Star-Herald Pride III

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2015

Healing Heart Art

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Pride Healthy Lifestyles

Artist helps others through artwork page 4

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Diabetes support group

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Couple aids the community through assistance programs By STEPHANIE HOLSINGER Staff Reporter

When Chris and Carissa Smith met, they each had a desire to help people and a heart for ministry. Since saying “I do” 11 years ago, their desire to serve the community through Christian ministries has strengthened. Their union grew into a single vision to help the less fortunate and share their faith. The couple has gone on to establish the community outreach ministries Operation Christmas Child, Firefighter Ministry and Diaper Depot. “We have a love for the community and to see people reach for Jesus Christ,” said Chris. ”That’s the main purpose of what we do. It’s not for our glory or for anything like that, it’s for the glory of God. He placed us together I think and things just came into being through Him. “It’s to see the lost saved and the needs met in the community, “ Chris said. “People sometimes don’t realize how many needs there are here in our community locally. Sometimes we get stuck in the walls of our church and our homes. We’re not out there doing the work that we should be doing as churches and Christians. It’s a joy to me. When you are doing it with your

heart, it’s not a job.” Chris said their church, First Baptist Church, provides a lot of support for the ministries. “The support of the church for the ministries has definitely been a reason they have been successful,” said Chris. “We have got a lot of great people with a lot of vision that support these ministries. People from the church are here on those Saturdays when we give diapers out and assist during the month when we get calls.” There is the financial support and the donations, Chris said, that come through church members, community and faithbased grants without which the programs could not continue, he said, and there is the manpower that keeps things going. “It’s a community ministry. People all over the community support it,” Chris said. “It’s definitely community-supported. Though we are supporting people in the community, it is the people from all around the community who come together to support it. People that help jump in where they can. “We’ve never had a need that needed to be met that hasn’t been met. God has just kept supplying.” Both Chris and Carissa feel the success of the programs is because of establishing

Photo by Brad Staman

Chris Smith and daughter Payslee organize one of the shoeboxes at the collection center for Operation Christmas Child at First Baptist Church in Scottsbluff. The annual Operation Christmas Child outreach broke last year’s record with 3,719 boxes.

relationships with God and others. Chris and Carissa were both baptized at First Baptist and grew up attending the church. It is not surprising they met at church, although how they met might surprise some. Carissa was teaching Chris’ daughter’s Sunday school class and the then8-year old set the two up, said Chris. The couple finds time for each other and serving three ministries outside their church. In addition to ministries within their church, both Chris and Carissa lead the youth and children’s Sunday School classes at First Baptist

Church as well as leading many of the youth and children’s ministries. Carissa serves on the Christian Education Board and as bookkeeper. Chris is the chairman of the Board of Deacons. In addition, Chris has also served on the board of directors for the past five years and is vice-president for Christian Media Inc., which includes the local Christian Radio station KCMI 96.9 FM, the Cross Reference Christian L ibrar y and the CrossTimes Newspaper. SMITHS, page 3

Finding a home in Nebraska Handy Bus program helps residents get around town

By IRENE NORTH Staff Reporter

Marketgoers know K atrina Tylee as the woman who sits at the farmers market, spinning yarn by hand. Few know she is the Scottsbluff 18th Street Market manager and fewer still know she used to be an aircraft mechanic. She became an aircraft mechanic by accident. While her husband was in flight school, he took her into the hangar one day and she began asking him about an engine cut away that was on display. He couldn’t answer all of her questions so he directed her to the mechanic’s school in the hangar next door. “Three months later I was in the AMT (aviation maintenance technology) program to become an aircraf t mechanic,” Tylee said. She repaired Lockheed Martin P2V Neptune airplanes in Montana. The P2V is the Forest Service’s workhorse in its firefighting fleet. Most of the planes in use today come from the Korean War and Vietnam War. “They’re ex-sub hunters,” she said. “After WWII, they started making them into fire retardant airplanes.” The planes fly in difficult environments that are often remote and mountainous, putting out fires. Pilots fly through smoke, ash and wind turbulence, which requires the planes to have some sort of maintenance performed every day. W henever a pilot returned, Tylee would speak to them to see if they had any issues. She would perform “load and return” inspections. Most of the planes she worked on were helping to build fire lines. Tylee and her husband, Tom, moved from Missoula, Montana, af ter he accepted a teaching position at Western Nebraska Communit y College. He had looked a long time for work, but there weren’t any jobs in Montana. They knew it was likely they would have to move. “We got on job boards in areas we were interested in living and began applying for work,” she said. Tom was offered positions in Scottsbluff and Ottumwa, Iowa. He told her Scottsbluff was a place he thought she would love. “I moved sight unseen,” she said. After moving to the Panhandle, Tylee rekindled her passion for spinning yar n and L it tle

By JOE DUTTON Staff Reporter

Photo by Irene North

Katrina Tylee enjoys the farmers markets because they are time to herself as well as a great opportunity to meet and talk to other members of the community.

Hawk Yarns sprang to life. Little Hawk is the name Tylee’s father called her. Yarn is for her father, who complained he could never find any good spun yarn. Tylee spun once at a craft fair when she was 9 and her best friend taught her to crochet in college, but she didn’t get into it until moving to the Panhandle and bought a spinning wheel on a whim. After taking a spinning class at WNCC, she was hooked. Soon after, she became involved with the local farmers market in Scottsbluff though she wasn’t sure at first if she was going to participate at all. “I went to a vendor meeting to find out if I even wanted to do a booth at the farmers market,” she said. She went from attending occasionally to full-time to running the 18th Street Farmers’ Market. When former market manager K athi Manville stepped

down, Tylee took over because she didn’t want to see the market disappear. “I was hoping to keep it going,” she said. “I jumped in without looking.” She sees her time at the 18th Street Farmers’ Market as three hours of respite from the tasks and duties of everyday life. While selling her wares, she spins her wool, alpaca, silk and cotton yarn by hand into many different creations. Her vendors see her as a manager who wants to continue to make the market better. “She’s easy to work with and keeps on top of things,” said Jennifer Rutherford, owner of BeeHaven Farm Roadside Market. “She integrates things really well and keeps folks informed.” Tylee often works with Jana Richard, manager of the Winter Farmers’ Market at Aulick ’s TLC. TYLEE, page 2

The Handy Bus program goes the extra mile when it comes to public transportation in Scotts Bluff County. The Handy Bus public transp o r t a t i o n s e r v i c e t h a t n ow operates out of the Scotts Bluff County administrative building in Gering started in 1974 as part of the Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska services. The program, originally called “Handi Bus,” served elderly residents in the community. After the ser vice started to receive f unding from a dif ferent section of the state, the name was then changed to “Handy Bus” and into a public transportation operation. Handy Bus Director Carol Prince said the Handy Bus is open to anyone in Scotts Bluff County. It’s a state-administered program. “We take them to doctor appointments, grocery stores, hair appointments and more,” Prince said. On average, Handy Bus drivers make 32,054 trips a month and travel about 13,885 miles per day. The van provides service to around 180 people a day. The drivers are all on-call and dispatched to a user’s location to pick them up. Fourteen-year veteran Handy Bus Driver Dan Schaub said he enjoys his work and assisting those who need a lift in the community. Some of the vans and buses are handicap accessible, with mechanical lifts for people in wheelchairs. “I don’t know how people got along without it,” Shaub said. “Especially the handicapped buses that get about six to 10 wheelchairs a day. They are really busy and it’s a good service for that part of it, too.” A one -way trip, from one to eight miles, costs $2 and eight to 16 miles is $4. Over 18 miles is $5 one way. Schaub said dispatch tries to bunch people in groups to be picked up, but it is hard to do with different appointments. Typically there are three or four people riding the system at once, but most of the time there are one or two on the bus at a time. Schaub said there are a few die-hard riders out there. “You meet a lot of people and I know lot of them since I’ve lived

here all my life,” Schaub said. “I run a lot of them that I know or know of and you get a lot of new ones anymore.” Gering resident Lisa Reagan utilizes the Handy Bus on average of three times per week and has used the transportation service for more than a year. “It’s very handy,” she said. “I use them a lot to and from doctor appointments and the grocery store.” Reagan appreciates how the transportation system caters to a variety of people and by using the bus, it even gives her a chance to enjoy the scener y that she normally wouldn’t see as a driver. “For the price you can’t beat it,” she said. “ The drivers are very friendly, I’ve never heard anything bad about the Handy Bus. I wouldn’t know what to do without these guys.” Ha ndy Bus Dr iver K at hy Kraus, who has served the community for nearly 18 years, said the best part of her job is helping people. K rause recalled a rider who had surgery and couldn’t even wash her hair, but the handy bus was able to help her go to the hairdresser. “She was so grateful to be able to go do that,” Kraus said. “It’s simple things that you don’t even think about and it was mainly to be able to help. I may be there someday, so I hope somebody else is there to help me.” Dr ivers not only help a rea residents get to their desired destinations, they have also been known to help riders get out of their homes. At times, it is even necessary for drivers to call the local police for a welfare check on those regular customers who haven’t used the ser vice in a while. This is simply just to make sure everything is OK since they care that much about their customers. “They (drivers) help the clients in a special way. Everything they do is extra and above, so they just don’t want anything to happen to them (riders),” Prince said. “Our clients are like family to us. We want to make sure everything is okay with them too and we will go the extra mile to help them.” Prince said her favorite part of the job is hearing the positive HANDY BUS, page 11

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TYLEE: Finding a home in Nebraska Continued from page 1 “We put our ideas together to make both markets grow,� Richard said. “We help each other out and she’s done a great job at the summer market.� She views her job as her hobby. Tylee teaches spinning classes and is always looking for new producers for the farmers market. “When I overhear someone say, ‘I wish I knew where to get eggs or grass-fed beef’ I’ve got those friends,� she said. Tylee’s loyalty to small business owners extends to more than just vendors at the market. She has always seen the value in small business. Her father was the local farrier and blacksmith in the summer. In winter, he created ornamental iron work. “He once did work at the home of a professional piano player,� Tylee said. “The heat grates were different clefs and scales.� From a young age, Tylee has seen the impact of small business. “We never answered the phone with just ‘hello,’� she said. “It was the same number of my dad’s business.� She is a big supporter of keeping money in the community and is on the board of Hometown Harvest Cooperative in Mitchell. “ W hen you buy some thing locally from a local person, you’ve paid for their feed, school clothes and several other things,� she said. “Shop with your dollars. That’s what tells employers what you want.� Tylee is also interested in reviving downtowns and keeping them thriving. “It’s an issue in any small town,� she said. “It seems endemic to any small community.� Tylee is a proponent of learning where your food comes from and what’s in it. Last year, she discovered propylene glycol is an ingredient in chocolate milk, coconut flakes and other foods. It is used in everything from hydraulic and brake fluid to snack foods. As an aircraft mechanic, she used propylene glycol as a de-icing fluid. She knows a person has to ingest a large amount to have any effect, but she’d rather not have any at all. When Tylee isn’t at work at the market, she can be found at home with husband Tom, son Barrett, 6, and daughter Amelia, 4. They keep busy at home taking care of two goats, several chickens and a garden as well as taking advantage of every opportunity they have to read. Barrett is an avid reader and enjoys many topics. Tylee has trouble picking a favorite. She has many and tries to tailor a book recommendation to the person she is with. “Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon� by Marjorie Kellogg is one book that has stuck with her the most. “I stumbled on it in middle school,� she said. “It was excellently written and made a profound impression on me. There’s so much to think about.� In the book, everyone is recovering from something, she said. “I was bawling through the book,� she said. “It’s the most depressing best book I’ve ever read.� Even though she’s not fixing planes anymore, Tylee still has a love for aviation. She said she would love to have been able to pick the brain of Charles Taylor, the Wright Brothers’ mechanic. “He came up with the power for the engine,� she said. “It would be so interesting to see the beginning of flight.� Tylee never meant to be an aircraft mechanic or the manager of a farmers’ market, but both jobs proved to be rewarding experiences. Nebraska was never a destination for the Idaho-raised Tylee when she went to college at Central Washington University, but she’s happy to be here. Scottsbluff has been home to Tylee and her family for only a short time, but it’s the one place she felt welcomed. “The community base is incredible. I’ve never lived anywhere where I felt at home before,� she said. “In Missoula, I went to work and home. Here, I know everybody. It’s nice. I feel like we fit into the community well.�

Courtesy photos

ABOVE LEFT; Katrina Tylee working on a T09 cylinder change in 2007. ABOVE: The Tylees enjoying a day out. Front row is Barrett, 6, and Amelia, 4. Back row is Tom and Katrina. Photo by Irene North

LEFT: One of Katrina’s coffee mugs showing the P2V Neptune air tankers she used to work on.

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Saturday, March 21, 2015 3

SMITHS: Couple aids the community through assistance programs Continued from page 1 Fa m i l y i s i m p o r t a nt . T hey a re a close -k nit group. Both Chris and Carissa’s parents and siblings live in Scottsbluff and Gering as do Chris’ two girls, who are grown, married and st ar ting families of their own. Chris and Carissa’s daughter, 16-month old Payslee, keeps them b u s y. T h e S m i t h s a r e eagerly anticipating the a r r iva l of a new f a m i ly member, another baby, in October. A ll together, the three ministries have been in existence for 19 years. They have reached communities outside of Scottsbluff and impacted an untold number of lives. In its third year, the newest of the outreach ministries, Diaper Depot, has distributed around 40,000 diapers to date. C h r is s a id t hey h ave be en a st ou nded by t he growth of the program. It began as a church-supported program they thought would be a one-time event. “ It just took of f f rom there,” said Chris. The diapers kept coming in. They now work with local agencies including DOVES and CAPWN in addition to the monthly diaper distribution program, which provides diapers to those who struggle to af ford them. T he D i a p e r D e p ot d is penses diapers the fourth Saturday of every month at First Baptist Church. “We have been so blessed by the amount of do nat ions, bot h monet a r y and tangible, that we are well-prepared to continue serving into the future.” Like the Diaper Depot, the Firefighter Ministr y has grow n beyond what either one had imagined when t hey f i rst st a r ted more than 10 years ago. “It’s just amazing how it has built up,” Carissa said, adding neither one knew where it would go from the beginning. It continues to provide assistance to those whose home has been damaged or destroyed by a fire. Now Firefighter Ministries is helping people affected by other disasters, serving as outreach to the outlying c o m m u n i t i e s of Va l e n t i ne, Craw ford, S id ney, To r r i n g t o n , W yo m i n g,

Courtesy photos

The Smith family in the sanctuary at First Baptist Church. Chris and Carissa Smith with Natasha, Brittany and Payslee.

Cheyenne and Kear ney. T he ministr y has grown because of est ablishing solid relationships with the area first responders, Carissa said, some from when she worked in the Scottsbl u f f F i r e D e p a r t m e n t a s a f i ref i ght e r. T hos e c on ne c t ions have b e en strengthened through the years as Carissa works in the periphery in a support role. Carissa said they get the call for help within an hour, oftentimes arriving on the scene as soon as the first responders. She said knowing the firefighters gets the ball rolling immediately and people receive help quickly. S c ot t sblu f f A s s is t a nt Fire Chief Paul Reisig, said that they are very valuable asset to the communit y, and their quick response a nd ne e de d a s s is t a nc e since the A merican Red Cross closed its Scottsbluff office is much appreciated. “Since we lost the Red C r o s s , s he ’s ( C a r i s s a ) been a real benefit. Many, many families in need have been helped. It’s a needed thing for this end of the state and a real valuable asset,” Reisig said. T he m i n ist r y ha s re sponded to 50 fires since 2012 and assisted in Sidney following a tornado.

Donations for the Firefighter Ministry rummage sale on April 25 are being accepted. This is a major fundraising event for the ministry, and all the proceeds will go directly to the work of this important m ission. T hey a re not presently accepting clothing items, as they are way overstocked. Fur nit ure, household items, electronics, mostly anything that can be sold will be accepted. Call the church for any additional information at 308-635-2548. “We get calls immediately after an emergency and are helping within the first hours following the event, thanks to the firefighters letting us know,” said Carissa. T hey also provide relief for the firefighters, bringing them food and water while they are on scene. “ I f t hey k now we a re here, they call us. We get calls from as far away as Kearney. If there is a need, we can help, or get help from someone we know in that area if we cannot get there ourselves quickly,” she said. Chris and Carissa organize the local collection of shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. They got involved years ago after

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the ladies of First Baptist chu rch put toget her 10 boxes. T he church took on the ministry and put together 150 shoeboxes the following year. The Smiths d rove t he boxes t o t he nearest collection center, which was in Cheyenne at that time. O p e r a t ion C h r is t m a s Child has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception 14 years ago. I t w a s a r e c o r d ye a r for Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest children’s outreach ministr y. The grand total of boxes collected was 4,489 this year, almost 700 over the goal, said Smith. Donated items, includi n g hyg i e ne a n d s m a l l c l o t h i n g i t e m s , s c ho ol supplies and a few toys are included in the boxes for boys and girls. The Smiths say they are starting a fourth venture in the coming future, Career Closet. This ministry will provide clothing for individuals looking for work or those who have recently found employment but are

Carissa, Chris and Payslee prepare a bag for the Diaper Depot ministry.

needing some professional clothing to wear on the job. Several women in the church are assisting with this outreach, helping Carissa coordinate it, Chris said. “Many times the thing holding folks back is not having the right clothing to be prepared for an interview or a new job and we want to do our best to use this opportunity to minister to people.” Chris said. The new ministry will allow them to follow up with people, to see how the job search or new job is going and how they are getting along. “We will not end it with just giving them clothes,” Chris said. New or gently used semi or professional clothing is being accepted as donations. “ T he s e t h i n g s we do

together, serving together, it is fun and we enjoy it,” said Chris, though they do enjoy going to the Broncos games or attending a Husker game when they can. “It has been a joy for us to be able to serve Jesus together with our daughters Brittany, Natasha and now Payslee, and our new little one that we expect in October, as well as working alongside other family, f r iends, the communit y and our beloved church family at First Baptist. We look forward to continuing for years to come. “At times it gets a little overwhelming, but always trust God’s in control and He’s going to take care of it. He always does. He will provide you the strength for what you need to get things accomplished.”

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4 Saturday, March 21, 2015

Artist helps others heal through artwork By JOE DUTTON Staff Reporter

Creating art can be a very relaxing way to express oneself. One local artist is helping others find their creative side. Kirsten Ennis, an artist and owner of Healing Heart Art Studios in Bayard, offers classes on Zentangle artwork. This form of intricate art is created with pen and ink on paper. Ennis typically begins with a stencil and fills in the negative space with whatever her mind wants to create. The Zentangle method of art has been known to put people in a very relaxed and meditative state of mind. After starting her art two years ago, Ennis has progressed from small drawings to creating her own jewelry. She is also delving into other art mediums to accompany her Zentangle work, including chalk and watercolor. “I didn’t even draw so much as a stick figure before this,” she said. “I think I’ve progressed a lot in two years from scribbling on a piece of paper to drawing a picture of something. Before she became an artist, Ennis had a very traumatic experience while living in Lyman. After seeing professional counseling, Ennis was then encouraged to try art therapy through her therapist Charlotte Ingram. The idea was to keep her mind moving forward rather than dwelling on the incident. After her incident, Ennis would lay in bed or sit on the couch and read a book for 14 hours a day. After Ingram told her she couldn’t live that type of lifestyle anymore, she advised art therapy to Ennis. The art therapy provides many benefits to her and it took five months of convincing to get her started. Ennis jokingly said she now needs therapy for her art therapy because it has taken over her life. “It gets me out of the house, and two years ago I never left my house,” she said. “This is a big change for me.” At first, Ennis created her art as something to do. She started with a squiggly lines and filled in the white space between those lines with a pattern. After six months, she got bored and then moved to large stencils in the shape of acorns and apples, creating designs inside those shapes. Once she got bored with that

method, Ennis would draw from photographs. This came after seeing a hunting magazine with bighorn sheep on the cover with a broken horn. She liked the photo and sketched it out into a larger picture and then went to work from there. After Ennis filled a sketch book with 87 pictures, she was encouraged by Ingram to show her work to the West Nebraska Arts Center. At first she wanted to just throw her sketchbook in a drawer and forget about it, but Ingram made her show her work. “I was literally a basket case since she (Ingram) made me go by myself,” she said. Ennis then met with Donna Thompson. After Thompson looked over the pages with no expression on her face, Ennis was nervous that her work wasn’t good enough. Thompson then suggested she join the art guild, much to Ennis’ amazement. Ennis refused to join once she knew nearly 50 people were part of it, yet she was then encouraged by Thompson to move on and market herself in order to get her work sold. After making copies, matting and shrink-wrapping her work with the help of her sister and brotherin-law in Denver, Colorado, Ennis was ready to show her art. Her first show was at Barn A New in Gering. Although she sat in the corner of the show and never got out of her chair in her booth, she was still able to sell $400 worth of art that day. “I felt vindicated that maybe I can do this, so gradually I started doing more shows,” she said. “It’s still hard to go out in public and I still have a lot of problems with that, but once you bought the booth, you have to go there and that helps quite a bit.” Not only has Zentangle helped Ennis get out of the house on a regular basis today, it has also helped her make a giant leap in her therapy by teaching others how to create the calming artwork through Healing Heart Art. Ennis said she would love to become a certified teacher of Zentangle art, but is held back because of the cost of the classes and that they are only available in Maine. Despite being non-certified, Ennis teaches and inspires people all over the Panhandle to become artists. Ennis teaches at an after school program in Mitchell, Gering Public Library Summer reading program, area nursing homes, the ESU #13/ VALTS program and every third

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Kirsten Ennis adds detail to a drawing with help from her service dog Jackson. Ennis creates Zentangle artwork, which helps relax artists and helps them take their mind off of the outside world.

Saturday at the West Nebraska Arts Center in Scottsbluff. Ennis said she has always had a connection with the VA LT S students. She added that some of the people she teaches say they can’t draw a stick figure, but she encourages them to try since she couldn’t do it either when she first started. Even though she doesn’t think she’s that good at her art, she still learns from her mistakes and teaches her students they too can work around a mistake if they make one. “You repeat the mistake and keep doing it until it looks like it was supposed to be there,” she said. “That is encouraging, especially to the kids at VALTS, you can see them get that. You work with what you’ve done. You can’t go back, you can’t erase it. It’s always going to be there and you make the best of it.” Through her positive teachings, Ennis recalled a woman at Dome Rock Manor in Gering who was 90 years old. At first the woman told Ennis she couldn’t do the artwork. When Ennis returned a month later, the woman had a special surprise for her. “She has this picture against her chest and she said, ‘OK, I did it,’” Ennis said. “I was thinking it was going to be bad, but it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.” The woman was then coaxed by Ennis to enter her work into the Morrill County Fair. At first she refused, but the art eventually won Grand Champion. Ennis said anyone can do this type of art. She

enjoys teaching it and doesn’t teach for the money, but for the love of teaching it to others. “I do it because I like to see people’s reactions and I love to see them get it,” she said. Not only does the art help students learn, it also has health benefits. Ennis said for many people who have Parkinson’s or a post traumatic brain injury, the Zentangle art exercises a part of the brain that isn’t normally used. She added that the art also helps those who suffer from tremors, since it keeps their hands from shaking when working. “It’s true. My hands really don’t shake as much as they used to,” she said. “There’s so much benefit out of it, that there really isn’t a negative.” Ennis isn’t alone in her journey as her companion and service dog Jackson is always at her side. Jackson is a Welsh Corgi who helps alert her if her Bickerstaff’s Syndrome is about to strike. This disease comes on like a seizure, but instead of seizing, she becomes paralyzed. It can last from four to seven hours. Jackson gives her a minute’s notice and she can pull over when driving. He also helps with her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well. “Jackson is cool,” she said. “He is a real godsend.” This form of art is also inexpensive since it can be done simply with a 29 cent pen and a small piece of paper. Ennis said one pattern can change into five different ones at one time and there are no rules to the artwork.

“You don’t even have to draw something, it can be totally abstract and that’s what is good about it,” she said “You don’t have to have a talent because I do not have a talent.” Ennis teaches everyone from 5 to 90 year olds and she says people often take a good lesson from her teaching, which she enjoys seeing happen. “As long as your mind is active and you are writing on a piece of paper it doesn’t matter if you scribble a solid black spot,” she said. “Your mind is moving, your hands are moving and you’re not stuck in a bed or playing video games, you are active and doing something.” Since her artwork is healing to her, she named her studio Healing Heart Art. In April, Ennis plans to be part of the Wellness Festival as a guest speaker and is set to even teach a class on Zentangle at Western Nebraska Community College. Ennis is constantly working in her sketch books and creating something new. She is planning to branch out more in her artwork and is taking chances by drawing people and creating Zentangle designs on shoes, hats, mugs and taking custom orders. “It’s a lot of fun. I love teaching it to other people,” she said. “I want them to get the same thing out of it as I did.” For more information about Ennis or to see her artwork and her Etsy products, visit www.healingheartartstudios.com.

Pride

Star-Herald

Saturday, March 21, 2015 5

Helping others a way of life for Randall By IRENE NORTH Staff Reporter

If you want to keep up with John Randall, you’re going to have to start early in the morning. Randall is at the YMCA most mornings at 5 a.m. When he’s not, he’s walking with his friend, Maurie Deines. If Randall isn’t out exercising, he’s busy being a mentor and a volunteer. He looks forward to getting up each day and helping others. “This community has been good to me and my family,” he said. “Now I want to give back.” Randall has always been a mentor. Former mentees often stop by his home to visit and keep in touch. They share with him how their lives are going. He has mentored one young man since the seventh grade. Randall helped the young man get into the Life Links program to further his education and help set him on the right track in life. “You should see him thrive in there,” Randall said. “He will be my last mentee, but he’ll be a part of my life forever.” Randall has been helping people all his life. He taught in Hay Springs and was the principal at Lake Alice School before moving on to Kent News Agency where he worked for 24 years. After retiring from Kent News Agency, Randall went to Gering Public Schools to work as a para-educator, a teaching-related position within a school responsible for

specialized or concentrated assistance for students. He wanted a change in life and found it there. “Maurie asked me, ‘How’d you like to be a para?’” Randall said. “He introduced me to kids with learning disabilities.” Randall said Deines is the most interesting person he knows and an inspiration as an ideal volunteer. He admires the work Deines has done with the Boy Scouts, TeamMates and as an educator. “He’s a good example of what a person should be,” Randall said. He credits Gering Special Education teacher Janelle Mathews with teaching him the value of working with special needs students. “That’s where my compassion comes from,” he said. Randall said he would love a chance to talk to the president to encourage him to continue funding programs, such as Life Link, for children with disabilities. Randall also believes in giving back to your community. Even in retirement, he’s still busy every day helping in whatever way he can. He’ll give you a ride. He’ll help you move large items in his truck. He’ll help mow your lawn. He is never idle for long. “You just have to let people know you’re willing to help them,” he said. His newest volunteer position is as a patient ambassador in the emergency department at Regional West Medical Center. Randall spends a few Saturdays a month in the emergency department from

8 p.m. to midnight. “That’s the really interesting time,” he said. “You meet neat people there.” He visits with patients to help the time go by. “I feel like I’m helping nurses so they can do what they need to do,” he said. For the past seven years, Randall has been a CASA volunteer. CASA volunteers provide a voice to neglected and abused children in the foster care system. He’s worked with 20 children so far. “I enjoyed working with them,” he said. Randall said many have come to see him as a grandfather f igure, someone they look up to, respect and look toward for advice. “You know, when you’re a little older and have a white beard, that allows you to say certain things and they will respect and listen,” he said. “That might not work with a younger person.” Helping those who need assistance has always been an attraction for Randall. Programs that aid local communities to lend a hand to their own citizens are where Randall enjoys being involved. He rings bells for the Salvation Army each year and recruits everyone he can. “No one who’s ever rung has come up to me after and told me they were bored,” he said. The best thing about being retired for Randall is he can do what he wants to do and enjoy it. “The hardest thing for me is getting up in the morning and looking at the calendar

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and having nothing to do,” he said. Randall, 74, has many hobbies, including golfing and traveling. Most days, you can also find him on the golf course, having fun. “You go, laugh and have fun,” he said. “It’s more about fellowship than golf.” Randall said his greatest success in life is marrying his wife of 50 years Krissa. “My life would not be the way it is without her,” he said. Krissa inspired him to be get healthy and stay healthy. He credits his lifestyle of eating right, exercising and prayer to his good health. He never stops learning, which benefits him whenever he travels. He and Krissa enjoy Fort Robinson, having visited several times. Their travels take them to different places in Nebraska. “Other than traveling the U.S., discovering Nebraska is fun,” Randall said. “I enjoy touring Nebraska to see all the little towns and learn about their history.” For their 50th wedding anniversary, John and Krissa traveled to Europe with their daughter and son-in-law for 16 days. They spent two days in Vienna, a treat for opera-loving John. “I fell in love with Vienna,” he said. W hile there, they saw “L’elisir d’amore” (“The Elixir

Courtesy photo

Krissa and John Randall, front, with their children LaNelle Bergen, Rod Randall and Tyler Randall.

of Love”), a comic opera, which has been performed thousands of times since its premiere in 1832. “The tenor singing was so good, I had tears in my eyes,” he said. After leaving Vienna, they joined a cruise that traveled along riverways in Europe, ending in Amsterdam. One stop on the way to Amsterdam was at the Nuremberg Trials Courthouse, which left an impression on Randall. “That country is lucky to survive,” he said. “You find out what’s important when everything is bombed out.”

He loved the chocolate and beer. “People there think beer is a vegetable,” he said smiling. He has been involved with TeamMates for many years and encourages everyone to give their time as a mentor. “I believe there is a big need for people to mentor, especially men,” he said. “I don’t care who you are, you can help.” His best advice to others is to do unto others, look out for others and make yourself available to others. “You can help your fellow man,” he said. “As long as I got good health, I’ll volunteer.”

Pride

6 Saturday, March 21, 2015

Star-Herald

Youth with diabetes enjoy laughter, friendship together By IRENE NORTH Staff Reporter

On the third Tuesday of every month, you’ll see a group of adolescents gathered together somewhere in the Panhandle, having fun. The Youth Diabetes Support Group isn’t like other support groups. They play games and volunteer. They mentor one another. Mostly, they do the same things other children do when they get together. T h e yo u t h e n j o y t h e group because it’s not like other support groups. “We hang out instead of just talking about it all the time,” A lexis L opez, 16, said. “Sometimes we compare how we are doing and how we correct it. Mostly we just have fun.” They have been bowling, gone to mov ies, ca r ved pumpkins and played bingo with residents at The Village at Regional West in Scottsbluff. Some joined the group to f i nd ot hers who had something in common with them. “I joined to meet other people,” Aspen W heeler, 11, said. Mar y Skiles, certif ied diabetes educator at Regional West Physicians Clinic, had wanted a group for youth for some time. Alexis L opez and Hayley Clark responded to the idea of creating a fun youth group for adolescents with diabetes. Their first get-together was in September and membership has been growing ever since. “I thought it would be good for me and thought it was a good idea to meet other people who have diabetes,” Lopez said. “Mary approached me to do it.” Wheeler said she enjoys the group because she is around other people closer to her own age. “It makes you feel less alone,” she said. “I didn’t know anyone before that had it.” A lthough the group doesn’t focus on t heir disease, W heeler said it has helped her to be more aware of her diabetes and check her blood sugars more often. “If your diabetes gets out of control, you could end up with nerve damage,” she said. Lopez knows other youth in the Panhandle who have diabetes, but are afraid to join. Sometimes it’s because no one else knows they have diabetes and are scared of what other people might think. Registered Nurse Sherry Smart, who specializes in diabetes education, said she was happy to see the group continuing to grow. She was also pleased that people have been willing to help out. “That’s what’s nice about this community,” she said. “They really support our youth.” When they’re not having fun with their group, Wheeler enjoys dancing, climbing trees and running. She has an Australian Border Collie, Heidi, who keeps her busy. Lopez participates in Show Choir at Scottsbluff High School and has played the guitar since she was six and piano since she was seven. Wheeler was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a year a g o . W h e e l e r ’s g r a n d mother Jackie Wheeler said she was proud of her taking charge informing others about diabetes. “After she was diagnosed, she gave a speech at school teaching others signs to look for so they understood m o r e a b o u t i t ,” Ja c k i e Wheeler said. Lopez said it took a while for her to accept that she had diabetes. She’s been a type 1 diabetic for six years, having been diagnosed on April Fool’s Day. “We took her in to get her regular immunizations,” A ngela Rowlee, L opez ’s mother, said. “A fter they took her blood, they called us and said, ‘You need to come back now.’” Lopez said she looks up to her mom who is always there for her no mat ter what, while W heeler ap p r e c i a t e s t he he l p he r

grandmother gives her in remembering to check her blood sugars. “ We a l l for ge t s ome times,” Wheeler said. Group members would be happy if the myth about no sugar and diabetes would disappear. “People think you can’t eat sugar,” Lopez said. “I can eat whatever I want as long as I have insulin.” She also stressed the importance that people with diabetes should learn the signs of high or low blood sugars instead of having to constantly check a machine. Lopez is the oldest member of the group and Wheeler is the youngest, but that hasn’t stopped them from having fun together and helping each other.

Aspen Wheeler plays Bingo with residents of The Village in Scottsbluff.

W heeler sa id she has gotten advice on feeling better about blood sugar management. “We talk a lot of many different things,” Lopez said. “We all lean on each other.”

Hav ing diabetes has given Lopez a new outlook on life. “Don’t take things for Courtesy photos g ra nted,” she sa id. “Or Goofing around during a night of bowling. Back row, you’ l l never k now what from left, are Hayley Clark, Alexis Lopez and Alannah you’ve got until it’s gone.” Ventura. Aspen Wheeler is in the front row.

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Pride Woman turns healthy living into a business

Star-Herald

Saturday, March 21, 2015 7

By STEPHANIE HOLSINGER Staff REPORTER

Michelle LaTowsky fills a lot of positions as fitness specialist, but filling a single space for any extended length of time is not one of them. LaTowsky is the owner of Healthy Exercise LLC, a home-based business, and instructor of TRX and aqua fitness classes at the YMCA, in addition to being a mom to an active 18-month old. Staying active and fit have been part of her life as long as LaTowsky can remember. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, she and her family were active hiking, biking and being outdoors. She and her husband, Jason, recently moved to Scottsbluff from Missouri after he completed a fellowship in bariatric surgery at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Since relocating to Scottsbluff eight months ago, she has established a business clientele working out of her home. LaTowsky specializes in individualized fitness plans that include a nutrition and workout combination of resistance-band training and weights. Anyone can do it, said LaTowsky, who has had clients from ages 5 to 93. It does not take a lot of money to invest in equipment or room to workout. She shows clients how to work a 45-minute exercise regime into their daily schedule and without a video, with exercises that they can do at home. “This is fitness. It is fun and rewarding,� LaTowsky says. “Once they know the workout, people can do it at home or if they travel they can do it in the privacy of their hotel room.� LaTowsky, who is expecting her second child in June, said she not only teaches classes but works out on her own six days a week. “People think I don’t have to do a workout because I teach, but I have to work out, too,� she said. Like her clients, LaTowsky’s workout plans are included in her weekly schedule all but one day a week. “The one day is a floating day for when you can’t get a workout in if you’re not feeling well, can’t get to it or just don’t feel like it. I schedule that in, so there is a day off, and it is nothing to feel guilty about.� Her clients expect that she will be taking time off to have the baby. Although she plans to take some time, she says it will be minimal. She plans to cont inue teaching throughout her pregnancy, resuming a few weeks after the baby arrives. One of her favorite classes, said LaTowksy, is the fitness group class with the babies and moms, referred to as Mommy and Me classes. “It is not only good physical exercise, it also is an ideal time for moms to spend with their baby, bonding,� she said. In the past, she has participated in the class with her daughter, Heidi. LaTowsky also teaches water fitness classes, including prenatal classes and aqua kickboxing. She said she likes to teach water exercise for prenatal classes because exercising in the water prevents the body from overheating. Elevated body temperatures can cause harm to the fetus if the body temperature becomes too high for excessive amounts of time. She said she prefers the water workouts for all her clients, saying anyone can do it and do it safely. “The water is a great workout for anyone, not just if you are pregnant. There is not jarring or possibility of impact injury to the joints. Plus you don’t get that hot, sweaty feeling when you workout. “I have quite a few clients that feel like they can’t exercise due to a health condition but they find out they can,� she said, “and the water is especially a great place to do that.� Water aerobics is a full body workout that can make the best athlete “feel� it, she said. A person is only sub merged up to the shoulders. “I like it because my hair doesn’t get wet and I can keep my face out of the water,� she said. “The TRX classes at the YMCA are very popular,� said LaTowsky. At her home-based studio, LaTowsky focuses on muscular endurance training. The focus of which is the number of sets and repetitions that a person does of a particular exercise and the rest/work ratio. She specializes in foam

Courtesy photo

Michelle LaTowsky works with an active duty military officer Taylor Zehrung, who performs a bicep curl while engaging and strengthening his core. LaTowsky focuses on the overall well-being and health of clients helping them reach a variety of fitness goals including weight loss. She said weight loss can be achieved by maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise and proper nutrition.

rolling. Described as yoga/ deep invasive massage, LaTowsky said the person will lay their body over the foam and roll back and forth over the foam roller. “It relieves muscle tightness,� she said. LaTowsky tailors the fitness plan to the individual. She said she loves what she does because it is so rewarding to see the results people experience when they attain their fitness goals. She knew she wanted to help people with wellness and fitness when she saw a physical therapist working with a patient who had cerebral palsy. “When I saw them in the pool, I knew I had to do that,� she said. She received her training in fitness science, learning the most efficient and effective ways to work the muscular system while increasing the metabolic rate to burn more calories. “I learned tweaks I could make, learning the correct amount of weight to lift and how to lift it, cut workout time in half and get the results, and much more rewarding results,� she said. She also provides nutritional support. “Everything in moderation,� she said. It is not always about losing weight, LaTowsky said. Although weight loss is some of her clients fitness goals, it should always be about a healthy lifestyle which includes maintaining a healthy weight, she said. The key is the combination of budgeting calories and exercise. She said two important points she makes to her clients are it takes 21 days to establish a habit and eating well is part of a healthy lifestyle. “If every person I trained would look up how many calories they consume even for three days a week, they would be so much more aware of what they are putting in their bodies. At the same time, though, we can be human with it. We can go to an event and enjoy all that good food and that doesn’t have to throw us off.� LaTowsky can be contacted at 308-765-2635, HealthyExercise@hotmail.com or her Facebook page HealthyExercise LLC. For more information or to register for the TRX class, contact the YMCA at 308-632-5705.

LaTowsky tailors individual workouts that improve balance, posture and strengthen the core and she teaches aqua prenatal fitness. Expectant moms, including LaTowsky who is expecting her second child in June, keep cool while working out in the YMCA pool.

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Pride

8 Saturday, March 21, 2015

Star-Herald

Good stewards of the land n PRBE lands benefit area in numerous ways By BART SCHANEMAN Assistant Editor

One of the consistent threads through many of the articles that have appeared in or will appear in this year’s Pride section is the value of public lands in our area. From tourism professionals to community organizers, area residents are in agreement — the more land we protect and open up to the people the more our region benefits. That’s where Platte River Basin Environments comes in. According to Hod Kosman, president of PRBE, the organization started as a way to honor Clive Ostenberg and Chet Fliesbach, who have both since passed away. After Ostenberg died in 1989, a group of his friends met with the Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited. They agreed to work together to develop the resources in the area. “We knew that if we didn’t have good science about what we were up to this wasn’t going to work,” Kosman said. Fliesbach, because of his connections both with the Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited, was helpful after Ostenberg’s death. Kosman said the group began looking for a local venue or organization to bring money back to the valley. They had a specific focus on finding projects that fit their scope of purpose. “We weren’t just going to go out and save grandma’s pond,” Kosman said. They spent the next three years recruiting people from the University of Nebraska, the Nebraska Game and Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Pheasants Forever — people with the science background to help them decide what kind of project fit the valley here. “To begin with, we were really looking for a project that would be a testament to Clive and his gift,” Kosman said. “We really didn’t have much of a broader vision than that at the time.” The group did a flyover in a private plane and photographed the area from Guernsey, Wyoming, to Oshkosh. They realized that space for natural resources was shrinking and at the same time they had very little public access. After the group compiled the photographs and readied to contact the people on the land, they realized that they knew everyone and no one turned them down.

“They let our biologists come on their land,” Kosman said. Their first approach was wetlands, because that was the focus of the Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited. The Kiowa Wetlands south of Morrill was the first project. PRBE approached the family and the patriarch, the landowner, was still alive. “He thanked us and said ‘I knew it was special but now I know how special it is and I’ve been taking good care of it,’” Kosman said. A few weeks later the landowner was killed in a car wreck and the family came to PRBE. The hunting groups recommended against hunting because it might be over-hunted and the species wouldn’t flourish there, Kosman said, so they left it as an educational piece. Today it’s open for the teal season, which is a week, then it closes until the end of the dark goose season and then it’s open for snow geese. PRBE built an amphitheater so people could go and sit and watch the wetlands. Ducks Unlimited and the Nature Conservancy negotiated the acquisition, with help from the Game and Parks and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and turned it into public land. It’s now controlled by the Nebraska Game and Parks. “That was our first piece and then we were hooked,” Kosman said. Their second project was in Morrill County, at Facus Springs, between Bayard and Bridgeport, which has wetlands on both sides of the road. The Nature Conservancy and Fliesbach’s daughters donated match money to create the Chet a nd Ja ne F l iesbach at Facus Springs Wildlife Management area, that the Game and Parks took over. It includes a parking area with walk-in access as well as trails for biking or horse-back riding. With their three land-owning partners, which are Game and Parks, Ducks Unlimited and Nature Conservancy, the PRBE lands include between 38,000 and 39,000 acres, all in the Panhandle, with the farthest one from Scottsbluff at Chadron Creek Ranch. Kosman pointed out that PRBE pays the same taxes as owners of neighboring land. He said he doesn’t favor any one piece.

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A bighorn sheep at Cedar Canyon.

“They’re all jewels,” he said. “All of our lands are working landscapes.” Many of the areas continue to have grazing or farming or other activities on them. Kosman said they’re managed in a way that they have economic activity. So farmers and ranchers can use the land, but yet the wildlife can still flourish. Not all of the properties are connected, so one piece of land might be watered and fenced, but not an entire stretch. Kosman would like to be able to connect more of the lands together in order to properly manage wildlife. For example, if they wanted to mimic a bison environment, then bison would need to be able to travel. By the mid-1990s, PRBE had a good idea of what their parameters would be and decided that having contiguous lands would be way better. But they have to wait to add to their existing lands. “We have lots of landowner contact with people who are saying ‘I’m not ready to sell right now but if I am, you’ll be the first to know,’” Kosman said. “All these lands are sold to us because the landowner wants us to be there, once that happens a family can always access that land and go visit their favorite picnic spot.” Future plans include acquiring a 1,000-acre property between Minatare and Chimney Rock for bighorn sheep habitat in the ridgeline. There’s also a major project with

Courtesy photo

Pictured is a screenshot of The Nature Conservancy’s Murphy Ranch south of Gering as depicted by the NPNRD app.

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Game and Parks, to spend about $450,000 over a three-year period in restoration along the North Platte River restoring sloughs, removing invasive species and replanting grass. Kosman emphasized that none of this would be possible without the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund. “If we find partners and we find good science and willing landown-

ers, we usually are successful,” he said. “It’s changed Nebraska completely having these dollars.” People are coming to Nebraska now for tourism. Last year virtually every commission in Nebraska came and visited, Kosman said. “It’s really about partnerships, and collaboration and cooperation, and being good stewards of the land,” he said. “Being able to show we’re good neighbors.”

Pride

Star-Herald

Saturday, March 21, 2015 9

Health a part of everyday life for Scottsbluff woman By IRENE NORTH Staff Reporter

Marcia Bauer is a hard person to track down. She has spent most of her life as a registered dietitian nutritionist helping others. You can find her helping patients at Regional West Medical Center’s Diabetes Care Center, working behind the scenes at events in the Panhandle and speaking to others about healthy living. Any conversation with Bauer will ultimately lead back to eating healthy and exercising. It’s always educational, never patronizing. “What motivates me is all the research I read,� she said. “I read many articles and journals and when reading, it makes you want to change.� Bauer spends a lot of time reading so she can give her patients the best evidence-based information available. “As dietitians, it ’s our responsibility to keep up on the trends and all the new research and be able to inform our patients,� she said. Bauer said she would love to have the chance to speak with Michelle Obama to thank her for her focus on nutrition and health. “It was an important step and we needed change,� she said. As part of her desire to better understand diabetes and help her clients, Bauer wore a Dexcom continuous blood glucose sensor in February. It displays your blood sugar every 15 minutes of the day. Bauer is already looking at food differently. “It’s changed how I eat,� she said. “I think every person with diabetes should have one of these.� Although Bauer has always eaten a healthy diet, she’s now looking at eating different carbohydrates to see how they affect her. “I ate a brownie and just watched my numbers skyrocket,� she said. Bauer believes if everyone had a sensor, it would change what they eat. “You see that response and start thinking,� she said. Bauer learned her healthy eating habits from her grandmothers and her mother. “We ate and then played a lot,� she said. “We also ate a lot of different things.� Bauer remembers walking to school, even in kindergarten, something many children don’t experience today. She worries about youth today and how they may be missing out on experiences she had as a child like building forts and playing outside. “They don’t get the time to be creative today,� she said. “We were just raised in a different era.� Bauer said her mother was a great cook, as were her grandmothers, and credits them with learning the benefits of healthy eating early on. Her paternal grandmother always made sure the family had a balanced meal. “We’d have a protein and veg and a salad,� she said. “But her salad would be something like lettuce, a half a pear and cheese.� Their meals were not excessive and didn’t have double portions. Her maternal grandmother would make dinners consisting of baked roast beef, carrots, celery and onion. “ T here wasn’t usually any potatoes because there weren’t any,� she said. Her grandmother also had a great piece of advice for everyone. “You will never have a problem with your weight if you watch your sugar and fat.� That advice, given more than 50 years ago, is something medical professionals today often tell their patients. Ironically, Bauer had no interest in cooking while growing up, but now enjoys cooking and teaching others how they can stretch their budgets and still eat healthy. “ You c a n save money buying large quantities,� she said. “If you know you have to make the food last (for a while), you can make it work.� Bauer said she would love to have the chance to speak with President Obama to thank him for his wife’s focus on nutrition. “It was an important step and we needed change,� she said. “Michelle Obama

focused on nutrition and health.� One of the best ways to exercise is chasing after children. Bauer has four girls, Hilary, Bethany, Ashley and Emily, and she was active because her children were active. She is now concentrated on muscle mass, not weight. “Muscle mass will help keep you from falling and stay strong,� she said. “As you get older, it becomes more important.� Muscle mass is important to Bauer because she wants to stay active as she ages. “If I ever retire, I want to be able to continue to participate in activities,� she said. Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in Colorado, was another challenge for Bauer. She knew a woman in church whose goal was to climb all the 14ers in Colorado. Fourteeners are mountains that meet or exceed an elevation of 14,000 feet above sea level. “People in church knew she was climbing every one and we wanted to go, too,� she said. “On the last trip, she took 23 of us.� Bauer has climbed two 14ers, but remembers her first one well. “It was challenging, but I had the most elated feeling and I couldn’t believe I made it,� she said. While climbing Mt. Elbert, Bauer experienced several false summits, but didn’t give up. “You get to the top and think that’s it, but there’s still more to go,� she said. On the climb, Bauer met people of all ages, from all over the world. “I met people from Sweden, people with dogs and families from Colorado,� she said. “I even saw some young kids walking up with a bike.� It took five hours to climb up the peak and four more to descend. When you get to the top, all that pain from climbing goes away, she said. “It’s something I never would have done on my own if I hadn’t seen someone else

Courtesy photos

Marcia Bauer, center, rides bicycles in the rain through a Missouri vineyard with her daughters. Her daughters, from left, are Hilary, Ashley, Emily and Bethany.

doing it,� she said. She also recommends a walking stick when going down because you’re tired and it helps with balance. The best part of the trip for Bauer was it turned out to be a bonding experience for her and her daughter Emily. Bauer credits her children as her greatest success in life and that being a mom is the hardest job in the world. “You stay up late when they’re little, you stay up late when they’re teenagers,� she said. “You keep them involved to stay out of trouble. They need a lot of guidance and you will always put their interests ahead of yours.� Her children were in 4-H and loved riding horses. “I drove them all around from horse show to horse show in the Panhandle to go riding,� she said. “I didn’t know anything about 4-H so I learned right along with them.� It kept their minds on good, positive things. “It was hot. It was dirty, but we had a lot of fun and learned a lot of things,� she said. Gary, Bauer’s husband, is a farmer and owns a trucking business. “Farming is his life,� she said. Marcia and Gary love to garden and raise animals. They have 29 chickens. “We bought some chickens, but we hate to butcher them,� she said. “When we did, we couldn’t eat them.� They gave the butchered chickens away and now only use their chickens for eggs.

Bauer at the top of Mt. Ebert in Colorado. From left are Diane Mathis, Jana Richard, Bauer and Emily Weaver.

Bauer’s faith has helped her get through many situations in life. “Believe in Jesus Christ. There is a God and he is there and He is guiding us,� she said. “I take great comfort knowing that He has blessed our nation, me personally and my family.� If there’s a healthy event being planned in town, there is a

good chance Bauer is helping behind the things. She enjoys doing “Nebraska things� and organized the successful Wine and Bean event in 2012. The event showcased the health benefits of beans as well as the many varieties grown in the Panhandle. “Kelley Bean stepped up to help us with that,� she said. “Our own people don’t know

we lead the world in beans.� Bauer is always thinking of new ideas with different people who can help represent the Panhandle. “I’m already thinking of another idea to showcase western Nebraska,� she said. Mum’s the word on what that is, but with Bauer behind the scenes, it will only make western Nebraska shine.

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10 Saturday, March 21, 2015

Pride

Star-Herald

Nebraska transforms doctor’s life By IRENE NORTH Staff Reporter

From medicine to health to personal life, Dr. Raqeeb Haque has found a home in Nebraska. Haque has been happy in Scottsbluff since moving here last fall. He has found friends, support and camaraderie in the valley. He’s also found a sense of wellness and well-being with support throughout the community. “I have a supportive group of people here,” he said. “This is the happiest I’ve ever been.” Haque said he hated to sound cliché, but he was sincere that his greatest success in life so far was to move to Scottsbluff and being able to learn more and help people. “We’ve already initiated a transformation of neurosurgery,” he said. “It’s only going to strengthen the hospital.” Haque has helped develop the Comprehensive Spine Care Center to better serve patients. As part of care, staff collaborates to determine the best outcome for each patient. Neurosurgeons meet monthly with physicians, physical/occupational therapists, nursing staff, social work/case managers and rehabilitation ser v ices to coordinate all the pieces into a comprehensive plan involving the patient. “You get to be nerds for an hour and discuss complicated issues with ver y smart people,” he said. Haque said it ’s one of the best conferences on a regular basis he’s experienced. “Before it was a lone man making a diagnosis,” he said. “ We get together and get to discuss complicated diseases, teach each other and learn from each other.” His next goal is to open it up to other doctors in the community, chiropractors and telemedicine. “The conditions we see are unique and very complicated things,” he said. The dedicated, specialized teams have a bird’s eye view of the patient, which helps them provide the best care available. The mutual respect among medical professionals is important to Haque. Medicine has always been an attraction for Haque. He initially volunteered at the National Institutes of Health as a young man where he learned about rare genetic conditions and brain tumor research. While there, he worked on the neurosurgical floor and saw what happened in the operating room. He loved what he saw and knew neurosurgery was

Courtesy photo

Dr. Haque Raqeeb consults with physical therapist Henri Prieels at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff.

what he wanted to do. Haque received his undergraduate education at Harvard University. He earned his medical degree at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed his neurological surgery residency at Columbia University Medical Center. He then completed a fellowship in minimally invasive spine surgery at Northwestern University. Haque finds inspiration in everyone who has touched his life. His parents immigrated from Bengal in the 1960s. His mother was a teacher, his father, an engineer for the Department of Transportation. “They came here for school,” he said. “They spent their whole life looking out for us.” Michael Got tesma n, who works at NIH, was a wonderful mentor, he said. Haque wanted to go to Harvard, but his mother told him no because he’d “never been out of the house.” Gottesman sat with Haque’s mother and spoke with her for two hours, convincing her to let him go. “He was a good mentor and adviser,” he said. “When you have a good partner, it makes you better at everything.” He has nothing but praise for his staff, who Haque said has a vested interest in people and everybody cares for each other.

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“In big cities, you don’t have that,” he said. “Here you see this person every day, they invite you places. We want to get you stronger so you can take care of other people.” Haque sa id he also admires nurse practitioner Mary Schweitzer, who has worked at RWMC for more than 20 years. “She is the oil in our machine,” he said. “She sees the sickest patients on her own time and lets us know how they are.” She is humble and makes you want to work harder, he said. “She’s the first one here ever yday,” Haque said. “She inspires us to do a better job.” Fe l l o w n e u r o s u r g e o n D r. O m a r Jimenez made the transition to western Nebraska easy for Haque. A fter living in a big city for eight years and rarely driving, Haque wasn’t sure how he’d get to town from the airport. “Dr. Jimenez and his family came to pick me up at the airport. W ho does that? ” he said. “You learn a lot and can truly talk to someone in a three-and-ahalf hour car ride.” Haque enjoys having students visit who are interested in the field of medicine. “You get that relationship with them here,” he said. “Our duty as physicians and caretakers is to help each other and inspire youth to come back.” Haque has made several changes in his

personal life since moving to Scottsbluff. He participates in Crossfit every morning at 5 a.m. with Jimenez. “He and his wife are health conscious,” Haque said. “I’ve been very fortunate to be around people who are eating healthy and being healthy.” Being active in Mixed Martial Arts has helped him get in better physical shape. “I think the world of my MMA trainer, Laz Perez,” he said. “I have been able to get healthier because of him.” He has also been welcomed at Western Nebraska Community College, where he joins Muslim students at Friday prayers. “It’s very settling,” he said. “They have a big sense of giving back.” When Haque saw the charity work of the students, what they do and how they act, he knew he’d made the right choice in moving to Scottsbluff. “ The amount of people giving their time, I haven’t seen anything like it,” he said. “They are the salt of the Earth people.” During his first few weeks at RWMC, Haque said people were receptive to improving health care in an evidence-based manner. To be the best, you can never stop learning and trying to improve. “If you’re happy with what you know, you’re never going to get better,” he said. “Take every opportunity to learn and not be static.”

Pride

Star-Herald

Saturday, March 21, 2015 11

HANDY BUS: Helping residents get around town Continued from page 1 remarks from customers who call into the Handy Bus service and say how much they appreciate the drivers. “When they call and say a certain driver really helped them out and they weren’t able to make it without them or wouldn’t know what to do without us that we help them out so much,” Prince said. “My favorite part is when people appreciate what we do or are happy that we are here to serve them.” Ever y day, P r ince sees for herself how well her 13 drivers that are on staff take care of the Handy Bus customers. Prince said she has a great bunch of drivers working for her and has very little driver turnover. “Overall, they are very courteous and helpful to the clients,” P r ince sa id. “ I don’t get a ny complaints from anybody. I know they go the extra mile to help. We are strictly supposed to be a door-to-door service, but I know they help them with their groceries to their door. Some people a re supposed to ha ndle t hat themselves. The drivers will go beyond that.”

Hours of operation are 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the service runs only in the Scotts Bluff County area. Operators are considering extending the hours of service, but, according to Prince, with budget constraints it will be tough to expand without extra money. Riders are advised to call in a day ahead to be picked up. Drivers will pay special attention to those who have doctor appointments and will pick up those customers a half-hour before the appointment to make sure they are there on time. Once riders are ready to be picked up again, they will contact the Handy Bus and drivers will gladly come back to return them to their homes. If anyone is interested in using the service, Prince advised customers to call a few days ahead to sign up for use on the bus. They will then be provided rider guidelines, fee rates and notification of holidays when the Handy Bus is out of service. A nyone can use the Handy Bus. Those under 16 should be accompanied by an adult. The bus is also compatible for children in car seats, but the par-

Photo by Joe Dutton

Avid Handy Bus rider Lisa Reagan steps off of the bus at her home in Gering. Reagan enjoys the services Handy Bus provides and utilizes the transportation service three times per week.

ents are responsible for installing and it’s becoming quite popular and uninstalling the child seats. among area residents. “We’re getting more and more P r ince sa id more people a re learning about the Handy Bus people all the time, which is

good,” Prince said. “I think it’s a service they (riders) appreciate and we are happy to provide it to them.”

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