Siouxland Life - January 2016 by Sioux City Journal

Entertainment options abound in new year

What’s ahead in health care

Explorers build on successful year

A GUIDE FOR LIVING IN SIOUXLAND

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JANUARY 2016

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Siouxland Life

CONTENTS January

2016

Are you ready to change? Do you want to lose weight, start a new career, exercise? We’ve got experts this month who are ready to help you with everything from your home to taxes. Consider this month’s edition, a nudge to jump start your life. Next year, we want to hear how you’ve done.

LEADING THE CHARGE A Sioux City Musketeer sets goals, then works to achieve them. Simple, right?

A year of change 2016 is the time to get things done .

FEATURES 4 HOME design trends 10 YEAR OF CHANGE getting organized 13 YEAR OF CHANGE life coach 16 YEAR OF CHANGE apps to help 20 YEAR OF CHANGE hockey goals 23 YEAR OF CHANGE building on success 27 YEAR OF CHANGE determination 30 YEAR OF CHANGE get outside

33 36 38 41 44 46 47

OUTSIDE FUN Don’t whine. There’s plenty you can do outside – and enjoy. We’ve got suggestions.

YEAR OF CHANGE Iowa caucus fun YEAR OF CHANGE new tastes YEAR OF CHANGE entertainment YEAR OF CHANGE winter games YEAR OF CHANGE health care HEALTH medical answers PARTING SHOT

PUBLISHER Steve Griffith EDITOR Bruce Miller EDITORIAL Dolly A. Butz, Tim Gallagher, Earl Horlyk, Ally Karsyn, Bret Hayworth PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Hynds, Jim Lee, Justin Wan DESIGN Mary Garrison ADVERTISING SALES Nancy Gevik ADVERTISING DESIGN Kayla Fleming

©2016 The Sioux City Journal. Siouxland Life is published monthly by The Sioux City Journal. For advertising information, please call (712) 224-6275. For editorial information, please call (712) 293-4218.

CAUCUS COLLECTIBLES If you want to remember the 2016 presidential election, the candidates have just the things for you.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JANUARY 2016

HOME design

trends

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

7 HOME DESIGN TRENDS TO LOOK FOR IN 2016 Text by Ally Karsyn

Start the new year with style. Kathy Sorbe, owner and lead designer at The Elements in Storm Lake, Iowa, talked about trending home décor and design ideas, highlighting some of her favorites. CANVAS WRAP ARTWORK There’s really nothing that speaks more about who lives in a home than the art on the walls. Art brings energy, life and sophistication to a space. “Canvas wraps are some of the most popular pieces of artwork we place in homes,” Sorbe said. Without frames, they are an affordable option for any budget. And with no glass, these relaxed, easy pieces can add visible texture to a room. Plus, these pieces are light and easy to hang. Just be sure to choose a canvas wrap large enough to fill the space. Sorbe encourages her clients to buy big. If they think it may be too large, it’s probably just the right size.

SINGLE-CUSHION SOFAS You won’t be losing your remote in this sofa as often. The single-cushion – or bench seat – sofa is a sleek, smooth option that Sorbe and her design team are seeing more and more. “Many of our furniture companies are offering this as an alternative to the two- and threecushion we’re so used to seeing,” Sorbe said. “Single-cushion sofas are a tidy and an incredibly comfortable option for any homeowner.”

Candice Olson Coco sofa, $3,100. COURTESY OF CANDICE OLSON, INC.

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JANUARY 2016

HOME design

trends

MIXING TEXTURES The contrast between two textures can actually enhance them. Smooth and rough or shiny and dull – the combination creates interest. GO Home, a retailer that carries a line of vintage-inspired home furnishings, does this mix almost better than anyone, according to Sorbe. For example, the Sussex coffee table’s rough gray wood, paired with the chrome base make, it the perfect transitional piece for almost any style.

Brass sea fan pendant chandelier, $475. COURTESY OF REGINA ANDREW DESIGN

GO Home Sussex coffee table, $2,500. COURTESY OF GO HOME, LTD.

Reinvent Your Kitchen

Designer Jamie Lindemann will work closely with you to create the kitchen or bath that works for you!

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PENDANTS Pendants have a practical application – good lighting is essential where we work, cook or read. But just because it needs to be functional doesn’t mean it can’t be stylish. “Accessory companies have really stepped up their game,” said Kathy Sorbe. “We’re seeing pendants that are functional, beautiful and very different from what you’d see in the lighting aisle of a big box store.” And these lights are leaving the kitchen island. Sorbe and her team install pendants in foyers and even master bedrooms, replacing lamps that can clutter bedside tables.

Interlude Menton writing desk, $3,000. COURTESY OF INTERLUDE HOME

WRITING DESKS Just because this desk is smaller doesn’t mean you’ll get any less work done. Originally conceived for a lady’s bedroom or study as a spot to pen letters, today writing desks are demonstrating their function all over the home. As our world becomes more wireless and paperless, these desks allow you to do more with less. Their size and variety make them an easy addition to any room.

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JANUARY 2016

HOME design

trends

Custom kitchen island, $2,200. COURTESY OF THE ELEMENTS

RECLAIMED MATERIALS Many designers and at-home DIYers are taking materials that may be tossed away and turning them into statement pieces that are one-of-a-kind. “This large kitchen island has a very European feel so you might be surprised to know this piece started out as the gym floor at a Mennonite school in South Dakota,” Sorbe said. “Reclaimed and re-purposed pieces add a story and some history to your space.”

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

MOTION PIECES These aren’t your grandpa’s recliners. Sleek and stylish, these pieces are substantial, but require zero clearance from your wall. No longer is motion furniture relegated to the middle of the room. Comfort and function create the foundation for this fully powered motion sofa from Moroni – perfect to curl up with your favorite book or settle in for a Netflix night. Moroni Ellie Motion love seat, $4,300. COURTESY OF MORONI DESIGN, INC.

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Siouxland Life

January 2016

YEAR OF CHANGE getting

organized

PREPARE EARLY FOR

TAX TIME TO AVOID HASSLES

Text by Dolly A. Butz | Photographs by Tim Hynds

RANDALL KRAMER HAS A few clients who come to his office packing a shoe box filled with paper receipts. Others bring nothing but their 1099 or W-2 forms. Kramer probes the latter group, asking how many work miles they put on their cars and how much they spent on food and entertainment while on the job. “I just try and pull all these pieces out of them,” he said. “I maintain that those who don’t keep good records, they lose more deductions than they think they’re going to get.” Kramer, a certified public accountant and owner of Kramer & Associates LLC, 4300 S. Lakeport St., strongly urges people to start preparing for tax season the year before. So, on Jan. 1, 2016, he recommends setting aside a file in which to store receipts relating to charitable contributions, health care costs and other expenses that are tax deductible. Also put you tax forms in there and mark the folder or envelope “important tax document enclosed.” “That way at the end of the year you’re not scrambling all over the place looking for information,” Kramer said. You could create a spreadsheet of your charitable deductions on your home computer or try one of the many budget and finance apps available. Free apps like iSpending and Pocket Expense, which can be downloaded in the iTunes store, allow you to keep an electronic record of expenses. “You have your entire world on your telephone. If you’re going that route, by all means back it up,” Kramer cautioned. “Be careful if you’re storing it all electronically. As tax season approaches, Kramer said a lot of tax preparers will send their clients a tax organizer. He said it’s a good idea at least to look at the organizer, which might appear intimidating to complete. That way they’ll notice any major life changes that may have taken place in the last year. “Don’t assume that the tax preparer knows that you added a member to your family. I’ve

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

had that happen a few times,” Kramer said. “Somehow another child comes up and all of a sudden it’s like, ‘We didn’t have that child last year.’ So we have to amend the return.” Kramer said day care expenses are sometimes overlooked. In order to receive a child and dependent care tax credit, income tax filers need their provider’s name, address and social security number, as well as how much they paid the provider. Another form to look out for this year, Kramer said, is form 1095, which became mandatory in the 2015 tax year. The tax forms were introduced as a result of the Affordable Care Act. The forms are 1095-A, 1095-B and 1095-C. People who don’t have health insurance have to pay a penalty. “The 1095 will tell us how much they paid for health insurance and if they had health insurance all 12 months of the year,” he said. “That’s how they determine if you get hit with a penalty.” Once you have all your information and forms in order, it’s time to make an appointment with your accountant. Kramer said you shouldn’t do that until the first week of February, but be sure to schedule the appointment before the first week in April. The deadline for filing federal income tax returns is April 18. Kramer said both spouses should be involved in the tax preparation process. He’s seen too many lose a husband or wife and not know what’s going with their finances. “I have some spouses that just come to the appointment to at least know who I am and what the conversation is. I really like that,” he said. Kramer said people should always look at their tax returns after they receive it from their preparer. He said most just want to sign it and leave. “I think people should look at their tax preparers as an adviser more so than somebody who just puts the numbers on the form,” he said.

Randall Kramer, a certified public accountant, talks about how to prepare for tax season at Kramer & Associates Certified Public Accountants in Sioux City.

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JANUARY 2016

ask a professional Q: My resolution this year is to get in shape/be healthy. What can I do to stick with my goal? A: Dr. Joel Pistello, DC

Many people make New Year’s resolutions each year, and that trend is unlikely to change in 2016. But if history is any guide, few people are likely to achieve their resolutions. So how can you make this year the year when your New Year’s resolution becomes a reality? Consider the following tips.

Don’t go it alone. One of the best ways to realize your New Year’s resolution is to enlist the help of a friend. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, then start going to the gym with your spouse or a friend who works out regularly. The buddy system can provide just the motivation you need, and having a friend there to offer support can help you stay focused on those days when your will to keep going starts to disappear. Be as specific as possible. Vague resolutions leave too much wiggle room, and that can compromise your ability to achieve your goal. Set specific goals with clear benchmarks so you can celebrate your progress as the year goes on. If your goal is to save ‘X’ amount of money in the next year, divide that number by 12 and aim to reach that smaller figure by the end of each month. Be realistic. Some people fail to achieve their resolutions because they simply set the bar too high. While it’s good to push yourself, don’t choose a resolution that’s unrealistic. If you do, you may quit early if you realize you aren’t making enough progress despite your putting forth your best efforts, or you might take an unhealthy approach in an attempt to circumvent some of the obstacles in your way. If your goal is to lose weight, speak with your physician first to determine a weight loss goal that is healthy and reasonable. Expect a few bumps in the road. En route to achieving your resolution, expect a few bumps in the road. Life is never entirely predictable, and there will be a few unforeseen events over the course of the year that may throw you off target. Anticipate and accept such obstacles so they don’t derail your efforts.

Call 276-4325 today for an appointment 3930 Stadium Drive. (Between Wal-Mart & Explorer Stadium)

January 2016

Siouxland Life

YEAR OF CHANGE life

coach

12 questions with a life coach to start the new year off right

FOR YEARS, FRIENDS AND family members have been going to Jan Smith for advice. She’s not only good at dishing it out. She’s had to make changes, too. She’s gone from stay-at-home mom to widow to late-life student and entrepreneur as the founder of Jan Smith Coaching & Counseling. And yet, even she acknowledges habits hard to change. Often it takes a jarring event to let go of an old way of life. For Smith, that time came 13 years ago when her husband died. After working various jobs (from bookkeeper to pharmacy technician), she followed a delayed dream. “If you’re in a room with me for more than 5 or 10 minutes, it’s like, tell me your story. What do you love? Who are you? What’s going on for you? This is who I am,” she said. “I just needed those little letters that say I can actually do this.” She became a fully licensed marriage and family therapist in Iowa last year and in Texas, where one of her sons lives, this past summer. Now that she has followed these steps herself, she’s officially helping others identify their strengths and set goals to create the life they want.

How is coaching different than counseling? Coaching is more forward-based. It’s more goal-oriented and focuses on what you want to do, how are we going to get you there and what are we going to get done. We’re not really going to talk so much about the narcissist in your background or that you were always picked on in school. We’re trying to get you to be able to move forward.

What kind of clients come to you for coaching? It’s really a broad spectrum of people because we’re all looking to do things, but the biggest thing is – they have to want to change.

Text by Ally Karsyn | Photographs by Tim Hynds

you willing to put into it? How much do you want it? And really build on all the things to make it happen. I would love to play the piano. I don’t want it enough to put in an hour a day practicing. That’s kind of the stuff we would start out with. How bad do you want this? Why do you want it? Because it’s exciting at the beginning and then it gets like, ugh, slogging. “Why” is what gets you through. You’ve got to figure out what your “what” is. What do you want? And then you’ve got to figure out the “why” because that’s the motor that keeps the car going. If you don’t know why you’re doing this, about halfway through you’re going to go, eh, it’s not worth the effort. And that’s where a lot of times people fail.

What’s the key to setting attainable goals? Life coach Jan Smith.

What seems to be the tipping point that makes someone pick up the phone and call you for coaching? The cliché is that when it hurts more to stay the same than it does to change. For a lot of people, it’s so much easier to stay doing what we know, what’s familiar. When we’re tired and busy, our knee-jerk reaction is to go with what’s happened. You almost need to have something that is changing that picture. It’s causing a big pain and they need to address it.

What happens during the initial life coaching session? We’ll talk beforehand to make sure we’re what we call a “good fit.” Then, we’re going to talk about when did this work for you? Have you ever accomplished this goal in the past? What are

You want to be specific. You want to make it so you will know when you’ve accomplished it. If you haven’t set the specific goal, you don’t get to rejoice in it. You don’t feel good about it. You don’t realize you can accomplish your goals. So you want it to be specific and measurable. Sometimes people go, I want to lose 20 pounds in three weeks. You’re not going to do that. You’re setting yourself up for failure. We do a lot of goals that are non-achievable. They’re discouraging. You’re better off not to do a goal than to do one that you’re just setting yourself up for failure. You also want it to be relevant. Do I really care about this? Is it really worth my time and effort?

We make decisions in our lives every day. Why would someone need a life coach? I always say, why did Michael Jordan need a coach? Did he not know how to play basketball by time he was 35? I’m

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YEAR OF CHANGE life

coach

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

pretty sure he did. But we need somebody else who has stepped outside. They can watch what we’re doing. They can give us some perspective. They can help us to have some different ways of doing things, to encourage us to try some new things.

How is a life coach different than, say, talking to a well-meaning spouse, parent or friend? Sometimes that can be all you need. It depends on that person. How much knowledge do they have? Are they willing to be honest with you? Sometimes they can be your best cheerleaders, your best encourager. But sometimes their perspective may not be as unbiased. Sometimes it’s nice to have a life coach to say, no, you’re kind of being a jerk. I’m not in that relationship like you are with your spouse. If you go away and leave me, it’s OK. A coach takes a little pressure off of those relationships. As your spouse or friend, I may know that you had a tough time growing up, etc. and I’m going to give you a certain path because of that. As your life coach, that’s not what you’re paying me for. You’re paying me to say, OK, that’s not helping you. What do you want to do about it?

What are some tips you would give to someone looking to make changes in his or her life, especially coming into the New Year? Most of us have been sold the bill of goods that if you start a new habit or new activity and if you can just hang on for 21 days, you’ll succeed. Most of us have gone, yeah, that didn’t really work for me so I must be defective. Something is wrong with me. It takes a lot longer for most things. One study showed that to just eat a piece of fruit every day at lunch or do 15 minutes of running, it took most people 66 days to get that to be a habit. But if you know it’s going to take 66 days, then you don’t get discouraged at 21. A lot of things took 254 days and the study found that it also depends on the person. Some people are just more habit-resistant. It takes them a longer time. It also depends on what the habit is. So give yourself that extra time. It’s going to take longer than 21 days. And you’re OK. You’re not a defective person because it didn’t get done in 21 days.

In your opinion, why do so many people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions? We feel like we should make them, which

means it isn’t something I really wanted to do. It’s just something I feel like I should do, especially the diet and exercise ones. Then, you’re not committed. It’s not achievable or it’s not specific enough. If I’m going to start being healthier, what does that mean? You’re going to workout. How many times a week? Get specific. If you’re going to workout three time a week and you do, then you get that encouragement.

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? I quit making resolutions years and years ago because I thought this is too depressing. Pick some stupid resolution. I’m going to lose 15 pounds in three weeks. Why would I want to do this to myself? Then I just feel bad about myself. My experience has been that in your life, at some point, you sort of come to that place where you’re ready to do something. It might be at New Year’s. It might be in August. If your motivation is really there, grab that energy. For some people it is New Year’s. Either way, make sure it’s something that you can succeed at so that you enjoy it, that you can be proud of it.

What changes can someone make for a happier, healthier life today? Give yourself permission to be who you are and be nice to yourself. We’re mean to ourselves. Speak to yourself the way that you would speak to your best friend or somebody you’ve met on the street because most of us would not say those kinds of things to them. When you do that, I think you can be more honest and real about what you really want in life instead of what everybody thinks you should be doing. And have some fun. We are really short on fun. I have a lot of clients – I’ve even gone to the point where I make up a little prescription pad and I write down, you need to have 30 minutes of fun this week. Literally, do it. You have to pick something right now. And you’re going to do that this week. Enjoy the things that you enjoy. Is there anything else you would like to add or say about making achievable goals? Write them down. You are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goal if you write it down. It’s really easy to forget it, ignore it, not commit to it. If it’s in the back of your head, it goes away. Keep your goals visible. That’s what the piece of paper is for. Keep it where you’re going to see it every day. Do everything you can do to make it easy to succeed. Sometimes we make our lives really hard and life is hard enough.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JANUARY 2016

YEAR OF CHANGE apps

to help

9 APPS TO HELP YOU KEEP YOUR NEW YEARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RESOLUTIONS Text by Ally Karsyn | Courtesy photographs

The Charity Miles app tracks distance and money raised for nonprofit organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Wounded Warrior Project.

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU, right? There’s something about turning the page on a calendar and putting a close on a chapter of your life that is oh so alluring, especially if it’s been a bad year. You think, you swear, you hope and pray, this year is going to be different. So you do the thing nearly half of Americans usually do: you make a New Year’s resolution. With the best intentions, you say goodbye to 2015. You vow to stay fit and healthy, lose weight, spend less and save more, get organized, travel, fall in love, do something for charity, enjoy life to the fullest. Only 8 percent of people are successful in achieving their goal. Over half abandon their resolutions after six months. If you’re serious about making a change in 2016, get some help from your smartphone. We’ve collected an assortment of apps that should make keeping your New Year’s resolutions a little easier. EAT BETTER WITH FOODUCATE When you’re grocery shopping, you can scan the barcode of packaged products to get a breakdown of nutritional facts and grading. From there, you can choose healthier alternatives. It throws up a red flag on foods containing an excess of sugar, trans fats, controversial food colorings and other questionable ingredients. For example, Nutella gets a D+, largely because it contains 21 grams of sugar per serving. Fooducate recommends Welch’s reduced sugar concord grape jelly or Earth’s Pride organic creamy peanut butter instead. The app also has a health tracker, which counts calories according to foods eaten and exercise. While the app is available for free, a premium account, costing $74.99 for a lifetime subscription, unlocks additional features. LOSE WEIGHT WITH LOSE IT! The personal app-based weight loss program allows users to track their eating and exercise habits, set reminders and alerts to prompt action and engage with other users to take part in challenges or share their weight loss journey socially. Lose It! calculates

a daily calorie intake according to your weight, height and target weight. It’s also made to sync with popular health and fitness devices like pedometers and workout apps. It is free. A premium account, which is $39.99 a year, unlocks additional features related to fitness, body measurements and nutrition.

STAY FIT WITH THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON OFFICIAL 7 MINUTE WORKOUT Don’t have time to hit the gym? This puts the gym in your pocket. You can work out anywhere there’s a floor, wall and chair. In addition to the original 7-minute workout which integrates fullbody resistance and cardio exercises, there are others ranging in difficulty from easy to hard. You can also create a custom workout and pick from different exercises that include planks, lunges, push-ups and squats. You’re also able to select the workout difficulty and time, ranging from 7 to 27 minutes. Once you’re ready, let the audio-visual instruction begin. ENJOY LIFE WITH HEADSPACE Headspace is a “gym membership for the mind.” And yes, like gym memberships, it isn’t free. This one is $12.95 per month. The app was set up by Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk and registered clinical mindfulness consultant. He guides users through meditations in a calm, soothing voice,

distinguished by a British accent. You can pick from different themed “packs” that focus on depression, self-esteem, stress, anxiety, sleep, pregnancy, generosity, relationships, change, appreciation, acceptance, creativity, focus, happiness and balance. And you change choose the session length – 10, 15 or 20 minutes. MANAGE MONEY WITH WALLY Finding ways to spend less and save more often top the list of most popular New Year’s resolutions. Get some help from Wally, a personal finance app that tracks and charts your expenses to provide a complete picture of where your money goes to help you set and achieve your financial goals. The InstaScan feature is supposed to eliminate tedious data entry. It’s designed to collect and store information from your purchases simply by taking a picture of the receipt. Unlike some other personal finance apps, like Mint, this one does not require access to bank accounts or credit cards to aggregate information. What you put in is what you get out. GET ORGANIZED WITH EVERNOTE Never lose another sticky note again. This free app allows you to take pictures of documents and Post-Its, making it easy to search and access difference pieces of paperwork from anywhere without physically toting them around. With a premium account,

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YEAR OF CHANGE apps

to help

you can turn business cards into contacts and connect on LinkedIn. Evernote Basic, which is free, also has an option to record audio, a useful feature for keeping track of everything from business meetings to class lectures. The best part about Evernote is that you can download the app onto your computer and it syncs with your phone.

to believe. Whether you’re looking to stay in a loft apartment for a night in New York, a Welsh castle for a week or a houseboat in Amsterdam for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities across more than 190 countries. Where will you go next?

DO SOMETHING GOOD WITH CHARITY MILES This app will do the body good – and the world too. While you exercise, Charity Miles tracks your distance and money raised for various nonprofit organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Wounded Warrior Project, Feeding America and She’s the First. Cyclists earn up to 10 cents per mile while walkers and runners earn up to 25 cents per mile, courtesy of corporate sponsors. Simply open the app, choose a charity and press start. TRAVEL MORE WITH AIRBNB Just ponder this for a moment, there are more than 1,400 castles listed on Airbnb, an online marketplace where hosts and travelers can list their space and discover unique accommodations

around the world. Some hosts may be renting out an extra room while others list entire homes and other types of lodging that you would have to see

“I am so glad my family physician recommended Hospice of Siouxland for my mom.”

FIND A DATE WITH HINGE The dating app claims to “Cut the clutter, the creeps and the games” by meeting someone the old-fashioned way: through your friends ... on Facebook. Hinge “hinges” on your online friends to find the love of your life. Matches could be your friends or friends of friends. The app only gives you a certain number of matches a day and they expire within 24 hours if you do not message them. In short, you better like (and trust) the company you keep – or you may need to find some new friends. There’s probably an app for that.

• Serving Siouxland for over 30 years • Community based non-profit. • Locally owned by: Mercy Medical Center Sioux City and UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s.

4300 Hamilton Blvd. • Sioux City, IA . • 712-233-4144 • 1-800-383-4545

Join us

59th Annual Siouxland Home Show

Feb. 25 - Feb. 28, 2016 • Thursday & Friday 1PM - 9PM • Saturday 11AM - 9PM • Sunday Noon - 5PM

sioux City Convention Center Visit us online at www.siouxlandhba.com for a complete list of members or e-mail us at hbasooland@siouxlan.net 3900 Stadium Dr., Sioux City, IA 712-255-3852 18

JANUARY 2016

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Holding back is a tHing of tHe past A new smile lets you bloom

If you’re uncomfortable with your teeth, you could be holding back who you really are. But Invisalign’s clear, custom-designed aligners can be an inconspicuous way to get a beautiful new smile. So check with an experienced Invisalign provider and let the real you bloom with a new smile.

Wheelock & Bursick Dentistry

4100 Morningside Ave. (Across From McDonald’s)

(712) 274-2038 or (800) 728-2038

New patients are welcomed!

Siouxland Life

January 2016

The weight room is a favorite hangout for Sioux City Musketeer Jacob Wilson.

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

YEAR OF CHANGE hockey

goals

MUSKETEER

WATCHES INTAKES YEAR-ROUND Text by Tim Gallagher | Photography by Justin Wan and Jim Lee

ROB FROST, THE STRENGTH and conditioning coach for the Sioux City Musketeers, says it’s not uncommon for hockey players to burn 1,000 calories or more during practice. Adding a weight-lifting session that day can easily burn another 500. What’s a growing United States Hockey League athlete to do? Jacob Wilson, an 18-year-old Musketeers defenseman, has actually gained weight this season, going from 175 pounds at the start of the campaign to 180 at this point. Interestingly, his weight gain through all the work has come about through a dietary adjustment he made last summer. “I’ve been able to gain weight this season because I dialed back on pasta this summer, and ate rice and chicken, simple, clean stuff. Then, when practice started and I could tell my energy level was lower, I started eating pasta and carbs.” Wilson supplements his pasta-friendly eating ways during the season with bread and protein shakes, plus vegetables and fruits. The upshot? He feels more energized and stronger, despite the rigors of a physical sport being played at a high level. “I eat five to six meals per day during the season,” he adds. “Breakfast, lunch and dinner portions are large, and I’ll have good-sized snacks in between each meal.” Musketeers players lift Monday through Wednesday and then take Thursday off, often letting their body regroup in advance of weekend games. As the end of the season approaches, Wilson and his teammates may see lifting and practice sessions grow shorter as the bumps and bruises accumulate. One item that’s often overlooked by both athletes and members of the general public? Sleep. “Sleep is underrated,” says Wilson, the son of Karen Wilson and David Wilson of St. Louis, Missouri. “I hope to get at least 8.5 to maybe 9 hours of sleep each night. You do notice when you’re lacking in sleep, especially later in the day.” His mother, who is into cross-fit training, makes sure Jacob is getting to bed earlier. She also advises him on his nutritional intake, something Frost and Coach Jay Varady also help oversee. “When you burn more calories than you take in, you’ll lose weight,” Frost says. “The main fuel source for our players are carbohydrates, which makes up 65 percent of their diet, and then proteins and fat are essential, but still just 15 to 20 percent of their diet.” Protein is essential for muscle regeneration and healing. Carbohydrates represent a player’s major fuel source. Occasionally, a player might work out after a game. That’s

Musketeers defenseman Jacob Wilson provides consistent, strong play in front of the net.

often the case if a player only gets limited minutes on the ice. It makes perfect sense. “If a guy plays 20 minutes of a 60-minute game, then a guy on your third or fourth line might only get 8-10 minutes,” Frost says. “The guy playing more burns more calories. Those players who don’t play as much might do more work after the game, or make up that cardio during the week.” There’s an art to this science, a complex web that covers a period from September through April. Teams have investments in these young men, and so do the young men. Wilson, for example, will go from Sioux City to Tempe, Arizona, where he’ll help Arizona State University get its hockey program on the ice. And, after that, Wilson has his body, his mind and his eyes on the ultimate prize. “I’d love to play in the NHL,” he says.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JANUARY 2016

Get Ready for the New Year!

January 2016

Siouxland Life

YEAR OF CHANGE building

on success

Sioux City field manager Steve Montgomery led the Explorers to the American Association’s best record during 2015.

X’S MANAGER LOOKS FORWARD TO A PROMISING 2016 Text by Tim Gallagher

| Photographs by Jim Lee

STEVE MONTGOMERY FINISHED A productive, if not eye-popping, 2015 by doing something he’d never done before. “This is my first Little Yellow Dog Auction,” Montgomery said while standing with hundreds of others at the Ho-Chunk Center in downtown Sioux City in mid-December, joined by his wife, Tana, and their children, Tephen and Aspen. The year was full of remarkable “firsts” for the tall Sioux City Explorers manager many have come to know as “Mongo.”

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YEAR OF CHANGE building

on success

The Explorers broke at least nine league records in 2015, a season that saw Montgomery direct the club to an astonishing 75-25 mark. The X’s established league standards in road victories (38), stolen bases (188) and limited the opposition to 301 earned runs, 344 total runs, 750 hits and a miniscule .228 batting average. Everything, it seemed, came up roses for the 41-year-old skipper, save for a loss to Laredo, Texas, in the league championship series. “Steve has done a tremendous job on the field and in our community from the day he was hired,” said John Roost, owner of the X’s, in announcing a nine-year contract extension for his manager. “The future of X’s baseball 24

JANUARY 2016

is as bright as ever, knowing Steve will continue to lead our franchise for another nine seasons.” “The people in this organization are phenomenal, top to bottom,” Montgomery added. “We have a lot of hardworking people who wear a number of hats. I like that; I like the small-market, small-town team.” The native of Mecca, Ohio, who now resides in Florida, pledges to do all he can in his own regard come 2016, making Sioux City a “mecca” of sorts for independent baseball. “As an organization and coaching staff we’re very hungry to get back to the playoffs,” Montgomery said. “We must make sure the guys stay hungry and committed to themselves and the team.”

SIOUXLAND LIFE

Montgomery has been committed to his craft, his sport, for as long as he can remember. His introduction into professional baseball came 22 years ago when the Kansas City Royals organization inked the 6-foot, 7-inch reliever to a contract and observed as he fashioned a 1.56 earned run average in 12 trips to the mound. Incredibly, he was released. The Johnstown Johnnies of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, then signed the pitcher and he made the most of it, yielding zero earned runs in 33 relief appearances. It led to a signing with the Baltimore Orioles and cemented his appreciation for the career “save” independent baseball gave him.

Sioux City’s Ryan Court is greeted by field manager Steve Montgomery as he rounds third after hitting a home run against St. Paul during baseball action Aug. 11. Montgomery was named manager of the year in the 13-team American Association in 2015.

Maybe that’s why, after stints with the Dodgers and Red Sox organizations, Montgomery landed in Fargo, North Dakota, and pitched for three seasons before staying on as pitching coach for a decade. He got his shot to manage in Sioux City two years ago and has since made the most of it. “There’s nothing like walking out that third base dugout and seeing the stands filled,” he said. Beyond the organizational support, “Mongo” credits his wife for heading up the household year-round. Pro baseball, after all, is a grueling occupation for families tied to runs, hits, errors and incessant travel. “Tana is the real manager of the

year,” said Montgomery, who was named manager of the year in the 13team American Association in 2015. “For family life, baseball can be hard,” he said. “You give up precious time that you could be spending with your family and you give it to the game. It’s not the ideal thing, but it’s what I know. “I’m fortunate to have a strong wife who has been able to become what you’d consider a ‘single mother’ for five months each year,” he added. It is Tana, he said, who devotes so much of her time in getting Tephen and Aspen to their school and club commitments. Fortunately, for the X’s skipper, he gets to reside at “home” for seven months per year, and makes the

most of it by helping coach Tephen’s baseball team and Aspen’s soccer squad. Once a manager, always a manager, perhaps. Montgomery laughed about it. “I’m very lucky on that aspect as sports are year-round down in Florida,” he said. “For seven months, I get to attend and help coach my son’s baseball team and my daughter’s soccer team. “Even though I don’t know anything about soccer.” This summer, he said, look for the young Montgomery children to join Dad in the dugout for a week, if not two. If their presence coincides with a winning streak by the X’s, all the better.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JANUARY 2016

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January 2016

Siouxland Life

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YEAR OF CHANGE determination

Emily Kay, a senior basketball player at Briar Cliff University, exercises at the McCoy Arnold Center in Sioux City. Kay works out three times per week during the basketball season and four times per week during the off-season.

CHARGER’S CHARGE: DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE GYM

Emily Kay says to start small, start slow

EMILY KAY WON’T HEAR of the excuses. Too tired? Too busy? Too intimidated? Too old? When it comes to getting up off the couch and into an active swing, the diminutive Briar Cliff University Charger basketball player only knows one way:

Text by Tim Gallagher | Photographs by Justin Wan

Encouragement. She probably comes by it honestly. Her grandmother, Mary “Peg” Kay, of Wilmot, South Dakota, turned 97 in July. She celebrated by breaking a world record for the 100-meter dash for those in the 95to 99-year-old age bracket at the National Senior Olympic Games. “Grandma also did the 50-meter dash and threw the shot put and the discus,” Emily Kay says. “Grandma

walks every day.” It leads Kay to say, “You shouldn’t have an excuse. Everyone can work out.” Kay, a kinesiology and human performance major who will graduate in May, played basketball and volleyball and participated in track and cross country during her prep playing days in Warner. She also sang alto in the choir and played trumpet in the band. Following a two-year regimen of

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YEAR OF CHANGE determination

academics and basketball at Briar Cliff, the daughter of Donneley and LaRita Kay joined the Chargers program. She didn’t play an overload of minutes as a junior. Patience, though, was a virtue as she logged her most important time on the court in the 2015 national tournament, where Coach Mike Power’s team, one of the last chosen for the 32-team field, upset a pair of ranked foes, including undefeated Davenport University, to crash the Final Four party. Kay was a key contributor. She remains one this year, no matter how much she’s on the court. “I’m a role player,” she says. “My job is to get the team motivated and to work hard in practice. When I play, my job is to shoot over a zone or be a ball-handler in a press situation.” The Chargers closed the first semester with a No. 4 national ranking. Though she’s not racing up and down the court repeatedly every Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon in Great Plains Athletic Conference contests, Kay stays ready by lifting twice during each week and once on Sunday. She lifts weights Monday through Thursday during the off-season and then runs and shoots baskets on her own. “During high school, I’d go to the gym nearly every night and sometimes I’d stay there until 11 p.m. or 12:30 a.m., shooting as my dad rebounded,” she says. “For me, it was a stress reliever. It’s fun to get in a gym and get lost in your thoughts, just you and the ball.” Her dedication continues at the collegiate level. Following an early-season loss at Northwestern College, Kay stepped off the bus and into the Newman-Flanagan Center at BCU. She shot baskets that night until late, working off the frustration of shooting an air ball in the Chargers’ loss that night at NWC. Beyond the shooting touch, Kay has learned to monitor her diet closely. It’s a delicate balance between gaining and losing weight during a season, one she achieves by consuming the appropriate amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and calories in what amounts to three square meals and three big snacks per day. Kay has been fascinated with her work alongside Dr. Andrew Shim, of Briar Cliff in the kinesiolgy department. The university has added a “Bod Pod” to measure muscle mass, weight and body-fat percentage among athletes. Red flags may go up during a season if a player’s body fat percentage drops below a certain level. These are the kinds of lessons for one’s physical and mental well-being 28

JANUARY 2016

Emily Kay says one key to working out is to not be intimidated by the weight-room environment.

Kay works out three times per week during the Chargers’ basketball season.

that Kay may carry on in her future work or education. She strives to help others through service and by aiding them in tapping their potential. “I may try to get my master’s degree, or I may work first,” she says. “I liked my work in outpatient rehab; I also liked the fast pace of the hospital. And, I like working both with kids and seniors in a nursing home, as both sets are thankful to be helped.” She also learned much in an internship with Shim, aiding in his work with non-pedal bicycles fit for those with autism. Has she any advice for members of the general public, those who don’t shoot threes and weave through press schemes

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in gyms across the Great Plains Athletic Conference? “Do not be intimidated,” she says, her way of keeping it simple. “Don’t work your hardest early on the process. Start slow and build up your confidence.” Kay advises folks to head to a local gym and circulate. Some of the most helpful and positive people in our community can be found working out, trying to make themselves – and others – the best they can be. “Working out helps with stress, mentally and emotionally,” the Charger senior says, just minutes before a lifting session. “It can help in disease prevention and it can boost your immune system, all which help you in the future.”

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After the 100* are gone, test kits will be available for $7. Pick up yours at the Siouxland District Health Department Offices at 1014 Nebraska Street, Sioux City Between 8:00a.m. – 4:30p.m. M-F. • Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. • Iowa has the nation's highest percentage of homes with elevated radon levels. • Radon is found in the ground under homes both old and new. Kits can also be purchased in many hardware stores or by calling the Iowa Radon Hotline at 800-383-5992. *First 100 kits limit 2 per person

Siouxland Life

January 2016

YEAR OF CHANGE get

outside

Trevor Anderson, 6, of Stillwater, Minn., gathers sticks during a shelter-building activity at Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center in Sioux City. Participants had to gather twigs, leaves and other abandoned pieces of wood to help build a makeshift survival tent.

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T HIBERNATE, RECREATE! 30

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

Ways to stay active when it’s cold outside

SCALE WALLS LIKE SPIDER-MAN Does your family have you climbing the wall? Relax and head over to the Long Lines Family Rec Center, 401 Gordon Drive, and reserve a time on their rock wall. In addition, individual courts and batting cages may also be rented. Call 712-279-6126 for details.

Text by Earl Horlyk | Photographs by Dawn J. Sagert

THERE’S NOTHING MORE exhilarating than a hike in the woods in the wintertime, according to Dawn Snyder, Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center education program director. “I love being outdoors in general,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re snowshoeing, hiking or bird-watching, the best way to get rid of cabin fever is get out of the house in the winter.” Eric Griffith, Sioux City parks and recreation supervisor, shares the same sentiment. “I don’t like being cooped up since there’s so much to do in the wintertime,” he said. “If nothing else, I love going on a nature hike when it’s cold outside.” And where are the best trails in the city? According to Griffith, he thinks they’re actually inside municipal cemeteries. “They’re always well-maintained, peaceful and you never have to fight the crowds,” he said. “Cemeteries are an underutilized part of our parks department.” If cemeteries are a bit too macabre for your tastes, Griffith said any of Sioux City’s parks provide a picturesque backdrop for people wanting a little cold-weather activity. Just be patient following a big snowfall. “Our snowplows have designated snow routes that they have to follow,” Griffith explained. “It may take a day or two before the parks are plowed, but it will get done.” Areas that benefit from snowfall are the hills surrounding Grandview and Sertoma Parks, which are great destinations for sledding. Likewise, the tubing hill at Hillview Recreation Area (one mile north of Hinton, Iowa) and the cross country skiing trail at Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve (located two miles southwest of McCook Lake, South Dakota, off of I-29) provide plenty of fun for adrenaline junkies. On the other hand, Snyder said the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center can be more serene. “Many people prefer to rent a pair of snowshoes and just experience the nature at Stone State Park,” she said, adding that snowshoes may be rented for $6 a day or $10 for the weekend. “Some people may simply like to watch wildlife from the windows of our Nature Center.” “It’s warm in here and you’ll see deer,

WINTER FUN

ICE, ICE, BABY The IBP Ice Center, 3808 Stadium Drive, is a cool destination for ice skaters of all ages. Public skating times are from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Birthday party packages are also available. For more info, call 712-279-4880

Erica Jurgensen, right, a student and member of the University of South Dakota organization Climb USD, scales the rock wall while fellow student Brad Zwart, left, anchors her at Long Lines Rec Center.

turkey and all sort of birds,” Snyder said from her Nature Center office at 4500 Sioux River Road. Griffith has other ideas when it comes to indoor winter excitement. Indeed, his mind turns to the 50-foot-tall climbing wall as well as the sports courts available for rent at the Long Lines Family Rec Center, 401 Gordon Drive, or the public skate times at the IBP Ice Center, 3808 Stadium Drive. “I know plenty of people use our facilities for children’s birthday parties,” he said. “The kids can get exercise while climbing the rock wall while the parents sit back and watch.” “That sounds like a good way to beat cabin fever to me,” Griffith said with a smile. Indeed, any indoor or outdoor activity is fine by Snyder, who simply encourages people to spend time enjoying nature. “I always say winter isn’t the time to hibernate,” she said. “Instead, you should recreate.”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re snowshoeing, hiking or bird-watching, the best way to get rid of cabin fever is get out of the house in the winter.”

NATURE INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS Any number of deer, turkey and wildlife creatures can be spotted in and around the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4500 Sioux River Road. In addition, the facilities offer snowshoe rentals, nature trails and a variety of programs and classes for kids and adults. To register for events, call 712-2580838. INDULGE YOUR INNER SKI BUM Adams Homestead & Nature Preserves (located two miles southwest of McCook Lake, South Dakota) allow ski equipment rental from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Weekend rental of skis, boots and poles must be picked up on Friday and returned on Monday. Call 605232-0873 for details. GOING TUBULAR Hillview Recreation Area (one mile north of Hinton, Iowa) will be open weekend afternoons between now and the end of February, provided there is sufficient snow. Private rentals are available at two-hour increments on weeknights. for more information, call 712-9474271.

ERIC GRIFFITH, SIOUX CITY PARKS AND RECREATION SUPERVISOR

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JANUARY 2016

January 2016

Siouxland Life

YEAR OF CHANGE iowa

caucus fun

YOU CAN GET IT

MARCO POLO SHIRT, JEB BUSH GUACA BOWLE

f Most of Sanders’ store is filled with “Feel the Bern” coffee mugs and yard signs. Then there’s this. From store.berniesanders.com. These are likely for campaign events and rallies, but they’d probably be fun to take anywhere. The best part? They come in packs of 12 so you can share. From store. randpaul. com.

Simple and to the point, but we kind of feel like we’ve heard this slogan already. From store.mikehuckabee.com.

Text by Bret Hayworth

For those who like a 2016 presidential candidate, a mere campaign button or bumper sticker is beyond passe. Why go old school when a whole series of campaign swag can be bought online? With the campaign merchandise race escalating in a field of 16 candidates running in December, a host of new options give incredible selections that trump, or Trump, an “I Like Ike” button. Logos are plopped on canvas tote bags and scarves for pet dogs are available. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has “Chillary” can koozies and a T-shirt with an image of her infamous pantsuit. Among Republicans, Jeb Bush has a guacamole bowl, or more precisely, guaca bowle. Marco Rubio has polo shirts called — wait for it — Marco Polos. And Donald Trump has a hat. Yes, the red hat that became a phenomenon after mega-mogul Trump wore it on the campaign trail. The plain hat with plain writing of his campaign slogan, “Make America great again, ” has become a staple of his attire when stumping, and for which some Twitter parody accounts have been created. As a form of free advertising, campaigns love anything that displays the candidate’s name for many to see. The items are not sold to fill campaign coffers, but to show support as media members zero in on crowds nationwide, including in Iowa in the run-up to the Feb. 1, 2016 caucuses that are the first contest in the presidential nominee selection process. “It’s a buy-in on the campaign,” said University of Iowa Political Science Professor Tim Hagle. “The fact you’re buying into that sort of commits you in a way other things might not.” Brad Anderson, who was the Iowa director for President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, said campaign merchandise now often matches the candidate’s personality, with that element first taking off in 2008, when Obama was first elected. Anderson said he sees that in the 2016 campaign, noting Trump’s hat and some of Clinton’s merchandise, which he described as stylish. Of course, some of the 2016 merchandise is similar regardless of the candidate, with logos affixed on T-shirts, coffee mugs, buttons and signs. Then there are those who get creative, with some of the most notable on the next pages. — Erin Murphy contributed to this story.

From store.tedcruz.org.

Because dogs have political affiliations, too. And he’s not alone – nearly every campaign shop has dog and baby clothing. From shop.donaldjtrump.com.

Proof that Hillary is really playing up the idea of a female president. From shop.hillaryclinton.com.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JANUARY 2016

YEAR OF CHANGE iowa

caucus fun

JEB BUSH’S GUACA BOWLE What it is: A guacamole bowl. Cost: $75 Bush on the campaign trail has talked about his family’s “Sunday fun days,” when he and his wife, Columba, will make guacamole for their grandchildren. The Bush campaign website jokingly says the family guacamole recipe is “not included … yet.”

MARCO RUBIO’S MARCO POLO What it is: A polo shirt. Cost: $45-$48 The item itself is not terribly innovative. It’s just a plain polo shirt with the campaign logo, but the word play makes it noteworthy.

JANUARY 2016

SIOUXLAND LIFE

DONALD TRUMP’S HAT What it is: A hat with the campaign slogan “Make America great again” printed on the front. Cost: $25 When Trump started making appearances wearing the hat, social media buzzed. It is not common for a presidential candidate to wear a baseball-style hat on the campaign trail. The Trump campaign store offers the hat in multiple colors and styles.

RAND PAUL’S HILLARY HARD DRIVE WITH WIPING CLOTH What it is: A faux email server. Cost: $60 The Rand Paul campaign has a pointed sense of humor. The Paul campaign offers this item, taking advantage of questions surrounding Clinton’s use of a private email server during her time as U.S. Secretary of State. The email server — presumably it is not real and just a decoration — comes with a “wiping cloth,” again poking fun at Clinton and questions about whether she wiped many emails off her server. The Paul store’s server is adorned with a sticker that says “Hillary’s hard drive” and the warning “Heavy use, now perfectly clean.”

This is so you don’t ruin your clothes while making all that guac in your new “bowle.” From jeb2016.com.

HILLARY CLINTON’S EVERYDAY PANTSUIT TEE What it is: A T-shirt with a printed image of a pantsuit. Cost: $30 Clinton has become known, particularly in satirical circles, for wearing pantsuits. (Watch the next time she is parodied on “Saturday Night Live,” as it is a virtual guarantee the impersonator will be wearing a pantsuit.) Clinton’s campaign said the pantsuit tee has been one of the merchandise store’s best sellers.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JANUARY 2016

YEAR OF CHANGE

new tastes

Gastropub Grub LOCAL INGREDIENTS ELEVATE MAIN + ABBEY SIGNATURE DISHES

Chef Keith Wittrock is shown with a cheese board at Main + Abbey in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Wittrock says he sees the trend of using local and regional foods and beers in restaurant cooking to continue in 2016.

JANUARY 2016

SIOUXLAND LIFE

Text by Earl Horlyk | Photographs by Tim Hynds

Keith Wittrock likes to stay on the culinary cutting edge. After all, the executive chef at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Main + Abbey needs to stay abreast of all the national restaurant trends. “The Midwest has its fair share of ‘foodies,’” Wittrock said. “It’s my job to dazzle those people who live and breathe food.” This is why Wittrock wants to turn Main + Abbey’s cuisine into “the ultimate gastropub experience.” “People love the concept of a neighborhood pub, but they still want outstanding food,” he reasoned. “At Main + Abbey, we want to give our guests an unpretentious atmosphere and plenty of signaDETAILS ture dishes.” What: Main + Abbey Many of Main Where: Hard Rock + Abbeys most Hotel & Casino, 111 popular meals Third St. are loaded with When: 4 to 9 p.m. local ingredients. Sunday through “That’s one Thursday; 4 to 10 of those ‘buzz’ p.m. Friday and words you alSaturday ways hear but Phone: 712-266-7610 it makes a huge difference,” Wittrock offered. “In the Heartland, you’ve got to take advantage of local products.” For instance, Main + Abbey’s popular Walleye Fish and Chips is made with Midwest-caught walleye that has a batter made from a beer made in West Okoboji, Iowa. “I started my career working in an Irish pub,” Wittrock, a Le Cordon Bleu Minneapolis graduate, explained. “So the fish and chips is one of my favorites.” Keeping with the bar theme, Wittrock utilizes Iowa and Nebraska beers in many of Main + Abbey’s dishes, including a pan-seared salmon that uses a Nebraska Brewing Co. Black Betty Stout glaze. “Chefs now cook with beer like they’d cook with wine,” he said. “Beer is a very versatile ingredient for food.” So is cheese, and Wittrock is sure to include many locally made products onto his gastropub’s cheese board platter. Cutting up pieces of Maytag blue cheese from Newton, Iowa, he said it pairs perfectly with a decadent black truffle-infused honey. This push to go local is part of Wittrock’s overall strategy for Main + Abbey. “The Hard Rock brings in customers from across the country and around the world,” he said. “I want to showcase the

A cheese board featuring Maytag blue cheese from Newton, Iowa, and a black truffle-infused honey are shown at Main + Abbey in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Chef Keith Wittrock says he see the trend of using local and regional foods and beers in restaurant cooking to continue in 2016.

best food and the best products that the Midwest has to offer.” This is nice for out-of-towners, but it also gives locals a sense of pride. “I like introducing people to locally made products they might not have heard about,” Wittrock said. “There’s plenty of great food from small Midwestern businesses that should be sampled.” Sitting in Main + Abbey’s dining room prior to opening, Wittrock said the restaurant industry has changed greatly

over the years. “People expect more because they’re more knowledgeable about their food,” he said. “The Internet and the Food Network have introduced a new generation of ‘foodie’ to the culture.” That makes the future both challenging and fun for Wittrock. “I live and breathe food for a living,” he said. “It’s fun to be cooking for diners who live and breathe food just for enjoyment.”

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JANUARY 2016

YEAR OF CHANGE entertainment

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS:

COMPETITION IS HEATING UP FOR SIOUX CITY’S ENTERTAINMENT DOLLAR Text by Earl Horlyk | Photograph by Tim Hynds

ENTERING HARD ROCK HOTEL & Casino’s 800-seat Anthem theater hours before a weekly Wednesday Comedy Night, Brad Streeter checks his cellphone for messages. “Our comedy nights have turned out to be one of our most popular series,” Hard Rock’s entertainment manager said, walking up to the stage. “We’re lucky that Omaha has a pretty good comedy club circuit and national comics will perform here prior to or after their shows down there.” Streeter calls this practice “routing” – when a name performer will pick up a

JANUARY 2016

Sioux City engagement while performing elsewhere in the Midwest. “Things are changing, but Sioux City still isn’t a destination place for many entertainers,” he explained. Erika Newton understands where Streeter is coming from. Newton, executive director of Sioux City’s Events Facilities Department, books the acts that will be appearing at both the 2,500-seat Orpheum Theatre as well as the 8,500-seat Tyson Events Center. “People always ask me why don’t you book Katy Perry into the Tyson?” she

SIOUXLAND LIFE

Aranda, which opened for Seether and 3 Doors Down at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Battery Park outdoor venue, performs July 11, 2015. The Hard Rock expanded and improved its former outdoor space, The Backyard, for its summer concert series in 2015.

said. “Well, Katy Perry won’t play in an arena that seats 8,500 people.” Indeed, Newton regularly competes for the same name acts as larger arenas in Sioux Falls, Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. “We continue to book shows, create partnerships and talk to promoters who are willing and able to bring content to Sioux City,” she said. “The market has never been more competitive.” Streeter said Hard Rock’s brand name has helped him bring rock acts into the intimate Anthem or Battery Park, an outdoor space that holds up to 3,200 people. But it doesn’t have cachet for more country or pop-oriented entertainers. “Hard Rock is a great venue for hard rockers or classic rock bands,” he said, “but all kinds of genres have sold out here.” Streeter, 34, began his career as an Omaha-based independent promoter when he was 21. “When I moved to Sioux City, I knew I wanted to bring more diversity to the shows I booked,” he said. “So far, the entire community has really embraced the concept.” While Streeter has concentrated on the usual genres – blues, rock and country – he’d like to try booking indie bands or, even, electronic dance music. “Sioux City’s a much smaller market than Omaha or Sioux Falls,” he said. “That’s why I’m looking for bands that have never played here before or the emerging young artist who is ready to hit.” “I want them to see the next big thing at Hard Rock,” Streeter said. When working with promoters, Newton often directs their artists to the more intimate Orpheum as opposed to the larger Tyson. “For instance, the Avett Brothers (who appeared at the Orpheum in November) work better in a smaller venue,” she explained, “while a big-name country act plays better at the Tyson.” Like Streeter, Newton said she’d like to change artists’ perception of Sioux City. “Sioux City is thought to be a ‘country’ town because country acts do well here,” she admitted. “Rock acts tend to be harder to book because the rock audiences tend to be more fragmented than country.” Still, Newton is conscious of oversaturating a market with a particular type of music. “I’d hate to book back-to-back country acts or back-to-back classic rock

TIM HYNDS, SIOUX CITY JOURNAL

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino entertainment manager Brad Streeter said he wants to book a more musically-diverse line-up of performers to play at The Anthem and Battery Park in 2016.

Scott Avett of the Avett Brothers performed at Orpheum Theatre. The critically-acclaimed band is an example of the type of group that does well at the more intimate, 2,500-seat Orpheum Theatre, according to Sioux City Events Facilities Department executive director Erika Newton.

acts,” she said. “Whenever possible, I want to try something different.” Which is the same game plan that Streeter has for Hard Rock acts. “I don’t want to book the same band twice in a calendar year,” he said. “Our

philosophy is to book artists that can touch anybody and everybody. You can’t do that when you’re booking the same kinds of acts all the time.” In 2016, Streeter wants to book more local acts. “I loved booking Deep Purple (a classic rock band that once featured the late Sioux Cityan Tommy Bolin) for Battery Park last summer,” he said. “That shows that Sioux City is a terrific music town.” Newton also acknowledged the race for the entertainment dollar has expanded greatly. “Research shows that most people will splurge on one big concert a year,” she said. “If they’re splurging, we want them to splurge at the Tyson or the Orpheum.” Which means Newton needs to book a good variety of acts that draw in the biggest number of people. Still, that doesn’t mean she can’t dream. “My ultimate dream act would be Neil Young playing the Orpheum,” she said. Newton’s dream act for the Tyson Events Center actually came true when heavy metal band Motley Crue played the facilities in 2014. According to Streeter, his dream acts for Sioux City’s Hard Rock would be either Prince or the Foo Fighters. “There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big,” he said with a smile.

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JANUARY 2016

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January 2016

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YEAR OF CHANGE winter

games

RUSS OECHSLIN, JOURNAL CORRESPONDENT

University of Okoboji Winter Games broomball contests were moved from the thin ice of West Lake Okoboji in 2015 to the Green Space at Preservation Plaza at Arnolds Park. The Fighting Halibuts face off against Kringer Construction in this photo.

WINTER GAMES NEED ... WINTER

Text by Tim Gallagher

IN 36 YEARS OF the University of Okoboji Winter Games, officials have seen it all. Except this: Never in back-to-back years, have the Winter Games moved off Smith’s Bay because of thin ice. Officials are preparing for that possibility as the 2016 Winter Games approach. A number of activities in the 2015 Winter Games moved due to a lack of thick ice. The same may happen again. “It’s a bummer, initially,” said Greta Gruys, co-chair of the University of Okoboji Winter Games. “I’m on the optimistic side, thinking maybe this can still happen. I remember thinking

back in July and hoping for snow. Now, I’m hoping for ice.” A prolonged cold spell in Dickinson County could, repeat COULD, get West Lake Okoboji and Smith’s Bay the ice thickness required to support thousands of people playing atop that surface come Jan. 28-31, as the 36th edition unfolds. As of mid-December, though, waters remained wide open, paving the way for a planned Christmas Eve voyage of the Queen II, something that hadn’t happened since 2001. Fortunately, officials with the Winter Games have experience with both cold and warm weather.

PROVIDED

Greta Gruys and Nick Stauss serve as co-chair and chair of the 36th Annual University of Okoboji Winter Games, which take place Jan. 28-31, 2016. Stauss served as a cochair in 2015. Gruys will serve as chair in 2017.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JANUARY 2016

YEAR OF CHANGE winter

games

TIM GALLAGHER

Mugs promoting the popular Chili Cook-Off, a staple of the University of Okoboji Winter Games, are shown at the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum in 2015. The 36th Annual University of Okoboji Winter Games will be held Jan. 29-31.

“The Games go on; we get creative and find locations,” Gruys said, noting that the safety of participants and spectators represents the top priority. “Jen Johnson-Ross (program director at the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce) and her staff FOR INFO are great at finding opFor informaportunities for places tion and a to have our activities.” schedule of A number of those events at the activities take place 36th Annual indoors, anyway, as University the four-day frolic of Okoboji (that’s also a first Winter – four days of fun, Games, see which begin with a www.uofowhalf-dozen activiintergames. ties the night of Jan. com, or call 28) features a host of (712) 332events like chess, the 2107. REMAX Lakes Realty Chili cook-Off, the Chocolate Classic & Galleria and more. “Several thousand attend the chili cook-off alone,” Johnson-Ross said. “And in the Chocolate Classic, we had 7,000 pieces of chocolate and dessert that were sold in an hour.” Staples like broomball,

HomeownersHip remains a Key part of tHe american Dream There’s been a lot of talk in the news lately about Millennials delaying marriage, kids and homeownership. So it would be easy to think that perhaps the traditional American dream of owning home is slowly dying. In fact, the opposite is true: Research shows that homeownership remains a goal for the vast majority of American renters. A recent survey by Freddie Mac revealed that 91% of renters believe homeownership is something of which to be proud. And, younger renters are making plans to buy homes in the near future. In fact, nearly half of renters in the 25-to-34 age bracket – and nearly 60% of renters ages 35 to 44 – indicate that they plan to buy a home in the next three years.

Benefits of Homeownership These would-be buyers recognize the many benefits to homeownership, including the fact that homeownership is a primary source of net worth for many Americans, and is an important step in accumulating personal financial assets over the long term. In fact, 90% of the survey respondents said that being able to pass their home on to their children is one of the top three benefits of homeownership. Although property values have declined in many markets, Americans have more

JANUARY 2016

than $10.8 trillion of equity in their homes, and for most families, home equity represents the largest share of net worth.

Overcoming Obstacles to Homeownership Qualifying for a mortgage and saving up for a downpayment remain primary obstacles to homeownership. To help address these concerns, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) – recently announced new low-down payment mortgage programs geared primarily toward the first-time home buyer market. These lenders will now offer mortgages with 3% down payments, allowing more creditworthy borrowers who lack the funds for a large down payment to obtain a home mortgage.

let financial reasons influence their house choice, while older generations consider the right size most often. And the homes Millennials buy are smaller, older and less expensive than homes bought by older generations. That’s not surprising, since Millennials also are more likely than older generations to finance home purchases through current income than accumulated wealth, according to the NAHB analysis of the 2013 American Housing Survey. So, while Millennials may be taking a little longer than previous generations to reach some of these traditional milestones, their goal of building their own American Dream remains strong. Learn more about the benefits of homeownership at nahb.org/forconsumers.

To ensure that the financing process goes smoothly, buyers should consider pre-qualifying for a mortgage and having a financing commitment in place before shopping for a new home. Buyers also may find that some home builders have arranged favorable financing for their customers or offer financial incentives. Recent analysis by the National Association of Todd Home Builders reveals that financial concerns Hagaman remain front of mind for many first-time home President buyers. In fact, Millennial home buyers – those Todd Hagaman in the 18-to-33 age bracket – are more likely to Construction

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RUSS OECHSLIN, JOURNAL CORRESPONDENT

Eric Benson, right, of Aberdeen, South Dakota, was one of 18 participants in the Creative Spirits snowman painting contest at the 35th annual University of Okoboji Winter Games in Okoboji, Iowa, during 2015. Nancy Radcliffe, of Creative Spirits, shows the original painting the participants were copying.

snowball-softball and the Polar Plunge will move if Mother Nature necessitates it. Doing so doesn’t diminish the enjoyment, much of which takes place in the shadow of The Legend, Arnold Park Amusement Park’s storied wooden roller coaster. “We’ll pull a lot of those events into Arnolds Park,” Johnson-Ross said. “And there were be people there working on food events all day, and the craft brew. And that night, Judd Hoos is to perform in the Roof Garden, which is now heated and has air conditioning.” Yes, regardless of what Mother

Nature throws at the crew, the Winter Games go on. “My earliest and most vivid memories of the Winter Games involve the lighting of the greens and the fireworks extravaganza,” said Gruys, a Spirit Lake native who headed off to college and returned to her hometown as a young parent herself a few years ago. Gruys said it took all of a few seconds to agree to serve as co-chair this year, in support of Nick Stauss, who serves as chair. Gruys will head up the event in 2017, putting her in the pilot’s chair as thousands of people converge

on Dickinson County in late January to fight off their cabin fever. “There is such a spirit to the Iowa Great Lakes community,” she said, explaining a constant she’s seen spanning decades in and around Dickinson County. “There’s such a willingness for people to step up and volunteer. People are really proud to call this area their home. The people and businesses here lend themselves to make this a great place.” And, this University of Okoboji Winter Games, a great event. With or without Old Man Winter.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JANUARY 2016

YEAR OF CHANGE health

care

CEO: VIRTUAL CARE, CARE COORDINATION TO DOMINATE HEALTH CARE IN 2016

Text by Dolly A. Butz Photography by Justin Wan

JUSTIN WAN, SIOUX CITY JOURNAL

Lynn Wold, chief executive officer at UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s.

JANUARY 2016

SIOUXLAND LIFE

EXPECT TO RECEIVE MORE phone calls from your primary physician’s office in 2016. Lynn Wold, president and CEO, of UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s, said providers need to take care of all a patient’s needs from A to Z in order to receive reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). “I don’t think there’s anything earth-shattering coming forward,” he said of health care in the New Year. “Going “It’s really fine tuning this process of forward, care coordination and value-based we measure purchasing in health care.” success For years, CMS reimbursed providby how ers based on the well we number of visits and tests they orare caring dered. That model is known as feefor these for-service. Times are changing. CMS groups of is now shifting to a value-based patients.” payment system, LYNN WOLD, where providers are CEO AT reimbursed based UNITYPOINT on the value of care they provide. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has set a goal of tying 30 percent of Medicare fee-forservice payments to quality or value through alternative payment models by 2016 and 50 percent by 2018. “Theoretically, the more volume you do, the more successful you are. That’s kind of the old-school measure. We’d measure admissions, surgical procedures, lab tests, clinic visits,” Wold said. “Going forward, we measure success by how well we are caring for these groups of patients.”

Are patients managing their diabetes or high blood pressure? Are they coming in for checkups every three months if needed? These are the kinds of questions, Wold said providers have to be asking themselves. “If the patient is non-compliant, that’s our risk,” he said. Care coordinators play an important part in health care reform. They work closely with primary care providers and patients with the goal of helping the patient better understand their condition and ensure that they receive the care that they need. Coordinating patient-care services reduces costs by keeping people with chronic conditions out of the emergency room. “What we’re trying to prevent is them to have an acute episode because they missed their routine checkup,” Wold said. Home care providers, Wold said, also play an important role in preventing hospital readmissions. Medicare covers the cost of home care services for people who are homebound or those who have difficulty leaving their residences safely. Studies show that nearly half of all hospitalizations involving seniors can be prevented. Home care aides can assess a patient’s risk for falls and devise a plan to prevent them through physical therapy or home modifications. MORE VIRTUAL VISITS Wold expects the use of virtual health care services, which many companies introduced patients to this fall, will grow in the next year. On June 2, UnityPoint Health launched Virtual Care, in collaboration with MDLIVE, the nation’s largest network of board-certified telehealth doctors. Virtual Care allows patients over the age of 3 to connect with a physician anytime, anywhere for a doctor’s visit by phone or secure online video. The service is designed for patients with minor illnesses, such as ear infections, cold and flu, rashes, sore throats, headaches, allergies and urinary tract infections. For $49, a patient can obtain a diagnosis and prescription from a physician via computer or smartphone. You don’t have to be a UnityPoint Clinic patient to use the service. “That’s something that’s very relevant and will continue to grow,” he said.

Chad Markham, UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s senior vice president of physician services and network development, accesses Virtual Care on his smartphone. The service, which gives patients 24/7 access to physicians though video chat and phone, debuted on June 2.

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ADVICE Medical

Answers

WHY ARE DOCTORS LATE? WHY DON’T THEY GET SICK? Why are doctors always running late? Should I just plan to arrive later, too? I completely understand the inconvenience of having a physician who runs late. Sitting in that tiny exam room, every minute feels like an hour - plus there aren’t enough copies of outdated magazines to keep you entertained! As a physician, I hate running behind. Here are some things that might be happening when your doctor is running late. New disease diagnoses: While we can’t talk about the other patients we see, usually if we run late it means they are likely having a worse day than you. We often have to deliver diagnoses that are life-altering or life-limiting, and those diagnoses bring a lot of questions we answer as best we can. While your family practice doctor may not be the one treating cancer, we are often the ones addressing many questions about how to best coordinate care. ”Oh by the way” comments: Any physician in practice can tell you about these discussions that set them back. You may see a patient for a quick sore throat visit, and as you are opening the door the patient says something like, “Oh by the way, doc, I’ve been having some chest pain for the last few days. Think I should get that checked out?” These comments are not something we can push back, but need to address right then. Babies: Delivering a baby is one of the most rewarding aspects of my career, but sometimes they can be stubborn – ask any mom who has pushed for two hours. While babies do like to make

appearances in the middle of the night, sometimes they come smack dab in the middle of a busy clinic. We make it back as soon as possible, but that may mean a long wait time for you. Arriving at your appointment on time is key for your provider to stay on schedule. Remember that check-in and getting you settled into the exam room take time as well, so arriving on time is the best way to help your provider keep moving. We appreciate your patience and if you ever fall into one of those categories, we promise to spend the extra time with you. What is “coding”? I’ve been to my doctor’s office and someone told me my condition wasn’t “coded” right. What does that mean? When doctors do paperwork, we have to choose the disease or problem you have from a list of 69,823 diagnoses. Many of these are very, very similar diagnoses in clinical practice, but can be coded very differently. Insurance companies are quite particular about reimbursement, and if even a single letter or number is off between the expected diagnosis and the code we enter, they will fight to reject the insurance claim. If you receive a bill that is unexpected or much higher than anticipated, call the billing department at your doctor’s office. Coders are specialists who bridge the gap from the doctor to the insurance company. They can review what the doctor stated in the chart and see where the discrepancy lies. If appropriate, they may send a “query” to the physician, asking if the diagnosis was entered accurately or if other diagnoses might apply. How do doctors keep from getting all the diseases they encounter? I have never been as sick as the month I did my pediatrics rotation in medical school. I managed to get a GI illness and an awful upper respiratory infection within about two weeks of

JANUARY 2016

SIOUXLAND LIFE

MEET THE DOC Dr. Mara Groom grew up in a military family, living in several states before finding her way to Wartburg College. While in Waverly, she fell in love with Iowa and decided to hang around indefinitely. She went to medical school at Des Moines University and is now a resident in family medicine. When she's not at the hospital, Dr. Groom enjoys traveling, biking and shopping. starting. I swore off a career in pediatrics at that point, thinking I would just have to call in sick every day. Doctors do have some advantages when it comes to staying healthy. First and foremost is good hand hygiene. Over the course of the day, I wash my hands or use hand sanitizer before and after every patient, after coughing, sneezing, or touching my face. In the course of a day, I probably wash my hands 30-50 times. We know what fomites are, and we disinfect them. A fomite is any object that can carry germs. The shopping cart you use at the grocery is a great example of a fomite. Say someone has the flu, coughs into a hand just before grabbing a cart, and goes shopping. You are the lucky one to grab that cart next, you touch the handle, pick up some influenza virus and then try a sample from the deli. You have just fallen victim to a fomite, and may have given yourself the flu. We get immunized. Most hospitals and clinics require all physicians to get their influenza vaccine every year. Before starting medical school we are also required to be fully immunized and we have to have titers (blood work) drawn to show that the vaccines were effective. Despite all these measures, doctors do get sick. When we do, we make terrible patients and often don’t listen to the advice we give. You may see us in clinic while we are both nursing the same cold, and we will tell you to go home and rest. Do as we say, not as we do. WHAT KINDS OF HEALTH QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? Submit your questions and they may be used in this monthly feature. Write to Siouxland Life at 515 Pavonia St., Sioux City, Iowa 51102.

PARTING SHOT By

Bruce Miller

A BIRTHDAY DOESN’T NEED A LOT OF HOOPLA

I DON’T REMEMBER MY parents baking me a cake for my first birthday. I don’t remember anybody making a big deal about my golden birthday, either. I do remember balloons with a Red Owl logo hanging from a light fixture when I was 8. I remember cakes, too, that tried to look like rabbits, sailboats and clowns – all concepts pushed on an unsuspecting public by Betty Crocker. They didn’t quite resemble what was pictured in the cookbook and they had way too much coconut for my taste, but they were a 1960s attempt to make the day seem special. All presents weren’t wrapped in a theme color – some came in paper sacks – and the party revolved around eating cake, drinking watered-down Kool-Aid and, maybe, playing a game that didn’t involve a prize for the winner, but often devolved into fighting. Goodie bags, a staple of many of today’s parties, were non-existent. As my dad would say, “They got cake. What more do they want?” Once the cake was finished, it was time to send the guests home, pop the balloons and get down to watching TV. My birthday parties didn’t last into the night – and I was fine with that. As I got older, they became an excuse to go out to dinner. My dad liked the idea because he didn’t have to herd kids – and he got a drink. Mom still made cake until one year I told her I’d rather have pie and she outsourced the work. Because I was born in January, there was always an attempt to “hold back” a Christmas present. When that didn’t work, I got sheets and towels. In case you’re not aware, white sales are held in January and, yes, sheets make a great gift for a child who asks for everything. In my adult years, “the kids” (as I called mom and dad) would call me early in the morning, sing “happy birthday” and send flowers.

Even though relatives issued All Points Bulletins for their birthdays, we took a more passive approach and didn’t mind if the whole family didn’t gather just to watch someone get older. The “landmark” years weren’t accompanied with black balloons and dead flowers. They just happened. On my 50th birthday, I happened to be in California and a friend made the ultimate sacrifice – he agreed to take me to Disneyland. I wore a button that said, “Today is my birthday” (try it, it’s a great thing) and rode all the rides I never got to on previous visits. It was fun – until we got to the canoes. Naively, I thought they were motorized and we would just pretend to paddle. But the Great Santini who operated the ride was determined we were making the Olympics in rowing and barked orders. I’d never worked so hard at an amusement park. By the time it was over, I was so worn out I couldn’t even think of walking up the steps of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. That birthday was a keeper – one I thought about repeating when I turned, um, older. The rest, though, have been distinguished by great cards, dinner with friends and, until recently, that phone call from mom, waking me up and singing. I’m not willing to say I’m past celebrating birthdays (never give in), but I do know I’m not going to be upset if Red Owl balloons aren’t hanging from my dining room light fixture. I don’t need cake, either, and I’ve long realized if you really want something you should just get it yourself. But I do get choked up when I see Facebook posts from people I haven’t talked to in years. They’re proof you had a connection and the sender cared enough to remember you. I suppose after weeks of fretting about getting older, it’s reassuring to know your friends are, too.

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JANUARY 2016

JANUARY 29-30, 2016

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January 2016

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