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Shaun Miller F OTO F UN S POT

Meet Shaun Miller, the production assistant at FotoFunSpot.

Tell us a little about your business.FotoFunSpot is a premier provider of photo and video booth experiences serving Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas. Our services are popular at weddings, galas, sporting and corporate events.

How did you get started in the business? - I started with FotoFunSpot years ago occasionally working as a photo booth assistant. Growing up making videos, I was certainly interested in working in the digital media field. Years later, in my job search, I’d find out that FotoFunSpot was looking for a full-time employee.

What has been your most important achievement professionally? - I was transferred to a lower performing store during my last job. In the first few months, I helped raise revenue by a double digit percentage and cemented a turning point from what was one of our lowest performing stores, to our highest grossing store in the Omaha area.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? - I truly love working on my music. When the stars align and I have the time and energy to focus, I can (and will) spend an entire day recording or just mixing a song. Who inspires you? - Oftentimes, I draw inspiration from music and film creators. Tom Morello inspired me to pick up a guitar as a child and Robert Zemekis inspired me to film a 1950’s style music video. Countless content creators and musicians have inspired me to simply continue and try to get my name and work out there.

if you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? - Spooky. It’s a fun one, and generally accurate. What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? - “Don’t turn away, get in front of it” - Zach De la Rocha. It can be very general purpose, but I’ve always thought it had a certain “power” to it.

if you had a theme song, what would it be? - Oddly enough, probably “Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs” from Frasier. Occasionally, at the end of the day, I like to imagine I’m in the end sequence of an episode and that song will play in my head.

Which talent would you most like to have? - Bringing my ideas to paper, figuratively or literally. I envy people that can envision or hear something and get it fully expressed into their work.

What local nonprofit organization are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? - if you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be? - I’d have loved to get to know Neil Peart. He was a very calm and quiet enigma of musical genius. One of my bigger regrets is not having seen Rush during Neil’s life, so an opportunity to speak with him would certainly suffice. if our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so?shaun@fotofunspot.com; (402) 915-1386; fotofunspot.com.

The Omaha Conservatory of Music is a wonderful organization. I attended their summer program as a youth and gained wonderful knowledge, experience, connections, and importantly, passion for performance and music.

What is your favorite movie? - I consider myself a “movie person”, and enjoy a large variety of genres from horror, comedies, spaghetti westerns, sci-fi; really all over the place. So with this, I will give a general top three in no particular order: No Country for Old Men, Halloween (1978), and Pineapple Express.

What is your favorite TV show? - Frasier. It’s one of my mother’s favorite shows so a lot of my childhood consisted of watching that show most nights.

15623 West Dodge Road Omaha, NE 68118

BELFOR Property Restoration in Omaha provides disaster recovery and property restoration services to Omaha and surrounding areas throughout Nebraska. Homes and businesses damaged by fire, water, mold, or storms can contact BELFOR to get the clean-up and restoration job done. BELFOR believes in “restoring more than property” –they restore pride in communities and restore hope by making progress every day.

A flooded basement can leave even the handiest of homeowners feeling helpless and underwater, which is why BELFOR put together this list of steps for dealing with a flooded basement both safely and effectively.

Dangers Of A Flooded Basement

When a basement floods, there’s bound to be some damage - whether it’s furniture and other items being ruined by the water, or carpets and floors becoming waterlogged and generating mold growth. Property damage isn’t the only concern; flooded basements can also be dangerous to health and safety. Here are a few dangers that can occur when a basement floods:

1. The structural integrity of your home and foundation can become compromised due to severe flooding or untreated water damage.

2. Electrical shocks can occur if the floodwater comes into contact with wires or electrical components.

3. Floodwater can lead to system failure of appliances in the basement, such as HVACs, water heaters, and washers and dryers.

4. Unless the flooding comes from a broken supply line or another source of clean water, floodwater is often contaminated with harmful chemicals, bacteria, and other substances that can cause serious illness in humans and pets.

If you are worried or uncertain about any of these potential dangers when dealing with a flooded basement, the safest course of action is to contact a professional water damage restoration service.

How To Deal With A Flooded Basement

Step 1 – Shut Off The Power

Even a small amount of water can reach sources of electricity such as cords, wires, and floor outlets. Therefore, before locating the source of the flooding, be sure to shut off all power to the basement. If you are unsure how to shut off your power or cannot do so safely, contact an electrician or your utility company.

Step 2 – Locate The Source of The Flooding

Once you are sure that the power in the basement is off, the next step is to locate the source of the flooding. Some flooding, such as a failed water heater, the homeowner can likely remedy themselves. However, if a pipe has burst or a drainage system has backed up, professional assistance will be required.

If you need to venture into the flooded area of the basement, be sure to wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE), such as protective rubber boots and gloves. If the flooding is higher than a pair of boots will protect against, it is best to contact a professional water extraction and drying service to handle your flooded basement cleanup.

Step 3 – Remove Water

If you’ve been able to locate and stop the source of the flooding safely, the next step is to begin removing any sitting water. Utility pumps and wet vacuums are great for removing smaller amounts of water from a basement floor.

Omaha Exec leviJ.ScheppersBecomes ChairpersonforAHAHeart&StrokeWalk

Levi J. Scheppers, chief executive officer of OrthoNebraska has stepped into the role of Executives with Heart Chairperson for the 2023 Greater Omaha Heart & Stroke Walk with the American Heart Association (AHA) Nebraska.

Scheppers issued his challenge to more than 20 business leaders in the Greater Omaha community, asking them to make a personal commitment to donate or raise $5,000 for the Heart Walk. The executives who accept the challenge will be highlighted at this year’s Walk on May 20.

On Saturday, May 20 at 9 a.m., Walk participants and teams are invited to Miller’s Landing to celebrate heart and stroke survivors, raise lifesaving funds and encourage physical activity. This year’s theme, Why I Walk, invites participants to walk on the event path or to create a path of their own.

To register, visit www.OmahaHeartWalk.com. From there, participants can stay up to date by downloading the Heart Walk mobile app and encourage friends and family to join in via e-mail or on social media.

The Greater Omaha Heart & Stroke Walk, hosted by the American Heart Association, is sponsored by media sponsor NRG Media. The funds raised from the Walk go toward research, advocacy, CPR training and to promote better health in support of the Association’s 2024 Health Equity Impact Goal, reducing barriers to health care access and quality. Visit www.heart.org/Nebraska to learn more.

FarrisEngineeringHiresChadMcCarthyas SeniorPlumbingDesigner

Farris Engineering welcomed Chad McCarthy as senior plumbing designer the beginning of this year. He brings over 17 years of experience to the mechanical engineering team. Chad earned his associates degree in architectural technology from Southeast Community College. Since then, he has been designing plumbing systems for health care, hospitality, and commercial projects. Most recently his projects have included senior living facilities, multi-use buildings and large multi-family projects.

Chad holds both a Certified Plumbing Design (CPD) and a Green Plumbing Design (GPD) certificate through the American Society of Plumbing Engineers. Those who attain these certifications are leaders within the industry and have advanced skills in the design and specification of plumbing systems.

“I came to work for Farris Engineering for the opportunity for new challenges and diversity of project types,” Chad said. “I’m excited to be a part of the engineering design team that bring your buildings to life.”

Aside from work, Chad enjoys riding motorcycles, 4 wheelers, going camping and spending time with his children, wife and grandkids. He also enjoys just hanging out at his house and using his Green Mountain smoker. Farris Engineering is an industry leader in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering with additional expertise in fire protection engineering, lighting design, building commissioning services, technology systems design, and life safety systems engineering. They look forward to tackling your projects head-on with this talented team of employee-owners as they Bring Your Buildings to Life. To learn more, visit farris-usa.com.