Explorers know how to market, too
Arnolds Park teems with changes
Camp has high hopes for future
A GUIDE FOR LIVING IN SIOUXLAND
SUN DAYS, FUN DAYS SUMMER OFFERS PLENTY TO DO
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SUMMER AILMENTS
SUMMER 2018
SIOUXLAND LIFE IS ON THE WEB! VISIT WWW.SIOUXCITYJOURNAL.COM/SIOUXLANDLIFE
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SIOUXLAND LIFE
CONTENTS SUMMER
2018
Who says you need to travel hundreds of miles to have a great summer vacation? We’ve got lots of ideas and a great look at what’s new at the Iowa Great Lakes. If it’s too hot outside, we’ve got suggestions for that, too. So, grab a cold drink, pull up a chair and enjoy summer in Siouxland with us.
4 THE RIGHT DESIGN
Designers helped Joe Kelly make his home a reflection of his fun tastes and style.
19 ON THE COVER High water levels have limited the speeds boaters can go in the Iowa Great Lakes, but that makes a quiet day even more enjoyable. Here, visitors enjoy the waters of East Lake Okoboji.
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DRONE, SWEET DRONE Okoboji entrepreneur finds a business that’s over and above what he ever dreamed.
Photo by Tim Hynds
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HOME designed for fun GO! OKOBOJI a renewed park GO! OKOBOJI passing the torch GO! OKOBOJI the view from above SUMMER FUN science camp SUMMER FUN outdoor weddings SUMMER FUN outdoor eats
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SUMMER FUN filled with hope SUMMER FUN ArtSplash turns 25 SUMMER FUN ohs and Ex’s SUMMER FUN a growing business HEALTH summer illnesses HEALTH medical answers PARTING SHOT dad’s scrapbook
PUBLISHER Ron Peterson EDITOR Bruce Miller EDITORIAL Dolly Butz, Tim Gallagher, Earl Horlyk, Mason Dockter, Morgan Matzen PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Hynds, Justin Wan DESIGN April Burford ADVERTISING SALES A.J. Ashley
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©2018 The Sioux City Journal. Siouxland Life is published monthly by The Sioux City Journal. For advertising information, please call (712) 224-6279. For editorial information, please call (712) 293-4218.
TURNING 25 ArtSplash is still continuing to make waves in Siouxland, thanks to volunteers, dedicated artists.
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HOME designed
for fun
Above: Joe Kelly, of Storm Lake, Iowa, said his home was move-in ready when he bought it in November of 2012. So, what did he do? Kelly gutted it and started anew, leaning on the designers at The Elements of Storm Lake and Ankeny, Iowa, to get everything to his liking. Right: Not many home offices feature a skull in glass and a llama taking a ride through Times Square. Then again, not many home offices are designed for copywriter/marketing consultant Joe Kelly, a creative force who helps power Kaleidoscope Marketing & Design.
WRITER PLUS
DESIGNER
MAKES FOR ECLECTIC MIX OF SKULLS, MONK, MANNEQUIN AND MORE Text by Tim Gallagher | Photographs by Joe Kelly
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Move-in ready home at Storm Lake is promptly gutted, recreated STORM LAKE, IOWA — Joe Kelly, lead copywriter and marketing consultant for Kaleidoscope Marketing & Design, has a flair for the visual and for words. His merging of the two led to this description: “Bought the house in November of 2012, and it was move-in ready. Promptly gutted it...just to add the challenge of getting it livable in 30
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days, which I didn’t.” This is the story of Kelly’s home in Storm Lake, how it’s been gutted and redesigned, and how he worked with Kathy Sorbe, owner and lead designer of The Elements in Storm Lake and Ankeny, to get his residence just so, creepy mannequin and all. The home was built in 1950, Kelly noted, and featured a floor-plan typical of that era: Three bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a large family room in the basement. A second garage was added to the front of the existing garage in the 1990s. Nearly a decade ago, the own-
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ers constructed a two-story addition on the back of the home and added a walk-out basement, creating a master suite on the upper level with a secondstory deck. The room under the master remained unfinished until 2017, when Kelly finished it for his home office. Last December, Kelly had Ross Parcel Landscapes, which also does contracting and construction work in the winter, frame, drywall and install the fireplace. The concrete floor was left bare and sealed. Zone Home Entertainment in Storm Lake wired the space for communication.
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The Elements of Storm Lake and Ankeny, Iowa, chose leather as the material for the sectional seating in Joe Kelly’s home in Storm Lake, Iowa. Leather is durable, something needed as Joe has two great dogs, Hazel and Poe.
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SIOUXLAND LIFE
Above: The Elements of Storm Lake and Ankeny, Iowa, worked with Joe Kelly, of Kaleidoscope Marketing & Design, in designing and placing items in his home. Right: The Elements created an 8-foot tall metal bed frame.
“The designers opted to leave the duct work exposed and add a linear fireplace,” Kelly wrote. “I really gravitate toward mid-century modern styling, so that’s the sort of style they approached for the office. The desk is an 8-foot dining table; simple top with a stylized base. The furniture is covered in white, faux ostrich skin...again, very mid-century. Dan Lullman from Albert City (Iowa) created the floating credenza, wired and designed to hide and minimize technology like routers and printers.” Kelly, who partners with Sara Casey at Kaleidoscope Marketing, said the agency strives to be paperless, so he deliberately limited paper storage. There are no file cabinets as everything they do is digitally archived. Backing up, Kelly shared an anecdote about how the best-laid plans sometimes go asunder. The custom vanity he sought wouldn’t make the corner into the bathroom, so it had to enter through the window. The night before he swapped out old vanity for new, Storm Lake received 10 inches of snow, which made the move impossible for weeks. “I had already torn out the (perfectly good) vanity, so I brushed my teeth for most of the 2012-13 winter in the kitchen,” he wrote. Kelly had all the carpet in the home
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stripped and added an engineered wood bones and skulls, religious artifacts, throughout the main level. The double original artwork, antique family photos, vanity in the bathroom went out, traded taxidermy, books and one creepy manfor a custom-built piece topped with nequin he insisted we use. He truly has vessel sinks. Designan eclectic style and ers, he noted, chose it was so fun to work an interesting matewith these treasures. rial — wood — for “The key is putthe top. A low-gloss ting it together in polyurethane procontrolled fashion,” tects the material she added, “which from water. we accomplished “I don’t like a lot with the two shelves of stuff around,” we installed.” Kelly commented, “There’s an arguadding that he has ment that any size accumulated several collection of skulls interesting pieces and skeletons would through the years, be considered somepieces that The what large,” Kelly Elements’ designers explained. “But I find have contained with them sort of fascia custom shelf unit nating, the fundaKATHY SORBE, OWNER they designed. mental framework AND LEAD DESIGNER OF “Joe’s a world of everything we do, THE ELEMENTS IN STORM LAKE traveler, accumulatsort of dark, but very AND ANKENY, IOWA ing some really ininteresting.” teresting pieces, and As Kelly moves appreciates about his home toward the biggest extremes in styles that we’ve original artwork exclusively, he’s showencountered,” noted Kathy Sorbe, owner ing several pieces from artist Frank and lead designer of The Elements in Salazar, of Sioux City, local artist Matt Storm Lake and Ankeny, Iowa. “We have Doebel, and Gail Place and Gary Wil-
“Joe’s a world traveler, accumulating some really interesting pieces, and appreciates about the biggest extremes in styles that we’ve encountered.”
Above: Joe Kelly, of Storm Lake, Iowa, has filled his home with original artwork. Right: The Elements of Storm Lake and Ankeny, Iowa, built a shelving unit that allowed Joe Kelly to display dozens of artifacts without cluttering his home.
Tips To sTay on BudgeT When Building a neW home When you’ve made the decision to build a new home, selecting the right Darrel Bullock builder is an important President Sioux City Building Inspections part of the process. You want to find a builder whose business approach aligns well with your personal preferences. And staying within your budget will be a key part of positive home-building experience. Being an educated consumer, and asking your home builder the right questions, will help you build the home of your dreams without blowing your budget. Here are some tips: Included features and custom options – It’s important to set your expectations in the beginning. A builder’s model home is often designed to highlight how a buyer can personalize the home, but most of the time, what you see in the model is either upgraded or perhaps even a designer option that may or may not be available. It’s important to know the difference between what features are included and what items have been upgraded to avoid being surprised when you go to contract or even during the building process. Also, if you like a custom upgrade but not its higher cost, there is often a less expensive way to achieve the same look. For example, the custom cabinets shown
in a model home may be offered in the same color and size with a lower-priced option. And if designer knobs or pulls are added, you can achieve a very similar look for far less. The same is true of granite counters and flooring. It pays to ask the builder’s representative or design center consultant how to achieve the look you want and stay within your budget. Closing cost contributions or incentives – In many areas throughout the United States, a builder’s contract will stipulate that they do not pay any closing costs. That means they also don’t pay the traditional closing costs that are typically paid by the sellers when purchasing a used or resale home. However, builders will often offer some sort of closing incentive that can be applied toward closing costs or options. The incentive may be tied to the use of preferred lender or title company. Buyers should carefully run the numbers with their real estate professional or lender to see if those incentives make sense for their particular situation. Some buyers may find it better to use an outside lender because of rates and fees. Other buyers may do better asking to have the builder’s incentive applied toward options they will need to move into the home and have it become immediately livable, like a adding a refrigerator, blinds, or a washer and dryer, which are often not included in new homes.
The key is to understand what incentives are available and apply those to your particular situation in the way that best benefits you. Warranty and regular maintenance – Most consumers understand that when you purchase a new car that is covered by a warranty, the buyer is still responsible for some maintenance and other costs. The same is true when you buy a newly built home. Before you go to settlement on the purchase of your new home, you and your builder will do a walk-through to conduct a final inspection. This walk-through provides an opportunity to spot items which may need to be corrected or adjusted, learn about the way your new home works and ask questions about anything you don’t understand. Often, a builder will use the walk-through to educate buyers about the operation of the home’s components; the buyer’s responsibilities for maintenance and upkeep; and the warranty coverage and procedures. Be sure to read and understand the warranty documents. It is important that you learn about the way your new home works and ask questions about anything you don’t understand. To find the right builder to create your dream home, visit www.siouxlandhba.com/members.
712-255-3852 | siouxlandhba.com 8
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Above: The Elements worked with West End Architectural Salvage of Des Moines in designing and building a barn-track door for the home. Below: Original artwork flows throughout the owner’s rooms.
son, both of Des Moines. “Probably my favorite piece is Gail Pace’s Buddhist monk; his robes are actually made from a wasp’s nest,” he wrote. Sorbe added that even though Kelly had worked with The Elements for years, he was a bit on the nervous side when it came to design. Kelly, she said, voiced definitive opinions of what he wanted and didn’t want. “Joe has a great eye for original art and has a great collection,” Sorbe noted. “When we designed the space, we used all his art and added some large, classic photographs. I knew instantly that he’d love the llama, stretching its neck out of a car in Times Square from about 1950.” On other aspects, Sorbe offered this: “We encouraged him to remove the bank of cabinets between the kitchen and dining area, opening up the entire main floor,” Sorbe wrote. “It’s a goodsized room, but this really makes it feel bigger.” The Elements opted for a leather sectional for Kelly as his great dogs, Hazel and Poe, required that material 10
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for durability. “We added a kilim runner rug, which really makes this interesting,” Sorbe noted. Sorbe went on to say that Kelly has worked with West End Architectural Salvage from Des Moines, so The Elements had them build a barn-track door. “It was originally a sacristy door from a church in the Altoona (Iowa) area,” she wrote. “They added the copper and antique tin-ceiling detail to the middle, which had been warped by water. The unique entryway to this home allowed us to use this door as a great piece of art. “We designed and built the metal framed bed for a seminar a few years ago,” Sorbe continued. “It’s 8 feet tall so there aren’t a lot of rooms that will accommodate. The high, peaked ceilings in Joe’s master were perfect so he bought that bed after the seminar. It’s like it was built for that room!” Sorbe concluded that The Elements designers enjoyed the challenges and spirit Joe Kelly brought to rebuilding and reshaping his home in Storm Lake, skulls and vanities and a wasp’s nest and all.
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allowing them to get the best pricing, warranties and selection. It gives them the buying strength of more than 1,000 stores. “We are a customer service centered store and a full-service flooring store,” Rachael said. “You will work with the same salesperson from beginning to end to make sure the project is seen to completion.”
the family-owned Fashion Floors Carpet One store sets itself apart from other flooring stores in the area with a wide selection of flooring options to inspire your makeover, along with exclusive brands, competitive pricing, help from local flooring experts, and community involvement. the full-service flooring store carries carpet, hardwood, tile, luxury vinyl plank, luxury vinyl tile, sheet vinyl, natural stone products, wall/ backsplash tile, and more, giving customers their choice of materials to fit their lifestyle. Among the brands you will find in their showroom are Lees, Innovia Extreme Clean,trigressa, Rustic River Harwood and more!
Fashion Floors offers guarantees on their products as well, including a Beautiful Guarantee. If you don’t like your new flooring for whatever reason, they will replace it at no cost to you. In addition, the store offers a lifetime installation guarantee with their certified installers. Most carpets come with a lifetime stain Guarantee!
No matter which type of flooring you choose, you will pay a competitive price. Rachael, owner of Fashion Floors Carpet One,said the store is part of a cooperative,
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GO! OKOBOJI a
renewed park
UPGRADES HAVE FANS, OFFICIALS
EXCITED FOR FUTURE ‘Sustain the Park’ effort moves through Phase II
a
Text by Tim Gallagher Photographs by Tim Hynds
ARNOLDS PARK, IOWA — As folks shrieked in delight speeding down the old Fun House slide, others stepped inside the grounds at Historic Arnolds Park Amusement Park, greeted by a new carousel, a $1-million marvel not far from the nation’s seventh-oldest wooden
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roller coaster, The Legend. All of this is combining to result in a rather legendary year in the center of the tourism industry in the Iowa Great Lakes, one plank of the economy that continues to drive growth in an otherwise largely rural location. “The brand new carousel, commissioned in June, has a very nostalgic look and feel,” said Jeff Vierkant, the new CEO serving Arnolds Park Amusement Park. “It was installed and ready for the weekend before July 4.” The ride will be there for generations
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to come, doing its magic at the foot of The Legend, which has served fun-seekers on the shores of West Lake Okoboji for nearly nine decades. The carousel is but a portion of the $12 million in upgrades being tackled at a place many folks would have written off 20 years ago. For it was in 1998 that Arnolds Park Amusement Park closed for the summer. One year later, tens of thousands of people joined forces and raised in excess of $7 million in 30 days to “Save the Park.” Five years later, many of those same boosters pitched in to “Sustain the
AT ARNOLDS PARK Park,” returning it to profitability. Last May, then-CEO Charley Whittenburg called a press conference to detail widespread efforts to “Renovate the Park,” which started with an expanded parking lot project one year ago and ramped up to include the renovation of the Majestic Pavilion while expanding and renovating the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum. Whittenburg disclosed that $6 million of the $12 million needed had already been raised privately by a group of anonymous donors. Boards serving His
toric Parks Inc. and The Park Foundation kicked in another $2 million. The sweat equity shows this season as hundreds of park attendees cruise down the old Fun House slide, an oldfashioned wooden ride that has found a new home next to the Sugar Bowl and the Barrel inside Arnolds Park Museums, a place where locals and guests may peruse panels that detail the story of W.B. Arnold and the amusement park he founded. Those old Fun House relics now command a presence adjacent to the Iowa
Above: Fans ride The Legend roller coaster at Arnolds Park Amusement Park in Arnolds Park, Iowa. The Legend is the seventh-oldest wooden roller coaster in the United States. Left: Liz Lepage of Portland, Oregon, poses for a photo with her niece, Vienna Gouttierre, 6, of Kansas City, Missouri, on the new carousel at Historic Arnolds Park Amusement Park in Arnolds Park, Iowa. New items at the park include the carousel, the Arnolds Park Museums within the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum and a restored Majestic Pavilion events venue.
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Work was done on the Majestic Pavilion as part of a $12-million “Restore the Park” effort that commenced in 2017.
The new $1-million carousel is among the new items at the park this summer, features that include an expanded Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum, a new Iowa Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, a renovated Majestic Pavilion and more.
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Great Lakes Maritime Museum. Also located under this roof is the revamped and expanded Iowa Rock-n-Roll Museum. Speaking of the roof, the Roof Garden will be fully renovated this fall as officials turn their attention to that entertainment staple, remaking the structure as they addressed the Majestic Pavilion this calendar year. “We took the Majestic Pavilion down to the ceiling and renovated it from the ground up,” said Vierkant, who took the retiring Whittenburg’s place as CEO in April. “It’s a stunning facility. We rebuilt the look of the facility and installed sound panels throughout so people attending events can hear Vierkant the speakers and the music better.” There were also new spaces dedicated for personnel serving Okoboji Tourism, the Okoboji Foundation and the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce. While focusing on the remaking of the Roof Garden this fall, officials will also set about on a course to beautify and develop the lakefront property bordering West Lake Okoboji. Fans have responded to the changes by turning out, even doing so in a summer season marked by continued rainfall in a Great Lakes region that has seen its share of summer flooding. Paul Plumb, who serves the marketing office at Arnolds Park, noted that attendance is on par with 2017 levels, a level that has seen
People ride the restored amusement park Fun House slide in the new Arnolds Park Museums complex adjacent to the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum.
a steady increase in users the past several years. Plumb estimates that 150,000 to 170,000 will pass through the gates at Arnolds Park Amusement Park this summer. Total attendance in the park and its related attractions may come to 250,000. The changes and growth for the park and this region (Dickinson County’s yearround population has grown from 16,670 to 17,199 since 2010) elicit a smile from Vierkant, who noted how Arnolds Park Amusement Park helped seal the deal when he and his wife, Nancy, considered relocating their family from Farmington, Minnesota, some 13 years ago. Vierkant, at the time, was interviewing for a management position with Pure Fishing in Spirit Lake, Iowa. They realized his job would be a good fit; they weren’t sure about moving to an entirely new community, however. “We stayed the weekend of my interview and decided to check out the town
to see if it was a good fit,” he said. “We took our three kids to Arnolds Park and the kids had a great time on the rides. But, it was a concert at Preservation Plaza that pushed us over the edge.” The couple’s oldest daughter, a child with special needs, lit up once the music began. She rushed to the front of the stage and began dancing. “To see her run up to the front of the stage and begin dancing and feel so safe, that’s the moment our family really decided that this is where we needed to be,” he said. Vierkant worked for a decade at Pure Fishing. He then served for two years at Link Manufacturing in nearby Sioux Center, Iowa, and joined Arnolds Park Amusement Park as CEO in April, coming back to a park he served as a ride operator during his college days. “Thirteen years later, we can’t imagine being anywhere else,” he said.
Erin Chappas raises a flag aboard the Queen II excursion boat, one of the attractions at the Arnolds Park Amusement Park in Arnolds Park, Iowa.
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GO! OKOBOJI passing
the torch
Owners Steven Jensen and Leah Anderson are shown, at Maxwell’s Beach Cafe in Arnolds Park, Iowa. Jensen said restaurant, located less than 50 yards from the State Pier, seemingly has two separate dining experiences, an outside patio favored by boaters and an inside, more formal area, that is popular with local residents.
a HANDS CHANGING New owners make sure Maxwell’s Beach Cafe runs smoothly Text by Tim Gallagher | Photographs by Tim Hynds 16
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ARNOLDS PARK, IOWA — Steven Jensen was working at Emerald Hills Golf Course in Arnolds Park on July 1, 2013, when Leah Anderson showed up and needed to connect with friends on the No. 7 tee box. “I gave her a ride from the clubhouse to the No. 7 tee and had to work quickly in order to ask her out on a date,” said Jensen. He succeeded. They began dating. And, exactly four years later, on July 1, 2017, they became engaged at Maxwell’s Beach Cafe in the heart of the Arnolds Park Amusement Park. The couple, who own and manage one of the most popular restaurants in the Iowa Great Lakes, will wed Sept. 8 on Sunset Beach,
DETAILS Maxwell’s Beach Cafe on the shores of West Lake Okboji in the heart of the Arnolds Park Amusement Park is open for lunch daily at 11:30 a.m. A limited patio menu is offered at 2:30 p.m. and transitions to dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The bar remains open until 2 a.m. Reservations are needed for Maxwell’s, which is open for the tourism season (Memorial Day to Labor Day), so call 712-332-7578 or see maxwellsbeachcafe.com
Above: Owner Steven Jensen sets up a table for lunch service. Right: Chef Tim Stephenson trims a rack of New Zealand lamb.
a picturesque spot overlooking West Lake Okoboji, just days after they close for the season. That’s the perfect time for a couple already “married” to the summer tourism season here. “We’ll honeymoon in the wine country (in the western United States) and visit some of the wineries we carry here,” Leah said, with a nod toward the 2019 season, a honeymoon then, in many ways, may mix business with pleasure. Such a notion comes naturally for a couple employing 88 on the shore of West Lake Okoboji, mere feet from the Queen II. Steven Jensen, a 2003 graduate of North High School in Sioux City and a 2008 graduate of the University of Iowa, began working at Maxwell’s Beach Cafe 11 years ago. He and longtime owner/ operator Lewis Casson had talked for the past five years about Jensen’s intent to one day own and manage the site. “Lewis approached Leah and me in April, I think, and we had something like three weeks to open for the season,” Jensen said. The couple made some subtle changes as they embarked on their era, upgrading sirloin, pork chop and asparagus offerings, to name a few. “We promised to keep it Maxwell’s,” said Leah, a native of Wellsburg, Iowa, who began spending time at the Iowa Great Lakes as a 4- or 5-year-old, often
“We’re grateful and honored to be here, as Lewis had this for 33 years. He built up the reputation for what he called ‘The Club.’” LEAH JENSEN getting away from central Iowa with her grandparents, who had a place here. Anderson and Jensen have worked to keep crowds coming back, often dining on halibut, prime rib and fresh tuna from the Honolulu Fish Company (one of 72 U.S. restaurants that serve a delicacy that’s never frozen). Fridays and Saturdays are busiest, though many days in the peak summer season feature a big crowd. Customers, they say, come to Maxwell’s from every state and all over the world, many stopping by during a visit to the adjacent amusement park. “Susan Buffett, Warren Buffett’s daughter, was here last week,” Jensen said. “We’ve not seen Warren yet, but that’s a goal.” Sioux Cityans may well recognize Jensen as he managed the Holiday Inn for his father, Larry Jensen, from 2014 to 2016, as the elder Jensen trekked north to Orange City, Iowa, to open the Hampton Inn & Suites there. The work at the Holi-
day Inn fit in well with Steven Jensen’s experience at Okoboji and it built on his degree in entrepreneurial management. Anderson, on the other hand, earned a degree in social work from the University of Northern Iowa, then added a master’s in the field from the University of South Dakota. She was working at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines when the opportunity presented itself to help Jensen manage Maxwell’s. “Unfortunately,” she said with a laugh, “I don’t think I’ll use my master’s much here.” Jensen readied for a Friday lunchtime rush as the staff bustled, arranging tables and prepping the kitchen. The couple hailed their staff as Maxwell’s Beach Cafe came off a July 4 holiday week in which they had 380 reservations on three days sandwiched around Independence Day. “We have one head chef and, at peak times, eight cooks, one who just does prime rib, one who does sautees, one who does the grill, one on the flat-top, one who does ovens and fryers and one who does the running,” Jensen said. “We’re grateful and honored to be here, as Lewis had this for 33 years,” Jensen said. “He built up the reputation for what he called ‘The Club.’” And, for the past two to three years, he kept saying that this day would come; that one day Maxwell’s would be theirs.
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GO! OKOBOJI the
view from above
DRONE, SWEET DRONE
Damon Dotson’s annual Lake Effect concert draws an enormous crowd to Miller’s Bay in 2017.
Text by Tim Gallagher | Photographs by Tom Gustafson
‘Above Okoboji’ author shares visions of Iowa Great Lakes, Maui, Switzerland and more
s
SPIRIT LAKE, IOWA — Tom Gustafson may consider himself among the least likely subjects to author a book, let alone two. Let alone three, four and more. But that’s where Gustafson, the eyes behind (or below, in this case) “Above Okoboji” finds himself these days, scanning the terrain from about 400 feet, capturing images for his “visionAIRy drone” that’s become a hit with a pair of books showcasing the Iowa Great Lakes like none before. Gustafson, after all, is a 47-year-old finance graduate from Iowa State University, a native of the Iowa Great Lakes who returned home a quarter-century
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Iowa Great Lakes resident Tom Gustafson shoots a photo of himself with his drone. Gustafson has produced two “Above Okoboji” books and is now working on “Above Maui” and “Above Switzerland.”
ago to work in manufacturing sales. He has since developed Lakes Area Storage, an enterprise that keeps him hopping across four Iowa Great Lakes locations. He and wife, Janine Gustafson, who
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owns and operates Yoga Okoboji, have raised two sons, one a college graduate, the other a college sophomore. For much of the year, Tom and Janine are transitioning into that “empty-nest” stage. Enter into that void visionAIRy, a concept born two years ago as Gustafson, who has always enjoyed photography, got into drones. “Years ago, I was a private pilot,” he says. “When the genre of drones came out, I paid attention. And when drones got better — and their visual capabilities improved — I jumped in.” Gustafson bought his first drone in December 2015. Realizing how afraid he was of crashing it, he spent a month working with the simulator to hone his flying technique. He experimented with cameras and shot his first picture of himself, looking skyward into his camera that was 20 feet above him, maybe 30 feet away. “It was February 2016 when I took my first photo,” he remembers. “My heart
was beating so fast.” Gustafson had shot some traditional photos of the Iowa Great Lakes through the years from the ground. In early 2015, at Janine’s insistence, he set up a Facebook page as a way to share his photos. The feedback he received was immediate and rewarding. It told him that people were excited about photos showing the beauty of the Iowa Great Lakes. “People were requesting to be my ‘friend’ on Facebook, so I started ‘Photographs by Tom Gustafson’ on Facebook,” he says. Gustafson set his land camera aside and immersed himself in capturing Great Lakes scenes from 50 to 400 feet. His Facebook page zoomed to 6,000 followers in no time. Jim Hussong, the well-known mayor of Arnolds Park, kept telling Gustafson to publish a book, a concept that intimidated and intrigued the storage-unit business owner. Gustafson connected with a graphic artist and landed a publisher. He edited his photos by learning the Lightroom program and completed the process, turning out his first “Above Okoboji” book in April 2017, a volume that featured 117 color photos and one published in black-and-white. Some 1,500 copies sold by mid-summer, requiring Gustafson to order another run of 1,000 copies, all of which have since been sold. He created a website and offered “Above Okoboji” for sale there and at Three Sons, The Barn Swallow, The Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum, Boathouse Apparel, Books ‘N Things, Yoga Okoboji and Mau Marine. The book, divided into images detailing four seasons, sold for $40. “I didn’t make a lot of money on it, but I learned the process,” he says, adding that he didn’t go bananas in touching-up his photos via Lightroom. “I also learned that people enjoy this kind of book.” The seeds had been planted, so Gustafson worked the land — and the water — in photographing with his drone the Iowa Great Lakes again for a 2018 “Above Okoboji” edition that boasts a top-of-theline glossy, matted and embossed cover that gives way to 270 spectacular photos on 300-plus pages, including six threepage fold-out panoramas and maps at the back of the book containing a key for locations to each photo in the collection. Rather than divide the book by seasons, Gustafson broke down a “day-in-the-life” at the Iowa Great Lakes by focusing on mornings, afternoons and happy-hours. All the photos in this volume were taken in 2017. The cost for this “Above Okoboji” effort is $75 and, like its predecessor, is available through Gustafson’s
Positano, Italy, rises on the Amalfi Coast in this September 2017 photo, an image contained in “Above Positano, The Amalfi Coast, and Capri,” by Tom Gustafson.
Arnolds Park lights up on July 4, 2017.
website and select retail sites. He printed 2,000. Along the way, Gustafson learned of just one other photographer using drones to capture images in this manner for a book. That shooter had focused on the beauty of San Diego, California. It led Gustafson to wonder if there may be a market for other “Above...” efforts. He and Janine, he says, love to travel and explore new places. So, naturally, the couple embarked on an adventure in Italy for a few weeks, allowing Tom to come away with the drone images he’ll use in “Above Positano, The Amalfi Coast, and Capri.” Gustafson’s “Above Maui” is set to be published in a couple of months. “Above Switzerland” will follow, soon giving him five books within the span of two years.
“I’m the only one right now with two published titles and soon I’ll have Maui and Switzerland,” he says, noting that his shots seem to strike a chord, helping to re-engage or reconnect people with an area in which they reside or visit. “Plus, we’re having a great time,” says Gustafson, ever-thankful he stumbled into this rare-air avocation. When asked if Gustafson’s drone has crashed, he nods and shares the story of a recent sensor failure that led to his drone clipping a tree as the photographer worked to chronicle the razing of The Inn. It remains the only blemish on his 400-plus hours of flight, a body of work that has produced hundreds of stunning vistas and brought joy to thousands who love photography and the places he has chronicled from this new perspective.
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SUMMER FUN science
LAB
camp
IN THE
s
Camp provides middle school students with unique challenges *yes, sheep brains are involved Text and photograph by Earl Horlyk
SIOUX CITY — Bridget Breyfogle said it smelled like Play-Doh while Mackenzie Tott said it was squishy when she cut it in half. “It was not only squishy, but it also left plenty of brain juice behind,” Mackenzie said, scrunching up her nose. “Sheep brains are gross!” Mackenzie and Bridget, both Blessed Sacrament Catholic School sixth-graders, were participating in the four-day CNOS Foundation Science Classic, in which middle school kids were allowed to experience chemistry, physics and anatomy in a hands-on way. And by hands-on, yes, we do mean actual sheep brains were dissected. “Super gross,” Bridget said, shaking her head. Held this year at Bishop Heelan Catholic High School, the specialized camp regularly attracts science-minded students from school districts in Siouxland and beyond, according to CNOS Foundation’s Beth Noel. “The Science Classic is dedicated in the memory of my late husband Dr. Stephen Noel,” she said. “Steve wanted to create a summer program in which students could experience science in a way that wouldn’t be feasible during the school year.” For instance, a physics unit let students measure liquids in a test tube, while a chemistry class demonstrated how copper oxidizes when combined with different chemical agents. Plus the units are taught by area physics, chemistry and biology teachers, respectively. So, is this some sort of camp for future doctors? Not according to Noel. “The science field isn’t just about medicine,” she said. “On our last day of class, the students will go on different field trips. One of the sites students may be visiting is the city’s water treatment facilities.
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Seventh-graders Camille Strim and Gabby Stevens learn about physics by measuring liquids in beakers during a special 4-day CNOS Foundation Science Challenge summer camp held at Bishop Heelan Catholic High School. The camp is open to all middle school students throughout Siouxland.
“We want the science classic to expose kids to every aspect of science.” During the regular school year, West High School biology teacher Kent Martin works with older children. With the science classic, he’s teaching sixth-graders who never have been taught anything about dissection. “When you’re teaching younger children, you’re stressing things like showing respect toward something that was once a living creature,” he said. “By the sixth grade, I think kids get it.” Olivia Munchrath gets how anatomy is best taught through dissection. However, neither she nor her sixth-grade lab partner Ava Downing is happy about examining the brain of a sheep. “It is more springy than I thought it would be,” Olivia said. “I thought it would be soft,” Ava
SIOUXLAND LIFE
added, shaking her head. “Parts of the brain were quite hard.” These are the types of observations Martin wants students to get from his class. “Kids are naturally curious and they like to see how things really work,” he said. “Science is all about discovery.” Despite their initial objection, Bridget Breyfogle and Mackenzie Tott seem to have recovered from their bad “sheep brain” experience. “I don’t know if I want to be a scientist when I grow up,” Bridget said. “But this week has been interesting.” Mackenzie nodded her head in agreement. “I like these classes because they’re different than the ones taught during the school year,” she said. “That makes it challenging.”
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SUMMER FUN outdoor
weddings
Jennifer and Brandon Ballantyne walk down the aisle together after their Oct. 21, 2017, ceremony at the rose garden in Grandview Park.
COUPLES FIND GRANDVIEW PARK ROSE GARDEN A ROMANTIC
WEDDING VENUE
s
Text by Morgan Matzen | Photographs Provided
SIOUX CITY — Lovebirds need look no further for a wedding destination than the historic Grandview Park rose garden. A popular wedding venue since 1937, this quaint garden has always attracted romantic types, such as Jennifer and Brandon Ballantyne and Heather and Javy Gutierrez. Grandview Park’s beloved rose garden was created in 1937 with sponsorship from the Sioux City Municipal Rose Garden Association, which was a partnership of the Iowa Rose Society, Sioux City Garden Club, American Association of University women and other rose
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enthusiasts. The garden featured more than 100 varieties of roses and arching trellises designed by landscape architect Newell Guernsey. JENNIFER & BRANDON BALLANTYNE Jennifer and Brandon Ballantyne have known each other since their days at East Middle School. Jennifer recalls first meeting him in gym class at the old school. “We’ve been together for nearly 20 years,” she said. “He’s my best friend.” They started dating in their teens at East High School and continued through
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Jennifer’s time at Western Iowa Tech Community College and through raising their daughter, Alexus. It was June, 2017, when Brandon proposed to Jennifer at Snyder Bend Park when they were camping with friends and family. “He just got down on one knee and proposed in front of the campfire. He was like ‘You don’t want to marry me!’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I do!’” Jennifer said. “He just thinks I’m the best thing that ever happened in the world, and I wonder why he thinks that.” This wasn’t the couple’s first proposal: Brandon had proposed when they
Jennifer and Brandon Ballantyne pose with their wedding party before their Oct. 21, 2017, ceremony at the rose garden in Grandview Park.
were younger, but Jennifer wasn’t ready to say yes (officially, with a wedding) just yet. “I have the ring that he gave me 20 years ago,” Jennifer said. “That’s what we used to this day because it means a lot — that’s what we could afford then.” Brandon said they’d worn their same rings from that early proposal until the day they were married. He wanted a big wedding to include their friends and family. “She really didn’t need a big wedding, but I thought we’d grown up and we weren’t kids anymore. We’d gained a lot of friends over the years, so I wanted to bring them all into it,” he said. “We always felt like we were married anyway, but our actual ceremony stuff was more for our friends and her.” “She’s my best friend,” he added. Their wedding was held Oct. 21, 2017, at the rose garden. It was a perfect fall day, according to Jennifer. “He wanted a big wedding, and I’m glad we did it his way with a big wedding and a big party afterward,” she said. “We wanted something outside, and it was beautiful in fall with the leaves changing and everybody wasn’t roasting in heavy gowns. It was just like letting nature decorate the wedding. You don’t have to have decorations when you have all that prettiness in nature.” She said they had at least 100 guests at the wedding. It was a standing ceremony with family and friends lined along the aisles. “Everything just lined up like it was meant to be,” Jennifer said. “We just kept it really simple and it was so beautiful. I just wish I had done it sooner, now.”
HEATHER & JAVY GUTIERREZ Heather and Javy Gutierrez first met when they were working at a restaurant together. They began dating in 2013. “I had started serving at a restaurant, and he was the cook,” Heather said. “We just started talking and we felt feelings for each other. We started hanging out, and, next thing we knew, we were boyfriend and girlfriend.” Javy proposed to Heather July 10, 2017. “He came up to me and said ‘I think we should get married,’” Heather said. “I was like, ‘Did you just ask me to marry you?’ He said, ‘I did!’ Then we started planning.” Their autumn wedding was held Sept. 16, 2017. The couple was surrounded by more than 40 close family members and friends, with their ceremony held at the arch in the park near the rose garden. “It’s beautiful, it really is. An outside wedding is just amazing,” she said. “It did rain on our wedding day, but it was still so perfect. “Even though it had rained that day, it was a perfect day.” BOOKING A PRIVATE EVENT Angel Wallace, parks and recreation manager, books all private events, receptions and weddings through her department. Weddings require booking a year in advance, and cancellations require 30 days’ notice for refunds. Other popular event venues in the park include the Anderson Dance Pavilion, Sertoma Pavilion and Grandview Bandshell. Wallace has booked picnics, family reunions, birthdays, graduation parties and other types of gatherings in the park.
Heather and Javy Gutierrez pose at their wedding ceremony at the rose garden in Grandview Park Sept. 16, 2017.
Heather Gutierrez hugs stepdaughter Yesenia, then 10 years old, in a moment of pure emotion at Heather and father Javy’s wedding ceremony at the rose garden in Grandview Park.
A PARK PLACE WEDDING To book a venue in the park, visit webtrac.sioux-city.org or call 712-279-6126. Bookings can be made for a full day, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. for $400, or a half day, either 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., for $200.
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SUMMER FUN outdoor
eats
Above: Malone Downs works on an order at the Taste food truck during Food Truck Friday. Right: Malone Downs displays a tray of food.
ON THE GO
GRUB
s
Stepped-up food truck cuisine created by real-life culinary foodie Text by Earl Horlyk Photographs by Tim Hynds
SIOUX CITY — An Eminem song played in the background as Malone Downs seasoned a pan full of Jamaican jerk chicken, inside a food truck kitchen on a sunny July day. Downs runs the Taste food truck, which has become a weekly staple during Food Truck Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays, at the downtown Pearl Street Park. “As soon as we finish here, I’ll be
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taking the truck to Grandview Park for Saturday in the Park,” he said, talking about Sioux City’s popular outdoor music festival that was occurring the very next day. “That’s the plan: work Food Truck Friday, clean up, tear everything down. And then, start everything over again.” Over the next 36 hours, Downs estimated, he would be getting two to three hours of sleep, max. “Doesn’t matter to me at all,” he said with a shrug. “I’m living out my dream and wouldn’t change a thing.”
SIOUXLAND LIFE
A FAMILY AFFAIR A veteran chef with experience working in the kitchen of most of Sioux City’s fine dining restaurants, Downs credited his grandmother with inspiring a love of cooking. “I’m part African-American and my grandma would make classic soul food for us,” he explained. “The recipes weren’t complicated but they were so comforting. This proved to me that you can make great comfort food with a handful of ingredients.” It was this “keep things delicious with
“At Taste, I’m serving food that wouldn’t be out of place at a fine dining restaurant. Instead, we’re cooking in — and serving it out of — a food truck.” MALONE DOWNS fresh ingredients” philosophy that influenced Downs’ cuisine. This was what he brought when working as a sous chef for the Sioux City Convention Center, as well as when he handled catering operations while working at M’s on 4th. It was also evident when Downs first learned the ropes of food truck operations from Chef Paul Seaman, a longtime innovator in Sioux City’s culinary scene. “Many years before anybody, locally, was thinking about food trucks, Chef Paul had a food truck called Sproutstream and I worked for Paul,” Downs remembered. “Instead of making typical food truck fare like burgers, Paul’s menu consisted of imaginative foods utilizing the best ingredients.” While Sproutstream was not a success, it convinced Downs that food truck food could be elevated by using creative recipes and top-notch ingredients. “At Taste, I’m serving food that wouldn’t be out of place at a fine dining restaurant,” he said. “Instead, we’re cooking in and serving it out of a food truck.” Luckily, Downs is doing it with his family by his side. Daughter Oceona and son Elijah are both working as Taste’s designated sous chefs. “My grandma inspired my culinary taste,” he said. “I’m simply passing it along to my kids.” ELEVATING THE ART OF FOOD TRUCK CUISINE The concept of a “kitchen on wheels” has been around since the days of when frontier people made the move west, across the United States, on wagon trains. Beginning at the start of the 20th century, self-starting entrepreneurs began purchasing push carts or simple food trucks to feed hungry factory workers in urban areas. However, it’s only been within the past decade or so that more ambitious restaurateurs have starting purchasing food trucks, outfitting them with kitchens that can rival more stationary spaces. “Foods trucks are trendy nowadays,” Downs said. “Suddenly, everybody wants one.”
Oceona Downs works on an order as her brother, Elijah, and father, Malone, cook. Taking a customer order at the window is Leigha Roberts. Malone Downs manages the food truck.
Malone Downs, right, and his son, Elijah.
That includes Downs, who enjoys the freedom of creating a new menu from scratch. Taking a page out of his grandmother’s recipe book, Downs has compiled menu items of comfort food favorites that are made with fresh ingredients. For instance, the Taste food truck has bacon cheeseburgers but it also has an “Island” burger with fresh pineapple, a South-of-the-border-inspired guacamole burger as a vegan black bean burger that
he said even committed carnivores will enjoy. FOOD TRUCKS AS A LIFESTYLE As the last remaining customers finished their lunch during Food Truck Friday, Downs began to break down his mobile kitchen. “A person shouldn’t even consider a food truck if he wants a steady paycheck,” Downs said. “You get a food truck because it is a passion.”
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SUMMER FUN filled
with hope
CAMP s HIGH HOPES
Sandpiper Beach is shown at Camp High Hopes. Campers can participate in canoeing, kayaking, paddle boating and fishing on Wood Duck Lake.
Text and photographs by Dolly A. Butz
EYES FUTURE AS ADAPTIVE RECREATION DESTINATION
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SIOUXLAND LIFE
SIOUX CITY — On a balmy summer morning in July, Maddison Medbourn, a day camp counselor at Camp High Hopes, sat on the floor of the Meadowlark Lodge, threading a blue pool noodle through a foam cylinder with 19-year-old Adrian Beeck’s help. Off to the left of them in the sprawling space, other adult campers milled about wearing Dr. Seuss hats and headgear as they prepared to do some yoga poses inspired by the popular children’s book series. Since opening in 2012, Camp High Hopes, a local camp for children, teens and adults with disabilities, special needs and chronic illnesses, has grown to accommodate some-500 campers, who stay in cabins during the summer.
Located on Correctionville Road a half-mile east of Bacon Creek Park, Camp High Hopes is a camp for children, teens and adults with disabilities, special needs and chronic illnesses.
But Executive Director Chris Liberto said a couple thousand people visit the camp throughout the year. Liberto, who came on board in 2016, said he has seen the addition of a welcome center and new cabin during his tenure. The 90-acre camp has also added staff and a boathouse is on track to be completed in the fall. “The closest facility that does what we do is about 4 1/2 hours away,” he said. “Prior to the opening of Camp High Hopes, you had a lot of individuals from this community that either had never been to a facility like this to be able to experience therapeutic recreation or they were driving 3, 4, 5 hours away to experience something like this.” Liberto said the majority of campers come from Iowa. Sixty percent of them are 17 and younger, while the other 40 percent are 18 and older. “We feel it’s important to serve the adult population as well,” he said. “It’s shown in our numbers that there’s a need for it and what we’ve learned is that once they get to a certain age, the activities really drop off for folks that have some type of disability.” Liberto said activities center around Wood Duck Lake, where campers can participate in canoeing, paddle boating, kayaking and fishing. An archery range and two climbing trees are other highlights on the property. In winter, the majority of activities take place inside Meadowlark Lodge, but campers have done some snowshoeing and ice fishing, Liberto said. “Beyond that we’ve got nature education, arts and crafts and creative dramatics. We also do an after-hours program, which features aerobic drumming,” he said. “Two of my staff are therapeutic recreation certified, so they’re tasked with coming up with different activities that
Nicholas Hames, 13, of Sioux City, paints a flower, while Kieran Spike, 14, of Sioux City, looks on, at Camp High Hopes in Sioux City.
Left: Day camp counselor Maddison Medbourn interacts with Adrian Beeck, 19, of Sioux City, in Meadowlark Lodge at Camp High Hopes. Right: The inside of a cabin is shown at Camp High Hopes.
our campers can participate in and then taking it to that adaptive level.” While Camp High Hopes staff strive to keep the atmosphere energetic and fun, Liberto said they also challenge campers to meet physical and social goals. “We absolutely love the opportunity to help people grow,” he said. “We help them with their peer development, their self-esteem, their social skills. It’s not just come here and have fun, it’s come here and grow in a way that you can’t otherwise do outside of camp.” Campers sleep in two cabins, which house up to 40 campers and 16 staff members. Liberto said there is one camp counselor for every three campers. He said traditional camps generally have a ratio of 1 to 8. “Thanks to the community, we’ve really been able to provide a one-of-a-kind place to stay,” he said. “It’s not your traditional cabin that I grew up with where
there’s bunk beds and no air conditioning and you’re crammed in there. This, you’ll see, is very roomy. You’re dealing with folks with wheelchairs and different types of sensory issues, so we try not to make our cabins too packed.” Liberto said there is a waiting list of would-be campers who can’t get in because of space and other limitations. In the long term, he envisions expanding the staff to be able to accommodate more campers and building a recreation center, where people with disabilities can play volleyball, basketball and other games during the week. “It’s where people come for adaptive sports. It’s not just ‘come for camp,’ it’s ‘come to participate in some type of adaptive recreation,’” he said. “I wouldn’t say we want to be become a gym necessarily, but as we grow, one of the buildings we’re going to have in the future is a rec center.”
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SUMMER FUN ArtSplash
turns 25
Erin Webber-Dreeszen, art center development coordinator, holds the poster from the first ArtSplash festival at the Sioux City Art Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Webber-Dreeszen coordinates the center’s annual ArtSplash art festival, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary this summer.
A REAL pARTy
s
ArtSplash turns 25, looks toward the next 25 years Text by Dolly A. Butz | Photographs by Tim Hynds and Jim Lee
SIOUX CITY — Erin Webber-Dreeszen said it’s “a blast” seeing lines of people waiting at the gates for ArtSplash to open. In the moments before the two-day festival kicks off, the Sioux City Art Center’s development coordinator takes a deep breath and hopes the event exceeds expectations. ArtSplash, which will celebrate its 25th year Sept. 1-2 at Riverside Park, features the works of around 100 artists from across the country, as well as entertainment, food and activities for the 28
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entire family. Webber-Dreeszen said it’s the festival’s family friendly atmosphere that is the key to its longevity. “I think it just appeals to so many aspects of peoples’ lives,” she said. “There are a lot of people who come to ArtSplash who never come to the Art Center, so if we can give them an experience with the visual arts in a park-like setting, we want to give them the highest quality experience that we possibly can.” ArtSplash, which raises funds for the Art Center’s education and exhibition programs, has become so refined
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over the years Webber-Dreeszen said it can literally be held wherever festival organizers wish to move it. A steering committee, Art Center staff and a crew of 250-to-300 volunteers work hard to make ArtSplash a reality. Webber-Dreeszen said she’s always bouncing ideas around with steering committee members and Art Center staff. The festival had to relocate in 2011 from the Anderson Dance Pavilion, its usual home on the city’s riverfront, due to Missouri River flooding. In 2013, the festival moved again to Riverside Park,
Left: Max Bunker, 3, Sioux City, is greeted by Faylynn the Fairy (Kirstin Barringer, Sioux City) during ArtSplash at Riverside Park in this September 2017 file photo. Right: Stringman Paul Imholte, St. Cloud, Minnesota, performs during ArtSplash at Riverside Park in Sioux City in this September 2017 file photo.
where it has been held ever since. “Do we miss the riverfront? In a lot of ways, yes. A lot of people really thought that was the heart and soul of ArtSplash,” Webber-Dreeszen said. “When we have something like a flood happen, we have to adjust. There’s just no way around it.” Webber-Dreeszen said she learned a lot during the two years that ArtSplash was held at Grandview Park. She said she listened to feedback from festival guests and realized the location just wasn’t the right place for ArtSplash. “Moving out to Riverside was really a good option. We’ve found a really comfortable home out there,” she said. Webber-Dreeszen said the festival has offered a variety of things to see and do in its 25 years, from giant sand sculptures, to large stage acts, to storytelling from local celebrities. While trends have come and gone with the times, she said the festival’s focus on the artists has not. At ArtSplash, artists, some of whom have been coming to the festival for years, sell their crafts, from paintings to photography, carvings, metalwork, pottery and more. “I look forward to seeing the artists come back and looking at how their artwork is evolving and how their process is changing,” Webber-Dreeszen said. “That’s the beauty of the arts; you see how differently they’re thinking about things or how they’re doing things differently in their paintings or their ceramics.” Webber-Dreeszen said volunteers are
Stringman Paul Imholte, St. Cloud, Minnesota, performs during ArtSplash at Riverside Park in Sioux City in this September 2017 file photo.
IF YOU GO WHAT: ArtSplash, the Sioux City Art Center’s premier art festival featuring artists from around the country. WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 2. WHERE: Riverside Park, 1400 Riverside Blvd. MORE: Admission is $5. Children 11 and under get in for free. Free parking is available at the Siouxland Youth Athletics parking lots and other lots at Riverside Park.
ready to meet any artist need, whether that be providing a snack, ensuring a comfortable load-in to the park or helping to preserve artwork in the event of bad weather. During her seven years managing ArtSplash, Webber-Dreeszen said she has only encountered bad weather once — in 2014 when a line of thunderstorms moved through the area near the end of the festival. That year, she said, artists were instructed to remove their artwork and take down their tents early. “We didn’t want them in danger. We didn’t want our volunteers in danger. We got the festival down as fast as possible and we looked like drowned rats at the end of it,” Webber-Dreeszen, who welcomes a challenge, said with a chuckle. “Most of the time, we have everything down and we’re out of there by 10 o’clock that evening that Sunday. It’s a huge team of people.” In early July, Webber-Dreeszen and the steering committee walked around Riverside Park, envisioning the areas of the festival that they will be managing. She asked them to not only think about how to make ArtSplash 2018 “top notch,” but the next 25 festivals to come. “How do we make it the best it could possibly be this year so that we can go into the next 25 running?” she said. “They kind of giggle at me, but that’s what I’m thinking. I want to make sure that we’re constantly looking forward.”
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SUMMER FUN Ohs
and Ex’s
Sioux City Explorers general manager Shane Tritz said the minor league baseball team must market itself to both the die-hard baseball fan and the nonbaseball fan. To please the latter, various games and activities are presented between innings.
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SIOUXLAND LIFE
How the Sioux City Explorers stay in the game
s
Text by Earl Horlyk Photographs by Justin Wan
and Tim Hynds
SIOUX CITY — During the second of a three-game series with the Winnipeg Goldeyes right before the Fourth of July holiday, the Sioux City Explorers gave away free T-shirts, got fans to participate in sack races, and lit up the night sky with a post-game fireworks show. Oh, we almost forgot to mention: the X’s beat the Goldeyes 4—0 that night. According to Shane Tritz, the vice president and general manager for the Explorers, it’s OK if fans don’t remember who won the game. “We’re happy if fans have a fun experience, regardless of who won the game,” he said, inside a snug office located near the team’s box office. The organization has a two-prong marketing approach, Tritz said. “We market the team to our die-hard baseball fans, but we also market to people who aren’t necessarily into the game.”
Tritz knows the Explorers have a dedicated following who’ve stuck with the team in good times and bad times since it was founded in 1993. However, the non-sports fan also look upon Explorers games as a family friendly alternative to other forms of entertainment. “To those people, the X’s aren’t competing with other sporting events,” Tritz said. “We’re competing against a family going to a nice restaurant or going to a movie. “These people don’t care if the X’s are on a 10-game winning streak or a 10-game losing streak. They are simply looking for a nice evening of entertainment.” IT’S NOT WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE, IT’S HOW YOU MARKET THE GAME During the off year, Tritz and his staff gauge how much other forms of entertainment cost consumers. “Families have a limit to how much they’re wiling to spend on entertainment,” he explained. “Despite the fact we’ve been around for 25 years, we’re constantly reevaluating the way we market the team.” After all, Tritz knows a thing or two about promoting the X’s. A 1999 University of Iowa sports management graduate, he actually began his career as a box office intern for the Explorers. Tritz has been the team’s general manager for more than 12 years. “The trick is to market an experience as oppose to marketing a game,” he said. “As much as we want to showcase our players, people will remember a positive experience over a game.” That’s especially true when there’s free swag involved. “We love giving stuff away,” Tritz said. “And our fans love being able to take home a part of the Explorers after they leave Lewis and Clark Park.” PROMOTING TEAM SPIRIT AND DISCOUNTING WEENIES Tritz said there are season-long promotions, seven days a week, for all Explorers games. For instance, military members, first responders and kids under the age of 12 get in for free, while on Wednesday, everyone gets in for half-price. “We’re trying to give folks more bang for their buck,” Tritz said, noting that hot dogs sell for $1 on Wednesdays, T-shirts are given out on Fridays, while souvenirs are available for the first 500 fans every Saturday. Lately, the Explorers’ most popular promotion has been “Thirsty Thursday,”
Fans clamor for free T-shirts when the Sioux City Explorers battled the Winnipeg Goldeyes during a three-game series. By offering free swag, General Manager Shane Tritz said the team is aiming to attract a younger generation to America’s Pastime.
Children participate in sack races between innings of a Sioux City Explorers games. Explorers general manager Shane Tritz said such family friendly activities add to the entertainment value of the games.
in which fans can buy a beer or fountain drink at the regular price, while receiving a second one for free. In addition to season-long promotions, Tritz said the X’s have special game day promotions as well. “Whether it is baseball cards or baseball jerseys, fans look for keepsakes from the games,” he said. Still, it’s memories that trump merchandise for many people. A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE Looking out into the empty field, Tritz said his daughters learned all about America’s favorite pastime by hanging out with him during Explorers’ games. “Baseball has become synonymous with growing up,” he said. “That’s why bringing kids onto a real, professional baseball field is such a magical experience.” “Giving a kid the opportunity to run
the bases is exciting because this may be the only time the kid will ever be able to do it,” Tritz continued. “For some, that will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” This is, ultimately, the best kind of marketing. “We can do all the marketing in the world, but our best P.R. comes from the team itself,” Tritz said. “Over the past 25 years, we’ve become a part of the community. “Over those years, people know how much fun it is to see the Explorers.”
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SUMMER FUN a
growing business
Phoenix Larned, 19, mows a lawn at a home on Sioux City’s north side. It’s part of his burgeoning lawn care business.
GREEN
s
HANDS
19-year-old is up-and-coming lawncare magnate Text by Mason Dockter | Photographs by Tim Hynds
SIOUX CITY — Sometime when he was in sixth or seventh grade, Phoenix Larned’s dad taught him to use the lawnmower. It didn’t take long for Larned, now 19, to parlay his newfound skill into a moneymaking opportunity. “I’d walk up the street, and if I saw somebody’s grass that was super long, I’d ask them, ‘Hey do you need me to mow or anything?’, and they’d let me mow their lawn,” Larned said. Today, Larned’s informal lawn care business, which he calls “Green Hands,” also does landscaping, leaf-raking and snow removal. He can even take out smaller trees. “I have a couple buddies that do it with me, and we just kind of make our
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summer money that way,” he said. The crew boasts a fleet of three lawn mowers — two self-propelled, one a simple push mower. The name came about “because when you mow your lawn, you get green hands. And when you make a lot of money, you’ve got a lot of green in your hand.” Larned has business cards, and like any pro, offers free estimates. “I hand those out to people that ask for us,” Larned said. “If they see us mowing a lawn, people come up and say, ‘How much do you charge?’ and we’re like, ‘Here’s a card, just call us later!’” Currently Larned and the crew have a total of 13 “consistent” lawns they mow each week, which collectively take
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around two days to mow, usually Mondays and Tuesdays — barring rain. After the lawns have been mowed, the group does odd landscaping jobs for the remainder of the week. Larned usually charges between $20 and $50 per lawn, depending on the size and any mowing challenges (sheds, hills, swingsets), and whether the customer wants weed-whacking and the grass to be bagged. “I have some (lawns) that are huge, and I have some that are small, I have some that are hilly, I have some that are completely flat,” he said. “Like in Riverside, that’s the perfect area to mow, because there are no hills.” But not every lawn is a walk in the park.
“We had one job one day where we had weeds probably 4 1/2 feet tall through the whole backyard, and so I texted the whole group, ‘Everybody come right now! I’ll pay you guys really good — I’ll buy your lunch!’” Larned said. That day, the crew ballooned to eight. “It was crazy, but we got it done.” LAWNMOWER LESSONS LEARNED In his years of mowing, Larned has picked up some tricks of the trade, and he can anticipate special requests from customers who like their grass a certain way. Some people want the lawnmower’s blades cleaned off before the mowing can even commence; others want the lines to run in a certain direction. He tries not to mow hilly lawns during or after rain, so the sod isn’t damaged. Likewise, Larned employs a strategy at the beginning of lawn-mowing season where he lets the grass grow a little taller than he otherwise would, for the sake of healthy grass. “That way, it’s already got good roots and everything, and then I mow it,” he said. And he’s learned some lessons the hard way. Like why lawn mowers have the little plastic flap on the back.
through my shin, about a centimeter and a half deep.”
“I’d walk up the street, and if I saw somebody’s grass that was super long, I’d ask them, ‘Hey do you need me to mow or anything?’, and they’d let me mow their lawn.” PHOENIX LARNED
“I got smart one day, and cut the flap off,” because he found it unhelpful when trying to pull the mower backward. “So then I start mowing this next lawn, and it’s a little taller, and next thing I hear this crack, and I look down and I felt a sharp pain in my leg, and I got a piece of chicken wire stuck
SNOWBLOWERS AND SHOVELS In the wintertime, of course, the crew’s workload is tied to the weather. When the city gets dumped on, Larned finds himself buried in snow-removal jobs. “Every time it snows, I’m out for at least 13, 14 hours,” he said. Last winter, he only used shovels, partly because his truck recently “pooped out” on him early in the season, and he was thus unable to haul a snowblower anywhere. This winter, Larned won’t be using a shovel or a snowblower — he’ll be in basic training for the 185th Air Refueling Wing of the Iowa National Guard from September to March. The crew will move snow in his absence, and Larned saw to it that they won’t have to use shovels. “My buddies will use snowblowers, and they’ll use my truck,” he said. In the future, Larned envisions Green Hands coming together as a formal business. “I really want to push this into a bigger business someday,” he said. “I kind of want to be like Holland’s or Sharp (Lawn Care).”
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HEALTH summer
illnesses
Youth play at the splash pad in Leeds Park. Splash pads can harbor parasites and pathogens that cause recreational water illnesses.
ILLNESSES
YOU COULD CATCH WHILE SWIMMING, FROLICKING IN WATER
s
Text by Dolly A. Butz | Photographs by Jim Lee and Tim Hynds
SIOUX CITY — Microscopic parasites and pathogens lurking in the waters of swimming pools, splash pads, lakes and other recreational bodies of water could put a damper on your summer. Cases of recreational water illnesses (RWIs), which affect a person’s stomach and intestines, skin or respiratory system, have risen over the past 20 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with reports of diarrhea-causing RWIs increasing by as much as 200 percent since 2004. People become infected with cryp-
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tosporidium, escherichia coli, shigella — a contagious bacterial disease — and giardia, a germ that can survive up to 45 minutes in properly chlorinated pools, when open wounds come into contact with infected water or if they swallow or inhale the water. Public health officials from 32 states and Puerto Rico reported 90 recreational water-associated outbreaks for 2011 and 2012, the most recent years data was available, to the CDC’s Waterbourne Disease and Outbreak Surveillance System. Sixty-nine of the outbreaks involved
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treated recreational water. Of those cases, 36 were caused by cryptosporidium; and 21 were caused by escherichia coli, a rod-shaped bacterium. In total, 1,788 people were sicked, 95 were hospitalized and one person died. Brock Tyler Brock, Siouxland District Health Department deputy director, said abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting are classic signs of RWIs.
“There’s a variety of different pathogens, both bacteria and parasites, that can be caught in recreational waters — swimming pools, lakes and other things. Ninety-nine percent of what we focus on is staying out of the pool when you’ve got stomach problems,” he said. Brock urges people to avoid recreational waters when they have diarrhea or vomiting. He said parents of toddlers should check their child’s diaper often and take them to the bathroom regularly when swimming and frolicking in the water. “Sometimes by the time they tell you they have to go, that might be a little late,” he said. “Take them to the bathroom regularly. Don’t wait for them to tell you.” Chlorine doesn’t always kill bacteria. Cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite, is very resistant to chlorine and a common cause of RWIs, according to Brock. In 2017, 17 confirmed and probable cases of cryptosporidum were detected in Woodbury County. So far in 2018, the county has tallied 16 cases. The most common symptom of cryptosporidiosis is watery diarrhea. Other symptoms include, nausea, dehydration, fever and stomach
Children swim at the Riverside Aquatic Center in Sioux City in this August 2017 file photo. Swimming with an upset stomach could make others sick.
cramps. Brock said there have been outbreaks of recreational water illness linked to cryptosporidum and otherdiarrhea-causing germs in public pools, splash pads and even backyard plastic pools that aren’t treated. “The small kiddie pools are probably bigger culprits than anything else, however, they don’t always lead to the outbreak because there’s not near as many people swimming in those,” he said. “The public pools have more people, so you’re more likely to have a larger outbreak when those get contaminated, but it’s also more rare, because those chlorine levels are higher and monitored.” Swimmer’s itch is another condition you’ll need to be aware of this summer if you’ve been swimming in a lake. According to the Iowa DNR, the allergic reaction to a microscopic parasitic flatworm is showing up in people who’ve waded or swam in
Iowa’s Great Lakes, as well as surrounding northwest and north central Iowa lakes. The flatworm tries to penetrate the skin of humans and then quickly dies, causing an allergic reaction and itchy rash. To help prevent swimmer’s itch, the Iowa DNR said people should avoid swimming or wading in marshy areas where snails are commonly found, reduce the amount of time in the water, avoid beaches that have been pounded by waves over the past few days and quickly rinse or dry off after getting out of the lake. Applying waterproof sunscreen has been reported to help protect skin from swimmer’s itch. The welts and itching caused by the flatworm can last for several days. You can treat the affected areas with an antihistamine and calamine lotion, according to the Iowa DNR.
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HEALTH medical
answers
‘DOC, I’VE GOT A QUESTION …’ answers to your medical questions
e’ve had a lot of cottonwood particles floating around this year. W Can you be allergic to them? How do you treat that?
MEET THE DOC Dr. Destiny Miller is a native of Vail, Iowa. She completed her undergraduate training at Briar Cliff University, where she majored in nursing and premed. Miller worked as a registered nurse for two years before starting medical school. She completed her medical school training at Ross University located on the island of Dominica in the Caribbean. She is a family medicine resident physician at Siouxland Medical Education Foundation.
You can indeed be allergic to the cottonwood particles that have been filling the skies. Those that are allergic to it may notice sneezing, watery eyes, nasal congestion and itching on the skin which are all common signs and symptoms of any allergic reaction. Many individuals have what we call “seasonal allergies,” which means that these individuals tend to experience these allergy symptoms particularly in the spring and fall when dust, rag weed, pollen and mold counts are increased in the air. As with “seasonal allergies,” cottonwood allergy can be treated with some common over-the-counter medications such as antihistamines, decongestants and nasal sprays. If the allergy is severe, to the point where it may be causing airway compromise or swelling of the face, then you should seek emergency treatment at the nearest ER. I woke up with a cramp in my calf that didn’t want to go away. It took nearly an hour to see improvement and then I worried about what might have caused it. What is that? What do you do to end it? There are various reasons that may cause cramps in your calves but a few of the more common reasons are electrolyte imbalance, muscle overuse and decreased blood supply. When the cramp initially begins, the best thing to do is actually stretch the muscle because this helps prevent the muscle from tightening and causing that cramping sensation. If decreased blood supply is the culprit of the muscle cramping, stretching won’t necessarily help but with the other two causes it will. In regard to the electrolyte imbalance, deficiencies in B vitamins and Potassium are what may cause the cramps and those could be cramps in any muscle in the body, not just the calves. Eating a well-balanced 36
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diet and ensuring you’re getting those nutrients will help prevent cramps in that instance. If you recently started an intense exercise regimen or did a strenuous activity where you may have used your calf muscles more than usual, this could also be the reason for the cramps and proper stretching will help prevent these cramps. If you have recently noticed cramps in your calves after walking and then the cramps improve if you sit down and rest, this could be a sign that you have a decrease in blood supply to your lower legs. If this is the case, it is best to go to your primary care provider for further physical exam and work up. What exercises do you recommend to strengthen my ankles and my Achilles tendon? Weak ankles and Achilles tendons
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tend to go hand in hand. Some common stretches to do to help strengthen the two include standing calf raises where you lift yourself up on your toes and then back down for 15-20 repetitions. To increase the difficulty, you can try holding hand weights while doing this or try standing on one foot at a time while doing this. Another exercise includes just simply walking on your heels. A third exercise includes hopping on one foot at a time. Whichever ankle needs strengthened, you’re going to stand on that leg then hop forward, sideways, backwards, then sideways again to make a square. Do 15-20 repetitions of this as well. It is recommended to do this with both feet. Lastly, a good exercise that is more for the Achilles tendon is what is commonly known as a “wall stretch.” Standing in front of a wall, place your heel on the floor and toes pointed up on
the wall. As you lean in close to the wall, you should feel your calf stretch which is also stretching your Achilles tendon. For anyone, especially adolescents and teens with weak ankles, it is also a good idea to wear ankle support braces while doing any strenuous or athletic activity. The more you’re able to support your ankles while you are young, the less likely you are to have injuries when you get older. How protective is clothing when you’re out in the sun? Are some fabrics not very good at helping you? Depending on the type of fabric you are wearing in the sun will depend on how protective it is. Fabrics are made of tiny fibers woven or knitted together. Under a microscope, you can see a lot of spaces between the fibers. Ultra violet light (UV), which is given off from the sun and damages our skin, can pass directly through these holes to reach the skin. The tighter the knit or weave, the smaller the holes and the less UV can get through. Synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic are more protective than bleached cottons. Shiny or lustrous semi-synthetic fabrics like rayon reflect more UV than do matte ones, such as linen, which tend to absorb rather than reflect UV. Finally, consider the fabric’s weight and density;
light, sheer silk gauze will provide far less UV protection than heavy cotton denim. Regardless of how much clothing you have on outside in the sun, always remember to apply sunscreen to the areas not covered by clothing; especially the neck, face, ears and top of your head if you are bald. How long can you go without eating vegetables? What problems does that cause? Theoretically, you could go forever without eating vegetables, but it is HIGHLY NOT recommended. Vegetables (and fruits) contain many vitamins, minerals and electrolytes that our bodies need, which include but are not limited to magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper and boron. Common signs and symptoms of these nutrient deficiencies include generalized fatigue or tiredness, brittle or dry hair, rigid or spoon-shaped fingernails, sores in and around the mouth especially at the corners and changes in your skin. Significant deficiencies in magnesium and potassium can also lead to heart arrhythmias or irregular heart rhythms. While many individuals don’t like vegetables, there are other ways such as drinks, supplements and vitamins to which you can get the needed vitamins, minerals and electrolytes.
I’ve had brown spots on my legs that look like bruises but they’re not bruises. What causes that? Without seeing the spots on your legs, I can’t specifically say what they are, but my suspicion is that they are what we call solar lentigines; also called sun spots, liver spots or age spots. They tend to be dark spots on the skin that vary in size and can occur anywhere, especially to sun exposed spots like the face, hands, shoulders, arms and legs. Solar lentigines are harmless and don’t need any kind of treatment. For some individuals, these spots will be bleached or lightened in color for cosmetic purposes. Regularly using sunscreen and avoiding the sun is essentially what will help prevent these spots. If you do have a spot (anywhere on your body) that looks concerning such as being dark in color, rapidly changing in size, has irregular boarders, has an unusual combination of colors, or is accompanied by itching, redness, tenderness or bleeding; having your primary care provider evaluate it initially and then on a periodic basis is best. 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.
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We Go
Above
and
Beyond
That’s Just What We do! 844 Gordon Drive, Sioux City
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SIOUXLAND LIFE
PARTING SHOT By
Bruce Miller
DAD’S LIFE, PRESERVED WITH SCOTCH TAPE AND BALLPOINT PEN
l
Last week, while searching for a warranty I knew I had (but didn’t put anywhere convenient), I ran across my dad’s scrapbook. When he retired – after oh so many years of working – he didn’t have a plan. He didn’t know what he was going to do in retirement. He just wasn’t going to work. Tired of having him underfoot (or, as she said, “acting like my shadow”), my mom gave him an assignment: “Take all those things you’ve been saving and make a scrapbook.” Obviously not versed in the fine art of preservation, he used Scotch tape on everything – never mind it left marks and didn’t really hold well. The first pages were dedicated to his post-retirement activity – bowling scores that appeared in the local paper, a photo of him receiving a service award and clippings from the 50 years ago column that happened to mention him, his friends or “Mrs. Jake Miller.” That was grandma. In his neat dad-like printing, he annotated plenty of the stories – even ones I wouldn’t have saved. A story of a classmate included a quick remembrance: “We sat thru many boring chemistry and ag classes together.” Photographs didn’t start until clippings had chewed up seven pages. Then, he got into tickets to athletic banquets and membership cards for groups he had joined. A string of certificates – for everything from fire-fighting excellence to his request for retirement – were neatly taped in the book, equidistant from the page edges. The official retirement letter included his final salary — $26,500 — and his last day – Jan. 8, 1981. A Polaroid of him with his cake was tucked in the book. It wasn’t secured, just loose. Every retirement card he received was there, including one with at least 50 names – people I knew through him. “Best wishes on this wonderful occasion,” it said. “May all the coming years be happy for you.” Among the batch – one from me: “I’m proud of you,” I wrote, “hopefully, I can do as well as you.”
Ray Miller’s scrapbook.
The most interesting part of the scrapbook followed. It was the history of his military career. In the beginning, we see him as a bright-faced 18-year-old going overseas to fight in World War II. He’s about 75 pounds thinner than I ever remember him and incredibly serious. He looks sharp in his uniform and, oddly, sporting a lot of hair. (Did they not shave it off in those days?) A rare photo of him on the beach of Waikiki looks like something you’d see in a Turner Classics Movie. The chronicle then skips to tents, somewhere in Asia, where equally young men nervously sit, waiting to be sent into battle. Dad didn’t write a lot of detail on these pages, only one where he pasted a bunch of World War II-era money from Australia, the Philippines, Japan and Korea. “We were paid in Korean yen,” he put on one page. “Evidence of Communism was noted.” A photo of him and his field artillery group looks so proper. He’s in the third row, staring straight out. He wrote his name by his face, but it’s obvious: That was dad. While he was in the Army, dad’s father died. I know, because he includes
photos. It doesn’t say if he was able to come home for the funeral, just a list of his relatives: his mom, his two sisters and his brother. Turn the page and there’s a 1942 Army Christmas menu. It looks like he had a great meal. It doesn’t mention that actor Van Heflin was also there to greet the troops. (I know this because dad often told about the time he threw a football with him. “You should interview him,” he said. “Great guy.”) Subsequent pages showcase letters that indicate the promotions he got in the Army and, then, the National Guard. It ends with his honorable discharge and his final rank: Major. Photos of mom, my sister and me are noticeably absent. That’s not an oversight on dad’s part. We’re all in separate volumes mom kept. Instead, there are two pieces of paper that reference my sister and me. One is a newspaper story about my sister’s work as a teacher. The other is my birth certificate. There is no note to suggest why they’re there, but I have a suspicion. Life, like the scrapbook, is something to pass along. Now, his story is ours to tell.
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