickson Sederstrom Charles F. Gotch Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas Joseph E. Jones Fraser Stryker PC LLO Wayne J. Mark Fraser Stryker PC LLO James G. Powers McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. LITIGATION - ENVIRONMENTAL John A. Andreasen McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
LITIGATION - ANTITRUST
Stephen M. Bruckner Fraser Stryker PC LLO
Mark F. Enenbach McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Steven P. Case McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
John P. Passarelli Kutak Rock LLP
Kelly R. Dahl Baird Holm LLP
LITIGATION - BANKING AND FINANCE
Mark F. Enenbach McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Thomas H. DeLay Stratton, DeLay, Doele, Carlson & Buettner, P.C., L.L.O. William F. Hargens McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. James G. Powers McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
William F. Hargens McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. John P. Heil Baird Holm LLP John M. Lingelbach Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
Jeffrey Wegner Kutak Rock LLP
Thomas C. McGowan McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
LITIGATION - BANKRUPTCY
Michael S. Mostek Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
James G. Powers McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
LITIGATION - ERISA
Douglas E. Quinn McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Charles L. Smith Telpner, Peterson, Smith, Ruesch, Thomas & Simpson, LLP Jerrold L. Strasheim Jerrold L. Strasheim
Steven D. Davidson Baird Holm LLP John E. Schembari Kutak Rock LLP Timothy Thalken Fraser Stryker PC LLO Daniel J. Wintz Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
Daniel Chesire Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP
LITIGATION - MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Mark C. Laughlin Fraser Stryker PC LLO
Thomas H. Dahlk Kutak Rock LLP
J. Scott Paul McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. LITIGATION INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Jill Robb Ackerman Baird Holm LLP James M. Bausch Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P. John P. Passarelli Kutak Rock LLP Bruce D. Vosburg Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O.
William F. Hargens McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. LITIGATION - PATENT John P. Passarelli Kutak Rock LLP Dennis L. Thomte Thomte Patent Law Office LLC LITIGATION - REAL ESTATE Richard L. Anderson Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, L.L.C.
LITIGATION - LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
James M. Bausch Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P.
Patrick J. Barrett Fraser Stryker PC LLO
Steven D. Davidson Baird Holm LLP
Kirk S. Blecha Baird Holm LLP
Dennis P. Hogan III Pansing Hogan Ernst & Bachman LLP
A. Stevenson Bogue McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Michael D. Matejka Woods & Aitken, LLP
Robert T. Cannella Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O. Aaron A. Clark McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Christopher E. Hoyme Jackson Lewis P.C. Dean G. Kratz McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Roger J. Miller McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Scott P. Moore Baird Holm LLP Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. Fraser Stryker PC LLO
Frank J. Mihulka Woods & Aitken, LLP Scott P. Moore Baird Holm LLP Jerry M. Slusky Smith, Gardner, Slusky, Lazer, Pohren & Rogers, LLP LITIGATION REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT (SEC, TELECOM, ENERGY) Thomas H. Dahlk Kutak Rock LLP Mark F. Enenbach McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. William M. Lamson, Jr. Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP LITIGATION - SECURITIES James M. Bausch Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P. Patrick E. Brookhouser, Jr. McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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special section Thomas H. Dahlk Kutak Rock LLP Patrick B. Griffin Kutak Rock LLP LITIGATION TRUSTS AND ESTATES Dennis W. Collins Jewell & Collins
Susan J. Spahn Walentine, O’Toole, McQuillan & Gordon, LLP
William M. Lamson, Jr. Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP
Nick R. Taylor Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O.
Mark E. Novotny Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP
Vicki L. Meadors McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Nicholas K. Niemann McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Congratulations to our attorneys selected for inclusion in the 2015 Best Lawyers in America:
Jeffrey J. Pirruccello McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. MEDIATION John C. Brownrigg John C. Brownrigg Mediation & Arbitration Services D. Nick Caporale Baird Holm LLP Michael F. Kinney Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas J. Terry Macnamara McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Robert Huck Land Use & Zoning, Real Estate
Richard Anderson Banking & Finance, Real Estate – Litigation
Robert Gonderinger Banking & Finance
Martin Pelster Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization
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John J. McCauley John J. McCauley Arbitration Matthew G. Miller Matthew G. Miller, P.C., L.L.O.
Congratulations to Richard Anderson, 2015 Omaha Lawyer of the Year in Real Estate – Litigation.
Michael G. Mullin Kutak Rock LLP
We are pleased to announce the Firm was selected for the 2015 Best Law Firms publication for Banking & Finance, Land Use & Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate and Real Estate Law.
David M. Woodke Woodke & Gibbons, P.C., L.L.O.
2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200 • Omaha, NE 68124 Phone: (402) 391-6777 • Fax: (402) 390-9221 • www.crokerlaw.com omaha magazine • march/april 2015
Charles F. Gotch Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas Michael F. Kinney Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas
Howard N. Kaplan Law Offices of Howard N. Kaplan
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
John R. Douglas Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas
Sharon R. Kresha Baird Holm LLP
LITIGATION AND CONTROVERSY - TAX
CROKER, HUCK, KASHER, DEWITT, ANDERSON & GONDERINGER, L.L.C.
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW - DEFENDANTS
William R. Settles Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP Patrick G. Vipond Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW - PLAINTIFFS John R. Douglas Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas John M. French John M. French MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS LAW Teresa A. Beaufait Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. Michael L. Curry Kutak Rock LLP Dennis J. Fogland Baird Holm LLP Robert L. Freeman Fraser Stryker PC LLO Gary M. Gotsdiner McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O. Keith A. Green McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, P.C., L.L.O. David L. Hefflinger McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Michael M. Hupp Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. M. Shaun McGaughey Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.
special section Todd A. Richardson Husch Blackwell LLP
Kristopher K. Madsen Stuart Tinley Law Firm, L.L.P.
Bruce D. Vosburg Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O.
Joseph K. Meusey Fraser Stryker PC LLO
Roger W. Wells McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. John S. Zeilinger Baird Holm LLP
Michael J. Mooney Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O. Robert D. Mullin, Jr. McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
MUNICIPAL LAW
Michael G. Mullin Kutak Rock LLP
Timothy M. Kenny Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP
Jerald L. Rauterkus Erickson Sederstrom
Thomas G. McKeon Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O.
John A. Svoboda Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
NATIVE AMERICAN LAW Patricia A. Zieg Stinson Leonard Street LLP NON-PROFIT / CHARITIES LAW Howard Fredrick Hahn Kutak Rock LLP David L. Hefflinger McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Kyle Wallor Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP Brien M. Welch Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION - PLAINTIFFS Michael F. Coyle Fraser Stryker PC LLO John M. French John M. French
Gary W. Radil Baird Holm LLP
Thomas A. Grennan Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
Nick R. Taylor Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O.
Michael F. Kinney Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas
PATENT LAW Dennis L. Thomte Thomte Patent Law Office LLC PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION - DEFENDANTS Daniel Chesire Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP Michael F. Coyle Fraser Stryker PC LLO Charles F. Gotch Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas Thomas A. Grennan Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O. Michael F. Kinney Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas Ronald F. Krause Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas William M. Lamson, Jr. Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP
2015 BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA
PRODUCT LIABILITY LITIGATION - DEFENDANTS
Joyce A. Dixon Kutak Rock LLP P. Scott Dye Baird Holm LLP
Daniel Chesire Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP
John H. Fullenkamp Fullenkamp, Doyle & Jobeun
Gerald L. Friedrichsen Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O.
Lee H. Hamann McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Charles F. Gotch Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas
Dennis P. Hogan III Pansing Hogan Ernst & Bachman LLP
Michael F. Kinney Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas
Robert J. Huck Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, L.L.C.
Robert D. Mullin, Jr. McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Larry A. Jobeun Fullenkamp, Doyle & Jobeun
Rex A. Rezac Fraser Stryker PC LLO
Steven D. Johnson Steven D. Johnson
PRODUCT LIABILITY LITIGATION - PLAINTIFFS
John S. Katelman Stinson Leonard Street LLP
Michael F. Kinney Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas
Michael F. Kivett Walentine, O’Toole, McQuillan & Gordon, LLP
PROFESSIONAL MALPRACTICE LAW - DEFENDANTS
Lawrence E. Kritenbrink Baird Holm LLP Steven H. Krohn Smith Peterson Law Firm, LLP
William R. Settles Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP
Michael D. Matejka Woods & Aitken, LLP
Patrick G. Vipond Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP PROJECT FINANCE LAW
Frank J. Mihulka Woods & Aitken, LLP
Michael J. Mooney Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
T. Parker Schenken Baird Holm LLP
Jacqueline A. Pueppke Baird Holm LLP
Robert D. Mullin, Jr. McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
PUBLIC FINANCE LAW
Robert W. Rieke Fraser Stryker PC LLO
Robert E. O’Connor, Jr. O’Connor Law Office, LLC Scott H. Peters Peters Law Firm, P.C. J. C. Salvo Salvo, Deren, Schenck & Lauterbach, P.C. E. Terry Sibbernsen Sibbernsen Strigenz & Sibbernsen P.C. John F. Thomas McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. PRIVACY AND DATA SECURITY LAW Ronald L. Eggers Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
Charles J. Addy Baird Holm LLP
T. Parker Schenken Baird Holm LLP
Richard J. Pedersen Baird Holm LLP
Jerry M. Slusky Smith, Gardner, Slusky, Lazer, Pohren & Rogers, LLP
Patricia Schuett Peterson Kutak Rock LLP
H. Daniel Smith Smith, Gardner, Slusky, Lazer, Pohren & Rogers, LLP
REAL ESTATE LAW
John Q. Bachman Pansing Hogan Ernst & Bachman LLP Jon E. Blumenthal Baird Holm LLP
SECURITIES / CAPITAL MARKETS LAW David L. Hefflinger McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Max J. Burbach Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. James D. Buser Pansing Hogan Ernst & Bachman LLP Robert G. Dailey McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
James P. Waldron Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
Guy Lawson McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
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2015 BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA SECURITIES REGULATION Dennis J. Fogland Baird Holm LLP Guy Lawson McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. SPORTS LAW Robert L. Freeman Fraser Stryker PC LLO TAX LAW David W. Chase Cambridge Law Firm, PLC Howard Fredrick Hahn Kutak Rock LLP Deryl F. Hamann Baird Holm LLP David L. Hefflinger McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Howard N. Kaplan Law Offices of Howard N. Kaplan Thomas J. Kelley McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. T. Geoffrey Lieben Slowiaczek, Albers & Astley P.C., L.L.O. William J. Lindsay, Jr. Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O. Vicki L. Meadors McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Robert J. Murray Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP Nicholas K. Niemann McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
special section
Gary W. Radil Baird Holm LLP Kurt F. Tjaden Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. James D. Wegner McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. TECHNOLOGY LAW Roberta L. Christensen Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. TRADEMARK LAW Denise C. Mazour McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. James E. O’Connor Baird Holm LLP Bruce D. Vosburg Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O. TRANSPORTATION LAW Robert E. O’Connor, Jr. O’Connor Law Office, LLC TRUSTS AND ESTATES David W. Chase Cambridge Law Firm, PLC Dennis W. Collins Jewell & Collins
Thomas J. Malicki Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP David Nielsen Erickson Sederstrom Jeffrey J. Pirruccello McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. Gary W. Radil Baird Holm LLP Michael C. Schilken Baird Holm LLP Susan J. Spahn Walentine, O’Toole, McQuillan & Gordon, LLP Michael L. Sullivan Baird Holm LLP Nick R. Taylor Fitzgerald, Schorr, Barmettler & Brennan, P.C., L.L.O. Kurt F. Tjaden Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. Daniel J. Wintz Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LAW - CLAIMANTS
Deryl F. Hamann Baird Holm LLP
Jacob J. Peters Peters Law Firm, P.C.
David L. Hefflinger McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Dennis R. Riekenberg Cassem, Tierney, Adams, Gotch & Douglas
Ronald C. Jensen Baird Holm LLP
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LAW - EMPLOYERS
Michael D. Jones Ellick, Jones, Buelt, Blazek & Longo
Daniel C. Pape McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
Howard J. Kaslow Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP
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William J. Lindsay, Jr. Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
Donald L. Erftmier, Jr. Erftmier Law, LLC
Thomas R. Pansing, Jr. Pansing Hogan Ernst & Bachman LLP
Jeffrey J. Pirruccello McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O.
T. Geoffrey Lieben Slowiaczek, Albers & Astley P.C., L.L.O.
Sharon R. Kresha Baird Holm LLP
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
William Birkel McGrath North Mullin & Kratz, P.C., L.L.O. John W. Iliff Gross & Welch, P.C., L.L.O.
continued from page 45 < appeared in the previous edition of Best Lawyers, lawyers who were nominated since the previous survey, and new nominees solicited from listed attorneys. In general, lawyers were asked to vote only on nominees in their own specialty in their own jurisdiction. Lawyers in closely related specialties were asked to vote across specialties, as were lawyers in smaller jurisdictions. Where specialties are national or international in nature, lawyers were asked to vote nationally as well as locally. Voting lawyers were also given an opportunity to offer more detailed comments on nominees. Each year, half of the voting pool receives fax or email ballots; the other half is polled by phone. Voting lawyers were provided this general guideline for determining if a nominee should be listed among “the best”: “If you had a close friend or relative who needed a real estate lawyer (for example), and you could not handle the case yourself, to whom would you refer them?” All votes and comments were solicited with a guarantee of confidentiality—a critical factor in the viability and validity of Best Lawyers surveys. To ensure the rigor of the selection process, lawyers were urged to use only their highest standards when voting, and to evaluate each nominee based only on his or her individual merits. The additional comments were used to make more accurate comparisons between voting patterns and weight votes accordingly. Best Lawyers uses various methodological tools to identify and correct for anomalies in both the nomination and voting process. Ultimately, of course, a lawyer’s inclusion is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow attorneys. While it is true that the lists may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, the breadth of the survey, the candor of the respondents, and the sophistication of the polling methodology largely correct for any biases. For all these reasons, Best Lawyers lists continue to represent the most reliable, accurate and useful guide to the best lawyers in the United States available anywhere. Best Lawyers lists are available at www.bestlawyers.com. “Best Lawyers” and “The Best Lawyers in America” are registered trademarks of Woodward/White Inc. OMAG
special section
2015 BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA
Best Lawyers®
CONGRATULATES THE
253
attorneys listed in the 2015 Edition of
The Best Lawyers in America
from the great metropolitan
region of OMAHA!
Publishing for over 30 years, Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. For more than three decades, Best Lawyers lists have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public, as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere.
For more information, visit BestLawyers.com or contact us at info@bestlawyers.com.
LINKING LAWYERS AND CLIENTS WORLDWIDE
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
55
FACES
by claire martin photography by scott drickey
Drew Davies Oxide Design’s half and half approach benefits nonprofits.
S
ometimes a business’s
most successful seeds are sewn in grassroots. At least, this is the approach that seems to have worked quite well for entrepreneur Drew Davies, who created the graphic design company Oxide Design Co. in 2001. “Fair to say I have entrepreneurial blood in my veins,” Davies says with a laugh, referencing the legacy of business-owning passed down to him by his parents, who own Soul Desires Bookstore and Coffeeshop in the Old Market. Davies says the “leap of faith” for starting a business on his own was maybe a bit easier for this reason. Although he worked for other smaller graphic design firms out of college, Davies’ passion for the field pushed him to explore other ways to forge a unique identity, this one uniquely his own. “Graphic design is an interesting business,” he says. “It’s a lot about running a successful business, but also a lot about putting your 56
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
Cordial Cherry
faces drew davies
heart and soul into a more creative endeavor. So there’s a certain drive to be in an environment where that’s fostered.” And that drive extends far beyond his own business. Dubbed by Davies as his “half and half approach,” over 50 percent of Oxide Design’s often award-winning projects are with nonprofit organizations like the Nebraska AIDS Project, the Federal Voter Assistance Program, and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, where all work is donated or discounted. The projects (“picking a favorite is like picking a favorite child,” Davies adds) range anywhere from customizing voting ballots to designing custom condom wrappers to raise AIDS awareness. “Nonprofit is something I feel pretty strongly about,” Davies says. “I never started this business to get rich and famous. I wanted to be in charge of what I love doing, so it’s nice to have the ability to give back.” We don’t know about his bank balance— and “famous” may be too strong a word—but Davies has garnered his share of prominence in the industry. Davies was awarded the AIGA Fellow Award last November, an honor given to recognize designers who have made a significant impact for a cause or community. He’s also the only Nebraskan to have judged the Communication Arts (CA) Design Annual, a design competition dedicated to showcasing the world’s elite talents in the field. He has also served as national co-president of AIGA, the professional association for design, and was pegged as one of Graphic Design: USA magazine’s list of People to Watch in 2012. And at the foundation of Davies’ passions? Omaha. “I’m amazed almost every day at how creative the work is that comes out of this city,” he says, adding that Omaha’s reputation in design, as it is in so many endeavors, is perhaps a bit under the radar when viewed through the prism of a national perspective. That’s quickly changing, though. “It’s always been a pleasure being from a place that collectively produces such good work that it shatters people’s preconceived notions about what it means to produce from Omaha,” Davies says. “It makes me proud to be at the heart of this community and to show off this work and have people realize, ‘Wow, there’s something fabulous going on in that town.’” OMAG
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
GIVING • FEATURE
by david williams photography by bill sitzmann
The Essence of Oikos
One-Man Team Builds Stronger Communities in Gifford Park and Beyond
T
hese pages often feature
nonprofits that have the power to draw from scores of volunteers supported by a paid staff backed by a who’swho-in-Omaha board infrastructure in serving broad and far-flung community needs. Sponsored events and fundraisers may attract hundreds, even thousands, of generous, likeminded people in raising big money to propel mission statements. > continued on page 64 omaha magazine • march/april 2015
59
GIVING • CALENDAR
march/april 2015
Events
March/April 2015 Galas MARCH EVENTS
March 1 11TH ANNUAL WALK & ROLL FOR DISABILITIES
Meyer Foundation for Disabilities Oakview Mall omahadisabilities.org March 4 SPEAKING OF CHILDREN LUNCHEON
Project Harmony Embassy Suites La Vista Conference Center projectharmony.com March 4, 5 TABLE ART 2015
Omaha Symphony Guild Champions Run omahasymphony.org March 6 MOWBC MASQUERADE BALL
Metro Omaha Women’s Business Center Magnolia Hotel mowbcf.org March 6-8 AMERICAN GIRL FASHION SHOW
Junior League of Omaha Happy Hollow Country Club jlomaha.org March 7 COLUMB’S CEILI
St. Columbkille Parish Embassy Suites La Vista Conference Center columbsceili.org March 11 HEROES IN THE HEARTLAND
American Red Cross Embassy Suites La Vista Conference Center redcross.org
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
March 12
March 28
March 31
CELEBRITY CHEF: GEOFFREY ZAKARIAN
BIG BASKETBALL BASH
AUTHOR LUNCHEON – DR. ROBYN SILVERMAN
Food Bank of the Heartland Embassy Suites La Vista Conference Center foodbankheartland.org March 14 IRISH FEST: CRUISIN’ IN CLOVER
Catholic Charities of Omaha Embassy Suites La Vista Conference Center ccomaha.org March 14 KIDNEY CRUISE GALA
Nebraska Kidney Association Champions Run kidneyne.org
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands Champions Run bbbsomaha.org March 28 BLUE JEAN BALL: ONCE UPON A WISH
Make-A-Wish Nebraska Mutual of Omaha Dome nebraska.wish.org March 28
March 27 BUCKAROO BASH
Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation Omaha Mounted Patrol Facility rivercityrodeo.org March 27 HOPE BREWS
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Omaha Marriott Regency cff.org March 27 WISHBONE
Joslyn Art Museum’s Kent Bellows Mentoring Program Joslyn Art Museum joslyn.org
American Cancer Society University of Nebraska-Omaha acs.org 2015 TORCHLIGHT BALL
March 28 UNO’s Mammel Hall girlscoutsnebraska.org
Notre Dame Sisters Scott Conference Center notredamesisters.org
RELAY FOR LIFE
April 10
AMBASSADORS OF HOPE: AMY ROBACH
CELEBRATION OF SPIRIT DINNER
April 10
Nebraska CASA Association Scott Conference Center nebraskacasa.org GIRL SCOUTS ARTVENTURE
March 22
APRIL EVENTS
CASABLANCA GALA
March 21 Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center CenturyLink Center Omaha advocatescc.org
Completely KIDS Hilton Omaha completelykids.org
March 28 HEAR NEBRASKA: FEATURING MATTHEW SWEET
Holland Performing Arts Center hearnebraska.org March 28
All About Omaha: Memories for Kids Scoular Ballroom memoriesforkids.org April 11 CATHEDRAL COMEDY AND CUISINE
St Cecelia Cathedral stcecliacathedralomaha.org April 11 NIGHT OF KNIGHTS
Mount Michael Strategic Air and Space Museum mountmichael.com
MARCH MADNEZZ 2015
April 12
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands Spillway Grill & Bar bgcomaha.org
TOO MANY COOKS IN THE KITCHEN
March 28
Omaha Restaurant Association Hilton Omaha dineoutomaha.com
MOXIE
April 14
Planned Parenthood Omar Baking Building ppaction.org
2015 OMAHA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
March 28 THE GATHERING
Christian Urban Education Service Embassy Suites La Vista Conference Center cuesschools.org
Greater Omaha Chamber Holland Performing Arts Center omahachamber.org
giving • calendar march/april 2015
April 17 WINE WOMEN & SHOES
Carolyn Scott Rainbow House Champions Run winewomenandshoes.com April 18 OMAHA SYMPHONY GALA FEATURING MARTIN SHORT
Omaha Symphony Holland Performing Arts Center omahaperformingarts.org April 19 SENIOR PROM
Heartland Family Services Field Club of Omaha heartlandfamilyservicesofomaha.org April 19 ALS IN THE HEARTLAND COMMUNITY WALK
ALS in the Heartland Stinson Park at Aksarben alsintheheartland.org
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April 21 60 YEARS OF BLESSINGS
Open Door Mission Embassy Suites La Vista Conference Center opendoormission.org April 21 SPRING STYLE SHOW
Assistance League of Omaha Champions Run omaha.assistanceleague.org April 23 MAN & WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Ramada Plaza Convention Center mwoy.org
Congratulations to Executive Chef and Business Owner Jeff Snow for being inducted into the Omaha Hospitality Hall of Fame.
Way to go Chef!
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61
GIVING • GALA SPOTLIGHT
by david williams photography by andrew j. baran
Andriana Chuchman
Splash!
Opera Omaha’s A FLOWERING TREE Gala
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S
oprano Renée Fleming once
lamented “My worry is that opera will become a historic art form as opposed to a living, breathing thing.” We’ll leave any judgments on the notion of “historic art form” to posterity, but the January 16 Opera Omaha A Flowering Tree Gala was big-big-big in the way of itself being a “living, breathing thing.” Commandeering an abandoned wing of Crossroads Mall, the immersive experience in the cavernous, stunningly decorated space was equal parts performance piece and installation art, each delivering a magnum opus worth of “wow” factor. “We wanted a location that would reflect the opera’s main theme, that of transformation,” says Opera Omaha general director Roger Weitz. “Our aim was to turn the most familiar of spaces—a mall—into something
completely new, completely original. We go to these lengths because going to a gala should be not unlike going to an opera: a social environment for people to experience music and theatre in a way that is a daring, original, and moving. Above all, it should be fresh and relevant. Opera has the power to be all these things, and I want all of Opera Omaha’s major undertakings to reflect these values.” Ensemble members from such prestigious companies as Joffrey Jazz Contemporary, the L.A. Dance Project, and the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet were joined by recent Juilliard grads in performing modern dance movements, sometimes while being showered from above by indoor rain. Shamu and Gallagher were famous for dousing the most avid of front-row fans; now Opera Omaha has introduced its own decidedly lithe and lyrical version of a Splash Zone.
giving • gala spotlight opera omaha
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Among other cast members performing that night, the dancers were joined by both the Opera Omaha Chorus and Canadian soprano Andriana Chuchman, who sang the title role in A Flowering Tree. They were accompanied by pianists Timo Andres and Richard Valitutto. Members of the creative team included James Darrah, the Los Angeles-based director, production designer, and visual artist, along with designers Adam Larsen, Emily McDonald, and Cameron Mock. Event chairs Mogens and Cindy Bay hosted the sold-out crowd of 400 in raising over $250,000 for the opera company. And in words that this writer could never have imagined being put into print, the Opera Omaha Gala (a gala, for cryin’ out loud) was for one brief crescendo of triumphal glory the drop-dead hottest ticket of the season. OMAG
W
Celebrating our Rich
HerStory www.omahahomeforboys.org
Herstory ad 1-3 size.indd 1
hile you may be familiar with the history of the Omaha Home for Boys, the rich Her Story has contributed behind the scenes to our success for almost a century. Women have led the way in programming, contributions and support and were the original caregivers for our youth in the early days. The Omaha Home for Boys salutes the many women who have helped shape our organization as well as our community over the past
95 years.
2/2/2015 3:18:01 PM63 omaha magazine • march/april 2015
GIVING • FEATURE
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business. entertainment. family. food & drink. health. home. lifestyle. style. 64
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
continued from page 59 < Eric Purcell’s role is…well, a little different. He’s an army of one. “I certainly don’t feel alone,” says the area’s sole representative of Beta Communities. “Sure, this is my job, and I’m the only one that happens to be doing this for Beta here in Omaha, but when your thing is to work in the community, you can never really be alone.” Beta Communities, the organization’s website explains, is a missionary order— embedded locally and sent globally—that develops leaders to deeply inhabit their place in the way of Jesus and, in doing so, live out their vocational call in the world. Purcell points to a photo collage in his living room in making a point on Beta Communities’ values. He took five snapshots of random objects (the letter “O,” for example, is rendered in the form of an overhead image of a coffee cup) to spell out oikos, the ancient Greek word for household. “But the word goes beyond the idea of a mere structure or a home,” Purcell adds. “It speaks more to the idea of family, extended family, and the wider community. The word ‘economy,’ for example, is also derived from oikos, and indicates a system of interactions, just like the interactions we have in our mission.” The “we” in Purcell’s thoughts above is a nod to his wife, Lisa, who is Eric’s constant companion in his work. She is a stay-at-home mom who homeschools the couple’s children, Norah (9), and Brennen (5) in their home that overlooks Gifford Park (see related story on page H24 for more on the Gifford Park neighborhood). “There’s something almost countercultural in what we do,” says Lisa. “I’m a stay-at-home mom. I’m a homeschooling mom. Because of that, it’s sometimes hard for me to easily define my role in Eric’s work, but this ministry is something we birthed together,” she says as Eric nods his head in agreement. “We are in this together, even though he’s the paid staff member. He has the ‘office hours’ [even though there is no office], but together we find a way to fill things in. His work has no context unless everything points back to our life together; our life with the kids, our life in the community, our life in this mission. Sometimes I feel like I’m on the outside looking in, but I know that isn’t really the case at all.”
beta communities
“And neighborhoods,” Eric explains, “can never be looked at as a one-man anything. It just doesn’t work that way. Being a neighbor, most importantly, starts with a lot of listening.” Eric adds that they believe that a community’s strength is measured in the number of people who, as the Beta values state, “deeply inhabit” their surroundings, the people who are invested in a neighborhood on all levels. The couple recently hosted their own little “investor meeting,” what Beta Communities calls a Cohort. It’s a weekend immersion experience with friends and neighbors that features a slate of guided conversations in sessions that center around the idea of imaging better communities and the individual’s power to affect change. Their most recent Cohort had a decidedly local, even walkable flavor, but two friends involved in community arts efforts in Wichita, Kansas, also travelled for the Cohort to learn more about what was happening in Omaha. Just like the area’s community gardens that will soon sprout with the promise of another leafy bounty, Eric explains that the couple’s work is equally organic. “That’s because a lot of our involvement comes through our work with the [Gifford Park] Neighborhood Association,” where Eric just completed two consecutive terms as president of the group. “Very few people in this neighborhood know what Beta is. They may never have even heard us use the word, and we’re okay with that.” The Gifford Park Neighborhood Association is one of the strongest and most active in the community, but even the most robust of programs face challenges, Eric says. The area is home to neighbors hailing from more than 20 nations. Income levels are all over the map. Many of the Purcell’s neighbors are learning English. “Maybe it’s getting kids to kick a soccer ball around,” Eric says in pointing across the street to Gifford Park’s used soccer nets donated by the city. “That’s one way to connect. Maybe it’s our Summer Tennis Program or the community gardens. That’s how it works.” You find a way to bring people together, he says, and good things start to happen. And that, these most non-traditional of missionaries believe, is the very essence of oikos. OMAG
March/April 2015
Always Local, Always Beautiful
Demolishing the Cost of Custom At Home With Anne Ginn Mid-Century Modern Our Favorite Chairs Getting Ready for Green Things to Do in
Your Garden Now
Hidden Treasures Behind-the-Scenes
Magic at Echo Systems omaha magazine • march/april 2015
65
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Expanded Content On Your Digital Device Watch videos, and view photo galleries of select editorial from OmahaHome magazine.
Page H30
1 Download the App Browse the Apple App Store or shop Google Play for the LayAR app.
2 Look for this icon You’ll see the ‘ar’ icon on pages with expanded content.
3 Scan the page Load the LayAR app on your digital device. Hold your phone/table over the entire page to load content. march/april • 2015 H3
Your Complete Design Specialist
March/April 2015 VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 2
EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR DAVID WILLIAMS MANAGING EDITOR ROBERT NELSON CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JENNIFER LITTON BECKI WIECHMAN
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Pink Shoe Cleaning Crew Residential & Commercial Cleaning Services
GRAPHIC DESIGNER RACHEL JOY CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AMOURA PRODUCTIONS KEITH BINDER
Comments? Send your thoughts to: david@omahamagazine.com
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march/april • 2015
OMAHA HOME MAGAZINE APPEARS AS ITS OWN MAGAZINE AND AS A SECTION WITHIN OMAHA MAGAZINE. TO VIEW THE FULL VERSION OF OMAHA MAGAZINE, OR TO SUBSCRIBE, GO TO OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM/SUBSCRIBE
OmahaHome: contents
march/april 2015
features
departments
H18 Hidden Treasures
In the new Echo Systems home store, much of the magic is behind the scenes.
H30 The Zen of Downsizing
Dropping a Different Kind of "Weight"
H7 Editor’s Letter H8 Architectural Styles The Mary Kimball House
H10 DIY
Demolishing the Cost of Custom
H12 gardening
Getting Ready for Green
H16 Sandy’s Makeover
For the Birds Magazine Rack
H24 Neighborhood Profile Gifford Park
H38 trending
Mid-Century Modern Chairs
H 40
Room
H 42
things we like
H 44
Transformations
Architectural Archeology Our Favorite Clocks Cooking Up a Classic
march/april • 2015 H5
Quality, Dependable Trash & Recycling Service March/April 2015 VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 2
ACCOUNTS PUBLISHER TODD LEMKE
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march/april • 2015
ACCOUNTANT JIM HEITZ DISTRIBUTION MANAGER MIKE BREWER FOR ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: 402.884.2000
All versions of OmahaHome 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: $12.95 for 6 issues (one year), $19.95 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. O W N E D A N D M A N A G E D B Y O M A H A M A G A Z I N E , LT D
OmahaHome: from the editor “I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden."
THANK YOU OMAHA for Voting Us Best Residential & Commercial Lawn Care
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CAN’T BELIEVE IT IS that time of
year again! It seems like only yesterday that I was putting the Christmas decorations away. Now it’s time for that vibrant, splashy array of indoor color to be replaced by its outdoor (and much more organic) counterpart as I head out into the garden. Here’s a jump-start idea for those of you who are ready to dare—prematurely or otherwise—to take matters into your own hands. Introduce some color on your porch or into your yard…and do it soon. Plant such cold-hardy annuals as pansies, violas, nemesia, dusty miller, snapdragons, or diascia. All are pretty hardy when it comes to withstanding colder weather and even a frost or two. Sure, there’s an element of risk here, but the brilliantly hued, spirit-lifting rewards are worth taking a chance. OmahaHome
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Knowledge... Compassion... Follow Through!
Sandy Besch-Matson Contributing Editor OmahaHome Sandy.besch@omahapublications.com
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march/april • 2015 H7
OmahaHome: architectural styles story by robert nelson • photography by bill sitzmann
The Mary Kimball House A Style All Its Own
Y
OU MAY NOT KNOW of Mary
Kimball, but if you’re an aficionado of historic Omaha, you know her son, Thomas Kimball, very well. The architect behind St. Cecelia Cathedral, the Burlington Station, and the famed structures of the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition, among so many others in Omaha, was a major figure in America’s architectural community for several decades before and after the turn of the last century. While Kimball is most known for commercial and civic structures, he also designed homes for well-to-do Omaha residents. Many of those have fallen victim to Omaha’s oftblind march of progress. A few remain. One, clearly built with loving attention to detail, still towers over St. Mary’s Avenue between 22nd and 23rd streets and is widely
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considered Kimball’s residential masterpiece. In the successful 1996 application to place the home on the National Registry of Historic Places, the home Kimball built for his mother and sister is broadly categorized as Dutch Colonial. Among myriad other details, the exterior boasts five parapets on the masonry box structure that help create a dramatic verticality—a hallmark of Kimball’s work. Inside, the 108-year-old house becomes more of a stylistic mash-up. Greek Revival details and clean, practical Arts and Crafts features (chosen mainly to foster ease-of-living for Kimball’s beloved mother and sister) are accented throughout with mahogany, quarter-sawn oak, and tiger maple woodwork. Even though the house has long been in disrepair as a multi-unit
apartment, the vast majority of original features remain. The bad news: The house is unoccupied and in need of a major renovation. Thankfully, respected Omaha sculptor John Labja, who purchased the house six years ago, has been working to restore the home with great attention to Kimball’s original plan. A recent tour of the home suggests that Labja’s plan to move into the house in “one or two years” may be optimistic, but, whenever the completion date, the results should be stunning. “This house is a masterpiece built by an amazing man out of love for his mother,” Labja says. “It deserves respect. Everything I’m doing here is intended to be very sensitive to the house and the vision.”
The house is a shamble of small projects in motion—restoration of exterior doors, returning long-carpeted floors to their original oak, stripping out everything in the kitchen or bathrooms that aren’t true to the period. Labja says he was thrilled to find many missing parts—tile, hinges, original fixtures— hidden away, forgotten, in basement recesses. In a year, or perhaps a few more, the Mary Kimball House should return to being one of Omaha’s most prized residential structures. “As I do this work, I’m trying to let the house tell me what it wants,” Labja says. “The work has to be timeless, like the house itself. When this is finished, I hope we’ve shown it the respect and attention to detail a structure like this deserves.” OmahaHome
march/april • 2015 H9
OmahaHome: d•i•y story by john gawley • photography by bill sitzmann
D
Demolishing the Cost of Custom EMOLITION. THREE LAYERS OF wall paper, the kind where
salmon isn’t only the color, but the pattern. Dust. Hang new mold-resistant drywall. Mud. Sand. Three more layers of mudding and sanding. More dust. We wanted to simplify, expand, and upgrade every inch of our dated single bathroom on the main floor of our MidCentury ranch home. And how could I get what I wanted on an artist’s budget? The answer; do it myself. The thing about being the creative director here at Omaha Magazine is that I’m always focused on the big picture and all the little
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things that make the bigger picture better. The simplistic design of my custom vanity was all in the details. After the dust settled, the real work began. In the initial sketches—next to dreamy drawings of furniture designs—I started the perspective drawings of a lessimposing vanity. The first design priority was to give the impression that the cabinets float in the space. Noted: raise the bottom. Second, we needed more walking space between the bathtub and the cabinet. Noted: make it thinner. Now we have the feeling of a wider bathroom. But what about the storage? Where are Trisha
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and I going to put all the towels and rubber duckys for baby Michael? Take the mass we trimmed off the bottom and front and transfer it to the top. Problem solved. What appears to be simple on the outside—clean lines, continuous wood-grain from drawer-to-drawer, and less-than-ornate draw pulls—is less than simple on the inside. No wall is straight. When the renderings for the floating vanity attach everything directly to the walls as a foundation—there are several 4-inch long screws throughout—I’ll simply quote my uncle Vaughn. “A good carpenter isn’t one who makes no mistakes—its one who knows how to cover them up.” Modern drawers in nearly all new-construction homes have beautiful, sophisticated, quiet, no slam, automatic closing drawer slides. That doesn’t work to well when your walls aren’t square. So neither do the hidden supports between drawers that hold the weight of a granite countertop. So we reverted back to the ‘50s. The drawers simply sit on custom pine rails instead of those fancy slides. And every drawer is usable, with the ones under the sink built in a ‘U’ shape around the plumbing. And about those drawer pulls. We ordered them online through a big, blue-box-Swedish home store. You know the one. We measured twice, drilled once. And drilled again. And again. The template for the width of the holes in the face of the solid-oak, single-piece, wood-faced drawers didn’t match that of the pull itself. Here we are with four holes where only two should be—in a piece of wood that was a quarter of the total budget of the vanity. So what did we do? We got creative. We covered up our mistake with a common 5-cent washer, the kind you’d use with nuts and bolts. You might call us crazy for setting out on this project without any idea how to build cabinets, and we probably were. But with a little (make that a lot) of thought, pencil and paper—and even more elbow grease—Trisha and I more than love our custom vanity, the one we built without the cost of custom. OmahaHome
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Omaha · Millard · Bellevue · Ralston · LaVista · Elkhorn · Gretna · Papillion · Carter Lake · Council Bluffs
march/april • 2015 H11
OmahaHome: gardening story by jennifer litton
Your Garden Glory Getting Ready for Green
M
OTHER NATURE IS WARMING things up
outside, which means it’s time to dig out those boots and gloves and get to work preparing your garden and outdoor living spaces for those heady, bountiful days to come. Don’t forget the sunscreen! OmahaHome
Indoor Prep Work
To kick-start your spring color, cut branches of forsythia, crabapple, and spirea to place in a bucket of cool water inside. Leave in a cool area of no more than 60 degrees until buds show color. Snip and display in your favorite vase for an instant, preseason pick-me-up. Grab some paper cups and your kids or nearest tiny relative and show them the wonder of starting seeds. Their eyes will delight in the wonder of the bursting of that first tiny sprout. Ideal veggies for home germination include basil, broccoli, brussel sprouts, chives, leeks, peppers, and tomatoes. Make your own seed-starting mix with a blend of equal parts perlite, vermiculite and peat. To neutralize the acidity of the peat, add ¼ teaspoon of lime to each gallon of the mix.
Clean up the Clutter
Around the third week of March, clean your lawn of any debris like rocks and sticks (or annoying blow-away garbage from your neighbors, as is all-too-often the case here in the big O). Prep the beds by removing winter mulch. Prune fruit trees, shrubs and ornamental trees before buds begin to break. Later, prune spring flowering shrubs as soon as they finish flowering.
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Early Spring Planting
Cool season veggies, like peas, onions, potatoes, artichokes, and some lettuces can be planted now. Just make sure not to work the soil when wet. Raspberries should also be planted in early spring as soon as the soil is dry and workable.
Survey the Scene
Check conifers and broadleaf evergreens for signs of winter injury. To control aphids, apply a soil drench treatment of imidacloprid on deciduous and evergreen trees. A March application will be effective against insects and will last all year.
Spread the Love, Garden-Style Share with your friends by dividing perennials before spring growth has begun. Who doesn’t love the gift of greenery?
Keep a Record
Pick out an adorable journal that expresses your inner gardening diva and keep a record of all of your gardening information. Make a list of each item you have planted in the garden, and create a schematic to remember where everything is. Make sure to include seed companies, plant name, variety, planting date, and harvest date. Maintain a record of how well each plant does during the growing season. If any variety is prone to disease, record what was used to treat the problem. You will thank yourself next gardening season for keeping these handy records at your fingertips.
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OmahaHome: gardening Thank you Berry Much
Give established strawberry plants a dose of fertilizer before new spring growth starts.
Revive Bulbs
Make Your Beds
Mama told you that if you make your bed you’ ll have a great day. Transfer that wisdom to your garden by picking out flats of your favorite bedding plants such as begonias, geraniums, lobelia, busy lizzie, petunias, rudbeckia, California poppy, antirrhinum, and cosmos.
Fixer-Upper
Check your deck and lawn furniture for needed repairs or re-painting to make sure that your outdoor living space is ready for all of that entertaining you resolve to do this year. Search for the perfect outdoor party treats on Pinterest. Bring on the guests!
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Soak any bulb-like plants that are starting to shrivel. Put them in water for a short time to allow for plumping. Weed out dead blossoms from spring-flowering bulbs. Discard any rotted bulbs among your dahlias, gladiolas, elephant ear, caladium, tuberous begonias, and cannas.
For the Birds
Birds will now start looking for places to nest, so set those birdhouses out and keep an eye out for your newest finefeathered friends to come calling.
Mid-Spring Mulching
Applying mulch now will cut down on your summer weeding time. The best mulches are compost and rotted wood chips. Buy only what you need. A yard of mulch will cover 300 square feet when spread an inch thick.
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march/april • 2015 H15
OmahaHome: sandy's makeover story by sandy besch-matson • photography by bill sitzmann
For the Birds Let your imagination take flight for this fun project.
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A
T FIRST GLANCE WHEN
encountered on one of my frequent thrifting adventures, this magazine rack was anything but eyecatching. As is the case with most of the rehab works shown in the past on this page, I had to use a little creativity to imagine this as anything but a worthless piece of trash. WHAT YOU’LL NEED
• Assortment of acrylic paints of your choosing • Sand paper • Foam paintbrushes • Stencils (unless you prefer to freehand the designs) • Spray gloss sealer INSTRUCTIONS
• Sanding the nooks and crannies of the spindled legs to a desired smoothness was probably the hardest and most timeconsuming segment of this project. • I then went with a '50s-era aqua hue to achieve the retro vibe I sought. Stencils, being the beautiful things that there are, allowed me to go further in the design motif than I would have in any freehand effort. • Fuschia, besides being a strong complementary hue, is here punctuated by hints of a darker green in rendering the stenciled bird and floral designs. • As a finishing touch, I then accented the finials and other top-most edges of the rack to give it one more element of “pop.” Don’t forget such little additions as they can go a long way in giving any piece a more refined, thoughtful theme. Top it off with a spray or three of gloss sealer. At the risk of being guilty of a little bragging, this fun, quick, and easy project exceeded all of my expectations. OmahaHome march/april • 2015 H17
OmahaHome: feature story by robert nelson • photography by bill sitzmann
Hidden Treasures In the new Echo Systems home store, much of the magic is behind the scenes.
T
HE QUARTER-MILLION-DOLLAR, 8,800-WATT STEINWAY
& Sons speaker system is very visible in the “Man Cave” section of the Echo Systems store because, well, guys still think 7-foot-tall speakers are cool to look at. Even the bank of 11 Steinway 800-watt amplifiers (with enough power for an outdoor heavymetal concert) is visible off to the side of the bar, which has two televisions in case, as Echo’s marketing coordinator Doug Dushan says, “you don’t want to crane your neck” to look over the $43,000 pool table to see the Man Cave’s big screen TV, which is maybe 20 feet from the even-bigger-screened TV over by the custom-built shuffle board. >
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OmahaHome: feature
< But the one-percenter excesses of the Cave aren’t really what the new Echo Systems store is about, says Dushan, a longtime home tech expert who also serves as the company’s senior sales consultant. Most of this complete luxury-home layout is filled with technology you don’t see. Think of the new Echo Systems space just north of 120th and L streets (previously occupied by the company’s lighting design store) as a permanent Street of Dreams home mashed up with a 21st-century House of Tomorrow. “You’re walking through a million-dollar home and that’s obvious. You have the beautiful light fixtures, you have the high-end art and sculpture,” Dushan says. “But we’re really focused on giving people the best technology in their home with minimal visual impact. We’re about technology, but in a house, the technology needs to be concealed technology.” Beyond the Man Cave, subtlety begins to rule. The spacious kitchen is tasteful luxury, but not really awe-inspiring (Full disclosure, though: the writer is a dude). But then Dushan starts pressing buttons on the barely-visible wall switch. One button pours H20
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bright LED light onto the counter areas for food preparation. Another button lowers the overhead lighting and raises floor and recess lighting for a dinner ambiance. Another push of a button and the lighting shifts to nighttime mode—just enough light on the floor to get you safely to a midnight snack. Mixed inconspicuously with the recessed lights above are two banks of speakers. Hidden behind another wall is a subwoofer big enough for car audio competitions. You can preset the myriad lights and speakers to any level and configuration you choose. In the dining room—so that there’s absolutely no sign of speakers—the sound equipment is installed behind the walls. Above the table, the ceiling is specially designed to transmit even higher-frequency sounds without visible tweeters. Push one button and the mirror above the fireplace turns into a 65-inch TV. If that’s too small a screen, you can push another button to lower a 110-inch motorized movie screen. Again, the projector itself is barely visible on the back wall of the room. >
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< In the bedroom, even an acrylic-oncanvas painting rolls up to expose a television. And then there’s the real movie room, a tri-leveled, 17-seat theater that, with walls of surround-sound speakers on both sides and a screen nearly the size of secondary theaters in a multiplex, makes for an experience “we believe is better than the experience you would get in a commercial theater,” Dushan says. Dushan queued up a scene from Need for Speed (Again, the writer is a dude). Remember the scene in which the Koenigsegg Agera R flips across the bridge at 200 mph? In this theater, it sounds like the supercar is hurtling right past your head. More tasteful films are probably pretty good in here, too.
Finally, you exit the faux-home through a room built to look like a patio. Here there’s a large opaque window that, sure, is actually a rear-projection screen for watching movies outside. The features, both hidden and obvious, are too numerous to mention. And honestly, a bit of envy-fatigue can start to set in after a while. Dushan says he’s aware that most of us won’t be able to take the store home. (He says he’s hoping he can build just a couple of the amenities into his own place). But, he argues, even if a customer thinks most of the amenities are crazy or out-of-reach, “they might see that one thing that really excites them.” “This place is a showcase of what’s possible in a home,” he says. “It’s a Street of Dreams home that isn’t going anywhere.” OmahaHome
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march/april • 2015 H23
OmahaHome: neighborhood profile story by david williams • photography by keith binder
Gifford Park One Neighbor at a Time
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U
NTIL THE RELATIVELY RECENT past, a rapid-
fire word association game played on the subject of “Gifford Park” would, for many, elicit the most meager of responses. Sure, blurting out “California Tacos” and “Shelterbelt Theatre” would tally points in this exercise, but other responses, even among the more intrepid of urban adventurers, would likely have included variations on the theme of “crack houses,” “prostitution,” and “buckets of 9-1-1 calls.” > march/april • 2015 H25
OmahaHome: neighborhood profile
< Like so many Midtown neighborhoods now being reclaimed by a pioneering and diverse group of new settlers, the once-neglected area is experiencing a dramatic rebirth. The renaissance of Gifford Park, longtime homeowner and community leader Chris Foster explains, had the most fundamental of beginnings. “The Gifford Park Neighborhood Association [organized in 1988] was founded on fear,” Foster says. “It was really about nothing more than survival. Our streets weren’t safe. Some very dedicated people built on and decided to try other things. They added simple things like an Easter egg hunt in the park. They started a newsletter. Today the fabric of the neighborhood is its community spirit. We care about this place and a tremendous number of volunteers pull together here in Gifford Park.” The children of the neighborhood, Foster says, best represent the focus of the association's efforts. “Young kids don’t see color,” Foster says. “They don’t see incomes. They just see people as people.” Volunteers of the neighborhood association offer a robust tennis program in the park, including free lessons with donated equipment. In the same once-quiet park whose silence was interrupted only by the very occasional thump-thump-clang of a pick-up game of hoops, kids swarm to the soccer events made possible by the donation of used nets. And at the community gardens, special sections are reserved for children so that a new generation can plant the seeds of change in the butterfly-strewn space that itself is a big part of the neighborhood’s metamorphosis. The garden was established in 2001 and has become a center of both social and agrarian activities for many in Gifford Park. The neighborhood is also home to the the Big Muddy, a collectively run urban farm whose goods often travel only a couple blocks to be sold at the Gifford Park Farmers Market during growing season. Raising chickens is also prevalent in the neighborhood located just north of the Mutual of Omaha campus. “Sometimes I think that our chicken population is approaching that of the people here," Foster quips. > H26
march/april • 2015
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Omaha Home: neighborhood profile
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< Neighborhood kids also learn and work at the Community Bike Project, a nonprofit that's many initiatives aim to provide transportation in a fun setting. One of its most popular offerings is the Youth Earn-a-Bike program. Through the course of six free classes, students receive instruction on bike maintenance, safety, and riding skills. At the end of their schooling, they take home a bike they fixed up in the process, including a lock and helmet, all at no charge. “Gifford Park is a great neighborhood with an amazing amount of community involvement,” says Charles Mitchell, the shop’s manager who happens to live right next door.” The people who have lived here a long time are really invested in this place, but now younger people and even the kids that we get to work with here in the shop all come together and connect in really authentic ways.” Decoding the impetus behind a neighborhood’s rise is often an exercise in assessing the “bones” of a community. Benson, for example, is hot-hot-hot in large part because of its collection of previously underused structures along Maple Street. It’s a place that practically screamed for the new and novel. The formula was deceivingly simple. Just add an eclectic mix of innovative, risk-taking entrepreneurs, stir in an uncanny sense for what it is that people seek, and…voila...instant and seemingly overnight revival. Gifford Park has few such assets in the way of infrastructure. A mere handful of storefront options are available for any aspiring businesslaunchers at the neighborhood’s small commercial epicenter, the intersection of 33rd and California streets. So what accounts for the symphony of nail guns and table saws throughout the neighborhood that will reach a crescendo once temperatures continue to rise? Here it is not about dollars invested. In Gifford Park, neighbors are building stronger communities one household at a time. OmahaHome
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march/april • 2015 H29
OmahaHome: at home with by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann
The Zen of Downsizing Dropping a Different Kind of “Weight”
A
NNE GINN’S EPIPHANY CAME when she was ankle-deep in a pile of leaves. “It came to me while I was raking,” says Ginn. “I was filling the last bag of leaves of the season and decided that it would also be the last bag of leaves of my life.” So Anne, whose husband, Bob, had passed away in 2012, sold her Lovelandarea home and packed her belongings. Well, some of them anyway. “One of the things that wasn’t negotiable were my art books,” she says. “We had hundreds of books…voracious readers…but I kept only my art books.” >
Scan the page with the LayAR app to view more phots of Anne Ginn'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.
march/april • 2015 H31
OmahaHome: at home with
< It’s no surprise that Ginn, who now lives at Riverfront Place, could not part with the source of such creative inspiration. Ginn was a co-owner of the now-closed String of Purls knitting shop. She is, of course, an accomplished knitter, but she is also an artist in her own right and is perhaps best known for her wildly imaginative pattern designs for sweaters, scarves, and accessories. Another grouping that would make the move with Ginn was her marble collection. The much-travelled Ginn, who also scours the globe in search of the most spectacular of scuba spots, amassed the collection one country at a time. “They are just little works of art in glass,” Ginn says. “Besides being things of great beauty, they are storytellers. Each one reminds H32
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BEST DEAL OF THE YEAR me of where I’ve been. They are almost like little sacred objects, all with a meaning and story of their own.” Joining the construction of Gallup’s headquarters and the National Parks Regional Headquarters, Riverfront Place was the residential keystone of the city’s first major NoDo riverfront development. The Phase 1 tower, where Anne rents her space from the unit’s owners, was completed in 2007 along with an adjoining block of 57 townhomes. Phase 2, completed in 2011, added a second tower and an additional 50 townhomes. Ginn’s end-cap condo offers floor-to-ceiling exposure to the East, South, and West. The three-fold orientation, she says, offers almost perfect symmetry. Ginn begins her day in the glow of a cobalt-blue sunrise on one side of >
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< her condo and, after the shortest of commutes, ends the day basking in the flame-red sunsets on the opposite side. Riverfront Place boasts some of the most dramatic sightlines of any downtown living space. Looming below is the towering Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, whose base is grounded by a plaza featuring a popular, get-your-feet-wet water feature. By June, the plaza will also have a removable stage and will increasingly become the home of evening concerts in the shadow of “The Bob,” Omaha’s signature structure. Her 9th floor perch happens to place her at eye-level with flocks of soaring Canada
geese. It’s also the perfect vantage point for taking in the breathtaking fireworks that light up the night sky during the holidays, the NCAA College World Series, and other special events. On the day of the interview, perfectly round orbs of ice swirled as they elbowed their way downstream in the river below. It was an ethereal, otherworldly sight, one not unlike a work of abstract art that had come to life. The mesmerizing ice dance mirrored images of the undulating, slow motion ballet performed by the jellyfish at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. “I worried that this [Riverfront Place] would be too remote,” says Ginn of the site
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that isn’t exactly downtown and isn’t exactly at the core NoDo. “But it turned out to be just the opposite. I’m not in the middle of anything, but I’m sort of in the middle of everything. Just look,” she says with a sweep of a hand in gesturing to the river, bridge, TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, CenturyLink Center Omaha, and the city’s skyline. Ginn’s move to condo living was something of an experiment for her. Now she says she’s considering buying a condo at Riverfront once her lease expires. “This has become the perfect place me,” she says. “Add to that all the amenities [indoor parking, concierge service, health clubs, > march/april • 2015 H35
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GOT CHAIRS? < access to miles of hiking trails on both sides of the river, and more] and I am just really enjoying life here.” Ginn is an avid disciple of Bikram yoga who teaches at Creighton University during the summer. She is also a spiritual director, one who has taken a decidedly Zen-like approach to downsizing. “Things—physical things, belongings, stuff—require care and maintenance,” she explains. “There is a weight to them, both physical and mental, that occupies and distracts the mind. The kind of weightiness I now seek is in other, more meaningful aspects of my life.” OmahaHome To view a gallery of additional images from this feature, scan page H30 with the LayAR app. For instructions on downloading the LayAR app, see page H3.
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OmahaHome: trending by robert nelson • photography by bill sitzmann • chairs provided by allens home
Sitting in Style Mid-Century Modern chairs couch beauty in simplicity.
T
HE FORM CAN GET a bad rap nowadays, thanks to its ubiquitous abuse by the
schlockiest of manufacturers. That $19 chair with the plastic frame and cheap metal legs at the big-box store is probably a rip-off of a design marvel from the mid-20th century. Just go with the old adage: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. All the imitations actually support the basic design principals of the movement, which were to create minimalist, comfortable forms that the common man could afford. But only the best reproductions of today meet the final two criteria: The furniture should be elegant in its simplicity, and, also, it should be built to last. Following are some of those finer takes on Mid-Century masterpieces we found at Allens Home. OmahaHome
Probably the most widely known of the Mid-Modern designers is Charles Eames. He designed the Organic Chair with Eero Saarinen for the Museum of Modern Art organic design competition. The Organic Chair won first prize in the 1941 event.
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The Papa Bear Chair is arguably the most enduring form from the famed designer Hans Wegner. Like most of these chairs, prices can range from a few hundred dollars for pieces inspired by the masters to several thousand for originals.
The molded plywood chair with cowhide upholstery, designed by Charles Eames in 1949, is a Mid-Century design classic. Eames spent many years experimenting with new processes for optimizing how three-dimensionally molded plywood could fit the contours of the body.
This armless Major Chair in leather and chrome from Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams has a sleek metal base and grid-tufted cushions. With generous proportions and a comfortably angled back, this piece is an updated version of the Barcelona chair.
The Danes love teakwood, and here is one of the most popular Danish-styled Mid-Century chair designs. The thin but supportive back is a hallmark of many Danish chairs.
This Buttercup Rocker is a version of the molded wood designs popular in that era. This chair, with its flowing lines in sturdy wood, shows why the designers of the time had such an appreciation for plywood.
The Orange Slice Chair (yes, this is a gray one) was designed in 1960 by Pierre Paulin, who summed up the design this way: "A chair should be more than simply functional. It should be friendly, fun, and colorful."
This design was inspired by the armchairs of Eero Saarinen, who brought his experience as a sculptor and architect into furniture design.
This recliner is inspired by the works of Milo Baughman, recognized as one of the originators of the California Modern movement. Baughman summed up the form-followsfunction mission of Mid-Century Modern design this way: “Furniture that is too obviously designed is very interesting,” he said, “but too often belongs only in museums.”
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OmahaHome: room story by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann
Architectural Archeology Layers of Wallpaper, Layers of History
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HEN IT COMES TO
gaining knowledge about a home’s heritage, the process of addition may sometimes come by way of subtraction. Some years ago we decided that the wallpaper in our home’s tiny upstairs powder room had to go. When we bought the 1946 house in the same year that The Big Chill was released, the colorful wall covering in this space was a still oh-so-smart Marimekko-style pattern. After looking at it for more than a couple decades, we (that would more accurately be as in my wife, Julie) decided that any hint of “smart” had long since evaporated.
Removing the wallpaper became an exercise in revealing the history of our home and the people who once lived there. The first occupants of our home were Jewish, just like so many of the original inhabitants up and down the block situated only a short walk from the then Beth Israel Synagogue. The name on the deed was a telltale sign, but the mezuzah guarding the front door (Hebrew verses from the Torah printed on a parchment housed in a decorative case) left no room for doubt as to the faith previously practiced in our home.
June 20, 2015 • 1–6p.m. • Free Admission Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park • Council Bluffs, Iowa The excavation effort exposed a collection of old-time decals, the kind that had to be moistened for application. The sticky little relics on a field of classic '50s paint (I call the hue Pink Cadillac) told us quite a lot about the family’s children and the arc of their formative years. I now know, for example, that they attended Central High School before at least one went on to Bradley University, whose culturally insensitive Indian caricature mascot shown here was, not surprisingly, ditched years ago. And did the Bradley-bound member of the household later pledge, as another decal suggests, to Sigma Delta Tau sorority? Vestiges of the family’s faith live on in three of the images. Both the Mo.V.F.T.Y. (which I have since learned stands for Missouri Valley Federation of Temple Youth) and the Conestoga wagon decals refer to B’nai B’rithsponsored youth groups. And the “Mother Chapter” Star of David insignia points to Aleph Zadik Aleph, a boys’ fraternity founded in Omaha in 1923. This one was the toughest to research. I was very close, it turned out, in guessing that the letters made up the moniker of a frat or sorority, but my online searching turned up zilch. It took a chat with Alan Potash of the Jewish Federation of Omaha to get me thinking Hebrew instead of Greek to unlock this puzzle. And as for the sole noggin’-scratcher; the Blackhawk decal? No clue. Funny thing is, the accompanying photograph is not an archival view. This is how the powder room looks to this very day, several years after our discovery. Against Julie’s gentle objections, I just can’t bring myself to destroy these hieroglyphic echoes of the past. That, after all, would be like erasing history. OmahaHome Does your home have an interesting story or an oddball room? Maybe a bomb shelter or a once-hidden space? Please tell me about it at david@omahamagazine.com using the subject line of Room.
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Pat i o Fu r n i t u re • G r i l l s & G r i l l Pa r t s • Fi re Pi t s • B a r s • o u td o o r K i tc h e n s march/april • 2015 H41
OmahaHome: things we like story by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann
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Tick…Tick…Tick… Our Favorite Clocks
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3. Kitsch Klassic The Kit-Cat Clock was introduced at the height of the Great Depression in 1932, a time when people had little to smile about. With its trademark wagging tail, oscillating eyes, and Cheshire grin, this kitsch klassic offered some much-needed levity…and still delivers an infectious smile over 80 years later. hayneedle.com • $49.99
T HAS BEEN SAID that time waits for no man,
and we, being of precious little patience, couldn’t wait to introduce you to some of our favorite timepieces. Check out this decidedly eclectic mix available from area merchants. OmahaHome
1. Mid-Century Classic George Nelson’s industrial designs put him at the vanguard of American Modernism. His famous Ball Clock, a timeless starburst pattern available in multiple colors, is just one of the reasons we’ ll forgive Nelson for also being behind another groundbreaking design—the Dilbert-esque office cubicle. Gadgeteer • $ 335
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2. Prairie Power Gustave Stickley was the preeminent proponent of the American Craftsman movement. Barbara Streisand once paid $ 363,000 for a Stickley sideboard (and that was in 1988 dollars), but you can appreciate the clean lines of this solid oak Prairie Style gem without breaking the bank. Allens Home • $280
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4. The Art of Time Salvador Dali’s trippy The Persistence of Memory presented a mind-bending landscape dotted with a trio of melting clocks. Inspired by the surrealist’s take on the illusory nature of time, this artsy clock is formed in a way that allows it to wilt away on it’s perch along any shelf edge. The Afternoon • $19.95
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5. Gee Wally, That’s Swell! Isn’t this the same clock that hung in June Cleaver’s kitchen back when TV offered a robust selection of three (Three!) channels in glorious black-and-white during the “I Like Ike” era of Leave It to Beaver? This fun piece from Kikkerland will add oomph to any playful kitchen, retro or otherwise. City Limits • $13.99
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6. Minimal Magic Created by Gideon Dagan for the Museum of Modern Art Collection, this minimalist design features a gravity-defying mechanism. A red ball effortlessly orbits the clock’s circumference, seemingly under its own power, in this mesmerizing example of magnetic magic. The Afternoon • $ 65
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8. Bavarian Beauty A cottage industry army of pieceworkers scattered across Bohemia contribute the intricately hand-carved individual elements that come together in this amazing example of German craftsmanship. A kinetically bombastic performance awaits each and every hour on the hour! Chimes & Times • $ 595
7. Pretty in Pink She may be known mostly for her vibrant, oh-so-chic handbags and other accessories, but take a look at this smart little bauble from Kate Spade. Perfect for a night table or dresser, an enamel surround in Spade’s signature pink accents the nickel-plated housing of this Lenox clock. Borsheims • $ 50
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OmahaHome: transformations story by becki wiechman • photography by amoura productions
MEET THE DESIGNER Becki Wiechman, ASID, LEEDAP Partner, Interior Design Group
Transformations is a regular feature of Omaha Home that spotlights a recent project by a local ASID interior designer. The copy and photos are provided by the designer. Homeowners’ names may be withheld for privacy. H44
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Cooking Up a Classic tasteful textures
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HILE WORKING WITH THE Sattar family on the
design of their new-construction home in Linden Estates built by Tom Meginnis of Quest Construction, it was evident that this home would be designed around the kitchen. It was essential to combine their gourmet-cooking lifestyle with a generous entertaining space, all while maintaining aesthetic decisions in the kitchen that cohesively complemented the surrounding living and entertaining areas of the home’s main living space. > march/april • 2015 H45
OmahaHome: transformations
Opulent is the only way to describe the dining room: silverleafparsons table, two oversized crystal chandeliers, mother-of-pearl wallcoveringand large damask side panels with crystal drapery hardware.
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< A double island allows for abundant food preparation, staging, and serving space. The Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances provide gourmet kitchen elements that are as handsome as they are utilitarian. The simple, slab-front cabinets have no visible hardware and are instead manipulated by motorized hinges for ease of opening. Waterfall granite edges set the front island apart from the prep island. The kitchen opens to both the informal dining area and the hearth room, where the graining patterns of the fireplace wall provide a unique aesthetic backdrop, not to mention functional hidden cabinets. >
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OmahaHome: transformations
< The bar area between the kitchen and dining room allows for a separate serving space, allowing guests to feel right at home throughout this dramatic space while the homeowners prepare and serve. The formal dining room includes a silver-leaf Parsons table highlighted by two oversized crystal chandeliers. The accent wall is finished in a mother-of-pearl wall covering, and large damask side panels with crystal drapery hardware finish the striking space. >
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Omaha Home: transformations
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< The living room features a wenge veneer and leather-paneled fireplace as its focal point. Four crystal chandeliers set within the coffered ceiling draw attention to the airy height of the space. The curved walls of the study are punctuated by faux-finished trim and grasscloth wall covering. Providing additional layers of texture and color are the study’s fireplace, which is surrounded by crema marfil marble tiles. The master bath includes a luxurious steam shower with multiple showerheads and a free-standing copper tub. Glass tile mosaics emphasize the floor and shower walls; the crystal chandelier and crystal cabinet knobs add ornamental elements to the room. The two-story master closet not only offers more than clothes storage, but accessories are highlighted in a boutique-style setting using mirrored and glass fronts with backlighting. A secondary washer/dryer unit along with a steam valet are tucked behind cabinet doors. This Quest Construction build was one of the eight featured homes in Build Omaha’s Home Inspiration Tour 2014. OmahaHome
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FEATURE
by leo adam biga illustration by william holland
Matinee Marriage
Omaha couple forges a union based on film and family
T
he metro’s small but robust
cinema community includes Film Streams and the Omaha Film Festival (see related story on page 42) along with several working industry professionals, among them Oscar-winning cinematographer Mauro Fiore (Avatar). He’s among three Academy Award recipients residing here. The others are editor Mike Hill (Apollo 13), and filmmaker Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendants). > Continued on page 127 omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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FEATURE
by robert nelson photography by bill sitzmann
Individual Rights
Federal Judge Joe Bataillon: Respect for the little guy.
T
he following anecdote
explains much about retiring federal judge Joe Bataillon, but, more importantly, it is perhaps the greatest Creighton basketball love story ever told. Bataillon left the U.S. Federal Courthouse early one spring day a few years ago to get home in time to watch Creighton play in an NCAA tournament game. When he opened the door to his back porch, he looked down and saw a small rectangular metal box. It was not his. There was no message on the box. Considering some of the killers he has sent to prison, there was good reason to fear it was a bomb. His conundrum: If he called the U.S. Marshal’s office, he knew he would be forced to leave his house. His brother, Douglas County District Court Judge Pete Bataillon, relates the rest of the story: > Continued on page 129 omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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FEATURE
From the Heart
Tunette Powell tells it like it is.
by leo adam biga photography by bill sitzmann
U
pon moving to Omaha in
2010, little suggested Tunette Powell would take the city by storm. She was weighted down by a heavy past and an uncertain future in a new city. But then this dynamo found her calling, and with it the vehicle to use her life to impact others as a motivational speaker, author, blogger, educator, and national commentator. All before age 29. None of it happened yet when she and her husband, Jason, came here from her native Texas for his U.S. Air Force service. She was a first-time mom expecting again. Separated from family and friends and having left her job at the San Antonio Express, the couple suffered financial woes. She also harbored that deep well of hurt. She didn’t know her next step. “Stripped of everything” and “feeling the most alone I ever felt in my life,” Powell says prayer led her on her current path. Tapping a lifelong expressive > Continued on page 130 omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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COVER FEATURE
Fighting the World’s Worst Diseases When patients with ebola flew into the heartland, the Nebraska Biocontainment Patient Care Unit activated for the first time. Local healthcare workers are now helping hospitals nationwide to prepare for the next generation of infectious diseases.
A
s the Ebola epidemic wors-
ened in West Africa last summer, a Nebraska nurse-turned-administrator wondered if Omaha might receive any patients. Shelly Schwedhelm wasn’t scared. She was ready. “We were watching what was happening in Africa and started to gear up,” she says, speaking from her office inside Nebraska Medicine’s labyrinthine hospital cluster in Midtown at 42nd and Dewey. Schwedhelm, 54, oversees the Medical Center’s biocontainment unit. She leads administrative, nursing, and logistical support for the unit’s 40-person staff of nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, and patient-care techs. Few biocontainment units exist in the > 122
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
by doug meigs photography by bill sitzmann
shelly schwedhelm
COVER FEATURE
Jean Bellinghausen
The biocontainment team backs departing Ebola patient Dr. Rick Sacra at his press conference.
< United States. The Med Center unit is especially rare, housing the nation’s largest hazardous patient capacity. It consists of five rooms and 10 beds, isolated behind security-card locked doors, and a decontamination room on the seventh floor of University Tower. Before Schwedhelm knew any Ebola patients might arrive, she made sure all safety protocols were in place. The unit’s self-contained air ventilation system and autoclave—a pressurized heat chamber used to sterilize large amounts of waste—operated without flaw. Ebola can cause uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea; any potential pathogens would be contained and decontaminated behind sealed doors. The unit opened with federal, university, and hospital funds made available in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks. The 2003 outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in Asia and Canada added impetus to local, state and federal coordination. It went online in March of 2005. “We’re centrally located,” Schwedhelm says, explaining the logic for an Omaha site 124
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in case of a national health emergency. “We’re about as close as you can get to being smack dab in the middle of the country.” March is the unit’s 10th anniversary. Schwedhelm has managed the operation for approximately eight years. She credits the establishment to Medical Director Dr. Phil Smith. Her career with Nebraska Medicine spans 33 years. She started working in the emergency room as a nurse, but she quickly transitioned into leadership positions. She has managed the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, operating room, and emergency room before assuming her current title, Executive Director of Emergency Preparedness. Schwedhelm first learned about Ebola during her nursing studies. At the time, Ebola was a virtual unknown, a mysterious killer that could wipe out entire villages. Even today there is no proven treatment or vaccine, though UNMC staff are working on some leads. In 1976, the viral hemorrhagic fever known as Ebola first emerged in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The virus took its name from a local river. In subsequent decades, rare and isolated outbreaks
Kendall Ryalls
persisted in central Africa due to human contact with contaminated primates, bushmeat, or bats. West Africa’s crisis started in Guinea, spreading unnoticed in early 2014. By spring, Ebola reached Sierra Leone and Liberia. Doctors Without Borders declared the epidemic “out of control” in June with a global tally of 528 cases and 337 deaths. The outbreak gained momentum fast. By Aug. 22, the disease struck 2,615 people with 1,427 deaths. In stark contrast, the world’s previous worst Ebola outbreak occurred in Uganda with 425 reported cases in 2001. By the year’s end, West Africa’s epidemic would surpass 20,000 cases and 7,800 deaths. The epidemic has continued into 2015. The World Health Organization reported on January 19 that 21,759 had fallen sick and 8,668 died from Ebola in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. African jungles where Ebola originated are a far cry from the rolling cornfields of northeast Nebraska, the land of Schwedhelm’s birth. She grew up on a dairy farm near Pender. Nursing has supplanted agriculture as her family’s occupation. Two of her sisters,
Credit: LEO A DALY
WASTE DISPOSAL NURSE STATION
AIRLOCK / SECURITY
PATIENT / SUPPLY ENTRANCE
PATIENT ROOMS
The Nebraska Biocontainment Patient Care Unit, the largest of its kind in the country, is a joint project between Nebraska Medicine, Nebraska Health and Human Services, and the University
LOCKER ROOM
of Nebraska Medical Center.
Some of its features include special air-
STAFF ENTRANCE / EXIT
handling systems to ensure that microorganisms do not spread beyond the patient rooms, a dunk tank for laboratory specimens, and a pass-through autoclave to help ensure
fig. 1 | nebraskathat biocontainment Patient care as designed hazardous infections areunit contained.
her husband, and her brother-in-law work Solution Details
Hepa-filtered, individual isolation units are
into overdrive. “We spent the next month available for safe transport and transfer of an PLANNING in nursing. details, enhancing our staff, ARCHITECTURE there are currently only four bPcus in thefine-tuning united states, infected patient to the E Nunit. GINEERING INTERIORS For the past decade, her biocontainment running through all the motions of testing with the largest being a five-room unit located at the team trained regularly for infectious disall those things that we had tested for so nebraska medical center. the unit is outfitted to appear ease scenarios ranging from novel strains of many years.” Ryalls changed from street clothes into much like that of a typicalsuch hospital withThe added influenza to coronaviruses as SARSward, or State Department began a rotation: special scrubs. She donned personal protecmeasures for theEast prevention nosocomial Emory infection. MERS (Middle RespiratoryofSyndrome), University Hospital in Atlanta, coltive equipment with the help of a colleague: smallpox, or potential biological warfare by laborating with CDC headquarters. The booties tied up to her knee, an isolation gown Unidirectional Staff terrorists. Ebola has beenThroughput on the unit’s list of National Institute of Health’s hospital in wrapped around her body from neck to knee, scenarioisdrills from the beginning. Bethesda, Maryland. Then came the Nebraska blue hood draped over head and neck, clear staffdisaster throughput unidirectional, with a dedicated But theleading hospital to hada not been tested with room Medicine’s turn. face shield, white respiratory mask, three entrance “clean” changing (see fig. 1). real-world activation. One near-activation Omaha’s first patient arrived on Sept. 5. Dr. layers of gloves, etc. Then she took her temchanging booths and pass-through lockers are provided for roughly six years ago turned out to be a false Rick Sacra had contracted Ebola in Liberia. perature. Ready to go. staff convenience and privacy (see fig. 2). the changing alarm, malaria. “The unit has sat idle from The 51-year-old doctor was working for the Sacra was non-communicative, very ill, room is only accessible from one direction, as there is no the standpoint of patients, but we’ve always Christian missionary group SIM. He flew severely dehydrated, depleted of electrolytes. door knob on “dirty” side. from Africa to Omaha. “We had been in touch remained in athe stateopposite of readiness,” she says. Gradually, he improved with a cocktail of Then in August 2014, she received the with our Emory colleagues, to gain insights experimental drugs and fig. a blood transfusionshower 3 | Pass-through phone call that confirmed her premonitions. on how they had dealt with their patient,” from a fellow doctor who had recovered from exiting pass-through lets staff A representative from the State Department says Schwedhelm, “but weWhen really didn’t knowthe unit, Ebola.a“You are with theshower patient one-on-one “shower out” into the exit room, which is adjacent to the was coming. He arrived, toured the facility, what to expect.” Text, e-mail and phone for hours and weeks at a time,” Ryalls says. entrance room to allow them access to the same passand asked questions about logistics, transalerts buzzed biocontainment staff wherever “You are with them so much. You don’t have throughthelockers opposite-side (see port, and protocol. Suddenly, the Nebraska they were. Kendall Ryalls received notice viathat with any otherdoors nursing job.”fig. 3). Medicine joined two East Coast hospitals on while traveling with her fiancé. A programmed When Sacra regained enough strength, a list of destinations for repatriated Americans robotic voice broke the news to the registered he used a stationary bikeof(toair-locked miniPatients and deliveries enter the unitexercise via a set with Ebola. “At that time it became very real nurse, “Biocontainment unit has activated. muscle atrophy)they in confinement. double doors at themize primary entrance. are sequenced to us,” Schwedhelm says. Preparations went Please call.” She rushed back to Omaha. and both cyclists.will > not such that a secondHe pair ofRyalls doorsare into theavid vestibule
Bio Containment Unit
operate until the first pairomaha hasmagazine • march/april 2015 closed (see fig. 4). a 125 key card system denies access to any unauthorized personnel.
COVER FEATURE
< The nurse would sit in the room, wearing full-body biohazard suit, encouraging Sacra’s effort on the bike or just chatting. Ryalls’ dark brown eyes were the only distinguishable features behind her mask and visor. Three weeks later, Ebola cleared from Sacra’s blood. He was released. Ryalls could finally shake Sacra’s hand without layers of gloves. He instantly recognized Ryalls “from my eyes,” she recalls with a laugh. “I’m now an official lifetime Huskers fan! Go Big Red!” he announced at a celebratory press conference. Sacra also reaffirmed dedication to his medical mission, planning a return to Liberia where he contracted the disease. Recovered Ebola patients are thought to have immunity. Spirits soared in Omaha. The same day Sacra was discharged, disaster struck Texas. A sick Liberian national named Thomas Eric Duncan reported to a Dallas hospital. Duncan had Ebola. He infected two nurses before dying on October 8. It was the first case of Ebola diagnosed on U.S. soil. “We felt like we were going really good, and then that happened. There were a lot
about her job in the hot zone. Before a scheduled meet-up, the friend left her one-year-old baby at home to be extra safe. Ryalls didn’t take it personally. “She was just being cautious. There are pretty scary numbers about the disease in the media.” But at the same time, Ryalls felt assured that strict protocol and safety gear would prevent possible contact with fluid. The virus can only spread via body fluid to mucus membrane contact. “I think the entire country has stepped up because of all this. Unfortunately for Dallas, they were first in having someone randomly come in, but because of them, I think the country is better prepared at all entry points,” Schwedhelm says. The next patient, Ashoka Mukpo, arrived in Omaha on October 6. He had contracted Ebola in Liberia. The 33-year-old cameraman for NBC tested Ebola-free 16 days later, adding another victory to the Med Center’s effort. The third patient, Dr. Martin Salia was gravely ill upon arrival. A false negative test in Sierra Leone had delayed his evacuation and treatment. He came off the airplane at Omaha Eppley on a ventilated isolation stretcher.
“We felt like we were going really good, and then that happened. There were a lot of questions from the outside, ‘Could that happen here in Omaha?’” -Shelly Schwedhelm
of questions from the outside, ‘Could that happen here in Omaha?’” says Schwedhelm. She felt “an almost overwhelming responsibility to make sure that every precaution was taken.” She questioned herself, “was every conceivable safety feature in place?” And her answer was always the same. “Yes. The staff was confident, and I was confident,” Schwedhelm says. After the Dallas story broke in national media, the staff started to feel pressure from the community. One biocontainment nurse’s daughter was disinvited from a birthday party. Another was excluded from a family Thanksgiving dinner. In contrast, others received letters applauding the hospital’s efforts and unconditional support from informed family members. Ryalls told a friend 126
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
Up until Salia’s arrival, respiratory therapist Jean Bellinghausen had been helping the biocontainment team with donning and doffing protective gear. Salia’s urgent medical condition necessitated a breathing tube, and Bellinghausen transitioned into the hot zone. The 44-year-old Salia died two days later on November 17. “Deeply saddened would be an understatement,” Bellinghausen says, recalling the mood of the biocontainment unit. “We all felt like it was a great privilege to care for him. In that small window of time he shared his life with us.” Biocontainment unit staff gathered to hold a memorial to honor the life of the U.S. immigrant who chose to serve his native Sierra Leone during a time of need. He was the chief medical officer and only surgeon at United
Methodist Kissy Hospital in Freetown. His wife and two children live in Maryland. After a lull, activation status resumed in the biocontainment unit. An anonymous medical worker in Sierra Leone had high-risk exposure to Ebola while caring for patients. The patient flew to Omaha for monitoring and requested privacy. No signs of Ebola showed after 21 days in isolation. The patient departed Omaha on January 22. “Situations are getting better in West Africa all the time: better supplies, better support services, and better control of the environment,” says Schwedhelm. “We have a lot of military support there, but there is still a raging epidemic that we need to control.” While she suspects more Ebola patients could arrive in Omaha, the center is also leading U.S. hospitals to prepare for potential infectious disease outbreaks on American soil. Schwedhelm’s team has hosted four training courses in collaboration with the CDC in late 2014 and early 2015. Medical professionals and administrators traveled to Omaha from nearly 40 health systems nationwide. She says the CDC hopes to establish between 35 and 50 hazardous disease centers across the United States. “We really weren’t ready, as a country, and that’s frightening,” she says. “If you have a novel virus, then we need more than three places that could care for patients and do it safely.” Time magazine recognized “The Ebola Fighters” as the 2014 Person of the Year. Likewise, the Omaha World-Herald recognized Nebraska Medicine’s Ebola team as “Midlanders of the Year,” an honor reserved in past years for such luminaries as Husker legend Tom Osborne and then-U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel. Schwedhelm and her nurses—though humbled and honored by the distinction—are quick to deflect praise. “Those real heroes and ‘People of the Year’ are on the front lines fighting every day with limited supplies, working in dire circumstances,” she says. Ebola continues to spread in West Africa. People continue to die. Doctors continue to risk their lives to squash the outbreak. Schwedhelm and Nebraska Medicine will continue doing everything they can to aid the effort until the goal is accomplished. OMAG
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Continued from page 117 < Fiore’s most recent director of photography feature work came on The Equalizer in Boston. The projected 2015 release reunited him with Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington from Training Day. But Fiore, originally from Italy, isn’t the only film pro in his own household. His wife Christine Vollmer Fiore, a native Nebraskan, is a costume designer now developing a feature adaptation of The Persian Pickle Club. Mauro’s slated to light it. The couple actually met in 1997 on an independent picture largely shot in Nebraska, Love from Ground Zero. At the time each lived in L.A., traveling wherever projects called them. Christine finds it “ironic” the film that brought their itinerant lives together happened in her home state. They settled here after marrying. He regularly goes off to do commercials and features. They are the parents of three children— Olivia, Tessa and Luca. The Fiores view the state as a healthy grounding from the hustle, bustle and hype of L.A., where they also have a home. “We knew we didn’t want to raise kids in L.A.,” Christine says. “It’s kind of nice to be here and have blinders on and not be affected by what’s out there.” It’s a stable sanctuary they can count on. “It’s nice to have a firm place and not really worry about Christine when I’m gone because her family’s here,’ Mauro says. “I feel really safe there’s somebody here to support her. I’ve come to really appreciate it because when I’m here it’s all about the family and helping Christine any way I can.” During his absences Christine runs a tight ship. “I’m very schedule and routineoriented,” she says. She purposely doesn’t make a big deal of his departures. “It’s kind of no-nonsense, no-tear because it’d be too tough emotionally. It’s like, ‘Dad’s leaving but he’s going to come back and now I need help around the house from all of you.’ Then when Mauro comes back home we still have the same routine. Dinner’s at 5:30. I think it makes it easy for Mauro to kind of slide back in.” That normal, laidback lifestyle is what appeals to the Fiores. “Omaha is manageable,” Christine says. “It’s easy to go to the airport and to the zoo...” “It’s easy, it’s familiar,” Mauro adds. “We’ve found several friends around the community of schools the kids attend.” > omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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feature mauro fiore
< They enjoy, too, how much more house they can afford here. They lived in Hawaiian Village before moving into their present home over a year ago. The ranch-style in Elkhorn sits on a six-acre lot with a view. “We really love the property,” Mauro says. “It has a piece of land that stretches out to the river. You don’t really find that too much anymore.” They appreciate the open floor plan, banks of tall windows and homey features. He says, “It’s just the uniqueness of the place and the fact we can really grow into this and make it our home.” “It’s not like a builder’s model home,” Christine says. “It’s different, it has personality.” They’re now updating the downstairs to accommodate a craft room for the sewing Christine and the kids do. In her spare time she wears her producer hat trying to get Persian Pickle Club financed. Setting up a film is a new experience for them. “It’s been a great learning process to see the inner workings because I never really knew what it took. I’m never on that side of it,” he says. He admires how “Christine’s done it all from here—figuring out ways to push it along.” They’re admittedly anxious to start production because making films is what they know best. Mauro eagerly shares his expertise. He photographed an Omaha Film Festival promo. He’s served as a panelist-presenter at OFF and Film Streams. The couple supports the opera, the symphony, KANEKO and other local arts-cultural offerings they find on par with anywhere. The family often visits his far-flung movie locations. His Hollywood colleagues are surprised he lives far afield from film industry centers. “They find it very odd,” he says. “But with Alexander Payne, Nebraska also sort of has a mystique. They appreciate it’s a different way of living, more old fashioned or traditional.” OMAG
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FEATURE
judge joe bataillon
Continued from page 119 < “So Joe just goes inside and watches the game and only calls when the game is over to see if that’s actually a bomb on his porch,” Pete says. “The marshals come, make him leave, blow the thing up, and realize it’s an outdoor utensil set. A few weeks earlier he had presided over a wedding and the people dropped by with a present. They probably should have left a note.” “The marshals were not at all happy that he put his life at risk for a basketball game,” his brother says. So Joe Bataillon, graduate of Nebraska City Lourdes High School and Creighton Law School, is a big Bluejays fan. Got it. (He actually was the equipment manager for the basketball team in college. “We were lowbudget back then. The guys had to really blow out their [Converse] Chuck Taylors before I could give them new ones.”). But there’s more there. After 17 years on the highest bench in Nebraska, ruling on everything from misdemeanors on tribal lands to brutal murders involving drug kingpins to the constitutionality of Nebraska laws, he is obviously a man courageous and seasoned enough to be walking calm in a world in which some very bad people might prefer him dead. And despite the gravity of his rulings on a massive number of cases (Judges of Nebraska’s federal district court have the eighth-highest caseload out of the nation’s 94 federal districts.), he’s still known in eastern Nebraska for giving up his limited free time to preside over wedding ceremonies. Retired U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey, who advocated for Bataillon’s nomination process in the mid-1990s, after Bataillon’s distinguished career with the county and in private practice, offers insight: “Joe is a terrific federal judge—he has been a very strong protector of individual rights,” Kerrey says. “He’s just a special guy.” “And unlike me,” Kerrey jokes(?), “he’s extremely likable to boot.” Be that as it may, Bataillon’s defining characteristic, his brother agrees, is that paramount concern for the rights of individuals when they are squared off against the government and the majority. Bataillon says he would be thrilled if that is, in fact, his legacy. “You can never lose sight of the fact that these are real people and that you’re impacting their lives profoundly,” he says. “You have a duty to everyone who you’re going to impact to work your hardest to see the whole picture.”
You can never lose sight of the fact that these are real people and that you’re impacting their lives profoundly.” -Joe Bataillon Bataillon was raised in an environment sated in the concept of social justice. Amid his parent’s constant involvement in their community, his father founded and led Nebraska City’s volunteer rescue squad, a sometimes grisly and difficult effort to more quickly get life-saving help to people in crisis. “Caring for those less fortunate” is a foundational ideal of a Jesuit education, he adds. “It’s just an idea that’s always been there.” For one, throughout his career, Bataillon has been a key figure in building treatment and job programs for people trying to right and rebuild their lives after convictions. Bataillon’s most controversial decision came nine years ago, when, in Citizens for Equal Protection v. Bruning, he ruled unconstitutional Nebraska’s voter-approved amendment to the state constitution that read “only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Nebraska.” His ruling for individual rights was overturned by a higher court, but his groundbreaking arguments can be heard in debates on the issue elsewhere in the country. Bataillon still is impacting the argument over gay marriage. In late January, he ruled not to delay a lawsuit challenging Nebraska’s gay marriage ban while the U.S. Supreme Court considers the issue on the national level. Amid a slew of major decisions, one other case stands out. It got Bataillon a lot of snickering press reports, but the
fundamentals of the ruling speak to his own fundamental beliefs. In 2013, Bataillon ruled that the Nebraska State Patrol needed to return more than $1 million confiscated from a woman in a traffic stop in 2012. The cops suspected it was drug money. Bataillon believed the evidence suggested the woman’s story was true. In fact, Tara Mishra, 33, had been saving the money—perhaps a dollar at a time—over 15 years working as a stripper. Mishra was driving from California to New Jersey with her life savings to buy a nightclub. She wanted a new life, and her story checked out. ““The government failed to show a substantial connection between drugs and the money,” Bataillon wrote in his opinion. “He understands the government has a tremendous amount of power,” Kerrey says. “It can be unpopular to make some of the rulings he has made, but when individual rights are being abridged, Joe has been there to provide the balance.” While Bataillon retired from “active service” in the fall, he will continue in a semiretired role as a senior federal judge. He’ll continue his very active role in national federal judiciary issues. What is quickly becoming clear is that there won’t be much retiring in his “retirement.” “I’m not finished with this work by any means,” he says. OMAG
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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Continued from page 121 < flair, she studied speech communication at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, for whom she became an award-winning forensics competitor. The speech that won her a national oratory title argued against the criminalization of addiction by using her addict father, with whom she’s mended her relationship, as a case study. Their personal story of healing and transformation became her first book, The Other Woman. The book made her an in-demand inspirational speaker. For her 2013 TEDxOmaha talk she described how, though her father was in and out of prison, “he still had a huge positive influence on my life,” adding, “Three times in my life he was the person that kept me going with words of wisdom. I wanted people to really take the message that no matter what negative situations we’ve been through, there’s a lesson.” She now mentors TEDx speakers and other presenters. She’s expanding her own speaking base as she finds her messages resonate widely. “I’ve learned not to put myself in a box. I’m finding I have something to offer people from all sectors. It doesn’t matter how wealthy you are or how poor you are or what you have and don’t have. At the core of it we’re motivated by and get inspired by many of the same things.” Public speaking for her is more than a gig. “Every time I get up on stage it’s talking to the kid in me, telling that little girl, ‘You’ve got it, you can keep going.’ It’s a piece of healing for me. I put a lot into it. Every time I leave that stage there’s nothing else left. I just release everything.” Her appearance on an Oprah show about fatherless daughters led her to write her second book, From Daddyless to Destiny. “In every chapter are exercises that feed into this same idea that you have to tell your story, let it go and create a new story,” she says. “When a father’s in a healthy spot and a daughter’s in a healthy place, all they need is a little remediation and a lot of forgiveness.” She and her mother formed The Truth Heals to target fatherless girls and women with a curriculum-based, therapist-designed program. She works with clients at the Urban League of Nebraska, Omaha North High, Girls Inc. Omaha Street School, and Youth Emergency Services. Her Momaha blog is another forum. Posts she wrote about her two young boys’
tunette powell
suspension from preschool (she’s now expecting a third child), the disproportionate number of black male preschoolers suspended nationwide, and the preschool-to-prison pipeline caught CNN’s attention. “They had been looking for a champion to talk about the issue,” says Powell, who did a guest appearance on CNN Tonight. Then The Washington Post saw the CNN segment and asked me to write something. And that’s when it all blew up.” The story went viral. Media contacted her for interviews. She became a sought-after expert. Parents sounded her out for answers. “Many parents with students who are having these issues have reached out to me to ask, ‘What can we do?’ But it’s not a quick fix.” She says parents must do as she does and participate in their child’s school to give themselves a voice in being part of the change. “We can’t complain about the way things are if we’re not willing to do the work.” CNN’s since made her a go-to panelist to discuss trending stories. She addressed Michael Brown’s killing and the Ferguson (Mo.) protests in a televised town hall. Most recently, she co-led a social media push seeking the resignation of Pat McPherson, the Nebraska State Board of Education member whose blog, the Objective Conservative, was discovered to host multiple posts (McPherson claimed that they were authored not by him but by a co-contributor) dating back to 2011 that used the slur “half breed” in reference to President Barack Obama. Much has come at her in a short time. “It’s been good and crazy. A lot of love, some hate. I had a lot of people wishing death on me and prison on my children.” Powell, who also coordinates the Metro Omaha Tobacco Action Coalition, is happy to have arrived at the spot she’s in. “I feel like I’m in the right space right now and I’ve gotten so much confirmation that all I have to keep on doing is just tell my story.” She’s spurned the big-time speakers circuit rather than let national agents promote her as something she’s not. Remaining authentic is paramount to her. “It’s important I stay very true to who I am,” she says. “I have to remember where I started. I never sought this—it found me. I want to stay true to the mission and purpose that, even though I speak for a fee, there is ministry behind it.” OMAG
Brothers & Sisters Omaha North
March/April
•
2015
High Principal Gene Haynes
A Joyful Noise
Sacred Heart’s Freedom Choir
Ann Hoff & the Knit Peeps
You Know You’ve Lived in Omaha a Long Time If…
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Celebrating The Silent Generation
O
NE OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS in this issue
uses a term that reminds me of just one of the many ways we select stories for 60PLUS. “The Silent Generation” is the label given to folks born from the early 1920s through the mid-1940s. This group was relatively smallish in numbers because the birthrate slowed during the tough times of The Great Depression. The earliestborn of this generation were the men who fought World War II while their Rosie the Riveter wives went to work in factories, held scrap metal drives, and planted victory gardens in support of the war effort. Because America’s priorities at the time were on big, weighty issues of rebuilding an economy in the throes of yet another war, it is no surprise that conformity with social norms was encouraged. The flip side was that “The Silents” were ambitious. They strived to achieve. They prized hard work, and they did it employing a no-nonsense, get-it-done ethic. I am proud to be a member of The Silent Generation, and we’re equally proud to bring you some of their stories on the pages that follow.
Contents
volume 3 • issue 1 Feature A Joyful Noise Sacred Heart’s Freedom Choir___ S5 Hobbies Ann Hoff The Knit Peeps_____________ S7 History Krug Park_________________ S9 Cover Feature
Until next issue!
Gwen Gwen Lemke Contributing Editor, 60PLUS In Omaha
Omaha North High Principal Gene Haynes________S11 Health Organ Donation _____________S16 Humor You Know You’ve Lived in Omaha a Long Time If…___________ S18 Faces Woodworker Joe Privitera______ S20 The Grandpa Chronicles Canine Calamity___________ S22 march/april • 2015
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60PLUS feature by leo adam biga •
photography by bill sitzmann
A Joyful Noise Sacred Heart’s Freedom Choir
E
LECTRIC. ECLECTIC. INSPIRED. ALL of those descriptors apply to
Sacred Heart Catholic Church’s Freedom Choir. Home for this contemporary gospel choir is a Late Gothic Revival-style house of worship at 22nd and Binney streets in a poor, largely African-American, northeast Omaha neighborhood. But the choir, like the congregation, is mostly white, the members driving in from outside the community. >
Freedom Choir director Jim Boggess march/april • 2015
60PLUS S5
60PLUS feature < The popular 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass features the high-energy choir’s joyful noise. The group also performs at the parish festival, community concerts, weddings, and funerals. In 1997 the choir traveled to the Vatican to perform at St. Peter’s Basilica. Its up-tempo, full-throated, Baptist-style flavor, complete with swaying singers and musicians, makes for vibrant praise and worship rooted in radical hospitality and standup-and-raise-your-arms spirituality. Far from your mother’s staid Catholic service, this is Vatican II reform given full license to bust out in song, embrace, even dance. Though seemingly freeform, it’s the careful design of former pastor Jim Scholz, who sought to shake up an aging membership. Drawing from urban, gospel music-rich liturgies, and with a nod to the Blues Brothers, Scholz hired Mary Kay Mueller to birth the choir in all its from-the-gut expressiveness. That’s when the 10:30 Mass took on a lively, high-pitched fervor. As word spread, people packed the pews. They’re still flocking there decades later. Father Tom Fangman and Jim Boggess replaced Scholz and Mueller, respectively, to carry on this big, brassy, yet solemn celebration. “When people first come it’s to hear the choir,” Fangman says. “Then when they come they experience it’s not just the choir, it’s the whole community. We really are big on making people feel a part of it and welcome.” “There’s a sense of inclusion in our particular faith community that keeps me coming back,” adds Boggess, whose regular gig is as the Omaha Community Playhouse music director. He knows top-flight talent and has plenty of it in the choir. Percussionist Michael Fitzsimmons is a Nebraska Arts Council touring artist. Soloist Natalie Thomas is lead vocalist with the cover band Envy. Fellow soloist Moira Mangiameli is a veteran theater actress-director. Both Mangiameli and Boggess have written hymns for the choir. Many members have been doing this for years, which make for tight harmonies and tighter personal bonds. “Over the years, those people have gotten to be some of my best friends,” Boggess says. “They’ve been there for me in good times and in horrible times. I think whatever almighty spirit there be led me here for a reason, and the reason was I needed to have those people in my life. I’m so much richer spiritually S6 60PLUS
march/april • 2015
and as a person and as a musician for having known them.” “It’s a family,” says choir president Sarah Ruma, who goes back 30 years with the group. “We have our regular family and then we have our church family, and that’s basically what Sacred Heart and our choir is. Some of us have kind of grown up together. We started in our late 20s and early 30s. Now we’re into our 50s and 60s. “Unfortunately, we’ve buried choir members. That’s been hard. We sing together, we smile and laugh together, and we cry together.” Mangiameli adds that she recruited her sister, Eileen, to the choir. Like other devotees there, Mangiameli was a disaffected churchgoer who got swept up in the spirit. “People get up and they clap and they rock out. It happens every Sunday. People are really happy to be here. There’s an incredibly positive and heartfelt vibe that happens every Sunday, and it extends to the choir, too.” “I have been moved ever since my first Sunday here 16 years ago,” Fangman says. “I am moved every single week. I can’t wait for the 10:30 Mass.” “If you can carry a tune, that’s fine,” says Boggess, “but you don’t have to have a great voice. I’ve got some people with magnificent voices, but passion counts more than anything else. It’s supposed to be a gospel choir and that implies a certain freedom. That’s what I give them.” “What really sets us apart is the musicians that play with us,” Mangiameli says. “They are just some of the best musicians anywhere around and they really inspire us as singers.” Fitzsimmons says it’s the whole package. “The directors, choir, and instrumentalists continually amaze and inspire me by their high quality presentation and soulful musicianship.” He says the experience of the Mass is very much interactive with the music. “The very best thing that happens is when you feel the energy coming from the congregation,” Mangiameli says. “When we’re in the middle of singing something and then all of a sudden they’re on their feet, you know you touched them and made a difference.” Sometimes, when the congregation’s really feeling it, Boggess has the choir stop and listen to the collective voices. “You get goose bumps,” Mangiameli says. “There’s nothing like it. “It’s the best part of my week.”
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60PLUS hobbies by jennifer litton
•
photography by bill sitzmann
Girl Time With the “The Knit Peeps” Anne Hoff’s passion for yarn mixes with a gift for gab
W
HILE THEY MAY SE E
it as just a hobby, a group of local women knitters are busy creating the heirlooms of tomorrow. “The Knit Peeps” as they refer to themselves, is a group that meets weekly on Monday mornings at the Wooly Mammoth Yarn Shop. Ann Hoff, a founding member of the group, says “We’ve been together a long time. And we add more people all of the time. Sometimes people drop out for various reasons and we just keep inviting more people.” Before they settled in their current > march/april • 2015
60PLUS S7
60PLUS hobbies < cocoon-like environment nestled in among all of the colorful yarn at the Wooly Mammoth, the group was a bit of a roving bunch. Sometimes they would meet over latte’s at Scooters or knit after lunch at Le Quartier. But now, the group benefits from the helpful staff on-hand, and it doesn’t hurt to have every knitting tool imaginable available at just an arm’s length away..y. “It’s a wonderful group,” says Jeanne Noyes, co-owner of the Wooly Mammoth. “It’s a community. It brings a really diverse group of people together whose paths might not have crossed had they not had that common interest. It’s very female-centric. The conversations examine the broad aspect of female concerns and issues from sisterhood to motherhood. It’s also about family and nurturing creativity.” The women strengthen connections to loved ones in their life through the medium of yarn, all while making memories along the way. Hoff’s five-year-old grandson visited the group a few times when school was out. He picked up a new hobby while there—the new fad of easy-as-pie “arm knitting” where your arms are the needles. (Seriously, the coolest thing. YouTube it.) He made two scarves, which he gifted to family members. Another member, Nancy Knight, is making a soft-pink-hued lap blanket for her mother who lives in a nursing home. “It’s my connection with my mother, says Knight. “She feels it. It’s very hands-on. It’s soft and it’s bumpy. For older people, touch is so important. Each time I visit her, I show her the progress. We are making our blanket together. It’s kind of a ministry.” Barbara Anderson is another member who is focusing on healing through her projects. She is knitting a prayer shawl to give as a gift to someone who is under the weather. “A prayer shawl is a shawl that you can put around you. Supposedly you have your prayers on them and so you’re covering the person with your thoughts and love,” Anderson says. Even if the ladies are never knitting for themselves, they do get something out of their meetings—that common bond that comes with simply being part of a group. “It’s been fabulous to be able to meet new people,” Knight adds. “I think as you get older and sometimes you’ve been working all of your life, it’s hard to get back into the community and get connected. I needed some girl time.” S8 60PLUS
march/april • 2015
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60PLUS history by judy horan
Krug Park Gallagher Park in Benson was once an amazing amusement park.
K
RUG PARK WAS THE place
to be in early 20th century Omaha. The always-hopping amusement park lasted through a World War, the Great Depression, and Prohibition. There was nothing like it. The park had a modest start in 1895 when German immigrant George Tietz bought land near what is now 52nd and Maple streets to create Tietz Park. He installed a beer garden and dance hall before later adding a bowling alley. When Tietz died in 1903, the land went to brewery owner Frederick Krug of the Frederick Krug Brewing Co., who held the mortgage. Like Tietz, he was a German immigrant. Krug added rides, a tunnel of love, and ice cream parlor to the beer garden. He advertised the newly named Krug Park as “Omaha’s Polite Resort.” > march/april • 2015
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60PLUS history < Over the years, a 72-horse merry-goround, a penny arcade, picnic grounds, swimming pool, wave machine, and dance pavilion were added. A human cannonball, aerialists and horses diving into tanks also drew Omaha citizens, as did Sunday night balloon ascensions. In 1908, a Methodist minister called “the fighting parson” led the Anti-Saloon League to challenge Krug Park’s beer permit and won. The park and its beer garden were closed until reopening in 1913. Prohibition began in 1920. The beer garden closed, but the amusement park kept on swinging. Couples paid five cents a dance at the dance pavilion. On May 12, 1922, an ad for Krug Park’s dance pavilion in the weekly newspaper The Mediator promised “no jazz music,” but instead “Just the best music of the better kind.” Ten West India monkeys arrived to live in the park’s monkey house. Ads promoted performances by the popular Union Pacific Band. Krug Park was “the home of picnics,” bragged another ad. Sweltering citizens gathered at the shady park and splashed in the large swimming pool to escape the heat. But the crowds dwindled after July 24, 1930, when four riders on the “Big Dipper” roller coaster were killed and 17 injured as the ride plunged 35 feet to the ground. At the time, it was called the worst roller coaster accident in the nation. During the Depression, couples entered marathon dances at Krug Park hoping to win prizes. A 4,000-seat arena added in 1932 hosted wrestling and boxing matches. The park closed in 1940. Neighbors concerned about the site near downtown Benson later petitioned the city to make it a public park. A fund drive led by the Omaha WorldHerald in 1945 raised $30,000 to purchase the land and turn it into Gallagher Park, named after Mrs. Paul Gallagher, who fought to retain the land as a park. The city park opened in 1955. A swimming pool and ball fields were added. Krug Avenue in South Omaha was named for the original park’s namesake, Frederick Krug. Founded in 1859, his brewery sat in South Omaha at 29th and Vinton Streets. Fittingly for a brewer who owned a beer garden, the word “krug” in German translates to ‘stein’ in English. S10 60PLUS
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60PLUS cover feature by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann
Brother & Sisters Omaha North High Principal Gene Haynes
M
EETING GENE HAYNES IN a crowded breakfast place
turned out to be a bit of a mistake. After all, the gregarious North High School principal had to begin his morning by making the rounds, chatting it up with table after table of familiar faces. > continued on page S14
Principal Gene Haynes march/april • 2015
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march/april • 2015
continued from page S11 < The onset of the interview was further delayed when, during the usual introductory niceties, the 47-year veteran of the Omaha Public Schools system queried, “Brother Williams, we already know each other… but from where?” The writer’s daughter, you see, had gone to North for her senior year. That was a distant 15 years ago. Out of the many thousands of students and parents that Haynes had encountered over that span of time, he could still instantly make out the face of a parent who a decade-and-a-half ago had been a North High Viking for one brief term, the equivalent of a cup of coffee. “It brightens my day whenever I can reconnect with a parent of a former student and athlete [the writer’s daughter was a swimmer],” the former athletic director says. “These kinds of connections are what make being an educator in Omaha Public Schools such a great reward. And they’re also the kind of connections that make Omaha such a great city.” Haynes, who began his career at the long-defunct Tech High School in 1967, was enshrined in the Omaha Public Schools Hall of Fame in September. Adding to his recent honors, the stretch of 36th Street abutting North High has been renamed Gene R. Haynes Street. He was raised in the Mississippi of the Deep South at the advent of the Civil Rights Movement. “I vividly remember Emmett Till’s body being found in the Tallahatchie River,” Haynes says of the 14-year-old African-American teen who was brutally tortured and murdered by whites in 1955 after reportedly flirting with a young white woman. “Later, when an attempt was made to integrate the University of Mississippi, I remember seeing federal marshals on every corner as our school bus passed by. Those were troubled times, but—and this may seem strange—it made me a better person. I was blessed to have had great teachers, the kind that were called ‘Negro’ at the time. They saw and understood the world around us. They taught that you had to do more with less. They taught that you had to persevere. They stressed that the only way up was through education.” He and his wife, Annie, a retired OPS teacher, became college sweethearts when
they met at Rust College, a historically black institution in Holly Springs, Miss. Mirroring his parent’s pattern, son Jerel, now 38 and working as a producer in Los Angeles, courted the Hayne’s future daughterin-law, Erin, now herself an educator, when the pair attended North when Haynes was vice-principal. He and Annie have two young grandchildren, Kaleb (6) and Jacob (almost 3). The couple recently celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary. Haynes has been at North since 1987, but his reach also extends broadly across the community through his work with the Urban League of Nebraska, the NAACP, the ButlerGast YMCA, and numerous other organizations. He and Annie worship at Salem Baptist Church. “This has been my life,” Haynes says of his service to students, parents, faith, and the community. “Being an educator, by definition, means that you must also be involved in the community. You can’t see what’s going on inside a school if you don’t what’s happening outside of it. Educators who can’t do that, who can’t see a community’s dynamics at a high level, are the ones who struggle—the ones destined to be short-termers.” And what is this most youthful-looking of 70-year-old’s timeline for retirement? “I figure I still have at least of couple good years left in me,” Haynes says with his everpresent smile. “My philosophy at school, in the community, in sports, anything in life, has always been to give 110 percent. I’ll know it’ll be time to go when I can only give, say, 109 percent.” The interview had continued in fits and starts as Haynes occasionally paused to greet or bid adieu to others in the coffee shop, addressing one and all as “Sister” or “Brother” so-and-so. It’s the same style he uses with students in the halls of North High School, where the use of the “Brother” or “Sister” appellation preceding a last name suggests a union of the familiar and the formal. “It recognizes their identity,” Haynes says. “It recognizes that they matter, that they are a person who deserves and is worthy of your respect. Besides, last names are a whole lot easier to remember after almost a half century in education.”
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60PLUS health by Susan Meyers
The Ultimate Gift You are Never Too Old for Organ Donation
W
HEN KAREN AND ALLEN Harn checked
the box on their driver’s license to become organ donors many years ago, it was more of an abstract idea, one they never dreamed would actually come to fruition. It was less than a year ago that Karen found herself sitting in an intensive care unit beside her husband’s bed. The day before, 71-yearold Allen had become ill and vomited. Some of the vomit aspirated into his lungs. Unable to breathe, Allen passed out. Karen called 911, but by the time help arrived and he was resuscitated, it was too late. Doctors later determined that Allen was brain-dead. Karen later decided to follow through with Allen’s wishes to donate his organs. “Allen was such a giver,” she says. “I knew this is what he would want.” Allen’s liver was donated to a 40-year-old nurse, saving her life. “It was the perfect match,” says Karen. “One giving person to another giving person. I still get very emotional when I think of Allen. But knowing that he helped someone else is such a positive way to remember him.” Currently, there are approximately 124,000 people on the waiting list for an organ and about 21 people will die each day waiting S16 60PLUS
march/april • 2015
for an organ. “There is a very real need for people to register to become organ donors,” says Tom Neal, public relations coordinator for Nebraska Organ Recovery System. “One organ donor has the potential to save eight lives and a tissue donor can improve as many as 60 lives and enhance the eyesight of two.” In Nebraska alone, there are approximately 500 people waiting for an organ to become available. But only about 53 percent of the eligible population of Nebraska has registered to become a donor. “Sadly, one of the myths about organ donation is that people think they are too old to donate but that simply is not the case,” says Neal. “There is no age limit. If a person is otherwise healthy, many of their organs could still be viable for an organ donation. A couple of years ago, a 92-year-old man in Texas saved the lives of two people by donating his organs.”
The need for organ donors has been rising significantly over the years. The reason? The number of people who are eligible for organ transplantation has been steadily rising due to advances in organ transplantation. Organ donors from ethnic minorities are in even greater need. Minorities including African-Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and Hispanics are more likely than whites to have certain chronic conditions that affect the kidney, heart, lung, pancreas, and liver. Although organs are not matched according to race/ ethnicity, and people of different races frequently match one another, ethnic minority populations tend to have certain blood types which must be matched for transplantation. Therefore, the potential for minority donors to help many people is even higher. Becoming a donor is fairly easy. When you register to renew your driver’s license,
simply check the box that asks if you’d like to be a donor. You can also log onto www.nedonation.org to register. One of the biggest obstacles to organ donation is a lack of understanding of what it means to donate an organ. Neal uncovers some of those myths. Myth: If I register to become an organ donor, my doctors won’t work as hard to save my life. Truth: Patients are being cared for by nontransplant medical professionals. In addition, there are very strict criteria that must be followed before a person can be declared dead. Myth: An open-casket funeral isn’t an option for people who have donated. Truth: What is done when someone donates their organs is no different than what is done when performing an autopsy. Once they are clothed, you cannot tell the difference.
Myth: I’m too young to make that decision. Truth: Your parents can authorize this decision. Families should consider having discussions about organ donation during school age. Myth: I’m not in good enough health to donate my organs. Truth: Very few medical conditions disqualify you from donating your organs. It may be determined that certain organs are not suitable for transplantation, but other tissues and organs may be fine. Myth: Organ donation is against my religious beliefs. Truth: Most religions support organ donation, including Catholics, Protestants, Islam, and most branches of Judaism. If you are unsure, the federal website, OrganDonor.gov provides religious views on organ donation and transplantation by denomination.
Myth: My family will be charged additional costs if I donate my organs. Truth: The organ donor and family are never charged for donating organs. Those costs are passed on to the transplant recipient. “Talk to your family and friends so that they know what your final wishes are and make a logical decision today so that your loved ones don’t have to make an emotional decision at the worst possible time,” says Neal. “Leave a legacy and live on through your donation.”
march/april • 2015
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60PLUS humor by judy horan
Nostalgia: Ain’t What it Used to Be You Know You’ve Lived In Omaha a Long Time If You Remember When…
march/april • 2015
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The Road Home
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Peony Park was where you danced indoors in the Royal Terrace Ballroom and under the stars in the Royal Grove. Remember meeting the amusement park’s mascot, Peony the Skunk? (Some people called her “Stinky.”) Or playing Dodgem? Or KOIL Radio’s dance party in the Royal Grove? Or splashing in the Peony Park swimming pool? You have been around at least 50 years if you remember never seeing women on the Omaha City Council. Betty Abbott blazed the way in 1965. Of course, Omaha finally has its first woman mayor. And it only took 160 years after the city’s founding.
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Your first escalator ride was at the downtown Brandeis store on what was the city’s first escalator.
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Come to think of it, you remember when there was an actual Brandeis store, a place where shopping became a social event.
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Younkers’ stores were called Kilpatrick’s.
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Your “health club” was a YWCA or YMCA.
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And the YWCA was actually called the YWCA, not the Women’s Center for Advancement.
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Best Da’s octors® BIG GIV E Omah a’s 2013
Horses, not college students, were housed in the Ak-Sar-Ben area. The college students are only slightly less messy than the horses were.
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Ak-Sar-Ben horse racing was a live video game you played before there were video games.
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Warren Buffett was yet to make his first billion. Remember when you could afford to buy a share of Berkshire Hathaway?
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Leading hert a Man’s in World Jim Flow Weath ers ers
The idea of “Omaha” extended only about as far as 90th Street. Today, that’s more like midtown.
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The Henry Doorly Zoo was called Riverview Park. There was a lone, forlorn bear and two moose.
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The sprawling University of Nebraska-Omaha was then the smaller University of Omaha, called disparagingly by some “West Dodge High.”
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Remember when Elkhorn was a city? Oh, wait…that wasn’t so very long ago!
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march/april • 2015
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60PLUS faces by jason kuiper •
photography by bill sitzmann
Old-School Craftsmanship Italian woodworker Joe Privitera is a master of a dying art
T
HESE ARE THINGS THAT happen in
Scan the page with the LayAR app to view a video of Joe Privitera.
the working life of 78-year-old woodcraftsman Joe Privitera: Someone is missing chairs that match their 17th Century table, can Joe make new chairs? Done. There is this beautiful dining room table in Chicago but the darned thing is too big for this Omaha family’s dining room. Can Joe make a smaller, replica table? Well, just to be sure, the family sent Joe to Chicago for a look. Then he made a dead ringer of a knock-off.
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Joe Privitera
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Joe Privitera is old-school—oh heck, he’s old world—a master craftsman who began learning how to make wood bend, shape, and shine inside his father’s Sicily workshop starting when he was 13. He learned the craft under his father’s watch and later worked in Geneva, Switzerland, before coming to Omaha four decades ago. Privitera’s shop, Italian Craftsman, at 4510 Leavenworth, hides in a nondescript building. The interior is just what you’d expect—the rich smell of wood and sawdust, all types and shapes of wood scattered asunder. Pinned to the walls are photos of friends and grandchildren alongside sketches of tables or chairs that Privitera has created. Of course there are some machines, but not that many; just a few of the necessities. “I need very little of the machines,” he says while pulling one of many pencils from his apron with a thick hand—white and dusty from the morning’s work. “My father, he was top of the line, he had tools and machines too, but not too many.” The apple didn’t fall far. Privitera’s skills are renowned. His clients include some of Omaha’s most prominent families. And his services aren’t cheap. The table he was sent to Chicago to replicate cost $18,000. “I’ve seen furniture he’s made that would blow your mind,” says Dr. Mike O’Neil, an orthopedic surgeon and friend. “He is a dear guy and a real craftsman, this is a lost art.” O’Neil sought out Privitera about 20 years ago after the doctor started making furniture as a hobby. O’Neil says he made three nestle tables out of cherry wood and needed
help finishing them. He’s been a fixture at Privitera’s shop ever since. The two meet every Tuesday at neighboring La Casa (who’s owners are Privtera’s cousins) to share a pizza. O’Neil says Privitera, who talks with a thick Italian accent and often sings opera while he works, is also extremely generous with his knowledge. “He has taught me everything I know, he’s been my mentor,” O’Neil says. Privitera says people aren’t as particular about their furniture any more. It makes him sad there isn’t as much pride in passing down beautiful pieces through the generations. But he’ll still fix and build those pieces that are a little more special. “Sometimes they have to just trust me, I’m the first one that has to be happy with the job. If I’m unhappy, you, the customer, will be unhappy,” he says. And later, when talking about wood’s fickleness: “Wood is not like metal, wood talks back,” he says. He has no plans on slowing down. He has too many customers who need his expertise, like the friend who complained that his table kept tipping over on him because he put both elbows on the table’s edge when digging into his meal. “You know, us men, we really get in there,” he says. So he helped his friend by redoing the base and making it much heavier. Problem solved. These are the things that come up in Joe Privitera’s working day. To view a video of Joe Privitera, scan page S20 with the LayAR app. Instructions on downloading the free app are to the right. march/april • 2015
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Page S20 1 Download the App Browse the Apple App Store or shop Google Play for the LayAR app.
2 Look for this icon You’ll see the ‘ar’ icon on pages with expanded content.
3 Scan the page Load the LayAR app on your digital device. Hold your phone/table over the entire page to load content.
60PLUS the grandpa chronicles by david williams
Canine Calamity A Plan to Fake it Until I Make It
S22 60PLUS
march/april • 2015
I
NEVER HAD A PET as a child.
Okay, so I did at the age of 9 or so have an ill-fated and short-lived guardianship of a turtle whose name I’ve long forgotten, but I’ve never been a pet person. My mother abhorred the idea of anything furry dwelling in her home, and I was pretty much fine with that. The feeling carried over into adulthood, and my three now-grown children probably felt super-lucky just to have had the brief company of a single pet, a (clean and non-slobbering) feline named Scribbles. Viral videos portraying cats and dogs doing whatever it is that cats and dogs do have never appeared on any of my playlists. And to be frank, people who describe their little quadruped cuties as their “children”…well, kinda creep me out. I have no innate aversion to cats, even though I take them to be whiskered sociopaths of evil intent, but I have never been at all comfortable around dogs of any make or model. Before the hate mail begins, please allow me at least a shot at redemption. My grandsons Barrett and Easton are growing up in a home where the company of canines is prized. Their col lie, Summer, recently
ascended to that great dog pound in the sky and, after an appropriate period of mourning, has been replaced by a border collie pup carrying an equally seasonal name of Winter. It’s an understatement to say that I never hit it off with Summer. Perhaps it didn’t help that she stained our Oriental rug as a pup not 10 seconds into her very first visit to our home. My son, Eric, entered with Summer while explaining that all would be well in that the creature was doing a smash-up job when it came to taking care of business, but it was too late. The little thing bounded (Is that what dogs do? They “bound?”) directly to the rug, lifted one leg, and…you know the rest. I have promised to be different with Winter. My kids already know that I am neurotic, but I don’t want Easton and Barrett to grow up thinking that their granddad is some kind of loathsome monster. I am going to do my best to get to know Winter and not be such a basket case. Not surprisingly, my first encounter with Winter was, shall we say, trying. “He’s just young and excitable,” I was told as the dog tried to climb up my leg. Yeah, tell that to my now urine-stained shoes (suede, no less) and newish sweater scarred by Winter’s talons or toes or paws or whatever it is they’re called. But it is with a certain sense of self-satisfaction that I can report that I kept my cool. Now, the notion of “cool” is subjective. My immediate, knee-jerk reaction was, admittedly, to jerk my knee in revulsion, but I collected myself as quickly as possible and tried my best to not make an international incident of the affair. I really need to up my game in being the grandpa that I hope to be, but boy, do I have my work cut out for me.
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Metro: 402.498.3444 West: 402.932.4555
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11840 Nicholas St Suite 210,Omaha, NE 68154 402-498-0400
EJ Militti, Jr.,Financial Advisor The Militti Group at Morgan Stanley
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march/april • 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
by david williams photography by laurie and charles photographs
STYLE SHOT
Sarah Tvrdik Hello Holiday! Hello Spring!
D
esigner, retailer, and
all-around fashion maven Sarah Tvrdik is known for curating the most compelling emerging artists in unique design collections that have propelled the success of Hello Holiday, the Dundee boutique and on-line site she co-founded with Megan Hunt, aka Princess Lasertron. Now it’s her turn to step in front of a camera in showing this fun, vibrant, spring-forward ensemble. OMAG To view a video of Sarah Tvrdik, scan page 155 with the LayAR app. For instructions on downloading the free app, see page 17. Dress: Hello Holiday Jubilee Dress. Coat: Vintage '50s-era estate sale find. Shoes: Kate Spade.
Scan the page with the LayAR app to view a video of Sarah Tvrdik. omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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SPORTS
I
f you have boys, and if you and those
boys love baseball, and if those boys were cursed enough to be right-handed, you likely would have a hard time not daydreaming on what-ifs while watching Pat Venditte throw a bullpen using his left hand. Left-handed pitchers are gold in baseball. (While 10 percent of people are left-handed, 22 percent of pro pitchers are lefties). They make the team even if their fastball can’t break stemware. Pat Venditte was born a right-hander like most of us. But his dad, Pat Sr., followed through on that grand scheme that other dads of righties invariably abandon: When Pat junior was 3, Pat Sr. senior had him throw with both hands when they played catch, kick a football with both feet, and eat with both hands at dinner. In time, he was a genuine switch-pitcher, able to pitch from whichever hand gave him the biggest advantage over the hitter. “It was an experiment,” says his father as he watches Pat throw 156
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
at Creighton’s Kitty Gaughan Pavilion. “But it wouldn’t have gone anywhere without Pat’s persistence. Any success is all his.” So now, 25 years later, thanks to both rare nature and persistent nurture, Pat stands on this mound in Creighton’s baseball facility on the verge of the major leagues. He throws from three different arms slots from the left side and three more from his right like some six-armed Hindu deity. “I don’t overpower people,” Venditte says after his south-paw two-seam fastball draws a faint pop from the catcher’s mitt. “But I get people out. I’ve done that consistently all my career. If I keep getting people out, I should get my shot.” For baseball fans in Omaha, especially Creighton fans, the Venditte story is pretty well known. He walked on at Creighton after a “nothing special” career at Central High School, struggled early, then had a breakout season in 2007. He held opposing batters to a .185 batting average, the fourth best in the
nation. Still, scouts treated him as little more than an oddity. He was picked in the 40th round that year. After his 2008 season, scouts took him more seriously. He went in the 20th round to the New York Yankees. Still, he was the 620th pick that year. Do the math. His chances of reaching the majors were considered slim. Thanks to his custom-made ambidextrous glove, Venditte switches hands depending on the batter he faces. Early in his career, he met a switch hitter who switched sides every time Venditte switched to his opposite hand. There is now the “Pat Venditte Rule” [8.01(f)] that says he must declare which hand he’ll use and stick with it. He has a ruled named after him. That’s how rare he is. Besides an injury that upended his 2013 season, Venditte put up call-up worthy numbers thoughout his minor league career (an impressive 2.46 ERA as a reliever in 384.2 innings). But even with those numbers, even
by robert nelson photography by bill sitzmann
The Perfect Game
A MONEY BALL mindset may finally let the rarest pitcher in baseball reach the majors.
pat venditte at creighton's rasmussen center
though he is a fan-favorite who always draws onlookers when he warms up in the bullpen, the Yankees never gave him a shot. Near the end of last season, with the Yankees out of contention and Venditte yet again getting batters out, fans and some baseball writers were clamoring for him to get a chance. Once again, he didn’t. He wasn’t bitter, he says. Just disappointed—again. “I saw the amazing guys around me, I had an idea of what the organization’s plans were, I knew it wasn’t going to happen,” he says. “I’ve had a lot of things go right in my life. A lot of things. But sometimes it’s just not your day. This time it didn’t quite happen.” Which brings us to the news in the Pat Venditte story. In the fall, Venditte was signed by the Oakland A’s. If you’ve seen Money Ball, you know why Venditte calls his signing “the perfect fit for me.” The A’s management is famous for looking
deep inside statistics to find under-valued, under-appreciated players. They embrace the unconventional. If you get guys out, you’ll get a shot. Venditte feels he has a real opportunity to play for manager Bob Melvin. “Honestly, I’ll probably end up in AAA (in Nashville) coming out of spring training,” Venditte says. “But if I show them I can be consistent—do the job I know I can do—I really think I’ll be given a shot. It’s a great opportunity.” Many in the baseball world agree. Dave Rawnsley, national director of scouting for the scouting service, Perfect Game, says the A’s are the best organization in baseball for Venditte’s skillset. “The A’s think outside the box and do creative things with their MLB roster,” he says. “With that is his great story. I think the Yankees made a mistake not giving Venditte a cup of coffee last fall once they were out of it. He's such a great story. The positive publicity they could have gotten from that would
have been a plus with all the bad stuff going on there. You can't measure that in dollars.” If Venditte finally reaches his dream this year, it is likely he will become a national story. Television cameras and fans will gravitate toward him. He will be star. And then, no doubt, dad’s eager to give their boys an edge in the sport will start their own Venditte family program. But, honestly, both father and son suggested boys and their fathers not get their hopes up too much. Rawnsley, who has tracked a nation of ballplayers for more than two decades, also says dads should temper their hopes. “There are switch hitters, sure. But it’s so much more complicated to throw a ball than hit a ball. Dads wanting it to happen won’t impact the fact it’s extremely rare. “That’s why Venditte is close to unique,” he says. “That’s why he’s such a great story.” OMAG omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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DINING FEATURE
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
by sarah wengert photography by bill sitzmann
King of the Road
T
Sapp Bros. Truck Centers still reign supreme on American motorways.
here are many reasons a person
might pop in at Sapp Bros. Travel Center’s Apple Barrel restaurant over a Saturday noon hour. Crosswinds, after all, blow in almost any direction. A pair of overall-clad old-timers with wives in tow. A young couple in matching camo attire. Doting grandparents dining with their favorite 5-year-old. Local mechanics on lunch break. A freshly scrubbed and combed 40-something trucker, devouring content on his smartphone as ravenously as his dish. A pair of Southern female truckers, convening their convoy-of-two for a respite of hamburger steak and chit-chat. “I know why 94 was closed back there,” one trucker proudly says, almost conspiratorially, to another in a deep Southern accent. Grey wisps overflow her Georgia Bulldogs ball cap. A pen and tire gauge sit abreast, clipped to the pocket of her blue t-shirt. Waitress Crystal flits from table to table, cheerily taking orders and topping off coffee; never seeming rushed, but totally on top of everything. The aesthetic is carefully curated retro, with vintage pics of the Sapp brothers
and other family hung alongside classic gas pump globes. This location, opened in 1971, was the first of a now 16-strong collection of Sapp Bros. Travel Centers stretching from Pennsylvania to Utah. From our cozy booth, an interior window perfectly frames a huge blanket on the wall, one adorned with a black bear, turkey, and deer. The buck stares in through a single pane from the convenience store—which offers much more than its urban counterparts. In addition to the usual grab bag of snacks and sodas, the Travel Center at I-80 mile marker 440 stocks all the trappings of an auto parts store, plus sunglasses, hats, neck pillows, audio books, mattresses, Harley gear, naughty mudflap gals, maps galore, and, as anywhere in the region, abundant Husker paraphernalia. An “As Seen on TV” store beckons from across an adjoining Subway shop. Need a quick haircut? How about a new tat? This place is a city unto itself and also boasts a chapel, TV lounge, service station, showers, game room, laundromat, and more. Back at the Apple Barrel, my companion orders a perfectly cooked Whiskey Steak &
Eggs with hashbrowns and toast (subbing for sold-out homemade banana bread), while I conquer the King of the Road Chicken Fried Steak Skillet with two scrambled eggs and a biscuit. Dashes of hot sauce, salt, and pepper elevate it to quintessential diner fare done just right. The open road itself is as iconically American as eateries like this, representing generations of journeys, but also the promise of where we’ll go next. A vast atlas comes alive with movement, inspiring possibility and enabling independence; each interstate a throbbing vein, each back road a supportive capillary. Sapp Bros., with its colossal, iconic coffeepot water tower is a prairie oasis for many wayfarers. Its cadence acts as the beating heart of Americana, nestled right here in the heartland. Full of coffee and comfort, we exchange goodbyes with Crystal. Folks continue moving throughout the roadside retreat, some arriving on 18 wheels, some on merely four, but all finding proper fuel for their rigs and for themselves. OMAG
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
CHEF PROFILE
by leo adam biga photography by bill sitzmann
Chef Jason Hughes Setting a Bold Course at Happy Hollow Country Club
S
ince assuming the executive
chef position at Happy Hollow Country Club in 2013 Jason Hughes has emerged as one of the city's new culinary stars, introducing a strong farm-totable regimen there. > omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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June 20, 2015 • 1–6p.m. • Free Admission Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park • Council Bluffs, Iowa 162
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
friedfoodfest.com
CHEF PROFILE
chef jason hughes
< Not only has his cuisine earned raves from club members, but last year he won the Completely KIDS-sponsored Pinot, Pigs & Poets chef competition for his dish, “Heads or Tails.” The prize-winning meal featured braised pork cheek and pig tail croquette, house-cured bacon and oregonzola bread pudding, charred brussels sprout leaves with dried fruits and macron almonds, pickled watermelon rind and tart cherry mustard natural jus. His entry represented the same locally vended approach he takes at the club. “I use a lot of local products,” he says. “I try to find out where things are raised. It helps to know where your food came from. I think it makes it taste better when there’s a story behind it or you’re helping out a small farmer and making a difference in their lives by supporting what they do” He's developed relationships with local purveyors, sourcing everything from organic produce to poultry, pork, beef, cheese, and other dairy items. He takes advantage, too, of a chef ’s garden on a dedicated patch of land next to the club’s golf course. He didn't always do food this way. The Nashville, Tenn., native got his earliest cooking chops watching his mother prepare Southern comfort meals for his large family (he’s one of eight siblings). By the age of 15 he was already working in the only industry he’s ever known. Hughes rose up the kitchen ranks to become a trainer for Outback Steakhouse, opening several franchise sites in the mid-1990s. He attended Western Kentucky University, where he met his wife, Brandi (the couple have two boys), and they moved to Colorado, where his training went to the next level. He graduated cum laude from the prestigious culinary program at Johnson & Wales University. Then he learned under a series of top Colorado chefs, including Scott Coulter. “He kind of opened my eyes that food can be a lot different than just your standard corporation steakhouse or restaurant. That you can have an identity and be creative and do whatever you want to do with food. That there are no boundaries.” Hughes has occupied the private country club arena since the mid-2000s. He credits executive chef John York at the five-star Belle Mead Country Club in his hometown Nashville as his main influence. “He kind of brought me to the level I’m at today. He made it a point to tell me there’s no
reason I can’t be doing what he’s doing, and he gave me the private club chef headhunter that brought me to Omaha.” Getting the Happy Hollow job required Hughes to impress a search committee in the interview process and a Food Network-style blind cook-off that saw him prepare a gourmet meal for several folks on a tight deadline. He worked his magic with the ingredients provided, including cedar smoked pork tenderloin. He made a five-onion bisque with smoked walleye and pike and grilled corn. He also did a beat carpaccio salad with cherries and smoked blue cheese. His dazzling fare and Southern charm won over the committee and he’s been winning over members ever since. “Jason’s impact has been astonishing,” says Happy Hollow general manager Jim Williamsen, who admires Hughes’ passion. “He’s elevated our culinary program and the culture of our club. This is just not what he does for a living, it’s clearly what he loves to do. He is a special talent.” Hughes enjoys being in a niche where his abilities are appreciated. “What I like about country clubs,” he says, “is you don't have to be roped into one kind of cuisine. We have over 1,200 members here and there's such a diversity of tastes and dislikes that we do different kinds of cuisines instead of just focused in on one.” He recently returned from France and Spain with new recipes inspired by those national cuisines.
The “blase” stigma once attached to country club cuisine is no more. “There’s some people putting it out there in country clubs that could compete with anybody in any city,” he says. Hughes likes being in competitions to showcase his wares and “just to show that country clubs can cook, too.” He not only enjoys competing with fellow Omaha chefs like Clayton Chapman and Paul Kulik, but engaging them as peers. He finds the chef “camaraderie” here unique. “Everybody’s really down-to-earth and wants everybody to do well,” Hughes adds. “It's not like they're afraid to show you something or tell you about a product they're getting. Everybody seems really friendly and wide-open here compared to any other cities I’ve been. It’s just a cool scene as far as the chefs go in Omaha. It’s really neat.” Hughes also loves having a budget that allows him to hire the best staff—“I have a great team here”—and to fly in fresh seafood, for example, nearly every day from Maine, Florida, and Hawaii. His team extends to wife, Brandi, without whose support and sacrifice, he says, “I would not be where I am today.” They love the outdoors and have their sons help in the garden. After a year-plus in Omaha, Hughes is sure he's found the right fit for him and his family with the vibrant culinary-culture scene, the warm people, and the great schools. “This place grows on you, for sure,” he says. “It's a great city.” OMAG omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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RESTAURANT REVIEW
Brother Sebastian’s Steak House & Winery
Like their steaks and potables, this place only gets better with age.
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by mystery reviewer photography by bill sitzmann
I
t’s no small feat for a restaurant to
be successful for so much as a decade. Statistically speaking, very few make it that long. It’s even more unusual for a restaurant to make it for multiple decades. Brother Sebastian’s is quickly closing in on four decades as one of the top restaurants in Omaha, which puts them in a very elite
category. It is a generally accepted fact that to survive that long restaurants have to completely reinvent themselves every seven to 10 years to stay relevant. Brother Sebastian's brings that point to question since very little about the restaurant has changed since they opened in 1978. This makes me think that if you get it right in the beginning there is no >
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165
DINING REVIEW
< need to reinvent yourself. This place instead just relentlessly focuses on doing everything right every day. It seems to have worked for Brother Sebastian’s. To test this theory I recently visited Brother Sebastian’s for dinner. As I walked up to the front door while being serenaded by a choir of monks singing ancient hymns, I was quickly reminded of the many great
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brother sebastian’s steak house & winery
experiences that I have had there over the years. It truly is a beautiful restaurant and designed to look like a rustic French abby that has many different cozy, dimly lit dining rooms. My dining partner and I were seated by a friendly manager at a lovely, intimate booth in a small room that had a giant fireplace in the center. From our table we really could not even see any other tables, which
made it feel like we were the only ones in the restaurant even though the place was nearly full. We started off with an order of Escargot ($8.50) and Shrimp Scampi ($9.95). The Escargot was tender and moist served on a mushroom cap with rich garlic butter sauce. The scampi was also served “Escargot style,” but topped with bubbling Havarti cheese and
dining review brother sebastian’s steak house & winery
the same garlic butter. Both were delicious. Next we made our trip to the salad bar, which is included with all entrees. In general I am not a big fan of salad bars and would prefer to have the kitchen make my salad, but this salad bar was as nice as any I have seen, with plenty of fresh ingredients to satisfy everyone’s tastes. For entrees I had the Rib Eye Steak ($27.95) and my partner had the Chicken Picatta ($21.50). The rib eye was served as ordered, grilled to a perfect medium rare. It was appropriately seasoned, very tender, and loaded with flavor. In fact, it was so good that I would go so far as to say it was the best steak I have had dinning out in Omaha in the last several years. The Chicken Picatta was equally good, with a pair of tender breasts of chicken breaded and served over angel hair pasta with an outline of sauteed spinach in a tangy piccata sauce. For dessert we tried the Chocolate Cake ($8.95) and Lemon Cake ($8.95), both house-made. Either of these would have been more than enough to share and boasted four or five layers topped by rich butter cream icing. Both were moist, decadent, and very memorable. Throughout the evening we enjoyed our server and were impressed with her kindness, knowledge, and timing. The manager was ever-visible, making sure that everything was running like clockwork and that all the guests were enjoying the same great food and service that we were. Not once did we want for anything. Beverage service is also strong with a wine list that is incredibly expansive with just about every variety, style, and region well represented. There is also a good selection of fine liquors and beers. Brother Sebastian’s has proved to me that it has managed to not only maintain its high standards for 38 years, but it may even be getting better with age! Cheers! OMAG Brother Sebastian’s Steak House & Winery 1350 S. 119th St. 402-330-0300 brothersebastians.com Food & Beverage Service Ambiance Price $$$ Overall 5 Stars Possible
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DininG Guide
AMERICAN Addy's Sports Bar & Grill - $
402-991-2663 14110 “S” Street At Addy’s we always put in the extra effort to provide the best experience in town. Mouth watering food, friendly staff and large drink selection makes us the perfect place to enjoy all the games. Come see why everybody is talking about Addy’s. Open daily from 11 a.m.-2 a.m. addysbar.com
Catfish Lake - $
1006 Cunnigham Rd, Bellevue 402-292-9963 Catfish Lake is locally owned and has been in business since 1986. Our famous house-cut steaks are aged to perfection and our housemade food and desserts are modestly priced, making for a very pleasurable dining experience.
DJ’s Dugout - $
636 N 114th St. (402-498-8855) 1003 Capitol Ave. (402-763-9974) 10308 S 23rd St. (402-292-9096) 2102 S 67th St. (402-933-3533) 180th & Q St. (402-292-9096) Catch all of the action at four Omaha locations. Featuring burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, appetizers, and an impressive drink menu along with HD TVs and projectors. Home to Blazin’ Pianos, Omaha’s only dueling piano concept. djsdugout.com
Dundee Dell - $
402-553-9501 5007 Underwood Ave. Famous for fish ‘n’ chips since 1934. Single malt and beer tastings open to the public monthly. Private tastings also available. We serve food from 11 a.m. to midnight Sun.-Thurs., and from 11 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. Fri. and Sat. We also serve a fantastic Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Get a Little Saucy.
Jams - $$
402-399-8300 7814 Dodge St. For 23 years, people have relied upon Jams grill & bar to be their go to spot in Omaha for the most creative, flavorful & consistent cuisine and cocktails in town! Newly remodeled, open every day for lunch and dinner, Jams is great as ever!
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.
SPEZIA SPECIALTIES FRESH SEAFOOD • ANGUS BEEF INNOVATIVE PASTA • RISOTTO GNOCCHI • FRESH SALMON DAILY
SATURDAY NOW OPENLUNCH 7 DAYS A[11am–4 WEEKpm]
$10
OFF ANY TICKET OVER $25 NOCASH CASH VALUE. VALUE.EXPIRES EXPIRES12/31/2011 4/30/15 NO
COCKTAILHOUR HOUR COCKTAIL
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
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omaha magazine • march/april 2015
Try Omaha’s Favorite Reuben! Omaha’s largest selection of craft beers.
3578 Farnam St • 402-345-1708 www.beercornerusa.com
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.
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.
Handcrafted,
homemade
hangout. 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
Old Mattress Factory - $$
402-346-9116 501 N. 13th St Within walking distance of Omaha's major entertainment facilities, including TD Ameritrade Park and CenturyLink Center Omaha, this historic building remodeled in 2007 boasts great dining and three private dining rooms for your own events. Stop in before or after any Downtown Omaha event. Open daily at 11:00 a.m. themattomaha.com
Railcar Modern American Kitchen - $$
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
Sip. Savor. Be Social.
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
Upstream Brewing Company - $$
514 S. 11th St. (402-344-0200) 17070 Wright Plz. (402-778-0100) Upstream features an extensive menu of new American pub fare including appetizers, thin-crust pizzas, superb steaks featuring Omaha Steaks, fresh fish, pasta, salads, sandwiches, and a great children’s menu. Fresh, handcrafted beer and root beer on tap. Extensive wine list. Call ahead for group reservations or to be placed on our waiting list. Visit our classic, upscale poolroom located on the second level.
ICE CREAM Ted and Wally’s - $ MC, V
402-341-5827 1120 Jackson St. Come experience the true taste of homemade ice cream in the Old Market. Since 1986, we’ve created gourmet ice cream flavors in small batches using rock salt and ice. We offer your favorites plus unique flavors like margarita, green tea, Guinness, and French toast. Special orders available.
LEGEND (average price per entrée) $1 to 10 - $, $10 to 20 - $$, $20 to 30 - $$$, $30 and over - $$$$
MC, V, AE, DC omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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Artisan Cheese • Award Winning Wine List Old Market Passageway • 1022 Howard St. Reservations Recommended Call 402.345.8980 Reservations Online www.vmertz.com head chef Kyle Lamb certified sommeliers David Eckler, Jennifer Fravel proprietor David Hayes general manager/wine director Matthew Brown
Restaurant & Lounge “Fresh fish, chicken, and house cut steaks served in a rustic and friendly atmosphere” 1006 Cunningham Road, Bellevue 402-292-9963 • catfishlakerestaurant.org
VOTED OMAHA’S #1 SPORTS BAR
5 OMAHA AREA LOCATIONS:
DOWNTOWN 10th & Capitol 402-763-9974
BELLEVUE
23rd & Cornhusker 402-292-9096
WEST
114th & Dodge 402-498-8855
AKSARBEN
67th & Center 402-933-3533
MILLARD
180th & Q 402-933-8844
HD TV’S, FOOD & FUN! • HD HEAVEN - OVER 50 HD TV’S • DELICIOUS FOOD - HUGE MENU • LUNCH MENU - REDUCED PRICES & LUNCH SIZED PORTIONS • PARTY ROOMS AVAILABLE @ NO CHARGE • PARTY TRAYS FOR GROUPS
CHECK OUT OUR DAILY SPECIALS & LUNCH MENU! 170
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
WWW.DJSDUGOUT.COM
dining guide march/april 2015
ITALIAN
Omaha’s Only Authentic German Restaurant Locally Owned Since 1976
La Casa Pizzaria - $$ MC, V
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
Prime Steak Fine Wine Premium Service
Lo Sole Mio Ristorante Italiano - $$
Mangia Italiana - $$
German Strudel, Sauerkraut, & Schnitzel Wedding Cake Specialist now featuring Naked Wedding Cakes Check website for bakery and dinner hours
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.
10 min from downtown Omaha
Pitch - $$ MC, V, AE, DC
www.gerdasgermanrestaurant.com
402- 590-2625 5021 Underwood Ave. Open Table Diners Choice 2014 HotSpot Restaurants in America. Keeping up with the traditional way the first pizzas in Italy were made, our pizzas are cooked in a coal-fired oven. The menu also features seafood, hand-cut steak, housemade pastas, and a burger full of flavor! Our goal is to provide you with local, housemade, and imported ingredients. We offer a Happy Hour menu through the week. And, our bar provides an array of in-house concoctions as well as your traditional libation! Our wine selection is well-thought and most impressive!! You will enjoy Pitch! Mon. 3 p.m.-10 p.m., Tue.-Thur. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m.-10 p.m. pitchpizzeria.com.
5180 Leavenworth
402-553-6774
Its not wine or beer, it’s Mead.
Spezia - $$$ MC, V
Private party rooms available for 6 to 40 people.
·Tasting room (evenings & weekends) ·Private parties ·Take-Out or Dine-In
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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.
13665 California Street Omaha, Nebraska 402.445.4380 www.mahoganyprime.com
Om ah a
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.
2015 Winner
10 years in a row
Now serving Gourmet Honey Crust Pizza and Appetizers LEGEND (average price per entrée) $1 to 10 - $, $10 to 20 - $$, $20 to 30 - $$$, $30 and over - $$$$
MC, V, AE, DC
2221 Madison Street (Bellevue, Nebraska) 402-934-7544 moonstruckmead.com
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“Best Burger in Omaha”
Zio’s Pizzeria - $$ 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.
Stella’s Bar and Grill ·“Serving World Famous Hamburgers since 1936”
MEXICAN
106 Galvin Rd • Bellevue, NE • 402-291-6088 • Open Monday-Saturday, 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Cantina Laredo - $$ MC, V
402-345-6000 120 S. 31st Ave. We serve modern Mexican food in a sophisticated, vibrant atmosphere. Enjoy our signature margarita, the Casa Rita, made from fresh lime juice and the finest tequila, while savoring guacamole made fresh at your table. Visit Cantina Laredo at Omaha’s Midtown Crossing for lunch, dinner, drinks, and Sunday brunch.
El Alamo - $ MC, V, AE, DC
402-731-8969 4917 S. 24th St. Located in the heart of Omaha’s thriving Hispanic community. We provide catering services and a party room. elalamoomaha.com
Fernando’s - $ MC, V, AE
7555 Pacific St. (402-339-8006) 380 N. 114th St. (402-330-5707) Featuring Sonoran-style cooking made fresh daily. Catering and party rooms also available. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.-9 p.m.
La Mesa - $$ 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
June 20, 2015 • 1–6p.m. • Free Admission Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park • Council Bluffs, Iowa
friedfoodfest.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.
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 - $$$$
MC, V, AE, DC
HAND STRETCHED NEW YORK STYLE PIZZ The Grey Plume
RECIPIENT OF 37 BEST PIZZA AWARDS! HAND STRETCHED NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA
Award-Winning Wine List. Certifed Green Restaurant. Daily Changing Menu. Seasonally Driven. Locally Sourced.
220 S. 31st Ave Suite 3101 Midtown Crossing 402.763.4447 www.thegreyplume.com
PROVISIONS by THE
GREY PLUME
Retail Store Private Dining Cooking Classes 3157 Farnam Street, Suite 7106 | Midtown Crossing
402.763.4447 | www.thegreyplume.com
CALZONES · PASTA · SALADS · LUNCH SPECIALS · APPETIZERS · BEER · WINE · MARGARI
391-1881
CALZONES · PASTA · SALADS · LUNCH SPECIALS APPETIZERS7834 · BEERDodge · WINE · MARGARITAS St. 391-1881
330-1444
330-1444
344-2222 344-2222
7834 Dodge St. 12997 W. Center Rd. 1109 Howard St.
12997 W. Center Rd.
(Old Market)
1109 Howard S
Happy Hour every day from 4pm-6pm Full Service Mon.-Fri. Nights & Sat.-Sun. All Day Self-Service Lunch Mon.-Fri.
ZIOSPIZZERIA.COM
ZIOSPIZZERIA.COM
Thank you Omaha for voting us Best Family Restaurant!
“Serving The Best Chicken in Town Since 1997” Mai Thai Restaurant brings you the most authentic Thai cusine in Omaha, in a beautiful, contemporary, atmosphere. Harvey Oaks Plaza & Aksarben Village 402.333.0506 402.884.7888
13325 Millard Ave. • 402-891-9292 www.millardroadhouse.com
www.maithaiomaha.com
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DOWNTOWN OMAHA’S LARGEST BEER SELECTION
SEAFOOD Charlie’s on the Lake - $$
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.
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.
Cut Spike Distillery
Join us for one of our monthly beer tastings
501 N. 13th Street | 402.346.9116 | www.themattomaha.com Walking Distance to CenturyLink Center & TD Ameritrade Park
801 RESTAURANT GROUP
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.
Grand China Buffet - $$
HAPPY HOUR
402-504-3711 11226 Chicago Cir. "Grand China Buffet is located 1 block south of 114th St. & Dodge. Our restaurant is dedicated to offering the most memorable dinning experience for you. We provide a party Room & Catering Service for all occasions. A carry out buffet is also available.
MON - FRI 3:30 - 6:00 SAT - SUN 2:00 - 6:00 |402| 933-0457 10387 Pacific St Omaha NE, 68114
402-763-8868 11941 Centennial Rd Cut Spike Distillery is a craft distillery located in La Vista, Nebraska specializing in distilling premium artisan spirits. Visit us and taste our award winning single malt whiskey, our award winning premium vodka, and our newly released barrel aged rum. Proudly distilling since 2008.
Greek Islands - $
SUNDAY BRUNCH 9AM-2PM
402-346-1528 3821 Center St. Greek cuisine with specials every day at reasonable prices. Well known for our gyro sandwiches and salads. We cater and can accommodate a party for 65 guests. Carryout and delivery available. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Discover, MasterCard, Visa, Amex.
Horsemen’s Park- $ MC, V
402-731-2900 6303 Q St. One-dollar pints, $1.75 domestic bottles, and $2 well drinks for our happy hour Mon.-Wed., 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays are 25-cent wings from 3-8 p.m., Wednesdays are Steak Night after 5 p.m., Thursdays are 75-cent tacos and $1.75 margaritas after 5 p.m., and Fridays are Prime Rib Dinner after 5 p.m. Daily specials seven days a week. Open at 10 a.m. www.horsemenspark.com
LEGEND (average price per entrée)
1403 Farnam St, Omaha NE, 68102 174
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|402| 341-1222
$1 to 10 - $, $10 to 20 - $$, $20 to 30 - $$$, $30 and over - $$$$
MC, V, AE, DC
Since 1921
Menu Innovations, Served Fresh!
rotellasbakery.com
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LEGENDARY PIZZA & PASTA SINCE 1953
Carry Out Buffet Available Beer & Wine Available www.gcbne.com
45th & Leavenworth • 402-556-6464 Closed Monday
LaCasaPizzaria.net
Established in 1919 Celebrating our 95th year!
Thank You for voting us #1 Best Greek Best Greek.
2202 South 20th Street – Omaha
Orsi’s is famous for our pizza. Our Italian Deli features a variety of meats, homemade sausage, cakes, cannolis, cheese and bread products. 621 Pacific St, Omaha • 402-345-3438
Family Restaurant • Fine Steaks Chicken • Seafood Party Rooms Available
342-9038 • 346-2865
Family Owned Since 1983
Catering ~ Party Room Available Homemade, Fresh Food ~ Always 3821 Center St. 402/346-1528
GreekIslandsOmaha.com
El Basha Mediterranean Grill
O’Connor’s Irish Pub 1217 Howard St. • Omaha, NE 68102 402-934-9790 • oconnorsomaha.com Family Owned & Operated Authentic Italian Cuisine Party Rooms Available Carry Out Available
Serving Lunch & Dinner
Mon-Sat
Thank You Omaha for voting us Best Eastern European Dining
7503 Pacific St. 402-934-6266 elbashagrill.com
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3001 S. 32nd Ave • Omaha, NE 402-345-5656
dining guide march/april 2015
Jaipur Indian Restaurant and Brewery - $$$ 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.
Always a Large Selection of Fresh Fish
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.
4150 SOUTH 144TH STREET • OMAHA • 894-9411
The Original Whiskey Steak
Nosh Restaurant and Wine Lounge - $$
402-614-2121 1006 Dodge St. Located in downtown Omaha blocks away from the CenturyLink Center Omaha, Holland Performing Arts, and the Old Market—Nosh is the perfect place to gather and celebrate good times. Guests are sure to enjoy our comfortable relaxing atmosphere, diverse wine list, impressive cocktails and food that will please any palate. noshwine.com
Voted Best of Omaha 4 years in a row
O’Connor’s Irish Pub - $
402-934-9790 1217 Howard St. Comfortable, relaxing atmosphere. Great before and after games. We offer pub style food—burgers, reubens, daily specials, and homemade soups—as well as all the traditional Irish favorite libations: Guinness, Harp, and Irish whiskey. Grill hours: Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sakura Bana - $ MC, V
402-391-5047 7425 Dodge St. California Rolls, sushi and box lunches are among the specialties here. Menu favorites include beef teriyaki, chicken teriyaki and udon, a flavorful noodle soup served with Tempura Shrimp or Mountain Vegetables. Multiple combinations of sushi or rolls can be ordered from your table or from the sushi bar. California Rolls and Tuna Sushi are the most popular choices. Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Mon.-Thur., 5-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 5-10 p.m.; Sun. 5-9 p.m. www.sushiomaha.com
V Mertz - $$$ 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
LEGEND (average price per entrée) $1 to 10 - $, $10 to 20 - $$, $20 to 30 - $$$, $30 and over - $$$$
MC, V, AE, DC
2121 S. 73 St. Just 1/2 block South of Doubletree
Gift Cards Available Open Monday-Friday 11am-2pm Cocktail Hour 3pm-5pm Dinner nightly from 5pm Reservations Accepted DroverRestaurant.com 402-391-7440
The Best in Town Tasty & Authentic Mexican Food Stop in today! 4917 S 24th Street |402-731-8969 | elalamoomaha.com
THANKS FOR VOTING US #1 BREAKFAST 7 Years in a Row! 177th & Center • 934-9914 | 156th & Dodge • 408-1728 | 120th & Blondo • 991-8222 Drive-Thru Open (Center St. Only) • Open Daily 6:30am-2:00pm • Serving Breakfast & Lunch All Day! omaha magazine • march/april 2015
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STEAKHOUSES 801 Chophouse - $$$$
OPENING15 0 SPRING 2
402-341-1222 1403 Farnam St. Designed with a 1920s-era New York chophouse in mind, 801 is the epitome of elegance. You will not forget the crisp-white-tablecloth, fine-dining experience. From our USDA prime-grade beef and jetfresh seafood from all over the world, we are truly the best Omaha has to offer. Open seven nights a week.
The Drover Restaurant & Lounge - $$$
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 - $$$
DINERS’ CHOICE AWARDS
NAMED TOP 100 HOT SPOT RESTAURANT IN AMERICA
PITCHPIZZERIA.COM 17808 BURKE STREET · 2 BLOCKS SOUTH OF DODGE STREET 5021 UNDERWOOD AVENUE · DUNDEE
402-731-4774 4702 S. 27th St. Years of quality dining and hospitality make Johnny's Café a restaurant to remember. We serve only the finest beef the Midwest has to offer. Aged steaks and prime rib are the specialties, with homemade bread and pies to complete a meal. An excellent wine list adds to the enjoyment at one of Omaha's original restaurants. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. MasterCard, Visa, and Amex.
Mahogany Prime Steakhouse - $$$$
402-445-4380 13665 California St. This is a restaurant where steak is the star, using custom-aged, U.S. prime Midwestern beef known for its excellence in marbling, texture, and flavor. We serve it sizzling on a heated plate so that it stays hot throughout your meal. Amazing service in a less-intimidating, fine-dining atmosphere.
Piccolo’s Restaurant - $$$
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.
LEGEND (average price per entrée) $1 to 10 - $, $10 to 20 - $$, $20 to 30 - $$$, $30 and over - $$$$
MC, V, AE, DC
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JAMS MADNESS March in & check it out.
PREMIUM HOMEMADE ICE CREAM
f 1120 Jackson Street (402) 341-5827 tedandwallys.com
7814 Dodge Street 402.399.8300 jamseats.com
8 Years In A Row
«
TasTe The modern side of mexican cuisine Celebrating 27 Years!
Sip the finest margarita
Come in for a taste of one of our amazing specials!
Savor fresh seafood, enchiladas & more with sauces from scratch
402.391.5047 7425 Dodge St. www.sushiomaha.com
Join us for drinks, dinner, lunch or Sunday brunch
Greek & American Cuisine, Homemade Greek Pastries, Drive-Thru, Takeout & Catering,Beer-Wine-Cocktails
119 S 40th St • Omaha, NE (40th & Dodge) 402-558-5623 • KatiesGreek.com
new
Pollo mango mole
Sonoran Style Cooking Made Fresh Daily. Catering and Party Rooms Also Available. 7555 Pacific St. 399–8006 380 N.114 St. 330–5707
midTown crossing
120 s. 31st ave
402.345.6000
cantinalaredo.com
Omaha, Nebraska
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GREATER NEBRASKA HAPPENINGS
MARCH Classic Car Collection. Year–round in Kearney, Neb. This collection of over 130 cars represents America’s love affair and fascination with automobiles and the evolution of our society around the world of wheels. Mon–Fri/ 9am–7pm Sun/ 12pm–7pm. $8 adults, $7 seniors, children free, groups of 12 or more $5 per person. 308–234–1964 – ccckearney.com Curtis LeMay Exhibit. Through May 10 at the Strategic Air & Space Museum outside Ashl and, Neb. 10am–2pm. 402–944–3100. – sasmuseum.com Spirit of the Cranes. March 1–31 at Prairie Winds Art Center in Grand Island, Neb. Nationally acclaimed nature and wildlife photographer Rick Rasmussen celebrates the return of spring and the cranes to the Platte River Valley with a show of his latest photos. Reception March 6, 5:30–8:30pm, Free. 308–381–4001 – prairiewindsart.com Harl an White Pelican Watch. March 1–April 15 at Harlan County Lake in Harlan County, Republican City, Neb. Witness the American White Pelican spring migration at the Harlan County Reservoir. 800–762–5498. – harlantourism.org Steve Snell’s Adventure Art. Through March 6 at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center in Nebraska City, Neb. Snell uses the term to describe a performance–based action of adventure, in which he uses creativity and imagination to have an exciting and remarkable experience. These adventures are then transformed through various artistic and popular media in order to build a mythology and share the story with others. Adventure art is an attempt to live life as though it were a movie, or at least present the image that it is one. 10am–5pm. 402–874–9600. – khncenterforthearts.org Family Game Night. March 6 at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Neb. Come play at the museum with dozens of different period and modern games for the entire family, ranging from puttputt golf to classic board games to new games sure to be your new favorite. 6pm–9pm in the Reynolds Center. $8 adults, $6 children. 308–385–5316. – stuhrmuseum.org
It’s a good time to check out the craft breweries and distilleries. From taking a tour to watching March basketball to rediscovering the great outdoors, Sarpy County has it all. Take it all in with a fresh root beer, seasonal ale, wine, or even mead from Nebraska Brewery & Brew Pub, Cut Spike Distillery, Lucky Bucket Brewery, Soaring Wings Winery and Brewery, Patriarch Distillers, and Moonstruck Meadery. Visit company website for information or check out gosarpy.com. SYBARITE5. March 6 at the Tassel– Phelps County Center for the Performing Arts in Holdredge, Neb. Not your grandmother's chamber music (but grandmother would like it, too), the classical crossover "rock stars" of SYBARITE5 take the audience on an exciting ride that engages the senses and recasts the rules. From Mozart to Led Zeppelin, Piazzolla to Radiohead, they will forever enlarge your perception of chamber music performance. 308–995–2717. –thetassel.org Great Sandhill Crane Migration. March 6–April 4 at the Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center in Grand Island, Neb. Choose from the Crane Viewing Blind Tour or Footbridge Evening Tour. There is also a private photo/viewing blind designed for the serious nature enthusiast seeking the ultimate viewing and photo experience on the Platte—morning and evening. 308–382–1820. –nebraskanature.org
John P. Fulton: Special Effects Artist, His Life and Works. March 7 at the Beatrice Community Players in Beatrice, Neb. Come celebrate the life works of John P. Fulton, joined by special guest and Fulton’s daughter, Joanne Fulton Schaefer. 10am–5pm. 402–228–1679. –gagecountymuseum.info Leprechaun Chase 10K. March 7 at the Strategic Air & Space Museum outside Ashland, Neb. The Leprechaun Chase 10k is a St. Paddy’s Day run with a twist, where ladies get a head start and the guys chase them. First person to cross the finish line wins a free drink for their gender, lads or lasses, at the Green Beer After Party. 4pm. 402–944–3100. – sasmuseum.com
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GREATER GREATER NEBRASKA NEBRASKA HAPPENINGS HAPPENINGS Joshua Bell. March 13 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. This classical music superstar has been a featured soloist with almost every major orchestra in the world. A Grammy Award–winner and the solo violinist on Oscar®–winning film The Red Violin, Bell is the most celebrated American violinist of the modern era. 7:30pm. Starting at $42. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org Puzzles of the Past. March 13 and April 10 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 The Chieftains. March 14 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. Winners of six Grammy Awards, The Chieftains are recognized as the best known Irish band in the world. From the pubs of Ireland to Carnegie Hall, this legendary band takes the Lied stage just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. 7:30pm. Starting at $32. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org Shamrock Shuffle. March 14 at Chuckles Bar in Fairbury, Neb. Wear your craziest St. Patty’s Day attire and join the fun. You don’t need to be a runner to participate. Race starts at 11am. Contact TBA. – fairbury.com Prints by Karen Kunc and Turner McGehee. March 16–April 10 at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center in Nebraska City, Neb. “For over 25 years Kunc has remained dedicated to her process, through scores of editions, the circumspect evolution of imagery and capricious print world fashion. She has cleverly avoided inertia and repetition, and has developed a technical fluency to match her imagination. Now she begins to approach true mastery of her medium,” David Acton of the Worcester Art Museum has said. 10am–5pm. 402–874–9600. – khncenterforthearts.org Spring Turkey Hunting Workshop. March 17 at Ponca State Park in Ponca, Neb. Whether you are preparing for your first trip or your second decade of hunting, come explore the excitement and challenge of spring turkey hunting with turkey hunting experts Aaron Hershberger and Jeff Rawlinson. They will discuss, Beginner Basics, Wild Turkey Biology, Hi–Tech Scouting, Equipment Strategies and Advanced Hunting Techniques. 6:30–8:30pm. 402–471–6141 – outdoornebraska.ne.gov
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calendar march/april 2015 PETER AND THE STARCATCHER. March 23 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. This swashbuckling prequel takes a hilarious romp through Neverland featuring the most pirates on Broadway. A company of a dozen actors play more than a hundred unforgettable characters, all on a journey to answer the century–old question: How did Peter Pan become The Boy Who Never Grew Up? Winner of five Tony Awards, this magical theatrical production with music will have you hooked from the moment your imagination takes flight. 7:30pm. Starting at $46. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org Café Monkey Band. March 27–28 and April 24–25 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 for an evening of music and fun. 6:30pm–8pm. 308–778–9557. – themostunlikelyplace.com Glenn Miller Orchestra. March 28 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. The most popular big band in the world brings timeless classics like “Tuxedo Junction,” “Moonlight Serenade” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo” back to the stage. The Glenn Miller Orchestra has been on the road longer and more continuously than any other big band in history. It’s no wonder they are known for being one of the hardest working bands in show business. Get “In the Mood” for an elegant evening of swing as the 17–piece orchestra dazzles and delights in their return to the Lied Center. 7:30pm. Starting at $18. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org Jefferson County Expo. March 28 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Fairbury, Neb. The Jefferson County Spring Expo, sponsored by the Fairbury Chamber of Commerce, is held each spring at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. 9am–3pm. Free. 402–729–3000. – fairbury.com Lancaster Antique Show and Sale. March 28–29 at the Lancaster Event Center Campgrounds in Lincoln, Neb. Established show of 34 years, large variety of quality Antiques including furniture, books, country primitives, glassware, pottery, stoneware, jewelry, old toys, folk art, early Americana, and collectibles. Sat 9am to 5pm Sun. 10am to 4pm. $4. 402–432–1451. –lancastereventcenter.org
APRIL Jayhusker Racing. Through April at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Fairbury, Neb. Jefferson County Speedway is a 1/4–mile slightly banked dirt oval located on the Jefferson County Fairgrounds on the south side of Fairbury, Nebraska. 402–729–3008. – fairbury.com Threads of Life. April 1–30 at Prairie Winds Art Center in Grand Island, Neb. From wearable felt work to batik, fabric painting to sculpture and basketry, gallery members K.C. Triplett, Karen Krull Robart, Kristine Allphin, and Kay Grimminger bring you fine art expressed through their love of textiles. Artist reception is Friday, April 10 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, free. 308–381–4001. – prairiewindsart.com The Okee Dokee Brothers. April 2 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. “Two of family music’s best songwriters,” the Okee Dokee Brothers perform folk music to inspire children and their parents to get outside and experience nature. The two–time Parents’ Choice Award winners have garnered praise from the likes of NPR’s All Things Considered and USA Today and are the 2013 Grammy Award recipients for Best Children’s Album of the Year. 7pm. Starting at $16. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org The Angry Cow Ultimate Trail Run. April 4 at the Rock Creek Historical Park in Fairbury, Neb. This terrain is some of the most diverse in Nebraska. Aid stations will be along the route for all distances. Clothes, food drop for the 33 mile run will be in Endicott, Neb. Check in at 7am, race starts at 8am. 402–432–3622. – fairbury.com Spring Banquet at the Elmwood School. April 5 at Bess Streeter Aldrich House in Elmwood, Neb. Evening includes dinner followed by a program and awards ceremony for our short story contest winners. This year's speaker is author Susan Dittman who will share highlights from her book, "Abraham Lincoln’s Shining Star, The Inspiring Story of Abraham Lincoln and Nebraska". 6pm. $12.50. 402–944–3855. – bessstreeteraldrich.org Hall County Student Art Show Opening. April 10 at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Neb. The best of Hall County’s student art goes up during one of Stuhr’s longest running shows. The exhibit will be hosted by Bartenbach’s in downtown Grand Island. 10am–5pm Tuesdays–Saturdays. 308–385–5316. – stuhrmuseum.org
calendar march/april 2015
GREATER NEBRASKA HAPPENINGS
Million Dollar Quartet. April 10 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Neb. This thrilling musical brings you inside the recording studio for a monumental night of rock and roll that explodes off the stage, featuring 21 timeless hits. Inspired by the phenomenal true story of the famed recording session where Sam Phillips brought together icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for one unforgettable night. 7:30pm. Starting at $48. 402–472–4700. – liedcenter.org
The Ecological Artworks of Ashley Ryba. April 20–May 29 at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center in Nebraska City, Neb. As an installation artist, Ryba creates work that responds to a specific location. These installations are typically temporary, though hopefully remain in the viewer’s mind. Recently, the setting for her work is outside of a gallery, allowing for communication with a wider audience. 10am–5pm. 402–874–9600. – khncenterforthearts.org
Rural Route Rust—A Vintage Vendor Festival. April 11 at the Bloom Where You’re Planted Farm Barn in Avoca, Neb. Shop our farmyard for antiques, primitives, vintage treasures, handmade gifts/art and rusty gold. Show will feature at least 40 juried vendors spread around the farm, plus two stories of merchandise. The on–site School-
15th Annual Country Bluegrass Show. April 23–25 at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in North Platte, Neb. Enjoy bands and entertainers from across the United States. Food, crafts, vendors and more. 308– 340–4552. –npbluegrassfestival.weebly.com
Annual Hope Crisis Center 10K. April 25 at the Fairbury Community Building in Fairbury, Neb. Bring the family and friends to join in this awareness event. Put your foot down against sexual assault. 402–729–2570. – fairbury.com Susan Werner. April 25 at the Tassel– Phelps County Center for the Performing Arts in Holdredge, Neb. With a CD commissioned by Lincoln's Lied Center and the UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, folk singer/songwriter Susan Werner is breaking ground with her lively, deeply meaningful, and sometimes hilarious music about farms, farmers and the people who love them. 308–995–2717. –thetassel.org
house Cafe will be open, serving lunch and homemade baked goods all day long. $1. 402–267–4104. –bloompumpkinpatch.com Sunday with a Scientist. April 12 at the Nebraska State Museum in Lincoln, Neb. Explore space, science, and beyond. “Sunday with a Scientist” is a series of presentations that highlight the work of scientists, while educating kids and families on a variety of topics related to science and natural history. Presenters will share scientific information in a fun, informal way through demonstrations, activities, or by conducting science on site. 1:30–4:30pm. Regular museum admission. 402–472–4075. – museum.unl.edu Outdoor Discovery Program. April 15–16, 29–30 at Ponca State Park in Ponca, Neb. Attend “The Outdoor Discovery Program at one of three regional locations. Nebraska’s largest outdoor classroom will provide students the opportunity to participate in numerous hands–on adventures! Pre– registration is required. Open only to 4th and 5th grade students. 402–471–6009. – outdoornebraska.ne.gov
experience Linco ln’s energy fo r yo urself
Nebraska SciFest. April 16–17 at the Strategic Air & Space Museum in Ashland, Neb. Presented by UNMC, the Festival is designed to make science accessible, interactive, relevant and fun for kids and adults alike. 10am–2pm. 402–944– 3100. – sasmuseum.com
SEE YOU IN LINCOLN!
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by david williams photography by denis tangney, jr.
ABBOTT DRIVE
DODGE STREET
FARNAM STREET
Until only a couple decades ago, the drive from Eppley Air Field to Downtown Omaha was a blighted eyesore. Chris J. Abbott was a supporter of improving that roadway. Today, the “String of Pearls,” so named for the thoroughfare’s distinctive lighting scheme, welcomes flyers in a way befitting of a beautiful, thriving city.
Omaha’s main drag gets its street sign from the regally named Augustus Caesar Dodge, the U.S. Senator from Iowa who was a major proponent of westward expansion beyond the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. He was a strong voice in the effort to build a transcontinental railroad and, in 1853 introduced a bill for the organization of the Nebraska Territory.
A principal promoter of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, and later its first president, Henry Farnam was an East Coast financier and philanthropist who later moved to Chicago. Farnam Street, before the rise of development along Dodge Street, was Omaha’s original “main” street.
24TH STREET
DORCAS STREET
Hey, what gives? Kicking off a list early on with a number instead of a name? Talk about a bait and switch! That’s because the southwest corner of 24th and Douglas Street once boasted a “Buy ‘em by the Sack,” White Castle. Oh, what we wouldn’t give for a slider right now!
Now stop that giggling! Grow up! Mirroring the maiden name of Samuel E. Rogers’ mother, a pioneer and charter member of the Territorial Council…oh, never mind, let’s just move on.
At the tender age of 16, Logan Fontenelle, the son of a French fur trader and an Omaha Indian, was appointed a U.S. interpreter for the Omahas. Later a principal chief of the tribe, he was killed by Sioux warriors during a buffalo hunt in 1855.
DOUGLAS STREET
HARNEY STREET
Sure, the powerful U.S. Senator from Illinois lost a decidedly fateful election to Honest Abe in 1960, but…uh, who wouldn’t have? Stephen A. Douglas championed the KansasNebraska Bill that resulted in Nebraska becoming an organized territory.
A cavalry officer in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War and Indian Wars, William S. Harney would later rise to become a general and the commander of the Department of the West. He pushed (in vain) for a “good neighbor” policy with native populations and strove to improve America’s treatment of its original inhabitants.
CAPITOL AVENUE
The capital of Nebraska is Lincoln, we know, but this acsent up a gentle hill from the Missouri River once led to the old territorial capitol, what is now the site of historic Central High School, whose famous alums include NFL legend and Hall-of-Famer Gayle Sayers.
EDWARD “BABE” GOMEZ AVENUE
South Omaha’s Edward “Babe” Gomez Avenue was named for the neighborhood-born soldier who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for falling on a grenade to save his band of brothers during the Korean War.
Streetwise in Omaha
a name says a lot about a person, and a street.
Y
ou tool around town every
day, but have you ever wondered about the origin of the city’s street names? From the iconic to the just plain goofy, here are some of our favorites. OMAG
FONTENELLE BOULEVARD
OBVIOUSLY OMAHA
HENRY FONDA DRIVE
MALCOLM X AVENUE
MILITARY AVENUE
The short stretch of 69th Street abutting the Omaha Community Playhouse carries the honorary name of Henry Fonda Drive, named for the four-time Oscar-winner who began his career on the Playhouse stage under the direction of Dorothy Brando (yes, as in Marlon Brando’s mother).
A section of North 34th Avenue adjacent to the birthsite of the slain civil rights leader was christened in 2003. Born Malcolm Little in 1923, his family soon fled the city after being threatened by nightriders. He was assassinated in New York City in 1965. Disappointingly, the decision to name a street in his honor was more than a little controversial.
Part of the original Overland Trail, Military Avenue was the route to move supplies over 180 miles west to Fort Kearny. Thousands of pioneers also used the road in settling the West. In 1994 a portion of Military near 82nd and Fort was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The father-in-law (see entry on opposite page) of Henry Farnam? Lewis and Clark Expedition member Thomas P. Howard? General Tilman A. Howard, special envoy from the U.S. to Texas, whose “good offices” brought Texas into the union? It’s on! Let the debate begin.
MORMON BRIDGE ROAD
The temptation is great to assume that this one comes from the horsey set, but Algerson Sidney Paddock became secretary of the Nebraska Territory in 1861 and twice served the state as a U.S. Senator.
JOHN GALT BOULEVARD
NAKOMA AVENUE
‘Who was John Galt?” is the opening line of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Your guess is as good as ours, but this short byway in Southwest Omaha was for some arcane reason named by a developer for Rand’s iconic avatar of Objectivism.
Carter Lake was originally called CutOff Lake because it was formed when the Missouri River changed its course in an 1877 flood, leaving the city of Carter Lake the only part of Iowa on the “wrong side” of the river. The lake was later known as Lake Nakoma before getting its current name, this time without the aid of high waters.
HOWARD STREET
In the winter of 1846-47 the westwardbound Brigham Young and company made their winter headquarters here along the Missouri River. The Florence Mill, built by the Mormons in 1946, is now a museum and art gallery.
PADDOCK ROAD
PARK WILD AVENUE
Dubbed by Alfred D. Jones before the city was surveyed, this one is more than just an exotic name. The crest of the hill near where it intersects with Pine Street offers a rarely experienced and dramatically different fromon-high view of Downtown Omaha. SADDLE CREEK ROAD
You can’t get to the legendary Homy Inn, the home of champagne on tap and once pegged by GQ as one of America’s 50 Best Bars, without navigating this road. Legend has it that a saddle once fell off of a wagon into the creek that still meanders below the surface of this much travelled—and thirsty—byway.
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THE CLOSER
by robert nelson
Divine Excess
C
Why must Omaha have a festival celebrating gobs of deep fat fried food? Because it’s the moral thing to do, of course.
ultural anthropologist have long known that
most cultures have some mythological beast feared and loathed for its gluttonous excesses. The Hindus have Siva, a weirdo so perpetually ravenous he eats himself. My generation has Jabba the Hutt. On occasion, I have me. These monsters are meant to be instructive. The theme is visited several times in the Old Testament. One early Christian list of no-no’s had gluttony, or “gastrimargia,” ranked near the top among vices. It seems a bit more of an afterthought in the muchlater codified “Seven Deadly Sins,” but, it is that list–a major theme in art spanning from Hieronymus Bosch to Omaha’s own late-great Kent Bellows—that perhaps most solidifies in the recesses of our modern, western minds the idea that gluttony sinks souls and civilizations alike. So, at first glance, Omaha Magazine’s first-annual Omaha Fried Food Festival may sound sinful. It may sound more sinful if you know what I claim is the genesis of the 186
omaha magazine • march/april 2015
idea. Twice while working for the local daily I traveled to the Iowa State Fair intending to eat as many of the event's famously inspired deep-fat-fried offerings as I could hold (and then perhaps not). The second year, I think it was the deep-fat-fried, bacon-wrapped hotdog (covered in bacon bits) that I tasted first as things went south into a trash can. Smart people usually promise God they’ll change behaviors while purging. I just imagined not having to drive so far to binge. Erin Cox, our event coordinator here, is doing nearly all the actual work to get the festival in place at Tom Hanafan River's Edge Park in Council Bluffs the second weekend of the College World Series (A pleasant walk across the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge; a tough crawl back). I’d like to think I’m offering a morsel of the unhitched, rapturous rationale and batcrap crazy food ideas (For one: I plan to bring the deep-fat-fried seal blubber slathered in whatever amount of grease you get from frying a hippopotamus). Food, more food, food you’ve never tasted, food you never imagined could be
deep-fat-fried. Music (there probably should be banjos). Beer. I’m hoping for a sword-swallower and maybe a carny or 50. Trash cans. With rationale and rationalizations, though, I’d like to also suggest moral imperatives. As Francis Bacon said, “In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.” When you finish cheering me for actually finding a relevant Bacon quote, I’ll offer the point: As delightful as one might find a day of inspired gluttony, the pure among us might consider this the mark of a heart darkened by gluttonous impulse. Yet, consider that which we perhaps deem at times an even greater virtue than total abstinence: Moderation. For it is moderation, methinks, (I’m talking like Lord Bacon now), that shepherds us back from such darkness and allows “for the light to shine so brightly.” See. It’s simple: Just fast on Monday, good people. Everything in moderation, then. Even, I think Bacon said, if it involves mouthfuls of antacid. OMAG
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