July/August 2016 Omaha Magazine by Omaha Magazine

JULY / AUGUST 2016

To the Gender Formerly Known As Binary

7815 Shirley St., Omaha

$700,000

This Westside 4 bedroom, 4 bath home features beautiful wood floors, spacious kitchen, built-ins, main floor laundry, and guest suite. Second floor has an amazing master suite w/sitting area, full bath w/jetted tub, fantastic walk-in closet! Additional bedrooms w/build-ins, Jack and Jill bath.

Lynnette Flott-Puls • 402.680.1476

16230 California St, Omaha

$599,900

Remarkable Barrington Park 2 Story home! Meticulously cared for by original owners. Main floor laundry with abundant amount of storage. Amazing finished lower level. Private backyard with beautiful landscaping and brick patio.

The Rensch Group • 402.391.5333

1323 S 211 St., Elkhorn

$553,500

A certified high performance home. John Caniglia Homes 1.5 stor y in Southpointe Estates. Two laundry rooms and huge pantry. Granite kitchen and bath counter tops, wood and ceramic tile floors. 3 bedrooms up w/ 2 baths and large loft area.

3606 N 264 Street, Waterloo

$649,950

Premier lakefront estate situated on 9.60 wooded acres. This is your chance to have your veryown private lake. Includes a Texas style ranch with all natural stone exterior and detached fourcar garage with room for all your toys.

Jeff Villotta • 402.598.4252

7407 N 116 Ave. Cir., Omaha

$596,900

Denice Coenen • 402.677.7538

$550,000

Gor geous lake home w i t h 3 bedr ooms , 3 bathrooms, 3 car heated garage. Main floor 24 8 3 sq. f t. and full finished basement of 24 8 3 sq f t.

Jerre Hunter • 402.981.1342

$550,000

S t unning new cons t ruct ion ranch by Woi t a Homes. Loaded w / upgrades, 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, hardwood floors, 12’ beamed ceilings in the great room, stone fireplace, Pella windows, cement board siding, and large walk out LL rec room.

Johnathan O’Gorman • 402.595.8857

17909 Harney St, Omaha

$525,000

Beautiful 4 bed/ 4 bath/ 3 car garage/ 1.5 Story home in Pacific Springs (golf course community). Over 3900 SF on a 1/2 acre double lot & on a quiet cul-de-sac. Walkout, finished basement features an upscale second kitchen.

Danielle Altman • 402.943.6084

14821 Summit Circle, Omaha

$574,900

Looking for a classy yet comfortable ranch styled home in a peaceful setting entertaining wildlife? This is a must see! Windows galore inviting the beauty of the outdoors...indoors. Over 4,900 fsf.

Denise Coenen • 402.677.7538

8147 Paradise Hills Ln, Ft. Calhoun

$550,000

The perfect acreage. 4 000 + sq f t walk-out ranch nested on 10.52 acres. 3 bedrooms, 3 car garage. Geothermal heating/cooling. 40 x 60 outbuilding w/ water, electrical, & concrete floor. Horses allowed. Pool.

Annie Evans • 402.677.1439

Kylie Caniglia • 402.681.6733

17504 Summit Dr., Omaha

$639,000

This beautiful executive ranch offers spectacular views of wooded Zorinsky reserve. 12’ ceilings, stunning open kitchen and hear th room. Master bedroom w/ 15 X 10 walk in closet & sitting room opens to covered deck. Walk out lower level w/ sunken bar.

Johnathan O’Gorman • 402.595.8857

Experience tremendous views of the entire valley of hole #6, Arnold Palmers signature hole. Windows galore, each room w/ a view. 4 fireplaces, hidden stair case to all 3 levels. Timbertec deck off master bedroom and kitchen/LR.

110 Shoreline Dr., Carter Lake, IA

17754 Baywood Drive, Omaha

19809 Emiline St, Gretna

$500,000

One of a kind custom designed and built for the builder! On one of the largest lots in Bellbrook w/ top of the line materials! Wine cellar, and huge heated garages w/ floor drains.

Scott Lawrence • 402.968.7268

V I R T U A L TO U R S A N D M O R E AT NPDODGE.COM

CELEBRATE

A NEW WORLD OF DISCOVERY This year, Fontenelle Forest is growing in an extraordinary way with the construction of Raptor Woodland Refuge, a new sanctuary for non-releasable birds of prey. Walk thirty feet above the forest floor among thirteen custom mews housing various species of owls, hawks, falcons and more. Opening soon! Each visit is its own unique adventure, its own story, its own memory to share.

fontenelleforest.org

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT LIVES HERE.

HIGHLIGHTING FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT, WORLD-RENOWNED CONCERTS, CIRCUS ACTS, MONSTER TRUCKS, AND THE BEST IN THE MIDWEST SPORTING EVENTS CONTINUE TO

FILL THE

100,000 SQUARE FOOT VENUE WITH HIGH OCTANE LEVELS OF ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT.

JUST FIVE SHORT MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN OMAHA, THE MID-AMERICA CENTER IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO TRAVELERS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER.

Expanded Content On Your Digital Device Watch videos, and view photo galleries of select editorial from OmahaHome magazine.

Aug. 19 – Sept. 18

Page 26

Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic brought to the stage.

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Heider Family Foundation

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THE NEW NAME IN OMAHA LUXURY HAS A RICH HISTORY IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

H&H is the new owner of the area’s BMW, Land Rover, Jaguar and Mini dealerships – now known as H&H Premier Automotive. Our first order of business is to ensure you’re getting the best service possible. For more than 80 years, we’ve provided quality service to our customers. Nothing less. Now we’re setting a new standard in the world of luxury automobiles. Because we believe that premium vehicles deserve premium service. And that’s our goal.

PREMIER AUTOMOTIVE

hhpremierautomotive.com

Westroads

716 N. 102nd St Omaha, NE 68114

402.393.9700

Omaha Performing Arts Presents

An EvEning With

Chris Botti

wednesday, july 20 | 7:30 pm holland center

All productions, performers, prices, dates and times subject to change. July // August • 2016 | 8 | omahamagazine.com

Sponsor:

WITH HALESTORM SUNDAY, JULY 17

WITH BRANDY CLARK FRIDAY, JULY 29

WITH LEE ANN WOMACK SATURDAY, AUGUST 13

WITH BETTY WHO SUNDAY, AUGUST 14

WITH LOVE AND THEFT FRIDAY, AUGUST 26

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CITY, IA 51101 I HARDROCKCASINOSIOUXCITY.COM I SIOUX July // August • 2016 | 9 | bestofomaha.com

Events held at Battery Park are open to all ages. No carry-in food or beverages allowed. Management reserves all rights. If you or someone you know needs gambling treatment, call 800.BETS.OFF.

TABLE OF CONTENTS PEOPLE

132

Faces Roger Garcia

Faces Tom O’Connor

128

Gen O Andrew Dale

136

Faces Brent Crampton

140

Faces Matthew and Sarah Hansen

GIVING

174

FEATURES

THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Centennial, Wyoming On the (Interrupted) Road to Medicine Bow

From the Editor

Between the Lines

Engendering Identity A Study Guide for Terms of the LGBTQ Community

For Starters

Calendar of Events

Tracking the Controversy HB2 and Transgender Bathroom Legislation

125 History

126 Bringing it Home USA Triathalon

SPECIAL SECTIONS 42

Best of Omaha Campaign

145 Top Dentists

Monkeying Around

From the Editor The Big Givers

Giving Feature Stephanie Murphy

Giving Calendar

ARTS & CULTURE 132 Film

Jim Fields

134 Music

Dr. A. Barron Breland

138 Visual

Eric Nyffeler

180 Visual

Jenny Kruger

171 Obviously Omaha

FOOD

177 Instagram

172 Chef Profile

195 Explore!

174 Feature

Doug’s Six Picks

200 Not Funny

The Revenge of the Lawn

OMAHA HOME 69 60PLUS IN OMAHA 131 July // August • 2016 | 10 | omahamagazine.com

Leo Fascianella

Sisterly Grub

178 Mystery Review Fat BBQ Shack

182 Dining Guide

S I M P LY D I S T I N C T I V E July // August 2016 VOLUME 33 • ISSUE 3

EDITORIAL

Executive Editor

DOUG MEIGS Associate Editor

DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN Editorial Assistant

JARED KENNEDY Editorial Intern

MICHAEL NICHOLS Contributing Writers

JUDY HORAN JAY A. IRWIN, PH.D. GREG JERRETT CHARLIE LITTON JOSIE LOZA CAROL CRISSEY NIGRELLI NIZ PROSKOCIL KIM REINER MAX SPARBER WENDY TOWNLEY JAMES WALMSLEY MIKE WATKINS SARAH WENGERT OTIS TWELVE

It’s later than usual at the Flatiron Cafe... Mon-Fri 10am-8pm | Sat 10am-7pm | Sun 12pm-5pm 120 Regency Parkway | Omaha, Nebraska | regencycourtomaha.com

It’s later thanExtended usual Now Serving Hours at the Evenings Monday-Saturday Flatiron Cafe...

CREATIVE Creative Director

BILL SITZMANN Art Director

KRISTEN HOFFMAN Senior Graphic Designer

RACHEL JOY Graphic Designer

Introducing our

‘After 9 Menu’

MATTHEW WIECZOREK

ourEvenings ThursdayIntroducing – Saturday

Contributing Photography & Illustration

Starting September 11, 2015 Thursday – Saturday Evenings

KEITH BINDER COLIN CONCES SCOTT DRICKEY SARAH LEMKE AMY LYNN LAURIE AND CHARLES PHOTOGRAPHS

‘After 9 Menu’

Starting September 11, 2015

402.344.3040 17th and Howard thef latironcafe.com 402.344.3040 | | 17th and Howard Two Blocks from the Orpheum Theater

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402.344.3040 | 17th Howard TwoOrpheum Blocks from the Orpheum Theater Two and Blocks from-the Theater July // August • 2016 | 11 | bestofomaha.com

Omaha Magazine • Letter From the Editor

THE INCLUSIVE GOOD LIFE

EXECUTIVE EDITOR DOUG MEIGS

RED LIGHT BLINKED on my office phone.

fringes of society, from rural, to urban, to suburban. I believe that facilitating this public forum is the ultimate role of journalism in a free and democratic society.

A disgruntled reader’s voicemail greeted me with rhyming couplets. After a few moments, his crochety tone broke from rhyme with explosive vitriol: “I do not need a goddamn faggot disgracing the American flag. As a veteran I object, and I am thoroughly offended.” Click. End of message.

Let us delve beyond the bigoted slur in the reader’s irate voicemail, past the layers of identity obfuscated by the hateful word. The current issue of Omaha Magazine could not be more opportune for this public service.

It was my first day as editor of Omaha Magazine, and there were messages lingering from the previous occupants of this desk.

Well, I had to dig into back issues to understand his outrage. The January/February issue of Encounter Magazine, one of Omaha Magazine’s sister publications, featured Dominique Morgan on its cover. A star spangled bandana covered his mouth. Morgan is a successful local R&B artist. He is also gay, an activist, and a mentor for LGBTQ youth. Morgan is trying to make a positive impact in the Omaha community. I have utmost respect for all veterans who put their lives on the line to protect American values. However, I also believe freedom of speech and a free press are integral to the core values of the United States. The flag was used as a symbol to emphasize Morgan’s voice of dissent. No disrespect was intended to the nation’s military servicemen and servicewomen. Whether you agree or disagree with Morgan’s outlook does not matter to me. What matters is that the media provides a forum for all of the diverse voices that make Omaha the most dynamic place in Nebraska. As editor, I will strive to make Omaha Magazine a publication that presents a nuanced look at Omaha’s diverse communities, with views from the so-called mainstream extending out to the

North Carolina’s bathroom bill—aka House Bill 2 (HB2)—has incited a civil liberties maelstrom. Similar legislative debate across the nation has thrust discussions of gender fluidity vs. gender binaries into the open. Even in Omaha, local downtown bar The Hive became embroiled in its own transgender bathroom controversy when a Facebook post from the owner went viral in April. Agree or disagree that individuals can be born in-between the dichotomy of male-female identity, or that individuals can transition from the anatomical sex of birth; however, before you pass judgement, first consider the perspectives from Omaha’s LGBTQ community. The January/February issue of Omaha Magazine included a profile of Jay Irwin, Ph.D., a professor of Sociology and LGBTQ Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In this issue, Dr. Irwin writes about the complexity of gender terminology from his personal vantage within the community. Even if you disagree with the idea that gender is socially constructed, or you oppose shifting cultural understanding of gender norms, I hope you consider the professor’s message. Let the Good Life we know in Nebraska be inclusive of all people.

July // August • 2016 | 12 | omahamagazine.com

July // August 2016 VOLUME 33 • ISSUE 3

Publisher

TODD LEMKE

ACCOUNTS Publisher’s Assistant & Omaha Home Contributing Editor

SANDY MATSON Vice President

GREG BRUNS Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing

GIL COHEN Senior Sales Executive & 60Plus in Omaha Contributing Editor

GWEN LEMKE Branding Specialists

KYLE FISHER GEORGE IDELMAN MARY HIATT JOSHUA PETERSON Sales Associates

JESSICA CULLINANE DAWN DENNIS ALICIA SMITH HOLLINS JUSTIN IDELMAN

OPERATIONS Vice President of Operations

TYLER LEMKE Accountant

HOLLEY GARCIA-CRUZ Distribution Manager

MIKE BREWER Events Intern

ALESHA OLSON For Advertising & Subscription Information:

402.884.2000 All versions of Omaha Magazine are published bimonthly by Omaha Magazine, LTD, P.O. Box 461208, Omaha NE 68046-1208. Telephone: 402-884-2000; fax: 402-884-2001. Subscription rates: $19.95 for 6 issues (one year), $24.95 for 12 issues (two years). No whole or part of the contents herein may be reproduced without prior written permission of Omaha Magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. Unsolicited manuscripts are accepted, however no responsibility will be assumed for such solicitations. Best of Omaha®™ is a registered tradename of Omaha Magazine.

July // August • 2016 | 13 | bestofomaha.com

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Between

THE LINES A LOOK AT THREE OMAHA MAGAZINE TEAM MEMBERS

JIMM WAGNER - Freelance Artist Jimm Wagner is the creative director for Foundation Supportworks, Inc., a manufacturing company focused on developing and transforming the people and businesses within their network of contractors. Wagner oversees the work and development of an amazingly talented team of video specialists, 3D animators, and graphic designers. He is a digital realm aficionado, a 3D enthusiast, and a habitual technology user who enjoys figuring out how we make things better. He has a wife and 4-year-old son who constantly make everything better for him.

JUSTIN IDELMAN - Sales Associate Justin Idelman has been with Omaha Magazine for over a year now, serving as a sales associate. He is currently a senior at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and will earn his degree in broadcast journalism next December. He is also is a sports assistant for MavRadio.fm, providing color commentary on the radio for UNO Sports, and is a news reporter/anchor for the Omaha News. Justin also happens to be the son of branding specialist George Idelman.

SEAN ROBINSON - Freelance Writer Sean Robinson, during much of his formative years, spent his time with his nose buried deep in novels, more concerned with Huck Finn’s trip down the Mississippi or Harry Potter’s quests at Hogwarts than recess revelry or socials on the school bus. This penchant for the written word continued to blossom while he developed his own story-writing skills as a student journalist, serving as editor-in-chief of his high school newspaper and the UNO Gateway. He began his professional career as a public relations account executive at a local agency, writing for clients as varied as Gordmans and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. He now makes the world a more fun place as a copywriter at Oriental Trading Company. When he is not piecing words together like a puzzle and pouring over his AP Stylebook, you’ll find him running around local trails to train for his next half marathon, or spoiling his oversized and easily excitable dog (a boxer). July // August • 2016 | 15 | bestofomaha.com

MIRANDA LAMBERT: KEEPER OF THE FLAME TOUR

THE COLOR RUN

Traditional-leaning country musician Miranda Lambert will visit 30 different U.S. cities on her “Keeper of the Flame” tour. Special guests touring with her include Brothers Osborne and Kip Moore. Lambert’s venture promotes her latest album, Platinum, featuring her hit song “Little Red Wagon.” This song has achieved U.S. gold status.

Also known as The Happiest 5K on the Planet, participants in the color run love chucking paint and making people smile. Less about having the fastest time 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.

CenturyLink Center July 30

Lambert is a multi-platinum country musician who has released six studio albums, five of which were consecutively at the top of the Top Country Albums chart. Lambert has collaborated with a host of prominent country musicians, including Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton. Lambert is also a six-time CMA and ACM Female Vocalist of the Year. The singer/songwriter is internationally acclaimed, and this spring performed for fans in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Scotland for the first time. She says, “I loved every second. Music is so universal and it was great to have such an enthusiastic response so far from home. Fans knew all the words to my songs, even album cuts!” CenturyLink Center 455 N. 10th St. Tickets start at $27.75 ticketmaster.com

CenturyLink Center July 16

While the 5K event is all about having fun, runners also focus on promoting a healthy lifestyle. More than half of all participants are first-time 5K runners, and the event is making headway on the national focus of improving health and wellness. Color Runners vary in demographics and reasons for running. With no winners or official times, The Color Run caters to everyone from first-time runners to seasoned athletes. Some Color Runners participate as a celebration and capstone of their healthy living accomplishments, while others participate for reasons unique to them. The Color Run 5K event is intended to act as a catalyst for participants to live an active, healthy lifestyle. CenturyLink Center 455 N 10th St. Entry fee starts at $39.99 thecolorrun.com

July // August • 2016 | 16 | omahamagazine.com

JIM GAFFIGAN: FULLY DRESSED

OMAHA FASHION WEEK

Jim Gaffigan won’t be donning his birthday suit this summer as he packs up the tour bus and hits the road with his family for his “Fully Dressed” arena and theater tour. The actor, writer, producer, Grammynominated comedian, New York Times best-selling author, and touring performer is stopping in Omaha for one night only.

The nation’s fifth largest fashion event rolls out its fall lineup with an entire week of designer showcases. This year, 27 designers were selected to participate in this nationally-known event along with headline designers Terri Buckner, Paulie Gibson, and Dan Richters.

Baxter Arena July 29

Omaha Design Center August 22-27

Gaffigan considers himself a “clean” comic—which means he doesn’t use profanity in his standup routines. His style is largely observational, and his principal topics relate to laziness, eating, and parenthood. As the youngest of six siblings and father of five children, he knows large families. Gaffigan has had many different comedy specials including Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed, and Mr. Universe. These specials both received Grammy nominations. Gaffigan also created and co-stars in The Jim Gaffigan Show, which airs on TVLand. Baxter Arena 2425 S 67th St. Tickets start at $36.75 ticketmaster.com

Omaha Fashion Week is a talent incubator that seamlessly connects designers, stylists, photographers, artists, and models through nurturing platforms and engaging opportunities. OFW serves as a platform for up-and-coming designers to learn about the fashion industry and introduce their creations to the public, all without having to pay a fee to participate. OFW officials said there are a few things to look for in this year’s designs, including the use of different cultures and architecture as inspiration, accents in leather, and influences from history and historical time periods. Omaha Design Center 1502 Cuming St. Tickets start at $40 omahafashionweek.com

July // August • 2016 | 17 | bestofomaha.com

e r a R

Riva translates to “bank” or “shore” of the river and has gently wrapped its food offering philosophy around these roots. From the floating aroma of freshly baked breads to mouthwatering pan-seared, hardwood-smoked salmon with creamy horseradish cabbage, Riva is sure to provide an experience you won’t forget. Dining Hours • Tuesday–Saturday • 5p–9p Make your reservations today by calling 712.328.8888.

2200 RIVER ROAD COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA 712.328.8888 | AMERISTAR.COM

| 18 |

Client

Job #

Title

Version

Media Type Print Ad Trim / Flat width x height 8.375” x 10.875”

8.375” x 10.875”

ACB

Finish / Fold

8.375” x 10.875”

width x height x depth

.125”

Live Area width x height

Bleed Overall

Omaha Mag

Qty

CMYK

Pub / Vendor

Color

79343

Riva Omaha Magazine

PNK Creative Studio

CALENDAR EVENTS

ART AND MUSEUM EXHIBITS

PRESERVATION IN THE ARCHIVE Special Tech.

Print Instructions

Through Jan. 1, 2017 at the Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. The photo archive at the Durham Museum has spent the past 40 years preserving and displaying the photographic history of Omaha. This exhibit gives visitors a sneak peek at its digitization initiative, explores the history of the archive, and brings to light the museum’s race against time and deterioration to save these iconic images. Admission $10; free for ages 17 and under, students, and members. 10am-5pm. 402-444-5071 -durhammuseum.org

ODYSSEY’S SHIPWRECK! PIRATES & TREASURE

Round

Artist

Through Aug. 28 at the Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. Odyssey’s SHIPWRECK! Pirates & Treasure takes visitors on a voyage through more than 2,000 years SIGN-OFF of seafaring history. The exhibit contains more than 500 authentic shipwreck artifacts, a variety of interactive games and challenges, and a full-size replica of ZEUS, Odyssey’s eight-ton remotely operated vehicle. 402-444-5071 -durhammuseum.org

DOUG AITKEN: MIGRATION (EMPIRE) June 4-Sept. 4 at the Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. For this spellbinding video, Aitken filmed animals in the incongruous setting of roadside motel rooms, reflecting the migratory patterns of wildlife, and illuminating tensions between the built and natural environments. 402-342-3300 -joslyn.org

PIRATES & MERMAIDS: VOYAGE TO CREATURE COVE Through Sept. 4 at Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S. 20th St. Ahoy mateys! Climb aboard and join this pirate adventure. The museum will explore what it takes to be a pirate, go “Under the Sea” on a mermaid adventure, and bring visiors face to face with creatures from the deep, all without leaving OCM. Don’t miss your chance to set sail on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with Pirates and Mermaids: Voyage to Creature Cove. 402-342-6164 -ocm.org

July // August • 2016 | 19 | bestofomaha.com

DRAWING STORIES: THE PICTURE BOOK ART OF MARLA FRAZEE June 11-Sept. 18 at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. Explore the art of author-illustrator and Caldecott Honoree Marla Frazee. Watercolor and gouache paintings from All the World, A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, Roller Coaster, Walk on!, and other books will be on view in this Mind’s Eye Exhibition. 402-342-3300 -joslyn.org

Omaha Magazine • Calendar of Events

FAMILY & MORE

MONDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES Midtown Crossing, 3333 Farnam St. Movies, all rated PG or PG-13, are shown on the lawn at Turner Park, starting at dusk. Free admission. 402-598-9676 -midtowncrossing.com

BANK OF THE WEST CELEBRATES AMERICA July 1 at Memorial Park, 6005 Underwood Ave. Bank of the West will bring the community together to celebrate America’s independence with their annual free concert and fireworks show. Headlining this year’s concert is two-time Grammy winner Kenny Loggins. The concert will also feature local musicians the Dylan Bloom Band and Finest Hour. 402-895-2552 -celebratesamerica.com.

RED, WHITE AND ZOO!

BREW AT THE ZOO

July 2-4 at Henry Doorly Zoo, 3701 S. 10th St. Celebrate Independence Day with the red, white, and blue creatures of Omaha’s Zoo. Throughout the holiday weekend, Red, White and Zoo! visitors can “parade” through the zoo on a self-guided tour in search of red, white, and blue animals. How many can you find? There will be will entertainment including bounce houses, music, and special animal encounters for all ages. 9am-5pm. 402-773-8401 -omahazoo.com

July 16 at Henry Doorly Zoo, 3701 S. 10th St. Join Omaha’s Zoo for a suds-sippin’ safari as they host the third annual Brew at the Zoo event. Guests age 21 and over will enjoy a stroll through the zoo and sample unique brews from dozens of local breweries, as well as a selection of locally produced wines. Spend your night with live music from Red Delicious, food, fun games, and, of course, the exotic animals of the zoo. 8pm-11pm. 402-773-8401 -omahazoo.com

THE COLOR RUN July 16 at CenturyLink Center, 455 N. 10th St. Also known as The Happiest 5K on the Planet, this event involves volunteers 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. 402-341-1500 -thecolorrunomaha.com

2016 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIM TRIALS July 1-3 at CenturyLink Center 455 N. 10th St. Omaha was selected as the host of the 2016 trials based upon the overwhelming success of the 2012 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Swimming. An estimated 1,500 swimmers are expected to compete in Omaha to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. 402-341-1500 -centurylinkcenteromaha.com

RAILROAD DAYS

PLAYING WITH FIRE FESTIVAL July 2 at Turner Park, 3102 Dodge St. Playing with Fire, an annual summer music festival, sizzles along the edges of incendiary blues, rock, funk, R&B, and soul. Even more, Playing with Fire speaks to the heart of the music community in Omaha. The line-up includes: headliner Sugaray Rayford, Andria Simone and Those Guys, Nick Schnebelen Band, and Far & Wide. Fireworks will conclude the event. 4:30pm. 402-960-1001 -playingwithfire.net

KIDS FANFARE AT REGENCY COURT IN CENTER COURT Thursdays July 7, 14, 21, and 28 at Regency Court, 120 Regency Parkway Come to Center Court for Thursday morning fun. Activities vary by week, but include science shows, photos with characters from Frozen, hair braiding, and visits from Peppa Pig. 10am-11am. 402-506-4376 -regencycourtomaha.com/events

WILD WEST DAY AT THE FARM

RALSTON FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVAL July 4 at Independence Square, 77th and Main streets, Ralston Join the Ralston community as they have one of the biggest fourth of July celebrations in the Metro area. There will be a run/walk, quilt show, children’s parade, live music, a full scale parade, fire department water fights, and much more. Begins at 7:50am and goes throughout the day. 402-339-7737 -ralstonareachamber.org

July 9 at Gifford Farm Education Center, 700 Camp Gifford Road, Bellevue Bring out some grub and enjoy the festivities. For the “city folk” that means bring a picnic lunch and enjoy a day with the farm animals, exploring the outdoor nature classroom, and playing fun farm games. Hear some humorous stories from our guest storytellers and presenters. 10am-1pm. 402-597-4920

July // August • 2016 | 20 | omahamagazine.com

July 16, various locations All aboard for a funfilled weekend. Lauritzen Gardens, the Durham Museum, the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, the RailsWest Railroad Museum, and the Historic General Dodge House are coming together to celebrate our region’s rich railroad heritage at Railroad Days 2016. Each participating venue will offer a variety of family-friendly activities in addition to the venues’ ongoing programs and exhibits. A $15 family pass allows admission to and transportation between all five locations. A $5 pass is also available for one additional adult with the purchase of a family pass. 402-346-4002 -omaharailroaddays.com

JR. ALL STAR WACKY OLYMPICS July 18-22, 25-29 at Omaha Children’s Museum 500 S. 20th St. It’s not necessary to travel to Rio this summer to earn your Olympic Gold. Jr. Olympians will train and compete in the wackiest of potato-sack relays, a water balloon javelin throw, and a hula hoop obstacle course. Develop Olympic uniforms and create mascots in this stupendous sports spectacle. Everyone’s a winner in the Jr. All Star Wacky Olympics. 402-342-6164 -ocm.org

HOT CARS UNDER THE STARS July 23 at Bellevue University, 1000 Galvin Rd. S., Bellevue This car show is celebrating its 25th year, and it plans to be bigger and better than ever. The cars span everything from the 1920s to today, and is sponsored by the Midwest Camaro Club. This is a participant-judged show with awards given to several categories, from Best Truck to Best GM. Registration starts at 5pm, with the show between 7pm and 9pm. Participants pay a $10 registration fee, spectators are free. -midwestcamaro.com

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Omaha Magazine • Calendar of Events JOSLYN CASTLE CLASSIC CAR SHOW

CORPORATE CYCLING CHALLENGE

BRIDGE BEATS

July 24 at Joslyn Castle, 3902 Davenport St. Come enjoy beautiful classic cars, trucks and motorcycles displayed throughout the 5.57 acre Joslyn Castle estate. 11am-4pm. Admission $12.50. 402-595-2199 -joslyncastlecarclassic.com

Aug. 21 at Heartland of America Park, 800 Douglas St. The Corporate Cycling Challenge is Nebraska’s largest one-day bicycling event, with a choice of three different routes. Each route varies in length and difficulty, from the 10-mile “Olde River Ride,” to the 25-mile “Riverside Ride,” to the 42-mile “Tour De Fort.” All of the routes feature beautiful scenery, and the longer routes offer some challenging rolling hills as well. -corporatecycling.com

July 8 and 22, Aug. 5 and 19 at the Bob Kerrey Bridge on the Riverfront. Bridge Beats free summer concert presented by the City of Omaha Parks and Recreation returns for its fourth season. Concerts will feature local talent under the new shaded outdoor stage, and 3-D interactive chalk drawings throughout the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge Plaza. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair, blanket, and a picnic basket—or enjoy drinks from Harney Street Tavern and food from the rotating line-up of food trucks. 402-444-4640 -bridgebeats.com

JIM GAFFIGAN: FULLY DRESSED July 29 at Baxter Arena, 2425 S. 67th St. Actor, writer, producer, Grammy-nominated comedian, New York Times best-selling author, touring performer, and multi-platinum selling father of five, Jim Gaffigan won’t be donning his birthday suit this summer as he packs up the tour bus and hits the road with his family for his live arena and theatre tour. 402-554-6200 -baxterarena.com

TOUR DE ZOO July 16 at Henry Doorly Zoo, 3701 S. 10th St. Bring your bike and ride during Tour de Zoo. This is a family fun event that includes dinner, snacks, refreshments, and special animal encounters during the funfilled evening. Admission is $20 for zoo members, $25 dollars for non-members. 6:30pm-8:30pm. 402-773-8401 -omahazoo.com

LITTLE BRITCHES HORSE SHOW Aug. 1 at the HETRA Facility, 10130 222nd St. Children 12 and under from across Nebraska and Iowa participate in a variety of show classes throughout the day, with several special needs classes available in the morning. It’s an incredible opportunity for all young riders in our community. All proceeds from this horse show will support the HETRA Student Sponsorship Fund, enabling individuals with disabilities to participate in HETRA’s equineassisted activities and therapies year round. 402-359-8830 -hetra.org

BACK TO SCHOOL BASH Aug. 6-7 at Henry Doorly Zoo, 3701 S. 10th St. Before the bell rings for class this school year, visit Omaha’s Zoo for one last hurrah. Get into the school spirit by hanging out with local mascots while enjoying kid-friendly music from Omaha Street Percussion. Finish summer with a bash. Gifts, provided by Oriental Trading Co., will be given out while supplies last. Event activities are free to zoo members or with regular paid zoo admission. 9am-5pm. 402-773-8401 -omahazoo.com

NEBRASKA BALLOON & WINE FESTIVAL Aug. 12-13 at Coventry Campus, south of 204th and Q Sts. A celebration featuring hot air balloon launches and glows. Enjoy Nebraska wines, Midwest food (including barbecue), area bands and musicians, entertainment, shopping, crafts, pony rides, and more. 5pm-11pm Friday, 3pm-11pm Saturday. General admission $9. 402-346-8003 -showofficeonline.com

OMAHA FASHION WEEK Aug. 22 at Omaha Design Center, 1502 Cuming St. Omaha Fashion Week is celebrating nine years in 2016. The nation’s fifth largest fashion event supports more independent fashion designers than any other organization in the region. Omaha Fashion Week nurtures the youngest of fashion designers by providing mentoring, educational opportunities, and a professional platform for designers to showcase and sell their work. 402-934-4303 -omahafashionweek.com

RIVERFEST COMMUNITY FESTIVAL July 15-16, Haworth Park—Payne Drive, Bellevue, NE. Join us for this outdoor festival with a KCBS sanctioned barbecue competition, fireworks, kid zone, car show, live music, hot air balloons, beer garden, food and craft vendors, and more. 5pm-1am Friday; 10am-1am Saturday. Tickets $1. 402-898-3000 -bellevuenebraska.com

CONCERTS

ROCKBROOK VILLAGE FRIDAY NIGHT SUMMER CONCERTS Through Aug. 26, Rockbrook Village, 108th and Q streets. The concert series continues each Friday night. Musicians will perform on the outdoor plaza, and visitors can shop or eat while listening to music. All of the shopping center’s restaurants offer take-out during the event. 7pm. 402-390-0890 -rockbrookvillage.com

JAZZ ON THE GREEN Thursdays July 7-Aug. 11, Midtown Crossing, 3333 Farnam St. Omaha Performing Arts will again present Jazz on the Green. The lawn opens at 5pm. The lineup includes: July 7, Blue House with the Rent to Own Horns; July 14, Esencia Latina; July 21, Cha Wa; July 28, Billy McGuigan and the Omaha Big Band; August 4, Davina and the Vagabonds; and August 11, Kim Waters. 7:30pm. Free admission. 402-345-0606 -jazzonthegreenomaha.com

TEMPO OF TWILIGHT AT LAURITZEN GARDENS Through Oct. 4, Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Bring chairs, food, beverages, and the whole family to enjoy music; act to be decided. Weather permitting, concerts are held outdoors. Visit the gift shop or café for barbecue beef sandwiches, lemon bars, freshly popped popcorn, and more. 6pm-8pm. Garden admission applies and is $10 for adults, $5 for children. 402-346-4003 -lauritzengardens.org

July // August • 2016 | 22 | omahamagazine.com

CHRIS BOTTI July 20 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Grammy Award-winner Chris Botti returns to Omaha. With soaring musical imagination, the trumpeter has found a form of expression that begins in jazz and expands beyond any single genre. He’s earned acclaim for his best-selling albums including When I Fall in Love, To Love Again and his latest, Impressions. Experience a night of pop hits, jazz standards, classical masterpieces, and instant favorites. Tickets $25 to $65. 402-345-0606 -ticketomaha.com

BOSTON 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR July 20 at Baxter Arena, 2425 S. 67th St. Boston is a popular rock band that was most prolific in the 1970s and 1980s. Boston’s best-known works include the songs “More Than a Feeling,” “Peace of Mind,” “Foreplay/ Long Time,” “Rock and Roll Band,” “Smokin’,” “Don’t Look Back,” and “Amanda.” They have sold more than 75 million records worldwide, including 31 million albums in the United States. 7pm. 402-554-6200 -baxterarena.com

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GLASS ANIMALS July 21 at Sokol Auditorium, 2234 S. 13th St. Glass Animals vocalist and songwriter David Bayley draws influence for both music and artwork from his involvement in the world of medicine and neuroscience (at just 22 years old, he has studied both), creating a sound with its roots spread between the electronic and live instrumentation. The result is the warm, narcotic space between a downbeat, slow-burning groove, and electro-pop catchiness. $25 in advance and $30 at the door. 7pm. 402-346-9802 -sokolunderground.com

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MIRANDA LAMBERT: KEEPER OF THE FLAME TOUR July 30 at CenturyLink Center, 455 N. 10th St. Miranda Lambert is a country music singer and songwriter who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. 402-341-1500 -mirandalambert.com

SHEILA HICKS

ELECTRIC SIX

material voices

July 5 at the Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Electric Six is a six-piece band from Detroit. Their style has been described as a brand of rock music infused with elements of garage, disco, punk rock, new wave, and metal. The band met recognition in 2003 with the singles “Danger! High Voltage” and “Gay Bar.” They have subsequently recorded 11 full-length albums. Admission is $13 in advance and $15 at the door. 9pm. 402-884-5353 -waitingroomlounge.com

Through September 4, 2016

Drawing on global weaving traditions, architecture, and her personal history, among many other sources, Sheila Hicks’s work in fiber reveals her remarkable understanding of color, line, and texture. The most significant presentation of the artist’s work in her home state of Nebraska, this exhibition features large hanging installations, free-standing sculptures, and elaborate weavings from across Hicks’s prolific career.

BÉLA FLECK AND CHRIS THILE July 12 at the Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Premiere banjo player Béla Fleck and mandolinist, composer, and vocalist Chris Thile combine forces for what will be a night of musical surprises. Celebrated for their refreshing approaches to bluegrass, jazz, pop, and classical music, both are multiple Grammy Award-winning musicians. 7:30pm. Tickets from $20-$48. 402-345-0606 -ticketomaha.com

Material Voices is a ticketed exhibition. $10 for general public adults; youth ages 17 and younger and college students with ID are free. Special Thursday pricing (4-8 pm): $5 for general public adults. Admission is FREE for Joslyn members. IMAGE: Sheila Hicks, Full Regalia, 2007, natural linen, triple-dyed embroidery cotton, 96 x 54 x 5 inches, Art © Sheila Hicks, courtesy Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York. Photo: Jason Wyche

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Omaha Magazine • Calendar of Events

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER: SOUNDS LIVE FEELS LIVE TOUR Aug. 22 at CenturyLink Center 155 N. 10th St. 5 Seconds of Summer is an Australian rock band from Sydney that formed in 2011. The group initially gained celebrity posting videos of themselves covering songs from various artists during 2011 and early 2012. 402-341-1500 -centurylinkcenteromaha.com

PERFORMING ARTS

SHAKESPEARE ON THE GREEN: THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

DIANA ROSS

BLUESED SEASON FINALE

July 22 at the Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. Diana Ross is one of the most iconic female singers of all time. Her musical repertoire encompasses R&B, soul, pop, disco, and jazz, and includes “Stop! In The Name of Love,” “Where Did Our Love Go,” “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Endless Love,” which remains one of the most successful duets in pop history. Tickets $68.50 to $129.50. 402-345-0606. -ticketomaha.com

Aug. 7 at the Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. BluesEd is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2016 as a non-profit youth development program sponsored by the Blues Society of Omaha. BluesEd was founded in 2001 to promote the Blues Society of Omaha’s mission of “Keeping the Blues Alive.” Students audition in the winter, and, after acceptance into the program, participate in a series of workshops concentrated on blues music. BluesEd bands perform at many festivals and prime venues in the Omaha area. Currently, the program boasts 44 students in six performance bands. Free admission. 9pm. 402-884-5353 -waitingroomlounge.com

HAYES CARLL Aug. 5 at the Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. A native of The Woodlands, Texas, Carll’s style of roots-oriented songwriting has been noted for its plain-spoken poetry and sarcastic humor. He was nominated for a 2016 Grammy award for Best Country Song, and American Songwriter awarded him with Song of the Year for “Another Like You” in 2011. The same year he was nominated for Artist of the Year at the Americana Awards. Admission TBA. 9pm. 402-884-5353 -waitingroomlounge.com

JOURNEY & THE DOOBIE BROTHERS Aug. 6 at CenturyLinkCenter, 455 N. 10th St. Don’t miss this power mashup with two of the biggest rock groups of the 20th century. The Doobie Brothers have sold more than 40 million albums worldwide throughout their five decade career. Journey has secured two gold albums, eight multi-platinum albums, and one diamond album. 7:30pm. 402-341-1500 -centurylinkcenteromaha.com

DICK DALE Aug. 9 at the Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Dick Dale’s style is something different and unique. Since his first appearances in Balboa, California, at the famed Rendezvous Ballroom, he has set and broken attendance records everywhere he’s performed. Dick Dale was given the title “King of the Surf Guitar” by his fellow surfers with whom he surfed from sunup to sundown. Admission $30. 9pm. 402-884-5353 -waitingroomlounge.com

MAHA MUSIC FESTIVAL Aug. 20 at Stinson Park Mark your calendar for the eighth annual Maha Music Festival. Details on tickets and the 2016 lineup are coming soon. 402-314-8516 -mahamusicfestival.com

July // August • 2016 | 24 | omahamagazine.com

July 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9 at Elmwood Park, S. 60th St. Macbeth, a duke of Scotland, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition, and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself. 402-444-5955 -nebraskashakespeare.com

SHAKESPEARE ON THE GREEN: THE TAMING OF THE SHREW July 6, 8, and 10 at Elmwood Park, S. 60th St. Renowned as Shakespeare’s most boisterous comedy, The Taming of the Shrew is the tale of two young men; the hopeful Lucentio, and the worldly Petruchio, and the two sisters they meet in Padua. 402-444-5955 -nebraskashakespeare.com

A CELEBRATION OF STORYTELLING: VOICES OF AFRICAN DRUMS July 8 and 9 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. This celebration will have performances featuring five international guest artists and ACC’s local artists, four free workshops in dancing and drumming, a replica of an African market, and authentic food and drink. This promises to be a unique experience for the Omaha metropolitan area. 402-556-5143 -africancultureconnection.org

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Starting Aug. 19 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Based on Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. In this moving and heartfelt tale, a quiet Southern town is rocked by a crisis of morality. Despite threats to himself and his family, lawyer Atticus Finch defends a black man wrongly accused of a grave crime. Tickets $36 each. 402-553-0800 -omahaplayhouse.com

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Centennial,

Wyoming On the (Interrupted) Road to Medicine Bow

by JARED KENNEDY

photography by BILL SITZMANN

Omaha Magazine • Adventure

HE CEASELESS MARCH of time drives

a wedge between mankind and nature. Yearning for the pure, quiet, peaceful bliss of the great outdoors, I feel compelled to escape the onslaught of modern technological society—if only for a moment. Time for a road trip.

We depart on a warm Thursday morning in late May. The golden Subaru—filled with camping gear, cameras, and snacks—will be home base for the next several days. Our intended final destination: Medicine Bow, Wyoming. Truthfully, I’m just along for the ride. We might as well be driving to Shangri-La. We gas up every couple hundred miles. But nothing fuels the expedition more than the ambition to fully disconnect. We hear rumors that the mountain pass (our route to Medicine Bow) remains closed due to snow accumulation from the winter. Nevertheless, we proceed. Nine hours west of Omaha, we pull into Centennial, Wyoming. Medicine Bow lies on the other side of Snowy Range Pass. Centennial has a population of roughly 200 people; there’s a history museum, unique lodges, a few restaurants and several bars. (Actually, there are a suspicious number of bars considering the population density.) We blow through the quaint mountain town on Snowy Range Road, Centennial’s main street. Occasional trophy homes lightly dot the valley as we head up the mountain, intent on setting up camp and getting a hike in before nightfall. Even though our ultimate goal—Medicine Bow— may be inaccessible, we proceed anyway. Lo and behold, the pass is indeed closed. Unfazed, we set up camp halfway up the mountain and go on a long-awaited hike. We quickly notice the uninhabited wilderness of the area. Since passing through Centennial, we see only one other car—and not a single soul. After a good night’s rest, we treat ourselves to a restaurant breakfast at the bottom of the mountain. Our table is adjacent to lifelong

Jared Kennedy Centennial resident Melanie O’Hara. Within 10 minutes of sitting down, we are deep in conversation. The 70-year-old retired English and history teacher explains that the forest service in Wyoming is severely underfunded—leaving trails unattended, and many rules unenforced. O’Hara promptly invites us to her cabin for afternoon tea. She draws a map on a scrap of paper and says she’ll return home around noon. Her commute back from the restaurant takes a little extra time since she doesn’t own a car. O’Hara says she hikes wherever she goes. Everywhere. Her two border collies (Gus and Pip) are her only protection. And this is in July // August • 2016 | 28 | omahamagazine.com

bear country. We agree to visit after our own morning hike. We leave the restaurant, and we’re back to exploring the pristine wilderness. After our second hike of the trip—and a couple wrong turns in the Subaru—we pull up to O’Hara’s cabin. She lives next to a ranger’s station that dates back to when Theodore Roosevelt tromped about these mountains. Her father named the cabin, “Valhalla,” and Valhalla is painted on a sign hanging from the cabin’s exterior. The cabin’s name, a reference to the vast hall where the Norse gods ruled over mythological Asgard, is a nod to her Scandinavian heritage. O’Hara says the word means “warrior’s paradise” in Norwegian.

Melanie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara

Omaha Magazine • Adventure

July // August • 2016 | 30 | omahamagazine.com

She gives us a full tour of the cabin. It’s both a history lesson on Scandinavian cabin architecture, and a crash course on the genealogy of the 70-year-old structure’s occupants. O’Hara says her father built the cabin the same year she was born. Back then it was only the four walls, one room for the whole family. “My mother wanted to have four children and knew this wouldn’t be enough space. Men don’t mind having it pretty basic, but women need a little more,” O’Hara says. “So she said, ‘Oh, Bucky precious darling prince of mine, could we build a room for the kids?’” O’Hara’s father begrudgingly obliged. Several times they expanded the cabin. One of her favorite features of the residence is her John Denver Memorial Yodel Balcony. She doesn’t hesitate to demonstrate her yodeling skills. She steps outside, faces up the mountain, and lets out a long cadence of vocalizations—as her voice reverberates off the trees, I realize why yodeling is specifically an alpine tradition.

“YOU CAN COME UP HERE AND BE ANYTHING YOU WANT. GAY, STRAIGHT, TRANSEXUAL, BISEXUAL—WHATEVER—BECAUSE THE BUSHES DON’T CARE.” -Melanie O’Hara

After tea she kindly asks us if we are interested in hiking further up the mountain to see the old mines, which had been shut down for more than a century. We gladly accept her offer. O’Hara is a mountain woman to the core. She has been hiking these slopes since she was a kid, often spending all day alone up on the mountain with just her dog. As we hike up her familiar trails, she shares why the mountain is so sacred to her and her philosophy of “live and let live.” “You can come up here and be anything you want. Gay, straight, transexual, bisexual— whatever—because the bushes don’t care,” O’Hara says. We visit the entrances to three defunct mines. The mine entrances were idealistically named: Centennial, Platinum City, and Utopia. Three hours after beginning our third hike of the trip, we descend the mountain educated on mining traditions, the town of Centennial, and O’Hara’s family history. At the onset of this unexpected but necessary vacation, we departed Omaha with no specific plans or agenda. Only to escape, briefly. The cost of gas and food were a bargain considering

what we received in return. Mother Nature offers priceless experiences free of charge. Everyone has their own warrior’s paradise, and it seems there’s a little ValhallaOfor everyone in Centennial, Wyoming. July // August • 2016 | 31 | bestofomaha.com

MISSION, PASSION, & JOY Roger Garcia and Centro Latino BY CHARLIE LITTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Omaha Magazine • Faces

OGER GARCIA HAS a lot of work to do—

relationships to build, programs to create, grants to obtain, and people to help.

Yet the 29-year-old dismisses the notion that his role is “work.” He prefers words like mission, passion, and joy; all of which compelled Garcia on his daily commute to Lincoln’s outreach center for Hispanic and Latin Americans. Garcia served as director of Lincoln’s El Centro de las Americas from 2012 until recently, when he accepted a similar role as the executive director of Centro Latino of Council Bluffs. Although Garcia is happy to "work" closer to his wife, Yanira, and their south Omaha home, his drive to help the community still borders on obsessive. In each person that Garcia helps, he sees the struggle that his mother, Margarita, endured decades ago. Initially an undocumented immigrant from Honduras, Margarita gained a path to citizenship through the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Roger’s father, a documented Mexican immigrant, was psychologically abusive and controlling. By 1994, Margarita had enough of him and Los Angeles. She took her youngest of three sons and left for the third and final time. She grabbed 8-year-old Roger and packed up the few things she owned. Somehow, she coaxed a beat-up old Buick nearly 1,500 miles eastward into Nebraska. She eventually landed in Columbus for a job with the meatpacking industry. Holding only one job satisfied neither her work ethic nor demands on her pocketbook. She took up welding, baking, even cosmetology—whatever it took. Today, her knees are shot, but she owns and manages three rental properties between Omaha and Columbus.

The people who come through Garcia’s door are reminiscent of his mother. They are looking for the same things. They want a better life for their children. They don’t readily ask for handouts, he says. Garcia’s commitment to the region’s Latino community runs deeper than esteem and pride for his mother’s accomplishments. He grew up in rural Nebraska. He feels compelled to help those enduring similar experiences. He encountered racism in childhood. Once, a pair of white adults accosted Garcia and his fourthgrade classmate with racial slurs. The adults kicked the kids off their bicycles. Such experiences motivated a short-lived denunciation of his heritage in the fifth grade. “I said, ‘No, I’m not Mexican. I’m not Honduran,’” says Garcia, clearly pained by the memory. “I didn’t want to be discriminated against.” Thanks to music, Garcia eventually found solace and comfort in his own skin. “Through American rock music, I learned that it doesn’t matter how you look,” he says. His sense of ethnic identity became more complex while pursuing dual degrees in psychology and Latino/Latin American studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The occasional volunteer worker at the Omaha Boys and Girls Club found his calling. By the time he finished his undergraduate studies, he had earned UNO’s vice chancellor award for student leadership. He moved on to Bellevue University to pursue a master’s degree in public administration, and became more immersed in Omaha’s Latino community. He met with elected officials, served as a community liaison for then-Mayor Jim Suttle, and met with other college campus groups and leaders.

“She loves this country, and she worked her butt off,” says Garcia, who remembers his mother going to work at 4 a.m. so she could get him to school every morning during her break. “People like my mom just want to work hard and provide for their family.”

July // August • 2016 | 33 | bestofomaha.com

“THROUGH AMERICAN ROCK MUSIC, I LEARNED THAT IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW YOU LOOK.” -Roger Garcia

Omaha Magazine • Feature

WHEN EXCELLENCE IS EXPECTED

He joined El Centro de las Americas in Lincoln as the center’s director and quickly elevated it to new heights. Beatty Brasch, the executive director of Lincoln’s Center for People in Need and a board member of El Centro, laments Garcia’s recent departure.

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“He did a remarkable job. He brought the community together and developed programs there for a lot of people,” she says. “We’re sorry he’s leaving. I wish he stayed.” His list of accomplishments garnered a new accolade in 2015 when he was listed as one of the Jaycees' Ten Outstanding Young Omahans in the 83rd annual TOYO! awards. That’s what happens when a passion becomes “a calling on a spiritual level.” As Garcia and his future wife, Yanira, built their relationship, they also forged a deeper connection to their Christian faith.

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“On our first date he asked me if I would ever date anybody who wasn’t a believer," she says. "I said, ‘No.’” Two years later, in 2015, they were married, and Roger is now pursuing a doctorate in theology with an eye toward possibly launching his own ministry. Until then, there is indeed a lot to be done, but none of it should be confused with toil. “It’s what we should all be doing as believers,” O It’s a joy. It’s a he says. “It’s not an obligation. joy to spread His love.” Visit sucentrolatino.com for more information.

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July // August • 2016 | 35 | bestofomaha.com

BY JAY A. IRWIN PH.D, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Omaha Magazine • Cover

ENGENDERING IDENTITY A Study Guide for Terms of the LGBTQ Community

An often-marginalized demographic is finding its voice. Transgender people—estimated at one-fifth of one percent of the total U.S. population—have been thrust into the national spotlight amid the political firestorm following the introduction of North Carolina’s bathroom bill, HB2. Dr. Jay Irwin helps to explain LGBTQ community discourse.

Scan this page with the LayAR app to meet the trans Omahans pictured here. They explain gender identity in their own words. July // August • 2016 | 37 | bestofomaha.com

Omaha Magazine • Cover

N 2006, WHILE wasting time on the

Internet when I should have been writing a paper for graduate school, my whole world changed. I found an online diary of a young trans man—a person who identifies as male but was assigned female at birth—talking about his own process of self-discovery. His words and story made 100 percent sense to me, as I was struggling to figure out who I was as well. I had come out as a lesbian two years prior, but something about that term didn’t click. Reading his words about his own gender discovery and transition, I finally knew who I was and what it meant. With learning the words, I found the ability to finally understand myself. Transgender and cisgender. The terms are hot topics in the news. They offer clarity to some and confusion to others. Approximately 700,000 transgender individuals are estimated to live in the U.S. (or 0.2 percent of the population). Although a relatively small portion of the nation’s populace, the demographic is making big strides culturally. The way we talk about people and gender identity has shifted. In the 1970s, the focus was on gay rights, with social movements like the Gay Liberation Front and the Stonewall Riots in New York City. In the 1980s and 1990s, the language shifted to gay and lesbian, responding to calls to make these groups more inclusive of women and their experiences. But behind the scenes, conversation around language for diverse sexuality and gender identities was already pointing out the limiting nature of the common phrase “gay and lesbian.” Currently, the most used phrase for this topic is LGBTQ—lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. Occasionally you will see two Qs, highlighting both queer and individuals who are questioning, or still trying to figure out their sexuality and/or gender. You may also see LGBTQ+, pointing out that these 5 letters have left a lot of more specific identities out of the acronym. This shift can be seen in

the name change of a major organization that advocates on the behalf of LGBTQ people— the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the organization that runs Creating Change, the largest LGBTQ social justice conference in the U.S., changed its name to the National LGBTQ Task Force in 2014. We can also see it locally, as the UNO student group for LGBTQ+ students just changed its name from Gender and Sexual Orientation Student Agency (GSO) to Queer and Trans Spectrum Student Agency (QTS, pronounced “cuties”).

APPROXIMATELY 700,000 TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS ARE ESTIMATED TO LIVE IN THE U.S. (OR 0.2 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION). For many, the fluid nature of language in this area is confusing. Even for myself, someone who teaches and researches gender and sexuality at UNO, keeping up with the changes in language takes a lot of work. Take for example the word “queer,” a word steeped in a lot of negative connotations and usages for many folks, which is now a formal part of many acronyms currently in use. But what’s most important with the term queer is that many people in the community have reclaimed the word to embrace part of its original meaning: difference and diversity. Queer, as an identity, is a very open and wide-ranging term, often meaning non-heterosexual but with nuances for specific individuals who identify as queer. And for many young people, queer is a word that feels more comfortable to them than gay or lesbian. (It should be noted, for some individuals who identify as gay or lesbian—particularly individuals from earlier generations—the word queer can still have negative connotations, so use the word with care.)

July // August • 2016 | 38 | omahamagazine.com

Today, we are witnessing a massive shift in the language used when we talk about gender. With recent media attention to transgender people, that is, people who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth, more and more trans people are claiming their own language and their own words, all while highlighting that gender is much more than just male or female. There are many other terms, far too many to define here. The website for Trans Student Educational Resources published an online glossary that includes: heteroflexible, cisgender, transgender, genderqueer, polysexual, pansexual, asexual, gender fluid, demisexual, and the list goes on. See page 41 for exerpts from this glossary. Jessi Hitchens, director of UNO’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, the official UNO office that oversees inclusion and programming for women as well as LGBTQ persons on campus, discusses her own discovery of the plethora of language options: “Growing up in a small, blue-collar, immigrant town in Illinois, I did not have language for what I was experiencing at the time. Once in college, my worldview shifted and the community language was never static or silenced for me again.” Hitchens, who identifies as a polysexual, cisgender woman, acutely understands the power in language. She describes her identities in the following way: “I have been sexually and romantically attracted to many different genders. I am currently in a 14-year monogamous relationship with a straight, cis man but that does not mean my polysexual identity is any less real.” She goes on to clarify what she means when she says “cis”—“I am a cis woman which for me means my gender assignment at birth and my gender identity and gender expression are all in alignment.” Jeff Horger, associate artistic director at the Omaha Community Playhouse, identifies as a straight man. He states that perhaps we’ve

put the cart before the horse. “I think that the acronym LGBTQ has been inappropriately mainstreamed.” In his view, while people inside the community may be aware of the meaning, a number of folks are unaware and thus unable to understand the complexity of it all. For Horger, without a wide public education first, the acronym isn’t as powerful as it could be. Despite Horger’s views on a wider usage of the term LGBTQ, he does appreciate the fact that the acronym is trying to highlight the complexity that is gender identity and sexual orientation. “People [used to be] homosexual or heterosexual. We were very comfortable looking at the world in a binary fashion, but once we started looking at ourselves, we realized that we’re a lot more complicated than that. A complicated world requires a complicated description and a complicated acronym.” When asked about the potential confusion, Hitchens approaches the answer in an attempt to educate. “Well, if Shakespeare kept to only the currently imagined words, we would be missing such wonderful, beautiful, and influential texts. Language is an art and culture. As we evolve, we need to encourage people to use words that make sense to them in an effort to better connect to each other.” For many in the LGBTQ community, the words that we put to our identities are an attempt at gaining power of our identities, our lives, and a way to speak out loud our truths. We want others to understand this. We want people to ask, “I don’t understand that term. Can you tell me more about what you mean by that?” What people learn Oand how they interact can build bridges. Visit transstudent.org for more information.

“PEOPLE [USED TO BE] HOMOSEXUAL OR HETEROSEXUAL. WE WERE VERY COMFORTABLE LOOKING AT THE WORLD IN A BINARY FASHION, BUT ONCE WE STARTED LOOKING AT OURSELVES, WE REALIZED THAT WE’RE A LOT MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT. A COMPLICATED WORLD REQUIRES A COMPLICATED DESCRIPTION AND A COMPLICATED ACRONYM.” -Jeff Horger

AGAINST TRANSPHOBIA Facts and Figures of Marginalization

RISK FOR SUICIDE Trans people suffer from an elevated risk of bullying, homelessness, and attempted suicide. According to a 2014 report by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Williams Institute, 41 percent of trans people have tried to kill themselves at some point in their lives—compared to 4.6 percent of the total adult U.S. population.

SEX OR GENDER? According to the World Health Organization, "Sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women. Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women."

INTERSEX INFANTS Most newborns receive gender assignments at birth. But not all. Newborns with ambiguous genitalia are deemed “ intersex.” Sometimes intersex conditions do not become apparent until later in life, often around the time of puberty. According to the American Psychological Association, “experts estimate that as many as 1 in every 1,500 babies is born with genitals that cannot easily be classified as male or female.”

Omaha Magazine • Cover

TRACKING THE CONTROVERSY:

HB2 and Transgender Bathroom Legislation BY DOUG MEIGS ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN

MERICA’S CULTURE WAR has entered the most private of public spaces. Enactment of North Carolina’s so-called bathroom bill—House Bill 2 (HB2), aka the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act—corresponded to a rash of similar proposals across the U.S. The controversy is tangled in the history of federal anti-discrimination laws, Title IX, and local city ordinances. Supporters of gender-restrictive bathroom mandates have cited defense of women (especially girls in school locker rooms) as justification. Opponents of HB2 (and similar proposals) see a government-sanctioned affront to those who do not identify with their gender assigned at birth; they argue that transgender individuals have a right to use the restroom most closely aligned with their gender identity. Omaha Public Schools told Omaha Magazine that the local school district remains determined to keep their schools safe for all students, including students of different genders. “Although this has come up on a national level, it certainly is not new to our schools. Our district has been responsive to our students for many years,” says Sharif Liwaru, director of OPS Office of Equity and Diversity.

TIMELINE 1964: The federal Civil Rights Act is implemented to stop workplace discrimination based on sex, religion, race, color, or national origin.

1972: Title IX—part of the U.S. Education Amendment of 1972—extends federal anti-discrimination requirements to public education and federally assisted programs October 2010: Omaha fails to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance that would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to a list of protected classes. March 13, 2012: Omaha City Council approves (by vote of 4-3) a controversial ordinance introduced by Councilman Ben Gray that makes it illegal to discriminate in the workplace based on sexual orientation or gender identity. April 29, 2014: The U.S. Department of Education publishes a 53-page guidance for complying to Title IX. The document states: “Title IX’s sex discrimination prohibition extends to claims of discrimination based on gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity” and “the actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of the parties does not change a school’s obligations.” November 3, 2015: Charlotte elects a new mayor, Jennifer Roberts, who supports LGBTQ-inclusive changes to local anti-discrimination ordinances. Feb. 22: Charlotte City Council adds LGBTQ protections to the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Feb. 23: North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore calls for legislative action in response to the “bathroom piece” of Charlotte’s non-discrimination ordinance.

July // August • 2016 | 40 | omahamagazine.com

March 23: The North Carolina General Assembly passes HB2 (“the bathroom bill”). Gov. Pat McCrory signs the bill into law. HB2 restricts usage of public restroom facilities to people based on the gender listed on their birth certificates and prevents local anti-discrimination ordinances from protecting individuals on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. March 28: The ACLU files a federal lawsuit to overturn HB2 because of its unconstitutionality (failure to uphold the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment) and its violation of Title IX. April 8: Bruce Springsteen cancels his concert in Greensboro, North Carolina. Springsteen’s protest against HB2 is mirrored in several other entertainers canceling North Carolina events to protest HB2. April 12: Responding to criticism of HB2, Gov. McCrory signs an executive order preventing state employees from being disciplined or fired for being gay or transgender. April 19: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which also presides over North Carolina, rules in favor of Virginia high school student Gavin Grimm. The transgender student—who was born female—sued the Gloucester County School Board for violating his Title IX right to use the boys’ bathroom facilities. April 21: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says North Carolina must change HB2 for the league to hold its 2017 all-star game in Charlotte as scheduled.

GLOSSARY LGBTQ gender identity terms excerpted from the website of Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER):

April 27: NCAA Board of Governors adopts a new anti-discrimination process for all sites hosting, or bidding to host, NCAA events in order to “provide an environment that is safe, healthy, and free of discrimination.” May 9: Gov. McCrory files a lawsuit asking federal courts to declare that HB2 is not discriminatory. May 9: U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announces that the Department of Justice is filing a civil rights complaint against North Carolina because of anti-LGBTQ language in HB2. May 13: The Obama Administration and U.S. Department of Education issue guidelines insisting that public schools allow transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms corresponding with their gender identity. May 15: Delegates to the Nebraska Republican Convention adopt a resolution calling for a Nebraska bathroom law akin to North Carolina’s HB2. May 17: Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson objects to the Obama Administration’s (May 13) bathroom guidelines. In his letter, Peterson promises that his office will do “everything in its power to resist any attempt to unconstitutionally expand Title IX requirements.” May 18: More than 200 corporations sign an open letter condemning HB2. North Carolina loses 400 potential future jobs when one signatory, Paypal, withdraws its plans to open a new global operations center in Charlotte.

AFAB/AMAB: Acronym for "assigned (female/male) at birth." A term preferred to biological female/ male, born female/ male, and other terms considered defamatory and inaccurate.

Gender Expression/ Presentation: The physical manifestation of one’s gender identity through clothing, hairstyle, voice, body shape, etc.

Agender: An umbrella term encompassing many different genders of people who commonly describe themselves as gender-neutral.

Gender Identity: One’s internal sense of being male, female, neither, or both.

Aromantic: A lack of romantic attraction towards others, and someone identifying with this orientation. Asexual: The lack of sexual attraction, and someone identifying with this orientation. Bigender: Those who identify as two genders. Bisexual: An umbrella term for people who experience sexual and/or emotional attraction to more than one gender. Cisgender/cis: Someone who exclusively identifies as their sex assigned at birth. Demisexual: A sexual orientation in which one does not feel sexual attraction without a strong emotional bond. As an umbrella term, sometimes associated with “aromantic” and “asexual.”

Gender Fluid: A changing or “fluid” gender identity.

Genderqueer: A person who does not subscribe to conventional gender distinctions but identifies with neither, both, or a combination of male and female genders. Heteroflexible: Sexual orientation or situational behavior characterized by minimal homosexual activity in an otherwise primarily heterosexual orientation. LGBTQQIAPP+: Short for “ lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, aromantic, pansexual, polysexual” (sometimes abbreviated to LGBT or LGBTQ+). Monosexual: An umbrella term for orientations directed towards one gender. Multisexual: An umbrella term for orientations directed towards multiple genders. Nonbinary: Preferred umbrella term for all genders other than female/ male or woman/man. Not all binary people identify as trans and not all trans people identify as nonbinary.

July // August • 2016 | 41 | bestofomaha.com

Pansexual: Capable of being attracted to many/ any genders. This term is being used more and more frequently. Polysexual: Sexual attraction to more than one gender. Bisexuality and pansexuality are forms of polysexuality. Queer: A term for people of marginalized gender identities and sexual orientations. The term has a complicated history as a reclaimed slur. Sexual Orientation: A person’s physical romantic, emotional aesthetic and/or other form of attraction to others. Transgender/trans: A term encompassing many gender identities for those who do not identify with their sex assigned at birth. Transition: A person’s process of developing and assuming a gender expression to match their gender identity. This includes coming out to one’s family, friends, and/or coworkers; changing one’s name and/or gender on legal documents; hormone therapy; and possibly surgery. Transsexual: A depreciated term (often pejorative) similar to transgender in that it indicates a difference between one’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth. Two Spirit: An umbrella term indexing various indigenous gender identities in North America.

DRIVEN BY VOTERS

PLEASE VOTE FOR US IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

Exhaust & Muffler Service - QVC: 50223 Brake Service | General Auto Repair

Best of Omaha Depends on You

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE AND YOUR BUSINESS!

TakeIt2TheHouse.com

MAHA MAGAZINE'S Be st of Omaha

contest is the legitimate contest. We started it in 1992 as a fun way to find out what people thought about businesses and organizations community. One thing remains the same. We believe our contest should be driven by the voters, not by paid advertisements on the ballot page. Our category answer fields are blank, so our ballot does not steer or influence who a voter should choose. We only allow one ballot per verified email. This prevents vote stuffing and manipulation, but even if someone tries to pull the wool over our eyes, our system also monitors for repeat entries and falsification. We even make sure the voting is as fair as possible by enlisting Goracke & Associates to audit the contest for us. Our contest is so legitimate, in fact, that we have partners who help keep it that way. KETV 7 has been our media partner for several years, and we are working again with Baxter Arena. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and there’s another new contest in the area that really must like our work. But there are noticeable differences between the two contests. The other new contest sells business name placement, business logo placement,] and advertisement on their ballot. This encourages people to vote for the business right in front of their eyes. The new contest also encourages the public to vote for the same business more than once, so it becomes a popularity contest. You can feel good about voting in Best of Omaha, and we hope you will do just that between July 1 and August 30. We’ll publish the votes in our special Best of Omaha issue later this year.

100 Years of Serving Omaha One hundred years and five generations later, we're still family-owned and dedicated to serving the community that has supported us all this time. Voted Best of Omaha four years running, we'd be honored if you'd help us continue the streak.

To vote, visit bestofomaha.com/29169. Locations throughout the Omaha metro area open 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday–Saturday.

www.maxiwalker.com July // August • 2016 | 42 | omahamagazine.com

WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR VOTE FOR

BEST FAMILY DENTIST

QUICK VOTE LINK: BESTOFOMAHA.COM/81122 Dr. Jay Samuelson Dr. Jeff Garvey

Dr. Brian Pendley

Dr. J.R. Demman

Dr. Chad Snow Dr. Amy Ruf

HILLSBOROUGH 13808 W. Maple Rd. Omaha, NE 68164 402.445.4647

RALSTON SQUARE 5360 S. 72nd Street Omaha, NE 68127 402.733.4441

SELECTED BY THEIR PEERS AS

VILLAGE POINTE 302 N. 168th Circle Omaha, NE 68118 402.505.7474

WWW.THEDENTISTSOMAHA.COM July // August • 2016 | 43 | bestofomaha.com

DUNDEE 119 N. 51st Street Omaha, NE 68132 402.502.5593

OMAHA MAGAZINE We love Omaha! BY TODD LEMKE

E BROUGHT YOU Best of Omaha 25 years ago as a community service, and we consider it that to this day.

We want to keep the focus of Best of Omaha on the businesses, institutions, and organizations that you—the voters—think are the best. That’s why we take the security and the credibility of Best of Omaha very seriously. Our ballot is limited to only one vote per verified email address, which prevents vote stuffing. There are no advertisements on our ballot pageto steer or influence h ow to vote. Between July 1 and August 30, make sure to visit OmahaMagazine.com to vote for your favorites, from your favorite place to get dessert to your favorite dentist (hopefully one doesn’t precede the other). We want to hear from you in at least 15 categories, following which we will offer a Proof of Voting Certificate. This certificate entitles you to lots of great deals around Omaha that we know you will want to take advantage of. We always look forward to seeing who you think is the Best of Omaha. We know you've seen the Best of Omaha logo around town, but did you know that less than 4.5 percent of Omaha’s businesses will win Best of Omaha?Those 4.5 percent of businesses, institutions, and organzations proudly display their logos, knowing they have worked hard to become the types of businesses you consider the best. Thank you for taking the time to vote in Best of Omaha, and, as our gift to you, we will mail each voter two free tickets to the Best of Omaha Festival.

Todd Lemke

e st Be ienc n e e nv Co Stor

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EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE We Would Appreciate Your Vote for

Best Express Wash & Convenience Store! 9 Locations Including Our New Location at 72nd & Cornhusker fantasys-carwash.com

GO VOTE FOR US!

Todd Lemke Publisher, Omaha Magazine

If you like our services, please vote for us at

www.BestOfOmaha.com July 1st through August 31st

July // August • 2016 | 44 | omahamagazine.com

Before

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Vote

ChristiClark

Best Hair Colorist 2017

WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR VOTE FOR BEST MULCH PROVIDER!

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WE DELIVER!

ChristiClarkColor.com · 402.321.9410 July // August • 2016 | 45 | bestofomaha.com

EST OF OMAHA is the No. 1 way for

the community to support their favorite businesses.

We want your vote, because we know that the contest is not possible without you. In appreciation of this fact, we are giving away three Apple watches. This year we are giving away version 2.0, and from what we’ve heard, you’ll want to upgrade to this version…or simply get one for the first time.

You see, your vote counts—especially in Best of Omaha. The minor catch it that you need to vote on 15 categories. That automatically gives you 15 chances. After that, you get one entry for each category you answer. The more categories you answer, the more entries you submit. Winners will be randomly drawn, and we only allow one Apple Watch per winner. Best of luck, and thank you for supporting Best of Omaha.

July // August • 2016 | 46 | omahamagazine.com

Monday-Friday 9:30-9 Saturday 9-6

• Garage Floor Coatings

Closed Sunday to honor God

• Commercial Applications

Please Vote For Us As Best Gift Shop

We appreciate your vote for Best Garage Flooring!

• Cabinets

402.999.6288 • garage-revolution.com

Quick Vote Code: 88575 .

LOVE YOUR LIFE Formerly ProCare3

“Omaha’s Complete House Cleaning Resource”

Please Vote Us

Best Home Cleaning Service at bestofomaha.com/90463

Stephanie & Jim Lovely

MAIDS

84th & Harrison 6905 S. 84 St., La Vista 402.592.4866 divinetruthchristian.com Books • Bibles • Music • Movies • T-shirts • Jewelry • Gifts • Church Supplies

Voted Best of Omaha

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BEST PHYSICAL THERAPY

Four Years in a Row

Quick Vote Code: 30437

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Several Locations With Extended Hours: Bellevue, Papillion, Millard, NW Omaha, SW Omaha, Downtown.

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IF SATISFIED PLEASE VOTE!

Our company strives for the best customer service and products available.

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completecustomhomes.com tom@completecustomhomes.com /CompleteCustomHomes July // August • 2016 | 47 | bestofomaha.com

CONTEST PARTNERS

Best of Omaha 2017

Vote Us Best Fence and Railing Company 2017 at BestofOmaha.com 402.333.5722 www.sw-fence.com

15803 Pacific St. Omaha, NE

ARIEL ROBLIN President and General Manager KETV7

MIKE KEMP Associate Athletic Director for Omaha Athletics

The Best of Omaha is a celebration of what makes Omaha such a great place to live. This award isn’t just about the winners but all of the nominated businesses. It shows the incredible work being done to make our community better and stronger. As Omaha’s news leader, KETV is proud to highlight the Best of Omaha, showing everyone the impact these businesses have. Congratulations to all the winners from everyone at KETV.

On behalf of Baxter Arena, we are honored to host Omaha Magazine’s 2016 Best of Omaha Festival. This event is an opportunity for our community to experience the best companies and services that Omaha has to offer. For more than 105 years, UNO has forged a unique connection and partnership with Omaha. Baxter Arena is a new chapter in that partnership, providing great benefit, both economically and socially, to the Omaha metropolitan area. We encourage everyone to vote in the Best of Omaha contest and stop by Baxter Arena in November at the Best of Omaha festival to check out Omaha’s best.

Photo courtesy of KETV7

Photo courtesy of the University of Nebraska at Omaha

WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR VOTE FOR BEST

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ngine Rep all E air Sm

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July // August • 2016 | 48 | omahamagazine.com

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Best Child Party Provider

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Please for for Planet Fitness for Best Fitness Club in Omaha! Quick Vote Code: 91172

Memberships starting at just $10 a month. 5 Locations in the Omaha area. www.planetfitness.com

Please Vote Us Best Pet Supply Store!

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We Would Appreciate Your Vote for Best Pools & Spas •1522 Ave. C.

facebook.com/naturedogomaha

We Appreciate Your Vote for

Joleen M. Lake

BEST OF OMAHA!

APRN

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2615 N. 90th St. · 402-397-2131 · razzysdeli.com

APRN Medical Hormone Replacement & Aesthetic Center

Office: 402.578.5353 Fax: 402.715.5040

wiches Sand

2016 Winner

2608 S. 158th Plaza Omaha, NE 68130

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KETV 7 • Baxter Arena

July // August • 2016 | 49 | bestofomaha.com

info@optimamedical.us www.OptimaMedical.us

THE BEST OF THE BEST

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OMag Icon Proves Powerful

1501 Pine Lake Rd #14 • Lincoln, NE 68512

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HE BLACK-AND-GOLD LOGO for Best of

Omaha makes us smile. We see it when we are out and about in Omaha, and we know you do, too. It is, dare we say, iconic.

That symbol is part of an exclusive club. Everyone knows it’s a big deal to be named to the top 10 percent of your graduating class. That 10 percent achieve scholarship money, multiple college offers, and other hard-earned rewards. The Best of Omaha winners can make an even bigger deal out of their number. Four-point-five. Only 4.5 percent of businesses in Omaha can claim to win Best of Omaha. That’s up slightly from last year, because we are continually bringing you expanded and modified categories to make our contest the best one in the area. Still, only 4.5 percent of all the businesses in the area are able to announce themselves as Best of Omaha winners. We think that’s akin to saying you were in the top 10 percent of your graduating class, and we hope these business reap the benefits of their hard-earned logo. When you see those black-and-gold logos around town, remember that they are part of a special club, and that they were voted on by your friends and neighbors in Omaha.

Pa i nt-

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July // August • 2016 | 50 | omahamagazine.com

Thank You For Voting Us Best 5 Years In A Row! Where Craftsmanship is at its Finest!

Please VOTE for us again!

A Must-See Boutique

Voted Best of Omaha 8 yrs in a row. . . Lets make it 9! Thanks for your support!

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Text KAJOMAS to 36000

we would appreciate your vote for best men’s apparel quick vote code: 17801

1150 sterling ridge drive, ste. 101, omaha ne 68144 near 132nd & pacific in the sterling ridge development graeclothing.com | 402.502.5080 | @ graeomaha

grae is a lifestyle store specializing in sophisticated, yet casual, men’s apparel, furnishings & footwear

July // August • 2016 | 51 | bestofomaha.com

RECOGNIZING THE BEST Winner Testimonials

HAVE BEEN IN business for 13 years and won Best of Omaha for the last seven years.

Now, everyyear, year,winning winningBest BestofofOmaha Omaha is one Now, every of our goals. Once you have that recognition, you continually people to know thatthat you continuallywant wantOmaha Omaha people to know are It is difficult for a small youthe arebest. the best. It is difficult for aindependent small inderetailer toretailer compete the big boxthe stores pendent to with compete with big and box online and shopping, we strivebut every offer stores onlinebut shopping, we day strivetoevery our to day customers offer ouracustomers unique and a unique positive andshopping positive experience. shopping experience. One of the perks of being a Best of Omaha winner is obtaining the new customers it brings into our store. They see the logo in the store window, or in our advertisements in in Omaha Omaha Magazine, and make a special trip to visit the House of J looking for the best home accessory or gift. -Denise Willett | Owner, House of J

VOTE COX AS

Y HUSBAND AND I started our plumbing

business about four years ago (2012). I saw a competitor asking people via social media to vote for them in Best of Omaha. With two or three weeks of voting left, I immediately began promoting our business. To our disbelief we placed in the top three. Since then, we get excited each year for the voting period. Best of Omaha pushes us to learn how to get creative with our customers and employees. Within four years, we have made a mark in the plumbing trade, and have tripled our size of business. Best of Omaha has helped in this process immensely due to the fact it has made us strive to do everything in our power to actually be the best, not just pretend to have the title. Being able to promote that we are the best is just an added bonus.

OMAHA’S BEST INTERNET PROVIDER

VOTE COX AS

OMAHA’S BEST

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July // August • 2016 | 52 | omahamagazine.com

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

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BOOTS FOR LESS We Would Appreciate Your Vote For

402.558.3005

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BEST SHOE STORE Quick Vote Code:

402.431.9999 14937 Industrial Road Omaha, NE 68144

www.blindsomaha.com We Would Appreciate Your Vote For BEST INDOOR WINDOW COVERINGS

33291

13003 W. Center Rd Omaha, NE

Salon de Belleza YEILY’s Unisex

Aka Hair Experts Inc. We Would Appreciate Your Vote For

BEST MENS HAIR CUT

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We would appreciate your vote for Best hearing Aids Center quick vote code: 63731

402.298.5209 . nebraskahearing.com 7829 Chicago Plaza Omaha, Ne 68114

402.216.7986

4308 S. 24th St. Omaha, NE 68107

Smoking Jay’s “We Love Smokin’ MEAT”

BBQ

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For BEST BBQ Quick Vote Code: 80561

402.763.9071 2524 S. 13th St. Omaha, NE 68108 VoteUs! For Us! PleasePlease Vote For

Best Hearing Aid Center Best Hearing Aid Center QVC 12345 12345 QVC - 21545

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2501 90 St, Omaha, NE th St, Omaha, 2501 South 90South NE www.zoundshearing.com www.zoundshearing.com July // August • 2016 | 54 | omahamagazine.com

Full Service

Diabetes Store and Pharmacy

We would appreciate your vote for

BEST WEB HOSTING

Serving the Omaha community over 25 years • We work with most Insurance Companies and RX Plans. • We provide a large selection of diabetes supplies including hard-to-find products. • We deliver directly to you or orders can be picked-up at our store. • We offer free blood glucose monitors and training with purchase of test strips. • All proceeds fund diabetes education and support services in our community. • Stop by and see why we are the best!

• Outstanding Customer Service • Full Web Hosting Control Panel • Massive Video Tutorials • We meet or exceed industry • Websites Starting at $200 standards

402.813.4034

websnoogie.com 14301 FNB Pkwy #100 Omaha, NE 68154

INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING

“Because Painting is PersonalTM”

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BEST PHARMACY

ess-to-Busines sin sM Bu OMA H a

2015 Winner

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We Would Appreciate Your Vote For BEST CUSTOM PICTURE FRAMING QUICK VOTE CODE: 29394

Custom Framing Studio & Art Gallery 402-391-6440 Frederick Plaza 8455 Frederick St. Omaha, NE 68124 GingersHangUp@gmail.com Mon-Fri 10-6 Saturday 10-3

TUFLY’S SHOE CENTER PROMOTING HEALTY, HAPPY FEET

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BEST SHOE STORE

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July // August • 2016 | 55 | bestofomaha.com

We appreciate your vote.

We Would Appreciate Your Vote For BEST HAIR SALON QVC: 60940

402.721.3192

Montessori Educational Centers, Inc.

Corner of 6th & Main - Downtown Fremont

WHERE CHILDREN LEARN TO LOVE TO LEARN

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BEST SHOE STORE

We would appreciate your vote for

BEST POPCORN

quick vote code: 55780 402-592-7673 . justpopd.com 11336 S. 96th St. Papillion, Ne 68046

New Location Opening in Omaha Fall 2016!! 2730 S. 140th St. Omaha NE 68144

(North of Oakview Mall, East of Nebraska Orthopedic Hospital)

Please vote planitomaha, best event planner. We appreciate your vote! www.bestofomaha.com/51670

Please vote us BEST HOT DOG

Quick Vote Code: 31646

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planitomaha.com

July // August • 2016 | 56 | omahamagazine.com

Your premier dry cleaner in the Omaha metro area with

six convenient locations.

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We would appreciate your vote for Best Landscape Designer.

“If You Want A Perfect Landscape Call Patera” CUSTOM LANDSCAPE DESIGN & INSTALLATION • TREE PLANTING • PONDS & WATERFALLS • PAVER PATIOS • RETAINING WALLS • FIRE PITS • OUTDOOR LIGHTING • MAINTENANCE

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Get theory & aural skills classes, an adjudication by OCM artist-faculty, PLUS everything the Musician Program has to offer!

Learn more & register at omahacm.org. Follow us on social media for details about upcoming FREE concerts! We Would Appreciate Your Vote For

Best Roofing Company

• Guttering and Leaf Protection • All Types of Roofing Commercial and Residential • Asbestos Rood Tile Removal • Siding Repair/Replacement • Other General Contractor Needs • Storm Damage Repair

402-978-3335 takodagreenroofing.com Omaha Nebraska

THANKS FOR MAKING US YOUR #1 CHOICE FOR BEST MUSIC LESSONS IN 2015 & 2016! We’re going for three in a row, so vote for us via omahacm.org or at http://bestofomaha.com/37090

July // August • 2016 | 57 | bestofomaha.com

The Trusted Original Since 1992!

The area’s legitimate “Best of” contest.

We believe our contest should be driven by the voters, not by paid advertisements on the ballot page.

Voting is simple  Register to vote at bestofomaha.com  Check your email and click the link  Vote for a minimum of 15 categories  Click the “I’m Done Voting” button  Take advantage of the offers

Discounts For Voters After voting, download your Proof of Voting Certificate to receive discounts.

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Three voters will win an Apple Watch 2.0 Every category voted for is another chance to win.

RV Dealer

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KETV 7 • Baxter Arena KETV 7 • Baxter Arena

5 convenient locations

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Show us some

@OmahaMagazine July // August • 2016 | 59 | bestofomaha.com

“You’ve worked hard for your money, make it work for you.”

402.392.1220

909 N. 96th St. Ste. 101

EverGreenCapitalOmaha.com

Nebraska Collaborative Divorce

Considering Divorce? Consider the Collaborative Way. Second Saturday

Please join us every second Saturday each month at Swanson Library, 90th and Dodge from 9:30a.m.–10:30a.m. For more information, please visit us at:

CollaborativeDivorceNE.com

Thank You for voting us one of Omaha’s Best Optometric Practices 2011, 2012 and 2013! Dr. Marsha Kubica

July // August • 2016 | 60 | omahamagazine.com

| Dr. Corey Langford

Omaha Magazine • Giving

OMAHANS “The Big Givers”

BY DOUG MEIGS PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY OMAHA HOME FOR BOYS

HILANTHROPY IS REFRESHING, especially for

the charity among the top-50 fundraisers in the one-day drive that generated more than $8.9 million.

For the sake of philanthropy, Omaha Magazine publisher Todd Lemke was perched above the dunk tank on an overcast spring day. He was helping to fundraise for Omaha Home for Boys during the latest 24-hour giving marathon known as Omaha Gives on May 25.

Although philanthropy has no season in Omaha, there are certain dates to remember and faces to know. Every issue of Omaha Magazine celebrates the community’s philanthropic spirit with our “Giving” section. Giving includes a story about a local nonprofit or philanthropic organization, and sometimes a story about person who is known as a giver in Omaha, along with a giving calendar listing the dates of philanthropic events in the area.

volunteers at the dunk tank.

Kids lined up to practice using their throwing arms, and the publisher went under…again and again. “They had a good time,” Lemke says with a laugh. “There were some really young kids who couldn’t hit the target. So the organizers would just lift them to hit the button. They were jumping up and down, so excited that they dunked me. It was all for a good cause.” According to Omaha Gives’ leaderboard, the Omaha Home for Boys raised more than $40,000 during the 24-hour period of giving. The Omaha Gives website listed

Once every year, there is an issue of Omaha Magazine that goes above and beyond our normal dedication to giving with an in-depth showcase of local charities. We call it, “The Big Give.” Check out our September/October issue for Omaha Magazine’s Big Give. The special section will feature profiles, accomplishments, and community initiativesOof many of Omaha’s most influential charitable causes.

July // August • 2016 | 61 | bestofomaha.com

Left to right: Stephanie Murphy, Marge Quinlan, and Kathy Quinlan

Omaha Magazine • Giving Feature

Murphy Stephanie

Serving the Community, Making a Difference BY JUDY HORAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

TEPHANIE MURPHY IS advancing her family’s legacy of community service.

Her grandmother, Marge Quinlan, served on the Aksarben Women’s Ball Committee in the early 1980s. Marge’s daughter-in-law, Kathy Quinlan, served in the 1990s when the Coronation Ball turned its focus to scholarship fundraising. Stephanie (Quinlan) Murphy took the dedication of her mother and grandmother a step further this year when she became the ball committee's chairwoman. Why would she take on one of the toughest volunteer jobs in Omaha? Family tradition was one reason. But scholarships were the key motivation for the former elementary school teacher. Murphy anticipates that the Aksarben Foundation will once again award more than $1 million two- and four-year college scholarships this year. “I want to make a difference in kids’ education,” she says. “Education is something no one can take from them.”

FOLLOWING A FAMILY TRADITION The third-generation volunteer is making a difference in many areas of the community,

just as her family has for years. In 1990, Murphy was named an Aksarben princess in recognition of her family’s volunteer work. She remembers spending time in her younger days at Omaha’s Lauritzen Gardens, where her father—attorney Jim Quinlan—volunteered as president. She still has great affection for the Gardens, having served on the Lauritzen Garden Guild and assisted with the Antique & Garden Show held there. Stephanie is a mother of two (Teddy, 18 and Olivia, 15) with husband Todd Murphy. She attributes her passion for volunteer work to her parents' continuing example. “My mother, Kathy, has a list I can’t even tell you. She’s a big volunteer.” Her mother served on the Fontenelle Forest Guild, chairing the events "BBQ on the Prairie" and "Feather Our Nest."

BRINGING A CHILDREN’S NONPROFIT TO LIFE In 2004, Stephanie and a friend, Kathi Ferguson, co-founded the nonprofit Project Nightlights to improve the lives of children who struggle with mobility and spend a lot of time in their bedrooms. Such children may have ongoing illness, use a wheelchair, or rely on oxygen.

July // August • 2016 | 63 | bestofomaha.com

Project Nightlights’ mission is to provide “dream bedrooms” for these struggling children, where they can relax and heal in the comfort of their homes. What each bedroom looks like depends on the child’s circumstances. It may be remodeled to be wheelchair accessible; it could feature a specialized bed to accommodate other needs. Each bedroom remodeling job costs from $5,000 to $10,000. Many of the services and supplies are donated. “Environment will affect your recovery, according to research,” she says. “Instead of being dependent on somebody, when you act for yourself, you feel successful.” Founding Project Nightlights began with an event that raised $10,000 in seed money. “People gave me $10,000 for just an idea,” she says. “Children’s Hospital gave us the kids. We’re offering a bit of light in every child’s room.” The ardent volunteer does not look for recognition. “I volunteer because I’m passionate about the organization. My recognition is O the success of that organization.” Visit aksarben.org for more information.

Omaha Magazine • Giving | Calendar

GIVING

CALENDAR JULY / AUGUST 2016

Set Me Free Run June 8

OMAHA HOME “FORE” BOYS 2015 GOLF CLASSIC

Omaha Home for Boys caption Indian Creek Golf Course omahahomeforboys.org July 9

ALS in the Heartland Wine and Beer Event July 16

DAY OF THE HOG POKER RUN FOR MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

Muscular Dystrophy Association of Omaha Dillon Brothers Harley Davidson dayofthehog.com

5K SUPERHERO RUN FOR CASA

July 16

July 11

American Cancer Society Turner Park relayforlife.org

CASA for Douglas County Turner Park casaomaha.org

RELAY FOR LIFE OF GREATER OMAHA

25TH ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC

July 18

keepomahabeautiful.org

Girls Inc. CenturyLink Center girlsinc.org

Keep Omaha Beautiful The Players Club

July 15

ALES FOR TAILS

Nebraska Humane Society Location TBA nehumansociety.org

GIRLS INC. LUNCH FOR THE GIRLS

July 20

DRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE GOLF FEST

Mercy High School The Players Club at Deer Creek mercyhigh.org

July 23

July 25

18TH ANNUAL TED E. BEAR HOLLOW REMEMBRANCE WALK

July 28

HELP BUILD A HOUSE GOLF EVENT

SONG AND SUDS

Ted E. Bear Hollow Millers Landing tedebearhollow.org

Gesu Housing Inc. Champions Run Golf Course gesuhousing.com

Merrymakers Association Merrymakers Association building merrymakers.org

July 25

July 29

Partnership 4 Kids Field Club of Omaha p4k.org

Historic Livestock Exchange Ballroom latinocenterofthemid lands.org

Youth Emergency Services, Inc. Omar Arts & Events yesomaha.org

July 21 and 22

LINKS TO A CURE DINNER & GOLF BENEFIT FOR CYSTIC FIBROSIS

Dinner - Embassy Suites La Vista Golf Benefit - Quarry Oaks Golf Club cff.org/Chapters/ nebraska/ July 22

HOPE IN THE HEARTLAND GALA American Cancer Society Stinson Park at Aksarben Village gala.acsevents.org

SWING 4 KIDS

July // August • 2016 | 64 | omahamagazine.com

DESTINO DINNER 2016

DANCE FOR A CHANCE

Congratulations to Executive Chef and Business Owner Jeff Snow for being inducted into the Omaha Hospitality Hall of Fame.

Way to go Chef!

402.558.3202 | CateringCreations.com

KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS LOSING THEIR EYESIGHT? WE CAN HELP. Outlook Nebraska, Inc. offers: • Employment, training and experiences that allow the visually impaired to realize their personal and career goals. • Adaptive technology training that helps legally blind individuals use computers and smart devices. Go to our website to learn more about our programs and to schedule a visit.

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First Place 6 years in a row! An approved caterer for many of Omaha’s nest venues.

Our tradition

Expertise. Innovation. Compassion. After 125 years of caring for the Omaha area, these are the symbols of care at Methodist and why generations of families put their trust in us. It’s a tradition that’s made an impact on the health of Omaha today, and what drives us to advance our care and create a healthier tomorrow. bestcare.org/beyond ©2016 Methodist Health System

July // August • 2016 | 65 | bestofomaha.com

Omaha Magazine • Giving | Calendar

August 15

QLI GOLF CHALLENGE QLI The Players Club at Deer Creek teamqli.com August 15

ORA GOLF TOURNAMENT

Omaha Restaurant Association Champions Run dineoutomaha.com August 16

ANNUAL METHODIST GOLF CLASSIC Methodist Hospital Tiburon Golf Club bestcare.org August 20

JDRF ONE WALK

Beer and Bacon Festival July 30

August 6

August 13

Dodge Riverside Golf Club mvp4Life.org

Lifestyle Innovations for Epilepsy, Inc. Turner Park epilepsylife.org

ALS in the Heartland 10101 Blondo Street alsintheheartland.org

MVP4LIFE GOLF FUNDRAISER

ANNUAL NEBRASKA WALK FOR EPILEPSY

ALS IN THE HEARTLAND ICE BUCKET BASH

August 13

STAND UP FOR KIDS COMEDY NIGHT Jefferson House Fremont Golf Club

heartlandfamilyservice.org

July 30

REID ADLER MEMORIAL RAM RIDE

Ralston High School Football Team Holstein Harley-Davidson omaha.eventful.com

August 21

CITY SPROUTS GROW WITH US GALA

July 30

CAROL JOY CAMP QUILT AUCTION

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer Platteview Golf Club curesearch.org

Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging Benson Park enoa.org

Eastern Nebraska Trails Network Heartland of America Park corporatecycling.com

Set Me Free Project Standing Bear Lake setmefreeproject.net

CURESEARCH CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT

STEP OUT FOR SENIORS WALK-A-THON

CORPORATE CYCLING CHALLENGE

SET ME FREE RUN

July 30

August 20

August 21

July 30

Carol Joy Holling Camp Carol Joy Holling Center caroljoyholling.org

JDRF to Cure Diabetes Lewis & Clark Landing walk.jdrf.org

August 13

August 5-7

Ronald McDonald House Fundraiser Old Mattress Factory

Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital Cancer Center jehfoundation.org

OMAHA BEER AND BACON FESTIVAL

omahabeerandbacon.com

SPIRIT OF COURAGE WEEKEND

August 14

BOXER 500— A SHORT RUN TO FIGHT COLON CANCER

Great Plains Colon Cancer Task Force & Omaha Running Club Werner Park coloncancertaskforce.org

July // August • 2016 | 66 | omahamagazine.com

Hilton Omaha projectpinkd.org August 26

ALS IN THE HEARTLAND WINE AND BEER EVENT ALS in the Heartland The Shops of Legacy alsintheheartland.org August 27

SUMMER BASH FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER

Metro Area Youth Foundation, Inc. Ramada Plaza Convention Center summerbashforccc.org August 27

PAPILLION-LA VISTA SCHOOLS GALA 2015 Embassy Suites

plvschoolsfoundation.org

August 27

HOMELESS SHELTER 5K WALK/RUN

Location TBA omahasprouts.org

Siena/Francis House Stinson Park sienafrancis.org

August 22

August 30

Tuition Assistance Fund for Jesuit Academy Indian Creek Golf Course jesuitacademy.org

American Heart Association Embassy Suites La Vista heart.org

JESUIT ACADEMY GOLF TOURNAMENT

Corporate Cycling Challenge

August 26

PROJECT PINK’D EXPOSED

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taking Virtual to Reality July // August • 2016 | 67 | bestofomaha.com

Omaha Magazine • Faces

Newsgatherer Becomes Newsmaker Tom O’Connor: The Face behind the Press Club’s Faces

BY JUDY HORAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

UR COMMITTEE AT the Omaha Press

Club meets several times a year to discuss who will next be honored as the club’s “Face on the Barroom Floor.” When the committee’s chairman, Tom O’Connor, was nominated this year, only one committee member voted “no.” It was O’Connor.

O’Connor argued that the honor is meant for people who have made a difference in the community. It’s how people who cover the news give recognition to those who make the news. For 14 years, he has chaired the committee that selects the Faces, the people whose illustrated caricatures end up on the walls of the Press Club. Everyone agrees he’s done a stellar job. “Tom, over the years, helped make the Face an icon for Omaha,” says OPC Executive Director Steve Villamonte, who nominated the longtime member. Over his protests, O’Connor was roasted and toasted in February in front of a sold-out crowd. His was the 148th Face since the ritual began 45 years ago with Mayor Gene Leahy as the first honoree. “One of the ways he has helped with awareness is with his contacts in the media world,” notes Villamonte. O’Connor, who is senior associate director of public relations at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, says knowing the community’s newsmakers is right up his alley. “The Faces are the who’s who of Omaha,” he says. “It’s like winning the Heisman Trophy.”

Another recognizable Face is movie producer and Omaha native Alexander Payne, whose roasters included actor Will Forte. “It was one of the funniest roasts we‘ve had,” says Villamonte. “And to get someone of Forte’s stature as a roaster, well…” The largest crowd during the Faces’ 45-year history came to salute Creighton basketball coach Greg McDermott and three-time AllAmerican Doug McDermott who at the time played on his father’s team. The crowd was so large that O’Connor moved the dinner and roast to another venue. And the second largest was for…Tom O’Connor. The third largest "Face" event was held in 2007 for Husker fan Dan Whitney, also known as comedian Larry the Cable Guy. I

“Tom has made the Face on the Barroom Floor a premier event,” says Jim Horan, the artist who has drawn the illustrated caricatures since the first one in 1971 (the artist is also my husband). “He took the roast concept to a new level, which has turned the night into 100 percent fun.” O’Connor explains: “I tell people we’re the club with a sense of humor, the Face event is all about having fun and entertaining people. You’re always going to leave laughing.” His quest for fun continues, as does his enthusiasm for honoring Omaha’s best. He has invited Bill and Ruth Scott to be Face No. 150 on Sept. 22. “They are unsung heroes who have transformed the city and the state with their incredible generosity. Being able

“I TELL PEOPLE WE’RE THE CLUB WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR, THE FACE EVENT IS ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN AND ENTERTAINING PEOPLE.” -Tom O'Connor remember “Larry” dressed up for the occasion by adding sparkle to his trademark sleeveless plaid shirt.

to recognize great people like the Scotts, that’s what the Face on the Barroom Floor is all about.”

Another Tom—Osborne—was a Face on the Barroom Floor in 1979. Since then he has returned to roast other newsmakers such as NFL greats Gale Sayers and Ahman Green. The former UNL football coach and athletic director was a roaster in May for UNO Athletic Director Trev Alberts.

He jokes that his wish list for future Face on the Barroom Floor honorees includes Pope Francis and Michael Jordan. Knowing O O’Connor, I think it just might happen.

An Omaha Press Club member for 38 years, O’Connor is a past president (2001), past board member, a member of the marketing and newsletter committees, and he heads the Shatel Sports Lunch series. July // August • 2016 | 68 | omahamagazine.com

Visit omahapressclub.com/faces for more information.

July // August • 2016 | 69 | bestofomaha.com

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ALWAYS LOCAL, ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL

WILD WILLY'S RESPITE A POOLSIDE PARADISE IN PAPILLION

FIBERS ROOTED IN NEBRASKA

Sheila Hicks Returns to Her Homeland

A TALE OF TWO COASTS

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July/August 2016 VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 4

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/ H76 /

fectants, I don’t worry about fumes, residue or build up.

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016 Molly Maid’s “Small Efforts. Big Results.”

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Locally owned with 26 years of service in the Omaha community

from the Editor

"In the truest sense freedom cannot be bestowed, it must be achieved." — Franklin D. Roosevelt

DON’T KNOW ABOUT you, but July is my favorite month. Specifically,

the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. I say let the summer festivities begin! Growing up in Iowa, we always went over to Clear Lake to watch the parade; then on to the carnival, walking through the midway and eating a little of everything available—cotton candy, corn dogs, saltwater taffy, and snow cones (not necessarily in that order). And the grand finale was gathering by the lake to watch the fireworks.

Sandy Matson

Dan Williams (page H88), owner of Wild Willy’s Fireworks, shows us his family’s backyard paradise…a poolside retreat perfect for sitting next to while watching a sparkling pyrotechnics show.

As coincidence has it, I now live on a small lake. We added a little extra cement to our back patio a year ago, but the mix of the old and new cement never sat well with me. Guess what I decided would be my DIY this issue? I was not sure I could take on this large project, but with a little help from YouTube, products from my new friends at Endurable Concrete (specifically Brian Hudgens), tips from Matt Melichar at Logan Concrete Supply, and my newly appointed assistant, aka my husband, we did it. Check out this makeover on page H92. We hope that you enjoy this issue of Omaha Home, and perhaps it will give you some inspiration to tackle a new project. Or perhaps you want to just sit back and enjoy this issue. Be safe, enjoy your summer, and happy Fourth of July everyone!

Sandy If you have any ideas you would like to see us tackle, or you yourself have a project you would like to have featured, please contact sandy@omahapublications.com.

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

H84

A TALE OF TWO COASTS

H79

FROM THE EDITOR

H94

WALNUT HILL'S BACKYARD CASTLE

H81

STATEMENTS

H102

TIBURON RIDGE LANDING PAD

H88

AT HOME

H108

THE BANSES

H92

SANDY’S MAKEOVER

H112

WHERE FAMILY AND FRIENDS GATHER

H98

NEIGHBORHOODS

H116

TRANSFORMATIONS

Close Friends Choose opposing decorating styles

an architectural novelty becomes an obsession

mrs. nebraska at home

a spacious home in blackstone

The Forals’ Villa Springs Residence

A Fiery Fourth to All

Fibers Rooted in Nebraska

Wild Willy’s Respite

Colored Concrete

Villa Springs

Unifying the Outside with the Inside

Thank you for reading OmahaHome. This stand-alone magazine is also featured as a section of Omaha Magazine. Want to read the entire magazine? Visit: omahamagazine.com/digital-flip-book July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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sponsored content

STEVE SWANSTROM PRESIDENT/CEO OF CENTRIS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

UIET AND RESERVED, Steve

Swanstrom, Centris President/CEO, is just an everyday guy. Swanstrom is the man behind the curtain. He takes pride in the employees he has been charged with leading and shies away from the spotlight, letting staff take credit for Centris’ recent growth and success. He’s the type of leader who makes it a point to learn the names and faces of the 250 employees who work in Centris’ 13 locations, gets involved in community activities and engages with staff regularly. He trusts others to make the right decisions and in turn those who work with Swanstrom trust him. In the seven years Swanstrom has been at Centris, he has led the Mortgage, Retail Financial Services, Indirect Lending, and Business Financial Services areas. In 2014, he was announced as President of one of Nebraska’s oldest and largest memberowned credit unions. “We are local. There are few financial institutions that can say that today.” Swanstrom said. “Centris is focused on serving the financial needs of individual consumers and businesses in the markets we serve.”” Swanstrom continued, “I’m especially proud of the local growth of our indirect auto and mortgage lending areas that makes Centris more convenient for our members who are buying a home or a vehicle. It also makes Centris available to others in our community who may not know about Centris.”

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Setting a good example for staff, Swanstrom is also involved in the community serving as this year’s ALS Association’s Mid-America Chapter Walk Chairman and on the Better Business Bureau’s Advisory Board. He also serves on the Nebraska Credit Union League Board of Directors to help promote credit unions in the state of Nebraska. “I want consumers all across the state to know the value and benefits of belonging to their local credit union. Fifty percent of consumers have no idea about what a credit union is and if they can even belong. We have a great story to share,” Swanstrom said.

“My goal as President and CEO is to see Centris continue striving to be the best that it can be. We have a great foundation that we will continue to build on”

“My goal as President and CEO is to see Centris continue striving to be the best that it can be. We have a great foundation that we will continue to build on,” Swanstrom said. While Steve aspired to be president of a bank or credit union in his career, it was a long term goal that happened sooner that he thought it would. Despite this, he has a vision for Centris’ future. “Our biggest challenges in the next five years will be increased competition and staying relevant in a very crowded marketplace. We compete against local, national, and online institutions that have no local presence. What sets Centris apart from these competitors is our active involvement in the communities we serve.

Our employees volunteer thousands of hours of personal time to community events. Everything we do, every dollar we earn, gets reinvested in our local communities for the benefit of our members. This is often in the form of new technology, new locations, new products and services or an expansion of those services like an ATM network.” Swanstrom knows that anytime access is important to serving the needs of those who bank with Centris. Steve and wife Courtenay have a 16 year old daughter that keeps them busy and on the go. Like many Centris members, 24/7 access to banking products and services is important to the Swanstrom family. “Even though Centris has twelve convenient branch locations, we must be able to provide a broad based suite of products and services that our members need anytime day or night. In an ever changing environment, it is important to continually evaluate the credit union’s products and services to determine if they are still relevant. We need to continually stay in tune with our members’ needs if we expect Centris to grow and remain a viable financial institution in the future,” he said. Centris opened their 12th branch office in Council Bluffs in June and will break ground for their 13th branch office in 2017 at 195th & Harrison. “For those who don’t bank at Centris, I would invite you to give us a try. Stop by for a financial review and ask us how we can save you money. Our goal is to save you time and money to maximize your financial well-being.” Content provided by Centris Federal Credit Union.

Statements story by Daisy Hutzell-Rodman / photography by bill sitzmann

FIBERS ROOTED IN NEBRASKA SHEILA HICKS RETURNS TO HER HOMELAND

HE WOR LD-RENOWNED FIBER artist

Sheila Hicks never forgot that she started in Nebraska. “Why am I coming to Nebraska?” says the Hastings native. “I’m coming because I owe it to Nebraska. It gave me so much. Such a feeling of well-being. I had an extended family of grandparents and great aunts, and cousins.” Hicks says her formal art career, which is “sometimes relegated to the category of craft, sometimes to fine arts,” began taking shape at Yale University School of Art and Architecture, where she studied under Bauhaus artist Josef Albers.

It was a trip to South America, however, that inspired her unique work in textiles. “Having been given a Fulbright to go to Chile (in 1957-1958), I economized and ended up visiting every single country in South America except Paraguay,” Hicks says by phone interview from her home in Paris. “I found I could go down the West Coast starting in Venezuela. One year later I had missions and tasks to complete; I went all the way down to the southernmost city in the hemisphere. Then I came back up on the east coast. I did a show in Santiago at the National Museum. It was a great privilege. I did an exhibition in Buenos Aires.” >

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Statements

< That next year, she came back to Yale and earned her MFA, partly because Albers convinced the faculty that her trip counted as field work. She relocated to Paris in 1964, where she has continued to work for more than 50 years. Her current art exhibit, on display at Joslyn Art Museum through Sept. 4, will give Omahans a glimpse into Hicks’ unique work. “We are so delighted to be able to share such a large and important body of work by one of the world’s most exciting and engaging artists,” says Jack Becker, Joslyn Art Museum Executive Director and CEO. “Sheila’s work at present is featured around the globe in Australia, Asia, throughout Europe, and this year, in Omaha.” “They will never have seen anything like this, the innovative use of materials,” Hicks says. “They are meant to go into the history of our civilization and to earlier civilizations and earlier cultures. That’s why I’ve chosen this medium because people can see textiles historically.”

That innovative use of materials includes using corn husks in her work, a tribute to Nebraska. A concurrent show running in Hangzhou, China, includes shells of things she has eaten, such as seafood. Hicks was particularly excited about this show as Hangzhou has the world’s biggest silk museum. Textiles, Hicks says, “Also helps with remembering things from other cultures as being reinterpreted and actualized.” As much as the use of materials, it’s the use of color for which Hicks is known. She once painted her childhood bedroom royal blue with scarlet and orange accents, and has preferred bright colors her whole life. She feels inspired to work with fibers because they are so intertwined in people’s lives and belongings. But she also enjoys working in many other mediums. “I don’t consider myself a fiber artist any more than I consider myself a watercolor artist or a black and white photographer,” Hicks says. “I am a maker of things. I love to invent and make things.”

This particular show will impress people with the breadth and depth of the work. Hicks says, “It swims back and forth between painting and sculpture and environment and architecture.” “I think that we are most excited by the diversity of the work and the remarkable way Sheila employs color and design to engage viewers,” Becker says. “The accompanying catalogue provides a lasting record of the exhibition while advancing the conversation and scholarship around this important artist.” One thing is for certain. No matter where she goes, she knows her Nebraska roots have helped her feel at home in many places. “I am up to my ankles in Nebraska,” Hicks says. “Wherever I go and whatever I do, I don’t feel foreign or confused. I am a very well grounded person coming from a Nebraska family of many generations.” OmahaHome

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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feature words by Ashley Wegner / photography by bill sitzmann

A TALE OF TWO COASTS CLOSE FRIENDS CHOOSE OPPOSING DECORATING STYLES

West Coast / H84 /

OmahaHome â&#x20AC;¢ July/August 2016

East Coast

July/August 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

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feature

T WAS THE west of times, it was the east of

times, it was the age of reclaimed beams, it was the age of refined beams, it was the epoch of open spaces, it was the epoch of distinct spaces, it was the season of floor-to-ceiling windows, it was the season of double-hung windows, it was the spring of wrought iron railings, it was the winter of wood railings. It was a tale of West Coast style versus East Coast style. And this special story takes place not in Napa Valley or the Hamptons, but right here in Omaha. Laura Atkinson and Amy Baltzell met around 2004, when their kids were part of the same playgroup. At the time, the two women had a lot in common. Their kids were close in age, Laura attended high school with Amy’s husband, Beau, and both families held an interest in NASCAR. Then they grew apart. Amy’s family moved to a home in the Skyline area and Laura’s family moved to northern California for her husband Steve’s job. While the Atkinsons loved the Bay area—the laidback feel, being surrounded by the redwood landscape, living in wine country—they missed their family in Omaha. In 2014, they decided to move back.

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The Baltzell family, meanwhile, built a new home near West Shores Lake in Waterloo. After looking around, the Atkinsons found a home built in the mid-1990s on an acreage close to 184th and F streets. Laura and Amy still have a lot in common. They both spend a lot of time with their kids, they both live out west, and their paths cross from time to time. But, now that both women are living in their forever homes, one aspect of their lives is like night and day: their decorating styles. Laura’s home is decorated in West Coast style, an approach dedicated to open spaces, minimalist themes, and repurposed materials. Amy’s home is decorated in East Coast style, a genre known for more defined spaces, classic lines, and detailed woodwork. “West Coast style is simpler, whereas East Coast style tends to use more antiques and a lot more accessorizing,” says Susan T. McMannama, a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers who has practiced nationally for more than 30 years. Their styles have just as much to do with their tastes as they do with their lifestyles.

A look inside Laura’s West Coast-style house provides a glimpse of what she loved about living in the Bay area. “We spent a lot of time up in the wineries in Napa and Sonoma,” Laura says. “We would go to the vineyards and see the kitchens where chefs would come in to prepare meals. Our home is kind of based off of that. Everyone is welcome—it’s a ‘no worry’ type of vibe.” The spaces in Laura’s home are open, and all flow together. The windows are large, with narrower trim, providing a generous view of the outdoors. The ceiling in her hearth room is accented by wood beams created from reclaimed wood. And her kitchen is open, reminiscent of the kitchens she experienced in California, with handmade subway tiles and pendant fixtures that hang over her island. Laura’s husband often travels while she stays home with their three daughters. So, “the whole idea was: when we can get together as a family on Friday, we’re going to cook together, sit down, have a glass of wine, and unwind,” Laura says. “The house is out on an acreage, surrounded by nature, so we wanted to create a very Zen lifestyle.”

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Out on West Shores Lake, Amy’s East-Coaststyle home also has a relaxing vibe, but it’s more nautical, in a way that you might see in the Hamptons rather than Napa Valley. “I’ve always liked things that look timeless and classic,” Amy says. “Ten years from now, I want to be able to look at it and feel like it’s still in style.” When Amy and her husband, Beau, were designing the house, they would often look at real estate in the Hamptons on the Sotheby’s website to find ideas. Amy’s home is also relatively open; however, her spaces are more defined, more distinct. She incorporates antiques, memorabilia, old photos, and bits of Americana on a beadboard wall. The centerpiece of her powder room is a mirror created from an old horse collar. Old lanterns frame a console table and hang from the ceiling

in the hallway. And her rooms are accented by double-hung windows, deep crown molding, and oversized columns. The exterior even adds to the East Coast, Hamptons-esque feel, with peaks, square windows, and heavier trim. While both homes have a completely different feel, they do incorporate some elements that are universal to both styles, such as a farmhouse sink, stone fireplaces, and metal light fixtures, McMannama says. These homes will continue to change over time. Laura is putting together ideas for renovating the upstairs bedrooms. Amy is considering ways to reorganize the garage. Regardless of what they change or update, they are both committed to staying in the style they’ve established for their home. Because, as Amy says: “Everything is decorated exactly as I like it.” OmahaHome

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July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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At Home story by Carol Crissey Nigrelli / photography by Colin conces

WILD WILLY’S RESPITE

A POOLSIDE PARADISE IN PAPILLION

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ENNIFER WILLIAMS GREW up in Houston,

making Nebraska’s cold, windy winters seem interminably long. “Everything just seems to shut down,” she says wistfully, standing in the kitchen of the six-bedroom, six-bath home she shares with her family, including husband Dan, daughter Brooke, 11, and son Dawson, 9. “It’s so bare outside.” Walking through the first f loor of the two-story brick house, past the formal dining room, Dan’s office, the master bedroom, Brazilian cherry wood-trimmed kitchen, quaint butler’s pantry, living room, den, and a sunroom that nurtures several potted aloe plants, the thought of settling in for a long winter’s nap indoors doesn’t seem like a bad deal—until you open the back door. There, on the south lawn, the reason for Jennifer’s cold weather lament reveals itself.

A poolside paradise occupies almost one-third of the family’s three-acre property in the aptly named Hidden Valley neighborhood—accessible from an unmarked dirt road that winds behind the Sarpy County Sheriff ’s building. “We spend a lot of time out here and we entertain a lot as well,” says Jennifer, standing on a spacious deck that runs along the width of the house. Peering down from the deck’s railing, she points out the hot tub and a fire pit underneath, where many a marshmallow has met its demise.

The Williams family knows something about pyrotechnics. Dan owns Wild Willy’s Fireworks, headquartered in his hometown of Springfield, Nebraska. For a business that only sells merchandise from June 25-July 4 and December 29-31, Wild Willy’s does a bang-up job. “In Omaha, there are 50 tents selling fireworks this summer, and 21 of those 50 tents are ours,” says Jennifer of Dan’s “hobby.” He also owns Tighton Tools and Fasteners, and a construction company.

The clear blue shade of the salt water in the large square pool matches the color of the sky on this sunkissed afternoon. A spiraling waterslide guarantees a splashy landing near the pool’s basketball hoop and volleyball net. Four deck jets shoot shimmering arcs of water across the pool, but the visual fun happens after the sun goes down. “The fountain jets shoot colored streams at night,” Jennifer says. “It looks like a bunch of Roman candles going off.”

In August, when Dan has more time to relax, the family holds a big blowout for friends, family, and neighbors. Fireworks cover the entire yard, lighting up the sky while a band plays under a tent. Accommodating a lot of guests poses no problem. >

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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at home

< Dozens of lounge chairs, lined up beside each other with great precision, cover the pool deck and the patio. A charming pergola, the framework of which includes interlocking wooden slats on top, offers respite from the sun. With its Oriental décor and wicker furniture accented with burgundy-colored pillows, the pergola provides a setting so relaxing, it has “don’t call me until September” written all over it. Across the pool from the pergola stands a structure that resembles a modest, Hollywood-style bungalow. Its exterior mimics the main house, with two white columns supporting a brick archway. Intricately designed wrought-iron screens protect the glass doors and windows. Looks can be deceiving.

Left to right: Dawson, Dan, Jennifer, and Brooke Williams

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at home The “bungalow” is actually a standalone garage, where Dan and son Dawson have bonded by building two Chevy Chevelles from scratch. Garage amenities include a full bath and an RV hookup. The cozy grouping of a lanai, open-air bar, and decorative water fountain fit seamlessly along the outside of the garage. A large fireplace of natural stone built into the wall provides enough heat to the lanai’s living room area to extend summer well into October. The polished, deep ambercolored travertine tile f loor catches the eye, as does an electrified sun—a unique wall hanging made of orange metal the Williamses found in Mexico.

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These are the times Jennifer cherishes— quiet moments with her family, eating dinner and playing cards in their little slice of heaven. She thinks about when she and Dan met, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in the `90s, and the nearly 10 years she spent working in California before she returned to Omaha and married. As she surveys her Hidden Valley treasure, she says, almost inaudibly, “We love our life. We give thanks every day for what we have.” OmahaHome

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A smaller sun “light” hangs above the granite-top bar on the south end of the lanai, where family members can park themselves in bar stools, sip raspberry lemonade and watch a game on cable. They may also opt to turn off the wired-in music system and listen to the soothing sounds of trickling water from the fountain.

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July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Sandy's Makeover story by Sandy Matson / photography by bill sitzmann

Sandy's patio before (above) and after (below)

Items Needed:

directions:

• Tape • Plastic or paper • Spray bottle • Stain • Sealer • 2-3 extra smaller buckets for mixing stain and acetone into • Acetone • Chapin Acetone Sprayer

• Power wash your area, use some elbow grease to remove any stubborn stains, and let your concrete dry.

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• Cover areas you do not want to apply stain to with plastic or paper and tape them down. • Please read all instructions on the products at least one day prior to starting your project.

COLORED CONCRETE FROM DRAB TO FAB

A KING ON A N outside project in the

spring here in Nebraska can be tricky, but I was up for the challenge. In between all the rain and wind we had this spring, I finally found a day to tackle this. We don't have a large patio in our backyard, so last year we added a bit more concrete; however, it gave the patio an unfinished look that never sat well with me. After acquiring a quote to have the concrete stained, the estimated cost gave me plenty of reasons to try tackling this project myself. After persuading my husband to help and viewing instructional YouTube videos, we were on our way. I used a product called Endurable Concrete Stain, sold locally at Logan Contracting Supply. This product came highly recommended for many reasons, including that it is long lasting and extremely easy to apply. It is also free of toxic solvents. The drying times were fast and the color choices were outstanding. I wanted a warm look, with a lot of variation, so I went with three colors. You will want to seal the concrete, and the Endurable Sealer is also a superior product that is easy to apply. Give it at least 24 hours to dry and then decorate it however you like. That, for me, is the fun part, and I chose some plants and flowers as well as some easy-to-hang DIY curtains. Making these were so simple. I purchased canvas tarps from Home Depot along with a grommet kit and some small, strong hooks. When you have finished them, just hang them from your deck or pergola. You can achieve many versions of this, and all can be found on the internet. Have fun bringing the inside out to enjoy during the summer! Again, I would like to thank Brain Hudgens from Endurable Concrete products for all his help and supplying the products for my project, as well as Matt Melichar from Logan Concrete Supply here in Omaha for his guidance and helpful tips. OmahaHome

Visit endurableproducts.com for more information on the product I used. And, as always, please reach out if you would like to ask any questions or have any concerns. July/August 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

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WALNUT HILL’S BACKYARD CASTLE

AN ARCHITECTURAL NOVELTY BECOMES AN OBSESSION

HAVE A CONFESSION to make: I trespassed

to see a castle. The mysterious fortification in Omaha’s Walnut Hill neighborhood has captivated my imagination ever since.

It was the late `80s or early `90s. I was young and obsessed with the architecture of grandiose old buildings. After a friend moved into the attic of some titanic Walnut Hill home—one long ago renovated into apartments—we headed over to visit. Perilous stairs wrapped around the exterior of the subdivided home. As the night progressed, we hungered for new excitement. Another friend in the group suggested that we inspect his recent discovery: a castle. “Stupendous!” we thought. Our group scurried down those treacherous stairs. Adventure awaited. After a brief walk, shortcutting through an alley, we arrived. Behold, the ramparts of a small stone castle. Silence fell upon our group. Needing a closer look, we scaled the fence to explore the castle at the back corner of the property. We tried to be quiet and respectful, aware that we were intruding. Years later when I started my blog, My Omaha Obsession, I knew that the castle was a mystery / H94 /

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that needed solving. Who built it? Why? The twists and turns in research have provided months of intrigue. The castle is only one part of the puzzle. Allow me introduce one of Omaha’s best little secrets. I assure you Joslyn Castle has nothing on this treasure in Walnut Hill.

style, noting its irregular form, decorative shingle work, porch, spindles, turrets, and tall chimney. A number of other homes in the Walnut Hill neighborhood were also listed in this 2003 report.

The property at 4025 Izard Street is tucked away. If not traveling on foot, you might never pass the residence. The house faces north on Izard, an east-west road named in honor of Mark W. Izard (third territorial governor of Nebraska) by another territorial governor, Thomas B. Cuming. Coincidentally, Cuming Street is a mere block south. This particular stretch of Izard Street, (40th through 42nd streets) is bound on the east by the Mercer Mansion.

While researching, I found that James Bayne Mason (also known as J.B. Mason) built the house in 1890. Mason was a local architect and contemporary of John Kiewitt and F. A. Henninger. Mason was born in 1846 in Scotland. He was originally an agricultural implement maker in Morrison, Illinois, according to the 1880 federal census. By 1886 he had made his way to Omaha. The 1891 city directory found him living at 4025 Izard Street, with his occupation listed as a “draughtsman.” An English word, a draughtsman is a person who prepares technical drawings and plans under the direction of an architect or engineer. By 1896 he was listed as an “architect” in private practice. Mason worked from an office at 309 South 17th Street. This address no longer exists but it looked to be just east of the Douglas County Courthouse. In the 1920s, that same office would house the “Omaha Stationary Company.” He also had an office at the Paxton Building through the years.

Three doors down from Mercer Mansion, the residence at 4025 Izard is one of the few single-family dwellings remaining in this majestic part of town. The Omaha City Planning Department’s Reconnaissance Survey of 2003 identified the property for architectural significance, recommending that it should be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The house was prominently featured in the report as a superb example of the popular Queen Anne

IN THE BEGINNING

feature story by Miss Cassette / photography by bill sitzmann This is an edited version of the original blog post at myomahaobsession.com

Mason lived in this Izard St. house of his design for a number of years with his wife, Maria, and their three children: Mable, Claude, and Nancy. The up-and-coming Walnut Hill neighborhood was one of the most prestigious areas in Omaha. Mason supposedly built his residence five years after the construction of Dr. Samuel Mercer’s well-known Mercer Mansion (similarly designed in the Queen Ann style) at 3902 Cuming Street. Sources report conflicting information about the floor plan of Mason’s home. The Douglas County Assessor suggests it was built in 1900, containing five bedrooms, 2.5 baths and 3,584 square feet. Another site claimed the house had 6 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, for a total of 4,583 square feet. This discrepancy may be due to the additional square footage of the carriage house added in 1910, now an apartment.

Subsequent years were difficult for me to piece together. The 1922 city directory was missing from the library. The 1923 city directory had 4025 Izard listed as “vacant.” The 1924 city directory was also missing from the library. I followed a trail of breadcrumbs from the American Chemical Society newsletter of 1923 to the Chemical Bulletin Vol. 10, No. 11 and found pieces of evidence suggesting that F. J. Mleynek lived at the property while working at Union Pacific Railroad’s testing laboratory in Omaha.

Asa Fletcher was born in 1884 in Ohio. Then he moved to Omaha. Years before Fletcher lived on Izard Street, “Dr. Asa Fletcher has changed his address from 1041 North 33rd Street to 3328 North 27th Street, Omaha,” according to the National Eclectic Medical Association Quarterly Vol. 11 of 1920. The quarterly also featured medical treatments such as “Plant Protein Therapy” and “Metaphysic Passionmania.” Page after page displayed photos of plants as medicine.

But I could find no indicator that any of the property’s well-to-do owners built the castle of Walnut Hill. The mystery remained. My research seemed stuck in a dead end.

I wondered if this local architect, credited with designing numerous buildings and private homes around Omaha, also created the castle for his children. But I couldn’t find anything about that in the records.

In 1925 “A. E. Fletcher, physician” bought the home at 4025 Izard. By 1928 the Omaha city directory listed the property as “A. E. Fletcher phys @ Park Hospital.” It was unclear whether 4025 Izard was his home address or place of business. Then, the 1934 directory listed the address under “Park Hospital” with no owner’s name. The mystery grew muddled. I was completely confused, but I needed to know more.

Under his “new” Omaha address, I traced him to the 1920 U.S. Census—3328 North 27th Street: Asa Fletcher, 38; Flossie Fletcher, 27; Wallace Krieg, 25; Ethel Hardin, 25; Katherin Krieg, 15; Donna B. Fletcher, 2. Who in the heck were all of these people? I wondered if the Fletchers kept a large servant staff. (I later learned that Asa’s wife, Flossie, had the maiden name Krieg.)

NEW RESIDENTS Next, Johnathan A. Swanson bought the house. The president of King-Swanson Co. lived there from 1907 through 1921. An immigrant boy from Sweden, Swanson came to America by himself at age 15. He secured a job in Stanton, Iowa, working at a general store and post office. He later moved to Omaha and worked at Hellman Clothing, and in Hayden’s clothing department, where he became a buyer and manager. He then established King-Swanson Co., a men’s clothing shop. Swanson eventually sold his interest in KingSwanson Co. and purchased Nebraska Clothing Co. with a partner. By 1921, Swanson and his family had moved from 4025 Izard and split their time between a 160-acre farm near Florence; a lake cottage in Paynesville, Minnesota; and a residence at 418 North 38th Street in Omaha. He died in 1929 at age 64. His son, Otto, would go on to run Nebraska Clothing Co. and later form Inclusive Communities along with other prominent local business leaders.

AN OBSCURED OWNERSHIP

Intrigued, I asked the librarian if she had ever seen that many company names listed after a home address. She had not. I guessed that maybe Dr. Fletcher had sat on the board of all of those companies. The librarian thought that might be the case. But it was odd that there were different phone numbers listed for each business under the same address.

I began to wonder, “what is an eclectic medical practice?” Is it like homeopathy or the alternative medicine of today? Yes, apparently (according to Wikipedia’s entry on eclectic medicine). Much like today, the practice used a varied prescription of natural cures alongside different substances and exercise-based recuperation. It was popular in the last part of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. An eclectic doctor would utilize botanical remedies, Native American therapeutic plants, organic science, natural medication, counsel patients, and offer cures via mail. The word eclectic alluded to those doctors who utilized “whatever was found to be gainful to their patients…Standard medical practices at the time made extensive use of purges with calomel and other mercury-based remedies, as well as extensive bloodletting. Eclectic medicine was a direct reaction to those barbaric practices as well as a desire to restrict Thomsonian medicine innovations to medical professionals.”

I began to cross reference with the city directories in an attempt to find Park Hospital, D-Flo Chemical Co., or Urego Chemical Co. “Strange,” I thought. There were no listings or acknowledgments of these companies in the Omaha business pages. I would have to dig deeper into this Dr. Asa Fletcher character.

I learned the last eclectic medical school closed in Cincinnati in 1939. Fletcher was from Ohio. Clicking on internet links, I delved deeper. I imagined Fletcher as an eclectic doctor, running an alternative, private hospital out of his home. Such a daring fellow might build a castle in his backyard. >

Even more confounding was the 1939 listing for 4025 Izard. There was one person, a hospital, and two companies: “Asa Fletcher, Park Hospital, D-Flo Chemical Co., Urego Chemical Co.”

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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feature < After finding a copy of the Alphabetical List of Registrants of Trade-Marks from the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, I discovered that Dr. Fletcher applied for a number of patents, including one in 1920 under the name “Urego Chemicals Laboratories”: “Skin Preparations for Certain Purposes, No. 131.653.” I began to understand that Urego Chemicals Co. (from the city directory) was one of Fletcher’s companies offering naturalistic cures through the mail. There were additional patents under the D-Flo Chemical Co. name as well. He was an inventor. “HE HAS A CASTLE” My heart raced.“He built the castle!” I exclaimed, much too loudly for the library. Finally, I found solid evidence naming Fletcher in a 1928 article from the Omaha World-Herald, “He Has a Castle in His Back Yard,” complete with photos and illustrations. I rushed to the research desk and excitedly told the young librarian what I had unearthed. Of course he didn’t know what I was squealing about. The article was delightful, whimsical, and well written. It explained that the castle was built of many different stones collected from different places. Dr. Fletcher modeled it after a Normandy castle. He also built a pergola. There was a Venetian pool filled with lily pads, blooming flowers, and goldfish. There was a rock border outlining the pool and stepping stones of all colors. He built the castle “because he saw the chance of creating something beautiful and artistic to grace his grounds; second, for a retreat from duties close at hand; and third, to typify in stone and mortar things that in life have impressed him.” It is 22 feet high, 16 feet in diameter. The actual family home-hospital contained “20 or more rooms,” with 21 different kinds of wood, and “many fireplaces faced with pottery from Holland.” Fletcher’s then-11-year-old daughter, Donnabelle, would gather her parents “in the castle in the cold weather for an evening of story telling, wienie and marshmallow roast.” Such wonderful details warmed my heart.

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The article also revealed that I was wrong: He didn’t build the castle for children. He built it for himself. My assumption that his medical degree was from a Cincinnati eclectic medical school was incorrect, too. Furthermore, the story contradicted what I previously read about Fletcher being born in Ohio. I probed deeper into newspaper archives. On March 12 of 1932, I found a World-Herald article under the heading of “New Incorporations”: “Urego Chemical Company; capital, 25 thousand dollars; A.E. and Flossie K. Fletcher and R. Rhoades, incorporators.” That was quite the chunk of change for 1932. August of 1933 brought two different WorldHerald articles about a grand party at 4025 Izard. A “Castle-Carnival”-themed party described Donnabelle and friends hosting as part of the Job’s Daughters group. Over the years there would be mentions of Donnabelle and her sister Bethel’s involvement with the Order of Job’s Daughters. Job’s Daughters is an organization for young women between the ages of 10 and 20 years old, focusing on teaching leadership, teamwork, public speaking, self-confidence, philanthropy, respect, and responsibility to young women. The international organization remains active today. SOME ANSWERS, MORE QUESTIONS By 1938, Dr. Fletcher was running ads in the newspaper that described Park Hospital as an “invalid and convalescent hospital.” One ad describes, “Quiet, Restful, Homelike. Specially trained nurses and physicians. Very low rates, especially for those wishing to make this their home.” I was beginning to wonder who, exactly, worked at Park Hospital. All of the want ads that I saw were worded similar to this one: “Young Lady to learn to be nurse aid. No tuition to pay. We furnish board, room, laundry, books, and laboratory equipment. Nor breakage fee to pay. Liberal salary while learning. Apply in person. Park Hospital.” That sounded like a good deal. Who knows how many young gals worked there over the years? Where did they take their eclectic medical skills after leaving Izard Street?

According to the 1940 U.S. Census, Donnabelle Fletcher was 22 years old and living at home. Asa was 58, Flossie was 47, and Della (possibly Donnabelle’s grandmother) was 77 years old. Servants or hospital staff at the time were: Lucille Store, 23; Doris Vetter, 21; and Margaret McPhodden, 19. In a September 1940 issue of the World-Herald, I discovered Donnabelle Fletcher’s wedding announcement. She married Jack Witte Croft and the wedding was held at the Fletcher home. I envision that glorious event in the backyard. I wondered: were patients and staff involved in family functions? The World-Herald ran a curious story about the family again on April 10, 1949. The article mentioned Asa and Flossie Fletcher sighting a sea monster while on vacation to the Florida Keys. From the mocking tone of the writing and photo captions, I deduced that the Fletchers had a reputation for being odd. They spotted a sea monster, hosted a hospital in their home, built a castle, and invented eclectic medicines. It might have been too much for conservative Omaha society to handle. Sadly, Dr. Asa Fletcher died in July of 1955. The obit mentions not only his castle, but also the sea monster. 4025 Izard then went vacant. I can’t help but wonder about the closure of Park Hospital. Flossie Fletcher eventually moved to Palm Springs, California. She died there in 1986. Mr. Owen Moore bought the property next. I found his name listed in a 1957 directory. From 1961-1972 Bryan Wilson owned the house. Fletcher’s medical legacy lingered for a few decades. In April 5, 1979, a World-Herald reader penned a letter asking if anyone knew where she could get a bottle of Urego. I was reminded of time spent looking through my grandmother’s medicine cabinet as a child; I marveled at the ancient blue and brown bottles with hand typed prescriptions taped on. I like to think that by the late 1970s, some woman still had her jar or bottle of 1940s Urego Cream.

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POSTSCRIPT After writing my initial blog entry about the mysterious castle, I was delighted to receive many emails further informing my research. One reader lived nearby in the mid `70s. She was fortunate enough to get a tour of 4025. “At the time, they said the sanitarium had been for tuberculosis patients (that may have been a short period in its history) and there were still very narrow patient beds on the third floor,” she wrote.

4025 Izard, October 30, 1928 Courtesy of the Nathaniel Dewell Collection at the Nebraska State Historical Society archive

ANOTHER VISIT (NO TRESPASSING) Not long ago, I was walking along Izard Street to get some photos of the property at 4025. I was pleased to see how well-maintained it was. I had done quite a bit of research about the current owners—Nancy and Douglas Taylor— and knew they are very active in the Walnut Hill Neighborhood Association. In 2011, they were involved in gathering community support to educate and advocate for changes at the Cuming Street gas station due to problematic drinking, drugs, and troubled youths. The Taylors are true stewards of 4025 Izard and fierce supporters of Walnut Hill. I didn’t want to impose myself, but when one of the owners approached us out front on that day, I was so pleased. I found them to be lovely, gracious, and appropriately cautious. I explained who I was, and that I was writing a story about 4025. The owners certainly understand that people are drawn to the castle and their gorgeous property. They only request that people ask permission BEFORE taking photos and entering their gardens. During this discussion I confessed to them that I had broken their rule as a kid. It felt good to come clean. They allowed us to walk the property with them and take photos.

The Taylors said they bought the property from Mrs. Bryan Wilson. They shared a fantastic black and white panoramic photo taken in the time that Dr. Fletcher ran the Park Hospital. There were gnomes and yard sculptures with faces visible in the plantings. I could see that it must have been a very healing, spiritual place. Nancy said they were not sure when the grotto was taken down. There had been a pond with a stream encircling the castle and a stone path with huge crystals lining the walk. We could see the pergola was still intact, made with broken concrete. There is a fence around the property constructed of this same material. Still curious, I felt compelled to climb that staircase wrapping around the castle’s side. It was still a thrill. As we walked around the grounds of the property, Nancy shared that she had heard a rumor that Dr. Fletcher used electroshock therapy and invented a therapeutic drink made of urine. She called it the Park Hospital Sanatorium. She alluded to Omaha society viewing Dr. Fletcher as something of a quack in his day. I cannot be sure if any of this is true, only that she had heard these things.

Several decades of Walnut Hill kids grew up nearby the castle. Imagining their stories, my mind runs wild. One reader—who lived on the block from 1949-1997—shared a glimpse at the neighborhood children’s perspective: “the castle’s basement was scary to us as kids and the first floor fireplace was beautiful.” Several readers responded with high praise for the castle’s current owners. What Dr. Fletcher created in his backyard remains a beautiful thing. The castle inspires fantasy. Imagine the Park Hospital and its parklike setting of the 1920s. It must have been so quiet back then. I dream that is why he named it Park Hospital. As his obituary states, Dr. Fletcher left Omaha a landmark. 4025 Izard Street has always been a bit aloof. Maybe that’s why the story of the property, the castle, and all the fabulous residents felt so compelling to me. In the fabulous architecture and humongous scale of Omaha’s old homes, there is still so much alive, so much of what we dream for our own lives. The past sometimes seems better and richer than what is available in today’s world. Aspirational longings merge dreams of the historical and futuristic. Dreams manifest in the present of Walnut Hill, at a crystalencrusted castle in a private backyard park. OmahaHome

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Neighborhoods story by Ryan Borchers / photography by Bill Sitzmann

VILLA SPRINGS BOAT-DRIVEN LIVING

RIVE ABOUT THREE miles south of Springfield,

Nebraska, and you’ll find Villa Springs on the north shore of the Platte River, a private neighborhood more or less enclosed by a ring of cottonwood trees. If you drive around the neighborhood, you’ll find all manner of houses in an eclectic mix of colors, styles, and designs. Many of the houses do feature one thing in common: boats in the driveways. That is because Villa Springs is a lake community, sitting on the banks of a sandpit lake. “It’s about a 40-acre lake, good for skiing, swimming, fishing,” says Gary Partusch, 50, president of the Villa Springs Homeowners Association.

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Partusch, who is married with four kids and works for a dairy company in Omaha, has lived in the neighborhood since 2001. The property lots, ranging in size from about a half acre to two acres in size, are spread out, making Villa Springs unique for a lake community. “It makes it very nice to be spread out [and] have room,” he says. “More yard to mow, more stuff like that.” The average house in the neighborhood costs about $300,000-$500,000. There are 90 homeowners on the lake, Partusch says, and they are a mixed group. Some are older people who are retired and spend their winters in warmer climates, while others are younger. “People are very friendly, very nice,” he says. “[You] take walks and boat rides and see people on the lake and talk. It’s a good living community.”

The neighborhood has an annual picnic as well as a Christmas party. There’s also a spring cleanup in which all the neighbors pitch in to help keep the lake beautiful. Many people enjoy fishing, and last year, the community held a fishing tournament. The lake contains a great deal of fish, including large-mouth bass, bluegill, walleye, and catfish. “We stock it with fish,” Partusch says, most of which are catch-and-release. “We take pride in having a good fishing lake.” One can also find a great many birds in the neighborhood—turkeys, ducks, bald eagles, and migrating pelicans. A few families of geese with new babies are making their home there currently. There’s also some deer and a beaver in the lake. >

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Neighborhoods

< “I got three walnut trees,” Partusch says. “I see lots of squirrels.” In many ways, though, Partusch says, Villa Springs is a regular sort of neighborhood. “People have difference of opinions,” he says. “It’s hard to have 85…people, different families, agree on everything. “I think that’s with any community.” Like any other community, it has its share of garden-variety neighborly disputes; though, true to character, some of the neighborhood’s disputes revolve around how to make the best use of the lake. “There’s a group of people who…couldn't care less about fishing,” Partusch says. “And there’s a group of people who love to fish. And then there’s also people [who]…want to waterski or swim or tube or whatever. And there’s some other people that don’t even own a boat.”

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

The lake adds value to the community, and at the same time, each homeowner feels some personal ownership in regard to it. However, he says, the neighborhood mostly ma nages to accommodate everyone’s wishes. “I think we have a pretty good balance.” The most surprising thing about living here, Partusch says, is how quiet and peaceful it is. “The quietness of being out of the city,” he says. “You can sit there on a Sunday afternoon and just sit out on the lake.” Indeed, that is the big impression one gets when driving down Cottonwood Lane, the blacktop road that circles the lake. There are people out and about on a Saturday afternoon, but generally the area is pretty quiet. More than anything, drivers want to appreciate just how nice everything looks.

The neighborhood boasts a robust number of cottonwood, elm, and ash trees due to its proximity to the river, making the scene shine with green and gold, especially when the sun peaks out. There are several spots along the road where people can stop, look to one side, and catch a view of the Platte River through the tree line. On the other side is the lake, the wind rippling on its surface. “I really think it’s a really great place to live,” Partusch says. “I really have no intentions of going anywhere.” OmahaHome Visit villaspringslake.com for more information.

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TIBURON RIDGE LANDING PAD "

MRS. NEBRASKA AT HOME

OU JUST HAVE to figure out the flow of your family,”

Gregg Hart says. “And I think you don’t know what you really need until you’ve lived in a few houses.”

Gregg and wife Jennifer, who reside in Tiburon Ridge near 180th Street and Highway 370, configured their house to fit what could be called a crazy-active lifestyle. The f low of their family life revolves around the kitchen and living area, which are wide open to one another. Since their three kids always seem to be eating, they built the cupboards around a double-door fridge. Their walk-in pantry is well-stocked and hides small appliances like the toaster and microwave. >

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

July/August 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

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Feature

< In the middle of the kitchen is a bar-height island with a blindingly white granite countertop. “We liked a bar in the kitchen because we stand a lot when we eat, since we’re always on the move,” Gregg says. Connecting the kitchen to the garage is a hallway with lockers, giving everybody a place to drop their gear on their way inside the house and to grab it quickly on the way out. On another side, the kitchen/dining area has big double doors they ordered by special request leading to the hole that’s being carved into the ground for a pool. “I wanted to be able to walk right out from the kitchen to our backyard oasis,” Jen explains. “No stairs.” The pool isn’t the only work in progress outside. Houses are popping up all over. The Harts were about the third house in the neighborhood in November of 2014 when they moved in, and they’ve been delighted by how many kids now live nearby, whom their three can spend time with. The kids’ rooms are upstairs. Sons Hudson, 12, and Harrison, 10, share a connected closet and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom between their rooms. Daughter Hayden, 9, has a bathroom to herself. There’s also a den upstairs, which serves as a toy and game room for the kids. Jen says, “When they have a sleepover with friends, they can camp out in here, and you don’t even hear them.”

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

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Heading back down the stairs is an industrial-looking banister built custom, in a single piece, by Bender Ornamental—a finishing touch before closing. “You can’t close on a house until you have a railing up,” Gregg says. “The day we were supposed to close, they were over here putting this up. A lady had to come over here and watch them finish the install before we could close.” The banister is one example of how, as Gregg says, “Jen likes to do things different—nothing standard.”

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Jen and Gregg’s bedroom is on the first floor, along with an office large enough for both of them to work at a T-shaped desk. They both work in pharmaceutical sales, so their home office is a nice landing pad for them between trips. Specif ically, they now both work i n onc olog y ph a r m a c eut ic a l sales. Gregg moved into oncolog y a f ter seeing Jen so pa ssionate about her work. “Oncology is so different,” Jen explains. “It’s really motivating to do what you do because you feel like you’re really helping someone.” “Our products a re a llowing patients to live longer,” Gregg says. “To maybe see a life event—see a child born, somebody get married, or a graduation. And that’s important.” >

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Feature

< In addition to busy sales jobs, Jen co-directed the Mrs. Nebraska Pageant for six years, retiring after the last season. In 2009, she was crowned Mrs. Nebraska after never considering herself a pageant person. “I never did that growing up. I was a total tomboy,” she says. A few of her friends (including Jen’s would-be co-director Jennifer Bradley) encouraged her to participate. Eventually, she agreed, craving the discipline to get fully back into shape after having three children—and having an end date of standing on stage in a swimsuit helped. As co-director, Jen got to experience the challenge of recruiting women like her, people who had never considered a pageant, who grew confident as they participated. She says, “It was such a great experience and so rewarding.” The competitive nature of the pageant made sense to Jen, a former college athlete.

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Jen and Gregg met on the Indiana University track team. She threw shot put, discus, hammer throw, and weight. Gregg also threw the discus and shot put, winning three Big 10 Championship titles. He went on to compete in post-collegiate discus competitions, including competing at four Olympic trials. It’s not surprising then that their children are extremely active. The two boys are in the midst of select baseball season, with football, basketball, and volleyball on the way. As if they’re not busy enough, Jen coaches Harrison’s basketball team and Gregg is one of Hudson’s baseball coaches. All these activities keep the Harts on the move and grateful for friends and family who help. Fittingly, Gregg explains how they make it all work: “It’s teamwork.” OmahaHome

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Feature story by Daisy Hutzell-Rodman / photography by Bill Sitzmann

THE BANSES

A SPACIOUS HOME IN BLACKSTONE

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OmahaHome â&#x20AC;¢ July/August 2016

HEN ENGRA WED Ronald Banse,

“We were awed by the sense of space in this room,” says Ronald as he surveys the main room. “It was the ceilings and the quality. You just don’t find this any place.”

He lived in the Field Club area, while she resided in Dundee. Neither of their former homes would suffice.

Engra, on top of her attraction to the mansion’s space and heritage, has an academic appreciation for the structure. She studied architecture in college. “They call it a Georgian Revival home because of the exterior, but equally important is the interior,” she says.

the couple shared a dream for their matrimonial abode. They wanted more space in an older home.

They searched for about a year before discovering a mansion built in 1905 in the now-resurgent Blackstone district. It’s a grand place, but if you ask the homeowners, it is simply home.

The home offers many original features, such as mahogany throughout the formal dining room. The mahogany stops at the edge of the dining room, where the wood becomes a lessexpensive maple. >

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Feature

< “The woods are used according to status,” Engra says. The door jamb is mahogany on the side where the family and guests would have seen it, but becomes maple on the half that would be seen by servants." The original-looking kitchen was actually completely renovated by Engra to look authentic to the time period. The couple first ripped out the cabinets, which uncovered several windows in the room. “It was like a whole different room at that point,” Engra says. She then stripped the woodwork and began considering other ways to make the room look even more accurate to its original time period. A pantry became the refrigerator, which was covered with wood and made to resemble an icebox.

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

THERE’S A Y IN EVERY FAMILY!

YMCA of Greater Omaha Membership Benefits: As the original home would not have featured many appliances, the butler’s pantry has become extra storage. The north side of the pantry is original, but the south side has been expanded. The couple found 100-year-old glass to maintain the older home’s appearance. Since they like to entertain, they have made room in the butler’s pantry for a stacking freezer and fridge hidden in the cabinetry. The home uses radiated heat, and one heater in the butler’s pantry, specifically, is used to help with entertaining. A radiator that resembles a tea tray is perfect for keeping food warm until it is time to serve. This is a home built with the intention that domestic workers would maintain it. There are two staircases: one main staircase for the family, and a second staircase for hired help. Although the home uses radiant heat, the place contains two fireplaces. Original green tiles surround one hearth in the main room. Original blue tiles surround the other in the library on the top f loor. Unlike many homes with multiple hearths, the two fireplaces use the same flue instead of having separate chimneys.

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Throughout the spacious house, original oil paintings by Engra hang on the walls. There is plenty of room for the couple and their unique possessions. “What home can accommodate a 7-foottall asparagus?” Engra says of one of her paintings. “It just makes me smile.” OmahaHome

8415 Maple Street, Omaha NE 402.397.8278 | www.maple85.com July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Feature story by Kim Reiner / photography by Bill Sitzmann

WHERE FAMILY AND FRIENDS GATHER THE FORALS' VILLA SPRINGS RESIDENCE

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OmahaHome â&#x20AC;¢ July/August 2016

TANDARD WINDOWS JUST will not do for Ed

and Diane Foral. Their home's view demands to let the outside in.

Nestled on quiet Cottonwood Lane, which wraps around Villa Springs in Springfield, their south-facing home features a wide view of the Platte River designed to draw you outdoors. “We love the house so much because of all the windows,” says Diane. Upon entering the couple’s home, guests’ first impression is impactful: An 18-foot tall wall of windows in a barreled ceiling room offers the initial view at the river. It is breathtaking.

Settling on a ranch-like blueprint with zero step entry, the Forals built on their own schedule. It is the third home they’ve built themselves, and they knew what they wanted: from the geothermal heat pumps, to walnut woodwork throughout, to the cabinets. They also wanted an easily accessible living space, so the comfortable master bedroom is just steps from the front door. The master bathroom has heated tile floors and a walk-in shower, whirlpool, and walk-in closet. >

That view is all part of the Forals’ thoughtful design that reflects where the couple is in life. They knew it would be their last custom-built home. Things had to be ideal, and the home had to suit their needs. They had lived in Villa Springs for more than two decades, and they were not about to move from the lake community. Instead, they found a lot near the quiet piers of the lake.

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Feature < Design changes were made to suit their life now—their kids no longer live at home so they didn’t need as many bedrooms upstairs. What they needed was more room for entertaining during the holidays. On the first floor, the majority of space was already perfectly designed for hosting parties. One part of the first floor that did change was a winding stairwell that blocked the view of the river. That was moved to the side. Diane and Ed’s grown children, and their families, return for the holidays. On the ground floor, the kitchen—spacious with an island that invites gathering around—is a natural entertaining space. The servery between the kitchen and entry room invites people to linger, too; the bar area has a rustic winery feel to it. The Forals designed two more spaces for their friends and family: the home’s second floor—with a rec room, playroom, and guest bedroom—and the detached three-car garage. The rec room was originally two bedrooms, but the Forals knocked down the dividing wall and put in a wet bar and home theater seating. The playroom’s movie theme is regularly used to entertain a younger set of guests: the Forals’ five grandchildren. The heated garage is what Diane describes as a “bar-like” setting complete with an 80-inch TV and a full kitchen with a fryer, smoker, and charbroiler. With all the space, the house easily accommodates dozens, even up to a hundred, as they found with a family reunion last year. Just lift the garage door, Ed points out, and the party can spread out more. Between the view and the inviting space for guests, it is no wonder their son’s wedding was held there. This home is where family and friends gather. OmahaHome

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

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Transformations story by brianne wilhelm, allied ASID / photography by Amoura productions

MEET THE DESIGNER

Brianne Wilhelm, Allied ASID, D3 Interiors Transformations is a regular feature of Omaha Home that spotlights a recent project by a local ASID interior designer. Text and photos are provided by the designer.

UNIFYING THE OUTSIDE WITH THE INSIDE JOAN HEISTAND’S PAXTON CONDO

HEN JOAN HEISTAND began her search for the

perfect place to call home in downtown Omaha, she came upon a 2,700-square-foot condo in the Paxton and saw potential in its open flow and natural light. She had already fallen in love with the Art Deco building and its residents when renting a smaller unit there, before she took the leap into ownership. Heistand saw examples of my previous work in a national publication. After Heistand’s real estate agent gave a referral, she called me for help.

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

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Our first visit to the condo revealed a unit broken into separate spaces that seemed choppy and disconnected, with random accent colors on the walls, poor lighting that caused terrible glare, inefficient storage, and seven different flooring materials. The condo included part of the exterior wall of the original historic building, with exposed brickwork and once-exterior windows. This new home would be Heistand’s sanctuary, her place of comfort and security where she could host friends, neighbors, and family, including her four grown children and 12 grandchildren. Guided by her strong sense of what makes good design, she knew the “look” she wanted to achieve. On a mission to find the right balance of comfort and style that reflected her personality, Heistand and I embarked on a journey to bring her vision to life. The condo needed a breath of fresh air and a vibrancy to match its new owner and location in the heart of downtown.

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We began by re-drawing the space and tearing out all of the existing flooring that was outdated and disjointed. We assigned each space a purpose and designed furniture layouts and finish selections that would suit the function of each new space. The homeowner fell in love with a large-scale, Italian-inspired tile. Using the same flooring throughout unifies the space; the light color and high polish adds brightness to make it feel larger. The contractor installed radiant heat coils underneath for maximum comfort. Silk and wool area rugs anchor the three separate living areas. >

15803 Pacific St. • Omaha, NE • 402-333-5722 • sw-fence.com July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Transformations

<â&#x20AC;&#x192; All of the can lights received new LED bulbs and trim packages, making them more seamless and efficient. Decorative fixtures were selected for maximum functionality and design impact. Table lighting, floor accent lighting, and task lighting in the kitchen and baths are additional layers of light that, when adjusted, can change the ambiance in the condo completely. The conversation area just inside the entry has four armchairs encircling a cream ottoman and silky chocolate shag rug, positioned in front of a fireplace wrapped in white Quartzite ledgerstone panels. Here, the original exterior wall of windows is covered with silk drapes, providing a soft and luminous backdrop to the intimate seating arrangement. This is the perfect place for enjoying a glass of wine and conversation with friends. The adjacent room, with the original brick exterior wall exposed, is the cocktail and wine room with beautiful built-in cabinets and a black mirrored backsplash. The media lounge has a velvet sofa and storage ottoman facing a custom built-in media center. The third lounge area boasts a large custom sectional upholstered in a textured chocolate velvet, with silk and satin pillows, perfect for curling up with a book or magazine. The artwork in this space is a display of black and white portraits of the grandchildren in mirrored frames.â&#x20AC;&#x192; >

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

Transformations

< The kitchen was already outfitted in highgloss European cabinetry, but we installed new Cambria quartz countertops and a simple, modern glass backsplash. The pantry was completely redesigned, adding functional built-in storage, an ice machine, and a second refrigerator. A water system was installed to filter, soften, and condition the water. The den was transformed into a home office/guest bedroom for the grandkids, with two murphy beds that come out of the back wall. The master bedroom features a channeled leather headboard flanked by strips of hand-painted wallpaper and two elongated crystal pendants. The master bath was refreshed with new Cambria quartz surfaces and sinks. A new closet system was designed to house clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories. After many months of construction and installations, the resulting space is one with an incredible energy, filled with neutral palettes, sumptuous textures, a clean and modern aesthetic, interesting art, and countless objects that have become treasures. Visitors can expect a bottle of wine, lit candles, and songs by Andrea Bocelli in the background. But most of all, visitors can expect conversation about travel, grandchildren, and life’s experiences. OmahaHome

July/August 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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OmahaHome • July/August 2016

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Omaha Magazine • History

MONKEYING AROUND Omaha’s Primatal Problems

BY MAX SPARBER PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED BY DOUGLAS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

OU WOULD THINK Omaha, safely

ensconced in the Midwest, where no monkeys come from, wouldn’t have much of a monkey problem. But Omaha history is surprisingly full of problematic monkeys and apes—here are just a few: Our first was a female baboon who appeared at the Creighton theater downtown in 1899. The ape was trained, and was part of an animal act by Professor Fred Macart. The baboon acted as a sort of animal stagehand, cleaning up after other acts. But on this night, the baboon went wild, attacking a stage manager and then running rampant through the theater. The baboon then charged into an attached bar and stole a bottle of whiskey and two bottles of beer, drinking them and then flinging the bottles through mirrors. The whole ordeal ended when Macart calmed the animal, putting her to sleep with a towel around her head, as you would with anyone suffering from a hangover.

against the ground. He became especially notorious for murdering the neighborhood’s canary birds. Neighbors eventually rallied to bring the monkey to justice—if need be, to execute him—and called on Officer Sam Riegelman, one of the city’s first bicycle cops, to find or kill the creature. The newspaper never followed up on the story, so perhaps they are out there still, Riegelman on his bicycle, chasing the chattering figure of a tiny monkey through the Omaha nights.

Then there was Diavolo, whom the WorldHerald declared an “outlaw” in 1901. He had been a pet monkey to an organ grinder in Little Italy, but escaped and terrorized the neighborhood for several weeks. Diavolo bit a child, which monkeys will do once in a while, then attempted to steal money from the boy.

We should also mention Monkey Island, which was a bit of design disaster, built in Elmwood Park in 1933. The plan was simple: The city would build a little island in the park, fill it with monkeys, and then put a fence around the monkeys. Unfortunately, they seem to have forgotten that monkeys can climb fences, and so the opening of Monkey Island was soon followed by a mass jailbreak. Monkeys were found miles away, and some were never recovered.

Diavolo made a habit of breaking into neighbors’ houses while they were sleeping and waking them by smashing their possessions

Finally, we come to the greatest escape artist in the history of apedom. His name was Fu Manchu, and he was an orangutan at

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the Henry Doorly Zoo in the late 1960s. Fu Manchu had a bizarre talent for escaping his enclosure, often accompanied by other orangutans. At first, this was chalked up to human error, as a connecting door from the enclosure to the furnace room was found opened. But it continued to happen, and nobody could be found who might be responsible for leaving the door open. One day, the head keeper caught Fu Manchu headed down toward the door, and noticed he had a piece of wire in his mouth. The ape kept the wire hidden during the day and used it to pick the door lock when unobserved. Without his trusty lock pick, however, Fu Manchu was trapped, and so faded from the news, as all apes eventually do. More recently, the Henry Doorly Zoo’s silverback gorilla—Kijito—made international headlines with his glass-pounding displays of dominance. In 2015, Kijito broke his encloO online sure’s safety glass. His antics went viral after terrifying a visiting family.

Bringing It Home USA Triathlon

Omaha Magazine • Sports

BY MIKE WATKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

ORDES OF THE nation’s top triath-

letes will descend on Carter Lake this summer. They will compete for a national title at the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships on Aug. 13-14. Top finishers in the two-day event’s OlympicDistance National Championship (Aug. 13) and the Sprint National Championship (Aug. 14) will be invited to join Team USA at the 2017 world championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Although the running, biking, and swimming events will revolve around Carter Lake, Omaha was the force behind the successful bid to host the event for 2016 and 2017. Triathletes will be reminded of Omaha’s national sports hub status as the running course turns around inside TD Ameritrade Park, home of the College World Series. Coordination and collaboration of services among the Mayor’s Office; Fire, Police, and Public Works Departments; and other city infrastructure players were vital in landing this event—USA Triathlon’s largest and longest-running national championships event—as well as other major sporting events throughout the past decade. This triathlon is expected to bring roughly 10,000 people and an estimated $10-12 million in hotel and food sales to metro Omaha during the weekend. Race Omaha, which pitched Omaha as a future host site more than two years ago (when the event was celebrating year two of its three years in Milwaukee), has been the major coordinating force behind Omaha’s bid since the beginning. Because of past and current events, USA Triathlon—which sponsors the championship—knew the metro area could more than support an event of this caliber. Those events include the College World Series, Olympic Swimming Trials, NCA A basketball,

NCAA volleyball, and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. “Because we’ve successfully brought in and held big events in the past, there was no doubt we could handle an event like U.S. Age Group National Championships,” says former Race Omaha Race Director Kurt Beisch. “We have this event this year and next year, and then USA Triathlon will decide where to take it next. We just want everyone coming to town for this event to have a great experience and learn what a great community we have here.”

The two-day event is divided into two race distances—Olympic on Saturday and sprint on Sunday. These distances both feature the traditional legs of a triathlon: a swim (at Carter Lake), followed by biking, and finally, a run through Omaha’s city streets, culminating with a turn at TD Ameritrade Park before returning to Carter Lake. The Olympic portion features a 1,500-meter open water swim, followed by a 40K bike ride with a 10K run. Sunday’s sprint version is half the distance of all three legs.

The cooperation of city services was only one of many incentives that lured the triathlon and other events to the metro over the past decade (or in the case of the College World Series, since 1950).

Race Omaha founder Alan Kohll says whether you have attended or participated in previous triathlons, many things will help keep spectators and fans engaged—including an expo near the event headquarters.

According to USA Triathlon National Events Senior Manager Brian D’Amico, there were multiple factors that went into choosing Omaha over several other cities: geographic location, accommodations, and the history of hosting successful national sporting events.

As a perk, Oriental Trading Co. will hand out cowbells and thunder sticks to spectators who will motivate the athletes as they traverse through the course by water, bike, and foot. There will also be 5k and 1k runs on Friday night for everyone not participating in the triathlons.

But in his and USA Triathlon’s expert opinions, there is one intangible that drew them to Omaha: the people. “We love Omaha’s central location in the United States, which makes it easily accessible from both coasts as well as the entire country,” D’Amico says. “We love that Carter Lake (site of the event headquarters and venue for the swimming leg of the triathlon) is so close to the airport, and the city has worked so hard to welcome us. “But what we really noticed during our site visit was how friendly and welcoming everyone in Omaha is. We love how supportive the community has always been of the College World Series, Swim Trials, and other events. They really enjoy having visitors in town, and they go out of their way to make them feel welcome. That’s something you can’t measure or control, so it’s a definite advantage.”

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Kohll says the triathlon events will definitely carry an Omaha flavor. “We’re not attempting to mimic what’s been done in Milwaukee or past cities that hosted this event,” Kohll says. He and Beisch are both competitive triathletes. “We want people from other parts of the country to leave Omaha having learned more about what makes the community special— the zoo, Berkshire Hathaway, and Omaha Steaks, among many others. These are some things Omaha is known O for, and we want to emphasize them.” Visit raceomaha.com for more information.

Andrew Dale Conquers the World of Sport Stacking BY SARAH WENGERT PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Omaha Magazine • Gen O

OST FOLKS USE cups only for

drinking. Not Andrew Dale. The unconventional 12-year-old athlete from Omaha uses cups to travel the globe, forge international friendships, and hone his world-class sport stacking skills. “Not many people know that stacking is a sport,” says Dale, Nebraska’s top-ranked stacker. “It takes dedication and lots of practice to become a top competitor. You actually sweat from it.” Sport stacking—governed by the World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA) and sanctioned as a Junior Olympics sport—is both an individual and team sport where competitors stack plastic cups in regulated sequences as quickly as possible. In his basement stacking lair, surrounded by scores of trophies, medals, and an army of aerodynamic cups, Dale demonstrates why he’s nationally and internationally ranked. His expert hands fly into a blur, growing and shrinking pyramids of cups as they tap out a distinct beat. Sport stacking was pioneered in 1981 by Wayne Godinet at a Boys & Girls Club in Oceanside, California. Bob Fox, a Colorado elementary school teacher, took the sport to the next level in the late `90s when he founded Speed Stacks and the WSSA. While primarily a youth sport, divisions range up to seniors. Dale casually began sport stacking in 2012 after watching a 2002 video of Emily Fox— Bob Fox’s daughter—setting one of the sport’s early world records. “I thought it was just awesome, so I started stacking at home with plastic drinking cups,” says Dale, who currently holds world and national records in the 11-12 division, and is WSSA-ranked No. 5 worldwide and No. 4 in the U.S.

Although sometimes peeved to search in vain for cups, Mark Dale appreciated his son’s enthusiasm for what he initially thought would be a passing fancy. So, Mark and his late wife, Kate Dale, allowed the house-wide stacking, the missing cups, and the percussive clamor of practice, eventually granting Andrew’s wish to compete in his first tournament in Maryland in 2013.

“IT’S VERY RARE TO GET INVITED AFTER YOUR FIRST TOURNAMENT. WHEN I WAS FIRST GETTING INTO IT, I NEVER THOUGHT I’D ACTUALLY BECOME ONE OF THE FASTEST KIDS IN THE WORLD. I THOUGHT I’D JUST BE A REGULAR KID, JUST STACKING CUPS.” -Andrew Dale “After day one, he was first in his division across the board,” says Mark, adding that Andrew’s performance pleasantly surprised him and Kate. “We came back the second day for the finals, and now we’re nervous!” Nerves gave way to celebration when Andrew finished first across the board and won the national championship, shortly after which he was invited to join the Team USA Junior Olympics sport stacking team. “It’s very rare to get invited after your first tournament. When I was first getting into it, I never thought I’d actually become one of the fastest kids in the world. I thought I’d just be a regular kid, just stacking cups,” says Dale, who is consistently humble about his incredible talent.

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While Dale enjoys stacking and excelling in competitions, he also loves the camaraderie of the sport stacking community, which gives him the opportunity to make friends worldwide. He scrimmages and hangs out online with friends from South Korea, Malaysia, Germany, Canada, and cities across the U.S. Dale’s stacking career allows him to explore the U.S.—he’ll be in Houston this summer for the 50th Anniversary Junior Olympic Games—and travel internationally, too. “It’s so interesting to see new places in person. It’s just amazing,” he says. Dale’s been to Montreal, where he finished second in the 2015 World Sport Stacking Championships, and his mother Kate’s hometown of Seoul, South Korea, which was especially poignant after her passing from cancer in February of 2016. “Kate and I really tried to instill maintaining humility and the Golden Rule in Andrew,” says Mark, who is as proud of Andrew’s sportsmanship as his talent. “I’m thrilled with his discipline and astounded at how calm and collected he is at these major tournaments. To be considered a top competitor in the world in anything isOa remarkable, unbelievable achievement.” Visit youtube.com/user/SportsStacker16 for more information.

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Midwest Pain Clinics 825 N. 90th Street | Omaha, NE 68114 402-391-PAIN (7246) contact@midwestpainclinics.com July // August • 2016 | 131 | bestofomaha.com

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Omaha Magazine • Art + Culture | Film

Nebraska Filmmaker Jim Fields STORY BY GREG JERRETT PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

“WHEN I SAW 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY IN 70MM, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD SEEN A FILM AS OPPOSED TO A MOVIE. I SAW IT OVER AND OVER. IT’S MY FAVORITE.” -Jim Fields

IM FIELDS IS a self-taught auteur, a

busy English teacher, and a Nebraskanice filmmaker trying to finish his latest project whenever he can find time. The film, Life After Ex, is a romantic comedy about a gay couple’s divorce. Fields’ Objectif49 Films—named after the film society that spurred the French New Wave—has been busy for more than a decade making independent films with a Midwestern vibe. If Fields’ name doesn’t resonate as loudly as Mr. Payne’s, give it time. His oeuvre of films includes one that should be on every Husker fan’s watch list: Bugeaters, a documentary about the first decade of Nebraska football. Not only entertaining and informative (having taken a year to research), Bugeaters won Best Documentary at the 2011 Estes Park Film Festival in Colorado. In 2006, Fields released his first documentary, Preserve Me a Seat, about the preservation and demolition of historic movie theaters throughout America. It began as a film about the impending demolition of Fields’ first love, the majestic Indian Hills Theater—now a parking lot near 84th and Dodge streets. “Going to the Indian Hills in the mid-`60s to `70s made a big impact on me,” says Fields.

“Reserved seats, ultra-wide screen, souvenir programs. When I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm, it was the first time I had seen a film as opposed to a movie. I saw it over and over. It’s my favorite.”

“He was a great resource,” Fields says. “You couldn’t research these things like today. There were no YouTube videos on making a film. He was very encouraging and gave me great advice.”

Back then, Fields says the public expected films to be made in Hollywood, not Nebraska.

Fields’ 2004 documentary 416 (about Nebraska’s constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage) won Best Feature and the coveted Audience Award at the Central Nebraska Film Festival, Best Documentary of 2004 at Hardacre Film Festival, and was the Fargo Film Festival’s Second Place Documentary in 2005.

“You had to go to film school out there or in New York. The thought that someone could make low-budget movies in Nebraska seemed impossible. I went to Chicago in 1984 and didn’t even last a semester. I had no concept of how expensive it was going to be.” Fields thought his dream was dead after a brutal Windy City eviction on Thanksgiving Day put him and his belongings on the street. He came back to Omaha, forlorn but resilient. A decade passed before he rekindled his dream in the late `90s. “When digital video was invented, I got really excited,” Fields says. “I started doing research on it and went to a lot of workshops.” At the world-famous Donna Reed Festival, Fields met and struck up a correspondence with Gary Graver, cinematographer on Orson Welles’ unfinished The Other Side of the Wind.

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His other films include a comedy-drama called Flyover Country about a friendship between two college students, one straight and one gay, and how they are perceived. A definite release date for his latest film, Life After Ex, has not been announced. Not bad for a O man with deferred dreams of film school. Visit objectif49films.com for more information.

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DR. A. BARRON BRELAND

by Carol Crissey Nigrelli photography by Bill Sitzmann

Omaha Magazine • Art + Culture | Music

ENERGIZING OMAHA’S CHORAL SCENE

REIGHTON UNIVERSITY’S CHORAL conductor, spon-

taneously volunteers the answer before even hearing the question.

“The ‘A’ stands for Ashley,” says Dr. A. Barron Breland with a dimpled grin. As in Ashley Wilkes? “Yup, absolutely. My parents were all about Gone with the Wind.” This son of the South, born in Alabama but raised outside Atlanta, quickly brings the name game full circle. “All the men in my family have traditionally gone by their middle name,” he explains. “It’s just one of those random Southern quirks.” There’s nothing quirky about the success and esteem Breland has enjoyed since moving to Omaha eight years ago, although he sheepishly admits thinking Omaha was the state capital. “What did I know?” He says with a laugh. A former singer with the prestigious Atlanta Boy Choir, Breland worked hard, earning a master’s degree and a doctorate in choral conducting from Indiana University. Choral jobs are hard to obtain, but Creighton showed an interest in him. Within a year of his arrival, the Creighton Chamber Choir, which requires auditions, and the University Chorus, which does not, each doubled their number of concerts to two per semester. The repertoire became ambitious. The expectations grew, even though Breland knew the parameters before he accepted the job. “I don’t have the singers here that I might have in Lincoln,” he says. “No one is coming to Creighton to make chamber music. They’re coming to be doctors and lawyers and business executives and wonderful liberal arts thinkers, which is beautiful.” And yet Breland manages to get the most out of his choral ensembles, which caught the attention of Omaha’s tight-knit music community early on.

“We musicians like to keep our ear to the ground, and there was a buzz that something special was happening at Creighton,” says Ernest Richardson, resident conductor and principal pops conductor of the Omaha Symphony. Richardson went on a reconnaissance mission and came away impressed. “The choir was very well prepared and sang as a unit, pronouncing their consonants at the same time. Barron also achieved great balance in the sound of the voices.” Maestro Richardson’s spy mission eventually resulted in a collaboration between the symphony and Breland, who has served as chorus master for large projects like Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. His deep knowledge of several genres of music, from classical to contemporary, has also given him more opportunities in the community. Breland serves as artistic director of the River City Mixed Chorus, where membership has increased from 40 to 102 people. More recently, he became the music director of Résonance, comprised of trained singers.

“I KEEP GETTING MORE AND MORE FULFILLED IN MY MUSICAL LIFE IN OMAHA.” - Dr. A. Barron Breland “They’re the best vocal group in town, no matter what kind of music you want,” says Breland. “They’ll go from the annual Christmas show with the symphony to Stravinsky’s Mass, to a cabaret night with show tunes. Résonance keeps me on my toes and excited.” Becoming the chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Department at Creighton in August will also keep the boyishlooking 36-year old busy, but his new duties won’t temper his ambitions for the school’s chamber choir. He is planning a national tour with the group in 2017. “I keep getting more and more fulfilled in my musical life O city he knew little about has in Omaha,” Breland says. The become his happy home.

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BY JOSIE LOZA PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY LYNN PHOTOGRAPHY

Omaha Magazine • Faces

HE CONCEPT WAS pure, simple, true.

A come-as-you-are, judge-free zone. But billing a “safe space” in Omaha’s nightlife scene comes with a great deal of responsibility. House of Loom co-owner Brent Crampton understands this responsibility from experience. Crampton, 32, fathered Loom 10 years ago. Initially started as a pop-up dance party, Loom circulated through some of the city’s most prestigious venues, operating under the values of inclusivity, unity, creativity, and respectability. “In that era, we were known as a space open to all different types of people that might not normally interact,” Crampton explains in a recent interview. “A space for them to go and be accepted.” Crampton is a calm, soft-spoken man, full of purpose and persistence. He is keen to talk about Loom’s infancy and how it evolved into a popular brick-and-mortar nightspot on South 10th Street. A place where anyone can relax and fully express themselves without fear of being judged or harassed on account of sex, race, gender identity, religious views, age, or physical or mental ability. Running a “safe space” is about sharing and creating, trying to build something better. It is not just a nightclub or bar, but a place that connects people on a higher level and facilitates meaningful discussions. Music is not just a backdrop, Crampton says. “Music is very much at the forefront, and the events we do take the focus, but the vehicle that we use, to do our best to create a harmonious environment, is rooted in safe space principle.” Unintentionally, Crampton, who also serves as the director of management talent and booking, has brought Omaha to the forefront of several larger discussions on what our city could do to make it a more inviting and welcoming place for all.

Crampton collaborated with countless arts and community organizations to help make Omaha a more culturally progressive city. In fact, he sits on the board of Safe Space Nebraska, a grassroots, local non-profit that formed as a response to the need to simply enjoy a good night out, free of assault or harassment. People are becoming more aware of harassment issues, Crampton says, and realizing they should have a support system to counter harassment when it happens. He recently took part in a Huffington Post live webcast discussion about safe spaces and why they’re essential to nightlife. He has also met with other local bar owners to discuss how their businesses could become more inclusive and safe for all to enjoy. Crampton is optimistic about creating an environment filled with like-minds—an optimism that many bar owners quickly replace with the very real practicalities of running a dimly lit bar with loud music and unwelcomed alcohol-induced conversations. Women’s bottoms are grabbed. Harassment happens. It’s a pervasive issue, Crampton says. One that shouldn’t be ignored. “Responsibility,” Crampton says. “We need to be conscious of that and how to respond as bar owners.” Everyone is hyper-aware of the value of space. Safety implies privacy, but even with a strict door policy, in bars, the variables are much less controllable. Crampton has established a code of conduct and stuck to it. As patrons visit, they’re encouraged to respect the House of Loom values. In fact, the nightspot is one of the first Omaha bars to initiate a zero-tolerance policy for any form of harassment, Crampton says. If patrons feel unsafe, they are encouraged to notify staff immediately in order to remove

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“IN THAT ERA, WE WERE KNOWN AS A SPACE OPEN TO ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT MIGHT NOT NORMALLY INTERACT. A SPACE FOR THEM TO GO AND BE ACCEPTED.” -Brent Crampton the person responsible for the harassment. The incident is then documented in a report. The House of Loom’s code has inspired many, igniting a current of social rebellion in Omaha’s nightlife scene. But as with all paradigm shifts, people must understand the new way of thinking before change happens on a larger scale. Crampton continues to strive for an inclusive and safe community. He considers it his passion project. “Positive response. It empowers people,” he O says. “Collectively we can change nightlife culture.” Visit www.houseofloom.com for more information.

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Omaha Magazine • Art + Culture | Visual

What’s In a Name? BY JAMES WALMSLEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

HERE IS A formula for creating a

generic artist name: Ditch your street name. Forget your middle name. Find a word that makes you seem “bigger and cooler” than you really are. Use that word. Eric Nyffeler didn’t use that approach. His method was more oblique: make fun of yourself. But do so in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and slightly confusing. “I overestimated how many people actually know that ‘Doe Eyed’ means naive and unsophisticated,” Nyffeler says about his former artist moniker of six years from his Benson studio. “I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met who have told me, ‘Oh! I expected you to be some cute, hipster girl from that name.’” Doe Eyed no more. The 32-year-old illustrator and designer has changed the name of his studio as he ventures beyond producing concert advertisements for an eclectic Grammy-nominated clientele that includes Dave Matthews Band, Phish, and Gotye. Nyffeler is taking his brand of “gritty geometry” and “mid-century whimsy” to more diverse audiences. “I felt like I needed something of a change,” he says. “I felt like I had outgrown working

under that name, and changing it felt like a fresh start for me.” Indeed, under Eric Nyffeler Design & Illustration—a more sophisticated moniker that would likely please the artist’s parents— the Lincoln transplant has been attracting clients such as Target, Nike, and Airbnb, and publishing work in a variety of design and print publications. Though Nyffeler isn’t one to forget his roots: “I cannot deny that cutting my teeth in the gig poster world was unbelievably huge and influential,” he says. “A lot of those people, who my work might not look anything like, were people who showed me what was doable in graphic design, and they pushed my work so it wasn’t just advertising.” Nyffeler’s visual style can be characterized as an Arcadian dropping acid in a vibrating Eames chair. His design sensibilities tend to veer toward concise and direct as opposed to minimalistic, and his artistic sensibilities have one foot in the deep end of psychedelia. The rest of it is buried in pizza, or the artist’s muse. “I joke that it’s Charley Harper plus Charles Bukowski,” he says, hearkening back to the minimal-realist artist and the dirty-realist July // August • 2016 | 139 | bestofomaha.com

author. “Because it’s the geometry, simplicity, and mid-century stuff of Harper but with a trashier, punkier, weirder vibe.” Of course, he says, somewhere in that clean mess is a kid from Columbus, Nebraska, who used to “draw fake album art for bands that didn’t exist.” And then when they did exist, mainly his own bands, Nyffeler says he began creating “crappy Xerox flyers” that kept getting less and less crappy. “My passion was doing design stuff for bands, and that’s what made me fall in love with design,” he admits. “Even though I love design and illustration as a whole now, my entry point was doing stuff for bands.” Now a successful independent commercial artist, with a name that makes Nyffeler sound like himself again, the artist sits back, takes a deep breath, and wonders how he even got here. “It was pretty much by accident,” Nyffeler O I look deeper, it makes says. “But when total sense.” Visit ericnyffeler.com for more information.

Matthew Hansen and Sarah Baker Hansen, on the roof of the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, are part of Omahaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cityscape.

The Spices of their Lives BY WENDY TOWNLEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Omaha Magazine • Faces

LL MEMORABLE STORIES, written or otherwise, are

filled with turning points. Moments when the next step becomes unmistakably clear. Moments when life’s twists and turns, wins and losses, hopes and heartbreaks, serve up the next chapter. A few moments for Sarah Baker Hansen and Matthew Hansen defined not only their life together, but also their life’s work. Today, they are a literary power couple, both writing prominent columns for the Omaha World-Herald. Their pivotal moment together took a while, more than five years after their first date. The couple met in 2000 while working at The Daily Nebraskan, the University of NebraskaLincoln’s student newspaper. Although they acted friendly to each other, a relationship was far from their minds. Their first official date wouldn’t happen for another year. It was 2001. Sarah had since graduated from college and was living back home in Omaha following an internship at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Matthew was finishing up his studies at UNL. A 100-year reunion for The Daily Nebraskan was near, which meant Matthew might see Sarah soon. “A fellow DN staffer said Sarah had a crush on me years earlier, so then I started emailing her,” Matthew recalls with a smile. Emails were exchanged, and a little bit of flirting even took place. Sarah missed the reunion, but Matthew eventually asked her out. Sarah chose the French Café, one of her favorite Old Market eateries. It would become the same spot where Matthew would propose to Sarah, and a venue that would emphasize their vastly different backgrounds. “I was a dorky, small town sports guy,” says Matthew, a native of Red Cloud. Matthew found Sarah’s Omaha roots, her affinity for food, and her love of art and culture attractive. But such interest was also met with some trepidation that evening. On their first date, Matthew recalls having a “very quiet, very polite panic attack around the idea of ordering a drink. We sat at the French Café bar. I never had a cocktail that was fancier than Jack and Coke.” Sarah had already developed an adventurous palate: “I grew up with parents who were foodies before that was a thing. They had these really elaborate dinner parties in the 1980s, and it was a real treat for me to stay up and eat the pâté, watch my dad make the chocolate mousse. And the Cornish hens. And the bone-in pork rib roast with the booties.”

Sarah and Matthew’s first date at the French Café lumbered on somewhat awkwardly. A few days later, Matthew phoned Sarah for a second date. She passed, suggesting that the two remain just friends. Fast forward five years. Sarah and her sister were in Lincoln at Duffy’s Tavern for a concert. She went for the live music—and to meet a new guy. Matthew got there first. The two chatted, catching up over the past five years. The new guy eventually showed up…with another girl in tow. Matthew, Sarah, and their mutual friends made their way to O’Rourke’s Tavern. They talked the whole night. It was then that Sarah trusted her gut: she offered Matthew her phone number. “That night in Lincoln, there was definitely a connection,” Sarah says. The following week, the two were practically inseparable. About a year later, they were living together in Omaha. “We were just entirely comfortable with each other from that day forward,” Sarah explains. They were engaged in 2008 and married in 2009. This fall marks 10 years since that fateful second date. Matthew worked previously at the Lincoln Journal Star, while Sarah held public relations posts at the Nebraska Tourism Commission and the Sheldon Museum of Art. Years of freelancing for The Reader and writing her first book, The Insider’s Guide to Omaha and Lincoln, laid the groundwork for her position at the Omaha World-Herald. And traveling Nebraska for her tourism work yielded something else entirely unexpected. “Working in PR at the state tourism office allowed me to understand Matthew a bit more,” Sarah says. “I didn’t know much about Nebraska. The first time I went to Red Cloud with Matthew was the first time I was ever on a farm. That changed me in a lot of ways.” Matthew said he was changed not only by moving to Omaha, but by becoming immersed in local art and food alongside Sarah. He’s involved with Hear Nebraska, founded by Sarah’s UNL classmate Andrew Norman. And Red Cloud left its mark on Sarah; she now serves on the Willa Cather Foundation Board of Governors. The couple can often be spotted at La Buvette, one of their most beloved Old Market establishments, talking about the newspaper industry, reality television, the Chicago Cubs,

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“I GREW UP WITH PARENTS WHO WERE FOODIES BEFORE THAT WAS A THING. THEY HAD THESE REALLY ELABORATE DINNER PARTIES IN THE 1980S, AND IT WAS A REAL TREAT FOR ME TO STAY UP AND EAT THE PÂTÉ, WATCH MY DAD MAKE THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE.”

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-Sarah Baker Hansen or their latest meal. As downtown Omaha residents for the past several years, they have found comfort in their urban neighborhood, walking to and from work together each day. They often explore of the greater metro area through restaurants that Sarah is assigned to cover. (Yes, in many cases, Matthew is her plus one.) There was a time not too long ago when Matthew and Sarah found themselves at a bar in New York City. An opportunity presented itself that would have allowed the couple to pack their things, their roots, and their cat for new lives in the Big Apple. “We could do this,” Sarah recalls, weighing their options. “We could do this and be happy and successful (in New York City). But we could do things that are meaningful in Omaha, that have a real impact.” Together, they returned to Omaha. During the following year, Matthew was named an Omaha World-Herald columnist. Sarah was hired as the paper’s food critic. “We said, let’s try to do something impactful to this place where we’re choosing to be, that we care so much about,” sheO says. “I feel that’s the path we chose to take. Visit omaha.com to read their work.

America First is an investment manager from the Old School. We serve discerning clients who value sound advice, clear explanations, and a willingness to say what we can and cannot do for them. Would you like to be the next one we help? America First Investment Advisors, LLC 10050 Regency Circle, Suite 515 Omaha, NE 402.991.3388 www.am1st.com July // August • 2016 | 143 | bestofomaha.com

Creating Exceptional Smiles

July // August • 2016 | 144 | omahamagazine.com

Omaha Magazine • Top Dentists

RESENTING THE TOPS. That’s been part of Omaha

Magazine since 1992, when we started Best of Omaha.

Besides our annual (and eagerly-anticipated) Best of Omaha special issue and festival, we also provide you with professional lists within our flagship magazine. This month, check out topDentists. It’s a list that comes from a peer-to-peer survey of thousands of dentists inquiring who dentists themselves would see for their dental needs. To whom would a dentist refer patients? The dentists’ choices can be found on the following pages. We hope this list can assist you in finding someone to provide your dental needs. This excerpted list is compiled from the 2016 topDentists list, a database including listings O for more than 100 dentists and specialists in the area. The complete database is available at www.usatopdentists.com. For more information call 706-364-0853; write PO Box 970, Augusta, GA 30903; or email info@usatopdentists.com.

July // August • 2016 | 145 | bestofomaha.com

JAMES F. McCASLIN D.D.S. Evergreen Dental Group P.C.

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Dr. Darin Kotil has specialized for over 15 years in children and teens. He was voted by his peers as Top Dentist in Pediatric Dentistry! 14450 Eagle Run Drive Suite 290 402.964.9009 SmileAcademyOmaha.com

Invested in the latest technology and skills to improve the health of his patients. Recognized by peers and patients for his dedication, insight and personal patient care. Dr. McCaslin thanks his peers for voting him

Dr. Kathy DeFord – Your Home Town Dentist was voted by her peers as a TOP DENTIST.

1815 North 145th Street Omaha, NE 68154 8410 South 73rd Plaza Suite 104 402.592.2219 defordfamilydental.com

402.493.4040 evergreendental.com July // August • 2016 | 146 | omahamagazine.com

Omaha Magazine • Top Dentists

INTRODUCTION: This list is excerpted from the 2016 topDentists™ list, a database which includes listings for more than 130 dentists and specialists in the Omaha Metro Area. The Omaha list is based on thousands of detailed evaluations of dentists and professionals by their peers. The complete database is available at www.usatopdentists.com. For more information call 706-364-0853; write PO Box 970, Augusta, GA 30903; email info@usatopdentists.com or visit www.usatopdentists.com. 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 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 that they feel should be included in our list. Respondents are asked to put aside any personal bias or political

ENDODONTICS THOMAS JOHN BEESON Endodontic Specialists WILLIAM C. CORCORAN Endodontic Associates TOBIN N. DRAKE Endodontic Associates

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. 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 it is true that the lists

LARRY J. ELLISON Heartland Endodontic Specialists JACOB L. FIMPLE Advanced Endodontic Therapy MICHAEL S. HERMSEN Heartland Endodontic Specialists

JOSE L. IBARROLA Creighton University School of Dentistry COREY K. KARIMJEE Midwest Endodontics CACI I. LIEBENTRITT Omaha Endodontists

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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 2016 topDentists™ list, which includes listings for more than 130 dentists and specialists in the Omaha 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 2010-2016 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.

DAVID A. MAIXNER Midwest Endodontics STEPHEN P. PRYOR Endodontic Specialists FRANK S. SLEDER

Omaha Magazine • Top Dentists

GENERAL DENTISTRY WAYNE W. BARKMEIER Creighton University School of Dentistry GREGORY M. BEALS Pacific Springs Dental DOUGLAS K. BENN Creighton University School of Dentistry SARAH T. BILLESBACH PAUL S. BLECHA Blecha Family Dental WILLIAM J. BRESNAHAN TIMOTHY PATRICK BURCHFIEL Burchfiel Dental RICHARD E. CALLAWAY BRAD W. CARSON Pacific Village Dental MATTHEW D. CARTER Paragon Dental W. THOMAS CAVEL Creighton University School of Dentistry AMY T. CHADWELL Chadwell Family Dentistry JEFFRY F. CHEREK RALPH M. CORPUZ Corpuz Family Dentistry

MIKE C. DANAHAY Dental Innovations KATHY LYNN DEFORD DeFord Family Dental JAMES R. DEMMAN The Dentists at Hillsborough SCOTT C. DILORENZO 40th & Dodge Family Dentistry JEFFREY D. DWORAK Capehart Family Dentistry

NICHOLAS B. KENTOPP ROBIN R. KHAN Dentistry for Health CHRISTINE M. KOZAL Clock Tower Dental TERRY FRANCIS LANPHIER Dundee Family Dental RICHARD D. MANNING MARTY J. MATZ The Tooth Doc KIRSTIN TY MCCARVILLE

THEODORE S. FRANCO Pacific Springs Dental

JAMES F. MCCASLIN Evergreen Dental Group

JEFFREY T. GARVEY The Dentists at Hillsborough

STUART J. MCNALLY Millard Hills Dental Health Center

JAMES G. GERNER

DAVID R. MLNARIK Shadow Ridge Dental

KENDRA L. GOSCH Gosch Family Dental JEROME F. GRADOVILLE Creighton University School of Dentistry BENJAMIN G. HARDY Hardy Dental GREGORY A. HAVELKA Bradley D. Higginbotham DENNIS R. HIGGINBOTHAM Creighton University School of Dentistry

CAROL MARIE MURDOCK Creighton University School of Dentistry WILLIAM T. NAUGHTON Creighton University School of Dentistry MATTHEW C. NEUMANN Weeping Water Dental JEFFREY R. NIELSEN Bel-Drive Dental MARK A. NIELSEN Nielson Dental

MARY N. KELSEY

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MARK J. PANNETON Panneton Dental Group BRIAN S. PENDLEY The Dentists at Hillsborough SCOTT RADNIECKI Ohana Smiles SUGIKO M. REED Ohana Smiles RICHARD J. RONK, JR. THOMAS E. RUDERSDORF THOMAS O. RUDERSDORF AMY RUF The Dentists at Ralston Square JAY D. SAMUELSON The Dentists at Hillsborough THOMAS R. SCHIERBROCK Bluffs Family Dentistry MICHAEL R. SESEMANN Nebraska Institute of Comprehensive Dentistry ALLAN M. SMITH Bellevue Family Practice Dentistry RANDY STOUT CAROLYN L. TAGGARTBURNS Millard Oaks Dental BRETT H. TAYLOR Taylor Dentistry

ALLEN L. THOMSEN Thomsen Dental Group BRETT S. THOMSEN Thomsen Dental Group STEVEN D. WEGNER KARRY K. WHITTEN Whitten Dentistry TERRY M. WILWERDING BRIAN W. ZUERLEIN Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery JOHN D. ANDERSEN Oral Surgery Associates COREY J. AUCH Oral Surgery Associates STEPHEN A. COFFEY Oral Surgery Associates LEON F. DAVIS Valmont Pierre Desa JOHN D. ENGEL Oral Surgery Associates RICHARD J. GLOW Midwest Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

AFOLABI O. OGUNLEYE Premier Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery ROBERT M. PFEIFLE Oral Surgery Associates MICHAEL I. SHNAYDER Village Pointe Oral Surgery JEROME M. WEES Midwest Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

JOSEPH J. HURD Exclusively Orthodontics KORT A. IGEL Igel Orthodontics

WAYNE A. LABART

CARMEN L. DANA Pedodontics P. C.

JOHN P. WEWEL Midwest Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

BRIAN MCINTYRE McIntyre Orthodontics MARK MENDLIK Mendlik Orthodontics JULIE E. OLSON Olson & Monson Orthodontics

ORAL PATHOLOGY

BARBARA JO RIES

STEPHEN J. HESS Creighton University School of Dentistry

TIMOTHY J. SHEEHAN The Orthodontic Group

ORTHODONTICS

DAVID S. MARSHALL Oral Surgery Associates

MATTHEW J. BECKER Imagine Orthodontics

MICHAEL P. MCDERMOTT Midwest Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

KELLY R. CONWAY NEIL E. DUNLOW Dunlow Orthodontics

PETER A. ZIEGLER Ziegler Orthodontics

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

LAURA E. LOW Clear Choice Orthodontics

DAVID E. WILLIAMS Creighton University School of Dentistry

MICHELLE S. WULF Southwest Orthodontics Associates

TAERA KIM Metro West Dental Specialty Group

STEPHEN V. WENDT Facial Surgery Institute Inc.

JAMES M. HEIT Oral Surgery Associates

JAMES G. MORGAN

THOMAS J. HUERTER Huerter Orthodontics

KIMBERLEY ALDEN STAFFORD Stafford Orthodontics WENDELL R. STUNTZ Southwest Orthodontics Associates THOMAS J. WEBER Weber Orthodontics DENNIS D. WEISS Clear Choice Orthodontics

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ANNE S. AIELLO

ERIC D. HODGES Children’s Hospital and Medical Center BRYAN HOHENSTEIN Smile Station Pediatric Dentistry DARIN L. KOTIL Smile Academy NICHOLAS J. LEVERING UNMC Pediatric Dentistry GEORGE M. RAKES MATTHEW D. SCHIEBER Smile Station Pediatric Dentistry LISA F. STRUNK Pedodontics PC MARK H. TAYLOR Taylor Dentistry

Omaha Magazine • Section

Dr. Tim McVaney was nominated as a Top Dentist by his peers

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July // August • 2016 | 150 | omahamagazine.com

Omaha Magazine • Top Dentists

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GOING GREEN

Help Omaha Magazine Fight Deforestation OMAHA MAGAZINE HAS JOINED AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM TO COMBAT DEFORESTATION. AND WE NEED YOUR HELP. The initiative, called Print Relief, plants the number of trees equal to our printing needs by calculating the trees consumed by the printing of our magazine. They plant the number of trees equal to our tree usage in endangered forests around the world.

IN THE NEXT YEAR ALONE, THIS INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM WILL ALLOW US TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLANTING OF ALMOST 1,500 SAPLINGS IN BIOMES AROUND THE GLOBE THAT HAVE BEEN RAVAGED BY DEFORESTATION. Just so you know: Omaha Magazine doesn’t clearcut the rain forest to get its paper stock. For the most part, the wood used to make the pulp for our paper is scrap wood, salvaged wood, or wood from trees that were planted like any renewable crop. It would be a lie to say the production and distribution of that paper doesn’t have an environmental impact, but it is much smaller than widely believed. Now, with the help of our printing company and an international reforestation program, we’re going to help make our carbon footprint even smaller.

HERE’S WHERE YOU COME IN: We’d like readers to help us choose where our trees should go. We will create a survey on our Omaha Magazine Facebook page. You can choose to help reforest Brazil, Mexico, Madagascar, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, or Ethiopia. We will determine the top vote-getter and pass your wishes on to the folks at PrintReleaf. Then, together, we can help battle one of the greatest threats to the health of this planet.

July/August 2016

THE MASTER GARDENER Jan Riggenbach The Entertainer

Derek Ventura keeps the music alive

Bringing The Community Together Paint-a-thon coordinators Tom and Sheila Pettigrew

Constitutional Law Professor G. Michael Fenner

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60PLUS

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! O

UR NATIONAL HOLIDAY IS a great time to remember the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, along with celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States of America. Here’s an interesting tidbit for you—John Adams and Thomas Jefferson—the only signers of the Declaration of Independence to be elected president—both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of Independence Day. We also bring you a great story about G. Michael Fenner, a constitutional law professor at Creighton University School of Law. You’ll enjoy reading his insights. How many of us do what we love for a living? Read about Derek Ventura’s life of music and entertaining. Day after day, he continues to live his childhood daydream, a dream he has held since age 4. What an exciting life. Jan Riggenbach, a master gardner, fulfills her life’s passion in gardening. She not only physically works with plants, but also writes about gardening in a newspaper column and books. Tom and Sheila Pettigrew started a community activity of painting houses for lowincome elderly residents 27 years ago. This July, they will organize 1,800 volunteers who will paint and repair even more homes.

Boxer Muhammad Ali passed away June 3 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, and I found it interesting, with the national attention on Parkinson’s, that two stories in this issue mention the disease. Professor Fenner mentioned that his father’s death was due to Parkinson’s and Jan Riggenbach talks about her husband having Parkinson’s. It is said that Nebraska has the highest Parkinson’s patients per capita. I wonder why. On a nostalgic note—do you remember soda fountains? They were usually in a drugstore where you could sit and relax with a soda while waiting for your prescription to be filled. I remember the soda fountain in Mankato, Kansas, where I grew up. It was at the Main Street Drug Store, where teens gathered with a cherry Coke or a Green River. When my husband, Ray, and I had a real estate company in downtown Papillion, our office was next door to Paul’s Drug Store. We would often eat a quick lunch at the soda fountain’s counter. Enjoy all the parades, fireworks shows, family get-togethers, picnics, and barbecues this Fourth of July. God bless America!

Gwen

Gwen Lemke Contributing Editor, 60PLUS In Omaha

CONTENTS

volume 4 • issue 3 FEATURE The Entertainer Derek Ventura Keeps the Music Alive.....S156

FEATURE Jan Riggenbach The Master Gardener.............................S158

FEATURE Bringing the Community Together Tom and Sheila Pettigrew......................S162

NOSTALGIA The Soda Shop Cold Drinks, Cold Ice Cream, Hot Summer Nights...............................S164

HEALTH Summer Risk for Heat Exhaustion Increases with Age................................S166

FACES G. Michael Fenner A 40-Year Passion for “We the People”...............................S168

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The Entertainer derek ventura keeps the music alive

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60PLUS FEATURE

story by sarah wengert | photography by bill sitzmann

OUNG DEREK VENTURA COULD usually be found spellbound in front of the radio. Mesmerized by crooner kings and R&B queens, music so enlivened him that he never really decided what to do with his life, he just always knew. “Music was always my passion,” says Ventura. “My mom said that from age four I was fixated on the radio—singing along, dancing, banging on pots and pans.” Ventura, a self-proclaimed “creature of habit,” took his predilection for music into adulthood, working as a singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. He also dabbled in acting. “I like to answer to ‘entertainer’,” he says. “You don’t hear that term much anymore— someone who does it all: sings, dances, plays an instrument, emcees.” That young, music-hungry boy parked in front of the family radio in 1950s NYC never guessed he would tour with the same musical heroes whose recordings he so cherished. Like a childhood daydream come true, Ventura went on to sing lead tenor with The Drifters (“Under the Boardwalk”) from 1972-1984, and with Frankie Lymon’s Teenagers (“Why Do Fools Fall In Love”) from 1984-1986. The Drifters’ Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame profile says the group “could not have chosen a better name, as members drifted in and out of the band from the very beginning.” In fact, due to fierce in-fighting, the iconic ensemble had several splinter groups over the years, each featuring early members. Ventura slammed into The Drifters featuring Dock Green like a tidal wave. In the span of just two weeks, he was hired by them, amicably left his disco group Touch, and flew off on a European tour. “Suddenly, I’m sharing stages worldwide with groups whose records I bought,” he says. “Here I am, in the dressing room with The Temptations, Little Anthony & the Imperials, The Shirelles. That’s engraved on my brain forever.”

After 12 years touring rigorously with The Drifters, Ventura came on with tourmates Frankie Lymon’s Teenagers. While he’d lived by the creed that there were always “more worlds to conquer,” he grew weary of perpetual touring. Life and love then took Ventura to Denver, where he formed a successful 12-piece orchestra. In 1998, history repeated when love landed Ventura in Omaha, where he transitioned from a 12-piece to one-man band, created popular Husker music, was a house entertainer at Gorat’s, and performed classics for seniors. “My passion now is keeping music alive for my generation,” he says. “I can’t begin to tell you the reward in seeing seniors light up at hearing their favorite songs, singing along, or even crying if it’s a sentimental number. To me, that’s priceless, because everyone needs to be touched by music. Everyone. I see myself as a conduit.” Ventura embraced modern music technology but never abandoned the classics. He laments the loss of certain genres on local stations due to corporate radio’s homogenization. Though he strives to “give a voice” to golden oldies, Ventura names Beyoncé and Ne-Yo among his favorite artists, alongside Johnny Mathis and Smokey Robinson, both artists around whom he’s currently creating tribute acts. “There aren’t too many of us in this life who get to live their dream and make a living at it, even still as they approach their twilight years,” he says. “That’s heaven to me. The passion now is as strong as when I was a kid.”

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60PLUS FEATURE

story by judy horan | photography by bill sitzmann

JAN RIGGENBACH the master gardener

ATCH OUT FOR JAN Riggenbach’s green thumb. Gardening has been her passion since age 7. She started writing a gardening column in 1974. That column, which she still writes weekly, is now syndicated in 12 newspapers, including the Omaha World-Herald, Chicago Daily Herald, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She also wrote a gardening column for Midwest Living magazine for 22 years. Her husband, writer Don Riggenbach, talked her into writing the newspaper column in the early 1970s. “He worked for Northwestern Bell public relations and came home with garden questions from people he worked with,” she says. She writes books. Her most recent from the University of Nebraska Press is Your Midwest Garden: An Owner’s Manual. She has collaborated on various books and as a plant writer for HGTV Landscape books, too. Riggenbach also has helped people with horticultural therapy. With what? Horticultural therapy is what it sounds like. “Just about any gardener will tell you gardening is therapeutic. No matter what’s bothering you, working the soil helps,” she says. “It was a new field when I got into it.” She has consulted on horticultural therapy for the senior population and helped several nursing homes build wheelchair-accessible garden beds. Until three years ago, Jan and Don lived on 30 acres near Glenwood, Iowa. Their land was home to 700 varieties of trees. She says the trees and gardens became a draw for visitors who didn’t always understand what they were looking at. “As visitors stood on the deck overlooking the wooded ravine on our Iowa acreage, now and then someone would point to a dead tree. ‘Do you know you have a dead tree?’ he or she would ask. We welcomed the chance to explain the value of leaving a few dead trees standing as long as they pose no danger to humans. Dead trees provide homes for many kinds of birds and other wildlife.” >

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60PLUS FEATURE

< When planting trees, the Riggenbachs often spaced saplings only 10 or 12 feet apart to mimic the forests of nature. “People more accustomed to parks and golf courses than to woodlands asked, ‘Don’t you know you’re planting your trees way too close together?’” Jan laughs. The 30 acres made a perfect home for the family. Don’s passion is trees. Jan had room on the acreage for her gardens. Their three children had room to play. The two

writers worked out of a separate building they called The Word Barn. The couple moved to Omaha three years ago to make life easier for Don, who has Parkinson’s disease. They had lived on the land in Iowa located between Council Bluffs and Glenwood for 35 years. In southwest Omaha, a scaled-down version of her garden continues to produce f lowers, vegetables, dwarf trees, shrubs, berries, and herbs. Downsizing for the

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Riggenbachs means one acre to work instead of 30, still not everybody’s idea of retirement. “I do all my vegetables on raised beds, an easier way to garden,” says Jan. “There’s less bending and with the raised beds, I don’t have to worry about soil contamination, and drainage is good.” Some of their three children and eight grandchildren share the passion that Jan and Don, who have been together for 53 years, have for gardening. “My son, David, is bitten bad. There’s no grass in his yard and it’s packed with every possible plant he can find,” Jan says. Also into gardening are grandsons Nate, who is now a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Jackson, who at age 13 has his own garden. Jan became an organic gardener before most people knew what that was. “Organic then was looked at like there was something wrong with you. So I never said, ‘This is organic.’ Today I give programs about organic gardening.” She says readers’ questions help her as a writer to understand how a novice gardener may not understand gardening jargon. Examples: “How do you pinch a plant and where do you pinch it?” and “What does deadheading mean?” As Jan kept writing, her garden’s reputation grew. People lined up to visit, primarily from garden clubs and local schools. She grew almost everything on the Iowa acreage, from fruits and vegetables to flower gardens. Jan remembers a fellow hiker who showed her a smartphone photo of the columbines he found blooming in his new yard: “He said, ‘I thought they were really pretty, but if they’re wildflowers, I’ll have to pull them out.’ Although most gardeners welcome native plants in their gardens, some newcomers still equate wildflowers with weeds.” Jan says she harvested a story every time visitors came to the sprawling acreage they once owned in Iowa. “While conducting a tour for children, my husband Don pointed out an American hophornbeam tree. ‘Now this is a hop tree,’ he began. One little girl’s eyes got really big. ‘How far does it hop?’ she asked.”

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60PLUS FEATURE story by daisy hutzell-rodman | photography by bill sitzmann

BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER paint-a-thon coordinators tom and sheila pettigrew T

OM PETTIGREW WAS WORKING as a banker at Wells Fargo in the summer of 1989 when his boss approached with a proposition: Would he help coordinate a new public service project? The plan was to paint houses for lowincome elderly and permanently disabled residents. Pettigrew and his team set a goal of painting 10 houses in the Omaha area. But after gathering a group of volunteers, they ended up painting 50 homes that first year. “It wasn’t being done by anyone,” Pettigrew says. “We said it was like a barn raising, and people came out to help.” The Brush Up Nebraska Paint-A-Thon is entering its 27th year this summer. Pettigrew, now age 72, remains the program’s co-director alongside his wife, Sheila, 69. The community-wide activity will culminate on the third Saturday of August, with the help of more than 1,800 volunteers. It’s a project the couple feel passionate about. They started a program in Omaha and have been asked to start programs in South Dakota, in Wisconsin, and across Iowa from Atlantic to Cedar Rapids. In the U.S., there are 22 million lowincome homeowners, many of whom live on social security or an income of less than $1,000 per month. Many of these people are concerned about paying for groceries, not repainting their homes.

“There’s no way they’re going to get this done if someone doesn’t help,” Tom says. The work builds confidence and makes the homeowners happy, but it also helps them financially. “In order to get insurance, a lot of times a home has to be painted and in good shape,” Tom says. The Pettigrews and their board work with the Department of Health and Human Services to collect the names and addresses of people who need help having their homes painted. They coordinate the volunteers and hand out housing assignments a month before the event. “That way they have the time to evaluate what they need,” Tom says. “They go to the homeowners, who pick out their paint color.” The Pettigrews coordinate the donation of supplies and hold a training session on how to scrape, prime, and paint a home. They instruct volunteers on how to properly remove lead paint if they encounter it. Then, they stand back, and have faith that their volunteers know their jobs. “On paint day we drive around and see as many houses as possible. The people will be busy, and happy,” Sheila says. “We are not a repair project, yet we find a lot of them will repair things like windowsills. They plant flowers, rake leaves. It’s wonderful.”

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“Hal Daub came to paint one year,” Tom says with a smile. “A boy from the neighborhood came over to see what was going on, and Hal taught him to repair screens.” The couple are astonished and humbled by the way their passion project has grown through the years. Tom says, “to have teams come back year after year is impressive. We have people who do this year after year, and we’ve gotten to know many of them.” It isn’t just the individuals that come back. Tom no longer works for Wells Fargo, but the company still puts together teams and paints six homes each year. Other corporations, such as Union Pacific, participate each year. The paint is always donated by Diamond Vogel. All this work has added up to the brushing-up of 2,724 homes, while building a network of extended friends bonded to their community. “We get a tremendous amount of satisfaction from this,” Tom says. “We enjoy putting people together to get this done.” “We meet wonderful people,” Sheila says. “We have friends that we’ve known for 20-some years through this project.”

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60PLUS NOSTALGIA story by daisy hutzell-rodman | photography contributed

Contributed by The Durham Museum

UMMERTIME. THE PERFECT WEATHER for cold sodas, smooth malted milkshakes, and double-dip cones. Remember visiting the soda fountain as a kid? Remember plunking coins in the jukebox and taking your date for one root beer float with two straws? These days, the “kids” might express awe at the idea of a soda for a dime or an ice cream sundae for two quarters, but there are still places within one-and-a-half hours of Omaha where you can pick up an authentic root beer float or a banana split. Be prepared, however, to spend more than a dime on a soda.

THE BAKE SHOP AND HOLLYWOOD CAFE

MCMAHON DRUG STORE

1301 Broadway, Denison, IA Donna Reed spent time here as a youth. In fact, this soda fountain shares a building with the Donna Reed Performing Arts Center. Next door to photo showcases from the famous actress’ life, the fountain serves Pink Ladies and Grasshoppers.

625 Davis Ave., Corning, IA The soda fountain is actually maintained in a Hy-Vee Drug, which bought the store in 2011. Slide up to the counter and slurp on a malt or a phosphate in a quaint atmosphere… in a franchised store. OARD-ROSS DRUG

JAY DRUG

612 W. Sheridan Ave., Shenandoah, IA Located in the heart of downtown in this small Iowa town. For those bicycling through, stop in and have one of the ma lt s. R AGBR A I fou nder Chuck Of fenburger claims they ma ke the greatest malted milks on Earth.

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701 16th Ave., Council Bluffs, IA The green, red, and yellow tiles on the outside of this small building in western Council Bluffs scream mid-1960s. They offer lots of “penny candy” (not quite a penny these days); however, the shop no longer features a soda fountain. That is a shame, because it looks like you should be able to step up to the counter and order a Purple Cow.

PENN DRUG CO.

714 Illinois St., Sidney, IA Dr. John Newton Penn started this pharmacy in 1863, and the Penn family still runs it today. The soda fountain is the pride and joy of this store. Indulge in a variety of phosphates and ice cream treats while munching on liverwurst and cheese or egg salad sandwiches. RAMSEY FAMILY FOUNTAIN

1155 Third St., Tecumseh, NE The soda fountain and cafe was established in 2009 and features hundreds of framed photos of local servicemen and women, as the original idea was to find a place for the owners’ photography collection. The counters and porcelain front came from a former soda fountain down the street, Chief Drug (which still operates as a pharmacy).

Contributed by River House Soda Fountain & Cafe

RIVER HOUSE SODA FOUNTAIN & CAFE

402 Main St., Plattsmouth, NE Looking for a Black Cow or a peppermint shake? Look no further. This mom and pop store is located next to the courthouse in this quaint small town. It not only offers ice cream sodas and lemonade, it offers iced mochas or lattes for those with more modern tastes. THE SODA FOUNTAIN CAFE

801 S. 10th St., Omaha, NE A longtime Omaha soda fountain and popular tourist stop. The Soda Fountain Cafe (inside the Durham Museum) includes a wide variety of phosphates made with f lavored syrup and soda water straight from the fountain dispenser. When you finish there, browse the candy shop for something to take home.

THE SODA FOUNTAIN AT THE FAIRMONT

STONER DRUG

1209 Jackson St., Omaha, NE While it has only been around since the late 2000s, the stainless steel counter area is the original unit from Cris Rexall Drug Store on 50th and Dodge streets. You can buy your own nostalgic or strangely flavored soda from their pop room and ask to have a float made from it.

1105 Main St., Hamburg, IA Go ahead and giggle. It did at one time sell cocaine and opium (in the form of laudanum). That’s because the store opened in 1896, when these two drugs were legal. They still fill legal prescriptions. Walk up to the counter and order a cherry phosphate or a real cherry cola—not the kind coming out of a can, but real cherry syrup mixed with cola.

SPRINGFIELD DRUG & SODA FOUNTAIN

205 Main St., Springfield, NE They serve the iconic Green River soda. This drug store opened in 1977 in a former bank, and the soda fountain was added on 10 years later when the owner found a fountain for free from a defunct store in Iowa.

Traveling this summer? Visit slidellsodashop. com and click on Soda Shops of America to view a list of soda fountains throughout America.

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60PLUS HEALTH story by susan meyers

SUMMER risk for heat exhaustion increases with age

he symptoms of heat exhaustion can develop swiftly and suddenly. If you are age 60 or older, not only does your risk for developing heat exhaustion intensify, but the symptoms can develop more rapidly and become more serious. “Older people are especially prone to heat exhaustion because their bodies don’t adjust to heat as well,” says Dr. Mark Ptacek, a family practitioner at Nebraska Medicine. “Chronic medical conditions, as well as certain types of medications, can impair your ability to regulate your body temperature and perspire.” Heat exhaustion results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures, usually in combination with dehydration. The risk for heat exhaustion increases when the heat index—a combination of the temperature and humidity—rises to 90 degrees. A relative humidity of

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60 percent or more hampers sweat evaporation, which hinders the body’s ability to cool itself, says Dr. Ptacek. Heat exhaustion causes the skin to feel hot and moist, and to appear flushed. Other possible symptoms include heavy sweating, faintness, weakness, rapid pulse, low blood pressure, nausea, low-grade fever, headache, and dark urine. “If you are no longer sweating, your condition has grown more severe,” notes Dr. Ptacek. If you or someone you know is experiencing signs of heat exhaustion, Dr. Ptacek recommends going to a cool place, sitting in front of a fan, removing extra clothing, rehydrating with cool water (iced or cold water can cause cramping), spraying or sponging with cool water, resting for two to three hours, and staying out of excessive heat for about a week. If you are nauseated, throwing up, or are very dizzy or light-headed, you should be taken to an emergency room, he says.

Kindness, conversation & care for your loved ones.

Dr. Ptacek recommends these tips to keep yourself well-hydrated during the summer: • Drink plenty of fluids. “We are a quart low on water when we wake up in the morning, so start your day with two glasses of water. Continue to drink lots of fluids throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty. As you get older, you begin to lose your sense of thirst, and therefore you may already be at a fluid deficit.”

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• Drink before you feel thirsty. When your body begins expressing thirst, this means you are starting to get behind your body’s fluid needs. • If you are exercising and perspiring a lot, drink fluids with extra electrolytes such as sports drinks. • Avoid drinking alcohol, which acts as a diuretic, causing your body to lose fluids and desensitizes your body’s needs for water.

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• Avoid caffeine, which decreases your body’s blood volume and also acts as a diuretic, making you more dehydrated. • Exercise in the early morning or late evening. • Avoid sugary drinks, which can cause your body to lose more fluid. • Wear light-colored and loosefitting clothing.

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60PLUS FACES story by carol crissey nigrelli | photography contributed by Creighton University

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CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR G. MICHAEL FENNER A 40-Year Passion for “We The People”

MONG THE DIPLOMAS, PLAQUES, commendations, papers, family portraits, artifacts from a life welltraveled, and tons of books that decorate G. Michael Fenner’s office at Creighton University School of Law, one photo in particular triggers a double take. Inscribed “To my dear friend Mike, I simply love spending time with you,” the photo is signed “Clarence.” The friendship between the law professor and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas goes back many years. “His wife (Virginia Lamp of Omaha) was one of my law students and we met him when he was just Clarence Thomas,” Fenner explains. “Every other year here in Omaha I co-teach a seminar on the Supreme Court with Justice Thomas.” Fenner has focused his professional life on our fundamental freedoms. Along the way he has gained a national reputation as a constitutional scholar—a reputation that has allowed him to get to know jurists such as Thomas as people, allowed him to understand their points of view, and respect their decisions, whether he agrees with them or not. “My wife, Anne, and I spend about a week with him when he and Virginia return to Nebraska,” Fenner says. “He’s really a very likable guy.” Teaching the supreme law of the land, which Fenner has done for 44 years at Creighton, can be fraught with pitfalls because even the Constitution inspires division. Should interpretation be guided by what our Founding Fathers meant, or should it be seen as a living document, changing with the spirit of the times? How does Fenner balance the two?

“I teach the cases without teaching a particular preference or point of view,” says Fenner, a past president of the Nebraska State Bar Association. “I occasionally have the students argue a case we’re reading, so they understand both sides.” Then, in his quiet, thoughtful way, Fenner continues, “Personally, it seems to me the Founding Fathers were smart enough to know that they weren’t smart enough to know everything…they were writing rules that would need interpretation in the future.” Fenner’s even-handed approach to the most divisive issues facing our judicial system not only wins the respect of colleagues, his students revere him as well. “The Supreme Court isn’t easy to understand, but he’s able to break it down so you do understand it,” says Tyler Seals, a second-year law student. “He’s objective. He explains what the high court says, not his ideological beliefs.” A belief in basic human dignity took root early in the professor’s childhood. The eldest of three sons born to a dairyman and his wife, Fenner grew up in St. Joseph, Missouri. His father, George, after whom Fenner is named, had a business membership to the local country club. Whenever the family went to the club for dinner, “My father would walk into the kitchen and talk to the wait staff and cooks. They were the only African Americans there.” Fenner’s father still looms large, years after his death from Parkinson’s disease. “He was honest and quiet, a lot like those western stars from my childhood.” It wasn’t Marshall Matt Dillon who inspired Fenner to go into law; it was Gregory Peck. To Kill A Mockingbird had a profound affect on him. After graduating from the University of Kansas in 1966,

Fenner obtained his law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In fact, the Fenner boys hit the legal trifecta. His brother, U.S. District Court Judge Gary Fenner, presides in Kansas City, while the youngest sibling, Robert, recently retired as chief counsel for a federal agency in Washington, D.C. Professor Fenner also worked in D.C. as a trial lawyer for the Justice Department, taking the job right after he and Anne married. Following the birth of their daughter, Hilary, now the general counsel for Patagonia outdoor clothing and equipment, the couple decided to move back to the Midwest, where “I’d be able to see my baby instead of commuting,” he says. His son, Ben, was born following the move to Omaha. Ben now works for a law firm in D.C. that represents Native Americans. The current vacancy on the Supreme Court following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia poses a real challenge, both politically and judicially, Fenner believes. With big cases looming that deal with abortion, freedom of speech, and affirmative action, the possibility of a “no decision” ruling could very well occur with the court split 4-4. “There’s a reason for nine justices,” Fenner says. “There can be no ties.” The political vitriol regarding any nomination to succeed Justice Scalia dismays Fenner, but he also sees the unfolding confrontation as an inevitable part of history. “There will not be an Obama nominee who gets confirmed, who gets a hearing, or who even gets a handshake,” Fenner intones. “I don’t know who he could put forward to change that.” But what fodder for discussion in a constitutional law class…

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CORPORATE TRAVEL | EVENTS | LOYALTY | VACATIONS

OBVIOUSLY OMAHA Doug’s Six Picks COMPILED BY DOUG MEIGS

02 01. APPRECIATE

Omaha’s Czech community will lose a cornerstone of culinary heritage with the shuttering of the Bohemian Cafe (1406 S. 13th St.) scheduled for September. Enjoy dining on their signature plum dumplings, svickova, goulash, hasenpfeffer, and kolaches while you still can. Closure of the south Omaha staple is the latest in a trend affecting many of the city’s most historic restaurants.

02. PADDLE

Escape the sweltering heat by river. The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Outdoor Venture Center (OVC) offers affordable canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddle board rentals. Paddling from Schramm Park to Louisville State Recreation Areas is a mild 5.6-mile trip that takes roughly 2.5 hours on the Platte River. The OVC also rents camping equipment for those heading to the Niobrara River or other far-off destinations.

03. FORAGE

Summer is the season for farmers’ markets. Support local agriculture and artisanal vendors all across the metro area: Saturdays in the Old Market, Benson, Village Point, and Bellevue; Sundays at The Florence Mill and in Aksarben Village; Wednesdays at Charles Drew Health Center Market in North Omaha, and in Papillion; Thursdays on Council Bluffs’ Main Street; and Saturdays and Wednesdays in Plattsmouth.

04. GO WILD

The Alpine Inn feeds deep-fried dinner scraps to wild raccoons once daily outside their restaurant, 10405 Calhoun Rd. The feeding frenzy is not set by clock time; rather, the feast begins once customers’ leftovers fill a 5-gallon bucket. Raccoons linger impatiently opposite a large glass windows before and after evening meals.

05. DRINK

Farnam House Brewing Company’s Bière de Garde won a silver medal at the 2016 World Beer Cup in May. The once-every-two-years event—billed as “the most prestigious beer competition in the world”—featured 6,596 beers from 1,907 breweries and 55 countries. The only other Nebraska brewery to medal was Lincoln’s Ploughshare Brewing Co. Bière de Garde means “beer for keeping” in French, and Farnam House keeps the farmhouse-style ale on tap year-round.

06. CELEBRATE

Remember to say, “Opa!” and head to St. John’s Greek Orthodox Church (St. Mary Ave. & Park Avenue) for Omaha’s Original Greek Festival on August 19-21. Authentic Greek music, culture, food, and alcohol await. Adult entry costs $3, and the event is free for children under age 12, students, military,O police and fire department staff.

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THATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AMORE

Omaha Magazine • Food | Chef Profile

Leo Fascianella: from Sicily with Love and Pasta BY NIZ PROSKOCIL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

EO FASCIANELLA WAS a poor Italian teenager from Sicily when he left home in 1972. He arrived in the United States with no English skills, $50 in his pockets, and a love for cooking. He sought a better life with better opportunities, and that’s what he found in Omaha. After 14 years working in various roles at local restaurants, he opened his own business, Pasta Amore e Fantasia. The popular Rockbrook Village restaurant celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. “I thought it might last 10 years,” Fascianella says. “I never imagined 30 years.” His culinary passion kicked in when he was about 5 or 6 years old. Every time his mom left the house, he’d hightail it into the kitchen. As a boy, he helped out in his grandparents’ small restaurant in Italy. “I was always in and out of kitchens,” Fascianella says. And he’s still there, with no plans to leave anytime soon. “I love my job. I love it—the creativity of it.” The chef and restaurateur takes satisfaction in seeing his guests enjoy the food that comes out of his kitchen, whether it is a plate of eggplant parmigiana, lasagna, cannelloni, tortellini, or another dish. In the restaurant’s early days, pasta and salads made up the bulk of the menu, but the offerings have grown over the years to include daily specials and several beef, chicken, and fish entrees. Seafood dishes are among his favorites to prepare. At Pasta Amore, the seafood options

include a lightly breaded calamari steak with a caper-lemon cream sauce, and linguine amore—mussels, clams, white fish, and shrimp over angel hair pasta with an herbed tomato broth, artichoke hearts, and spinach. Many of the fresh herbs and vegetables that find their way into the restaurant’s menu items are grown by Fascianella and his wife, Pat. They plant basil, rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, and parsley at their Omaha home and at the restaurant. The couple also tend a vegetable garden at their family farm along the Elkhorn River. Incorporating fresh, local produce and other ingredients whenever possible is important to Fascianella, whose cuisine combines a seasonal approach with traditional Italian flavors. He also strives to use the finest ingredients, whether it’s high-quality tomatoes, imported olive oil, or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. In addition to cooking and gardening, Fascianella enjoys fishing and spending time with his family. He and Pat married in 1989. They have an adult daughter and two adult sons. Pat helps run the restaurant, and the children have all worked there at one time or another. Fascianella says he treasures moments such as gathering around the table with his wife and children to share Sunday meals. “My family makes me happy,” he says. Traveling to his native Sicily at least once a year is another source of joy. The trips take him back to his roots and allow him to

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reconnect with relatives and immerse himself in the region’s world-famous food and wine. The annual trips also help spark new ideas for dishes to introduce at Pasta Amore. In 2009, Fascianella was inducted into the Omaha Restaurant Association’s Hospitality Hall of Fame. What he enjoys most about working in the restaurant business is that it changes all the time. “If you want to innovate in business, you have to change.” Omaha’s culinary scene is a lot different now than it was when Fascianella opened Pasta Amore three decades ago. Attitudes toward food have also changed. “People are more aware of food. There are lots of cooking shows. People are more interested in food and trying new things, not just your average spaghettiand-meatballs,” he says. For Fascianella, a willingness to adapt to changing consumer tastes and maintain an active role in the kitchen have been key to his restaurant’s success. “I’m in the kitchen. I cook my lunches and dinners, and the food is good.” And he’s also proud of the fact that in his 30 years at Pasta Amore, he has never taken a sick day. The secret to staying healthy, he says, is good food and happiness. “You have to be happy in what you do.” Now that’s amore.

Visit pastaamore.com for more information.

Omaha Magazine • Dining Feature

Sisterly

GRUB Thailand Meets Deutschland

BY SARAH WENGERT PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

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Omaha Magazine • Food | Feature

ISTERS CAFE IS your typical smalltown eatery—with a delightful globetrotting twist.

As diners approach the restaurant on historic downtown Plattsmouth’s Main Street, they’re greeted with whimsical signage featuring a pair of flitting butterflies, one decorated like the national flag of Thailand and the other mimicking the German flag. Inside, sisters Jit Kunkel and Noopin Hammerich flutter about, seamlessly combining the cuisine of Thailand and Deutschland on one diverse, delectable menu. Sisters does not create Thai-German fusion, rather, the restaurant offers Thai and German dishes side by side—just as the sisterly duo stands together in the kitchen. “The Thai side evolves from Jit's background and experience owning Jit's Thai Cafe in Omaha,” says Greg Kunkel, Jit’s husband and a third owner alongside the sisters. “Noopin brings the German component from her training and work experience in Hamburg, Germany—so the combination is natural for us.” The sisters grew up in Northeast Thailand before Jit immigrated to the U.S. and Noopin immigrated to Germany. After 40 years, during which time Noopin attended culinary school and worked in catering, she joined Jit stateside to launch their joint endeavor. Jit creates amazing housemade Thai sauces, perfecting the flavors of their homeland, while Noopin oversees the German side. Noopin also contributes the standout baked goods, including homemade bread and desserts: apple strudel, special cakes, and tortes. Sisters' homegrown vibe is partially provided by fresh organic vegetables and herbs that come from the garden at Greg and Jit’s Bellevue home. Greg's part in this venture is tending that garden.

Sisters’ emphasis on freshness and friendly service. From wienerschnitzel and sauerbraten to panang curry and drunken noodles, Sisters’ commitment to authenticity and homemade provisions makes this place special. On a recent visit, the pad thai was, predictably, a favorite. Sisters’ solid version of the classic dish boasts a homemade sauce so wellbalanced between sour, salty, spicy, and sweet that Buddha himself would be pleased. The dish achieved a harmonious texture through expertly cooked rice noodles and egg mingled with garden-fresh green onion and bean sprouts, a crushed-peanut finish, shredded carrot, and a juicy lime wedge. We opted for chicken, but the dish is also available with beef, pork, tofu, or langostino. Sisters’ take on the German classic rinderrouladen presented a tender beef filet stuffed with bacon, pickle, and onion, then topped with a rich, savory gravy. Soft, eggy spaetzle with a crisp exterior and pickled red cabbage, sweet with apple flavor, accompanied the dish. German dishes are served with a small salad and Noopin’s noticeably homemade bread. The cafe’s ambiance is cozy and unassuming, with a front door beset by two large windows that allow a pleasant supply of natural light. A small front patio provides a nice perch from which to experience quaint, downtown Plattsmouth while dining. Sisters offers beer and wine alongside Thai tea to quench your thirst. Sisters bustles with business and is clearly popular with local regulars, but Omahans and those from other nearby communities will find it worthwhile to make the short trip to O Plattsmouth, and, from there, be transported to far-off Thailand and Germany. Visit sisterscafe.biz for more information.

Between my German last name and a pronounced penchant for pad thai, I felt completely in my element at Sisters. However, neither characteristic is necessary to appreciate

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BY MYSTERY REVIEWER PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

Omaha Magazine • Food | Mystery Review

ARBECUE IS GAINING in popularity. It has become

so popular that Europeans now consider barbecue to be the cuisine of America. I am OK with that. Real barbecue does not come from that thing on your deck used to create char marks on steaks. Real barbecue refers to the culinary style that involves slowly cooking tough, inexpensive cuts of meat over hardwood charcoal until they become tender, smoky, and delicious. Barbecuing is not easy. It’s an art form, and good barbecue technique is something that takes people years to master. Fat BBQ Shack owner Cary Dunn has perfected his style of barbecue. The original Fat Shack started as a food truck and has since become a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 30th and Webber streets. It's easy to figure out where the restaurant is in the Webber Place shopping center, since the line often stretches out the door. The inside of the restaurant is nothing fancy, but it’s clean and serviceable. Most folks might refer to the place as a barbecue joint. It's a small place that looks smaller because it is usually packed. Wood chairs surround lacquered wood tabletops. A roll of paper towels and two bottles of the Fat Shack’s housemade barbecue sauce top each table. You order at the counter from a well laid-out menu board. Then you can either take your barbecue to go or eat it there—if you can find a table. The menu is quite extensive for a barbecue joint. The Fat Shack has a large selection of sandwiches, burgers, handbreaded seafood, and, of course, smoked meat dinners with all the sides. The meats include brisket, pulled pork, ribs, rib tips, sausage, smoked turkey, and smoked half chickens. The sides include baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, green beans, corn on the cob, fresh-cut fries, fried okra, collard greens, and homemade potato chips. On a recent visit, I braved the crowds and ordered a “Three Meat Dinner” ($14.99) which comes with two sides and choice of sliced bread or cornbread. I ordered brisket, pulled pork, and ribs. Brisket must be the chef’s specialty. It had a crisp black exterior, pink inner smoke ring, and a juicy, melt-inyour-mouth texture. It tastes incredible. The pulled pork is also good, but not on the same level as the brisket. The rib meat falls off the bones and tasted great, but I like ribs to stick on the bones a little more. For sides, I had the macaroni and cheese, and the collard greens. The macaroni and cheese is amazing—easily the best I know of in Omaha. The collard greens are also a real treat, perfectly seasoned and braised with smoky bacon. I also sampled the cornbread, which was hot, moist, and yummy.

On another lunchtime visit, I tried the “Carolina Sandwich” ($7.99). This giant sandwich is piled high with moist smoked pork then topped with a vinaigrette pepper sauce and their crisp, creamy coleslaw. The combination is incredible, definitely a must-try. I also tried “The Shack Attack” ($8.99). This gluttonous dish is a giant mound of fresh-cut fries, nacho cheese sauce, choice of meat (I went with the brisket), barbecue sauce, shredded cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing, jalapeños, and chives. If this does not fill you up, nothing will. I have never enjoyed stuffing myself more than with this decadent and delicious pile of a meal. If you’re getting the feeling that I like the Fat Shack, then you are right. The Fat Shack has moved itself to the No. 1 spot on my list of favorite barbecue joints, and that is really saying something. You owe it to yourself to go give it try.

Cheers!

July // August • 2016 | 179 | bestofomaha.com

FAT BBQ SHACK 7440 N. 30TH ST. 402-639-7275 FATBBQSHACK.NET FOOD SERVICE AMBIANCE PRICE $ OVERALL 5 STARS POSSIBLE

Omaha Magazine • Art + Culture

Surreal, Serene Scenes BY KIM REINER PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

IDWESTERN FARMLAND CAN be described in many

ways. Paisley, however, is not a descriptor that normally comes to mind. Artist Jenny Kruger, however, often sees paisley on the farm—at least in paint. Her art consists of colorful floral patterns serving as backdrops to barns or rural settings. Everyday landscapes become surreal. The brightly hued paintings are nostalgic, byproducts of Kruger’s nomadic youth. Home has always been more of a feeling than a physical place for the artist. Her works are more about what she remembers than what a place actually looked like. “I never really had a strong sense of home being tied to a location,” says Kruger. “It’s memories.” Lately, her work has become bigger and grander. Kruger is currently working on a triptych that will measure 6 feet wide by the time she finishes the three panels. “I keep getting bigger because I think the landscapes need to breathe,” she says. She works on the weekends and whenever time allows in her life, in between raising two young boys and managing a career as dean of Communications, Education, and Fine Art at Iowa Western Community College. She also squeezes in time to occasionally illustrate for publications such as The New York Times. Painting has taken a backseat in her life right now, but it hasn’t gone away. “It’s important to me. If I stop painting, this job wouldn’t work for me,” admits Kruger of her position at the college. It wasn’t always this way. For much of her life, art was everything to her.

Kruger spent her early years in Salt Lake City, with countless hours devoted to drawing pictures in her bedroom. As the scenery started to change, the constant in her life was art. Before she reached age 10, she spent a year learning Spanish in Monterey, Mexico, and then sailed the East Coast with her family. Following a year at sea, her family settled down in Indiana. Kruger pursued art head on, encouraged by her parents, who enrolled her in advanced art classes. She painted in Florence, Italy, while a college student. A Fulbright Scholarship sent her to Barcelona, where she could paint nonstop. A favorite artist growing up was the American realist Andrew Wyeth, and while you can spot a hint of his realist influence in Kruger’s work, her own traveling has definitely flavored the trajectory and style of her painting. “I saw many different sceneries, different ways of living, different kinds of people, and different ways of learning,” says Kruger. While studying for her master’s degree in New York City, she dabbled in portraits, but also began painting images of water towers, adding a floral background. Eventually, she ended up in Nebraska, where her surroundings now inspire her frequently and at strange times, like while driving to work. She’ll see a striking wrapping paper pattern and save it to be her creative muse later. After her boys are tucked in bed, Kruger is in her basement studio, revisiting her collection of muses and memories, O and trying to build enough pieces for her next solo show. Visit jennykruger.com for more information.

July // August • 2016 | 180 | omahamagazine.com

Omaha Magazine • Dining Guide

Get a Little Saucy. SPEZIA SPECIALTIES FRESH SEAFOOD • ANGUS BEEF INNOVATIVE PASTA • RISOTTO

Come enjoy our beautifulGNOCCHI outdoor patio! • FRESH SALMON DAILY

Italian Food, Seafood, Steaks and more

SATURDAY LUNCH [11am–4 pm]

$10

OFF ANY TICKET OVER $25 NOCASH CASH VALUE. VALUE.EXPIRES EXPIRES12/31/2011 6/30/16 NO

AMERICAN BLATT BEER & TABLE - $$

610 N 12th St. (402-718-8822) 2835 S. 170th Plz. (402-697-7802) Blatt strives to bring people together. It’s a hub for common folk, those who appreciate craft beer and thoughtful pub food. Meat eaters and vegetarians come together over a menu focused on basic good food. The beer is great and the company is even better. blatbeer.com

DJ’S DUGOUT - $

636 N 114th St. (402-498-8855) 1003 Capitol Ave. (402-763-9974) 10308 S 23rd St. (402-292-9096) 2102 S 67th St. (402-933-3533) 180th & Q St. (402-292-9096) Hwy 75 & Oak Hill Rd. (402-298-4166) Catch all of the action at four Omaha locations. Featuring burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, appetizers, and an impressive drink menu along with HD TVs and projectors. Home to Blazin’ Pianos, Omaha’s only dueling piano concept. djsdugout.com

FLATIRON CAFE - $$

402-344-3040 1722 St. Mary's Ave. Our classics endure for a reason...The Flatiron Cafe staff has been serving well prepared contemporary cuisine, in one of Omaha's most beautiful dining rooms, since 1995. We are committed to old school COCKTAIL HOUR hospitality, taking care to honor your most special or casual occasions, MONDAY – SATURDAY with all the attention and style that our talented staff can provide. 4 –Robustly 6 PMdelicious food, in the historic Hotel Flatiron, close to our ALLexceptional COCK TAILS, ASS hotels, WINEand commerce. Tuesday through downtownGL theaters, AND BEERS AREfrom HALF PRICE Saturday evenings 5pmreservations suggested at opentable. com or 402-344-3040. theflatironcafe.com.

JAMS- $$ CALL FOR RESERVATIONS • 402-391-2950

7814 Dodge St.(402-399-8300)

CENTRAL LOCATION • 3125 SOUTH 72ND STREET • EASY ACCESS I-80 • St. 72ND STREET EXIT 1101OFF Harney in the Old Market (402-614-9333)

Jams is an Omaha restaurant legacy. An American Grill that offers a melting pot of different styles and varieties of food dishes made with high-quality ingredients that pair well with award winning wines or creative cocktails.

LE PEEP - $

177th & Center St. (402-934-9914) 156th & W. Dodge Rd. (402-408-1728) 120th & Blondo St. (402-991-8222) Le Peep puts a wholesome perspective on your favorite neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot. Fresh. Simple. Elegant. Inviting. We put the emphasis on people, both patrons and staff. We focus on providing each of our guests the fresh food and friendly service that they have come to expect. Open daily 6:30am-2pm

LOUIE’S WINE DIVE - $ MC, V

1/2 Price Cocktails Daily 4-6 pm

Sunday Brunch 11-2 . Bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys

402-884-8966 16820 Wright Plz. Creative gourmet comfort food, and a funky, fun atmosphere. Great wines, many of which come small vineyards, at a great value. Gourmet comfort food is made fresh, using eco-friendly and local ingredients whenever possible. Mon. 4-10pm, Tue.-Thur. 11am-10pm, Fri./Sat. 11am-11pm, and 10am-8 pm.

MILLARD ROADHOUSE - $ MC, V

Catering

. Private Party Rooms . Walk-Ins Welcome 3125 South 72nd Street

. Call today to make your reservation

(Easy access off I-80, take 72nd Street Exit)

402.391.2950

July // August • 2016 | 182 | omahamagazine.com

402-891-9292 13325 Millard Ave. The all-American neighborhood grill Millard Roadhouse is perfect for the whole family, with huge portions, great service and even better food. From broasted chicken to fried green tomatoes, there's something for every taste, and trust us, you're not going to leave hungry. Also serving Sunday brunch and the best happy hour in the area. Mon.-Wed. 11-9pm, Thur.-Sat. 11am-10pm, Sun. 10am-9pm.

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$+$30+ MC=Master Card • V=Visa AE=American Express • DC=Discover Card

Visit us for a luxury lounge experience with special drink offerings and a full bar. Have a sip while you plan your next trip!

ENJOY THESE HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS TUES - SAT | 4–6 PM

$3 Wells • $3 Beers • $3 off any glass of wine FREE select appetizer when you buy a bottle of wine

Located in The Shops of Legacy 16950 Wright Plaza #151, Omaha, NE July // August • 2016 | 183 | bestofomaha.com traveldesignlounge.com

Like us on

Omaha Magazine • Dining Guide

Located “Just a Wink from the Link”,

LO-LO’S CHICKEN & WAFFLES - $

we have everything you might desire for lunch & dinner, a night out or in planning your next event.

402-991-9400 7051 Ames Ave. What came first? The chicken or the waffle? Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles has the juiciest, most flavorful fried chicken and the fluffiest, melt-inyour-mouth waffles, which has created an underground soul food revolution–one that’s slowly spreading downright deliciousness across the country.

STELLA’S - $ MC, V, AE, DC

402-291-6088 106 S Galvin Rd., Bellevue Since 1936, we’ve been making our Stella’s world famous hamburgers the same way. The family secrets have been handed down to each owner to ensure that your burger is the same one you fell in love with the first time you ever tried Stella’s. And if it’s your first time, we know you’ll be back! Mon.–Sat. 11am–9pm., Sun. closed. stellasbarandgrill.com

UPSTREAM BREWING COMPANY - $$

514 S. 11th St. (402-344-0200) 17070 Wright Plz. (402-778-0100) Upstream features an extensive menu of new American pub fare including appetizers, thin-crust pizzas, superb steaks featuring Omaha Steaks, fresh fish, pasta, salads, sandwiches, and a great children’s menu. Fresh, handcrafted beer and root beer on tap. Extensive wine list. Call ahead for group reservations or to be placed on our waiting list. Visit our classic, upscale poolroom located on the second level.

VARSITY SPORTS CAFE & ROMAN COIN PIZZA - $$

4900 Dodge St., Omaha, NE 68132 (402-934-9439) 9735 Q St., Omaha, NE 68127 (402-339-1944) 14529 F St., Omaha, NE 68137 (402-505-6660) 3504 Samson Way Bellevue, NE 68123 (402-932-1944) VSC & RCP has been in business for over 20 years with four metro locations—in your neighborhood. From our made-from-scratch dough and signature marinara sauce, to our quality toppings and real cheese, we have perfected the hand-tossed pizza! We have state-of-the-art satellite service so you can watch all the games on our HD televisions. Sun.Thurs. 11am-1pm, Fri. & Sat. 11am-2am. varsityromancoinpizza.com.

501 N. 13 Street | 402.346.9116 theMattOmaha.com th

/oldmattressfactory

@Matt_factory

Serving Nebraska's Great Steaks and American Classics!

ICE CREAM TED AND WALLY’S - $ MC, V

402-341-5827 1120 Jackson St. Come experience the true taste of homemade ice cream in the Old Market. Since 1986, we’ve created gourmet ice cream flavors in small batches using rock salt and ice. We offer your favorites plus unique flavors like margarita, green tea, Guinness, and French toast. Special orders available.

ITALIAN DON CARMELO'S PIZZERIA - $

Homemade Ice cream and PIes • 5914 center • Petrows.com • 402.551.0552 Serving the Metro Area for More Than 20 Years! VOTE US BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR QUICK VOTE CODE: 35894

402-933-3190 10821 Prairie Brook Rd. Omaha's first and finest New York-style pizza, stromboli, calzones, oven-toasted hoagies, Philly cheesesteaks, pasta, salads, beer, and wine. We also feature take-out and delivery and can cater your special event, large or small. Tue.-Thur., 11am-9pm Fri. & Sat., 11am-10pm, Sun., Noon-8pm.

Sports Bar

SUBURBAN NEWSPAPERS

2016 Winner

OMAHA.COM

TBL

KETV 7 • Baxter Arena

SERVING LUNCH DAILY 402.884.8966 16920 Wright Plz. Omaha, NE louieswinedive.com

WE DELIVER

DUNDEE LOCATION 402.934.9439 4900 Dodge Street Omaha, NE 68132

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

RALSTON LOCATION 402.339.1944 9735 Q Street Omaha, NE 68127

MILLARD LOCATION BELLEVUE LOCATION 402.505.6660 402.932.1944 14529 F Street 3504 Samson Way Omaha, NE 68137 Bellevue, NE 68123

WWW.VARSITYROMANCOINPIZZA.COM

July // August • 2016 | 184 | omahamagazine.com

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$+$30+ MC=Master Card • V=Visa AE=American Express • DC=Discover Card

OMAHA’S ORIGINAL STEAKHOUSE

Omaha’s Only

Authentic German Restaurant

Locally Owned Since 1976

• Proudly serving visitor & locals for 90 years. • Featured on CNN.com Best Meat Cities in America • Serving hand cut steaks, aged on premise and slow roasted prime rib with pride. 402-731-4774 www.johnnyscafe.com 27th & ‘L’ St., Kennedy Frwy, ‘L’ St. Exit 8 Minutes from Downtown Omaha.

Best Of Omaha 10 Years Running

WHERE WHERE GOOD GOOD FOOD FOOD AND AND GOOD GOOD SERVICE SERVICE NEVER NEVER GO GO OUT OUT OF OF STYLE. STYLE.

Oktoberfest

September 9th and 10th! LIVE MUSIC, GERMAN FOOD & DRINKS:

Baked Chicken, Ham Hocks, Strudel Full bakery, Fresh Bread, Donuts, and Cakes! 4:00 PM UNTIL THE BEER RUNS OUT

10 min from downtown Omaha

5180 Leavenworth

402-553-6774

www.gerdasgermanrestaurant.com

Thanks for Voting Us

#1 BREAKFAST 8 YEARS in a Row!

177th & Center • 934-9914 156th & Dodge • 408-1728 120th & Blondo • 991-8222 Drive-Thru Open (Center St. Only) Open Daily 6:30am-2:00pm Serving Breakfast & Lunch All Day! July // August • 2016 | 185 | bestofomaha.com

Omaha Magazine • Dining Guide

Thank you Omaha for voting us Best Family Restaurant!

“Serving The Best Chicken in Town Since 1997”

13325 Millard Ave. • 402-891-9292 www.millardroadhouse.com

Farm Fresh

Stella’s Bar and Grill

“Serving World Famous Hamburgers since 1936” 106 Galvin Rd • Bellevue, NE • 402-291-6088 • Open Monday-Saturday, 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

5203 Leavenworth st. Omaha, NE 68106

Lunch Mon-Fri 11-2 Dinner Mon-Sat 5-10

www.jcocoomaha.com July // August • 2016 | 186 | omahamagazine.com

Foods You Love To Eat

3461 S 84th St, Omaha, NE 68124 402.393.0640 . farmhousecafe.com

Omaha Magazine • Dining Guide LA CASA PIZZARIA - $$ MC, V

402-556-6464 45th & Leavenworth St. La Casa Pizzaria has been serving Omaha it’s legendary Neapolitanstyle pizza and pasta for 60 years now. We offer dine in, carry-out, party facilities, catering and now pizza shipments to the 48 contiguous states. Open Tues.- Sat. at 11am and Sun. at 4:30pm lacasapizzaria.net

LO SOLE MIO RISTORANTE ITALIANO - $$

402-345-5656 3001 S. 32nd Ave. Located in the middle of a neighborhood, surrounded by charming homes. Everyone is greeted with homemade bread, a bowl of fresh tomatoes and basil, a bowl of oven-roasted garlic cloves, specialseasoned olive oil, and at night, a jug of Chianti! The menu includes a large variety of pasta, chicken, veal, seafood, and even a delicious New York steak. Traditional dishes such as lasagna, tortellini, and eggplant parmigiana are also available. Lunch also offers panini, salads, and one of the best pizzas in town. Patio seating, full bar, and a great wine list complete the atmosphere. No reservations, except for private rooms.

PASTA AMORE - $$ MC, V, AE

402-391-2585 11027 Prairie Brook Rd. Pastas are made fresh daily, including tortellini, fettuccine, and capellini. Daily specials and menu items include a variety of fresh seafood and regional Italian dishes, such as linguini amore and calamari steak, penne Florentine, gnocchi, spaghetti puttanesca, and ossobuco. Filet mignon is also offered for those who appreciate nationally renowned Nebraska beef. To complement your dining experience, the restaurant offers a full bar and extensive wine list. Be sure to leave room for homemade desserts, like the tiramisu and cannoli. Lunch: 11am-2pm Dinner: 4:30pm Reservations recommended.

PITCH - $$ MC, V, AE, DC

402- 590-2625 5021 Underwood Ave. Open Table Diners Choice 2014 HotSpot Restaurants in America. Keeping up with the traditional way the first pizzas in Italy were made, our pizzas are cooked in a coal-fired oven. The menu also features seafood, handcut steak, housemade pastas, and a burger full of flavor! Our goal is to provide you with local, housemade, and imported ingredients. We offer a Happy Hour menu through the week. And, our bar provides an array of in-house concoctions as well as your traditional libation! Our wine selection is well-thought and most impressive!! You will enjoy Pitch! Mon. 3pm-10pm Tue.-Thur. 11am-10pm, Fri.-Sat. 11am-11pm, Sun. 3-10pm. pitchpizzeria.com.

SPEZIA - $$$ MC, V

402-391-2950 3125 S. 72nd St. Choose Spezia for lunch or dinner, where you'll find a casual elegance that's perfect for business guests, get-togethers, or any special occasion. Exceptional food, wine, and service, with a delectable menu: fresh seafood, Certified Angus steaks, innovative pasta, risotto, gnocchi, cioppino, lamb, entrée salads, Mediterranean chicken, flatbreads, and fresh salmon daily. Enjoy a full bar, Italian and California wines, Anniversary Lovers Booth (call to reserve), private dining rooms, and wood-fired grill. Open Mon.-Sun. Cocktail hour: 4-6pm, when all cocktails, glass wine, and beers are half price. Evening reservations recommended.

EST. 1993 6 OMAHA AREA LOCATIONS!

Downtown - 10th & Capitol - 402-763-9974 Aksarben Village - 67th & Center - 402-933-3533 Miracle Hills - 114th & Dodge - 402-498-8855 Millard - 180th & Q - 402-933-8844 Bellevue - 23rd & Cornhusker - 402-292-9096 Plattsmouth - Hwy 75 & Oak Hill Rd. - 402-298-4166

DJSDUGOUT.COM

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$+$30+ MC=Master Card • V=Visa AE=American Express • DC=Discover Card

July // August • 2016 | 187 | bestofomaha.com

Sports Bar

2016 First Place KETV 7 • Baxter Arena

Omaha Magazine • Dining Guide ZIO’S PIZZERIA - $$ MC, V

7834 Dodge St. (402-391-1881) 12997 W. Center Rd. (402-330-1444) 1109 Howard St. (402-344-2222) Delivery, dine in, and carry out. Serving New York style pizza by the slice or whole pies, calzones, hoagies, pastas, salads, and garlic breads. Our pies are hand-stretched and baked in old-world ovens. We offer 35 of the freshest toppings; taste the freshest pizza at Zio’s! Family dining, open seven days a week. Lunch specials and beer and wine available.

MEXICAN FERNANDO’S - $ MC, V, AE

7555 Pacific St. (402-339-8006) 380 N. 114th St. (402-330-5707) Featuring Sonoran-style cooking made fresh daily. Catering and party rooms also available. Mon.-Thu., 11am-10pm; Fri.-Sat., 11am-11pm; Sun., 4-9pm.

LA MESA - $$ MC, V

156th & Q St.(402-763-2555) 110th & Maple St.(402-496-1101) Ft. Crook Rd. & 370 (402-733-8754) 84th & Tara Plaza (402-593-0983) Lake Manawa Exit, Council Bluffs, IA (712-256-2762) Come experience an authentic taste experience at La Mesa! From awesome enchiladas to fabulous fajitas, La Mesa has something for every connoisseur of Mexican fare to savor. Get started with one of La Mesa’s famous margaritas! So kick back in our fun-friendly atmosphere and you’ll see why La Mesa has been voted Omaha’s # 1 Mexican Restaurant 11 Years in a Row! la-mesa.com

MARGARITA'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT - $

2505 S. 132nd St. (402-991-3555) 4915 S. 72nd St. (402-393-7515) Margarita's is a business with more than 7 years in the food world. We offer authentic food at two nice locations in Omaha where you can enjoy a nice moment with your family.

ROJA MEXICAN GRILL - $$

17010 Wright Plz. (402-333-7652) 1212 Harney St. (402-346-9190) Roja Mexican Grill serves it up Tex-Mex style. Fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, chimichangas, and more! All with sizzling smack and an extra helping of Tex flavor. Wash it all down with a pomegrante margarita or a tallboy Tecate. Our drink menu boasts more than 80 tequilas. rojagrill.com

SEAFOOD CHARLIE’S ON THE LAKE - $$

PASTA AMORE

lunch Mon-Fri: 11AM-2PM Dinner Mon-Sat: 4:30PM-Close Thank You Omaha for 30 Years of Patronage!

Rockbrook Village (108th & Center)

402.391.2585

www.pastaamore.com Like Us on Facebook July // August • 2016 | 188 | omahamagazine.com

402-894-9411 4150 . 144th St. Charlie’s is the only fresh-fish-daily seafood restaurant in Omaha. Features a relaxed yet contemporary atmosphere that is fun for all ages. Besides fresh seafood, Charlie’s is the home of the James Bond-style martini (shaken, not stirred) in over 20 varieties in addition to over 60 wines. Mon.-Thu., 11am-10pm; Fri. 11am-11pm Sat., 4:30pm-11pm.

PLANK SEAFOOD PROVISIONS - $$$

402-507-4480 1205 Howard St. Plank Seafood Provisions is a coastally-inspired oyster bar and seafood grill. Our menu is faithful to the tradition of fresh seafood, high-quality ingredients, and a made-from-scratch mentality. A different oyster variety is offered daily for $1.25 during Happy Hour. plankseafood.com

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$+$30+ MC=Master Card • V=Visa AE=American Express • DC=Discover Card

Omaha Magazine • Dining Guide Best Greek

THANK YOU OMAHA FOR VOTING US BEST PIZZA 24 STRAIGHT YEARS! Hand-stretched New York style pizza

Family Owned Since 1983

Catering ~ Party Room Available Homemade, Fresh Food ~ Always 3821 Center St. 402/346-1528

GreekIslandsOmaha.com

CALZONES · PASTA · SALADS · LUNCH SPECIALS APPETIZERS · BEER · WINE · MARGARITAS

391-1881

330-1444

7834 Dodge St.

O’Connor’s Irish Pub 1217 Howard St. • Omaha, NE 68102 402-934-9790 • oconnorsomaha.com

344-2222

1109 Howard St. (Old Market)

HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY FROM 4PM-6PM 0010-2015UpstreamAd-OmahaMag-5x4.917_fnl.pdf

Family Owned & Operated Authentic Italian Cuisine Party Rooms Available Carry Out Available

Serving Lunch & Dinner

Mon-Sat

3001 S. 32nd Ave • Omaha, NE 402-345-5656 NEW HOURS MON-THUR 11AM-10PM FRI-SAT 11AM-11:30PM HAPPY HOUR DAILY 3:30PM-6:30PM REVERSE HAPPY HOUR FRI & SAT 9:30PM-11:00PM CLOSED SUNDAY MODERN AMERICAN WITH A MEDITERRANEAN TWIST

3623 N. 129 ST. OMAHA, NE 68164 QUICK VOTE CODE: 90688

12997 W. Center Rd.

402.991.9088 | SALT88.COM

July // August • 2016 | 189 | bestofomaha.com

4/7/15

3:51 PM ZIOSPIZZERIA.COM

Omaha Magazine • Dining Guide SPECIAL DINING AMSTERDAM FALAFEL & KABOB MIDDLE EASTERN- $

Old Market

402-504-3223 620 N. 50th St. Casual counter service and a simple menu allows you to explore exotic flavors in a friendly and approachable dining environment. Amsterdam packs the best spices and sauces from around the world into their falafel & kabob menu. Your visit won’t be complete without an order of their famous curry fries. eatafk.com

Now Open in Benson

1120 Jackson Street • 402.341.5827 6023 Maple Street • 402.551.4420

BLUE SUSHI SAKE GRILL- $$ 9 Years In A Row

tedandwallys.com

THE ORIGINAL

Whiskey Steak

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11am-2pm Cocktail Hour: 3pm-5pm Dinner nightly from 5pm Sonoran Style Cooking Made Fresh Daily. Catering and Party Rooms Also Available. 7555 Pacific St. 399–8006 380 N.114 St. 330–5707 Omaha, Nebraska

Reservations Accepted Gift Cards Available

Voted Best of Omaha 4 years in a row

We appreciate your vote for Best Steakhouse!

2121 South 73rd Street. 402-391-7440 | DroverRestaurant.com

Bringing Italy to Omaha

14450 Eagle Run Dr. (402-445-2583) 16939 Wright Plz. (402-547-5959) 416 S. 12th St. (402-408-5566) Fresh and energetic, Blue Sushi Sake Grill offers an inspired mix of creative sushi for purists and adventurers alike. You will enjoy a dining experience infused with flavor and spirited atmosphere. A large maki, sashimi and nigiri menu complements Asian-inspired cold plates, hot plates, entrees, soups, desserts and an extensive premium sake menu. bluesushisakegrill.com.

CRESCENT MOON ALE HOUSE - $

402-345-1708 3578 Farnam St. Founded in 1996, we’ve grown into Beer Corner USA with the additions of The Huber Haus German Beer Hall, Max and Joe’s Belgian Beer Tavern, and Beertopia, Omaha’s Ultimate Beer Store. With more than 60 beers on tap and Omaha’s best reuben sandwich, we are a midtown beer lover’s destination. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 11am-2am. Kitchen hours: Mon.-Wed., 11am-1pm; Thurs.-Sat. 11am-midnight. Closed Sun. beercornerusa.com.

FETA'S GYRO & CATERING - $$

743 N. 114th St. (402-504-4976) 119 S. 40th St. (402 558 5623) Fast casual restaurant serving Greek and American foods. Featuring homemade baklava! The 119 S. 40th location has a drive-thru for your convenience.

GERDA’S GERMAN RESTAURANT & BAKERY - $

Since 1919

402-553-6774 5180 Leavenworth St. Omaha’s only authentic German restaurant; a little piece of Germany in Omaha. Gerda herself makes homemade spaetzle, schnitzels, and rouladen Fresh-made soups, red cabbage, sauerkraut, and dumplings are a few other treats. Stay for a dessert of Black Forest cake or grab fresh bakery for breakfast on your way out. Check hours at gerdasgermanrestaurant.com.

Tues-Thurs: 8:30am-8pm Friday: 8:30am-8:30pm Saturday: 7:30am-8pm Sunday: 7:30am-6pm

GREEK ISLANDS - $

402-346-1528 3821 Center St. Greek cuisine with specials every day at reasonable prices. Well known for our gyro sandwiches and salads. We cater and can accommodate a party for 65 guests. Carryout and delivery available. Mon.-Thu., 11am-9pm; Fri.-Sat., 11am-10pm; Sun., 11am-8pm.

402.345.3438 621 Pacific St, Omaha NE orsibakery.com

HORSEMEN’S PARK- $

402-731-2900 6303 Q St. One-dollar pints, $1.75 domestic bottles, and $2 well drinks for our happy hour Mon.-Wed., 5pm-8pm Tuesdays are 25-cent wings from 3-8pm, Wednesdays are Steak Night after 5pm, Thursdays are 75-cent tacos and $1.75 margaritas after 5pm, and Fridays are Prime Rib Dinner after 5pm Daily specials seven days a week. Open at 10am horsemenspark.com

NEW LOCATION! NOW OPEN! A Fusion of Moroccan and Mediterranean Flavors 402.502.0739 504 N 33rd St. Omaha, NE marrakechgourmetomaha.com

40th & Dodge • 402.558.5623 (Drive thru at this location) 114th & Dodge • 402.504.4976

Fresh, Greek, Fast! Eat In - Catering

M-Th & Sa: 11a-8:30p Fri: 11a-9p fetasgyros.com

July // August • 2016 | 190 | omahamagazine.com

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$+$30+ MC=Master Card • V=Visa AE=American Express • DC=Discover Card

From The Very Beginning. Strength of Family Tradition Since 1921

On Y

S s h r e e l c o v r es! G l a c o L r ou

www.rotellasbakery.com

Omaha Magazine • Dining Guide JAIPUR INDIAN RESTAURANT AND BREWERY - $$$

402-392-7331 10922 Elm St. A casual restaurant in a relaxed atmosphere. Dinner entrees include fresh vegetables, grilled Colorado lamb sirloin, sushigrade ahi, tandoori marinated grilled salmon, and tandoori grilled beef tenderloin to name a few. A wide selection of wines and liquor, as well as on-site brewed beer. Lunch: Thurs. and Fri., 11am-2pm Dinner: Sun.-Thurs., 5pm-9:30pm; Fri and Sat., 5pm-10:30pm.

J.COCO - $$$

402-884-2626 5203 Leavenworth St. The building that once housed a beloved neighborhood grocery has a new future. Built as a grocery back in 1925 it is now home to J. Coco. Our seasonal menus, rooted in tradition, showcase our natural ingredients. Local, organic, and sustainable when available. We feature craft bar tending, house made desserts and pastas. We celebrate traditional… With a modern twist. Lunch (M-F 11am-2pm) - Dinner (M-Sat 5pm-close) jcocoomaha.com

MARRAKECH GOURMET - $$

402-502-0739 504 N 33rd St Sit back and prepare for an authentic Moroccan dining experience. Choose from a savory array of traditional entrees such as chicken, lamb, and vegetarian dishes, influenced by a variety of Mediterranean flavors. We invite you to relax and enjoy an evening of fine food and extraordinary hospitality. Visit today! Sunday-Saturday 11am-10pm. marrakechgourmetomaha.com

NOSH RESTAURANT AND WINE LOUNGE - $$

402-614-2121 1006 Dodge St. Located in downtown Omaha blocks away from the CenturyLink Center Omaha, Holland Performing Arts, and the Old Market—Nosh is the perfect place to gather and celebrate good times. Guests are sure to enjoy our comfortable relaxing atmosphere, diverse wine list, impressive cocktails and food that will please any palate. noshwine.com

O’CONNOR’S IRISH PUB - $

402-934-9790 1217 Howard St. Comfortable, relaxing atmosphere. Great before and after games. We offer pub style food—burgers, reubens, daily specials, and homemade soups—as well as all the traditional Irish favorite libations: Guinness, Harp, and Irish whiskey. Grill hours: Mon.-Thu., 11am-10pm; Fri.-Sat., 11am-10pm.

SALT 88 - $$

402-991-9088 3623 N. 129th St. Brought to you by the owners of Hiro 88, Salt is a New American adventure in cuisine. Its a restaurant supported by a friendly staff, savory appetizers, and, most importantly, free cotton candy at the end of your meal. Guests are sure to notice that not only is the food unique, but its ambiance feels modern and inviting, making your meal not just delicious, but memorable. salt88.com.

TRAVEL DESIGN LOUNGE - $$

402-548-3280 16950 Wright Plaza Suite 151 Travel Design Lounge is a full service travel agency combined with a full bar and coffee shop. Come in anytime to enjoy drinks with friends over happy hour or let us guide you in planning the vacation of a lifetime. “Get Tripsy” and be inspired to travel!

STEAKHOUSES 801 CHOPHOUSE - $$$$

402-341-1222 1403 Farnam St. Designed with a 1920s-era New York chophouse in mind, 801 is the epitome of elegance. You will not forget the crisp-white-tablecloth, fine-dining experience. From our USDA prime-grade beef and jet-fresh seafood from all over the world, we are truly the best Omaha has to offer. Open seven nights a week.

BROTHER SEBASTIAN'S - $$$

402-330-0300 1350 S 119th St Relax in the cozy old world comfort of an early California monastery with friendly “monks” that pamper you in subdued, romantic surroundings, and savor the fresh, full flavors of U.S.D.A. Choice Nebraska Angus Beef seared over an open flame. Brother Sebastian’s Steak House and Winery is locally owned and has been recognized as one of Omaha’s best restaurants for a delicious, romantic dining experience. Join us with your party of two or fifty and we’ll help make your special occasion enjoyable and memorable. Reservations accepted. Lunch: Mon.-Fri. 11am-2pm. Dinner: Mon-Thur. 5-9pm, Fri.-Sat. 5-10pm, Sun. 4-9pm.

CASCIO'S - $$

402-345-8313 1620 S. 10th St. Cascios is Omaha's No. 1 steakhouse. We have been serving Omaha for 69 years. We feature steaks, chops, seafood and Italian specialties. We have seven private party rooms, seating for up to 400 people and plenty of parking.

THE DROVER RESTAURANT & LOUNGE - $$$

402-391-7440 2121 S. 73rd St. Famous for the original Whiskey Steak. Truly a one of a kind Midwestern experience. Excellent food, wine, service and value. Rare...and very well done. Lunch: Mon.–Fri. 11am– 2pm Cocktail Hour: 3-6pm Dinner: Nightly at 5pm. Reservations accepted.

JOHNNY'S CAFÉ - $$$ MC, V, AE

402-731-4774 4702 S. 27th St. Years of quality dining and hospitality make Johnny's Café a restaurant to remember. We serve only the finest beef the Midwest has to offer. Aged steaks and prime rib are the specialties, with homemade bread and pies to complete a meal. An excellent wine list adds to the enjoyment at one of Omaha's original restaurants. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 11am-2pm and 5pm-9:30pm.

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July // August • 2016 | 193 | bestofomaha.com

Omaha Magazine • Dining Guide

THERE’S SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO WHEN YOU VISIT

SARPY COUNTY!

DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM OPEN HOUSE & AIRSHOW

SUMTUR AMPHITHEATER

B E L L E V U E • G R E T N A • L A V I S TA • PA P I L L I O N • S P R I N G F I E L D • O F F U T T A I R F O R C E B A S E

Located just a few minutes south of Omaha, Sarpy County awaits with a wonderful mix of fun things to see and do. Tour a museum or gallery. Dine in an elegant restaurant. Play a round of golf. Spend a day at a family

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fun center. From parks, lakes, and wineries to malls, specialty shops, and theatres, Sarpy County is the perfect destination for your next getaway!

July 15-16 — Riverfest, Bellevue July 28-31 — Gretna Days, Gretna July 30-31 — 2016 Defenders of Freedom Open House and Air Show, Offutt AFB August 3-7 — 80th Annual Sarpy County Fair, Springfield August 5

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July // August • 2016 | 194 | omahamagazine.com

JULY NETWORK TO FREEDOM PASSPORT July-August at Mayhew Cabin, Nebraska City, NE The museum will be participating in the new Network to Freedom Passport program (part of the National Park Service Passport). Come during regular business hours to pick up a special Network to Freedom Passport booklet and get it stamped. Regular Hours-Thursday-Sunday, noon-5 pm. 402-873-3115 -mayhewcabin.org

40TH ANNUAL FUR TRADE DAYS SELENA GOMEZ July

1 Multi-platinum singer and actress Selena Gomez will embark on her worldwide “Revival Tour” in 2016 with special guests DNCE and Bahari. 7pm. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO. 888-929-7849 -sprintcenter.com

BIG PARADE AND THE MARDI GRAS FESTIVALE July 1 Join the fun when the Big Parade kicks off in the evening on downtown Fourth St.! When the parade is over, head for the Mardi Gras Festivale. There will be an authentic Cajun sit-down dinner and handmade Mardi Gras costumes direct from Louisiana—and the night wouldn’t be complete without fireworks! Sioux City, IA. 712-279-4850 -visitsiouxcity.org

LOUIS C.K. July

7 Louis has received over 30 Emmy nominations throughout his career, including wins for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for his work on the FX series. 8pm. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO. 888-929-7849 -sprintcenter.com

July 7-10 Named a Nebraska Outstanding Event for communities with populations less than 10,000, this event combines traditional small-town fun with nationally-known themed events and historical demonstrations. Chadron, NE. -furtradedays.com

80/35 MUSIC FESTIVAL

July 8 and 9 Headliners Nas and the Decemberists join this music festival, named for the intersection of two Interstates in Iowa. Western Gateway Park, 13th and Locust streets, Des Moines, IA. -midwestix.securemytix.com

JOHN C. FREMONT DAYS July 8-10 The John C. Fremont Days festival is a three-day celebration of Fremont, its history and its namesake, John C. Fremont. Activities include living history encampments, historical tours, entertainment, a car and bike show, and a Spam cooking contest. Fremont, NE. 402-727-9428 -johncfremontdays.org

WEEZER & PANIC! AT THE DISCO July

20 Weezer combines their heavy power pop with a "geeky" sense of humor. 7pm. Starlight Theater, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO. 816-363-7827 -kcstarlight.com

July // August • 2016 | 195 | bestofomaha.com

STAR-SPANGLED SENDOFF July 23 The Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa celebrates the scenery, the culture, and the people of the state of Iowa with a weeklong bicycle ride each year. This year’s ride starts across the river in Glenwood, and 8,500 people will gather to celebrate their love of cycling. 712-527-3298 -ragbraiglenwood.com

GOO GOO DOLLS July

23 Since 1987, alternative band the Goo Goo Dolls have performed in front of millions of fans in concerts around the world and received numerous awards, including four Grammy nominations. 7pm. Starlight Theater, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO. 816-363-7827 -kcstarlight.com

DRAKE AND FUTURE

July 23 Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling hip-hop artist Drake's multi-platinum single, "Hotline Bling," became a massive hit reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs and Billboard Rhythmic charts. 7pm. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO. 888-929-7849 -sprintcenter.com

Omaha Magazine • Explore DURAN DURAN July 24 Multi-platinum music superstars Duran Duran are touring in support of their current album, Paper Gods. The band’s four original members—singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor, and drummer Roger Taylor—will perform. Starlight Theater, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO. 816-363-7827 -kcstarlight.com WORLD YOUTH BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS July 24-Aug. 3 The best bowlers in the world age 21 and under, will be invited to the 14th World Youth Championships. Sun Valley Lanes, 321 Victory Lane, Lincoln, NE. 402-475-3469 -2016wyc.worldbowling.org

NEBRASKA’S BIG RODEO July 24-30 Nestled in the heart of rural Nebraska, this rodeo captures the essence of the Midwest. The event includes barrel riding, calf roping and bull riding, along with livestock exhibitions and a variety of family-friendly entertainment. 46710 L St., Burwell, NE. 308-346-4092 -nebraskasbigrodeo.com

It’s a place unlike any other. This region is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. From rolling sandhills to the winding Niobrara River, there’s always adventure around the bend. The area has so much to offer. Hiking, horseback riding, nationally acclaimed canoeing, tubing, kayaking, hunting, fishing, camping—there’s never a dull moment. And it’s all wrapped up in the scenic beauty Cherry County is famous for. So what are you waiting for? Get out and enjoy all that Valentine has to offer. VISITVALENTINE.ORG Valentine Chamber of Commerce - Cherry County Tourism P.O. Box 201 Valentine, NE 69201 1.800.658.4024 July // August • 2016 | 196 | omahamagazine.com

DOLLY PARTON July 29 Dolly Parton embarks on her first major U.S. and Canadian tour in more than 25 years. Parton’s set list will include hit songs all while weaving in a few new songs. Dolly has garnered seven Grammy Awards and is one of only five female artists to win the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award. 7:30pm. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO. 888-929-7849 -sprintcenter.com

Omaha Magazine • Explore 2016 NATIONAL BALLOON CLASSIC July 29-Aug. 6 The air will exude a rainbow of colors and shapes during this national event, held for one week each year. Balloonists from around the country participate in balloon glows, dawn patrol rides, and more. 15335 Jewell Street, Indianola, IA. 515-961-8415 -nationalballoonclassic.com

ELLEVUE

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NEBRASK A STAR PART Y July

30-Aug. 5 Become acquainted with astronomy. The Beginner’s Field School explains how to explore the sky here, as well as at home, with or without a telescope. Seasoned astronomers can participate in observing challenges and an astro photo contest. Merritt Reservoir’s Snake Campground near Valentine, NE. 402-333-5460 -nebraskastarparty.org

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MARTIN LAWRENCE July 30 Comedian, actor, director and producer Martin Lawrence performs his "Doin’ Time: Uncut Live" tour—Lawrence’s first stand-up tour in four years. Lawrence wows audiences with his signature style of hilarious stories, social commentary, and more. 8pm. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO. 888-929-7849 -sprintcenter.com

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Bellevue’s Haworth Park will host Riverfest July 15-16 featuring the Nebraska State BBQ competition. Next head to Gretna Days July 28-July 31 and the annual garden tractor pull. Back in Bellevue this year is the Defenders of Freedom Open House and Air Show at Offutt Air Force Base July 30-31 featuring the United States Air Force Thunderbirds. Feeling patriotic after the air show, attend the dedication of the new Veteran’s Cemetery August 5th. Wrapping up summer, August 3-7 is the Sarpy County Fair in Springfield, Nebraska.

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Omaha Magazine • Explore AUGUST JEFF BECK & BUDDY GUY

Aug. 5 Guitarist Jeff Beck is set to release both a new book and a new studio album in July. Over the course of an illustrious 50-year career, Beck has earned many accolades, including eight Grammys. Fellow “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” honoree Buddy Guy will also perform. 7pm. Starlight Theater, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO. 816-363-7827 -kcstarlight.com

HINTERL AND MUSIC FESTIVAL Aug. 5 and 6 Willie Nelson headlines this music festival, which promises two days of music and fun in the outdoors, held near Des Moines at Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater in St. Charles, IA. -hinterlandiowa.com KOOL & THE GANG Aug.

6 Known for highenergy dance tunes like “Jungle Boogie,” “Ladies Night,” and “Celebration,” Kool & The Gang’s feel-good music is guaranteed to make an audience get up and dance. 7pm. Starlight Theater, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO. 816-363-7827 -kcstarlight.com

IOWA STATE FAIR Aug. 11-21 This fair is the stuff of legends…or at least a legendary Broadway show. The butter cow, the Bill Reily Talent Search, a cribbage tournament…the list goes on and on. Featured entertainment ranges from singer Meghan Trainor to comedian Jeff Dunham. E. 30th St. and E. University Ave., Des Moines, IA. 515-262-3111 -iowastatefair.org

ETHNIC ENRICHMENT FESTIVAL

GWEN STEFANI Aug.

Live Feels Live" tour brings Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer back to North America this summer for another extensive run. 7:30pm. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO. 888-929-7849 -sprintcenter.com

12 Three-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Gwen Stefani will return to the road this summer as she launches her “This Is What the Truth Feels Like” 2016 tour. Hip hop star and actress Eve will join Stefani as support for all dates on the tour. 7pm. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO. 888-929-7849 -sprintcenter.com

KOOL-AID DAYS Aug.

12-14 Oh yeah! It’s the powdered drink mix kids young and old enjoy, and the birthplace of this drink celebrates it with a weekend full of events, from racing boats crafted from recycled Jammers packets and Burst bottles to a Kwickest KoolAid Drinking Contest. Hastings, NE. 402-461-8405 -kool-aiddays.com

HEART, JOAN JETT, AND CHEAP TRICK Aug. 15 Three of rock music’s most iconic bands will hit the road together this summer on "The Rock Hall Three for All.” DEMI LOVATO & NICK JONAS

Aug. 6 Multi-platinum selling music artists, Demi Lovato & Nick Jonas, invite you to experience the "Future Now" tour. These two influential entertainers will join forces for one of the year’s most anticipated summer music events. 7pm. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO. 888-929-7849 -sprintcenter.com

CZECH DAYS Aug. 5-7 From kolaches and a duck and dumpling run, to an accordion jamboree and dancing demonstrations, celebrate Czechoslovakian culture and heritage during this community festival. Wilbur, NE. -nebraskaczechsofwilber.com

Ann and Nancy Wilson’s band Heart, stormed the charts in the '70s. Joan Jett was the leader of the hard-rocking Blackhearts. 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Cheap Trick also performs. 6:30pm. Starlight Theater, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO. 816-363-7827 -kcstarlight.com

JOSH GROBAN Aug.

16 Multi-platinum-selling recording artist and entertainer Josh Groban will sing tunes from his latest album, Stages, a collection of some of musical theatre's greatest hits. Sarah McLachlan will join Josh Groban as a special guest. 7:30pm. Starlight Theater, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO. 816-363-7827 -kcstarlight.com July // August • 2016 | 198 | omahamagazine.com

Aug. 19-21 Feel the world beat in the heart of America. This event is one of the largest festivals of its kind in the country and features more than 60 different cultures selling their native foods, crafts and performing ethnic music and dances. 4600 E. 63rd. St. Trafficway, Kansas City, MO. 816-513-7553 -eeckc.net

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER Aug. 20 The "Sounds

BRIAN REGAN Aug.

20 Brian Regan has distinguished himself as one of the premier comedians in the country. With a perfect balance of sophisticated writing and physicality, Regan has fervent fans who span generations. 8pm. Starlight Theater, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO. 816-363-7827 -kcstarlight.com

DEF LEPPARD Aug.

26 Def Leppard’s influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking, multi-platinum releases including Pyromania and Hysteria. 7pm. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO. 888-929-7849 -sprintcenter.com

LINCOLN ZOMBIEFEST Aug. 27 Watch out! The apocalypse is coming…at least in cosplay form. Events this day include a Zombiewalk, games, and lots of family-friendly (if not always brain-friendly) activities. The Railyard at Haymarket, Lincoln, NE. 402-606-1031 -lincolnzombiewalk.com DIXIE CHICKS Aug. 30 The Dixie Chicks have been called a country band and a female band, but they are also innovators, renegades, villains, mothers, and influencers. 7pm. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO. 888-929-7849 -sprintcenter.com

The

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July // August • 2016 | 199 | bestofomaha.com

Omaha Magazine • Not Funny

THE REVENGE OF THE LAWN Avoiding the Quadrupeds BY OTIS TWELVE PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

EING A SUBURBANITE—A classifica-

tion that gnaws at the very fabric of my bohemian soul—I find myself more and more obsessed with the vegetation that surrounds my mid-century modern home. It is as if there is some hidden sequence buried on the double helix of my aging DNA that has been triggered—some drive to surround my humble abode with a flawless blanket of lush, manicured, green carpet. But why? I suspect this growing compulsion is rooted in the most primitive parts of my brain. I’ve read articles by anthropologists who theorize that our love of lawns is an expression of our evolutionary history. These deep thinkers say that when our furry ancestors came down from the tree branches and ventured out onto the savannahs, we were compelled to stand erect on our hind legs so that we could see over the tall grasses and spot large saber-tooth predators before they snuck up on us. Standing tall, we were thus able to minimize the numbers of clan members who were snatched and dragged off to some stupid, sharp-toothed quadruped’s Sunday dinner.

The upside of this was that, as a species, we thrived. The downside was that many more of our bothersome relatives also survived to make holiday gatherings, like The Invention of Fire Day, emotionally challenging for the rest of us. Walking on our hind legs, the scientists surmise that our forelimbs were freed to learn to manipulate tools. Thus, we could also develop weapons to defend ourselves against the large variety of meat eaters I referenced earlier, with the added benefit that we could on occasion dispatch a few of the aforementioned extended family members, or even strangers, who offended our bipedal sensibilities. So, 4 million years ago we dropped out of the branches of an ancient Ginko biloba tree, stood up, and looked out over the tall grasses of a primitive world full of existential threats. We acquired digital dexterity. We learned how to make sharp sticks and to throw rocks. That was basically the story for 4 million years, though our sticks got sharper and the rocks got bigger. Bottom-line—we killed most of the animals that wanted to eat us, and a good number of our fellow primates on the side.

July // August • 2016 | 200 | omahamagazine.com

Nothing much changed until that defining moment when evolution took another quantum leap. One hundred and eighty-six years ago Edwin Budding invented the lawn mower. Human beings could now cut down the tall native grasses and rest secure in the knowledge that, even though they are mostly extinct, large hungry carnivores could no longer sneak up on us or our children. I mow because I am. Je tonds parce que je suis. I hope the Toro starts this week. The neighbors are starting to complain. They are beginning O Sumatran to suspect there may be a hungry panther in my front yard.

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