July/August 2014 Omaha Magazine by Omaha Magazine

JULY/AUGUST

•

2014

™

Omaha’s topDentists™

The Loyal Royal Alex Gordon

Best of Omaha™ Campaign 2015

Malorie Maddox Omaha Stories

war & Chuck Hagel battles for a future free of the quagmires of the past.

Peace

20244 Hanna Ave, Pacific Junction, IA

$799,000

Over 33 acres with a beautiful ranch home overlooking the Loess Hills. Comes with a barn, heated riding arena plus four stalls for your horses. The workshop/garage attached to the barn is large enough for a camper, boat, cars & trucks.

Jerre Hunter • 402.981.1342

16749 CR P10, Herman

$725,000

Lovely custom ranch with 4 BR, 4 BA and 7,000+ finished sq. ft. Quality built with energy efficient features: Geothermal heating & cooling! Terrific MBR has 2 walkin closets & full bath. Secluded 12.26 acres nestled in rolling hills north of Blair with stunning views, wildlife & spring fed creek & trees surround back of property.

15307 N Weber, Bennington

$699,999

Gorgeous 1.5 Story with 33 x 14.5 heated pool, stone patio w/fire pit, 40x12 deck off FR, and trex flooring. Don’t miss – so many amenities to mention. 2 laundry rooms. Waterford Addn private pool/clubhouse.

Bill Sullivan • 402.306.2598

3207 S 169 Plaza, Omaha

$679,000

Gated community in the heart of West Omaha. Custom built walkout ranch with open floor plan. Granite countertops, walnut cabinets, maple floors, 10+ ft ceilings on main, open atrium to lower level. Lake Zorinsky within walking distance. Lawn care, snow removal & window washing included in monthly assessment.

The Dooley Group • 402.319.9678

1545 S 79th Street, Omaha

$539,000

Ranch home with 17 ft ceilings in living room with window wall and slate tile entry. Huge master bed room with walk in shower, Italian marble, double vanities, Large kitchen, SubZero refrig. There is a home theater, workout room, second kitchen and family room with fireplace and storage areas.

BJ Brown • 402.681.7774

19321 Briggs Street, Omaha

$615,000

Immaculate 5 bed/6 bath, 2 story walk-out on fully fenced corner lot in spectacular Pacific Pointe. Rich hardwoods, ceramic & granite throughout. All 2nd floor beds have their own bath & walkin. Walk out the newly finished family room to a lush landscaped yard and in-ground pool. Oversized deck to boot!

Wendy Welch • 402.968.4293

19276 Briggs Street

$530,000

This elegant, high efficient, 4 bed 4 bath, one of a kind home has it all. Every square inch was thought of! The open designer kitchen features many cabinets & gourmet touches. You will love the large bedrooms, large baths with 36” vanities & large closets. The master bedroom has a bonus room & spa like master bath.

Jennifer Giorgis • 402.612.6601

109 S 173 Ave. Circle, Omaha

$525,000

Spectacular executive home on spacious fully fenced, treed walkout lot in beautiful Pacific Springs. Main floor boasts an open floor plan w/soaring ceilings, updated kitchen w/granite, hdwd floors, sitting room & stainless appliances. Master on main updated w/2 oversized closets. 6 true bedrooms, and fully finished LL.

Wendy Welch • 402.968.4293

102 N 53 Street, Omaha

$500,000

Beautiful 2.5 story home on professionally landscaped double lot with basketball court and rockwater feature. Spacious rooms with boxed beam ceilings, hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen and unusual basement rec room with tall ceilings, wet bar and billiard room.

The Rensch Group • 402.391.5333

7007 Northern Hills Dr, Omaha

I.F.C

Your Home Team • 402.427.3852

$539,000

Perfect 2 Story Dream Home Acreage. Builder’s Personal Home. Outstanding Design & “Must See” Interior. All Bedrooms Have Their Own Bathroom & Walkin Closet. Master to “Die For.” Hand Finished Concrete Countertops & Patio. Wider Open Big Tall 3 Car Garage. All This on *3.7 Acres.

Scott Young • 402.290.0236

1227 S 200 Street, Omaha

$530,000

Gorgeous two-story built in 2011. Walkout basement w/ 4 beds, 5 baths, and 3-car garage in the popular Tuscan Ridge Subdivision. Over 4,500 beautifully finished sq ft, upgraded granite in kitchen and baths, and hand-scraped hardwood flooring. Finished basement w/ family room and wet bar.

Marc Cohn • 402.660.6077

417 Windchime Circle, Yutan

$500,000

About everything in this home is oversized! 1 acre lot, 2x6 exterior walls, 64x16 deck, 1,150 sq T garage, 2 furnaces and heat pumps, 31x27 great room, and the list doesn’t stop there! 4 bdrm and 4 bath. Over 5,300 finished sq T, and is very open! 2-‐10 Home Buyers Warranty included.

Hopkins Home Team • 402.659.7200

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table of contents CONTENTS

features volume 31 • issue 3

feature

Chuck Hagel experienced firsthand the nadir of America’s armed forces. As Secretary of Defense, he’s battling for a future free of the quagmires of the past.

War and Peace

140

by robert nelson • photography by bill sitzmann • photo illustration by randy teet • illustration by john gawley features

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

The Loyal Royal Alex Gordon remains humble and focused in starring role.

128

Malorie Maddox Omaha Stories and Poking the Bear

150

Brains and Brawn Chet Fortune Named One of Shape Magazine’s 50 Hottest Trainers

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

MATT NATHANSON & GAVIN DEGRAW

WILLIE NELSON & ALISON KRAUSS

THE BAND PERRY

COUNTING CROWS

FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS

ARCTIC MONKEYS

PAT BENATAR AND NEIL GIRALDO

SUMMER NATIONALS

JULY 5

WITH SPECIAL GUEST TOAD THE WET SPROCKET JULY 26

FOSTER THE PEOPLE AUGUST 5

JULY 18

DIERKS BENTLEY JULY 19

JULY 11

JULY 30

AMERICAN IDOL LIVE! AUGUST 3

JULY 27

WITH SPECIAL GUEST LITA FORD

SEP T EM BER 11

LORDE

SEPTEMBER 27

AUGUST 15

A L L AG ES P ERM I T T ED. T ICK E T S AVA IL A BL E AT S T IRCOV E.CO M O R BY P H O N E AT 1- 80 0 -74 5 -30 0 0.

MANY MORE TO COME...

Schedule and artist subject to change. Must be 21 or older to gamble. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-BETS-OFF (In Iowa) or 1-800-522-4700 (National). ©2014, Caesars License Company, LLC.

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

CONTENTS

departments & special sections volume 31 • issue 3

departments

topDENTISTS™ 51

10 Editor’s Letter 12 Between the Lines

march/april 2014 OmahaHome 57

EDITORIAL & CREATIVE STAFF

14 For Starters

executive editor

david williams

16 Calendar of Events

gala

23 Art + Culture

111 Back on Track

Ying Zhu

26 Did You Know? Fun Facts About Omaha

31 Faces

managing editor

CSI’s KidSquad

robert nelson

114 NorthStar Foundation On Top of the World

editorial intern

jillian humphries

120 Gala Calendar

Melanie Smith

35 Faces

cr e at i v e di r e ctor

60PLUS In Omaha

john gawley

153

Nils Anders Anderson director of photography

36 Style Shot

Michael and Laura Alley

38 Faces

Ben Lueders

40 Faces

Jill Anderson

42 Gen O

Jack & Jack

44 Art + Culture

dining

interactive media

bill sitzmann

174 Omaha Happy Hours 176 Dining

Dairy Chef

178 Restaurant Review Marks Bistro

senior graphic designer

kristen hoffman

graphic designer

rachel joy

182 Dining Guide photo editor

The Apollon

randy teet

48 Faces

Molly Schuyler

contributing photographers

laurie and charles photographs

173 Gen O

keith binder

Liz Green

197 Greater Nebraska Happenings

202 The Closer

Is Warren History?

Omaha Magazine

visitorsedition

• sarah lemke

contributing writers

kim carpenter

• jillian humphries cheril lee • robyn murray carol crissey nigrelli • sarah wengert

Pages 35-170 do not appear in the Omaha Magazine visitors edition.

To read these articles online, visit OmahaMagazine.com. To receive a full edition of Omaha Magazine by mail, purchase a subscription at OmahaMagazine.com/subscribe. 6

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

Owned and managed by Omaha Magazine, LTD

volume 31 •

issue 3

ACCOUNTS & OPERATIONS STAFF publisher

todd lemke p u b l i s h e r ’s a s s i sta n t

omaha home

contributing editor

sandy besch-matson vice president

A satirical, theatrical spectacle full of savage comedy

greg bruns executive vice president sales

marketing

gil cohen senior sales executive

60plus in

omaha contributing editor

6915 CASS STREET | (402) 553-0800 | WWW.OMAHAPLAYHOUSE.COM SPONSORS:

MEDIA SPONSOR:

gwen lemke e x e cu t i v e s a l e s as so ci at e

vicki voet branding specialist

george idelman s a l e s as so ci at e s

dawn dennis alicia smith hollins jessica linhart sydney stander v i ce pr e s i de n t of ope r at ion s

tyler lemke event director

erin cox

Whether it is day or night, inside or out, Joslyn has so much to offer.

accou n ta n t

FREE GENERAL ADMISSION

jim heitz

THURSDAYS: Open ‘til 8 pm!

distribution manager

(paid ticketed admission for some exhibitions)

SCULPTURE GARDENS Open and free – all day every day!

explore AT

NOW

mike brewer

Joslyn Art Museum features works from antiquity to the present with an emphasis on 19th- and 20th-century European and American art. A fun, educational, relaxing, and artful destination for the whole family.

Open Tuesday through Sunday.

2200 Dodge St. | Omaha, NE | (402) 342-3300 | joslyn.org

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

for advertising & subscription information:

402.884.2000 Comments? Send your letter to the editor to: david@omahamagazine.com 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.

CLOSE OUT THE REGULAR SEASON WITH A BANG! Saturday August 16

· 6:35pm

live at Werner Park FOLLOWED BY

POST-GAME FIREWORKS!

HOME AUGUST 12-19, 28-31 Take a ride on the dino train

Real fossil and gemstone mining Giant 2 story fossil dig pit

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NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 7 mAlicia/Gil mGeorge mGreg Sponsored by:

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omaha magazine • july/august 2014

FROM THE EDITOR

david williams

Sombremesa Time! Can we talk?

scan this page with LAYAR for a video of david williams

STUMBLED UPON THE MOST fascinating

article the other day on the topic of foreign language words that have no English translations. Did you know that, in Italian, a culaccino is the ring left on a table from a glass dripping with condensation? Or that, in Japanese, the word komorebi describes the dappled, light-and-shadow play of the sun filtered through the leaves of a tree? How poetic! But my fave by far was sombremesa, the Spanish word for after-meal conversations and the special kind of earthy connectedness that is found once the plates are cleared away and you chat away deep into the night. No, there is no plan—that I know of—to change the name of this publication to Sombremesa Magazine, but it would be a fitting descriptor of our aims here at Omaha Magazine and our family of titles. We feel our work is done if the stories and pictures in this little folio of paper do just that in fueling conversations, even it they’re only the solitary kind that you have with yourself. On that same topic of the ebb and flow of organic repartee, we’ve introduced a new level of interaction in this issue. Augmented Reality is the name of the technology that will link you to supporting video to further

illustrate our stories, advertising, and promotions. Your window to a broader view of the community and its people is as easy as the download of a free app for your mobile device. Then simply scan the page wherever you see the “AR” button and voilà, you’ll be taken to video. Check out Page 3 for all the details on how to use our Augmented Reality plaything. Doing so in this issue, for example, will transport you into the creative world of noted artist Ying Zhu. Or you can learn more about exciting changes to our annual Best of Omaha™ contest. Ready to give it a shot? Just scan this page to see me in my own little sombremesa-like (if one-sided) banter. And now it’s time to jump into the game of coining our own neologism, even if this one is eminently translatable: Inkspiration: That clammy, sweaty-palms sense of increasing anxiety felt when you have eagerly checked your mailbox for the fifth time in anticipation of the arrival of the newest issue of Sombremesa Magazine… uh, make that Omaha Magazine. OMAG

Omaha Magazine Wins Three Omaha Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards

E’RE SUPER-PROUD OF OUR

annual Best of Omaha™ contest, where the public judges the work of area businesses, but we also put our own photography, design, and editorial work “out there” once a year for the same type of close examination through the Omaha Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. I am thrilled to report that Omaha Magazine took home a trio of trophies at the June 7 awards dinner. For the second year in a row, Creative Director John Gawley and Director of Photography Bill Sitzmann garnered the Best Print Layout and Design award for their work in the OmahaHome magazine feature “At Home With the Sings” (Jan-Feb 2013).

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

And Executive Editor David Williams made two trips to the podium. His “The Road Home” (Nov/ Dec 2013), an exploration of prescription drug abuse among teens, won Best Print Enterprise Reporting. And his review of Ballet Nebraska’s Snow White (September 30, 2013) got the nod for Best Print/ Magazine Critical Writing/Review. We are honored to have our efforts acknowledged by such an esteemed organization and congratulate all of the Omaha Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards nominees and winners. OMAG

Todd Lemke, publisher

RUSH HOUR in our backyard.

FONTENELLEFOREST.ORG photo credit: Allen Kurth

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

BETWEEN THE LINES

omaha magazine • photography by bill sitzmann

between

THE LINES

A look at three Omaha Magazine team members

Randy has been retouching photos since his first job out of college. He moved on to become an award-winning art director and creative director, but missed the satisfaction he got from taking a photo and making it sing—or rhumba. When not spending hours in front of his monitor doing retouch, Randy likes to spend time with his wife, Lisa, or play outdoors with Gavin and Adeline, their two children. He owns Dodge and Blur, a photo retouching service in Lincoln.

Randy Teet Photo Editor

Rachel

is an avid nature lover and enjoys spending her time in the great outdoors. She has

a strong passion for design, yoga, health, and animals. Rachel and her husband, Derek, along with their two 70-pound dogs, currently live in the Benson neighborhood. The couple both dwell in creative endeavors (Derek also works in design), so they’re constantly bouncing ideas off one another. Their home is filled with books, art projects, and music equipment. Rachel loves to hike and camp, especially in the mountains. She loves the feeling of breathing in the fresh, crisp mountain air. Rachel has a lust for life and shares those passions through teaching yoga. When she’s not working, you’re likely to find her in the garden, attending local art and

Rachel Joy

Graphic Designer

music events, or spending time with her four siblings. A senior at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, this Omaha native and Benson grad is soon to finish her degree in journalism with minors in both English and business. When not cooped up in the journalism college computer labs,

Jillian can be found around campus rockin’

her Kappa Delta letters with a smile. As the sorority’s scribe, she keeps things organized and is always practicing her editing skills. In her free time she loves trying new recipes and has a robust Pinterest board chock full of fresh delicacies to try. Her friends have deemed her their “personal chef.” The irregular stacks of magazines she’s saved over the years (hoarder alert!)

Jillian Humphries Editorial Intern

now mirrors the pattern made by an array of towering skyscrapers…and are a nod to her career goal of becoming a magazine editor.

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

AUGMENTED REALITY

augmentedreality OMAHA MAGAZINE COMES TO LIFE THIS JULY/AUGUST WITH AUGMENTEDREALITY!

Scan the interactive pages of Omaha Magazine with your smartphone or tablet using the free LayAR app.

2 Download the app. get.layar.com google play apple app store

Look for the icon.

Scan the entire page with the LayAR app.

Enjoy the new digital experience of magazines.

page 28

page 10

page H32

page 23

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

CALENDAR

this is omaha for starters

THIS IS OMAHA

JACKSON BROWNE JULY 2 ORPHEUM THEATER

DINOS: THE BIG DIG OMAHA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM THROUGH SEPTEMBER 7

Singer-Songwriter Jackson Browne returns to Omaha for one night only, playing guitar and piano on songs from his entire body of work. The artist has written and performed some of the most literate and moving songs in popular music and has defined a genre of songwriting charged with honesty, emotion and personal politics. He was honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2007. Beyond his music, he is known for his advocacy on behalf of the environment, human rights, and arts education. He’s a co-founder of the groups Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) and Nukefree.org. Jackson Browne’s Late For The Sky, originally released 40 years ago, will be reissued worldwide on June 24 through Inside Recordings and Rhino Records. This new 40th anniversary edition was re-mastered from the original analog tapes and will be available on CD in a new plastic-free, eco-digipak, with lyrics included, for the very first time. The album will also be available on all digital platforms, including Mastered for iTunes, and HD Tracks.

This summer marks the 25th anniversary since first animatronic Dinosaur exhibit opened in Omaha. The nationally recognized exhibit debuted at Omaha Children’s Museum and, to celebrate, the museum recreated a new and refreshed version of this classic with Dinos: The Big Dig, open now through September 7. In this 10,000 square foot exhibit, kids can dig for fossils in a twostory dig pit, mine for gemstones in a treasure creek or take a ride in the new Dino-Train. The exhibit contains nine roaring robotic dinosaurs that were purchased by the museum this spring. Museum Paleo-guides will lead daily programming, including how to pan for real gemstones, unearth fossils, or piece together dinosaur skeletons. These hands-on activities combined with imaginative play as paleontologists will allow children to investigate dinosaurs in a whole new way! Want to take your findings home with you? Additional gemstone and fossil bags are available for purchase within the exhibit. Summer also marks the opening of three additional exhibits at the museum, which include a kid-sized First National Bank, Children’s Hospital and Medical Center and Fairytale Land. Fairytale Land programming includes an appearance by museum Princesses Poppy, Rose and Lily, and includes daily story time, knight training, and sing-a-longs.

409 S. 16th St. Tickets $39 - $69 TicketOmaha.com

500 S. 20th St. OCM.org

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

this is omaha for starters

CALENDAR

FOR STARTERS

SECOND ANNUAL BEER AND BACON FESTIVAL OLD MATTRESS FACTORY AUGUST 2

NEBRASKA BALLOON & WINE FESTIVAL COVENTRY CAMPUS AUGUST 8 & 9

Beer. Bacon. What else is there in life? The First Annual Beer and Bacon Festival tempted the crowd’s taste buds and raised over $12,000 for the Ronald McDonald House. Over 1,200 attendees sampled brews and bacon dishes from various vendors around Omaha and the Midwest. The Second Annual Beer and Bacon festival promises to be even bigger, better, brewier and baconier. The festival is organized by the Omaha Jaycees, a young professional group whose mission is to engage the community for positive change through the initiatives of community service, individual development, membership, and management. The Beer and Bacon Festival will start at 3:00 p.m. and tastings will conclude at 6 p.m. The festival continues until 8 p.m. and features a rockin’ performance by the band Too Drunk To Fish. The ticket price includes dozens of delicious brews to sip while trying the various bacon (mmmm…bacon) dishes. The first 1,000 attendees to purchase a ticket will receive a 2014 Beer and Bacon commemorative mug. Sponsors of this event include Z92, CD105.9, Action 3 News, Quality Brands Budweiser, Ideal Images, and (yay!) Omaha Magazine. Proceeds will once again benefit the Ronald McDonald House and the Omaha Jaycees.

Whether you love wine or simply interested in trying something new, the 8th Annual Nebraska Balloon & Wine Festival will be a colorful event. The festival is a Nebraska Wine Showcase featuring some of the best award winning wines available to taste. Enjoy the delicious foods, live entertainment and festival atmosphere. Check the Marketplace Village for arts and crafts. And the kids will love Cox Communication’s KidZone Area, with highflying bungee jumping, pony rides, face painting, bounce house, slide, obstacle course…even a bull ride. Friday’s fare features wonderful Italian dishes paired with wines by Carrabba’s Italian Grill. And Saturday will boast an experience from Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. Hot air balloons launch at 7 p.m. and will be illuminated as dusk approaches. The Nebraska Wine Showcase will include experts from many Nebraska and regional wineries, including sponsoring partner Naked Grape Winery. Look for hundreds of wines to taste, but a wide array of craft beers also promises to be a big hit. Coventry Campus, just south 204th & Q showofficeonline.com

13th and Cass Streets Tickets $30 omahabeerandbacon.com

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

CALENDAR

july/august 2014

CALENDAR OF EVENTS ART AND MUSEUM EXHIBITS Emerging Artists Gallery Beginning July 1, Artists’ Cooperative Gallery, Ltd. – 405 S. 11th St. Emerging artists will display work during July. Public votes and a selection committee will choose an artist for a three month mentored membership in the gallery. Sun,Tu-Th/ Noon-6 pm; Fri, Sat/11 am-10 pm. Free. 402-342-9617 – artistscoopomaha.com

Mark di Suvero Through September, Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park in Council Bluffs. Coinciding with the installation of a monumental sculpture by Mark di Suvero commissioned by the Iowa West Foundation for Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park in Council Bluffs, Joslyn Art Museum presents this complementary exhibition of the artist’s work, including studies for the Tom Hanafan River’s Edge commission, smaller sculptures, and prints. T,W,F,Sat./10 am-4 pm; Th/10

James Nares Through September, Joslyn Art Museum – 2200 Dodge St. Street, a mesmerizing 61-minute high-definition video filmed on the streets of New York City over the course of a week in September 2011, creates a fluid narrative that transforms people’s movements and gestures into an elegant, slow motion choreography. It is accompanied by a soundtrack composed on an acoustic 12-string guitar by Sonic Youth co-founder Thurston Moore. T,W,F,Sat./10 am-4 pm;

Visions of Lewis & Clark

am-8 pm; Sun/10 am-4 pm. Free. 402-342-3300 – joslyn.org

Th/10 am-8 pm; Sun/10 am-4 pm. Free. 402-342-3300 – joslyn.org

Yellowstone and the West: The Chromolithographs of Thomas Moran Through September 7, Joslyn Art Museum – 2200 Dodge St. In 1876, Louis Prang published a portfolio of fifteen chromolithographs after watercolors by the renowned painter Thomas Moran. Released to coincide with the nation’s centennial, this was one of the first illustrated publications about the West to be printed in color, helping to transform our understanding of the region from an alien wilderness to a central part of our national identity. T,W,F,Sat./10 am-4 pm; Th/10 am-8 pm; Sun/10 am-4 pm. Free. 402-342-3300 – joslyn.org

Typecast | Recast Through October 1, 12th St. between Mike Fahey and Douglas. Typecast | Recast is brought to Omaha by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The project uses public art to challenge perceptions, break down stereotypes, and generate understanding of one another on a more human level. It is common to feel typecasted at times and each person holds their own typecasts or biases of others. Typecast | Recast offers each attendee the opportunity to recognize and examine typecasts, perceptions, and personal biases and through art, to consider a world free of them. Free. 402-333-1303 – typecastrecast.org

Through August 23, Kaneko – 1111 Jones St. Visions of Lewis & Clark is a unique historical art exhibit consisting of 30 kites commemorating Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery expedition. Throughout the summer, these kites will be on view at participating locations throughout the metro area including KANEKO, the Joslyn Art Museum, and Lauritzen Gardens among others. Commissioned from America’s most renowned kite builders, imagery for these kites is informed by the explorers’ journal notes on the people and natural resources encountered on their journey, as well as members of their party who traveled with them. 402-341-3800 – thekaneko.org

CONCERTS Sounds of Summer Concert Series Through August 22, Shadow Lake Towne Center – 7775 Olson Dr., Papillion. Live bands include a mix of jazz, blues, classic rock, country, and funk. Various merchant prizes, free face painting, balloon art and other giveaways for kids. Outdoor seating is available. 6:30-8:30 pm. Free. 402-537-0046 – shadowlakeshopping.com Jackson Browne July 2, Orpheum Theatre – 409 S. 16th St. For some, Jackson Browne is a definitive voice of the sunsoaked, mellow Southern California vibe that emanated from Laurel Canyon and spread far beyond in the mid 60s and 70s. Catch him this summer as he tours stripped down and unplugged, with just an acoustic guitar and a magnificent back catalogue to choose from, this is an evening not to be missed. 7:30 pm. $62-$184. 402-661-8501 – omahaperformingarts.com

calendar as of 6/12/14. Check individual organization website for updates.

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

Simple Pleasures

calendar july/august 2014 Photo by Bill Sitzmann

Safari Cigars & Lounge is the ideal location for brunches, luncheons, dinner parties, corporate meetings, photo shoots and other special events.

Vibes at Village Pointe – Hardwood Dash July 5, Village Pointe Shopping Center – 168th and W. Dodge Rd. Come enjoy the warm summer evenings and hot live music where friends can join you for a glass of wine or a cold beer. All while the kids can have their face painted and dance down by the stage. Bring your chairs or spread a blanket each week and be entertained by the best lineup of local bands in West Omaha. 6:30-8:30 pm. Free. 402-505-9773 – villagepointeshopping.com

We provide attentive service, an extensive selection of wine, spirits and cordials and a choice of more than 100 of the ﬁnest cigars. To inquire about hosting a private event, call today!

Flobots July 6, Waiting Room Lounge – 6212 Maple St. When a pair of intelligent, visionary emcees join forces with a battle-hardened, groove-fusing rhythm section, and a classically trained violist the result is a sound that explores and expands the frontiers of live hiphop. Progressive in both style and message, the band’s ability to drop from symphonic rock-infused crescendos into stripped-down string-laden breakbeats has earned Flobots a reputation for both originality and authenticity. Armed with musicianship, intelligence, and an ingrained sense of rebellion, Flobots are looking to engage a new musical culture, one mind at a time. If you are thinking, you are winning. 8 pm. $15. 402-884-5353 – waitingroomlounge.com

Creating the most unique and pleasurable cigar smoking experience in Omaha.

13110 Birch Drive · Omaha, NE 68164 · 402.884.6702

NEBRASKA’S PREMIER RIDE & WATER PARK! Go Karts • Rides • Kiddie Rides Arcade • Mini Golf Course Water Attractions • And more!

7003 Q Street

•

(402) 331-8436

•

Online at fun-plex.com

Jazz on the Green July 11 through August 15, Midtown Crossing – 31st–33rd and Farnam-Dodge Sts. Anchored by the green space of Turner Park, Midtown Crossing is situated in the heart of historic midtown Omaha. A blend of shopping, entertainment and services, the 225,000-square-feet development features Omaha favorites like Wohlner’s Neighborhood Grocery and The Afternoon right alongside a roster of national dynamos. Thu/5 pm opens, 7:30 pm show begins. Free. – jazzonthegreenomaha.com

10666 Sapp Bros. Drive Omaha, NE 68138 402-896-9140 Between Exits 439 & 440 on I-80

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

CALENDAR

july/august 2014

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Tommy Emmanuel July 18, Holland Performing Arts Center – 1200 Douglas St. Australian guitar virtuoso and two-time Grammy®-nominee, Tommy Emmanuel, has been named Best Acoustic Guitarist by Readers Choice twice. Honored by Chet Atkins with the title of “Certified Guitar Player” for his contribution to guitar music; Emmanuel shares this rare distinction with only four other people in the world. His career spans five decades garnering hundreds of thousands of loyal fans worldwide. With a message to share pure love for music, Emmanuel’s shows are known for their humor, passion and infectious joy. 8pm. $39.75-$49.75. 402-345-0606 – omahaperformingarts.org Hullabaloo Music & Camping Festival July 24 through July 26, Sokol Park – 915 Allied Rd., Bellevue. A celebration featuring live music from regional and national bands and DJs. 402-210-4747 – hullabaloomusicfestival.com Fitz and the Tantrums July 27, Harrah’s Stir Concert Cove – 1 Harrah’s Blvd., Council Bluffs. Rimming with imagination, energy, and genre-smashing scope, Fitz & The Tantrums defied the odds to become an indisputable phenomenon, a chart-topping, show-stopping modern pop combo unlike any other. Now, with their spectacular Elektra Records debut, More Than Just A Dream, the Los Angeles-based sextet have ramped up the timeless song craft and soul sonic force that made them a worldwide sensation to fashion a kaleidoscopic milestone that delivers on the promise of their 2010 breakthrough, Pickin’ Up The Pieces. 8 pm. $35. 800-745-3000 – harrahscouncilbluffs.com One Republic July 30, CenturyLink Center Omaha – 455 N. 10th St. OneRepublic brings their 2014 Native Summer Tour to Omaha. With special guest The Script. 7 pm. $25-$75. 800-745-3000 – centurylinkcenteromaha.com

Pat Benatar & Neil Geraldo August 15, Harrah’s Stir Concert Cove – 1 Harrah’s Blvd., Council Bluffs. Rock legends Pat Benatar & Neil “Spyder” Giraldo have just announced plans to keep their 35th Anniversary Tour rocking fans through the summer with an. The powerhouse duo behind one of the largest arsenals of rock hits including “Love is a Battlefield”, “Hit Me with Your Best Shot”, “Heartbreaker”, “We Live For Love”, “Promises In The Dark,” “We Belong,” and more will be headlining solo concerts nationwide. 7:30 pm. $46. 800-745-3000 – harrahscouncilbluffs.com MAHA Music Festival August 16, Stinson Park – 67th St. and W. Center Rd. Omaha’s homegrown Indie Rock music festival. Maha is a nonprofit music festival organized and run by volunteers, and brought to you through the support of many wonderful sponsors. They created Maha for community building, not for profit. The idea of a homegrown music festival had been around for years, but finally found the right group of volunteers in 2009. If you share their passion, they invite you to attend, become a volunteer and/or share your ideas for making Maha bigger and better. Noon-Midnight. – mahamusicfestival.com

calendar as of 6/12/14. Check individual organization website for updates.

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

End of Summer Concert Series August 21 through September 25, Midtown Crossing – 31st–33rd and Farnam-Dodge Sts. A six-week concert series showcasing some of the area’s most exciting, live musical talent. Bring coolers, chairs, blanket, and snacks for this evening series every Thursday night. Th/seating opens at 5 pm, shows start at 7 pm. Free. – midtowncrossing.com

calendar july/august 2014

FAMILY & MORE Rockbrook Village Friday Concerts Through August 29, Rockbrook Village Shopping Center – 108th and W. Center Rd. Local musicians entertain families every Friday night throughout the summer. Bring Granny, a date, or the kids and a lawn chair for a delightful evening. Dine and shop in Rockbrook Village before the concert. 10 am- 5pm. Free. 402-390-0890 – rockbrookvillage.com Cruiser’s for the Breath of Life Fifth Anniversary Car Show July 11, Shadow Lake Towne Center – 72nd St. and Hwy 370. Enjoy an evening under the stars and support the American Lung Association. Register your car online. Awards for Ambassadors’ Choice, Spectator’s Choice, and more will be awarded. There will also be class awards. Registration, 5 pm; Show, 6 pm; Awards, 8:30 pm. $15-$20. 402-935-0974 – shadowlakeshopping.com Gifford Farm Family Fun Saturday July 12, Gifford Farm Education Center – 700 Camp Gifford Rd., Bellevue. Story time! Visit the farm animals and listen to stories from area residents. Children’s author Tina Semteck will be the special guest of the day. $5, ages two and up, half price with military ID. 10 am-2 pm. 402-597-4920 – esu3.org

Photo by Daniel Muller

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CALENDAR

july/august 2014

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Railroad Days July 12 through July 13, Lauritzen Gardens – 100 Bancroft St. This festival includes admission into five of the area’s best attractions for families, including: Lauritzen Gardens, The Durham Museum, the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, the RailsWest Railroad Museum and the Historic General Dodge House. During the festival, visitors will enjoy many railroad themed activities. $15/family. 9 am–5 pm. 402-346-4002 – lauritzengardens.org Drums Across Nebraska DCI Show July 14, Buell Stadium – 14905 Q St. The only Drum Corps International show in Nebraska. Music and pageantry like you have never seen or heard. $10-$30. 6-11 pm. 402-715-8525 – dci.org

Tour de Zoo July 31, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium – 3701 S. 10th St. Bring your bike and ride during Tour de Zoo, a family fun event including dinner, snacks, and refreshments plus special animal encounters during the fun-filled evening. Reservations are required. $20, member; $25, non-member, Free, kids 2 and under. 6:30-8:30 pm. 402-738-2038 – omahazoo.com Family Fun Carnival August 2, Strategic Air & Space Museum – 28210 W. Park Highway, Ashland. Shuttle Bounce House and Super Slide, Face Painting, Space Walk and Parachute game, Ring Toss, Duck Pond, Lollipop Games, Juggling, Balloon Animals, and more. $6-$12; free for members. 11 am – 2 pm. 800-358-5029 – sasmuseum.com

Nebraska Regional Bridge Tournament August 4 through August 10, Mid America Center – 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs. You are an invited guest of the Nebraska Regional, taking place at the Mid America Center, 100 yards from the Horseshoe Casino. Free parking, lunch, morning coffee. Partnership of Marlene and Art Clausen. 7 pm. $13-$15. 402-333-7082 – omahabridge.org 8th Annual Nebraska Balloon & Wine Festival August 8 and August 9, Coventry Campus – south of 240th and Q streets. Enjoy the Midwest’s most delicious foods and barbeque throughout the Festival. Listen to some of the areas best bands and musicians. Plus, exciting entertainment for everyone to enjoy including Marketplace Village, art and crafts feature displays, pony rides and activities for the kids. $14 adults (Wine and Beer); $10 general admission; $7, children 12 and under, Free, children 5 and under. F/5-11 pm; Sat/3-11 pm. 403-346-8003 – showofficeonline.com Color Foam 5K August 16, CenturyLink Center Omaha – 455 N. 10th St. Color Foam 5k was created to promote health and wellness and bring the community together to support local charities. Color Foam 5k is about people being healthy and having fun while doing it. They are not about catering to the extreme athlete, but more about giving you a glorious foamy experience like never before. Color Foam 5k is a 5k, un-timed race in which thousands of participants run through different colored foam and get blasted with colored water. The foam and color are eco-friendly and safe. – Colorfoam5k.com

The Color Run July 19, CenturyLink Center Omaha – 455 N. 10th St. Also known as The Happiest 5k on the Planet, the organizers of The Color Run love chucking paint and making people smile. Less about your 10-minute-mile and more about having the time of your life, The Color Run is a five-kilometer, un-timed race in which thousands of participants are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer. $35-$55. 402-341-1500 – thecolorrun.com/omaha

Worldfest August 2, Omaha Children’s Museum – 500 S. 20th St. Join Omaha and its six sister cities to learn about different cultures and traditions found around the world. Cities include: Braunschwig (Germany), Naas, (Ireland), Yantai (China), Xalapa (Mexico), Siauliai (Lithuania), and Shizouka (Japan). $9, kids and adults; $8, seniors; Free, members and children under two years. 10 am. 402-342-6164 – ocm.org

calendar as of 6/12/14. Check individual organization website for updates.

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

24th Annual Corporate Cycling Challenge August 17, Heartland of America Park – S. 8th St. and Douglas St. The 24th Annual Corporate Cycling Challenge includes corporate (company), open (individual), and club (group) divisions offered in the largest one day bicycle event in the Midwest. Sun/7:30 am, registration; 8 am, ride begins. $25. 402-444-5955 – ci.omaha.ne.us

calendar july/august 2014

Nebraska State Fair August 22 through September 1, Fonner Park – 700 E. Stolley Park Rd., Grand Island. The Nebraska State Fair is an annual, 11-day event. The fair is held at Fonner Park in Grand Island, following a recent move from its previous host city of 109 years, Lincoln. Prices vary, free-$55. 308-382-1620 – statefair.org

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Midlands Pirate Festival August 23, Bellevue Berry Farm & Pumpkin Patch – 1101 S. 48th St., Bellevue. A nautical celebration of all things pirate! A weekend filled with debauchery and fantasy. Eat, drink, and make merry. 11 am-6 pm. $10. 402-331-5500 – bellevueberryfarm.com

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2014 National Miss Amazing Pageant August 6-9, Ramada Plaza Convention Center – 3321 S. 72nd St. State Miss Amazing Pageant representatives from across the country ages 20-35 will come together in one show to share their amazing abilities. Meet the representatives, find out what Miss Amazing Inc. is accomplishing, and have a chance to win some stunning raffle prizes! This ultimate celebration of abilities only happens once a year at the beautiful Ramada Plaza Convention Center. 5-7 pm. $15-$35. 402-238-6152 – missamazingpageant.com

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Fortune August 1 and August 2, Funny Bone Comedy Club and Restaurant – 17305 Davenport St. Suite 201, Village Point Shopping Center. The loveable Southern comic, Fortune Feimster, moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to pursue comedy after graduating Summa Cum Laude from Peace College in North Carolina. First she made a pit stop in Sevilla, Spain where she taught English, studied Spanish, and backpacked all over Europe for a year. Then with $25 in her pocket she landed in Los Angeles, slept on a friend’s couch for a month, and hoped for the best. F/7:30 and 9:45 pm; 7 pm and 9:30 pm. $20. 402-493-8036 – funnybonecentral.com

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omaha magazine • july/august 2014

ART + CULTURE • VISUAL ARTS

by kim carpenter • photography by bill sitzmann

Scan the page with the LayAR app to watch a video on local artist Ying Zhu.

W Site Specific Artist Ying Zhu

HEN YING ZHU WAS

choosing a major at the University of NebraskaOmaha, family friends encouraged her to focus on computer science because, they said, she would always be able to find a job. Little did they know how right they were. But not because the BS in Management Information Systems that she earned would lead to job offers, but rather because taking art classes to fill credit hours would convince her that her true calling was art. In retrospect, it isn’t surprising that Zhu wound up in a career rooted in creativity > omaha magazine • july/august 2014

ART + CULTURE • VISUAL ARTS

< rather than information technology. The artist, who was born and raised in China, had studied stage lighting design and received a BA in photography at China Communication University in Beijing before moving to America. So making the jump to art was not a big leap. “My last semester at UNO I needed to take additional credit hours to be full-time for my scholarship,” she explains. “Although it sounds cliché, I never studied so hard as I did for the studio design class. I was very immersed in it. I knew what I wanted to do. For computers, I couldn’t wait to graduate. For art, I didn’t want to leave.” She never has. After taking a year off, she returned to school, and this time studied art. Zhu earned her MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2010, and the following year became an Artist-in-Residence at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, ranked one of the country’s top residency programs. Artists from around the world apply annually for limited slots in a blind jury process, and the likelihood of a local artist being selected was a long shot. Zhu, however, received one of the coveted spots, and the residency allowed her to understand the intricacies of her profession better. “I was freshly out of school,” she remembers. “The artists I was with were all in my age group and emerging. It was really nice to see how people worked and managed their careers.” How Zhu works is hard to classify. “I try not to categorize,” she says, “but most of my work is three-dimensional installation-based art.” That’s putting it simply. Zhu creates work that is often breathtaking both in scope and articulation. When Project Harmony, a nonprofit dedicated to stopping child abuse, wanted artwork for its new Omaha headquarters, Zhu was chosen from an open call. Her proposal involved creating a 500-square-foot, floor-toceiling wall composed of 650 10”x10” panels that mimicked ocean waves. She chose this subject and the different shades of blue for a reason. “It is a simple image,” she says. “Sea water and the colors are soothing for children.” But Zhu didn’t just paint the panels; she constructed each of them from Legos, roughly two million of them in the smallest size available—the kind usually used to create tiny details like traffic lights. The work was labor-intensive and time-consuming, and Zhu worked with people of all ages to construct the panels. “I really felt the love of the community through this project,” she remarks. “I had groups of people coming 24

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

ying zhu

to help. I met a lot of people I normally would not have.” Other projects followed, with the most recent being Zhu’s most prominent to date. UNO commissioned her to create an installation for its new Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center, the permanent home for its outreach programs, which opened this past April. Like Project Harmony, this installation was similarly detail-oriented. Zhu took six sheets of large-scale mirrors, cut into approximately one-inch, irregularly shaped pieces, and painted the edges in seven vibrant colors. She then mounted the pieces over several sections of the lobby’s wall to create a dazzling optical effect. “I used mirrors because the center is a gateway between the university and the community,” Zhu says. “In my mind, I envisioned how we see ourselves in others and how they

see us…as reflections of one another. But I didn’t want people to see exact replicas. I wanted fragments. I wanted a little of me in you, a little of you in me. I wanted a lot of fragments because there are many of us.” The artist’s career shows no signs of slowing down. During September, she has two exhibitions, one at the Lux Center for the Arts in Lincoln, the other at Creighton University’s Lied Art Gallery, and that work will be just as new and fresh, but still inimitably hers. “There’s a common thread in my work that is mostly my aesthetic,” Zhu muses. “But it is constantly changing and evolving. I am always trying to broaden my repertoire. It’s best not to limit myself.” And as her work continues to grow in scale and concept, it’s certain that she won’t. OMAG For more information about the artist, visit yingzhu.org

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DID YOU KNOW...

fun facts about omaha

DID YOU KNOW Doug McDermott

Malcolm X

The Creighton Bluejay all-everything superstar just completed his senior year and now looks to the NBA draft to determine the next stop of his storied career. Photo by Joe Mixan.

Born in Omaha as Malcolm Little and later known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Malcolm X was one of America’s most influential African-American figures.

Warren Buffett

The Oracle of Omaha’s decidedly humble home in the Elmwood Park neighborhood is a drive-by favorite for curious locals and visitors alike. The Florence Mill

Erected in 1846, the Florence Mill is the only surviving building from the winter quarters used by the Mormons as they journeyed west to Utah.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

Another day, another accolade. Seemingly countless other publications have preceded them in bestowing such honors, but FamilyFun magazine recently named Omaha’s zoo as (once again) the best in the nation.

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

DID YOU KNOW...

fun facts about omaha

ABOUT OMAHA TV Dinner

This iconic American fast food dish—originally known as the TV Brand Frozen Dinner—was created here by C.A. Swanson & Sons in 1953.

Marlin Brando

Dodie, the mother of this Omaha-born screen legend, was instrumental in founding the Omaha Community Playhouse, the nation’s largest community theater company.

The Reuben Sandwich

Fred Astaire

This savory staple of American cuisine was first concocted at the city’s famed Blackstone Hotel.

Born on May 10, 1899, in Omaha, Fred Astaire is regarded by many as the greatest popular music dancer of all time.

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

by carol crissey nigrelli •

photography by bill sitzmann

The Loyal Royal Alex Gordon remains humble and focused in a starring role.

HE BATTER STEPS UP to the

plate and smacks a line drive into the left field gap. The runner at second base starts motoring toward third, rounds the corner, and heads for home. It was seemingly a logical base-running decision, but an ill-advised one for a couple of reasons: one, this is Kauffman Stadium; two, Alex Gordon patrols left field. Gordon seems to have a sixth sense about where a ball will ping off the wall or hop 28

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

on the outfield grass. Sure enough, on this night against the Baltimore Orioles, he times his run toward the ball perfectly, catches it on the first bounce, and immediately rifles a throw straight into the glove of All-Star catcher Salvador Perez, who applies the tag. Another baserunner kill (assist) for Gordon, whose defensive skills have earned three consecutive Gold Glove Awards. Now in his eighth season with the Kansas City Royals, the Lincoln native has become >

SPORTS

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< the face of the franchise. He is everything the club thought he would—and could—be when they drafted him as the second overall pick in 2005 following a legendary junior year at the University of Nebraska, where he swept all the national player of the year awards. When Gordon signed with the Royals in September of that year, sports outlets throughout KC hailed him as the next George Brett, the hero who would once again lead the team to the Promised Land of playoffs and stop the hemorrhaging in the loss column. Heady stuff for a 21-year-old. “Yeah, I felt a little pressure,” reflects Gordon, sitting in a quiet room deep within “The K” behind the Royals dugout. “But I think anytime you’re drafted where I was drafted there’s going to be those expectations. It’s how you deal with it that makes the difference.” The way Gordon dealt with setbacks early in his Royals career made the difference between being a success or becoming another asterisk in what was then a maddening streak of firstround draft busts. He debuted against the Red Sox in April 2007. His offensive output disappointed during his first two seasons. Then, in 2009 and 2010, injuries severely curtailed his playing time. On top of that, the Royals moved Gordon from third base to the outfield. To regain his swing and build his confidence in a new position, the Royals sent him down to Triple-A Omaha. “I could have gone down there, moped around and been upset; not tried to work hard to get to where I wanted to be,” says Gordon of his time in Omaha. “ But I took a positive attitude and did everything I could.” Gordon’s widely admired work ethic and relentless pursuit of perfection paid off. He scorched the scoreboard in Omaha and, just as importantly, discovered he loved playing left field. “It kinda’ comes natural,” he says. Many would argue he is now the game’s best outfielder. An All-Star with his own cheering section and a legion of “Gordo Nation” fans, Gordon opted to stay with the club that he worshipped growing up in Lincoln. In 2012, he signed a four-year contract extension worth $37.5 million, though baseball insiders say he could have gone to another club for a lot more. Gordon will have none of that. “They stuck with me,” says Gordon, explaining why his loyalty to the team runs so deep. “You know, they could have easily > continued on page 34

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FACES

story by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann

Melanie Smith Beyond the Chair

HAT DO LADY GAGA’S

posse, the cast of Wicked, and the Oscar-winning actress Ellen Burstyn have in common? Melanie Smith. Smith cuts and styles a mean head of hair. And she wields a makeup brush with the bravado of a swashbuckling pirate. Any client who sits in a chair at her salon, The Cutting Room, can tell you as much. > omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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omaha magazine • july/august 2014

< But it’s Smith’s work beyond the chair that a creative spirit finds a second wind... and soars. The stylist’s most recent after-hours gig as a (tongue twister alert!) wig-wrangler with Wicked had her juggling over 30 heads of hair—and the actors who wore them—in a dizzying series of dozens of costume changes all throughout that Broadway blockbuster’s Omaha run. “It’s kind of ironic that I studied in southern California and did find at least a little bit of work out there,” Smith says, “but all of my important jobs came when I returned to Omaha.” Jobs like taking the role of key hair stylist for Alexander Payne’s Nebraska (2013). Or working with Burstyn and others on the Country Club neighborhood set of Nik Fackler’s Lovely, Still (2008). Or eating dust on a gravel road in rural Sarpy County for the filming of Lady Gaga’s “You and I” (2011) video. “I don’t know if I would ever want to be on stage or in a film,” says Smith. “I’m pretty happy to be running around in the dark [in the wings of a theater] or being just off camera with all my gear. The crew is a link in the chain that makes these productions go. We’re creating art of our own, it’s just that we do it behind the scenes.” And the Lady Gaga video shoot? The crew, Smith explains, was instructed to be on the lookout for crashers and all were advised to report anyone who looked “strange.” “Think about that for a minute,” Smith chuckles. “Strange? It’s a Lady Gaga video shoot! Tons of professional artists everywhere you look. It was like strange central in the same way that any gathering of that many artists was going to mean some pretty interesting people-watching.” Never one to rest when there are new creative outlets to explore, Smith has been passionately honing her skills in photography. “I’m not allowed to talk about it yet in print,” she says of a cone of silence that was lifted just before this magazine went to press, “but my photography is about to be published in a magazine. Is that something you want to talk about?” Depends. Which magazine? “Rolling Stone.” Yes, Melanie, we should talk. We should definitely talk. OMAG Follow the artist at melanierosesmith.com.

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UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD MUSEUM Visit the Union Pacific Railroad Museum to experience “Building America,” an immersive exhibit featuring video-game technology; relive the height of passenger rail travel; and learn how Union Pacific and America’s progress have been inextricably linked for more than 150 years. 200 Pearl Street • Council Bluffs, IA 51503 Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Free Admission (712) 329-8307 • www.uprrmuseum.org

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

continued from page 30 < gotten rid of me or traded me. But they believed in me and I thank them a lot for that. It’s somewhere I want to be and somewhere they’ve let me be for awhile.” Kansas City’s proximity to Nebraska also played a huge part in his decision to stay. Gordon’s wife, Jamie, whom he met in college and married in 2008, also hails from Lincoln. The lure of home is so great that the couple, along with their two young sons, Max and Sam, live in Lincoln during the off-season. For their part, Nebraskans embrace Gordon not just as a Royal but also as a Husker. “Alex Gordon is awesome,” says Nebraska fan James Kolasky, a nurse in Elkhorn. “He was on the Dream Team for the Huskers in 2005 along with Joba [Chamberlain]. They went to the College World Series, but the cards didn’t fall their way.” Though the “Dream Team” only won one game at the CWS, the experience still resonates with Gordon. “We were from Nebraska and we played in Omaha, so we got the home crowd,” says Gordon, who first attracted attention as a two-time Gatorade Nebraska Player of the Year at Lincoln Southeast High School. “We had an escort to the baseball field [at the old Rosenblatt Stadium]. We almost felt like rock stars. It was pretty cool.” True to his Nebraska roots, Gordon displays neither ego nor airs of any kind when dealing with the media. He accepts giving interviews as part of the job and remains accessible and patient—a genuinely nice guy. But the ballplayer is all business. His small talk is about as lean as his physique. (Gordon is a walking billboard for the benefits of a chicken and protein diet, which he follows faithfully). His daily routine consists of weight lifting and cardio, followed by batting practice, a little shut-eye, and then back to the batting cage. While his life is an open book, thanks to the Internet, he still provided a little-known tidbit: “I’m really good at cards,” he admits. “Just ask the other guys on the team. I always kill them at cards. Other than that, I’m a pretty laid-back guy and a family man. It doesn’t take much for me to have fun.” Nebraska’s best baseball player—kind, courteous, and killing it in Kansas City. And a card shark to boot. OMAG

by robyn murray • photography by bill sitzmann

FACES

Island at the End of the Rainbow Historic studio is ready to be enveloped by UNO sports complex.

ECKED OUT IN A Hawaiian

print shirt with a gleaming bald head and dyed red beard, Nils Anders Erickson squeezes through a narrow corridor wedged between piles of vintage music gear. Wood-framed speakers, guitars and amps crowd the space, leaving Erickson barely enough room to get to an old recorder he wants to point out. “This belonged to Luigi Waites,” he says. > continued on page 50

Nils Anders Erickson, owner of Rainbow Recording Studios, also performs in the band Paddy O Furniture. “We are the world’s tallest Irish punk band,” he says. “So we may not be really good, but we’re really tall.” omaha magazine • july/august 2014

STYLE SHOT

Suit: Ludlow Italian linen-cotton suit by J. Crew Shirt: Herringbone, French cuff, spread collar by Charles Tyrwhitt Tie: Handmade bow tie by Louise Poole Shoes: Suede bucks by G.H. Bass & Co. 36

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

story by david williams • photography by laurie and charles photographs

Along for the Ride

A L L E Y of Alley Poyner Maccietto Architecture often cycles to work. And wife Laura, who also works at the firm located in NoDo’s TipTop Building? She pedals on occasion as well. Here she’s just along for the ride as the couple sit for a session with Laurie and Charles Photographs. OMAG ICH A E L

Skirt: Shear pleated skirt by Anne Taylor Loft Top: Parisian Tee by Soprano Shoes: Zipper-back leather wedge sandals by Steve Madden Leggings: Cotton leggings by Banana Republic Belt and Necklace: Anthropologie omaha magazine • july/august 2014

FACES

Ben Lueders From Hawaii to Benson

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

by jillian humphries • photography by bill sitzman

HE AFTERNOON SUN SHINES

through the window, illuminating an armada of Lego creations. Large pirate ships defend one side of the room while, a few feet away, an opposing counter displays Star Wars vessels and such action figures as Anakin and Luke Skywalker manning their battle stations. Ben Lueders, owner of Fruitful Design, is sitting at a rustic wooden table discussing

upcoming projects with intern Nicholas Jones. Lueders spent most of his childhood in Hawaii, during which time he was trained in classical piano and enjoyed creating things with Legos. Though he started off studying music in college, he often spent time in the library between classes drawing caricatures of his friends. After hearing about a job opening with the Hawaii Coral Reef initiative, Lueders headed downtown on whim. He surprised

faces ben lueders

even himself by becoming their art director, a position he held for eight years before moving to Omaha in 2006. He had never imagined that he could make a living drawing sharks, and music soon took a backseat to his newest creative outlet. Lueders went on to work at local creative firm Eleven19 after winning, of all things, a coloring contest for Big Omaha. It was there that yet another light bulb went off. “I realized my love for working for a small local shop with awesome long-term clients and being able to do very creative work,” he says. With that vision in mind, Fruitful Design was born. His business offers such services as branding, illustration, print media, and web design. His body of work also includes the background typography seen on the Best of Omaha™ cover of the January-February issue of this magazine. All that was missing was the perfect space. As with so many young professionals, the thriving scene in Benson beckoned. A client would later morph into a landlord. Lueders learned of the ambitious mission behind the 402 Arts Collective and director Ben Schafer’s ideas for the old Foundry building on Maple Street in Benson. Schafer planned to turn the space into a coffee shop, recording studio, live performance venue, and more. Lueders began by creating their new logo and branding. The 402 Arts collective became one of his first regular clients, and now is the location of Fruitful Design’s offices. “I love Benson, it is such a magical place,” he adds. Now with a space of his own, Lueders’ imagination moves far above and beyond a sketchpad and pencil. A room next to his office is where he teaches lessons on Wednesday nights. And, rekindling a once dormant passion, he is known to write his own music. The 402 Arts Collective’s recording studio shares a wall with Fruitful Design, and Lueders has some studio time saved up that he’s dying to use. As business grows, the Legos continue to multiply, and musical notes waft back and forth through the walls, just like the innovative thoughts bouncing around in Lueders’ head. There is still one question left unanswered. Why the “Fruitful” brand? “I don’t measure my [design] successes by how much cooler they look,” he says, “but what I love to see is that my clients become more fruitful because of them.” OMAG

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lifestyle. style. omaha magazine • july/august 2014

FACES

by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann

Jill Anderson Facing Her Most Challenging Role

RIPLE-THREAT ACTRESS, SINGER, DANCER Jill Anderson

knows what it’s like to be the subject of adoring ovations, but now she’s sharing the spotlight with the most unwelcome of co-stars.

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

faces jill anderson

Anderson, one of the area’s most celebrated talents and one of the few local professionals with Actors’ Equity cred, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis earlier this year. “I’m taking a philosophical approach to things so far,” says the woman who is also remembered for Beyond the Pale, her popular Irish folk band of decades past. “MS is a fairly serious diagnosis, but a lot of people live functional, productive lives with this disease. What I won’t let it do is to stop my creativity and my production of art, whether that be writing, concert work, or recording,” adds Anderson, who has released four volumes of Irish folk music through her Red Chair Records brand. And acting? “I’m going to keep auditioning, but fatigue is a major symptom of MS for me right now, and we’ll see how that goes. Double vision is another symptom. Right now, for example, I see two of you,” she says of the interviewer sitting across the table in the garden of Caffeine Dreams coffee shop. The artist may be seeing double, but she is working triple time in preparation for her fourth annual Joslyn Castle Literary Festival in September. Previous festivals have focused on such giants as the Bronte Sisters and Oscar Wilde. Last year’s effort was a flapper-fueled nod to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Each festival is a multifaceted exploration of a literary figure that has featured the likes of staged works, films, panel discussions—even a fashion show. This year’s festival delves into the undead world of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It’s exactly the kind of initiative, says Anderson, that punctuates the idea that her “creativity bucket” can remain full regardless of where MS takes her. And if her diagnosis has anything at all resembling a silver lining, Anderson is now reconnecting with long dormant passions for poetry, the visual arts, and beyond. “MS has given me a new set of circumstances,” she says, “but that’s really no different than any role or project I take on. In theatre, for example, my character also has a set of circumstances. There’s a script. There’s a setting. The character has a certain economic or social or whatever kind of background that guides who they are. Just like on stage, my life now has a new set of circumstances. It may be a matter of adding new avenues for creativity, but my art will continue.” OMAG Follow the artist at redchairrecords.com and the festival at joslyncastle.com.

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GEN O

Jack & Jack Short Attention Span Theatre

T HAS BEEN SAID that all glory is

fleeting. Nobody knows that better than recent Westside High School grads Jack Gilinsky and Jack Johnson. They’ve found online fame in a big way—all in the most fleeting of six-second increments. At press time, the entertainment enterprise known simply as Jack & Jack had a stunning 3.7 million followers on Vine, the mobile app

Jack Gilinsky and Jack Johnson in a Contemplative Moment

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann

gen o jack & jack

now owned by Twitter that enables its users to create short—with double emphasis on the word ‘short’—video clips. The Jacks, who have been best friends since kindergarten and whose homes are only blocks apart, offer the simplest of explanations when asked to describe the genesis of their creative endeavors. “Boredom,” says Gilinsky, the son of Katherine and David Gilinsky. “Summer,” adds Johnson, whose parents are Jennifer and John Johnson. Hey, c’mon, guys! Just because your Vines are limited to only six seconds doesn’t mean that your interview answers need to follow suit! Their comedic videos are sometimes sliceof-life observations on teen life, but most involve a certain slapstick vibe that depict the young men in all manner of exuberantly unfettered high jinx. The Jacks don’t discuss the money-making aspect of their work, but say they have enjoyed some of the perks of fame, including being flown around the country by a sponsor for meet-and-greet sessions with other top Viners. It is there that they are welcomed by screaming, mostly young teen girls in scenes of adoration reminiscent of those when the Beatles first landed in America. They had once intended on studying together at the same college, but their success now has the Jacks planning to move to L.A. next year to make their mark in the music and entertainment industry. Gilinsky sings and Johnson raps. One of their songs, “Paradise,” recently spent time as the No. 1 seller on the iTunes Hip Hop charts. “Our first objective is to become professional musicians,” says Johnson. “College is still really important but, if anything, this really helps build a great resume regardless of what we do.” “And we’ll still continue with comedy as well,” adds Gilinsky. “Not everybody gets a chance like this, and we want to see how far we can take this before going to school.” Since the mid-1990s, the rise of instant communication on the Internet has had a revolutionary impact on both culture and commerce. And you can say what you will about fears that the web has served to shrink a nation’s attention span. In the meantime, all bow to the six-second entertainment juggernaut that is Jack & Jack. OMAG

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ART + CULTURE • PERFORMING ARTS

by sarah wengert • photography by bill sitzmann

Apollon’s Creed A Unique, Interdisciplinary Cultural Blend

HE APOLLON IS NOT

dinner theater. What, then, is it? It could be a tea party with the Mad Hatter, the last supper on a soonto-sink Titanic, a journey to King Arthur’s Court…every show is a unique, immersive, multi-genre amalgam of art and performance. “Each production is different and specifically designed by the group of artists working on it,” says Ryan Tewell, Co-Creator and Managing Artistic Director, adding that visual art, live music, theatrical

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

performance, and gourmet cuisine are present in every show. “I spend lots of time trying to explain what The Apollon is,” says Tewell. “We’ve never been able to describe it succinctly, but we encourage people to come see and define it for themselves. “It’s magical merging different genres of artists, musicians, culinary wizards, theatrical folk, and writers,” adds Communications Director, Sara Ammon. “But it isn’t truly complete until the guest walks in our door and becomes part of the show. >

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< Tewell, a one-time accountant, had a quarter-life crisis regarding his career. He was on a safe, sure-thing path. But he wasn’t happy. So, in 2008, Tewell co-founded the Nebraska Writers Collective and started consulting for local arts and culture organizations. During this period Tewell noticed “artificial divisions between creative disciplines. “So we started this little group of us: a teacher, a writer, an architect, and a chef,” he says. “We talked about what it would look like to make work cooperatively across disciplines that don’t always work together.” That idea would become The Apollon, expanding from there on its own momentum to include 26 regular artists in the core group. The Apollon hatches its shows by choosing a theme, then allowing its band of creators to develop an interdisciplinary show around it. “We bring the artists to the table on day one and give them the freedom to determine exactly what they want to build,” Tewell says. “Each artist from each discipline sees the world in a slightly different way. If you get them all in a room, those slightly different perspectives interact to shape what’s created.” After research and development, The Apollon’s first show was in 2011, and they performed as a traveling company until landing in 2013 at their striking South Omaha space on 18th and Vinton. Fittingly, the company is named after the Greek god, Apollo, “the caretaker of the nine muses, who were thought be the inspiration for all creative work,” says Tewell. “We wanted to try and be somewhat of a physical realization, as an art space, of Apollo’s expansive reach.” July’s show, The Eagle Has Landed: An Apollo 11 Tribute, fits that bill, examining the intersection of fine art and science. “One of our most central, foundational beliefs is that all art can be boiled down to three basic elements: the performer, the witness, and the shared experience between them. That’s a pretty broad definition that gives us a lot of opportunity,” Tewell says. “We want people to leave feeling that we just shared something. That they were able to be connected to the artists in their community through the experiences they had in this room.” OMAG Visit apollonomaha.com to learn more.

story by • photography by bill sitzmann

RESTAURANT REVIEW

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

FACES

Molly Schuyler Appetite for Competition

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

by sarah wengert • photography by bill sitzmann

OL LY SCH U Y L E R ’ S FAMILY OFTEN dined at

the buffet where her dad strongly advised her and her three brothers they had better get his money’s worth. By now, the professional competitive eater has most certainly made papa proud. Schuyler realized her talent for competitive eating as a child, between the buffet mandate and casual soda-chugging races in grade school. “No guy could come close to me,” Schuyler says, “but I didn’t think anything of it.” Schuyler, her four adorable kids, and one Air Force husband, have lived in Bellevue for the past three-and-a-half years. She’s competed for less than two years. “It was all just for fun at first, no money involved,” she says. Her first paid competition was July 2013. She began dabbling with challenges like the infamous Stellanator, a food challenge at popular Bellevue burger joint, Stella’s, that includes six 6.5-oz burger patties, six fried eggs, 12 bacon strips, six pieces of cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, and peanut butter, plus a bun. Oh, and a basket of fries. In August 2012, Schuyler became the first woman to finish The Stellanator, belying her petite 5’7”, 120 lb. frame. “I still can’t believe this tiny little lady finished the Stellanator in 15 mins!” Stella’s posted online. But Schuyler was hungry for more. In October 2012, she returned, setting a new Stellanator record time of six minutes, 28

seconds. In April 2014, she tangoed again with the monster, finishing in an unbelievable three minutes, 40 seconds. And guess what she did afterwards? She ate an additional four cheeseburgers, three grilled cheeses, and a huge basket of fries and onion rings—like most of us might nibble on a bowl of popcorn. She is “just never full.” She’s felt sick after competing—like when she ate 15 pounds of pumpkin pie, then boarded a plane—but in general she doesn’t suffer for her art. Despite her ability to crush massive menus, her favorite foods are healthy. “I like salads and vegetables the best. If I go out to eat, that’s what I order.” And working out? “Yep, my four kids (5, 6, 7, and 10) take care of that,” she says. “Girls typically don’t want to shove food into their face. It’s not seen as ladylike,” she says. “But it’s all about time. I’m not trying to be prim and proper.” Schuyler met her best friend on the circuit—they are the top two female competitive eaters in the U.S. Through her career, she’s met many amazing people. “It’s not for the money,” she says. “I do it for the people. I’ve met some of my best friends doing this.” Contracts prevent her from identifying the event, but one of Schuyler’s next challenges is an international competition. She also plans one more dance with The Stellanator. “I’m gonna do it again,” she winks. “I think I can hit three minutes.” OMAG

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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omaha magazine • july/august 2014

continued from page 35 < The late, and local, jazz legend’s name is one of many Erickson is happy to drop. At Rainbow Recording Studios, which opened in 1976, Erickson has recorded numerous notable musicians including, Omaha-born punk rockers 311, ’90s R&B stars Boyz II Men, and, most recently, American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. The studio, which uses analog tubes to capture a “big, fat, warm sound” is one of the few historic recording spaces still standing, Erickson says. That’s why when the University of Nebraska-Omaha came knocking with eminent domain papers in 2005, Erickson gave them a “big, fat” no. The University wanted Erickson’s land to incorporate into the multi-million dollar athletic complex currently being built up around him. He, and his fellow fighters at Amato’s Café and Catering next door, won that battle and got to keep their property. Now Rainbow is set to become an island in a sea of hockey fans and college kids. Inside Rainbow’s vocal booth, which Erickson calls “the magic room,” the air is a vacuum of silence. It’s so quiet your brain searches for sound to fill the emptiness, Erickson says, drumming his fingers against his heart. “It raises the threshold of hearing.” The room, which was designed by the same engineers who built A&R Recording Studio in New York, Erickson says, is framed by panels that create the perfect blend of sound reflection and absorption. That’s why Rainbow couldn’t be moved, he says, and it is part of the reason, he will eagerly tell you, that the Beastie Boys called Rainbow “the coolest music store in the world.” Now that he’s assured Rainbow is staying put, Erickson has come around to the idea of his new neighbors. “Well, 9,000 people happy at a sporting event is much better than three trailer courts,” he says with a wry grin in a nod to his former neighbors. “So I see it as a very definite improvement to the neighborhood.” Erickson says UNO’s construction in the area has already increased foot traffic, and students living in the dorms nearby have come in for guitar strings and other equipment. Ever the entrepreneur—he built his first speaker, logo included, at age 14—Erickson says he will do what he can to appeal to the new crowd. “We’re not selling hamburgers,” he quips. “But if we have 9,000 people next door at a hockey game, maybe we’ll start selling hamburgers.” OMAG

topDENTISTS™

special section

MONG OTHER THINGS, OMAHA MAGAZINE is known for being an

authority on the best Omaha has to offer. Beyond our annual Best of Omaha™ contest, we also periodically provide lists of the best doctors, attorneys, and financial planners in our city. In this issue, we include topDentists™. Like our other lists, topDentists™ is the result of a peer-to-peer survey that asks the question, “If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer them to?” The results, and a list of disclosures and disclaimers about the contest, can be found on the following pages. We hope you find this list valuable when you search for a provider for your dental needs. This list is excerpted from the 2014 topDentists™ list, a database which includes listings for more than 100 dentists and specialists in the Omaha area. The Omaha list is based on thousands of detailed evaluations of dentists and professionals by their peers. OMAG

Endodontics Thomas John Beeson

Endodontic Specialists William C. Corcoran

Endodontic Associates Tobin Normin Drake

Endodontic Associates Larry Johnson Ellison

Heartland Endodontic Specialists Jacob Lee Fimple

Advanced Endodontic Therapy Michael Scott Hermsen

Heartland Endodontic Specialists Jose L. Ibarrola

The complete database is available at www.usatopdentists.com. For more information call 706-3640853; write PO Box 970, Augusta, GA 30903; email info@usatopdentists.com or visit www.usatopdentists.com.

Creighton University School of Dentistry Corey K. Karimjee

Midwest Endodontics LLC Caci I. Liebentritt

Omaha Endodontists David Anthony Maixner

Midwest Endodontics LLC Stephen P. Pryor

Endodontic Specialists Frank S. Sleder

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

topDENTISTS™

special section

General Dentistry Jamar A. Anderson

Ralph M. Corpuz

Mary N. Kelsey

William R. Nordstrom

Corpuz Family Dentistry

Creighton University School of Dentistry

James Donald O’Meara

DeFord Family Dental

Nicholas B. Kentopp

Creighton University School of Dentistry

Scott C. DiLorenzo

Christine M. Kozal

Mark J. Panneton

Kathy Lynn DeFord

Wayne W. Barkmeier

Creighton University School of Dentistry

40th & Dodge Family Dentistry

Douglas Keith Benn

Dobleman Head & Neck Cancer Institute

Jeffrey David Dworak

William J. Bresnahan

Theodore Steven Franco

Capeheart Family Dentistry 40th & Dodge Family Dentistry

Richard E. Callaway

402-721-8770 1605 E. Military Ave. Fremont, NE 68025

Benjamin G. Hardy Gregory A. Havelka Stephen J. Hess

Matthew D. Carter

Creighton University School of Dentistry

Paragon Dental W. Thomas Cavel

Bradley D. Higginbotham

Creighton University School of Dentistry

Dennis R. Higginbotham

Amy T. Chadwell

Chadwell Family Dentistry

Creighton University School of Dentistry

Terry Francis Lanphier

Dundee Family Center Frank G. Mancuso Marty John Matz

The Tooth Doc Stuart Joseph McNally

Millard Hills Dental Health Center Carol Marie Murdock

Creighton University School of Dentistry William T. Naughton

Creighton University School of Dentistry Jeffrey R. Nielsen

Bel Drive Dental

Panneton Dental Group Cassandra J. Pietrok

Pacific Hills Dental Thomas R. Schierbrock

Bluffs Family Dentistry Michael R. Sesemann

Nebraska Institute of Comprehensive Dentistry Christopher A. Stanosheck

The Smile Design Studio Philip E. Strevey

Strevey Dental Carolyn L. Taggart-Burns

Millard Oaks Dental 402-891-9000 millardoaksdental.com

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whittendentistry.com | facebook.com/whittendentistry 52

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

topDENTISTS™

special section

Brett Hunter Taylor

Taylor Dentistry

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Allen Leroy Thomsen

John D. Andersen

Thomsen Dental Group 402-393-1992 thomsendental.com

Oral Surgery Associates

Brett S. Thomsen

Thomsen Dental Group 402-393-1992 thomsendental.com

Corey James Auch

Oral Surgery Associates Stephen Arthur Coffey

Dunlow Orthodontics

Oral Surgery Associates

Thomas J. Huerter

Rudy Jay Schneider

Huerter Orthodontics

Oral Surgery Associates

Joseph J. Hurd

Children’s Hospital & Medical Center

Kort Andrew Igel

Jerome M. Wees

Taera Kim

Oral Surgery Associates

Midwest Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

Metro West Dental Specialty Group

James Michael Heit

David E. Williams

Wayne A. Labart

Oral Surgery Associates

Creighton University School of Dentistry

Alfred T. Longo

John Douglas Engel

David S. Marshall

Oral Surgery Associates Michael P. McDermott

K. Robert Zaiman

Neil Edward Dunlow

Robert M. Pfeifle

Leon Franklin Davis

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Whitten Dentistry 402-397-9330 whittendentistry.com

Kelly Richard Conway

Harold K. Tu

Valmont Pierre Desa

Karry K. Whitten

Creighton University School of Dentistry

Oral Surgery Associates

Steven D. Wegner

Debra S. West

Orthodontics

Afolabi Olufolahan Ogunleye

Igel Orthodontics

Longo Orthodontics

William H. Bert Wood

Meghann Longo-Dietz

Oral Surgery Associates

Longo Orthodontics

Midwest Oral & Maxillofacial

Brian William Zuerlein

Laura Elisabeth Low

Clear Choice Orthodontics

James G. Morgan

GeorGe M. rakes, DDS, MS

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omaha magazine • july/august 2014

topDENTISTS™

special section

David T. Mohs

Thomas Joseph Weber

Carmen Larae Dana

George M. Rakes

Creighton University School of Dentistry

Weber Orthodontics

402-895-1900 rakespediatricdentistry.com

Barbara Jo Ries

Clear Choice Orthodontics

Pedodontics, PC 402-330-5914 pedodonticspc.com Eric D. Hodges

Pedodontics, PC 402-330-5913 pedodonticspc.com

Dennis D. Weiss

Greg Stuart Samuelson

Michelle S. Wulf

Samuelson Dental

Southwest Orthodontics Associates

Timothy J. Sheehan

Peter A. Ziegler

Pediatric Dentistry

Clarke J. Stevens Wendell R. Stuntz

Southwest Orthodontics Associates SELECTION PROCESS

“If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer them to?” This is the question we’ve asked thousands of dentists to help us determine who the topDentists should be. Dentists and specialists are asked to take into consideration years of experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies and of course, physical results. The nomination pool of dentists consists of dentists listed online with the American

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

Smile Station Pediatric Dentistry Darin L. Kotil

Kimberley Alden Stafford

Stafford Orthodontics

Bryan Hohenstein

Anne S. Aiello

Nicholas J. Levering

Creighton University School of Dentistry

Joseph A. Quattrocchi, Jr.

Dental Association, as well as all dentists listed online with their local dental societies, thus allowing virtually every dentist the opportunity to participate. Dentists are also given the opportunity to nominate other dentists who we have missed that they feel should be included in our list. Respondents are asked to put aside any personal bias or political motivations and to use only their knowledge of their peer’s work when evaluating the other nominees. Voters are asked to individually evaluate the practitioners on their ballot whose work they are familiar with. Once

the balloting is completed, the scores are compiled and then averaged. The numerical average required for inclusion varies depending on the average for all the nominees within the specialty and the geographic area. Borderline cases are given careful consideration by the editors. Voting characteristics and comments are taken into consideration while making decisions. Past awards a dentist has received, status in various dental academies (Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Periodontology, etc.) can play a factor in our decision.

Lisa F. Strunk

Mark H. Taylor

Taylor Dentistry Barry William Webber

Walnut Creek Pediatric Dentistry

Children’s Dentistry of C. B. Once the decisions have been finalized, the included dentists are checked against state dental boards for disciplinary actions to make sure they have an active license and are in good standing with the board. Then letters of congratulations are sent to all the listed dentists. Of course there are many fine dentists who are not included in this representative list. It is intended as a sampling of the great body of talent in the field of dentistry in the United States. A dentist’s inclusion on our list is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow dentists. While

topDENTISTS™

special section Periodontics Dennis M. Anderson

Martha Elizabeth Nunn

Jared H. Smith

Creighton University School of Dentistry

William Patrick Kelsey V

Alvin G. Wee

Kelsey Periodontal Group Prosthodontics

Timothy P. McVaney

Specialty Dental Care PC Takanari Miyamoto

Creighton University School of Dentistry

Dennis Elof Nilsson

Charles W. Wilcox

Creighton University School of Dentistry

Paul J. Sheridan

Stacy Lynn Moffenbier Scott L. Morrison

it is true that the lists may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, we remain confident that our polling methodology largely corrects for any biases and that these lists continue to represent the most reliable, accurate, and useful list of dentists available anywhere. DISCLAIMER

This list is excerpted from the 2014 topDentists™ list, which includes listings for more than 100 dentists and specialists in the Omaha

Millard Hills Dental Health Center

metropolitan area. For more information call: 706-364-0853 or email: info@usatopdentists.com or visit: www.usatopdentists.com topDentists 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. Copyright 2010-2013 by topDentists, LLC of Augusta, GA. All rights reserved. This list, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without permission of topDentists. No fees may be charged, directly or indirectly, for the use of the information in this list without permission.

Providing our patients with compassionate dental care of the highest quality in a comfortable environment

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omaha magazine • july/august 2014

July/August 2014

Always Local, Always Beautiful

Bauhaus on the Prairie At Home with the Smiths

A Tropical Paradise

Just ignore the cornﬁelds on the way there.

Ral s ton The Independence City omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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July/August 2014 VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 4

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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

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OmahaHome: contents

july/august 2014

features

departments

H16 A Tropical Paradise

Just ignore the cornfields on the way there.

H32 Bauhaus on the Prairie At Home with the Smiths

H7 Editor’s Letter H8 DIY

Faux Brick Façade by artist Nic Roewert

H12 Home Décor Makeover Old World Vintage Placemats

H14 Entertaining

Perfecting the Backyard Bash

H24 Landscaping

Going Native with Beautiful, Hardy Prairie Grasses

H26 Neighborhood Profile

Ralston: The Independence City

H42 Room

A Window Into the Art of Alan Tubach

H44 Hot Products

Wedding Gift Ideas for the Home

H46 Transformations Adding Spice to a Saltbox

july/august • 2014 H5

July/August 2014 VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 4

ACCOUNTS & OPERATIONS STAFF publisher

todd lemke p u b l i s h e r ’s a s s i sta n t

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OmahaHome: from the editor "Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed—else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. " —Dwight D. Eisenhower

Sandy Besch-Matson Contributing Editor OmahaHome Sandy.besch@omahapublications.com

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omahadoor.com /omahadoor OME OF MY BEST memories of

childhood were made on the Fourth of July. I remember going to Clear Lake, Iowa, only a short distance from Garner, my hometown. It started with the traditional Independence Day parade. Then it was on to the Midway where my brothers and myself would pester my dad for tickets for amusements rides for hours. With all the spinning and bouncing we were eating every bit of cotton candy, salt water taffy, and corn dogs we could get our hands on. Oh, and that amazing fireworks display over the lake once it got dark. What a perfect way to end a perfect day. What was also special: It seemed like there was always something new to see or eat when we gathered. I’d like to think I learned something from those great times: Even amid great traditions, you need to mix in some new stuff, too. As you gather with your friends or family this year, try something new, whether in your decorating or cooking. Goodness knows: There are tons of ideas out there and all sorts of tutorials to walk you through every step. This issue I tried something new since I like to entertain, so check out my DIY project. We also have some beautiful and unique homes that I would say are quite the unexpected! Also, I hope you enjoy our two features on how to make your outside spaces more enjoyable for the summer. You’ll get some great ideas both for having a great time in your backyard and for making your landscape better prepared to handle this fickle and sometimes downright harsh Nebraska weather. I hope my memories brought back some good childhood memories for you, too. Be safe and enjoy! OmahaHome

Sandy

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july/august • 2014 H7

OmahaHome: d.i.y.

Faux Brick Facade

Artist Nic Roewert sculpts beauty beyond the studio.

july/august • 2014

by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann

N THE STUDIO, ARTIST Nic

Roewert dwells in a world where particular attention is paid to line, form, texture, and color. Those same attributes come into play with this clever DIY project, a faux brick facing for his kitchen island in the West Omaha home he shares with his fiancé, Brandi McDonald, and their infant son, Asher.

july/august • 2014 H9

OmahaHome: d.i.y. And it’s all constructed of simple pieces of 1 by 4 pine. “I love taking a material like steel and turning it into something organic,” says the artist known for his sculptural wall art and furniture, “and I wanted to see if I could have that organic feel translate into this project. I was going for a bit of a ‘70s retro feel,” he adds, “but I didn’t want to take it too far. I didn’t want it to look like something straight out of an episode of The Brady Bunch.” Here’s what you’ll need to duplicate the look of his faux brick façade: • 1 by 4 pine • Two colors of stain (Roewert chose classic gray and walnut) • An angle grinder with a soft metal flap disc • Sandpaper or an electric sander And here’s how he did it: 1. Using the angle grinder with a soft metal flap disc, bevel the outer, forward-facing edges of the pine. 2. Cut each board into 7-inch sections 3. Bevel the remaining forward-facing edges created in the process of cutting the wood. 4. Apply the stain that you want to be the surface’s primary color and then sand down to expose the grain. Avoid staining the beveled edges. We’ll see why in a moment. 5. Apply the secondary stain and repeat the sanding process. 6. Apply the primary stain one more time and sand back accordingly. 7. Affix the bricks to the drywall with construction adhesive. The multiple stains and sandings, Roewert says, are the key to creating a natural, variegated look, one where the wood grain really pops. Sanding the beveled edges to remove almost all of the stain creates the illusion of grout. Not happy with the color? Just sand away and start again. Roewert was so pleased with the results that he now sells his creation by the brickfoot online in the stain combination of the customer’s choice. “I really like how the bricks take on a different personality based on lighting or the time of day,” he says, “but the main idea is just to have fun with creativity.” OmahaHome

H10

july/august • 2014

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july/august • 2014 H11

OmahaHome: home decore makeover by sandy besch-matson • photography by bill sitzmann

H12

july/august • 2014

Old World Vintage Placemats

ECOUPAGE IS MAKING A

comeback (Or, maybe it never left?). For me, it’s always made for an enjoyable art project. And, if done right, decoupage can be used to create some very cool home décor. The following project took a little longer than expected. Honestly: You’ll need some patience and the good part of a weekend. But I think the results are worth the trouble. SUPPLIES:

• • • • •

Wood Mod Podge glue and sealer Sandpaper Several photos of your choice Stain

DIRECTIONS:

1. You’ll need four, 14x14-inch pieces of wood. At Home Depot, they cut your wood to size for free. 2. Sand each piece and round the corners. 3. Stain both sides and let dry. I used a dark walnut color so my pictures really stood out. 4. After the stain has dried, follow the directions on the bottle of Mod Podge. I used "Matte" Mod Podge from Hobby Lobby. 5. Lay everything out first prior to gluing. Use a small sponge applicator to put a thin, even coat on the back of each photo. 6. Once finished with both front and back, re-apply the same stain again to give it a more aged look. I used a soft, dry rag. After the surface was completely dry I went over it with a high-gloss sealer. My theme was food. I thought it would be fun to have a picture of the dish on the front with the recipe on the back. These mats should be great conversation pieces, not to mention the fact that I will have several good recipes looking me in the face for years to come. Have fun with your projects and please send us your own ideas. We’d love to feature your creation. OmahaHome july/august • 2014 H13

OmahaHome: entertaining by robert nelson

Perfecting the Backyard Bash

Think big. Be creative. A little extra work could make a big difference.

ATTRACTIVE BUG CONTROL

The smell of DEET can drive away both bugs and guests. You could argue that in this chemicals-first, ask-Nature-later kinda world, we’ve forgotten that there was stuff mosquitos didn’t like long before we made stuff for them not to like. Chief among those natural repellents are some very attractive and easy-to-grow plants. Lining your patio with marigolds can help keep bugs away, for one. Also, lemon grass is a great option because it helps jazz up your Thai food, too. Of course citronella. Catnip is also an effective bug repellent if you don’t have cats, for which it will have a very different effect.

AWN DARTS HAVE THEIR

appeal: Lively competition, deadly projectiles. Throw in some burgers and chips and a few dime-store solar lights and you have the basics of a basic backyard party. But settling for the basics won’t cut it for special events. And really, even for the simplest affairs, there’s no reason not to make your backyard space more inviting for fun and fellowship. With this in mind, here are a few ideas for taking your outdoor ambiance to the next level:

OUTDOOR TENT WITH INDOOR FURNITURE

Sometimes we forget we have nice furniture in the house that’s not bolted to the floor. It can feel odd taking the living room outside, but at least for one evening, it can create a cheap, comfy hangout for numerous guests. The key to pulling off the outdoor living room is creating a border for the space with some sort of canopy. Simple, quick-assembly gazebos can be purchased for around $150. Obviously, though, you’ll want to get the furniture back inside before you turn in for the night. Rain clouds love to visit after the party ends.

OUTDOOR SPEAKERS

LANTERNS

If you’ve ever visited Mexico during the holidays, you’ve likely seen streets lined with luminarias. Simple to make, these paper lanterns create a soft, glowing light for a beautiful and intimate atmosphere. Get brown paper bags, crumple them up a bit, and fill them with several ounces of pebbles, sand, or most anything to hold them down. Put in tea lights and voila! Beyond luminarias, there are many other types of handmade lanterns that are as inexpensive as they are lovely. H14

july/august • 2014

In the age of iPods, smartphones and ubiquitous headphones, people sometime forget that gatherings still need amplifiers and speakers. If you want speakers outside— and you plan to keep them outside—you’ll want to get speakers specifically made for the rain, snow, sun, bird bombings, etc. Whether you’re looking for indoor or outdoor speakers, audiophiles will always tell you the same thing: When putting together a sound system on a limited budget, spend your money on speakers first. Good speakers make the system.

Would appreciate your vote for Best Interior Designer

OUTDOOR OLYMPICS

Those little lawn javelins only entertain for so long. So, then what? Bridge? You need to go past individual games and create a sporting event. There are some outdoor game kits, but it’s just as easy, and more fun, to assemble your own Olympic competition. For starters, bocce is a necessity. If you don’t have bocce balls, just improvise with most any balls you have in the garage. (Toss softballs and a golfball, for one). Croquet, badminton, Jarts, whiffle-ball home run derby—you get the idea. Whoever wins the most games gets whatever ridiculous prize you want to give the winner. Just keep it loose and you’ll have a blast.

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You’ve felt it. Sitting around a fire is a primal experience. It’s draws people in; it draws sometimes-inappropriate stories out. But building a real fire pit can look like a hopelessly daunting task. In reality, though, a beautiful pit can be built within a day by only the moderately handy. One of the easiest solutions is to repurpose tractor tire rims or some other heavy-metal cylinder. Large landscaping bricks can be stacked in a circle without needing mortar. For brick and uneven stones, the masonry work need not be too fine. Many home improvement stores offer kits and all the necessary instructions to build a substantial, permanent structure. OmahaHome

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july/august • 2014 H15

OmahaHome: feature by robert nelson • photography by bill sitzmann

H16

july/august • 2014

A Tropical Paradise

Just ignore the cornfields on the way there.

ROM THE ROAD, ROSEANNE and Mike

Kielians’ house looks like a roof with no house under it. Just a roof. The houses to the left and right look like houses. But it appears as if the Kielians bought a roof, then ran out of money for the stuff underneath it. > july/august • 2014 H17

OmahaHome: feature

< Fear not. Just park the car and walk down the steps beside the roof. As you descend, a lake appears before you and an actual house—a lovely contemporary beach house—appears beneath that once lonely roof. From the lake at Hawaiian Village south of Papillion, the Kielians’ semi earth home takes on a very different look. From this angle, perched on the lake’s high bank line, it’s more like some contemporary cliff dwelling. Thanks to the one-story-tall water feature Mike built in 2002, the house gives a slight tip of the hat to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. Whatever, if any, the grand influences for H18

july/august • 2014

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this unique home, it’s a special place for its owners, who purchased the 33-year-old home in 1998. “It’s our paradise,” says Roseanne, who, like her husband, Mike, is retired. “We fish, boat, listen to the waterfall, anything. It’s peaceful or rollicking—whatever you want it to be.” The Kielians most recent remodel came six years ago. As with so many updatings, the upscale contemporary kitchen was the priciest and most involved. But here, the eye is most drawn to those falls cascading down the bank line as if an artesian spring bubbled up below the >

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OmahaHome: feature

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july/august • 2014

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july/august • 2014 H21

OmahaHome: feature

< house’s foundation. Amazingly, the extensive water feature was a first-time project for Mike 12 years ago. The falls took him a couple months to build, his wife says. It quickly became a labor of love—with a bit of obsession thrown in. “He was pretty focused on that once he got started,” she says. “It was his masterpiece. The whole family got involved with it, too. It was a major project for us all.” To match the development’s playful Hawaiian theme (Perhaps a bit kitschy, a little out-of-place in Nebraska? Nah.), the Kielians added some tropical flourishes H22

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themselves. Most notably: The “Bumba Shack,” a thatched hut that sits next to the water where friends and family can gather for drinks and socializing. This exotic feature, which Mike constructed as a surprise gift to his wife, is homage to a beach bar the family enjoyed while on a vacation to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. “The Bumba Shack kind of speaks to the whole mood of the place,” Roseanne says. “It’s fun, it’s casual. It’s just a very easy livin’ kind of place.” OmahaHome july/august • 2014 H23

OmahaHome: landscaping by robert nelson

Going Native

LIATRIS (GAYFEATHER)

One fun way to track down some unique native plants: Just see what plants are mentioned in the pioneer diaries and literature of writers such as Willa Cather and Mari Sandoz. The gayfeather is long-lasting and easy to grow in your garden.

You need not leave the Prairie to create a beautiful, hardy landscape.

HE GRASS IS ALWAYS greener

on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. To wit, Midwesterners, particularly Nebraskans, have always had a low opinion of the region’s native flora. But outsiders often have a different opinion. Take aronia (or chokeberry), for example. Most settlers wanted nothing to do with the trees or the fruit. But, some German immigrants appreciated the tart flavor. Some even sent plants back to Germany. Hybrids were made. Now we drink descendants of our native chokeberries every time we have a Welch’s Grape Juice Cocktail. “People tend to think of native plants as only weeds,” says Kathleen Kue, an associate horticulture specialist with the UNL Extension Office for Douglas and Sarpy counties. “But there are countless wonderful, hardy species. The chokeberry. It was met with distain. Now it’s in everybody’s juice.” The point here: If you want a low-maintenance, water-sipping landscape that will last, Kue says, you should go native. With that in mind, here is a collection of some of Kue’s favorite native species that you can easily reintroduce to an Omaha landscape:

BUTTONBUSH

PAW PAW TREE

The buttonbush is both old-timey Nebraska and futuristic. “The flowers are really funky and fun,” Lue says. “They kind of look like spaceships.”

Yes, there is a fruit tree native to Nebraska. The paw paw fruit tastes like a cross between a banana and a mango, Lue says. “They’re surprisingly delicious.”

J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

ARONIA (CHOKEBERRY)

As the common name suggests, the berries can be astringent, Lue says. But, as in the Welch’s cocktail, they can be very tasty when combined with other fruits. H24

july/august • 2014

business. entertainment. PRAIRIE DROP SEED GRASS

“This is my all-time favorite Nebraska grass,” Lue says. “It’s not too tall. It’s extremely hardy. I think it’s beautiful.”

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OmahaHome: neighborhood profile by david williams • photography by sarah lemke

Independence City Star-Spangled Ralston Prepares for its Big, Big Day

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ONFIRMING THE POPULATION OF any given city

requires nothing more than a glance at census figures, right? Not so fast. To best understand at least one local community, it would be advisable to also have a calendar handy. For 364 days >

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OmahaHome: neighborhood profile

< of the year, Ralston’s population is estimated at almost 7,000 people. But on that remaining day, July 4 to be exact, the city bursts at the seams when as many as 50,000 people swarm to the place known as the Independence City. Carrying on that patriotic theme, the Fourth of July parade route wends its way along Independence Avenue, the honorary label of Miller Avenue. And the mini park downtown is named Independence Square. Ralston Mayor Donald Groesser explains that the “Independence” label has dual meanings. Sure, the town’s star-spangled Fourth H28

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of July parade and surrounding events are crowd-pleasers that make the city the third largest in the state that day, but there’s more. Omaha was positioning itself to annex Ralston in 1964, but the town had other ideas. A deal was struck where Omaha agreed to leapfrog Ralston so long as the suburb did not itself expand to the magic number of 10,000. State law mandates that Omaha may annex any burg with a population below that number without putting the issue to a vote by that community’s people. “So I have my little pilgrimage downtown every four or eight years,” says Groesser, who

is serving his fifth term and has been in office for 18 years, “just to reaffirm the deal and to repeat that handshake with each new mayor elected in Omaha.” The same kind of casual, handshake aura defines the very nature of the close-knit community that has retained its distinct, smalltown vibe even as the metro has grown around it. It’s a thriving, one square mile island of folksiness smack dab in the middle of an equally thriving city. And it’s the type of place where roots run deep. Music teacher Ladonna Johnson has been a

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fixture at the Independence Day festivities for decades. “When I was a kid,” Johnson says, “we’d decorate our bicycles with crepe paper and ride in the parade. It was a lot simpler thing in those early days, but it was so exciting for all the neighborhood kids.” Johnson took a larger role in last year’s affair. And there wasn’t any crepe paper involved this time. She rode in a convertible as Parade Marshall, an honor bestowed for her lifelong service to the little city on the hill, a place where the historical museum—The Frank and Velma Johnson Ralston Archive Museum—is named for her parents. >

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OmahaHome: history

OmahaHome: neighborhood profile

by david williams photo provided by the frank and velma johnson ralston archive museum

Lake Living Sans the Lake

ID YOU KNOW THAT the land upon which sits the Ralston

Arena was once a lake? Or that the hill above it once held a magnificent castle? Newspaperman George L. Miller of the Omaha Herald—which would later morph to become the Omaha World-Herald—is considered the founding father of Ralston. In 1887 he built a sprawling, 17-room mansion at what is now the northeast corner of 75th and Oakwood streets. An almost accidental lake followed in 1892 when an exploration for oil, minerals, or water turned up water. Lots and lots of water. A dike was constructed and Seymour Lake, named by Miller for his friend, Nebraska Congressman Horatio Seymour, was born. A resort-style club, park, and beach house soon grew around the lake and it became a summertime playground that drew crowds far and wide. In the off-season of those prerefrigeration days, an ice-cutting operation operated on the lake. The castle burned down in 1898, and the only remaining echo of the lake is a story that is told in cobblestones. The ancient pavers of South 70th Street just east of 72nd Street mark the winding road that once girded the lake that dried up in the ‘40s. The Arts and Crafts-style home built in 1914 on the site of the castle is today owned by Susan and Larry Forman. They raised six children there and now have 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, which means the property has been known to host some big-time family picnics, but none bigger than the one on Independence Day. “My father took one look at the place before we bought it in 1979 and said that we were investing in a money pit, Larry says. “And he was right, but this is like a piece of history that deserved to be saved.” Susan agrees. “The lake may be gone,” she says, “and it’s not like we could just pick up this house and move it to Cape Cod. It’s been a great home for us and we joke that it is our favorite lake house…just without the lake!” OmahaHome H30

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< “Many of my current and former music students came to the parade and chanted ‘Ladonna! Ladonna!’ as I passed by,” she says. “It was such grand fun!” Many of the local businesses have roots that run equally deep. A crashing cacophony of 7-10 splits have been heard at Scorz, the local bowling alley, since the ‘50s. A quintessential corner hangout—the ancient Village Bar—may have a snazzy, new, and hip logo, but the everybody-knows-your-name atmosphere remains the same. And then there’s the tacos. Since 1976, Maria’s Mexican Restaurant has been a magnet for margaritas and a hub for habaneros. Michael Sanchez, son of the restaurant’s titular founder, Maria, goes “all in” when it comes to Ralston boosterism. He’s chairman of the Ralston Chamber of Commerce and is running for a seat on the city council. But what about his mother? Does Maria have a plan to retire any time soon? “My mom will probably one day be the Mrs. B of Ralston,” he says, “riding around the restaurant in a little scooter,” just like the late, iconic entrepreneur associated

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with Nebraska Furniture Mart who was, in her later years, known to (literally) wheel and deal from her perch atop a custom scooter contraption. The rise of the Ralston Arena—home of Omaha Lancers hockey, University of Nebraska-Omaha men’s basketball, the arena football Omaha Beef, and more—has changed the city’s landscape in more than just a literal way. It is the anchor for an ambitious, 20-year development plan that Mayor Groesser dubs “The Hinge.” “Think of 72nd Street as a hinge,” Groesser says. “The east side of the street is Omaha, and we can’t do anything about that. On our side of the street, picture a lake, parks, new businesses, all with a new, beautiful gateway approach that draws people up the hill and into town. It’s like a hinge that folds up onto Ralston, the city that we love today…but just wait for tomorrow.” OmahaHome

4315 S. 120th Street 402-334-4900 www.echosystemsomaha.com july/august • 2014 H31

OmahaHome: at home with the smiths by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann

Scan the page with the LayAR app to see more photography from our shoot of the Bauhaus on the Prairie.

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At Home with the Smiths

LAT ROOF? CHECK. CLEAN Lines? Check. Cornfields? Insert here the sound of a needle being violently ripped across a vinyl record. Contemporary architecture is perhaps most commonly thought of as an urban phenomenon, but Donna and Jon Smith have executed their Bauhaus-inspired home on five acres of rural Sarpy County land. > july/august • 2014 H33

OmahaHome: at home with the smiths

I have mowing down to five hours now. If I didn’t have to make little crop circles around all of the trees it would be even easier.” JON SMITH

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OmahaHome: at home with the smiths < “A lot of our friends say it looks like a commercial building or a strip mall,” says Donna. “We’re okay with that. To each his own!” The 4,200 square foot home was built in 2010 and was designed by Jon, the owner of the branding firm Corporate Three Design. Jon had absolutely zero background in architecture when he first put pen to paper in conceptualizing his creation. The couple share the space with their children, David (19), and Suzy (18). The imaginative materials used throughout the project were more than just moneysavers on the bottom line, they are integral to the success of the contemporary scheme. Common cinder block is rendered less so when stripes of contrasting brick form a design along the zigzag angles of the exterior set below exposed steel beams of the roofline that have now taken on an organic, earthy patina. Rolling barn-like doors of walnut evoke a little bit of country while also punctuating the space with fields of contrasting color. Add to that gently dappled concrete floors below an assortment of warm area rugs, and the foundation is laid for a country home loaded with surprises. No storage room? No problem. Remember, form follows function in the Bauhaus aesthetic. Jon designed a section of the stairs leading down to a utility room so that, when lifted on a hinge system, a storage space is revealed. Oh, and where exactly is that refrigerator? Tucked away just around the corner from the kitchen so as to minimize busyness in the crisp, > H36

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OmahaHome: at home with the smiths

< clean space accented by marble baseboards and window trim. “Everybody always talks about the ‘kitchen triangle pattern’ when it comes to kitchens,” Donna says, “but taking two extra steps to get to the fridge is a small price to pay for the uncluttered look we sought.” The home has no load-bearing walls, and the roof is instead supported by a series of massive pillars. This design element allowed maximum freedom in terms of an open floor plan. Jon further capitalized on this by mixing and matching the heights of the walls. The central space is defined by floor-to-ceiling surfaces. Within the bedrooms, closets are left open on top to distribute light and to create interesting sight lines. Two wells on the property fuel a geothermic heating system and radiant floor heat keeps the place toasty even on the most bitter of winter evenings. The pool is heated by the same technology. “The look we were going for,” Jon says, “is part Bauhaus, part Palm Springs desert-style." The flat roof contributes to the desired look and its lines mirror the plains surrounding the property. “And we wanted really low maintenance,” adds Donna. “These materials will long outlast us and our kids. Speaking of maintenance, who does snow removal on the graceful arc of the home’s long driveway? “Oh, that’s just a matter of > H38

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OmahaHome: at home with the smiths

< driving the truck back and forth until

we can get out. And Jon does all the mowing himself.” “I have mowing down to five hours now,” he adds. “If I didn’t have to make little crop circles around all of the trees it would be even easier.” The interior is certainly dramatic, but Jon also had an eye to outdoor living in his design. The property that features hundreds H40

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of saplings also boasts a swimming pool and a full soccer field. That’s where Suzy, a recent Papillion La Vista South High graduate who will play in the fall at Missouri State University, honed her skills. That’s when she wasn’t camping on the roof with friends under a canopy of stars. This home is something that Jon always wanted to do,” says Donna, “even if we are out here where few people ever see it.”

That is, except when the couple who love entertaining have as many as 50 people over for a little soiree. “It’s a different kind of living,” Jon admits. “It may not be for everybody, but for us it just…it just works.” OmahaHome

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OmahaHome: room by robert nelson • photography by bill sitzmann

Shining Light

A window into the art of Allan Tubach

EFORE 1986, RESPECTED OMAHA artist Allan Tubach did

his painting in the basement of his Normandy-style stucco home in Dundee. The light was mostly artificial, maybe a bit dungeony. It wasn’t at all ideal studio space, especially for an artist known for the vibrancy of his work.

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In fact, as Tubach realized later, the basement environment gave a bit of a brownish, earthy tinge to his earlier paintings. Basically, the work during his subterranean phase didn’t pop like it does now. Even the horizon line was different because of the high windows. “The work created down there many times had much higher horizon lines and tended to be a bit darker,” Tubach says. “Sometimes an artist doesn’t realize how much his or her work environment impacts their work. It can be profound.” In 1985, Tubach left his home space for an 8-month residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. There, in a gray-floored space overlooking a dark alley, his art took on a grayer tone. Bricks began to show up in his work. The next year, Tubach asked his good friend, noted Omaha architect Jack Savage, to help him with his light problem. The solution: An airy, two-story, 700-square-foot addition to the back of the Tubach home with a balcony, a floor of handmade tiles, and, most important, a two-story bank of windows on the north side of the house that bathes Tubach's workspace and easel in ample, gentle, natural light. The room’s walls are lined with dozens of Tubach’s distinctive works. Most of his creations imagine a sort of nexus between the architecture, art, people, and landscape of towns and cities throughout the United States and Europe. He has created more than 950 paintings exploring the United States, 350 of them representing Nebraska. (Dozens can be seen in public spaces in Omaha. Tubach has painted works for the Omaha Symphony, Opera Omaha, and the Joslyn Art Museum, to name a few). Most of those images were created in this studio in this light. Many seem to shimmer in the light in which they were created. The paintings are vital and bright. They are a reflection of his studio. “My palette suddenly shifted to the surroundings,” Tubach says. “Sky blues, lots of trees. More subtle changes suggested by the rust-colored tile floor. Even the colors and shapes of the place insinuated their way into the work. “This room is in every one of my paintings,” he says. “My work can’t help but be a direct reflection of this space.” OmahaHome

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OmahaHome: hot products

Wedding Gift Ideas Items for the kitchen are always favorites for the new couple.

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Help the newlyweds commemorate this magical moment in their lives.

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OmahaHome: transformations by Marilyn Hansen • Photography by Tom Kessler

meet the designer Marilyn Hansen, AISD The Designers

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july/august • 2014

Adding Spice to a Saltbox A creative remodel turned an old home into a dream home.

T Transformations is a regular feature of OmahaHome 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.

HIS BEAUTIFUL HOME ON

a tree-lined street was the perfect saltbox-style house for my transplanted client from the Northeast (where this colonial-era style is common). They loved many features of the house, but there were a few missing elements that needed work before this could become their perfect home. > july/august • 2014 H47

OmahaHome: transformations

< For one: They longed for a powder room off the backyard swimming pool. We remodeled the existing laundry to become a new creative pool bath. The new laundry was relocated to the master suite. The tight space H48

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required careful consideration to give the illusion of openness and yet include a new shower. A glass “window” in the shower wall allows the viewer’s eye to flow through the space. A beautiful remnant of caramel-colored onyx

created the perfect touch for a countertop. We extended the top to the left of the cabinet in another space-expanding feature. Finally, a touch of whimsy was added in the cobalt blue drawer pulls. >

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Omaha Home: transformations

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< The project then moved into the kitchen. We analyzed the kitchen and its obvious problems and challenges. The new floor plan is focused on efficiency and space to give the owners, who love to cook, the best possible layout to work their magic. When they lived in France, they learned to love French cooking and they incorporate fresh garden herbs from right outside their door in their cuisine. We found a unique granite surface in subtle silver gray on a white crystalline surface. The wood tones of the cherry cabinets repeat in the touches of wine in the granite. The fluid-style

granite top continues at the edge of the peninsula into a rounded work area. Additional special features include Peruvian tiger wood floors, LED lighting throughout, mosaic accented backsplashes, and highly efficient cabinet storage. Note the hand-shaped marble tiles surrounding the sink window that complete the clean lines of this beautiful kitchen. Casual entertaining involving the pool and their wonderful kitchen has transformed their residence into a more updated and welcoming home. OmahaHome

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Tara and Caden Ziesel

Back on Track

CSI’s KidSquad helps troubled youngsters rein in their emotions.

ARA ZIESEL HAS OFTEN had

to ask for time off from her job for emergency runs to her son’s preschools. Her boy, Caden, was, as she says, “a holy terror.” When frustrated or angry, he lashed out with profanities and wild tantrums on his instructors. When mad, he has quite an arm. He was kicked out of numerous preschools around the city. In kindergarten, he was suspended three times in his first 30 days. One of those days, Caden had ransacked the principal’s office by the time Tara arrived. Here’s the thing, though: As in so many cases of kids lashing out, Tara had played a big role in Caden’s upsets. Caden was taken from Tara as a toddler because of Tara’s addiction to meth. “I was gone for months at a time, Tara says. “His grandmother had to take custody because of me. I was a bad mom and it hurt him.” > omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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North Chicago, IL 60064

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NC 64Y-994802

June 2013

< The goal of the Child Saving Institute’s KidSquad program, which Caden started in after being referred by his therapist, is not only to help children better understand and manage their emotions, but to also help heal strained relationships between parents and children that so often are the wellspring of the troubles. “At the time I got sober [in 2009], our relationship was wrecked,” Tara says. “In the CSI therapy, we worked together, worked on building back our bond and trust. It’s had a profound effect on how we interact now. And it’s had a profound impact on how Caden interacts with others at school.” The trick to KidSquad’s success is its holistic approach to tackling behavioral problems, says the program’s coordinator, Jana Habrock. CSI counselors work with psychologists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, school counselors, teachers, and caregivers to ensure that the child is getting the same instructions and care in all of his or her environments. “We feel it’s so important for everyone in the child’s life to be on the same page,” Habrock says. “We all work together to teach the child healthy emotional literacy—mad, sad, frustrated; what is it I’m really feeling right now?” There are three basic tasks at the heart of KidSquad, which CSI runs with the help of Lutheran Family Services, Heartland

GALA child saving institute

Family Services, and the Center for Holistic Development, among other organizations. The root problems must be identified. The child must be helped to identify those emotions that cause the problems. Then, effective coping mechanisms must be identified and taught so that the child turns to those mechanisms when they experience trigger emotions. For example, Kaden’s primary triggers for tantrums were feelings of frustrations and fear of change, his mother says. When he’s winding up, he’s directed to the coping mechanisms that have been found to work for him. Sometimes, Habrock says, the tricks can be as simple as going to a “Coping Corner.” Sometimes a child will blow a pinwheel while concentrating on his or her breathing. Sometimes it helps to just knead a squishy ball for a while. KidSquad has a full-time staff of 15 working with children throughout Douglas and Sarpy County. The program has expanded greatly in the last five years, Habrock says. Beyond helping individual children, Habrock says, the program’s staff is now going into preschools and school classrooms throughout the metro to teach instructors how to cope with and help troubled kids. Beyond working with 116 individual children, KidSquad educators assisted in 150 classrooms and 75 early childhood programs last year, Habrock says. CSI staff will work with a child for four to six months on average, she says. But, there is no time limit. They’ll work with a child as long as necessary to get results, she says. Caden stayed with the program for a year and a half. “He was a pretty angry kid when he came in,” Habrock says. “With his grandparents and his mom, we had to work through some pretty tough stuff.” But, it was all worth it, Tara says. Caden, who will be a second grader this fall, will still have outbursts, she says, but they are now less severe and less common. “It’s been a long process,” Tara says. “But he has come so far. He still has his moments, but he’s really doing well. Life is much better for both of us. Much more calm. We’re headed in the right direction.” GALA

ARE YOU READY FOR SUMMER? Koca Chiropractic can get you on the right track to keep your energy up and experience life to the fullest.

The fiffiirst step is to make health your #1 priority

2085 N 120th St, Ste. D6 Omaha, NE 68164 402.496.4570 www.YourFamilysChiropractor.com

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OMAHA GALA COVER FEATURE

NorthStar Foundation On Top of the World

EN-YEAR-OLDS AREN’T MUCH KNOWN for the use of subtleties

in choosing their words. So when Caleb Robinson calls himself “the poster boy” for the NorthStar Foundation, you can bet that he means it in a literal sense. His image has been used on the nonprofit’s marketing and related materials, so Omaha’s newest celebrity was right at home in yet another photo shoot on the sprawling campus of the boys-only youth center that has risen just south of Ames Avenue at about 49th Street. “I feel like I’m on the top of the world,” Caleb shouts after reaching the apex of the towering, high-ropes obstacle course that is just one of the world-class features to be found at the facility that aims to guide young boys into a promising and productive future. Along with classrooms and basketball courts, the expansive building also boasts a rockclimbing wall. >

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GALA

story by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann

GALA

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The Omaha Home for Boys is raffling this beautiful 1987 Harley-Davidson FXR customized by OHB youth and Black Rose Machine Shop, Inc. mechanics.

BIKE RAFF TICKETS:LE

e3/ a.

50 6 / 100 $

And Join Us September 25, 2014 at the downtown Hilton-Omaha

For Our Restoration Celebration! Cocktails & Silent Auction at 6 p.m., Dinner at 7 p.m., with an inspirational message from Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, mixed martial arts champion, actor

and Omaha Home for Boys alumni

EVENT TICKETS: $200 - VIP Meet & Greet w/Rudy, Reception & Dinner $100 - Reception & Dinner

Rudy Reyes!

Scan this code to buy your event tickets online.

You can also contact Trish at (402) 457-7034 or PHaniszewski@omahahomeforboys.org for more information or Raffle and/or Event Tickets

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GALA

COVER FEATURE

northstar foundation

Caleb Robinson scales the 40-foot-high ropes course at NorthStar Foundation.

People from all parts of the city will come here, and we can give them an experience that they won’t expect, especially if all they know about North Omaha is what they see on the nightly news. SCOTT HAZELRIGG

< Inspired by the Outward Bound model of adventure mixed with a host of complementary experiential programs, NorthStar’s efforts are aimed at 5th through 8th graders, the age group where boys are first recruited into or are otherwise influenced by gangs, says NorthStar president Scott Hazelrigg. “Try to tell a kid that you want to take him on a river rafting adventure,” says Hazelrigg, “and he doesn’t know how to digest that information. To a young boy living in poverty, they don’t have the worldview to even picture what that would be like. It’s just an abstract idea to them. We’re loosely inspired by the Outward Bound model, but we built the 40-foot high-ropes right here where the kids live. We built the rock-climbing wall right here where the kids live.” Outward Bound operates in Omaha as a wholly owned, limited liability corporation of the NorthStar Foundation. The connection to Outward Bound means that the foundation has an established and strong footprint in the community, as they’ve already worked with over 6,000 boys in the year leading up to the opening of the NorthStar facility. “North Omaha is isolated both socially and economically,” Hazelrigg adds. “A secondary goal of our work is to change the perception of a community. People from all parts of the city will come here, and we can give them an experience that they won’t expect, especially if all they know about North Omaha is what they see on the nightly news.” A ribbon-cutting ceremony in May introduced the community to the organization whose mission is to “change young men’s lives through programming that supports, challenges, inspires, and instills a life rooted in education, self-discipline, and service to the community.” > omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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cover feature northstar foundation

www.apachecamper.com

ANNOUNCING NEWMAR CLASS A MOTORHOMES! Exclusively at Apache Camper Center!

See our latest collection of luxury homes on the inside front cover or online at npdodge.com.

1120 FORT CROOK ROAD BELLEVUE, NE 68005 800.756.7344 402.292.1455 HWY 77 SALTILLO RD LINCOLN, NE 68430 800.753.9158 402.423.3218

WE RUN/WALK

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< But there’s more than just high adventure to be found at NorthStar. After-school programs in academic achievement, athletics and healthy lifestyles, arts immersion, and employment readiness will be in full swing by the time kids like Caleb return to class in August. Caleb’s mother, Barbara Robinson, has acted as something of an unofficial consultant in planning the NorthStar vision. She’s a gang intervention program manager for Impact One, a grassroots organization that focuses on addressing issues within North Omaha. And she knows the streets all to well. The ex-crack addict and gangbanger had her children (now returned) taken away from her by the state before she turned her life around. “Young boys need role models,” Robinson says. “They need someplace to go to after school, someplace that teaches the same

GALA northstar foundation

COVER FEATURE

Cordial Cherry The

~ fine artisan chocolates ~

1223 S. 180th Street, Omaha, NE www.thecordialcherry.com · 402.679.3011

Where Technology Meets Fashion & Luxury • Exceptional Service • Exceptional Selection 17520 Wright St, Suite 105 • Omaha, NE 68130 402.614.3200 • legacyeyecare.com

Giving You Answers to Help Unlock Your Potential Kelli Miller is a down-to-earth, hilarious, and professional Psychic/Medium and Life Coach! · Individual Reading · Private Parties.

Young boys need role models. They need someplace to go to after school, someplace that teaches the same values that we live by in my home. NorthStar listens to parents. They listen to the community. They care about the future of this city and its young men. Barbara Robinson

values that we live by in my home. NorthStar listens to parents. They listen to the community. They care about the future of this city and its young men.” “I was maybe just a little bit scared when I got started,” Caleb says of his high-ropes adventure. Growing up in North Omaha can be a scary experience, and it is all too easy for fear to permeate a neighborhood like a contagion. Fear not, Caleb. The NorthStar Foundation has your back. GALA Visit northstar360.org for more information.

“I really enjoyed our readings and quite a wide awakening of the ability to talk to those that have passed on. Thank you for a fun experience.” -April D.

Call today to schedule your reading 402-289-9999 · psychickelli.com

Thank you for your Best of Omaha™ votes.

12660 Q Street • 402-896-3300 MillardFamilyEyecare.com omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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OMAHA GALA

and

per se

Exceptional clothes to empower outstanding women!

July/August Calendar of Events July 18 Ales for Tails Nebraska Humane Society Regency Marriot nehumanesociety.org July 21 Driving for Excellence Golf Fest Mercy High School The Players Club at Deer Creek mercyhigh.org

Shop the FALL 2014 Collections August 6th thru 12th Shown by Designer Mary Anne Vaccaro

By appointment 402-398-1234 mavaccaro@maryannevaccaro.com www.carlislecollection.com

July 25 Hope in the Heartland Gala American Cancer Society Stinson Park at Aksarben Village aksarbenvillage.com July 26 16 Annual Ted E. Bear Hollow Remembrance Walk Ted E. Bear Hollow Millers Landing tedebearhollow.org July 28 Swing 4 Kids Partnership 4 Kids Field Club of Omaha p4k.org August 2 Dance for a Chance Youth Emergency Services, Inc. Slowdown yesomaha.org August 5 Neighborhood Night Out Kids Can Community Center TBA August 6-9 National Miss Amazing Pageant Miss Amazing Inc. Ramada Plaza Convention Center missamazingpageant.com

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GALA july/august • calendar of events

August 10 Boxer 500 – A SHORT Run to Fight Colon Cancer Great Plains Colon Cancer Task Force & Omaha Running Club Werner Park coloncancertaskforce.org August 11 ORA Golf Tournament Omaha Restaurant Association Champions Run dineoutomaha.com August 11 QLI Golf Challenge QLI Deer Creek qliomaha.com August 16 Cruise for the Kids Assistance League of Omaha Shadow Lake Towne Center alomaha.org August 18 DVC Golf Tournament Domestic Violence Council Champions Run dvccomaha.org August 18-24 Omaha Fashion Week Fashion Institute Midwest Tent location, downtown Omaha Omahafashionweek.com August 23 Summer Bash for Childhood Cancer Metro Area Youth Foundation, Inc. Ramada Plaza Convention Center summerbashforccc.org

story by • photography by bill sitzmann

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Thanks to our 2014 Builders Blitz partners, 10 more families know the joy of homeownership.

Jose and Florisol’s family is loving life in their 2013 Habitat Omaha Builders Blitz home.

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LOOK YOUR BEST. FEEL YOUR BEST. BE YOUR BEST.

PLEASE VOTE TODD SMITH FITNESS PERSONAL TRAINING FACILITY 434 N. 76th St. • Omaha, NE. 68114 402-932-5841 • toddsmithtraining.com

special section

BEST OF OMAHA • CAMPAIGN 2015

Scan the page with the LayAR app and see 3D without those goofy glasses.

Campaign 2015 Voting launches July 1st and continues through August 20th. omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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BEST OF OMAHA • CAMPAIGN 2015

special seciton

Campaign 2015

Voting starts July 1st through august 20

Piz

Voted #1 Best Pizza in 2014

Serving the freshest New York style pizza, pasta, calzones, appetizers, & salads since 1985. Zio’s items are made from scratch; The dough is made fresh by Zio every morning, the meats prepared from scratch daily to give you the FRESHEST PIZZA in Omaha. Zio’s pizzas & calzones are hand stretched as ordered. The chicken is all natural, free of antibiotics & growth hormones, & our beef is 100% Angus beef – always cooked fresh & never frozen. You can choose from several combos or custom make your pie/ slices/ calzones.With 40 + freshest toppings! the choice is limitless. RECIPIENT OF 35 “BEST PIZZA” AWARDS! www.ziospizzeria.com • Visit us at any 3 locations for dine-in & takeout: 12997 W. Center Road 7834 W. Dodge Road 1109 Howard (Old Market) 330-1444 391-1881 344-2222 •Weekday Lunch Specials • Beer & Wine • Limited Delivery Downtown

PIZZERIA SM Freshest, Hand Stretched New York Style Pizza

bringing up to

1-Gig Internet speeds to your community

We appreciate your vote for ‘Internet Provider’ as we drive to make Omaha one of the fastest cities in America!

Your Family’s #1 Choice in Chiropractic • Headaces • Neck & Back Pain • Auto Accidents • Sciatica • Sport Injuries • Tingling or Numbness

Chiropractic Health Clinic of Millard

(144th & Center in Oak View Medical Building) 2727 S. 144th St., Ste. 230 402.778.5470 • eilerchiro.com Left: Dr. Justin M. Eiler Center: Dr. Mark Eiler Right: Dr. Andrea M. Eiler (Palmer Graduates)

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BEST BESTOF OFOMAHA OMAHA• •CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN2015 2015

We appreciate your vote.

Campaign 2015

Time to go vote!

MAHA MAGAZINE’S BEST OF Omaha™ contest

is a pure, popular vote and the most recognizable and prestigious “Best” contest in the Omaha area. It started in the early ’80s with the Omaha Magazine staff voting who was the best in the city in about a dozen categories. Then, in the early ’90s, the public was asked to vote for their favorites. Last year, more than 30,000 voters cast more than 725,000 votes in the Best of Omaha contest. This year, Best of Omaha welcomes back media partner KETV 7, as well as welcomes newcomer Ralston Arena. Their participation not only expands our audience but also increases the number of votes cast. It truly is a community contest. Best of Omaha voting is all done online. Only one ballot per email address is accepted, and at least 15 votes on the ballot must be completed for it to be counted. The contest is audited by Goracke & Associates, assuring fairness and accuracy. Best of Omaha categories vary from year to year. Those receiving few votes are dropped, while suggestions for new ones are always welcome. Some categories are very popular, with the results anxiously awaited. (Think “Best Steakhouse”!) Many businesses vigorously campaign for Best of Omaha™ votes, handing out “Go Vote!” cards to customers and posting “Go Vote!” signs in their storefronts and on their websites. Once voting results are compiled, the top three winners in each category are awarded Best of Omaha™ Winner’s Circle status for the year. Winners are encouraged to proudly display the Winner’s Circle logo anywhere they wish—on print advertisements, in store windows, on billboards, on menus and brochures, and in their radio and television commercials. And why not? Best of Omaha Winners earned it! Really, what’s better than being recognized by those who matter the most—your customers? Voting in Best of Omaha 2015 begins July 1 and runs through August 20, with voting results published in the Best of Omaha results issue in December. And here’s another example of just how big this contest has become: For the first time, the Best of Omaha results will be announced in a separate, dedicated Best of Omaha issue of Omaha Magazine. Make sure you receive this issue by subscribing or renewing your subscription now. In addition, an Omaha Magazine subscription makes a great gift for anyone, especially new residents! It’s a handy reference to the most preferred restaurants, specialty stores, hair salons, home remodelers, and many other businesses. We encourage you to support your favorite Omaha businesses by voting in our Best of Omaha contest. Cast your ballot at BestOfOmaha.com.

Montessori Educational Centers, Inc. WHERE CHILDREN LEARN TO LOVE TO LEARN

(402) 393-1311 www.OmahaMontessori.com

e st Be ienc en e v n Co Stor

st Ex Wa pre sh ss

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE

We Would Appreciate Your Vote for Best Express Wash & Convenience Store! 10 Locations Bring in your voting certificate and receive a free 24oz. coffee or 32oz. fountain drink! Limit: 1 per person | Expires 10.01.14

fantasys-carwash.com

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BEST BESTOF OFOMAHA OMAHA• •CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN2015 2015

special seciton

Three Omaha Locations Don & Ron’s CARSTAR 5329 S. 70th Street 402.331.0520

PLEASE VOTE

CARSTAR “Auto Body Repair” Category

iPad DRAWING ENTRY Fax, E-mail or Deliver “Proof of Voting” Certificate

Northwest CARSTAR 3304 N. 120th Street 402.498.9400 Silver Hammer CARSTAR 4827 N. 90th Street 402.571.5348

www.nebraskacarstar.com fax: 402.498.5748 info@necarstar.com

Media Partners

It takes a village to manage an effort as broad as Best of Omaha™. Special thanks to media partners KETV 7 and the Ralston Arena.

Please vote for us. Restaurant & Lounge 1006 Cunningham Road, Bellevue 402-292-9963 • catfishlakerestaurant.org

“Fresh fish, chicken, and house cut steaks served in a rustic and friendly atmosphere”

Vote

ChristiClark

Best Hair Colorist 2015 L.A. Celebrity Colorist

ChristiClarkColor.com · 402-321-9410

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BEST OF OMAHA • CAMPAIGN 2015

special section

Campaign 2015 • Go Vote!

Voting starts July 1st through august 20

VOTE FOR US!

please vote us best in

BEST INTERNET PROVIDER

breast augmentation and

cosmetic surgery

COX INTERNET BEATS THE COMPETITION†

CenturyLink

Doubling speeds of most popular packages starting in July

YES

FREE: Access to over 250,000 WiFi Hotspots when you travel

YES

FREE: Access to 500 WiFi Hotspots in and around Omaha

YES

Fastest in-home WiFi to surf, stream and share on more devices

YES

† WiFi network access available to residential customers with Cox Internet Preferred or higher service at hotspots in the Omaha area and in select locations outside of Cox service areas. See cox.com/hotspots for available coverage areas and hotspots. Fastest in-home WiFi based on June 2013 study of comparable in-home wireless routers by Allion Test Labs, Inc. Doubling speeds based on planned speed increases of Preferred and Premier packages. See cox.com for additional details about Cox

Voted Best 2 Years in a Row! please call 402.390.0100 or visit us at www.surgicalimages.com

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BEST OF OMAHA • CAMPAIGN 2015

special seciton

Campaign 2015 • Go Vote!

Voting starts July 1st through august 20

let’s eat together

PLEASE VOTE BEST BRICK OVEN PIZZA!

402.590.coal · pitchPizzeria.com · Dundee · Open at 11am 7 days a week We are Omaha’s best video game store!

We buy, sell and trade all games, from your favorite classic Nintendo games to the hottest new releases for Xbox One, PS4, and Wii U! Game Vault will beat any competitor’s used game prices and give you more cash or trade-in credit for your games and accessories.

6307 Center St. Suite 102 Located in Aksarben Place

402-505-7476 www.gamevault.me

please vote for us!

Please Vote Best Fried Chicken and Best Family Restaurant “Serving The Best Fried Chicken in Town Since 1997” 13325 Millard Ave. • 402-891-9292

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BEST BESTOF OFOMAHA OMAHA• •CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN2015 2015

Ridgeview Center

Top 10

reasons to vote in the 2015 Best of Omaha™ contest: 10. You get to help educate and inform your friends about the best of the best in the area. 9. Gain access to special discount offers from participating businesses. 8. Everybody loves a contest!

18118 Wright St. Omaha, NE 68130 402-697-1577 www.ridgeview.deckthewalls.com

Experts in Custom Framing!

“VAPE ’EM IF YOU GOT ’EM” featuring AWARD WINNING E-Liquids from Nicoticket, Space Jam, Cosmic Fog, Vermillion River & Halo 402-960-5051 14803 West Maple Road www.huskerecigs.com

7. You’ll get a free copy of our new, seventh issue, The Best of Omaha results roundup. 6. And you’ll also get a discounted rate on your Omaha Magazine subscription or renewal.

Please vote for us as best bookstore.

5. Our Best of Omaha ballot will help reacquaint you with all of the great businesses in the area. 4. Browsing the ballot can lead you to wonderful new discoveries of great businesses. 3. Shark Week doesn’t start until August. What else do you have to do?

Mon-Fri 9:30-9, Sat 9-6 Sun closed to honor God

84th & Harrison 6905 S. 84 St., La Vista 402-592-4866 divinetruthchristian.com

Books • Bibles • Music • Movies • T-shirts • Jewelry • Gifts • Church Supplies

We appreciate your vote for the

5th year in a row as Best Day Spa!

2. You get to support your favorite businesses. 1. Why are you’re still reading this list? Get out there and vote!

Receive a $10 discount after voting [must present voting certificate] One coupon per person. Expires 9/30/14

5709 South 108th Street (2 blocks south of 108th and Q Street) 402.502.1850 · glosssalon.com omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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A Must-See Boutique

New This Year Best of Omaha 6 yrs in a row! Lets make it 7! We appreciate your vote. Join Us Saturday July 12, 9a-5p

8th Anniversary, Western Style! Events all day long! Sales, refreshments,

with Best of Omaha™ Voting!

• No more cumbersome searching for your favorites. All voting categories will be found on one screen page. • Easy navigation with a new search box function. • Improved business-specific “Quick Vote” codes to streamline your selections.

cowboys & more!

*Kajomas will be closed Friday July 11th to prepare for our anniversary bash. 402.991.4477 | 84th & 1st St. Downtown Papillion Open Mon-Sat at 10am

Text KAJOMAS to 36000

We appreciate your vote for best student tutoring.

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• Your valid ballot now requires a minimum of 15 categories to be marked, down from 20 in previous years. • Every voter receives our newly created Best Of Omaha™ special issue. • And every voter gets a discount when purchasing tickets to our Inaugural Best of Omaha Festival on October 11.

BEST OF OMAHA • CAMPAIGN 2015

special section

Campaign 2015 • Go Vote!

Voting starts July 1st through august 20

Visit Our Four Great Locations

Please vote for us as best ‘Breakfast’, ‘Lunch’ and ‘Sunday Brunch’

Breakfast & Lunch Served All Day Every Day! • 6 am-2 pm

Please Vote for Us! 2715 S. 120th St. Omaha | 707 S. 72nd St. Omaha 2420 W. Broadway Council Bluffs www.krispykreme.com

We Would Appreciate Your Vote for

Best Men’s Apparel Store

707 North 132nd Street│402.491.4000│ www.lindleyclothing.com

•

VOTE FOR US AS •

Best Maid Service of Omaha

• Locally Owned & Operated • Green Clean Certiﬁed® • Every Cleaning Guaranteed • Bonded, Insured & Background Checked

Friend us on Facebook

402.317.5179 • Omaha.MaidBrigade.com omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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Campaign 2015 • Go Vote!

Voting starts July 1st through august 20

The Only Name You Need to Know for Better Health

Please help us win

Best Nutrition & Vitamin Store rd for the 3 year in a row!

2032 N. 72nd St. Omaha, 68134

402.393.5812

14469 W. Center Rd. Omaha, 68144

402.333.1300

Where You NoNameNutrition.com Get the Old Fashioned Help You Deserve

15803 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 402-333-5722

www.sw-fence.com

Vote Us Best of Omaha’s Best Fence and Railing Company 2015 at BestofOmaha.com

BE IRRESISTIBLE. Please Vote

Celebrating 26 Years! Come in for a taste of one of our amazing specials!

402.391.5047

Sakura Bana

Best Japanese Dining

7425 Dodge St. | Omaha | www.sushiomaha.com Pools • Spas • Accessories • Chemicals • Repair & Service

Papio Bay Aquatic Center 815 E. Halleck Street in Papillion

BEST SWIMMING LESSONS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT Open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Over 5 incredible acres of swimming & outdoor recreation!

We appreciate your vote. Sundance Spas

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402-896-1246 • olympicpoolomaha.com Mon-Wed, 9a-5p • Thurs, 9a-6:30p • Fri, 9a-7p • Sat, 10a-4p

16902 Wright Plz, Ste. 160 • Shops of Legacy

omaha magazine • july/august 2014

12:00-8:00 pm

402-597-2055 papiobay.org

special section

BEST BESTOF OFOMAHA OMAHA• •CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN2015 2015

Coming Soon!

Inaugural Best of Omaha Festival

We’re filling the Ralston Arena with the best businesses in Omaha as voted on by you.

Omaha’s Golf Destination for Over 50 Years

October 11 • 3-8 pm • Ralston Arena Complete practice facility│Leagues & outings welcome Lessons│Permanent tee times available On-site bar service│Banquet facility Plan your outing, event or party in our Legacy Room. Open to the public

402.498.0220 1401 N. 120th Street miraclehillgolf.com

We Are Omaha’s

Appliance Repair Specialists NEED SERVICE NOW? We’re on the way!

DOING IT YOURSELF? Genuine parts for all major brands

FREE ALL SERVICE C air p when we re

402.399.0202 nhaparts.com 310 S. 72nd Street

Omaha · Millard · Bellevue · Ralston · LaVista · Elkhorn Gretna · Papillion · Carter Lake · Council Bluffs

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BEST BESTOF OFOMAHA OMAHA• •CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN2015 2015

Quality.

Service. Value.

Commercial & Residential Sales & Service Garage Door Repairs 24hr Emergency Service

special seciton

What’s in Store for You at The Best Of Omaha Festival?

The best products and services as voted by you. • Local entertainers on the main stage.

GARAGE DOORS Call Today! 402-813-9787

• Local cuisine to sample. • Craft beers and cocktails.

www.SpecializedGarageDoorsOmaha.com

• Chance to win big prizes.

The IT Support Solution to Your BUSINESS & HOME Needs

FLAT FEE for COMPUTER REPAIR

Residential or Business

Guaranteed—regardless of your needs Call for details

“The New IT Department” TECH-LIFE-SUPPORT.COM 402.718.9408 · 3506 N. 147th St, #101

VOTE!

Turning Heads on Blondo Best Hair Salon 2015

Full Service Salon & Spa Manicures & Pedicures | Shellac Eyelash Extensions | Facials Airbrush Tanning | Massages Body Treatments

402.718.9408 ON BLONDO

402.884.5444 • 2073 N. 120th St • www.turningheadsonblondo.com

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• And last but not least: The Best Fest After Party!

special section

BEST OF OMAHA • CAMPAIGN 2015

PLEASE VOTE! Best Basement Repair & Waterproofing

Shamrock Waterproofing Inc. Residential & Commercial www.shamrockwaterproofinginc.com 402-556-6900│3522 Lincoln Boulevard, Omaha Nebraska

THE WORLD’S FINEST COFFEE

ROASTED FRESH FOR YOU

Thank You For Voting Us Best 3 Years In A Row! Where Craftsmanship is at its Finest!

DELIVERED TO YOUR FRONT DOOR AT NO EXTRA CHARGE.

All types of Roofing, Guttering, Siding, & Windows Hail Damage Specialists Locally Owned & Operated Since 1993 FREE ESTIMATES! Insurance Claims are Our Specialty 1504 S Saddle Creek Rd. Omaha NE 68106 (402) 502-9300 www.pyramidroof.com

We’d appreciate your vote for

BEST COFFEE ROASTER

www.tapdancerscoffee.com 402-707-7546 omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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BEST OF OMAHA • CAMPAIGN 2015

We would appreciate your vote for Best Women’s Boutique! 30% discount with proof of voting paper. Quick Vote Code: #96442 402.614.2990│3503 Samson Way Suite 100 Bellevue

special seciton

Quality Instruction in a Positive & Encouraging Atmosphere www.NebraskaDance.com 11426 Davenport Street│402.714.7078

Great coffee made better.

VOTE FOR US AS BEST COFFEE ROASTER

12012 Roberts Road | Suite C | La Vista, NE | 68128

Please vote us Best Fitness Club!

402-213-4644 · thevolleyballacademy.com · dgraf@cox.net

4 Metro Locations!

BlueMoonFitness.com

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BEST OF OMAHA • CAMPAIGN 2015

We Would Appreciate Your Vote for

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FEATURE

Malorie Maddox Omaha Stories and Poking the Bear

HE ALERT OF “STAND by” is

called out as the seconds tick away to the top of the hour. Moments later a red light bursts to life. Malorie Maddox is on the air once again. On this particular day, the WOWT anchor/reporter proceeds to report on one tragedy after another. The broadcast leads with an update on a 6-year-old girl hit by a stray bullet and is followed by stories of a 3-year-old boy kept in a cage by his parents and a piece on yet another school shooting. “I often take home with me the emotion of an interview,” says the Kansas native who has spent the last 10 years of her career at the station. “I believe that if you’re going to tell a story, you have to feel that story. But I also know that I need to let go of that…to let go of that emotion before I go on the air.” Nothing, it would seem, can dent the indomitable spirit of this professional. Especially not on this day. Only hours earlier, Maddox was among 10 women feted by the WCA at their 27th annual Tribute to Women luncheon. The longtime WCA supporter and guild member normally emcees the event, so this year her on-air colleague, veteran anchor John Knicely, did the honors. “The women we serve at the WCA are most often victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault,” says Maddox, who also gives of her time in the fight against cancer, among other nonprofit work. “They are in horrific, unimaginable situations. The WCA is there for women who are in their absolute darkest hour.” She and husband Greg, an attorney and two-time cancer survivor, have a 3-year-old 138

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son named Moss. Her nightly wind-down ritual once she gets home is a simple one; “Sweat pants and a single, very cold beer,” beams the otherwise always perfectly w and attired newswoman. She enjoys running and working out in the station’s gym, usually with Knicely at the neighboring machine. And usually with some gentle ribbing from her co-anchor. “He gives me a hard time,” Maddox quips, “especially because I like to listen to really loud rap music when I work out.” Back in the studio, the red light goes dead. Time for a commercial break. “That’s the toughest word for me to pronounce,” she says in reference to a segment that included the words ‘rural Nebraska.’ “Rur-al,” she enunciates. “Two syllables. Rural. Rur-al. Rurrr-al!” Maddox then directs her attention to the control room so she can see the owner of a disembodied voice chattering away in the anchor’s ear buds. “No, I’m not poking the bear,” she says in replying to a question rendered overly cryptic due to the fact that no one else on the set can hear the voice in her head. And then the red light pops back on. Maddox works in a profession marked by frequent station and city-hopping, but Omaha, she says, is special. “I love this city,” she says. “Omaha gave me a life. I met my husband here. We’re raising a family here. I’m just a storyteller, but we want great stories every day. And each one is personal to me. That thrill never goes away—the thrill that comes with knowing you have a good story. I live every day in awe of Omaha, its people…and its stories.” OMAG

story by david williams • photography by bill sitzmann

Chuck Hagel experienced firsthand the nadir of America’s armed forces. As Secretary of Defense, he’s battling for a future free of the quagmires of the past.

War and Peace by robert nelson • photography by bill sitzmann • photo illustration by randy teet • illustration by john gawley

COVER

n March 8, 2013, a young man biked to the gates of the Afghan Defense Ministry and detonated a bomb strapped to his chest. The massive explosion, which killed nine civilians, shook a nearby building in which then-new U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel was meeting with military officials. “This attack was a message to him,” a Taliban spokesman emailed to reporters soon afterwards. Hagel wasn’t listening. Inside a briefing room, the twice-wounded Vietnam vet appeared more curious than concerned as the building rocked. Within seconds, he was back on task, discussing the intricacies of winding down the longest war in U.S. history. “No kidding -- he barely flinched,” says Hagel’s former press secretary, George Little, who was in the room at the time. “That’s just who he is. He’s so focused on goals that nothing fazes him.” Those goals, if attained, will make history. The former U.S. Senator from Nebraska will guide the U.S. Armed Forces through the transition from an unpopular two-front

war he famously opposed into a lean, nimble, cutting-edge force poised for 21st century challenges. High-tech weaponry and cyber defenses designed to defend against more advanced foes will be increased. The Pacific Rim will receive more focus. Aging, cumbersome machines of war will be mothballed. But Hagel hopes to leave more than a legacy of hardware, strategy, and efficient power projection. He wants his legacy to be a sort of antithesis to Vietnam. Empathetic leadership. Conflict seen as only a wicked necessity. A fighting force that can skirt quagmires, disrupt and disable from a distance, and better armor flesh and blood. All this amid constant criticism, political dysfunction, and ever-shapeshifting crises. An unstable Ukraine. Putin. Syria. Mosul. The screwball menace of Kim Jong-un. “The Middle East in flames,” > omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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< Hagel adds. Domestically: The VA scandal. The Bergdahl controversy. The sexual assault scandal. Controversy after controversy. And he also runs a department with more than three million employees. “You’ll never know all of it, you can never know all of it,” he says from his office at the Pentagon. “What you must do is not get dragged down into the underbrush with stuff that’s not a top priority to know.” You must remain calm. Keep studying, he says. Know your history. Learn from the mistakes of history and the lessons of your own history. Talk candidly with everyone from generals to privates, warriors to desk jockeys. Always listen, he says. Always be empathetic. And somehow, remain unbowed by the bombs exploding around you. “Chuck is singularly prepared for a job like this,” says former U.S. Senator and Nebraska Gov. Bob Kerrey, a fellow decorated Vietnam vet. “He’s focused, he believes in what he’s doing, he has an amazing ability to stay positive through

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel beside a portrait of President Dwight David Eisenhower painted by Hagel’s brother, Tom.

chuck hagel

tough times. Add to all that his life experience. He was an enlisted man, he’s seen it all. He knows what it’s like, and what it means, to actually be there.”

WO PHOTOS HANG ON the

family room wall in Tom Hagel’s home in Dayton, Ohio. One shows Tom and his older brother Chuck dressed in their altar boy gowns standing in front of a modest Catholic church in Ainsworth, Neb. (“That brick you see was just a façade on a Quonset Hut,” Tom says). The irony of the photo isn’t lost on the brothers. “I was not a choir boy,” Tom says. “We were very different people,” says Chuck. The second photo shows Tom and Chuck with arms around each other, drinks in hand, at a party held at their rental house in North Omaha not long after they returned from Vietnam. Tom still keeps the photo close, both because of what it shows and what it doesn’t. “All buddy-buddy, right?” explains Tom, an attorney, law professor, and judge in Dayton. “Oh man. In a flash, we’d be after each other. Couple words about Vietnam. A minute after that photo we were in a fistfight, smashing beds, knocking doors off. “Somebody called the cops. Once the cops got there we were immediately all buddy-buddy and we had each other’s back again. That’s how it was in a nutshell.” Tom believed Vietnam was a disaster orchestrated for all the wrong reasons. Chuck believed Vietnam was a geopolitical necessity.

Chuck was also the proverbial Good Son. He was a quarterback and class president at St. Bonaventure High School in Columbus (now Columbus Central Catholic). He was driven. He always dressed for success in his still-beloved pleated khakis. “He’s been running for president since he was 16,” Tom says. In some ways, Chuck’s ship-shape persona was a cover. As he advanced in high school, his father’s alcoholism and downward spiral advanced. Before settling in Columbus, Charlie Hagel bounced his family through numerous towns in western Nebraska. Ainsworth, Rushville, Scottsbluff, Terrytown, York. The jobs got smaller. The houses got smaller—if there was a house. One summer the four Hagel brothers slept in a chicken dormer. Life got more and more unstable. Chuck picked up the slack, stayed focused on goals. Tom rebelled. But Tom still views his father more as a tragic figure than anything else. “I talked to some of his old buddies in Ainsworth, people who knew him before he went off to World War II,” Tom says. “They said the war changed him—he was a different person when he came back. I think he was a beat-up manic-depressive who was selfmedicating. But back then there wasn’t any help. There was just the stigma.” Charlie died suddenly at age 39 on Christmas morning, 1962. Chuck was 16. So, Chuck became the man of the house, helping his mother watch over the five younger Hagel children. It was hard, but the family always found a way to make do. Chuck says he learned leadership skills at a very young age. >

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COVER

< “When my dad died, my youngest brother, Jim, was only in second grade,” Chuck says. “I started coaching his little league teams. I basically became a surrogate father to him.” After high school, Chuck went off to try his hand at college. Things didn’t work out. He enlisted. Around that time, Tom graduated high school—somehow. “I mean, (Tom) may have gotten enough C’s to graduate,” Chuck says. “But it was probably just a good arrangement for everyone involved to let him out of high school.” Like Chuck, Tom chose to enlist instead of wait for the draft. “You’re going anyway,” Tom says. “Just as well volunteer and get it over with.” After training, Chuck was sent to Vietnam. At the time, Tom was stationed in Germany waiting for his orders. Then Tom came up with a plan. Knowing that the U.S. military didn’t allow brothers to serve beside each other in battle (termed the “Sole Survivor Policy”), Tom volunteered to go to Vietnam. He knew he was going anyway. Why not help out his big brother in the process. Chuck, he thought, would get sent home early. But, SNAFU. “I got there and nobody knew what I was talking about,” Tom says. Then, in a chain of events that still baffle the brothers, Tom, apparently by coincidence, ended up northwest of Saigon, not only in the same division as Chuck, but in the same squad of the same platoon of the same company. In time, they literally were walking point together. So the Hagel brothers, it is widely believed, became the only brothers to serve sideby-side in combat in the Vietnam War.

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Tom, a scrappy 160-pound teen who liked the outdoors, was better built for jungle warfare than Chuck. “His size worked against him,” Tom says. “I was a wimpy little burnout, but I could move in the mud—I was more comfortable in that environment than he was. I really felt sorry for him. He was a fish out of water.” The brothers began to lose friends, witnessing horrific scenes that scar both of them still. While on patrol one morning in 1968, a soldier walking point in front of the Hagels stepped on a landmine. Shrapnel hit Tom’s arm. A larger piece lodged in Chuck’s chest. Tom dropped to his brother’s side and bound him with compression bandages to stop the bleeding. A month later, Chuck dragged Tom from a burning armored personnel carrier. Blood poured from Tom’s ears. Chuck’s face was severely burned. The Hagels returned home to Nebraska with five Purple Hearts between them (Chuck received two, Tom received three). They returned having had nearly identical experiences. Yet, the two men viewed life and their experiences through very different lenses. They, did, however, have something very much in common, Chuck Hagel says. “We both still had no idea what we wanted to do.”

he University of Nebraska—Omaha has provided college educations to thousands of veterans through the G.I. Bill. The school, Chuck Hagel notes, has a long

history and strong reputation for helping vets not only get degrees, but also find their way in life. “It really is one of the premier bootstrap universities in the country,” Chuck says. Both Chuck and Tom found professors who inspired and guided them. Both brothers flourished. Tom angled toward law. “I wanted to save the world,” he says. Chuck moved toward government and politics. He went to Washington, D.C., knocked on doors throughout the city, and finally landed a part-time job on the staff of Nebraska Rep. John McCollister. McCollister, an old-school Nebraska conservative who served from 1971 to 1977, may have influenced Chuck Hagel’s politics, and honed his political acumen, more than any other person in his life. Hagel called McCollister, who died last year at age 92, “the finest public servant I have ever known.” Through the 1970s, thanks to McCollister, Hagel increasingly found himself in close proximity to the Republican Party elite. In 1980, Hagel campaigned for the Ronald Reagan. Once elected, Reagan decided Hagel was a natural for a veterans-related post. He was nominated for the job of deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration. Before taking that post, though, Hagel was asked to take over the planning and construction of the 1982 World’s Fair, which, at the time, was on a path to disaster. “I told them I’d never even been to a World’s Fair,” Hagel says. “I had been to a carnival in Beaver Crossing. That’s it.” But, no matter. Hagel went and lived in Knoxville, Tenn., and worked day and night for six months. In the end, the World’s Fair was a success, and Hagel had made a name for himself in the Republican Party. Hagel remembers well flying to

chuck hagel

the opening event on Air Force One with Reagan. It was May 1, 1982. Hagel rattles off the date without pause. To be sure, Reagan also was a major influence on the future senator’s brand of conservatism. Besides building his party cred, Hagel learned he could successfully run a large operation. “It was the first big organizational job I had in my life,” he says. And so, the education of Chuck Hagel continued. After the World’s Fair stint, he took that job with the Veteran’s Administration. Soon, though, he found himself embroiled in controversy. Also, he found himself, for the first time, having to put his career on the line for his beliefs. In 1982, VA administrator Robert Nimmo made several inflammatory comments about veterans during his push to cut funding for VA programs. Nimmo called veterans groups “greedy” and described the effects of Agent Orange as not much worse than “a little teenage acne.” Both Hagel brothers had suffered breathing problems after significant contact with Agent Orange. Tom’s current heart problems are blamed on Agent Orange. (“We walked together through areas that looked like moonscapes because of the stuff,” Tom says). Later in the 1980s, the brothers sat on a congressional commission that investigated Agent Orange use in Vietnam. Chuck resigned amid the flap. He was finished with politics…at least for a while.

rom 1982 to 1996, Chuck Hagel was a businessman. A few friends who were in the cable TV business asked Hagel to join them in a

new business venture based on a strange new technology—“cellular telephony.” Hagel was asked to invest $5,000. He had little money to show for those seemingly fancy government titles he had held. To raise the money, he cashed in his life insurance policy and sold his 1978 Buick Skylark. Three years later, Vanguard Cellular Systems was one of the largest cell phone companies in the country. He was quickly a multi-millionaire. Then: President and CEO of the United Service Organizations. Deputy director of the Private Sector Council. COO of the 1990 G7 Summit. On the board of directors of the American Red Cross. Although some pushed for Hagel to seek to become Governor of Virginia, he moved back to Nebraska in 1992 to become president of the investmentbanking firm, The McCarthy Group, LLC. He also served as CEO of what became Election Systems & Software. >

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COVER

chuck hagel

< In what Tom describes as a move “that was a long time coming,” Chuck finally ran for office. In 1996, he started as a mostlyunknown underdog to replace Jim Exon in the U.S. Senate. But he rose quickly to win in a landslide in the Republican primary, and then upset Ben Nelson in the general election. He quickly became a darling of the Republican Party, amassing one of the most conservative voting records in the Senate. In 2000, he was on the short list of George W. Bush’s picks to be his running mate.

complete inaccuracies. He knew that things on the ground in Iraq were much more complicated than what people were being told. “When people get wildly enthusiastic about war—which was the case then— there has to be someone like Chuck who is willing to stand up and say, ‘Are you sure?’ He took an immense amount of criticism from Republicans during that time. It took real courage to do what he did.”

hen, once again, war.

But by 2003, Hagel had, in part thanks to being privy for two decades to countless previously-classified documents related to the Vietnam War, was much more leery of using force—and much less trusting of intelligence sources— than most of his Republican colleagues. As the country ramped Tom and Chuck Hagel up for an invasion of Iraq, Tom says, he and his brother were Hagel still bristles at the idea he somehow no longer diametrically opposed on many turned traitor on his party. “I am the issues. “I had moderated, I think he had, guy who brought then-President Bush too,” Tom says. “Chuck has always been to Omaha to kick off his Immigration thoughtful, don’t get me wrong. But he Reform effort. I’m the guy who brought learned more about the mistakes of the President Bush to Omaha to kick off his past through the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Social Security reform effort. I was as much He’s very careful now and nuanced in of a leader in the Senate on both of those his thinking when others often aren’t.” Bush initiatives, but yet, at the same time, I was seriously questioning his policies Kerrey, who served alongside on Iraq and…why we went to Iraq.” Chuck in the Senate in the late ‘90s, agrees with Tom Hagel’s assessment In 2004, Hagel said he was considering of his brother’s mindset at the point a run at the presidency. But, in 2007, he Chuck went to battle with his own seemed to run out of patience with the party over Iraq. “Chuck has experienced political sphere. His continued verbal so much, he knew the issues inside lashings of the Bush administration and out,” Kerrey says. “He made him fiercely unpopular with many knew that people were being fed Republicans. Many, most notably John

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McCain, who had long been a fan of Hagel, fired back. The war of words escalated. In November of 2007, Hagel gave this famous assessment of the Bush administration when he ranked it “the lowest in capacity, in capability, in policy, in consensus—almost every area” of any presidency in the previous 40 years. That same year, Hagel declined to run for a third term in the Senate. He stepped into academia, joining the staff of Georgetown University. To those watching from the outside, it looked like Hagel was retiring into the role of wise old sage. But he quickly found himself on the board of a dizzying array of private and governmental advisory committees. Among his nine commitments, he was co-chairman of President Obama’s Intelligence Advisory Board. George Little, Hagel’s former press secretary, says that Obama has long been influenced by Hagel’s opinions in military and foreign policy matters. For one, Hagel accompanied Obama during the then-senator’s first trip to the Middle East. Hagel, Little suggests, has likely shaped Obama’s views on foreign policy matters “as much as anyone.” Kerrey agrees. “Obama and Chuck have significant overlap in how they think and what their values are. Beyond their policy views, they are both clearly men who care deeply about people and care deeply about their country. I can see why they want to work together and why they would work very well together.” In January of last year, President Obama nominated Hagel to succeed Leon Panetta as U.S. Secretary of Defense. Over the >

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omaha magazine • july/august 2014

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COVER

chuck hagel

< next several weeks, Hagel would slog through some of the most outrageous accusations and insults he had faced in his entire career in politics.

good-natured through tense times. “He definitely has a sense of humor,” one of his assistants says. He keeps his stress down by swimming every day “no matter where he is,” his brother says. Hagel himself says he tries to make sure he gets enough sleep and eats right.

om was there for one of the hearings.

Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz “was suggesting that Chuck was somehow receiving money from terrorists,” he recounts. “It was just crazy hatred. Unbelievable.” “There was a lot of ugliness,” Kerrey says. “Chuck never should have had to go through that.”

That said, although Chuck denies it, his brother wonders if, in fact, the job is taking a toll. It’s difficult not to agree with Tom’s assessment. There’s visual confirmation. The Hagel Brothers as Altar Boys

But Hagel powered through the process. Once he was asked to take the job, he says, he was determined to do the job. He believed he had a unique mix of experiences—battle, VA work, running major projects and companies, 12 years as a senator—to do the job uniquely well. He says he believed it was his duty to his country, and particularly those serving their country, to help mold an efficient, effective, and enlightened modern fighting force. The details of the job are dizzying in scope. To run a department so massive, to deal with so many issues from so many directions, you must try to quickly corral a broad understanding of the issues while not being dragged down by minutia, Hagel says. As Hagel has worked to gain an understanding of all he could possibly hope to understand, he’s also tried to maintain a strategic mindset. Remember the past; focus on the future, he says. When it comes to strategy, Hagel can’t help but point to Husker football and one of his heroes of strategic planning, Tom Osborne. 148

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“Tom Osborne is one of the best thinkers I’ve ever dealt with,” Hagel says. “You have to think through those four quarters. Where do you want to be in the fourth quarter? Where do I want to be after four years in the Pentagon? “The other part of what Tom Osborne always talked about is making adjustments. You’ve got to be prepared and build yourself some margin to always adjust to the realities that are going to be confronting you.” The Secretary of Defense job, done well or done poorly, is surely one of the most taxing in the country, particularly under current conditions. It takes a special personality to thrive in the position. Kerrey says that Hagel is built as well as anyone for such a task. “I do think it matters that he has that sort of Midwestern, good-natured, can-do attitude,” Kerrey says. “I’m quite sure he’s not necessarily enjoying the job, but I think he has the attitude to keep going and keep doing a good job.” Hagel plays down any idea that the relentless, pressing, messy issues with which he is tasked daily take a toll on him. His staff says he is generally relaxed and

“My God, compare a picture from December of last year to now,” Tom says. “His hair is white, his eyes are tired. I worry about him. He’ll tell you all day that he’s fine. I just hope he’s telling the truth.” The concern of those around him is that, driven toward such lofty goals through such intense fires, he might not be aware of the dangers to his own health. Hagel himself brushes off the idea that the rigors of the job have worn him down. But, he doesn’t deny that he may push himself too hard sometimes toward the goals he has established. After all, the goals are monumental. And they are goals forged from grave national mistakes that personally wounded him and took the lives of many friends. For Hagel, the job of Secretary of Defense is much more than just eye-candy on a resume. “Somebody could go through the motions,” Hagel says. “But (that attitude) would fail your people; fail your country. I do not want to do that. There’s too much at stake. This is much, much too important.” OMAG

story by • photography by bill sitzmann

RESTAURANT REVIEW

MOVES TO SEPT.

8TH 4PM

OMAHA’S NEWS LEADER

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149

FEATURE

Brains and Brawn Chet Fortune Named One of Shape Magazine’s 50 Hottest Trainers

IS WIFE LOVES HIS

charming smile, but Chet Fortune, a certified personal trainer and owner of Warrior Fitness, also has a physique that many would envy and maybe even drool over. But looking this good isn’t easy. Fortune works hard to keep his muscled body in shape. >

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by cheril lee • photography by bill sitzmann

FEATURE

chet fortune

< “My workouts are high intense strength conditioning,” says Fortune. “Pull ups [he does over 100 a day] and dips are staples.” He tries to focus on a couple different muscle groups every day and work the cardio training into the resistance training with such exercises as frog leaps, box jumps, prints, and burpees of some sort. And this writer isn’t the only one who’s noticed his physique. Fortune was recently named by Shape Magazine as one of the 50 Hottest Male Trainers in America for 2014. It all started simply enough. Fortune had posted profile pics on bodybuilding.com, photos that quickly went viral and were viewed, he says, by a couple hundred thousand people. Based on his popularity on that website and on a whim, Fortune decided to send pictures to Shape late last year. Crickets chirped. Nothing happened. “Fifteen minutes before it [the magazine’s promo] went live online, they sent me an email to let me know I placed,” he says. “It was a total shock, honestly, but it was also awesome.” Fortune says the newfound celebrity he has achieved thanks to the competition has translated into an increase in his business. His personal training sessions are pretty well booked up, and he says classes are filling up as well. “I’ve always had a huge interest in health, fitness and exercise,” he says. “I was going to the gym four to five days a week and I loved it.” Before starting Warrior Fitness, he was in the banking profession. And he says that he had to eventually ask himself if he wanted to do that for the rest of his life. Fortune’s thought was you only get one go-around, so why not live it by following your passion? Fortune started his first business, a janitorial service, four years ago. In addition to an undergraduate degree and an MBA, Fortune has an entrepreneurial spirit. Though it was a success, he says he discovered that he hated confronting toilets and cleaning up after people. All the while, Fortune was learning about what it took to run his own business. “I knew if I was going to sustain a business for a long time, it would have to be something

I was passionate about,” he says. He had always enjoyed helping other people with their personal fitness goals… and Warrior Fitness was born. He says he wanted to build a personal training facility where people could have some privacy while working out. Fortune caps the group sessions at 20 people. That way, everyone still gets some one-on-one attention from the trainers. “My wife and I started with everything we had in our checking and savings account,” he adds. “I’m proud of the fact we didn’t take out any loans, even when we bought our equipment. Our overhead is extremely low and, two years later, we are going strong.” He says one simple thing everyone can do to improve their health is to eat real foods and cook everything themselves. Fortune advises people to stay away from the inside lanes of the grocery store and avoid processed or fast food. “Nutrition is 80% of the battle,” he says. “You can train as hard as you want, but you will never get the body you want if your nutrition is off.” He explained cooking everything with real ingredients takes the processing and chemicals out of your food (for the most part). That means your organs can work to break down fat rather than chemicals. Fortune’s favorite go-to snack is Quest Protein Bars. He says his favorite breakfast is three scrambled eggs, three pieces of turkey bacon, and a Clementine with black coffee. But just eating the same way Fortune eats will not give you the same body. Whether it’s good nutrition or exercise, Fortune knows that consistency is the most important thing. “If I stop working out today, my body will start depleting tomorrow,” he says. “It’s just being consistent and knowing that trying to get in shape or staying in shape is an everyday battle. Every decision you make, whether it’s nutrition or exercise, affects that.” OMAG

July/August

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LETTER from editor

It Takes Two to Tango.

HE STORY ON DANCING and big band music in this issue brings

back a flood of memories.

CONTENTS

I met my late husband, Raymond, on a dance floor. A friend of mine at Mutual of Omaha took me to a ballroom dance class that happened to be led by a handsome young man named Raymond. I think I paid for …oh, maybe three classes. I learned enough that I was soon helping him teach others. I loved dancing, and I liked the handsome young man. After we were married, we held classes in couples’ homes with as many as 12 couples in a session. We also had large classes at Offutt Air Force Base. Raymond would stand in the middle of a very large circle with a microphone for the Base classes…and I would dance with all of the good-looking airmen —up to 50 in a class.

volume 2 • issue 4

Don’t get Around Much Anymore? Big Band Night at the Ozone Lounge____________ S4 Keeping the Pace: David Corbin_____ S6 Estate Planning: Married, with Children________ S8

It’s amazing how many people I run into decades later that will mention that they took dance lessons from us.

Polio Panic of 1952. Do you remember?

These were the big band days and we spent many nights dancing at Peony Park and The Music Box. I treasure the many photographs of us in formal dress, posing with all the big-name bandleaders whose tours included a stop in Omaha.

Humor:

We taught the tango, cha cha, rhumba, fox trot, waltz, swing…even the accordion-fueled polka. It’s great to see that Arlene and Dave Beber on the dance floor at the Ozone Lounge (see story on Page 4) all dressed up—with someplace to go.

Dr. Byron Oberst does. _______ S12

You Know You’re 60-Plus When___S14 Beat the Heat. And do it with style!__________S16 The Grandpa Chronicles_________ S18

Keep on dancing, Arlene and Dave. Keep on dancing!

Gwen Gwen Lemke Contributing Editor, 60PLUS In Omaha

Comments? Send your letter to the editor to: david@omahamagazine.com 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.

july/august • 2014 may/june • 2014

60PLUS S3

60PLUS feature by david williams • photography by sarah lemke

Don’t Get Around Much Anymore? Big Band Night at the Ozone Lounge

EONY PARK CLOSED 20 years

ago. A wrecking ball followed shortly after to make way for a Hy-Vee grocery store. Arlene and Dave Beber don’t miss the roller coaster. And they don’t much think about the cotton candy, arcades, and corn dogs. They do, however, long for the days of dancing under the stars at the park’s alfresco band shell, The Royal Grove. But it doesn’t mean that the couple who have been married for 62 years have given up on cutting a rug. The pair dubbed “Fred and Ginger” for their dancing prowess can be spotted most every Monday night at the Ozone Lounge at Anthony’s Steakhouse. That’s when Mike Gurciullo and His Las Vegas Big Band hit the stage. A recent visit to the Ozone found Dave and Arlene at their table, the one

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closest to stage right. “Life is too short and too many people take it too seriously,” Dave says. “Dancing is a great way to lighten up, feel young, and have fun.” “We’re here to dance,” adds Arlene, “but there’s more to it than that. Everybody here, including the staff, is like family to us. The people are warm and welcoming.” Bandleader Mike Gurciullo is a virtuoso trumpet man who goes by the handle of Gooch. He’s toured extensively, including, as his band’s name suggests, gigs in Las Vegas. Gooch was also featured earlier this year in accompanying Kathy Tyree in her title role of Ella at the Omaha Community Playhouse. “It’s great to see the same faces every week,” Gooch says. “It’s an honor to play for them. It’s almost a spiritual experience to be able to play here,” he adds, before also complimenting the staff of the club. “Everybody

knows everybody. And Dave and Arlene are crowd favorites. They are an elegant couple and beautiful dancers.” Gooch, who announces every song title played by his 16-piece band, engages the audience with more than just his tunes. A night at the Ozone is chock full of friendly banter from the stage. He addresses most of the dancers by name in his little asides, and even included a shout-out that night to the table known affectionately as “The Wine Ladies.” While most of the crowd is middle-aged or well beyond—the Bebers politely demurred when asked how old they were—youth is also served on big band night. Eric and Diana Powell, now of Lisle, Illinois, are 25-year-old Omaha natives who are self-described “band nerds.” They met in jazz band while at Millard West High School.

“I played keyboards,” Eric says, “and Diana played the trumpet,” just like Gooch. “We love this music,” Diana adds. “We’d be here every Monday night if we could.” The Bebers say they love all kinds of music. “Even Hip Hop,” says Dave before Arlene jumps in with “Polka? Not so much anymore.” And the Beber’s favorite dance number? “Oh, too many to mention,” Arlene says as Dave puts his two cents in by crooning the lyrics of Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable.” Arlene nods in agreement. “At Last” [Etta James] is another one,” Arlene continues. “We have so many favorites. And we had so many favorite places to dance. Do you remember the Red Lion? Or the Leopard Lounge? And the Music Box?” The lifelong Omahans who worked together in operating their own medical billing company while raising six boys were the

first on the dance floor that recent Monday night as Gooch and his boys opened their first set with Duke Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.” But the irony of it all is that the Bebers still do get around. Quite a lot, as a matter of fact. The hopelessly romantic couple even return on occasion to the Royal Grove, or at least to the slab of parking lot concrete on the site where they danced so many nights away over the decades, “We’ll park the car, roll down the windows, and turn up the radio,” Dave explains. “And then we dance,” Arlene adds. “We don’t care who sees us or what they think. We get out of the car and dance right there in the parking lot.”

july/august • 2014

60PLUS S5

60PLUS active living by jillian humphries • photography by bill sitzmann

Keeping the Pace David Corbin has no plans to slow down.

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HEN NOT CHASING AFTER his 6-year-old

pup named Lily, retired University of Nebraska-Omaha professor David Corbin is keeping things interesting. Following his 31 years teaching health education, Corbin has continued to maintain an active lifestyle both mentally and physically. He serves on several boards, including the Health Association of Nebraska, and is involved in Project Extra Mile. He also recently co-authored the textbook, Health for Life, which will be used in high schools. At the end of a long week breaking a mental sweat, Corbin leads an exercise class for older adults at deFreese Manor. He started the class in 1983 after giving a presentation about exercise and older adults. A participant asked him if he would be interested in leading such a class and he has been there every Friday since. The class ranges from 80 to 90 in age. His oldest participant lived to be 105, only quitting at 100. Now, as Corbin approaches the age of his attendees, he has come to appreciate the class even more. “I benefit from the range of motion and resistance exercises,” says Corbin. “They help me and the participants stay more fit by emphasizing the types of exercises that can help to live independently.” The class includes many exercises that can be done while seated. Many incorporate homemade stretch bands created from old tire inner tubes, scarves for juggling, and rubber balls. Tai chi and dance are also a part of the mix, and Corbin is no newbie to the dance scene. He met his wife, Josie, at a dance class. She’s the director of The Moving Company, the University of Nebraska-Omaha troupe that is one of the oldest college-based modern dance companies in the country. Corbin joined the company, one that boasts an allages, intergenerational roster of talent. At the age of 68, Corbin doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. “It’s true what people say,” he says. “Use it or lose it. Learning new things is probably the best thing you can do for healthy aging.” july/august • 2014

60PLUS S7

60PLUS money by margaret a. badura

Estate R Planning Married, with Children

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EMARRIED CLIENTS WITH CHILDREN present some of

the most interesting and sometimes challenging estate planning situations. Generally, there are three common scenarios: one or both have young children from a prior marriage and more are possible; one or both have teenage children and more children are unlikely; and, one or both have adult children and possibly grandchildren. The first question I must always address with prospective clients is: “Can I represent both of you or do you need to have separate attorneys?” If there are competing distribution interests, I cannot represent both. This can also happen if there is a big disparity in ages and/or wealth. Assuming that joint representation is possible and agreed to, we discuss and address what will happen without planning, what does the couple want to achieve, and how can that best be accomplished? We start with

what happens if there are no wills. If a spouse dies leaving children of a prior marriage, the decedent’s estate will be split 50/50 between the surviving spouse and the children of the earlier marriage. This may produce particularly bad results of co-ownership between the decedent’s children and their step-parent. We also talk about the right of a surviving spouse to elect to receive up to 50% of the couple’s estate, even if there is a will that would leave less to the survivor. This may lead to discussions about a will contract, the use of a Qualified Terminable Interest Trust (QTIP) that provides income to the survivor for life with trust assets going to the first spouse’s beneficiaries after the second spouse’s death, and the need to update retirement plan, IRA and life insurance beneficiary designations. Since one or both of the couple has been through a divorce, we also naturally talk about how estate planning and ownership of assets acquired both before and during the

marriage (including increases in value) may affect a future division of marital property if this marriage were to fail. Having gotten those “pleasantries” out of the way, we can now start getting to the couple’s objectives and planning. A common issue relates to the couple’s home. Let’s look at my experience with Susan (age 58) and Bob (age 62), who were planning what would be second marriages for both. Susan had two adult children and Bob had one. They were going to buy a home after the wedding, and both were going to contribute equally to the $100,000 down payment on a $200,000, 15-year first mortgage. They said they planned to own it as joint tenants. But their proposed ownership of the house presented some problems. Both wanted the survivor of them to be able to live in the house for the rest of their life, and they wanted ownership interests to go to their children. Joint tenancy would be okay if there were a future divorce but, at death, it presented problems because the survivor would own 100% of the house. We talked about being tenants in common with both owning 50% of the property. That way, both Susan and Bob could give their half to their children by will, subject to a life estate in the survivor. That might be okay if they were paying cash for the house but, if one of them died before the mortgage was paid off, the survivor would have paid more than the other for the house, causing a windfall for the first decedent’s child(ren). Susan and Bob decided on using a joint revocable trust to own the house with the ultimate beneficial interests being divided based on their respective contributions to the purchase. The trust dealt with the survivor’s occupancy free of rent and responsibility for mortgage payments, taxes, repairs, and utilities, as well as possible sale and replacement property. This approach allowed Susan and Bob to retain maximum flexibility while both were alive, provide for the surviving spouse, and equitably distribute their respective interests in their new house to their children based on their contributions to the purchase price. I am happy to report that Susan and Bob are happily married to this day. Guest contributor Margaret A. Badura is an elder law and estate planning attorney.

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S12 60PLUS

july/august • 2014

60PLUS feature by judy horan • photography by bill sitzmann

Polio Panic of 1952

Do you remember? Dr. Byron Oberst does.

EMORIES OF THE MORE than

360 children treated at Omaha’s Children’s Memorial Hospital in summer 1952 flooded back. At least 14 were in iron lungs. Thirteen died that summer. It was the worst outbreak in Nebraska history. The disease’s original name was Infantile Paralysis, because it seemed to primarily target young children. But some victims were adults. Unlike many of the other younger doctors at Children’s Memorial Hospital at the time, Oberst had experienced treating polio while serving in Japan in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. When he joined Omaha Children’s Clinic in 1951, he and some of the older pediatricians were the only doctors who had seen a case of polio in their lifetime. In 1947, Oberst became the first and only resident at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, now UNMC. In March 1948, Children’s Memorial Hospital opened on what is now the UNMC campus at 42nd and Dewey streets The sighs of relief heard from pediatricians after their patients survived with few problems stopped in the early 1980s when post polio syndrome gradually emerged. Many of the polio survivors who had gone on to normal lives suddenly found their muscles were weak. Darrel Sudduth of Plattsmouth is just starting to notice signs of post-polio syndrome more than 60 years after his recovery. He was 12 years old when diagnosed with polio during the 1952 epidemic. “I don’t think my parents had ever heard of the disease,” says Sudduth, who is a member of the Nebraska Polio Survivors Association. During two weeks of isolation in Children’s Hospital, his parents were not allowed to see Sudduth. Until now, the only residual effects had been a bad back and one leg shorter than the other. Oberst, 91, is known for several “firsts” in pediatric medicine during his long career:

•

Doctors from around the nation referred patients with Attention Deficit Disorder With or Without Hyperactivity to Oberst, who was a pioneer in treating the condition then referred to as Minimal Cerebral Dysfunction. “But that name scared parents to death,” he remembers. He treated 3,000 children with ADHD. • Oberst developed The Omaha STAAR Project to help parents, doctors and teachers understand children with learning disabilities. • While a resident, he pioneered the use of exchange transfusion for Rh-positive babies and their Rh-negative mothers. The transfusion was necessary to keep babies from being vulnerable to brain damage, deafness or yellow jaundice. With all of his accomplishments, Oberst not surprisingly believes that pediatrics is the most satisfying of all specialties. However, the three sons and three grandsons of Oberst and his wife, Mary, who died in 2011, chose careers outside medicine. The family includes his famous grandson, singer-songwriter Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes. Dr. Oberst has written seven books; some are medical books. The American Academy of Pediatrics presents an award in his name each year. During his 40 years as a pediatrician, he treated thousands of children. But no memory is as heartwrenching as the 1952 polio epidemic. After the Salk vaccine was introduced in 1954, there were fewer cases. By 1979, there were no more cases in the United States. Polio appeared to be eradicated. But in some foreign countries where children are not vaccinated, it is resurging. “Some stupid people say their child shouldn’t be vaccinated,” he says. “They put that child at risk.”

july/august • 2014

60PLUS S13

60PLUS humor Story by Robert Nelson •

Photography by Bill Sitzmann

Feeling Gravity’s Pull? It’s not too late in life to figure out if you’re aging.

OU MAY HAVE ALREADY sur-

mised that you are, in fact, getting older. Some of the indicators can be obvious: It takes you two or six tries to get up from the couch; parts of your body seem to be sloughing off like waterlogged loess. In broad terms: You’ve noticed that gravity has become your enemy. But some signs can be quite subtle. So, to help things out, we’ve pieced together a profoundly serious checklist to help you gauge whether you are, in fact, just maybe, beginning to age a bit.

YOU KNOW YOU’RE 60 PLUS WHEN... • You’ve actually driven to Hebron to see the World’s Largest Porch Swing. • “Happy Hour” is a nap. • You expect to see farm fields when you drive west of 72nd Street. • You wake up looking like your driver’s license picture. • Your address book has mostly names that start with “Dr.” • You remember when the College World Series was held somewhere other than Omaha. • And you enjoy saying things S14 60PLUS

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• • • • • •

like, “I remember when the College World Series was held somewhere else.” You send money to PBS after watching “Antiques Roadshow.” You have a party and the neighbors don’t even realize it. You still have a rotary dial, landline telephone. You buy a compass for the dash of your car. You still write letters to the editor of the local newspaper. You remember who Zorinsky Lake is named after.

• You turn out the lights for economic rather than romantic reasons. • You enjoy hearing about other people’s surgical operations. • You coached anyone who is now in a hall of fame. • You have a ticket stub from a concert at Peony Park. • You know what an IBM Selectric is. • Neighbors borrow your tools. • You miss the chicken at Rose Lodge, brunch at the Golden Apple, and hanging out at Tiner’s Drive-In on Dodge.

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60PLUS S15

60PLUS style by Mary Anne Vaccaro • photography provided by Carlisle

Beat the Heat And do it with style!

ELL GIRLS, IF YOU’RE

60-plus there’s a lot you all have in common. Regardless of shape and size, whether you’re short, tall, curvy, or thin, there are certain places you prefer to keep covered because they show your age. In winter, turtlenecks and scarves cover up wrinkled necks. Flabby arms can hide under long-sleeved blouses, sweaters, and jackets. Nobody cam see spider veins through your slacks, jeans, and boots. Summer is a time when many women wonder how to keep cool when temperatures rise while still being comfortable baring parts kept under cover all winter long. Once it’s time to “undress” for the heat, the challenge to do so with style can be overwhelming. So now that the heat is on, here is my headto-toe advice for looking your best while keeping your cool. HAIR The easiest, breeziest styles are those that are either very short or long enough to pony-up. FACE Light make-up…with sunscreen. SKIN Moisturizing sunscreen everywhere! NECK Open necklines will keep you cooler and take the focus away from the lines in your neck. Summer scarves are great when it’s moderately warm, but when it’s hot, let go of hang ups about your neck.

Mary Anne Vaccaro is a clothing and product designer and an image consultant to businesses and individuals. She is also a sales consultant for Carlisle and PerSe, New York. maryannevaccaro.com carlislecollection.com S16 60PLUS

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UPPER ARMS We’re all too concerned with keeping them covered unless they look fabulous. I say wear sleeveless anyway. You limit your wardrobe too much if you won’t wear sleeveless dresses and tops. If covering arms up is a must for you, don’t exhaust yourself shopping for tops and dresses with sleeves. Buy sleevleless ones, and wear light weight, loose-fitting natural fiber shirts and unlined jackets loosely over them. Sweaters…even cotton ones will be hot in hot weather. They’re for cool evenings and air-conditioned places. Scarves and stoles can cover arms nicely, but you usually have work at keeping them in place. WAIST Tight, heavy belts will make you feel hotter. PANTS Lightweight cottons and natural fiber blends will be most comfortable. Jeans and most dark denims over-heat in summer. Ankle and capri pants are great. SHORTS Taboo unless they are knee length. SKIRTS Cool and comfy alternative to pants and shorts. Many fun styles and lengths

to choose from, but remember your knees are your length guide. You can expose them, but nothing above them. DRESSES Your best wardrobe friends all summer. If you remember the 60s, you should remember shifts. Straight dresses to throw on and go everywhere in. They’ve made a comeback , and they’re easy, cool, and fun to accessorize with jewelry, scarves . FEET Take care of your feet. They take you everywhere. Keep them clean, buffed, moisturized and pretty. SHOES AND SANDALS Fashionable and must be comfortable. Comfort shoes have come a long way in looks recently. No need to wear tennis shoes outside of the gym, and don’t wear shoes too tall to walk gracefully in. A woman should walk and carry herself gracefully at every age. Finally, black is your “Best Friend” color in every season but summer. It really does absorb heat, so wear white and lighter colors to keep your cool.