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publisher/editor........... John Heaston john@thereader.com graphic designers........... Ken Guthrie Sebastian Molina news..........................Robyn Murray copy@thereader.com lead reporter............... Chris Bowling chris@thereader.com associate publisher.... Karlha Velasquez karlha@el-perico.com creative coordinator...... Lynn Sanchez lynn@pioneermedia.me

JOBS: Nation (Mis)leading Unemployment

feature: Searching for Home in Omaha, Nebraska: Inequity in Affordable Housing Begs the Question, ‘Who Is This City Built for?’

COVER: Amber Ruffin Is Not Holding Back Calling Out Systemic Racism

DISH: Omaha Cozies Up to Comfort Classics

PICKS: Cool Things To Do in November

STAGE: Our Stages Still Need Saving: Will Relief Come in Time?

HOODOO: Listen Up! New and Recent Roots Recordings of Blues Celebration Sounds

FILM: White Riot Sings Anti-Nazi Punk Songs // Grateful Dread: A Very 2020 Film Thanksgiving

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FEATURE: Covid’s Challenges Can Bring Out the Best in People

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COMICS: Voting, Democracy And The State of Our Sanity

HEARTLAND HEALING: Build the Wall: Adjusting with The Seasons

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Nation (Mis)leading Unemployment by Chris Bowling

ebraska currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the country. With just 3.5% of people out of work the state’s unemployment rate is less than half the national average and four times lower than Hawaii, the state with the highest unemployment in September, the most current numbers as of this writing. Throughout the pandemic, Nebraska has made headlines with its bottom-of-the-barrel unemployment. While strict health mandates and stay-athome orders crippled others, Nebraska’s economy skated through the bulk of the pandemic relatively unscathed even while COVID-19 cases are spiking.

fore Food Bank for the Heartland, one of the top area food pantry providers, distributed 12 million meals to people in Nebraska and Western Iowa from March to the end of August. On a typical weekday, people wait in lines of cars that stretch around churches and nonprofits, waiting for basic meals to feed their families and children. Others feel like they’ve been forced back to work due to Nebraska’s quick reopening, which began letting businesses resume operations back in May. Business owners weighed risking more financial hardship against possibly spreading COVID-19. Some employees had little choice as they lost benefits through the state’s unemployment system.

However, the figure only And minority communities, shows a piece of the economspecifically Black Nebraskans, ic picture. are disproportionately repNebraska has the fourth resented in unemployment highest rate of people work- numbers. While unemploying yet still living in poverty. ment was relatively equal One in four Nebraskans liv- across all demographics early ing in poverty has a job. The in the pandemic, Black Nerate is worse in Omaha where braskans are now eight times 35% of people living in pov- more likely to be unemployed erty are employed, which is than their white neighbors in the top fifth percentile of and six times more likely than American cities and higher Asian or Hispanic Nebraskans. than the national average. Native Americans and those These figures from the U.S. who identify “some other Census Department are also race” have also been highly before the pandemic. It’s be- affected.

NOVEMBER 2020

These are the same demographics who lag in median income. Those jobs—hourly labor, service industry and other blue collar positions— were the first cut back in March and will likely be the last to return, according to Patricia Meglich, an associate professor of management at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

“You can’t bring all those entry level, front line workers back that fast, because you just can’t have that many people in workplaces,” she said in June. “So it will push that timeline of pain and unemployment a little longer than just flipping a switch and saying, ‘Businesses can restart, everything is reset to March 1.’ That’s delusional.”

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F E A T U R E

Searching for Home in Omaha, Nebraska: Inequity in Affordable Housing Begs the Question,

‘Who Is This City Built for?’

Cheryl Janis stands in her apartment on 23rd and N streets in Omaha on Oct. 22.

by Chris Bowling

arissa Wright flicks the lights on in the apartment. In a flash it’s there. Slate grey walls she was happy to see weren’t brown when she moved in. The spices lined atop the new stove. Work clutter on a breakfast nook. Two boxes of Cheerios on the kitchen island. When she moved into this apartment, a one-bedroom slice of Omaha, it was hard for the 38 year old to believe it was truly hers. “I would just sit here and say, ‘I can’t believe I have this place,’” Wright said. “It just feels good.” At the top of the Eagle Heights apartment complex, Donna Polk gazes eastward. From the third floor, she sees city blocks melt into browns and greys as they sag and stretch toward the Missouri River. But to Polk, who’s directed the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition since 1991, which built this 44-unit complex on 23rd and N streets, the city blocks explode with color. Across the street, she imagines a rooftop garden. Her organization is planning to refurbish the 26,000 square foot building into a space that includes, among other

things, a clinic, computer lab and community areas “I mean how often do your dreams become reality?” Polk said. “And I really used to have dreams about how I could do this, so people could have a decent place to live.” But for many, that’s a dream they’re still chasing. In Omaha, access to safe and affordable housing is not equal. While thousands are evicted every year in Douglas County, according to a recent study from Creighton University and Family Housing Advisory Services, Inc., more live in homes with code violations that take longer than a year on average to fix. In Omaha, nearly four out of five people living in poverty have jobs but lack the income to secure life’s necessities. And while the cost of living

Dr. Donna Polk

NOVEMBER 2020

is rising, 43% of Omaha’s residents are paying more than 30% of their income on rent, according to the Landscape Omaha. They’re also competing in a market that one 2017 Housing and Urban Development study said is offering 10,000 fewer homes — for sale or rent — than what the city needs. “We continue to make excuses for our inability to increase access to low-income housing,” said Erin Feichtinger, community outreach and advocacy coordinator for the non-profit Together Inc. “And we do it knowing full well that we have a crisis on our hands in affordable housing. And I don’t understand it.” The areas where the problem’s most severe are the same where substantial numbers of new homes haven’t been built since the 1930s.

Erin Feichtinger

Teresa Hunter

The same with poorer educational outcomes, more poverty and lower median incomes. They’re also the city’s most racially diverse neighborhoods, concentrated largely east of 42nd Street. A century ago a federal agency marked them as “hazardous” zones to curb bank lending there. That practice, called redlining, was outlawed in 1968, but a review of lending data since 2007 shows little has changed. Majority white census tracts in Douglas County received more than 45 times the amount of private bank loans to buy homes. They received $12 billion while census tracts with more minority residents received just $275 million. Teresa Hunter, executive director of Family Housing Advisory Services, said these areas have a

TONY VARGAS

F E A T U R E Eventually her case manager told her about Eagles Heights. After moving into the apartment in August, Janis finally feels like she’s found a place to call home.

dependency on social services that do more to help people eke by and little to substantially boost people out of poverty. “It has a crippling effect on people that are trying to get away from the system,” Hunter said. “Those kinds of policies that don’t allow for growth, don’t allow for people to advance. People get stuck.”

“I’m at peace,” she said.

Meanwhile more public dollars go toward renovating and rebuilding areas like downtown, Aksarben and Midtown where projects have out-earned competitors in North and South Omaha by tens of millions of dollars since 2000, according to data from the City of Omaha.

Marissa Wright looks through her closet at her apartment on “[Public spending in poor 23rd and N streets in Omaha, Nebraska on Thursday Oct. 22. communities] is not happening enough right now,” said State Senator Tony Vargas, which has low vacancy rates and who represents District 7 in South too few housing options. Omaha. “That’s something most Cheryl Janis moved to OmaThe Eagle Heights apartment people I’ve talked to can accept. Is ha in 2018 to start a new life. On complex, where Janis lives now, the system broken? I don’t think it’s the Pine Ridge Reservation, in the took years to actualize with a combroken. Is the system meeting the southwest corner of South Dakota, bination of donations and public needs of the community? I don’t she witnessed a murder. The lonfunding, amounting to an $8 milthink we can say that either.” ger she stayed among the plains lion project, Polk said. And in the and pine studded bluffs she’d effort to keep it as affordable as But there are glimmers of hope. known all her life, the stronger the possible, the apartments rent for Longtime advocates are hear- trauma became. well under market rate—a three ing more calls to invest in unbedroom that rents for $800, But when she got to Omaha, derfunded areas of the city after could probably cost double that, the disabled Lakota woman ran protests over racial inequality said June Bear-Noonan, Commuinto problems with housing. Havbroke out in late May. There’s opnity Relations Coordinator of the ing spent her life on the reservaportunities for people to educate Nebraska Urban Indian Health Cotion and living on her family’s land, themselves about building wealth alition. she didn’t have prior landlords to or a healthy credit score. Nonprofput on applications. She didn’t its, public-private partnerships And while it only has 44 units, have much credit. and others have chipped away a small dent in the overall need,

Piece by Piece

at the problem by building new single-family homes and apartment complexes. Local and state legislation has added measures of accountability to maintain safe housing while making construction more accessible and non cost prohibitive for average citizens.

“When I lived in South Dakota, we lived on our land and we had our own houses,” Janis said. “We never had to pay rent or nothing. That’s why it’s hard when they ask you, ‘Well what was your rent before? we need your landlord’s name.’”

it’s an important step in the right direction.

But everyone can agree the journey is far from over.

Janis ended up living in two homeless shelters and waiting a year to get an apartment with the Omaha Housing authority, which is backlogged with low income applicants waiting six months to two years to access some of the 7,000 different housing options in the city. That’s not unusual in Omaha,

While living in public housing, the loud noises coming from other apartments as well gunshots Janis occasionally heard outside flared symptoms of her post traumatic stress disorder. She wrote poetry to keep her mind at ease.

“I think it’s good that we’re starting to have a conversation about housing equity,” Feichtinger said. “but we are not close to doing anything meaningful.”

“It’s amazing to be where we’re at right now,” Bear-Noonan said. “Helping people that need help. That’s the bottom line. We’re just doing the little bitty part that we can.”

Holy Name Housing has been building and renovating homes largely in North Omaha since 1983. Right now they’re renting about 200 single-family homes and 100 senior living units. Mike Gawley, executive director of the organization, said about three-quarters of that housing, which typically rents between $600 and $800 for a four-bedroom home, is reserved for families making between $26,000 and $50,000 per year. Every year Holy Name Housing builds about 30 more homes, Gawley said, and every year, about 10 people in the program become homebuyers. But the work comes at a steep cost. “New homes in North Omaha do not appraise for what it costs to build a new home,” Gawley said. “There’s about a $100,000 per house gap.” The organization also has limited space. The next people in line to rent a home signed up at least two years ago, Gawley said. When Marissa Wright was on the waitlist to get into Eagle Heights, she looked around at other apartments as a backup plan. Despite working full time as a case manager at the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and part-time phone banking, she couldn’t find many places she could afford. “It’s hard to find affordable housing,” she said, “especially if you only make a living wage.” And when people do find housing, it can be unsafe and subject to slow code enforcement. In the last five years, residents have reported 7,161 code violations to the city’s Planning Department Code Enforcement, according to City of Omaha data. These can range from reporting mold and deteriorating

NOVEMBER 2020

F E A T U R E structures to problems with fences and suspicion of vacant buildings.

Douglas County Housing

substandard housing, they haven’t tried hard enough to climb out.

The average code violation is left unfixed for 381 days, according to analysis from The Reader. Of all code violations reported, about one in six is still open and 352 homes had to be vacated due to immediate danger to the residents.

Household Income

Meanwhile Feichtinger said according to Together Inc’s analysis of eviction and code violation records, 44% of evictions in Douglas County between 2017 and 2020 took place at a residence with an active code violation.

HomeOWNERSHIP

In fact 75.4% of people living in poverty in Omaha are employed, which is slightly above the national average. The problem is the disparity in income. The average household in a racially diverse area is making $41,340 less annually than the average household in a white-majority neighborhood.

And there’s little impetus to change that.

Median Household Income 17k

A map showing the median income of each census tract in Douglas County.

Homeownership Rate 2.2% 99.5% A map showing the percentage of people who own the home they live in for reach census tract in Douglas County.

EDUCATION

“What we’re finding is that there’s really no reason for landlords to resolve code violations because there’s always going to be another person or family who will rent that unit,” Feichtinger said. “No matter the condition.” What worries Vargas the most about that reality is that home is almost everyone’s symbol of security and respite. When that’s interrupted, it challenges everything. “When a home is literally hurting a child’s health or hurting their education, leading to mental delay or special education needs potentially, when it’s disrupting people’s sleep or people’s health or people’s work,” Vargas said, “that means we can connect issues with code violations in residentials or rentals with people’s long-term health and long-term educational outcomes.” Vargas said when he talks about these issues in the Nebraska Legislature, one of the biggest obstacles he runs into is the idea that if someone is living in poverty or

194k

Education ≥ Bachelor’s Degrees 3.0%

46.9%

A bachelor’s degree means access to higher paying jobs w/ more security and benefits. Residents who’ve received those degree gravitate westward.

Racial Diversity Douglas County Racial Diversity 0.04

0.72

The racial diversity of each census tract in the county, measured using a diversity index that places each tract between 0 (least diverse) and 1 (most diverse).

Omaha’s Aging Homes Homes Built Before 1939 0%

Map: Chris Bowling Source: 2018 American Community Survey Created with Datawrapper

81%

Several Census Tracts in East Omaha have homes built nearly 40 years before laws like outlawing the use of toxic lead paint. They’re concentrated in the same areas with high densities of code violations.

And now the nation is seeing what happens when people living paycheck to paycheck have to deal with interruptions in work or additional expenses. “We’re seeing it more and more now [with COVID-19] where people, as a result of losing their jobs for a month, two months or three months, are finding it incredibly difficult to keep a roof over their heads,” Feichtinger said. “People should live somewhere and they should find it easy to afford their homes.” In July, researchers released a report called “Understanding Evictions in Omaha,” which visualized how housing stability has a ripple effect across a family’s welfare. The study, a joint effort between Pierce Greenberg of Creighton University and Gary Fischer former legal advisor of Family Housing Advisory Service, showed evictions are concentrated in East Omaha, particularly in impoverished, racially diverse communities. That wasn’t surprising to Fischer. What was surprising was how glaring the connections were between areas with high evictions and kids missing school. Or evictions and COVID-19 infections. “The sheer numbers are really shocking,” he said. “Because when you look at this as a component

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SOUTH

20%

MIDTOWN

F E A T U R E

WEST

billion 12%

NORTH

41%

Downtown

16%

AKSARBEN TIF

Tax Increment Financing By Area of the City One of the most effective tools for publically finacing city projects, Tax Increment Financing (TIF) has brought more than $6 billion to Omaha since 2000. However, the projects meant to revitalize aging structures have centered around some parts of the city more than others. of racial injustice issues and even health issues around COVID, you realize that this is an interconnected web of causation and impacts.” And what’s more these maps line up perfectly with the original zones deemed unworthy of investment in the 1930s. It’s a clear reminder that redlining and other racist policies are not a thing of the past. “It’s taken years for these things to happen,” Hunter said. “And it’s going to take years and years to get out of them, but I do believe we must be intentional. When we see something, we have to do something.”

Solutions Come Up Short

tunities to build up. And while private investment has lagged tens of billions of dollars, others look toward public dollars

Since the Fair Housing Act passed in 1968, reinvestment has been the subject of countless initiatives, politicians’ platforms and non-profit’s missions. And half a century later, the fruits of that labor, even recently, aren’t too hard to find.

Whether it’s tax increment financing, community development block grants, the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund or dollars through the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, there are millions and millions of dollars available to people and organizations. But whether those dollars are getting where they need to is a different story.

Projects like Seventy Five North have brought tens of millions worth of commercial and residential property to N. 30th Street. A newly organized business improvement district is building on efforts to revitalize the N. 24th Street corridor.

Vargas said there needs to be more education about these funds. And they should be directed at Nebraskans who might not be looking to build an apartment complex, but want to seriously renovate their aging homes.

Along L Street, OneWorld Community Health Centers service patients in the renovated Livestock Exchange Building with apartments and ballrooms on the upper floors. A Metro Community College Campus opened in South Omaha in 2007 with a new library opening nearby in 2008. Even further south, a new development is underway to revitalize some of the city’s oldest housing projects. But these haven’t gotten the city to the equitable solution it needs. “The bottom line is more affordable housing is needed in our community,” said Bear-Noonan. One of the biggest hurdles that still needs to be crossed is increasing access to funding and oppor-

Because one of the largest issues is that pockets of Omaha’s infrastructure have remained largely unchanged for nearly a century. In one fifth of Douglas County’s census tracts, concentrated in East Omaha, half of the buildings were built before World War II. Even more census tracts show less than 20% of their development took place after 1979, one year after the federal government outlawed the use of toxic lead-based paint. “If you are in the working class, the options that are available to you [are limited],” Vargas said. “There’s newer homes being built in Gretna, there’s newer homes being built in West Omaha, and while that’s fine that they’re being built out there, we don’t have those developments in my community.”

Another solution to increase that access is through making it easier to build multiple types of housing. The Nebraska Legislature recently passed the Missing Middle Housing Act, a bill initially sponsored by Matt Hansen, a state senator from Lincoln. The bill would require areas to rezone residential properties so that people can easily modify their existing homes or build new ones that don’t fit in the mold of a traditional single family home. The bill was added as an amendment to another from Senator Justin Wayne that would require cities larger than 50,000 residents to submit affordable housing action plans by Jan. 1, 2023. Cities between 20,000 and 50,000 resident would have until Jan. 1, 2024. For the Missing Middle Housing Act, cities larger than 20,000 residents must submit reports on what they’re doing to increase access to affordable housing starting on July 1, 2021 and every two years thereafter. By incorporating rezoning efforts, Hansen hopes this will do away with Nebraska’s rigid fixation on what housing means. “It’s really kind recognizing the fact that we’ve distorted the market such that we only really allow new construction to be the large, multi-story, 100-unit apartment complexes or single family homes, and maybe some duplexes,” he said. “We’re really building from scratch these days.” One of the most promising solutions is providing education

NOVEMBER 2020

F E A T U R E to renters on everything from how to be a good tenant to building credit. Those courses are available through organizations like Family Housing Advisory Services which routinely help people get out of predatory payday loans and get on a path to homeownership. Cheryl Janis took a similar course through the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition. She didn’t realize how important things like writing checks or paying off old debts were to insure her ability to keep a home in the future. Teresa Hunter wants more money to advertise these classes, which are free, or find a way to expand them. “We need to share this information, people don’t understand unless we share it,” she said. But even if renters do all the right things other obstacles still exist. Application and credit check fees can be financially stifling. A criminal background can follow some people for years and keep them out of good housing. It’s frustrating for some of the people Marissa Wright knows.

“They feel like maybe they’d paid their debt to society, they’d righted the wrongs they’d done,” she said. “But that kind of stuff sticks with them.”

debated holding the Omaha Police Department’s budget static and reinvesting what would have been a $2 million increase into community programs to address poverty.

then she’s rebuilt her life piece by piece. She’s holding down jobs, helping to lead Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, getting involved in her church and leading a good life.

Other solutions have taken aim at fixing some of the institutional gaps in code enforcement, evictions and landlord accountability.

The initiative was dead on arrival, with city council members citing the need to continue investing in a diverse police force, or simply the need to fund what they characterized as an already lean department, despite the fact OPD’s now $161.3 million budget is by far the city’s largest expense.

She doesn’t know where she’d be if it weren’t for this apartment with the spacious closets she loves to fill with her favorite dresses and shoes. She’d probably still be in transitional housing or saving up for a place.

Last year, the city of Omaha enacted a rental registry to be able to contact property owners when violations occur. The registry will also help the city easily identify repeat offenders. Eventually they can instigate their own code evaluations, which right now have to be brought on by resident complaints. Advocates like Feichtinger have also been part of the push to install more code enforcers and cut down on the length of active violations. But the process is slow going. Feichtinger said that 39% of evictions from April to June of 2020 came from unregistered properties, according to Together Inc’s data. It goes back to the fundamental idea of what kind of city Omaha wants to be. That philosophical argument was on full display in August as the Omaha City Council

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“A budget is a moral document,” Feichtinger said. “It says what we prioritize. It says who we prioritize. It says how we feel about our past and what we think is important in our future.

Looking For Answers

But Wright’s one of the lucky ones. Not because she didn’t work for the life she had, but because her journey led her here, unlike many of the people she knows still struggling. But how do we make it better so people don’t have to live on the edge? Wright doesn’t have an answer for that. She wishes someone did.

The dry bundle of sage cracks and releases its earthy perfume as Marissa Wright pinches the leaves. She holds a lighter to the green/ grey clump. The smoke rises in her new apartment on 23rd and N streets. She prays for her body, mind and spirit, part of a daily ritual. Wright came to Omaha in 2018 struggling with addiction. Since

“I can’t take on all the baggage of everybody, you know?” she said. “I’m trying to get my life together. But what I can do is live my life in a good way and be of service to others. If they see this Native woman doing the right things, they’ll think, ‘Oh maybe I can do that someday too.’”

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Amber

Ruffin Is Not Holding Back Omaha comedian uses her platform to call out systemic racism by Paul B. Allen IV

mber Ruffin emailed me and begged me to interview her. So I did.

Well, not exactly. But that’s the line that the Omaha-born comedian told me to say in my editorial meeting. “I can’t wait to hear that story,” she said laughing. I, like I am sure a lot of us do, appreciate a good sense of humor, and it was an absolute pleasure experiencing hers when she called from her home in New York one fall afternoon. Most know Amber from her work as a writer on Late Night With Seth Meyers, which she has been doing since 2014. The hilarious “Amber Says What?” segments were a great take on the nation’s headlines and wild news items, things that make you say, ‘What?’ She has also written for the hilarious “A Black Lady Sketch Show” and is known for her appearances on

Comedy Central’s “Drunk History.”

of individuals displaying racist behavior.

It was obvious to fans, viewers and even Seth Meyers that Amber needed her own show, and on September 25, 2020, The Amber Ruffin Show premiered on the newly formed Peacock Network. Us Omaha-dwelling comedy lovers felt nothing but pride when we turned on the half-hour variety show for the first time. We knew America was in for a laugh.

We got a taste of this through her segments on Late Night with Seth Meyers. One that stands out in particular is the time when the show needed to make a statement about the murder of George Floyd. Amber delivered a monologue called, “Amber Ruffin’s Experience With the Police: Driving as a Teen.” After telling the story of how terrified she was facing an irate cop one morning, she said, “I wanted to end this with something hopeful to provide some comfort, but maybe it’s time to get uncomfortable.”

But America was going to get more than hilarious, intelligent jokes and sketches from the multi-talented artist. America was going to get a Black woman from the Midwest who was going to stand at 30 Rock in the heart of New York City, turn on her mic and loudly call out systemic racism. Her monologues, sketches and performances would be chock-full of unapologetic dragging of racist systems and calling out

The outspoken nature of her views has continued over to her show. My favorite is Episode 4 (originally aired October 23rd, 2020), when she called out Republican Senator David Perdue for mispronouncing Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ name. “Fix your

mouth and say it right,” she says with ferocity. Amber made sure we all knew that now that she was in charge, she would not hold back. The calling out continues in the form of a book. Amber, with her sister Lacey Lamar, has a book coming out in 2021 called, “You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism.” The book is about some of the crazy racist things that happened to Amber’s sister Lacey who still lives in town. “Because when you’re a Black lady at work, you usually keep a list of the crazy racist things people have said to you, lest they go to their boss and go, ‘Oh she’s crazy,’” Amber said. “Normal Black stuff,” she said with a laugh. “She had so many stories that even if we took just the unbelievable ones, there was more than enough for a book. So we did, and it’s hilarious.”

NOVEMBER 2020

C O V E R

S T O R Y

Living in the predominantly red state of Nebraska, many people of color can relate to situations Amber describes on her show, and the notes that Lacey kept over the years. I wondered what she thought Omaha needs to do to improve.

and thoughts, and the fact that she can find the good and even the humorous in painful situations, puts her on the same stage as Dave Chappelle, John Stewart and other giants that tell us what we need to hear, it a way we can hear it. When I asked Amber if she had any parting words, without hesitation, she said, “I love Omaha and I miss it.”

“I think Omaha should do the thing all big companies should do. And that’s to hire companies that help… There are things like Inclusive Communities and companies like that who will come into your company and be like, ‘Oh you can’t be acting like this…’ As long as there are those types of companies to report your H.R. violations to, that’s what matters.” What’s stood out to me in the midst of her classic wit and humorous performances was biting criticism about the world we live in now. The Amber Ruffin Show is not focused on escape, instead it’s a timely contemplation on things going on in our society. I asked Amber what she thinks would happen if Trump wins the election. “I think that if Trump wins that anything could happen. Like, I still can’t believe what happened at the border happened and just everyone was like, ‘Well okay.’ Isn’t that crazy? Just literal crimes against humanity. And it’s fine and he needs to be re-elected. It’s insane to me. So like, I think it will just be like the border except worse. And it will be a lot of mass incarcerations, I do think that… you know, he is always saying, ‘We will open up the libel laws.’ I think what he means by that (is) when you speak ill of him you’ll go to jail. We’ll be a fascist state, I guess is the short way to put that.” A running conversation that is happening right now in the Black community is what to

Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/Peacock

Amber’s ½ hour variety show, The Amber Ruffin Show, premiered September 25 on the Peacock Network. do about white supremacist groups who are threatening a second civil war and committing acts of domestic terrorism. I wanted her take on what she thought about the threat. “They [white supremacist groups] are trying to create this feeling of, like Black people are actively hating white people. But when we say racism, they hear ‘white people,’ so they are fighting a fight where no one is fighting with them.” She laughs. “You can be anti-racism and not be anti-white people.” As a Black man, I still get a little surprised when I hear someone on mainstream television, a major network no less, boldly and plainly say these things, especially when she doesn’t put it in the form of a joke, a

NOVEMBER 2020

technique she sometimes uses for effect. I wondered if Amber got any backlash from the network about her positions. “No, I think the network knows what they are in for.” She laughs. “I think they know what I am liable to say and they know it’s only going to get worse when I’m the one in charge. So I do think I’m not giving them anything that they didn’t 1000% expect. I’m just very lucky that they will let me go to town on a subject and be like, ‘Systemic racism exists even here! These people are crazy.’ It’s crazy that they let me say that. But they do.” Amber’s voice is an important one, not just to Omaha but to the nation as a whole. The authority she projects, the clear nature of her language

I was surprised. Going from one of matter-of-fact “Omaha needs to fix itself” to the lightness of her missing Zesto’s chili dogs. She finished with a story about her loving Emory’s Cafe, a North Omaha restaurant on 24th Street. “I love eating there,” she said. “And they always bring out the tiniest little thing of greens, and I go, ‘What is this? What am I, a baby? Bring me some greens!’ The lady is prepared for my antics every time I go in there. She looks me in the face, and she can’t remember me, you know because she deals with people all day, and then I look at her and I go, ‘Hmm I think I’ll take the BUCKET of greens.’ And then she laughs and remembers.” The only other food she is missing is whatever her mom is cooking. Amber is a proud Omaha woman, with a latenight talk show, unapologetically telling America to stop being racist, making us feel levity and pride with every episode. Like she says in Episode 4, “I am Amber Ruffin, and this is The Amber Ruffin Show. Don’t you forget it.” Amber still writes for Late Night with Seth Meyers weeknights on NBC, and hosts the Amber Ruffin Show on the Peacock network once a week. “You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism,” is due January 12, 2020.

C O V E R

Amber, with her sister Lacey Lamar, HAS a book coming out January 12, 2021.

S T O R Y

AMERICAN SPIRITS

Credit: Virginia Sherwood/Peacock

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As the temperature drops, interest rises in finding something warm and hearty to melt away the cold

he last several months have felt simultaneously dreary and frantic. Boring and frenetic. Monotonous and yet somehow still… unprecedented. I don’t know how much longer we are required by law to use that word in every correspondence, but there you have it. And while any therapist worth their salt will tell you that salty, fatty, starchy dishes aren’t a replacement for all that we’ve been doing without… well. They are a little bit. Sorry Doc. You’re just wrong about this one. And so this month, The Reader set out to find our favorite nutritionist not-approved dishes to fill the gaping void left by the… wait. Do over. This month, The Reader set out to find our very favorite soul-satisfying dishes to warm the heart.

Big Mama’s Kitchen

2112 N 30th Street, Ste 201 www.bigmamaskitchen.com

Modern Love

by SARA LOCKE The signature recipes remain on the menu, and one bite of Big Mama’s fried chicken will have you forgetting that only a short year ago people were fist fighting in drive-throughs for a fast-food chicken sandwich.

Vidlak’s Brookside Café 15668 W Center Road vidlaksbrooksidecafe.com

“It’s not love, it’s just gravy” I internally reason with myself as I beg the staff to adopt me. So far, they’ve all declined. It would truly be a snap for me to walk out of Vidlak’s and never go back. I would simply have to drive the nine hours to a defunct dairy farm in Pelican Lake, Wisconsin where my children’s grandmother is probably preparing biscuits and sausage gravy for me already. But for those who aren’t a half a day’s journey from perfection, it can be found on any of the starchy, savory, and impossibly hearty dishes at Vidlak’s.

When Patricia “Big Mama” Barron opened her kitchen, she created a seat at the family dinner table for every one of her customers. The heat of the kitchen was a breeze in contrast to the warmth she imparted on each dish, and her recipes were only half of the secret to her success. Truly loving the work and the community, she served kept the kitchen cooking no matter what the outside world had brewing. When she passed in March of 2018, there wasn’t a chance her family would let her or her legacy simply slip away.

Every dish is made just like your mom (wishes she could have) made it, and no matter what you order you will leave uncomfortably full, and proud of yourself for cleaning your plate. But for those cold, wet, gray days that leave you chilled to the bone, there is exactly one remedy. The classic chicken fried steak in country gravy with silver dollar pancakes. And a nap.

Her daughters took up the reigns, and in January of this year moved to Dining Room, the new Highlander Food Hall. There they continue Big Mama’s traditions of putting family first, and finding family everywhere you need one.

Both the menu and the atmosphere make JoJo’s a standout on this list of primarily greasy-spoons. This Benson hot spot serves a more elevated comfort food, but your granddad will still find something on the menu he loves. In fact, you

JoJo’s Diner

6118 Military (Benson) jojosomaha.com

may consider hosting your family’s Thanksgiving here and simply banning all talk of politics. The fun environment, clever plating, and thoughtful menu make JoJo’s just about the only place that not one person I know could find fault with. Order a plate of avocado toast and some chicken fried duck and see if you don’t walk away with the answer for world peace.

warm soup belly. While everything on the menu has the capacity to significantly improve your life, this post is specific to comfort classics and not deliciously challenging your palate. And so I submit my suggestion: Mac and shews. Grab the build-your-own option and marvel at the modern magic of cashew cheese.

Jack and Mary’s

1917 S 67th street (Aksarben) www.zoup.com

655 N 114th jackandmarysrestaurant.com Since 1975, Jack and Mary’s has served Omaha from-scratch comfort foods, all day breakfast, and fresh pies and desserts. While they’ve been celebrated for their chicken (Awards. So, so many awards…) I’m going to sidestep it and suggest the meatloaf. Served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and your choice of a side, one bite will have you declaring that you would, in fact do anything for love. But not that. Never that.

Modern Love

3157 Farnam modernloveomaha.com It’s pretty easy to “other” vegans, assuming that they have somehow transcended the need for food as comfort. They haven’t at all, they simply haven’t as many commercial opportunities to indulge. Isa Moskowitz stepped in to serve as a young vegan gran to anyone in need of comfort (even the carnivorous among us). In fact, all of Isa’s dishes are generously heaped with thoughtful touches and loving care. A vegan queso gordita crunch will permanently change the way you taco Tuesday, and if you simply think about the pumpkin coconut curry long enough you’ll find yourself with a phantom case of

Zoup

Our final entry on today’s list is the new kid in town, national soup chain Zoup. The latest addition to Aksarben made our list in spite of our general avoidance of including chains for a number of reasons. First, what’s more comfort classic than soup? Second, the soup they make, they make well. Third, three words: Take and Make. So far I have ordered family-sized containers of Zoup Soup and delivered them to a friend who just had a baby, a coworker recovering from Covid, and a certain writer who is homeschooling three children and sometimes forgets to thaw chicken for dinner. You’ll always find a container of the harissa cauliflower in my freezer, while my kids prefer the smokehouse ham and white bean. Omaha is home to the people, causes, and restaurants that make even a global pandemic tolerable. Thanks for locking down with me, for wearing your masks, and for continuing to support your neighbors and friends who find feeding you is their own greatest comfort. Did we forget your favorite? Drop an email to Sara@TheReader.com if you’ve got a local comfort favorite, and we’ll be sure to feature them this month on our Instagram @TheReaderOmahaDish.

NOVEMBER 2020

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NOVEMBER 2020

P I C K S

Falconwood Drive In

Now streaming

The BabySitters Club

Rachel Shukert brings book series to the screen for a new gen Playwright and memoirist Rachel Shukert of Omaha always seemed destined for big things. Her breakout success as a writer, executive story editor and supervising producer with the female wrestling dramedy series “GLOW” proved it. Now she is writing and executive producing a new hit series, “The Baby-Sitters Club,” on Netflix. Satire is her thing. She found success in the New York theater scene with her plays “Bloody Mary,” “Everything’s Coming Up Moses” and “The Three Gabor Sisters” and with the live, primetime soap opera, “Wasp Cove,” a collaboration with Julie Klausner (“Difficult People”). She generated buzz with her snarky memoirs “Everything Is

Going To Be Great” and “Have You No Shame?” and as a witty contributing writer for Salon, McSweeney’s, Slate, Gawker, the Daily Beast, Heeb and Nerve. She’s also contributed to the anthologies “Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists” and “Best American Erotic Poetry: 1800 to the Present.” Plus, her work’s been featured on National Public Radio. So, it wasn’t like she came out of nowhere when she landed her first major television writing gig on “Supergirl” in 2015. “GLOW” quickly followed. Now she’s a player with “Baby-Sitters Club,” her adaptation of the popular Ann M. Martin young adult fiction series. A season two depends on renewal, which fans are lobbying for. Meanwhile, her 2020 teleplay for “The Red Lake” episode of the fantasy drama web series “Cursed” is yet another feathered credit in her over-stuffed cap. Check out the official Netflix Futures BSC teaser on Youtube. — Leo Adam Biga

Looking for some “quar-entertainment” with a significant other, family, friends or dog? Head on down to Falconwood Park, 905 Allied Rd in Bellevue for their 150-spot drive-in theater in November. With past offerings ranging from “The Goonies” to “Hocus Pocus,” movie lovers will have plenty to choose from. It is “strongly” suggested that tickets be purchased prior to the event online at www.falconwoodpark. com, as shows frequently sell out. Pricing is $8 for a single person, $14 for two people and $20 for three or more people in a car. Outside alcoholic beverages are prohibited, but there will be food trucks and other snacks available for purchase on site. Want to book a private drive-in movie event? Email Brandon Miller at falconwoodpark@gmail.com. — AJK O’Donnell

Nov 5-28

Bear Witness

‘Hostile Terrain 94 Nebraska’ exhibit advocates state’s connection to migrant crisis

Organized with the School of Integrative Global Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Office of Latino/Latin America Studies (OLLAS) at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Amplify Arts will open Hostile Terrain 94 Nebraska, Friday, Nov. 5 at 1804 Vinton St. Hostile Terrain 94 Nebraska, an installation about the humanitarian crisis at the US-Mexico border and how it connects with Nebraska, is composed of 3,200 handwritten toe tags that represent migrants who have died trying to cross the Sonoran Desert of Arizona between the mid-1990s and 2019. A travelling and evolving exhibit, it originated under the direction of UCLA anthropologist Jason De León, titled Hostile Terrain 94 (HT94), a participatory art project sponsored and organized by the Undocumented Migration Project (UMP), a non-profit research-art-education-media collective. Hostile Terrain 94 (HT94) began as a series of witnessing and remembrance workshops, as volunteers inscribed the names of those who lost their lives on toe-tags that bear witness to the humanitarian crisis at the United States border.

Amplify Arts will depart from its usual schedule of regional personal or conceptual shows in its Generator Space this November when it co-hosts a national exhibit of significant social and political advocacy.

OCTOBER 2020

P I C K S Collaborating regional institutions and organizations, such as UNL, OLLAS and now Amplify Arts, received a pre-prepared installation package from UMP complete with wall map, blank toe tags, death information and detailed installation instructions. Additional events and participation around the installation that are appropriate and relevant to local immigration issues are then scheduled. Hostile Terrain 94 Nebraska is on display from Nov. 5-28, at Generator Space, 1804 Vinton St., Thursdays and Fridays from 1-6 p.m. by appointment only. Due to ongoing COVID-19 related public health concerns, viewings of will be limited to small groups of five or fewer. Email peter@amplifyarts.org or register through Eventbrite to schedule a visit. Face masks are required. Follow Hostile Terrain 94 Nebraska at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for additional updates and information. — Mike Krainak

Jazz Nite

Zoom Room Jazz Hang Jazz Nite continues to surf the virtual sound waves through November as social distancing

remains prudent. Birthed by the temporary closing of Mister Toad’s Pub in March, Jazz Nite quickly adapted to the pandemic by going online. Since then, fans have religiously poured into the virtual space, from Japan to Costa Rica, every Sunday night. Show hosts and creators, D.J. Kethro and D.J. WERD, want to “educate our audience on how influential jazz culture is around the world,” while also creating space where communities can continue to connect with one another during isolation. Tune in from 9PM - 1AM CST on Zoom every Sunday, with the first hour of each program being broadcast live on Mind and Soul Radio 101.3 FM. CremeBulay of Los Angeles will be featured on 11/15 and Mary Lawson of Mesonjinx on 11/22. To stream, visit www. jazznite.org. — AJK O’Donnell

Now playing at a theater near you

Spell

John Beasley plays against type in new horror flick

John Beasley has acted in big and small budget movies, ranging from studio blockbusters to obscure indie plays, for three decades now. The veteran character actor and native Omahan has a supporting role in one of the most popular sports films ever made, “Rudy,” which probably remains his most recognizable big screen role. He held his own opposite icon Robert Duvall as a fellow preacher in the art house drama, “The Apostle,” that Duvall also wrote-produced-directed. He played The Rock’s father in the “Walking Tall” reboot. Indeed, he almost always plays a salt-of-theearth authority figure. His latest feature, “Spell,” finds him uncharacteristically portraying someone sinister. The high concept horror film starring Omari Hardwick, Loretta Devine and Tumisho Masha center on a man (Hardwick) who flies his family from their urban home to Appalachia. After the plane crashes, he awakens to find himself alone, in the care of a strange old couple (Devine and Beasley) who use backwoods hoodoo remedies to nurse him back to health. When he learns the fate of his family, he hatches a plan to escape. The film is a welcome change of pace for Beasley, who enjoyed soaking up the history and culture of Cape Town, South Africa, doubling for Appalachia, on the shoot. The project marks another milestone for the Omahan, whose recurring roles in the small screen series “Treme,” “Everwood,” “The Soul Man,” “Shots Fired” and “Limetown” overshadowed his feature work of late – until now. He appears in another 2020 scare feature, “Stoker Hills.” Preview Spell at: www.ign.com/videos/spell-exclusive-official-trailer. –by Leo Adam Biga

OCTOBER 2020

Nov 6 -7

Comedian

Tom Papa Waiting Room

Tom Papa, who has the distinction of being one of Jerry Seinfeld’s “favorite people,” will be in Omaha for a three-show, twonight stint at the Waiting Room, November 6th and 7th. The renowned comedian has written multiple books, hosts the weekly “Come to Papa” podcast and regularly appears on late night talk shows, Comedy Central and “Live From Here With Chris Thile.” His recently released Netflix special “You’re Doing Great!” is a hilarious adventure into the experiences of being a human, with all the ups and downs which come along with being one. With charming wit and engaging energy, Papa’s performance is sure to bring a healthy dose of laughter to what has been a difficult year. For more information regarding Papa, and to purchase tickets, visit www.tompapa.com. — AJK O’Donnell

S T A G E

Our StageS Still Need Saving

Will relief come in time? by Paul B. Allen IV

gatherings in an effort to “flatten the curve” of the pandemic’s spread. The Omaha live music venue was just one of thousands across the country whose lifeblood is ticket and bar sales, which have now been non-operational for over half a year.

t was the very beginning of the pandemic scare. We had already started wearing masks. It felt uncomfortably close standing next to each other at the Slowdown that Friday night, March 13, 2020. Virtuosic bass extraordinaire, Thundercat had brought together people from many walks of life who had decided it was a big enough show to brave it. While no official quarantine had been announced, we could feel it might be the last time we would be there for a while. The crowd soaked in the performance, almost forgetting our troubles. Then, midshow, Thundercat announced that he had just gotten word the rest of his tour had been officially cancelled. The pandemic had made that his last show. And for some of us, it ended up being ours too. It was also the last show for the Slowdown. Governor Pete Ricketts ordered Nebraska bars to close just three days later, stepping in to prevent large

All small businesses and venues were struggling, but this subset of independent music venues were hit the hardest. These venues are essentially small businesses, there for the love of live music run by small business owners, without the safety net of non-profit organizations. Some of Omaha’s most prominent include the Slowdown, the Waiting Room and Barley Street Tavern, that music lovers looked to for live local and national music shows nearly every night of the year. Coming from a legacy of independent music venues, and having spent decades in the music business, I feel their pain. My great grandfather, Paul B. Allen Sr., owned Allen’s Showcase Lounge in the heart of North Omaha, 24th and Lake, for several decades before shutting his doors in 1985. It’s hard enough to run a live music venue as a small business in normal times, let alone when the government is declaring a quarantine shut down. The fear of these doors permanently shutting is very real.

Amidst this chaos, an organization called the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) has emerged, which counts the Slowdown among its members. NIVA has done something previously unheard of in the industry — they’ve asked for a government bailout. Their website reads, “NIVA members are small, independent businesses, which normally contribute billions of dollars to local economies, but are on the precipice of mass collapse if this critical funding doesn’t come through.” NIVA, with its 2,900 independent venue members, was formed to lobby on three initiatives; the RESTART Act (S. 3814), the Save Our Stages Act (S. 4258), and the ENCORES Act (S. 4344). They realized that independent performance venues were suffering more catastrophically than other public oriented businesses. Many restaurants were able to utilize delivery, and eventually accommodate customers at partial capacity, while live music venues have been 100% shut down, with zero revenue. The RESTART Act is a loan program that would fund payroll, benefits, operating and other necessary business expenses to “hardest hit” businesses. The bill would also extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) from eight weeks to 16 weeks. The SAVE OUR STAGES Act is a $10 billion dollar grant pro-

gram that could be used for everything from payroll to insurance to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for employees. The Entertainment New Credit Opportunity for Relief & Economic Sustainability Act (ENCORES Act) would provide rent tax credit, employee retention tax credit and safe workplace incentives to make it easier for venues to keep their doors open. Just like any legislation these bills are led by senators and must be presented to the Senate and to the House for a vote. NIVA has been keeping track of the progress and forging onward, continuing to raise funds and spread the word. Those in the industry have been on “#Red Alert,” a hashtag to display on social media that represented the Save Our Stages movement. The call went out to music lovers to donate to Save Our Stages, to contact Congress, to buy merch and to subscribe to the NIVA Youtube channel. A three-day virtual music festival from Oct. 16 - 18 was viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, featuring major artists including Miley Cyrus, Foo Fighters, Dave Mathews, The Roots and many more. Just about everyone in the industry spoke up to ask every concertgoer to fill out a form that would generate a letter to send to Congress, and to donate to keep these venues alive.

NOVEMBER 2020

S T A G E According to NIVA, 90% of venues will have to close their doors for good by the end of 2020 if something was not done. Even the legendary rap trio the Beastie Boys have gotten in the game. After years of refusing to license any of their songs for advertising, the remaining two members allowed the song “Sabotage” to accompany a Joe Biden campaign spot that focused on how COVID-19 shutdowns have devastated the music business. The question is whether politicians have treated the movement of these bills with the same level of importance the industry has. Dan Brennan, resident sound engineer at the Slowdown, reminded me that Congress left for its fall recess without a decision on any of the bills. When they returned, replacing RGB’s seat took precedence.

SAVE OUR STAGES 1867 Bar Lincoln

Bodega’s Alley Lincoln

Bourbon Jack’s Honkytonk Bar Hastings Lincoln

Brothers Lounge Omaha

Down Under Lounge Omaha

Duffy’s Tavern Lincoln

Harney Street Tavern Omaha (Closed Down)

Lied Center for Performing Arts Lincoln Calling Music Festival Lincoln

Maha Festival Omaha

Midwest Theater Scottsbluff

Nebraska Land Days North Platte

O’Leaver’s

Fresh out of the hospital being treated for COVID-19 himself, Donald Trump said in October that there would be no more relief until after the election. “He keeps flip-flopping too,” Brennan said. “If you watch the news, he keeps going back and forth on whether or not he is going to pass any sort of relief bill. It’s so stressful… because every week we just hold on to this hope that something is going to happen and nothing ever does.”

“I want to have live venues in January or February or whenever we can open back up,” Bacon said. “I want to go to Hamilton again, right? At the theaters, right?”

Bourbon Theatre

Lincoln

Omaha

Omaha Event Group Omaha

Brennan said that Nebraska has one unexpected ally. “Yeah, you are probably going to be surprised by this but [Republican Congressman] Don Bacon is showing support for relief for music venues and theaters.” Bacon confirmed that he was in support of the RESTART Act, the SAVE OUR STAGE Act,

NOVEMBER 2020

and said that he has only recently started looking into the ENCORES Act. Most of Nebraska’s economy is back on track, he said, but the small percentage that includes independent music venues is not.

He says that two of the bills are currently in the Small Business Committee and if a compromise can be reached between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the President, the bills would most likely be added into that compromise. According to Bacon, the deal could have already been done had Pelosi accepted the $500 million standalone relief bill proposed by the White House (Democrats asked for $2.2 trillion in comprehensive coronavirus aid).

“Democrats and Republicans already agree on this stuff,” Bacon said. “If I had my way, I would put this bill right on the floor and vote for it. But the Speaker doesn’t want to do that because she thinks she loses leverage....” So relief for these hard-working business owners and industry workers is being delayed because of a disagreement on how much to spend bailing out these industries.

There is a consensus out in the music industry that there will not be a bailout or relief of any kind at least until after the election, thanks to the administration’s pushback on providing any more aid. Without relief and soon, Brennan doesn’t see how the Slowdown can survive through the winter. Benson’s Barley Street Tavern has already suffered the fate of having to close their doors for good. The conversations we had after the Thundercat show back in March were inspired. We were lifted by the experience and it was plain that being around the energy of the people at a live music venue, witnessing greatness together, is a necessity. And now, seven months into quarantine, it’s all we can think about. The day the pandemic passes, the first thing we are going to want to do is to celebrate. We now know how much we need venues with live local and national acts performing music, being surrounded by people, lights, sound, libation, and celebration. We are still working to save these venues, and when it’s time, get back to taking it to the stage. At saveourstages.com, it is clearly laid out how we can support. Nebraska is not immune. On this page is a list of Nebraska NIVA members asking for our help. About the author: Paul B. Allen IV’s family have been active participants in Omaha’s arts and music scene for decades. He is a musician, writer, artist, producer, audio engineer and program manager for Mind & Soul Radio 101.3 FM.

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NOVEMBER 2020

H O O D O O

Listen Up A look at new and recent roots recordings to bring some joyous sounds of blues celebration to brighten your days. by B.J. Huchtemann

illiam Shatner has a blues album out. That pretty much sums up the strange realities of 2020 right there. The 89-year-old Shatner puts his signature dramatic style to good use on cuts like “I Put a Spell on You.” His producers also rounded up an array of real blues talent to back him up, including high-octane guitarists like Kirk Fletcher, Sonny Landreth, Ronnie Earl, Steve Cropper, Arthur Adams, Albert Lee and more. You can check out the disc, The Blues, at williamshatner.bandcamp.com.

New Music Now that I have your attention, lots of real blues artists are delivering recorded music this fall. Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal has launched a campaign to get prepaid subscribers for production of a limited vinyl release of their newest project, Natural Born Hustler, recorded last year and produced by Eddie Roberts of the New Mastersounds on his Color Red Music label. Hoyer said, “Although we cannot be on the road and see each other for the time being, I am confident this collection of songs will speak to your Soul. This album is about Perseverance, Change, Thankfulness and Love. Although written before the whole world changed, it seems as if some of these songs were guided by premonition. Please consider preordering. It will help us and ideally be good medicine for you and yours.” JoyOf ViolentMovement.com wrote of the record, “music written for grown-ass folks written-by grown-ass folks rooted in earnest and honest songwriting.” You can find project singles on Spotify. For details and updates, you can search color-red.com

(where you’ll also find a dialogue between Hoyer and Roberts) or see fb.com/joshhoyerandsoulcolossal. Summer and fall of 2020 have offered notable CD releases you can check out while supporting artists who are also hunkered down at home, just like most of us. If you missed it, look for the debut release from The Proven Ones, You Ain’t Done, which hit #1 on the Billboard Blues Charts. The Proven Ones are a new blues supergroup featuring Kid Ramos, Brian Templeton, Anthony Geraci, Willi J. Campbell and Jimi Bott. Check out theprovenones.com. Dave Alvin’s From an Old Guitar: Rare and Unreleased Recordings features 16 tracks and a cover photo taken at a Zoo Bar anniversary ZooFest by Omaha’s Chip Duden. Two blues heavyweights, Charlie Musselwhite and Elvin Bishop, teamed up to release an acclaimed new disc, 100 Years of Blues (Alligator) in August. There’s also new music from Kim Wilson, Take Me Back, Chris Smither, More from the Levee, and Walter Trout, Ordinary Madness. Acclaimed Pacific Northwest guitarist Lloyd Jones just dropped the disc Tennessee Run. Legendary songwriter Dan Penn has his first new disc of material out in years called Living on Mercy. Guitarist Alastair Green’s The New World Blues was produced by Tab Benoit for Benoit’s Whiskey Bayou Records. Sonny Landreth, Robert Cray, Tinsley Ellis, Mike Zito, Ruthie Foster and popular younger artists Larkin Poe all put out new releases this year. If you are able, buy some vinyl or a CD, buy some merch, and help keep some income coming in for artists.

NOVEMBER 2020

Lincoln’s Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal are hosting a pre-order drive to deliver their upcoming CD, Natural Born Hustler (Color Red), out on vinyl, just one example of how artists are working during the pandemic.

Anchondo & More on NET Digital Series Héctor Anchondo was one of several local artists invited to record live, in-studio for an online extension of NET’s new “Jam” music series. You can also catch sets by Hope Dunbar, Jocelyn and Lloyd McCarter & The Honky Tonk Revival. View the digital series at netnebraska.org/jam.

Live Blues We are still in the middle of a pandemic. If we’ve stayed healthy, we are tired and worn down. Please take directed health measures seriously. Please wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep your physical distance from others, especially if you are attending any type of public event or in a place with people who aren’t part of your household. I’ve been cautious, staying home and I’d like to get back to experiencing live music again soon. The Blues Society of Omaha continues to work out their November live shows. Currently on the schedule are rockabilly with The Eskimo Brothers Thursday, Nov. 5, and Oye Como Va, a Santana Tribute band, Thursday, Nov. 19. Both shows are 6-9 p.m. at Stocks ‘n’ Bonds. Find updates at fb.com/ BluesSocietyOfOmaha and other area show listings at omahablues.com. Lincoln’s historic blues bar, The Zoo Bar, is open for afternoon and evening bar service following local directed health measures. The Zoo hosts occasional pop-up shows with social distancing. See zoobar. com and fb.com/zoobarblues.

Pine Ridge Toy Drive Lash LaRue’s annual Toy Drive and emergency propane fund

fundraisers for the Pine Ridge Reservation reported on Facebook on Oct. 17 that “with being in the middle of a pandemic that by most accounts will be getting worse, we will be rethinking how we go about things this year. This has been difficult for a non-profit that has been built on using live music to help others, but we’re going to do the best we can. Everything will be all about toy drop off locations, website donations for the propane fund, and our usual radio show on 89.7 The River/Rick Galusha’s PS Blues.” Find toy drop off sites and updates at fb.com/toydriveforpineridge, the 501(c)(3) charity’s website, toydriveforpineridge.org, is available for those wishing to donate support.

Closing Notes Apparently unrelated to the pandemic are two notable closings. The Barley Street Tavern has been sold to new owners and closed October 15, with owner Greg Jones planning to retire. One of the finest recording studios in the Midwest, Ware House Productions, has also closed its doors with the retirement of owner Tom Ware. The future of the space near Farnam and S. 44th has not been disclosed, but it has been a preeminent recording studio for both local and national artists including work with Snoop Dog and a Grammy nomination for the session with Lady Gaga for “You & I.” Originally built by Don Sears and legendary studio designer Bill Putnam, the main studio boasts 40,000 cubic feet of space designed for high quality recording. For more on the studio at warehouseproductions.net.

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F I L M

Grateful Dread: A Very 2020

Film Thanksgiving

Here’s to the cinematic stuff shining this turd by Ryan Syrek

ptimism is more than just “stupidity” spelled wrong, especially this year. Note: I am writing this before the election and thus reserve the right to remove the words “more than” in that previous sentence, depending on results.

needed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. This means that total avoidance of unnecessary indoor situations is the only way to stay COVID-19 free for sure. How does this tie into gratitude? An excellent transition! Thank you, rhetorical question.

Admittedly, identifying positive stuff right now is hard. It’s not “we can’t hold a funeral for our loved one killed by COVID” hard. It’s just regular hard. You know, like math or being honest with yourself about times you were a bad person. The good news is, unlike math or several full years of your life, finding a way into gratitude is always worth it.

I am thankful that we haven’t officially lost any local theaters yet.

Here are the film-specific and cinema-adjacent things that have been the delicious aioli on 2020’s shit sandwich.

The Show Must Go On? This year was full of many realizations, like the fact that some people are literally willing to die if it means they get to eat at Olive Garden again. Setting aside pesky concerns about minutiae like mortality and oppressive systemic racism, I was walloped with a very legit fear that The Reader would suddenly poof, disappearing into the nothingness that has consumed so much local journalism this past decade. Because the one Charlie Kaufman movie we got this year has several years’ worth of meta in it, I promise this won’t

descend into a navel-gazing celebration of the folks behind the scenes here who have, thus far, willed our survival into reality. That said, if I’m listing movie stuff I’m thankful for, still having a space in which to discuss movies has to be right here at the top of my list. Over the years, I’ve watched so many good local writers get forced out of criticism, as media outlets have euthanized art reviewers to make space for blatant propaganda and lower-case-n “news.” I have no earthly idea how I’ve lasted this long. I only know that I am thankful for this ole rag you’re reading, even if I have been a sometimes-headache for those making sure it’s still here for you to read. Sorry? And thanks!

I’ll Be Back? I did not anticipate that Dolittle and Sonic the Hedgehog would account for 30% of the films I’d see with an audience in 2020. Many movie theaters in Omaha reopened after the initial lockdown. Some remained closed. Others opened and then closed

NOVEMBER 2020

again in an ugly, inelegant, artless dance. It’s like the Electric Slide with more cooties. Theaters I deeply love have been forced to weigh their survival against scientific evidence about public health dangers without any kind of specifically allocated financial safety net. I am enraged for them. Maybe movie stars could raise their voices to convince congress to bailout family-owned theaters? It would definitely be an improvement over them “singing” “Imagine” for “racism.” Those quotation marks are filled with every bit of fury I have. I haven’t been to see a movie since Onward. That has nothing to do with the pandemic, cinema just peaked for me during Pixar’s half-assed quest. I kid! I haven’t been back because “don’t be in a room with strangers who often remove their masks to eat” is among the few universally agreed upon pandemic safety tips. It’s right up there with “Never lick a Trump.” Infectious disease experts and epidemiologists are still hashing out the exact distances and circumstances

I am as grateful for that fact as I am hopeful that we won’t, that they will all survive long enough for me to (safely) do a whistle-stop tour through every stinkin’ cinema in the Big O when this is all (finally) over. My butt, your seats, everyone wins. I know this has been so hard on my favorite places. Please, hang in there. And thank you for understanding why we haven’t seen each other recently. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but a pandemic is making my unsated theatrical love positively rabid.

Who Doesn’t Love a Party? Every Friday night since Tom Hanks got COVID, my friend and I have had a party. That is to say, since the lockdown, we’ve used what was Netflix Party and is now Teleparty to MST3K our way through classic films and clunkers. We started with Bloodsport, which was stupid because where do you go from there but down? We have done new releases (Vampires vs the Bronx), nostalgic

F I L M jams (Tremors), and whatever category Mortal Kombat belongs in, all while ensconced in PJs and safely swallowed by our respective couches. I am so thankful for this group, which has expanded as the parties rage on, and for the free service itself. It is a BandAid on the bullet wound of not watching movies with full audiences. Teleparty works on a whole swath of streaming services now, and it is crazy easy to use. Just like Bloodsport, I cannot possibly recommend it enough. I am also deeply grateful for Film Streams @Home, our local arthouse’s streaming outlet. I’d much prefer to be imbibing the latest foreign flick, documentary, or indie fare at the Dundee or the Ruth Sokolof Theater, but I also like not having a deadly virus inside my person. The ability to support the nonprofit from home whilst also seeing durn good flicks has made me almost unspeakably thankful. “Almost unspeakably” is as close as I get to not speaking, so that’s saying something. Film Streams has almost single-handedly given me a way to safely review new movies each week. Hilariously, and I use that term so loosely it is almost inapplicable, this may be the “best” year I’ve had as a critic because of that. What I mean is, they almost never show outright “bad” flicks. Thus, I don’t think I’ve seen a crappy movie since February. That feels wrong in so many ways, but not quite as wrong as Dolittle, you know? So that’s my list. In this shit-nado of a year, I strongly encourage you to seek some gratitude yourself. Not as some ra-ra, meaningless self-deception but as a natural barrier to the ever-rising tides of ungood crap threatening to drown us. I promise, it will feel good. If it doesn’t, I’ll be too far away from you for you to punch me. Win-win!

Antifa-la-la-la-laaa

White Riot Sings Anti-Nazi Punk Songs by Ryan Syrek

Three things I didn’t know before watching White Riot: • Eric Clapton has said some crazy racist shit. I’m not talking about the kind of “Grandpa’s from another era” insidious evil that we white people pretend we don’t hear because it doesn’t directly affect us. I’m talking about the kind of explicit hatred Stephen Miller likely saves for sexytime. • As recently as the late 1970s/ early 1980s, England had a real, real bad Nazi problem that inspired Rock Against Racism (RAR), a movement that used punk and reggae musicians to fight against general systemic racism and intolerance and anti-immigrant hatred in specific. It sparked a huge antifascist music festival and carnival attended by a massive audience of mostly young people, many of whom would grow up to vote for Brexit one day! • I love the music of X-Ray Spex, Steel Pulse, and the Tom Robinson Band, but I love the work of writer/director Rubika Shah even more. Let’s formally start this review there: White Riot sure could have been obnoxious and self-congratulatory. “Look at how all these white people stood up against racism four decades ago” means very little when surveying the state of things these days. The countless

chronicles of 60’s activism often fail to conclude with “and we are still dealing with literally all of those things today!” Shah’s doc is so much savvier than that. It’s a snapshot, a blueprint, and a bitchin’ mix tape all at once. White Riot isn’t about framing what the RAR did as “solving” anything. Instead, it is acutely focused on a feeling, on why the punk scene charged the frontlines to fight against fascist politicians. The doc has a thrumming bassline hidden behind more obvious riffs, urging us to consider why some of us are sitting on the sidelines right now. White Riot is acutely fixated on UK politics of the past, but you may be surprised to find out that America has a bit of a fascism problem itself these days! Something about the naked, direct, often inarticulate and guttural noise that punk musicians in particular made in response to the naked, direct, often inarticulate and guttural racism of politicians feels more salient than ever. As RAR founder Red Saunders says (more eloquently) in the film: You can tell the people flirting with fascism who are still salvageable and those who just need to be screamed at. I won’t speak for the UK, but we’re officially in scream territory here in the US. As elected

leaders try to bend and twist the principles of antifascism until they mirror the grotesqueness of fascism, it’s clear that we have a cultural deficiency happening and not just a moral one. If we have anything like an RAR movement, it’s too quiet, too polite, and not nearly punk enough. To watch White Riot is to long for a poorly dressed musician yelling expletives at extreme right-wingers in America through a squelching amp.

Grade = AOther Critical Voices to Consider: • Linda Marric at NME says “Shah’s genius resides in managing to compare both eras effectively, without resorting to the cliched or the careless.” She’s so right on that point. • Amelia Harvey at Screen Queens didn’t dig it as much, saying “The seriousness of the issues raised in the film gets lost in the cut and paste aesthetic of the narrative. The stories don’t feel well woven together, the beats between archival footage too long.” • Courtney Small of POV Magazine says “Weaving together music, politics, animation and history, White Riot carries a punk infused swagger that is infectious.”

NOVEMBER 2020

F E A T U R E

Covid’s Challenges

Can Bring Out the Best in People by Leo Adam Biga

ike everything else during COVID-19, traditions around sending the departed to meet their eternal reward get tested. Commemorating the deceased is not what it used to be. Limits on indoor gatherings, along with prescribed physical distancing and face masks, reflect concerns public health officials and average citizens harbor about the novel coronavirus threat. By mid-October COVID claimed 220,000 lives nationwide. COVID-19 cases and deaths in Nebraska rose in September and October. Funeral services are constrained by the same safety protocols imposed to prevent the spread of the disease. Restrictions add to the strain grieving families endure. Eased strictures in Douglas County now allow 75% of mortuary occupancy and 100% at graveside services. Six feet of separation between groups is highly recommended but no longer mandatory. Wearing masks is required indoors at sites open to the general public and strongly encouraged for situations or spaces where masks are optional.

family members could come and couldn’t come.”

JamesReginald Scurlock (left) and James “Big James” Scurlock (right) insecurity, even as local protests against social injustice continue. The full brunt of it all – from pandemic struggles to culture wars to Black Lives Matter protests to tragic deaths to selfless gestures of giving – came to bear June 3 at the private service held for 23-year-old JamesReginald D. Scurlock. He was protesting the wrongful killing of George Floyd when his path tragically intersected with Hive bar owner Jake Gardner in downtown Omaha on May 30th.

COVID-19 has created unprecedented unemployment, with many Omahans facing food or shelter

Shortly after Scurlock’s killing, Good Shepherd Funeral Home owner Mike Hoy reached out to the family and offered his mor-

Bill Cutler III, HHDC Funeral Director

Mike Hoy, Good Shepherd Funeral Director

NOVEMBER 2020

tuary’s services at no cost. “They took care of everything for us. They just wanted to show their support,” the victim’s father, James (“Big James”) Scurlock said. “A lot of people don’t know that.” That’s how the private Hoy likes it. But the family wants to make public how much this act of kindness meant amid the hurt and chaos. “That man is real, real good,” Scurlock said of Hoy. The large family “wanted to” gather in force to lay young JamesReginald to rest, “but we couldn’t because of COVID and all the restrictions,” Scurlock said “We had to pick and choose what

An estimated 80 mourners attended the private service at Good Shepherd’s 24th and J location (an August fire prompted the business to move to its current South 82nd Street site). The public procession to the cemetery for his burial attracted a sizable crowd. “That was massive,” Scurlock said. “We had people just showing up from all over to give their condolences.” The care shown by Hoy and his staff made the best of a bad situation and exceeded all expectations, Scurlock said. In 2019 Hoy made news when his plea for people to pay respects to deceased Vietnam combat vet Stanley C. Stoltz, who had little known family, went viral and hundreds showed up. The outpouring of support touched Hoy. “There have been so many very unique, impactful situations in my career and that’s certainly one,” he said. Then came the Scurlock experience. “That one impacted me greatly,” said Hoy, who knew the controversial case had “people on edge.” He felt compelled to help the family discreetly gather without distraction. “We encouraged

Heafy Hoffman Dworak Cutler 7805 W Center Rd.

F E A T U R E that service go unpublished so it could be about the person instead of all the social unrest. In working with that family from a completely different demographic and background, we cared for them just like they were one of our own.” The family appreciated this show of love amid discord. “Honestly, he went out of his way and beyond what he had to and, to be real about it, what anybody else might have done,” Scurlock said of Hoy. Empathy comes with the territory. Hoy grew up working for a family-owned Council Bluffs mortuary that was acquired by a national company, who let him go. He ended up in corrections, which led to a law enforcement and public safety career. An effective professional in each field, he said, requires the same people skills. “You just have to be sincere and compassionate,” he said. “People can see a phony. There’s just no room for that.” After retiring from law enforcement-public safety, he graduated mortuary school and returned to the funeral home business. “It sure is a passion,” he said. The outbreak of COVID immediately affected how funeral homes like his conduct services. Heafey, Hoffmann, Dworak & Cutler Funeral Home partner Bill Cutler Sr., whose family goes back five generations in the field, referred to the COVID-prompted changes as “uncharted territory.” “From the start of it,” he said, “the visitations and the funerals

are smaller than they used to be. We spend a lot of time explaining to families visitation and funeral attendance is going to be down and live streaming is going to be way up. We had one live -streamed funeral with 1,400 people watching.” Most families err on the side of safety and cooperate with limits. “I will tell you, people get it,” Cutler said. “We don’t have anybody coming in saying I’m not going to follow the rules. Everybody’s trying to do their best.” When regulations capped gatherings at 10, he bent the rules rather than play Solomon. “A woman who lost her spouse told me, ‘Bill we understand the rules, but with my children, grandchildren and their spouses, we have 14. Now which four of my grandchildren are you going to tell you can’t come to grandpa’s funeral?’ Well,” Cutler said, “we’re told to use our best judgment and, of course, we let the 14 in.” An unexpected result from all this, Hoy said, is that in-person viewings are making a comeback. “When an elderly person quarantined in a nursing home passes, families now often delay pre-plans for direct cremation to allow for a viewing. Said Hoy, “I find it really good to have that value in the viewing.” Hoy and Cutler adapt to client needs, even taking processions past nursing homes and accommodating drive-by visitations. “We adapt quickly to whatever the circumstances are,” Hoy said.

Good Shepherd 4425 S 24th St OLD LOCATION

“If you listen closely to what the family says, you can do anything they need,” said Cutler, who learned the business from his father. Cutler’s huge facility at 78th and Center enables “us to social distance without any problems,” he said. “The 28,000 square foot mega site replaced a smaller one there destroyed in a 2016 fire. “We have three huge rooms we can divide into smaller rooms,” Cutler said “You don’t want 25 people in a room that accommodates 300.” The Center location, he said, serves “people from all over,” as do the company’s other urban sites, including Korisko Larkin & Staskiewicz at 51st and F. Hoy’s funeral homes (he also has Hoy-Kilnoski in Council Bluffs) serve a diverse clientele, too. Pandemic or not, these directors say people choose mortuaries based on familiarity, cost and fit. A family’s history with a mortuary breeds loyalty. All funeral homes, regardless of location or history, have been affected by COVID and the adaptations around it. “Very early on when nobody really knew what was going on or what was going to happen there were some intense challenges there,” Hoy said. “In terms of PPE (Personal protective equipment), we were well-stocked, so there wasn’t a sense of panic we had to try to find additional masks, gloves, aprons, shoe covers or any of those materials. We were well-prepared. Now to say we were prepared for

a worldwide pandemic – nobody was ready for that.” Cutler said COVID comes closest to the AIDS crisis in terms of concerns around handling infected bodies. “Just like then, our people did a lot of research and basically if you take just a few precautions after a COVID death, it’s not an issue. We’ve handled lots of COVID deaths,” Hoy said, “We have a big staff, 10 locations, and none of our people have come down with COVID. It has not been an issue for us. But we’re careful. We understand what the rules are and we abide by those rules. Douglas County Health Department answers all our questions.” There may be no going back to pre-COVID services. “I’m sure what we do is never going to be the same as what it was before.” Cutler said. “I think people are going to continue to be more cautious about where they are, who they’re with, how they conduct themselves. It’s still kind of a moving scenario. We don’t know what the future holds. Hopefully, we’ll find a vaccine. But this (epidemic) may happen again.” Both men agree family-held funeral homes like theirs will remain locally-owned service providers for people in their hour of need. “We’ll roll with the situation even as it continues to morph,” Hoy said, “One of the really nice things about this occupation is we’re quietly in the background ready to serve when we need to.”

Good Shepherd 4712 S 82nd St CURRENT LOCATION

NOVEMBER 2020

I N

M E M O R I A M

Elinor D. Borders May 3, 1914 – May 17, 2020 Elinor D. Borders was born in Tarnov, NE and moved to Omaha after high school. Her rural upbringing sparked a keen interest in gardening as an adult. “She was a real gardener and had a harvest like none-other,” Elinor’s niece, Deb Miller, said. Elinor had many talents and was a gifted seamstress. She worked past the age of 90, altering tuxedos for a local business. Those who knew Elinor during her 106 years of life will never forget her caring and giving spirit. “She always wanted to hear about how you and your family were doing, and she always wanted to share something with you before you left her house. Even if it was just a couple of tomatoes,” Miller said. Her ability to find humor in life’s day-to-day challenges leaves a lasting smile. Miller will never forget one specific story about trouble getting a new table to fit in her vehicle. “They had a saw with them for some reason, and she sawed off the leg of the table to be able to shut the trunk. When they got home, they put metal braces on it and nailed it back together,” Miller said. “She later gave it to me and said, ‘This is for you.’ She knew I loved that story and loved the table just the way it is.” Family members say her death from COVID-19 was heartbreaking. Due to the safety restrictions, they did not have a chance to be by her side or say goodbye. “106 is a long time to live, and she had a full life, but it still wasn’t easy,” Miller said. Elinor’s large circle of family and friends will remember her by the lasting impression of her kindhearted, joyful presence.

Kali Lynn Baker Sep. 30, 1976 Oct. 2, 2020 If Omaha has a “Bright Eyes,” an individual whose eyes literally twinkled with laughter, care and curiosity, it was Kali Baker. Born in Wakefield, NE, Kali attended UNL before starting a marketing career in Omaha that led to strong, new leadership in Omaha’s philanthropic community, culminating in her role as VP of Community Investment at the Omaha Community Foundation. Among countless other initiatives, large and small, she launched the annual Omaha Gives! campaign and The Landscape, a comprehensive interactive

NOVEMBER 2020

guide to policy, data and community outcomes that stands as a fact-based, stirring reminder it’s not about what we want to support, it’s about what the community needs. “Kali used her power to advocate for people and organizations that may otherwise have not gotten attention. When traditional grant programs weren’t able to fund something because it didn’t quite fit parameters, she would often start working on other ways to meet those needs. She didn’t just give up and move on. She was open and accessible to everyone.” (Julie DeWitt, DeWitt Marketing and Consulting) “Anyone that knows her, knows the incredible “HA!” that she would have, the burst from the soul that was her laughter and her joy, it was magic and contagious, even if it was made at your expense.” (Matt Darling, Omaha Community Foundation) “Kali’s curiosity meant she went deep, always hungry to learn and be more. With her, you always felt seen, you always felt heard, supported, encouraged and loved.” (DeWitt).

Marilyn Bennett April 11, 1933 Oct. 22, 2020 Marilyn Bennett grew up in Latrobe, PA and graduated from Latrobe High School just five years after the great Fred Rogers. Marilyn may not have had a show on PBS, but the love and positive influence she had on countless lives speaks for itself. A woman with an inexhaustible passion for people, she took the all-encompassing commandment of loving one’s neighbor to the extreme. From a career in nursing, to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ at local jails, to turning her basement into an unofficial spiritual rehabilitation center, her selfless desire to get people back on their feet and right with The Lord will be her lasting legacy. She has housed drug addicts, ex-convicts, a family she happened to pass by one day on the side of the road making pancakes in the rain, four of her five grandchildren, and anyone else who needed a place to stop and rest their head. She was unbelievably kind and generous, sometimes to a fault. Her faith and grace were unwavering. Her phone rang constantly with people asking for prayer, or just to unload after a long day, and she always made time to hear them and pray with them and offer what wisdom she had. She was a great listener, and incredibly humble. She always said that the secret to having friends is to think more highly of others than you do of yourself. Armed with a curious, sharp, quick-witted mind and a great sense of humor, till the very end, she was a beautiful example of what a life of loving God and loving your neighbor can do for a person. She is survived by her five children and her five grandchildren.

c r o s s w o r d multi-tasking for the “modern Stone Age family.”

For the Birds by Matt Jones

Across

34. Elisabeth of “Leaving Las Vegas”

1. Drains, as energy

35. Woody Allen “regular guy in famous situations” movie

5. R&B singer Cantrell 8. Cause counterpart

38. Old paint additive

14. Jog like a horse

40. Ostrich or kiwi, e.g.

15. Presidential monogram during the 1960s

41. “First Do No ___” (Meryl Streep TV film)

16. “Starlight Express” director Nunn

44. Sallie ___ (student loan provider)

17. Gigantic bird with a stone passenger cabin

47. Site of a 1949 European “Convention”

19. Item with an image-chiseling bird

48. Takes to the soapbox

20. Suffix for McCarthy

49. Wishes

21. With a tilde, “year”; without, something nastier

50. Carreras, Domingo, or Pavarotti

22. Darkness and obscurity

52. Harold of “Ghostbusters”

23. Musical item using a pointy-beaked bird

53. “To Live and Die ___”

51. Etch away

54. Twist, as statistics

28. Eye color location

57. AOL or MSN, e.g., once ...

29. Birds on a ranch Down Under 30. Word after tight or rear 33. “Ad ___ per aspera” (Kansas state motto) 35. PBS kids’ show that taught Ubby-Dubby 36. Fortune 500 member, most likely 37. Signaling item, when the bird’s tail is pulled 39. Motorist’s signal, when the bird is squeezed 42. Parisian street 43. Annoying “Sesame Street” muppet

45. “Biography” network 46. “Abso-friggin-lutely!”

59. Talking bird flying back and forth between stone boxes

3. San Francisco and New Orleans, for two

61. Cover for a platter

4. Frequent NASCAR sponsor

47. Mother of all, in Greek mythology

62. “Little piggy,” really

48. Other, to Osvaldo

63. “___ but known ...”

49. Garden tool, when the bird’s legs are squeezed

64. Tousles, like a puppy

53. “The Heat ___”

65. AMA members

55. Dig in

66. Corrida cheers

56. Pension plan alternative 57. Writing implement using a bird’s beak

Down 1. It’s made to step on 2. Obey Viagra?

12. Stopper for the bubbly 13. Singing syllable 18. Cowboy’s rope 24. Hockey great Bobby and family

5. Uses an iron, maybe 6. Quick stretch in the alphabet song 7. Article written by Voltaire?

25. Summer sign 26. Service station owned by BP 27. Arizona City, today

8. List-ending abbr.

30. Cost-friendly

9. Web design option that’s obsolete

31. Bookish type

10. Thighbone

32. Cooked to perfection

11. “The Greatest Story ___ Told”

33. Off-kilter

NOVEMBER 2020

AnsweR to last month’s “Getting Free K”

C R O S S W O R D

Uphill Battle

AnswerS in next next month’s issue or online at TheReader.com

by s.e. Wilkinson

Across

31. “A line is ____ that went for a walk” (quote by 51Down)

1. Org. for students in uniform 5. With 62-Across, a difficult engagement ... or a description of each set of circled letters

32. Scand. country

11. “u r 2 funny!”

37. Rifle part

14. Fitch of Abercrombie & Fitch

38. Magic moments?

33. Korean-made sedan since 2001 34. Kathy of “Misery”

40. French “Inc.”

15. Tiny 16. Two-time Super Bowl MVP Manning

41. Tolstoy’s “The Death of ____ Ilyich”

17. Hula ____

43. Captain’s record

18. Beezus’ sister, in children’s literature

44. Home on the range 46. Whiff

19. Actress Gadot

47. Many a bike lock, essentially

20. Walter White on “Breaking Bad,” for one

48. Animal wearing red pajamas in a children’s book

22. Tennis star Nadal, to fans 23. Inhuman

49. Simon of Duran Duran

24. Inhumane

50. 7-Eleven, e.g.

27. Amtrak schedule abbr.

51. Surrealist Paul 52. Boatloads

28. Renter’s rental 31. It’s just over a foot

42. Like some bottles

58. Sleep state

34. Count who composed “One O’Clock Jump”

44. Fed. electricity provider since 1933

59. “Lawrence of Arabia” star

45. Coffeehouse entertainers

60. Red resident of “Sesame Street”

46. Boardwalk scavenger

61. English breakfast ____

37. Evan and Birch of Indiana politics

50. Business sch. major

62. See 5-Across

52. Open (to)

38. Actress Campbell of “Scream”

53. “Green Book” Oscar winner

63. Pal of Kyle and Kenny on “South Park”

39. “... good witch, ____ bad witch?”

54. Haul (around)

35. Josh ____, the voice of 12-Down 36. “Stop stalling!”

40. Adorable one 41. “A Doll’s House” playwright Henrik

57. Utah town near Arches and Canyonlands National Parks

Down 1. Fix up, as a building 2. O3 3. Brisk paces

NOVEMBER 2020

4. What T-Mobile has that Sprint lacks 5. Erect 6. June birthstone 7. Blood: Prefix 8. ____ Jima 9. “Dancing With the Stars” judge Goodman 10. Salonga who voiced two Disney princesses 11. They’re set for drinking and smoking 12. “Frozen” snowman

13. ____ Wallace, co-founder of Reader’s Digest 21. Add to the staff 22. Food writer Drummond 24. Like easy, well-paying jobs 25. Hank Aaron’s 2,297 26. Suffix with glob- or gran28. Ending for sooth or nay 29. Rescue 30. Where Adam met Eve

AnsweR to last month’s “MASKED”

C O M I C S Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau

which deaths matter? by Jen Sorensen

TED RALL

NOVEMBER 2020

H E A R T L A N D

H E A L I N G

Build the Wall

Adjusting with The Seasons

by Michael Braunstein

blank mind serves best. Paying attention is not a dear price at all, given the rewards it offers. The mind of Nature speaks only as loudly as our willingness to listen. That will take us a long way down the road toward synchronization with the planetary forces at play as time photo: Jakob Owens on Unsplash shifts. Clear the mind. Make way for inspiration and interkay, the immune system nal guidance. One cannot dance isn’t really like a wall. It’s unless one is quiet enough to not designed to be imper- hear the music. vious. It’s more like a moat that Resistance is futile. “Nature you know intruders are going always wins,” the old saw says. to breach. It’s just that you want them to be susceptible to the real That’s why resistance is a dangerdefenders when they do get in- ous game to play with her. Take side. But honestly, would you find heart, though. Even if the season the headline, “Dig the Moat” as change is abrupt, maybe harsh, there is salvation in preparation. compelling? If we pay attention to our bodies Season of the witch. You and not to our “smartwatch,” we probably noticed, change is in the can sense what needs be done to wind. It’s a moment-to-moment thrive in the winter and emerge thing with time. Time changes in the spring with new awareness. all the time. Has to do with the And though a clever headline, temporal world. But sometimes building a wall to keep Nature change is more dramatic than at bay will fail. We must learn to other times and autumn is one of work with, not against, Nature. those. The worldly wobble of the As the season demands, there planet plunges us into a colder are ways to cope with change climate, less sun, more darkness. and keep the body secure for daiAnd humans, being of Nature and ly use. Here are some ideas that not apart from her, respond. Our come to me. bodies need to accept and modAppetite for Construction. A ulate with the slower frequencies of the winter months. If we clear mind and releasing habitual neglect that adaptation, we may behavior can allow the body to tell us what energy to bring into struggle. the body. Seasons have foods that Pay Attention. Like the mynah resonate with the changes. Aubirds remind us in Aldous Hux- tumn foods should be allowed to ley’s pentultimate novel “Island,” appeal because they contain the living in the moment requires energy frequency of the planet in paying attention. This may well its changing inclination. Naturalbe the first step in adapting with ly, for most folks now, that means Nature as the season modifies. having to relearn which foods are Picking our nose up out of our iP- autumn foods. We have grown hone, off the news channel, social too used to any food, any time, at media and the ever-closing circle the store. Asparagus in November of influences can result in paying ain’t right, folks. Eat the foods the better attention to our own ener- season brings. Summary: Eat augy sequence and tuning it to the tumn foods. energy of Nature. To that end, a

NOVEMBER 2020

“Sleep, perchance to…” You’ll want to get plenty of sleep. Why do you think people call these cool evenings “good sleeping weather?” Do it. Get a healthy amount of sleep. Go to bed shortly after the sun does. Sleep is what you should be doing through the night; not checkphoto: Magnus Engo, Unsplash ing sports scores, email or Facebook on your bedside Chinese medicine has an herbiPhone. Sleep. If you don’t, you’ll al preparation known as “Jade pay the price. Screen.” It’s worth looking into. Water it. Sure, the weathThen there’s vitamin C. Linus er change presents noticeable change in wind direction, tem- Pauling published Vitamin C and perature especially. An easily over- the Common Cold in 1970. Can looked change is humidity. All of a one take too much vitamin C? sudden, the atmosphere is drier. Pauling didn’t think so and he That means we must consciously won two Nobel Prizes. drink water to stay hydrated. The integrity of cell walls depends on many components and water is a big one. Summer tends to make us thirsty. In autumn, we need to “think to drink.” De-stress. Stress kills. Enjoy life but keep the negative emotion out of it. Clearing the conscious mind is essential. Meditation is the key. Relaxing with a book, listening to a New Age “meditation” recording, watching a fun movie — all those are nice. But they are not meditation. And for my money, learning Transcendental Meditation is the choice that makes the difference. When you learn TM, you will know that you really learned how to meditate, no question about it. And it’s the most researched and respected meditation technique known. In short. To summarize: Eat right; Sleep tight; Hydrate; Meditate. That kind of makes it simple, eh? These are not revelations; just reminders. Bonus points. Some of us like to hedge our bets with supplemental vitamins and such. Here are some of my favorites.

Vitamin D is a vital building block for the immune system defenders on this side of the moat waiting to repel intruders. But note, with vitamin D, more is not better. Follow the recommendation of an alert nutritionist healthcare professional. Preemptive zinc supplementation is not a bad idea to me. Native Americans knew the North American coneflower was a special plant. We know it as Echinacea. Boosts the immune system and definitely is something to learn more about. In general, though, the basic Big Four give a foundation to the wall. Build it or dig it but do it. Be well. Heartland Healing is a metaphysically based polemic describing alternatives to conventional methods of healing the body, mind and planet. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. Important to remember and pass on to others: for a weekly dose of Heartland Healing, visit HeartlandHealing.com.

O V E R

T H E

E D G E

Have We Taken Live Music for Granted?

#SaveOurStages is a lifeline for the live music industry by Tim McMahan

way for a very long time.

s I type this I’m watching the Save Our Stages Fest (#SOSFest) on Oct. 21, a few weeks before the election. Indie phenom Phoebe Bridgers and her band are dressed in skeleton costumes playing alone in the West Hollywood bar where Elton John, Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt paid their dues. Singer/songwriter pals Conor Oberst and Christian Lee Hutson joined in the streamed event. A little over halfway through the set, between songs about death and loneliness, Phoebe turned to the camera and said, “Click the donate button because….” After a long pause Conor chimed in: “Because we need a place to play.” That was the reason for SOS Fest. The three-day virtual festival featured 35 artists performing at 25 venues beamed directly to your computer or phone screen, with proceeds benefiting independent music venues impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As you read this, the election is (hopefully) over. No matter who won, there’s still a shit-ton of problems to solve thanks to COVID-19. Somewhere on that long list after “figure out a way to keep people from dying (or at the very least from catching the disease)” is “figure out a way to reopen the rest of the country for business.” While 90% of U.S. businesses have reopened, many of the first businesses to shut down — the bars and music venues — are still closed. And they could stay that

Beginning in April, the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) — a group of more than 2,900 independent music venues and promoters — lobbied Congress to pass legislation that provides recovery funds and tax credits to help venues survive during the pandemic. First it was the Save Our Stages Act, which passed in the House of Representatives; and now the HEROES Small Business Lifeline Act is being considered in the Senate as part of the CARES Act. NIVA asked music fans to write their lawmakers urging them to support the bills, and they have to the tune of nearly 2 million emails. But here we are on Oct. 21 and Congress has yet to pass anything, while the future of the live music industry grows bleaker and bleaker. According to a survey of NIVA members, 90% of independent venues will close permanently without federal aid in the coming months. We’re already seeing it here. The Lookout Lounge on 72nd Street closed permanently earlier this summer, and The Barley Street Tavern in Benson gave up the ghost in September. What role COVID played in those closings is uncertain, though it no doubt helped rush some decisions. Now I’m told a third well known club is on the verge of shutting down. And while two of the best stages in Omaha — The Waiting Room and Reverb Lounge — have reopened, they’re only booking comedy acts and cover bands at very limited capacity shows. The

Slowdown held an outdoor festival in its parking lot featuring local acts just to remind people it was still there, though its doors remain locked. With stages dark, musicians also toil in darkness. According to Business Insider, with the decline in album sales, live events provide 75% of all artists’ income. Strangely, thankfully, a ton of new music has been released during the lock down (including albums by Bright Eyes and Phoebe Bridgers) despite the fact that no one is touring.

ticket prices for arena shows have gone up around 30% over the past five years, according to Fast Company those increases haven’t kept up with prices for other forms of entertainment. It’s the same story for small touring bands that, prior to the pandemic, were lucky to get home from tours with anything in their pockets. Ticket prices for touring indie shows have risen only gradually over the past five years, always being outpaced by the costs required to tour. And then there are local shows.

Three things: One: Legislation will pass. It has to. It may not be ‘til after a new Congress is in place (or heck, it may happen before this column sees print), but it will happen. Too many people have been without for too long. The assistance needed for bars and venues to survive that’s outlined in SOS and HEROES acts will be among the law’s provisions. But it won’t be near enough. Two: We will climb this mountain of a pandemic and come out on the other side. But it’ll take more than a vaccine. It’ll take a concerted effort by everyone, regardless of political leaning, to do what scientists say we need to do. And three: Venues will reopen at full capacity, and bands will begin playing and touring again. But, God help us, it may not be until this time next year, or even later. And when the smoke clears, the venue landscape will look very different. Once people feel safe again, fans will flock to clubs like they never have before thanks to a hunger for live entertainment. But you’ll be surprised how quickly people forget what they’ve been through. The sad fact is we’ve always taken live music for granted. While

I’ve covered live music for more than 30 years. When I started, the cover charge to see live, original bands was $5. Thirty years later, the cover at small clubs is still $5 for local shows, while some larger venues have pumped it up to a whopping $7 or $8. Try splitting that between three bands and a sound guy. Why are we willing to spend up to $15 to see a movie, but won’t spend $15 to see a live local band, to hear music performed in front of our eyes by living, breathing musicians who put themselves out there for our amusement and/ or enlightenment? At the end of a typical night at a rock club, too many local bands go home with nothing except an empty wallet and a hangover. And yet, I’ve never talked to a band that didn’t want to keep doing it. For them, it’s all about the music. It’s certainly not about the money. Why can’t they have both? Over The Edge is a monthly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on culture, society, music, the media and the arts. Email Tim at tim.mcmahan@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 2020

SPONSORED CONTENT

Harnessing the Power of All For

Giving Tuesday It’s safe to say everyone has struggled to some extent this year.

The best cure for feelings of hopelessness and dismay that tend to accompany struggle is to help someone else. After all, if we’re all struggling, we can all help. SHARE Omaha is an organization that connects nonprofit organizations to those who can give financially, who want to volunteer and others who can share material items no longer needed. SHARE Omaha presents the perfect platform for a community-wide day of giving – Giving Tuesday. It’s a worldwide generosity movement. Annually, Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving - this year it falls on Tuesday, December 1. For the second year, SHARE Omaha will power #GivingTuesday402 in the Omaha metro and #GivingTuesday712 in Southwest Iowa. Efforts to energize people to give together, do together and share together are sponsored by Core Bank for #GivingTuesday402, and by TS Bank in Southwest Iowa for #GivingTuesday712.

Our Community is All In “We’re kicking off 2020’s giving season by sharing that the metro needs everyone to participate,” said SHARE Omaha Executive Director Marjorie Maas. “We all have ‘good’ to offer.” While some people have time to volunteer (in-person or virtually), others may have extra items to share. Still others may be able to donate financially. “And everyone has it within their capacity to do something kind for someone else,” Maas said. Even before the official day, the team at SHARE Omaha is seeing interest in #GivingTuesday402 exceed that of last year. In 2019, Omaha-metro area donors gave more than $1.6 million, 8,000 items and 400 people pledged to serve as new volunteers.

How to Be a Part of It All The best way to explore par ticipation in #GivingTuesday402 is on the SHARE Omaha website (SHAREomaha.org/givingtuesday). Nonprofits have listed specific needs like volunteers, items they can use and where donations will be directed. Lots of volunteer experiences can be done at home, like writing letters, and most organizations have accommodated for socially-distanced ways to give time, too. Some examples of SHARE Omaha nonprofits with #GivingTuesday402 opportunities include: • Good Life Bulldog Rescue – Funds raised through #GivingTuesday402 will provide veterinary care and foster supplies throughout the year. This organization also seeks new foster families and volunteers to conduct home visits, transport dogs, assist with fundraising and process adoption and foster applications. “Like all rescues, we simply cannot function without foster homes,” said Heather Reese, one of the volunteers that helps organize Good Life Bulldog Rescue. “Increasing our foster base allows for more English bulldogs to transfer to our care. We cover most of the upper Midwest for the Bulldog Club of America Network.” • Rejuvenating Women – #GivingTuesday402 donations to this organization, which helps individuals who have been trafficked, exploited and enslaved find hope and restoration, will help pay for services like equine therapy for residents of their home. Rejuvenating Women provides short-term and long-term housing to survivors of human trafficking. The team also collects household items, gift cards and clothing to provide to their clients. “We run on donations and are always in need of funds and items, and also mentors and volunteers,” said director of operations Jen Snow.

Already, different sectors of the community are coming together to help. Industries where competition is the norm are putting those interests aside and instead gathering their resources to give back for the greater good. Local media is one example – stories about Giving Tuesday will be heard and seen in nearly all outlets.

• Black & Pink – This prison abolitionist organization is participating in #GivingTuesday402 for the first time and has a goal of 50 people giving between $1-$5 each. “We ultimately want our work to be funded by the people we serve and people who are impacted by the systems we’re fighting against, and it’s important that people who give at any level feel our gratitude,” said Black & Pink Director of Communication & Grants Dusty Ginner. Giving Tuesday falls on World AIDS Day this year, so the team at Black & Pink is aligning their efforts with that global day, as well.

“It’s a great example of how no one is vying for exclusive treatment,” Maas said. “It’s a truly inclusive day.”

• Career EdVantage SWI – As a young nonprofit that assists students with training and employment, this organization is eager to join

“With the pandemic leading to our collective need for assistance to others, we know we’ll see a lot more involvement this year,” Maas said.

NOVEMBER 2020

#GivingTuesday712 to share their mission and raise funds for post secondary scholarships. Career EdVantage SWI helps students identify and ultimately enter financially sustaining careers. “When givers support our work, they are helping to fill crucial workforce needs in our community,” said Executive Director Cara Cool-Trede. Another great way to find local charities that matter to you is to follow #GivingTuesday402 and #GivingTuesday712 on social media and look for updates on the SHARE Omaha accounts. “We will be enthusiastically sharing all the Giving Tuesday stories we can find on our SHARE Omaha social media feeds and on our website,” Maas said. “Looking to social media and the SHARE Omaha website is a great way to find new organizations to support, but we’re also encouraging people to continue giving back to the nonprofits they’ve supported in the past, too.” Finally, one of the most meaningful ways to participate in #GivingTuesday402 is to look around your neighborhood. Acts of kindness, both random and planned, are the hardest to track and measure, but are often the most appreciated by the recipient. “By doing what we can for each other, our hands and hearts can lift our community beyond the challenges of this year,” Maas said. “Everyone has something to offer – small donations, volunteerism, acts of kindness and supporting our neighbors. It’s all worthwhile and important.”

Make Your Giving Tuesday Plan Today It all counts on Tuesday, Dec. 1!

• Give early at SHAREomaha.org using donation code GIVINGTUESDAY • Sign up to volunteer • Collect items to donate • Spread kindness Find opportunities: SHAREomaha.org Learn about the movement: GivingTuesday402.org, GivingTuesday712.org

C Oobjetos N T E N Ique D O Pestán ATRO C I N Aa Dlas O carreras. El voluntarios, los ligados Compartir la bondad y pueden usar y a dónde serán AIM Institute cuenta con talleres generosidad dirigidas las donaciones. y clase gratuitas, en español y en Muchas de las experiencias para inglés, para grupos de cinco o más Una gran forma de encontrar organizaciones de No hay duda de que todos voluntarios pueden llevarse a personas que tienen un interés otras han sufrido de una u otra forma cabo desde casa, como escribir por aprender sobre una carrera beneficencia a nivel local cartas, y la mayoría de las en Tecnologías de la Información. que sean de su interés es durante este año. organizaciones dispuesto La organización también trabaja durante seguir #GivingTuesday402 Usualmente, la mejor cura para No hay duda de que to“Loshan voluntarios CASA tienen un impacto real en donadores el Giving Tuesday, los vecindarios que comunidad. las personas con escuelas locales y que #GivingTuesday712 nuestros problemas es a formas nuestra En promedio, los niños quee introduce de bajos ingresos han sufrido más duranteen la dosayudar han sufrido de una upara puedan su tiempo conceptos STEM y habilidades redesconsociales y que revisar las alguien más. Después todo, tienencon un CASA pasan ocho meses menos en cuidado pandemia contarán los recursos necesitan otrade forma durante este año.apoyar distanciamiento social. no tienendeuncodificación básica para parareconstruir”, los actualizaciones en las cuentas tutelar que quienes CASA”, dijo Alexandijo Christian Gray, Director Ejecsi Usualmente, todos estamos sufriendo por con la mejor cura para nuestros problemas estudiantes. de SHARE Omaha. der Cayetano, Director de Participación Comunitaria y utivo de inCOMMON. algo, todos podemos ayudar. es ayudar a alguien más. Después de todo, si todosde una nueva forma Apoye “EstoyCounty. muy orgullosa del “Estaremos compartiendo con de Voluntarios para CASA for Douglas estamos sufriendo por algo,es todos una podemos ayudar. SHARE Omaha trabajo de AIM en Compartir nuestra entusiasmo todas las historias del #GivingTuesday402 también la bondad Las personas que se convierten en CASA provienen organización que SHARE Omaha es una conecta organizacióna quepuede conectaser a una oportunidad para comunidad” dijo Itzel Giving Tuesday que podamos de todos los caminos de la vida y no necesitan tener y generosidad organizaciones sinde fines organizaciones sin fines lucro condequienes pueden una nueva experiencia López, VP de relaciones encontrar en nuestras redes comenzar conocimientos legales ni experiencia previa en la delucro un con brindar apoyoquienes financiero, pueden con quienes quieren ser comunitarias. “Estamos sociales de SHARE Omaha y en de voluntario. Por ejemplo, CASA fensa de niños. Los voluntarios CASA promedian entre Una gran forma de encontrar otras organizaciones brindar un voluntarios y conapoyo quienesfinanciero, pueden compartir objetos a nuestra nuestro sitio web”, dijo Maas. for Douglas ocho County siempre está a doce horas de trabajoempoderando de caso cada mes y se de beneficencia a nivel local que sean de su interés es con quienes quieren ser materiales que ya no necesitan. gente aquí en seguir Omaha “El revisar lasy redes sociales y el a un periodo de servicio de dos años. más Representantes #GivingTuesday402 #GivingTuesday712 voluntarios y con quienes buscando acomprometen a sitio web de SHARE Omahaenson SHARE Omaha ha organizado la conexión perfecta Designados por el creando brillantes futuros Especiales y revisar las actualizaciones las pueden compartir objetos “Convertirse en un CASA no es una oportunidad en redes sociales unaOmaha. gran forma de encontrar para un día para dar desde toda la comunidad – el(CASA). Después de una través de la tecnología.” cuentas de SHARE Tribunal materiales que ya no necesitan. típica para ser voluntario, pero los CASA realizan una nuevas organizaciones a las que Giving Tuesday. Es un movimiento de generosidad capacitacióncontribución a fondo depositiva 30 horas, Losa profesionistas y auténtica nuestra comuni-interesados “Estaremos apoyar, compartiendo entusiasmo todas perocon también estamos global que Omaha llegará a ha Omaha/Council SHARE organizadoBluffsa el losmartes CASA sedad. les asignan casos de pueden actuar como voluntarios Su defensa de los niños en cuidado tutelar es las historias delalentando Giving Tuesday que podamos encona las personas a que 1ro diciembre. perfecta para bienestar de menores, se reúnen en las escuelas o talleres. Para la deconexión increíblemente poderosa y tiene un efecto durade- trar en nuestras redes sociales de SHARE Omaha y en también continúen dando a unPordía paraaño, darSHARE desde toda con #Givun niñoro”, denos forma visitar segundo Omaha promoverá dijo. regular y más información, pueden nuestro sitio web”, dijo Maas. “El revisar las redes las organizaciones sin fines de la comunidaden el– área el metropolitana Giving escriben ingTuesday402 de Omaha reportes directamente el sitio web de SHAREomaha. sociales y el sitio web de SHARE Omaha son una gran lucro a las que han apoyado en Tuesday. Es un movimiento de al Tribunal recomendaciones org. Además, el equipo y #GivingTuesday712 en el Sureste de Iowa. Los es- con endeelencontrar nuevas forma organizaciones a las que Empoderamiento a través el pasado”. generosidad global que llegará sobre los mejores intereses del fuerzos para energizar a las personas para dar juntos, AIM Institute tiene una meta apoyar, pero también estamos alentando a las pera Omaha/Council Bluffsson patrocinados el niño. por de la tecnología hacer juntos y compartir juntos sonas a que también dando las formas organide trabajar con los donadores Por continúen último, una de alas martes diciembre. Core Bank1ro parade#GivingTuesday402 y el TS“Los Bank en voluntarios CASA tienen durante el #GivingTuesday402 zaciones sin fines designificativas lucro a las quede han apoyado es en más participar Los esfuerzos del #GivingTuesday402 también el Sureste para #GivingTuesday712. real en nuestra el pasado”. $5,500 para dar un vistazo en su vecindario. Por de Iowa segundo año, un impacto están ligados a las carreras.para El AIM recaudar Institute cuenta promedio, los para proporcionar una beca Los actos de bondad, tanto SHARE Omaha promoverá comunidad.conEntalleres y clase gratuitas, en español y en inglés, Por último, una de las formas más significativas de niños que tienen un CASA pasano más AIM CodequeSchool unes dar planeados como al azar,Losson Nuestra comunidad está lista #GivingTuesday402 en el para grupos de cinco personas tienen para participar un vistazo en su vecindario. acocho meses menos en cuidado estudiante queenno pueda pagar más difíciles de almedir y dar área metropolitana un interés por aprender sobre una carrera Tecpara participar de Omaha tos de bondad,los tanto planeados como azar, son los nolatienen un La suorganización colegiatura.también más difíciles deseguimiento, pero usualmente y #GivingTuesday712 tutelar que quienes medir y dar seguimiento, pero usualnologías de Información. dijo trabaja Alexander Cayetano, son más apreciados iniciando la temporada de dar del en “Estamos el Sureste de con Iowa. Los CASA”, con escuelas locales e introduce conceptos mente son los son que los son que más apreciados por quienes Transformaciones de Director de Participación 2020 al compartir que el área metropolitana necesita STEM y habilidades de codificación básica para los los reciben. por quienes los reciben. esfuerzos para energizar a las Comunitaria y de Voluntarios vecindarios que todos participen”, dijo Marjorie Directo- estudiantes. personas para dar juntos, hacerMaas, “Alpodemos hacer lolosque los “Al hacer lo que unospodemos por los otros, para CASA for Douglas County. ra Ejecutiva de SHARE Omaha. “Todos tenemos algo juntos y compartir juntos son por los otros, “Estoy muy orgullosa del trabajo de AIM en con nues- losnuestras manosunos y corazones pueden hacer nuestras que nuesinCOMMON vecinos ‘bueno’ que ofrecer. patrocinados porY todos Coretienen Bankla capacidad Las de personas quedijo Itzel se López, tra comunidad” de relacioneslos co- vecindarios tra comunidadmanos supere los de este año”, dijo y retos corazones pueden paraVPfortalecer hacer algo bueno por alguien más”. para #GivingTuesday402 y el TS convierten munitarias. en CASA “Estamos provienen Maas. que “Todos hacer tienen algo ofrecercomunidad – pequeñas empoderando a nuestra gente para que que nuestra de bajos ingresos Bank en el Sureste Iowa para La mejor forma de de explorar cómo participar en aquí de todos los en caminos de la brillantes donaciones, sersupere voluntarios, actos de y de Omaha creando a travéslade los retos de bondad este año”, cada futuros niño tenga oportunidad #GivingTuesday712. el #GivingTuesday402 es a través del sitio web yde no vida necesitan tener de crecer en un ambiente apoyo para nuestros vale la pena y es la tecnología.” dijo vecinos. Maas. Todo “Todos tienen SHARE Omaha - SHAREomaha.org/todos en español. importante.” conocimientos legales ni algo que ofrecer – pequeñas seguro y próspero. El equipo Los profesionistas interesados pueden actuar Nuestra comunidad Las organizaciones sin fines deestá lucro hanexperiencia enlistado previa en la defensa en inCOMMON tiene la meta donaciones, ser voluntarios, como voluntarios en las escuelas o talleres. Para más lista para participar las necesidades específicas, como las oportunidades de niños. Los voluntarios CASA recaudar $5,000 durante actos de bondad y de apoyo información, pueden visitar de el sitio web de SHAREpara voluntarios, los objetos que puedenpromedian usar y a entre ocho a doce #GivingTuesday402 para para nuestros vecinos. Todo omaha.org. Además, el equipo en el AIM Institute “Estamos iniciando con la dónde serán dirigidas las donaciones. Muchas de de las trabajo de caso cada horas expandir su trabajo tiene una meta de trabajar con los donadores durante al construir vale la pena y es importante”. temporada de dar del 2020 experiencias para voluntarios pueden llevarse mesa cabo y se comprometen a un para unrecaudar nuevo centro comunitario en el #GivingTuesday402 $5,500 para al compartir que cartas, el área desde casa, como escribir y la mayoría de lasde servicio de dos años. Haga hoy su plan para el periodo para proporcionar una beca AIM Codede School paraHill. un el área Walnut metropolitana necesita que organizaciones han dispuesto formas para que las #GivingTuesday402 estudiante que no pueda pagar su colegiatura. “El COVID-19 ha volcado las todos participen”, dijo en un CASA personas puedan apoyar conMarjorie su tiempo con“Convertirse distanMaas, Directora Ejecutiva de no es una oportunidad típica vidas de un sinfín de familias, lo ciamiento social. ¡Todo cuenta el martes 1ro de ha resultado en la pérdida SHARE Omaha. “Todos tenemos para ser voluntario, pero los cuál Transformaciones de vecindarios ¡Todo cuenta diciembre! el martes 1ro de diciembre! empleo, inseguridad algo ‘bueno’ que ofrecer. Y todos CASA realizan una contribución de • Done en SHAREomaha. Apoye de una nueva forma • Done alimentaria e incluso en que en SHAREomaha.org usando el tienen la capacidad de hacer positiva y auténtica a nuestra inCOMMON con los vecinos para fortalecer los org usando el código código GIVINGTUESDAY personas queden sin un hogar. algo bueno por alguien más”. vecindarios de bajos ingresos para que cada niño tencomunidad. Su defensa de los GIVINGTUESDAY #GivingTuesday402 también puede ser una Pero con laseguro ayudar de los La mejor forma de explorar niños en ga la oportunidad un ambiente y cuidado tutelarde crecer es en • Regístrese•para Regístrese para io ser ser voluntar oportunidad para comenzar una nueva experiencia donadores próspero. El equipo en inCOMMON tiene ladurante meta de el Giving cómo participar en el increíblemente poderosa y tiene voluntario de voluntario. Por ejemplo, CASA for Douglas County • Recolect Tuesday, los vecindarios de e objetos para donar recaudar $5,000 durante #GivingTuesday402 para #GivingTuesday402 a través un efecto • Recolecte objetos para siempre está buscando aesmás Representantes Espe- duradero”, nos dijo. bajos que expandir su trabajo al construir un ingresos nuevo centro co-han sufrido del sitio web de Omaha • Difunda donar ciales Designados porSHARE el Tribunal (CASA). Después de la bondad Empoderamiento a más Hill. durante la pandemia -unaSHAREomaha.org/todos en a los CASA se munitario en el área de Walnut capacitación a fondo de 30 horas, • Difunda la bondad los de recursos que español. Las deorganizaciones Conozca más en les asignan casos bienestar de menores,través se reúnende la“Eltecnología COVID-19 ha volcado contarán las vidas de con un sinfín necesitan para reconstruir”, sin fines de lucro han enlistado SHAREo maha.o con un niño de forma regular y escriben reportes dilo cuál ha resultado en la pérdida de ems. Conozca másrg/todo en SHAREomaha. Los familias, esfuerzos del dijo Christian las necesidades específicas, rectamente al Tribunal con recomendaciones sobre pleo, inseguridad alimentaria e incluso en que Gray, per- Director org/todos. #GivingTuesday402 también Ejecutivo de inCOMMON. como las intereses oportunidades los mejores del niño. para sonas queden sin un hogar. Pero con la ayudar de los

Reuniendo el poder de todos para el Giving Tuesday – el Martes de Dar

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37 1

SALVADOREÑOS CON PROTECCIÓN TEMPORAL a la expectativa de una deportación POR KARLHA VEL ÁSQUEZ RIVAS

n balde de agua fría le cayó a Juan González cuando vio en las noticias que la Corte de Apelaciones del Noveno Circuito puso fin al Estado de Protección Temporal (TPS) que beneficiaba a 300 mil inmigrantes de Haití, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Siria, Honduras, Yemen, Somalia y Sudán del Sur. La idea de saber que podría ser deportado a su país de origen lo mantiene en alerta. “Es estresante, imagínate que después de 30 años viviendo en este país te digan que te tengas que regresar”, comentó González cuyo nombre es un seudónimo para resguardar su identidad. La mayoría de los titulares del TPS son salvadoreños son 240 000 beneficiados. Todos ellos cuentan con un

número de seguridad social y un permiso de trabajo que les permite sacar la licencia de conducir, abrir negocios y estar tranquilos. Pero la decisión de la corte hizo que este beneficio dure hasta el 4 de enero de 2021. Si las autoridades estadounienses no trabajan juntas en buscar una solución, los salvadoreños y otros beneficiados entrarían en un limbo, pero de ilegalidad. Según el director del Instituto Salvadoreño del Inmigrante, César Ríos, se estima que más del 15% de los titulares de esa nacionalidad con TPS regresarían a El Salvador si no hay otra alternativa, otros

en cambio consideran irse a Canadá.

salvadoreños que deseen ir a ese país.

Ante esta situación el año pasado el presidente de

Por otra parte, hizo acuerdos con EEUU para limitar el número de deportaciones, si se llega a dar el caso de no buscar otra salida.

El Salvador, Nayib Bukele sostuvo conversaciones con el gobierno de Catar para generar alianzas y crear visas de trabajos temporales para los

Un estudio de 2017 del Centro de Recursos Legales para el Inmigrante encontró que el dar por terminado el TPS impactaría negativamente en los ingresos de la Seguridad Social y el Medicare cuyo ingreso asciende los 6,9 billones, también decaería el Producto Interno Bruto a $45,2 billones y aumentaría el costo en deportaciones en los próximos 10 años.

TE GUIAREMOS A CASA HIPOTECA fnbo.com/español Los productos y servicios se realizaran en inglés. Visite fnbo.com/español para obtener más información.

ARTICULO DESTACADO // FEATURE ARTICLE

Reyna Gonzalez

rgonzalez@fnni.com 402.602.5903 NMLS#: 623837

Reyna Moreno

rmoreno@fnni.com 402.602.5902 NMLS#: 623838

NOVEMBER 2020

Ahora bien, si bien es cierto que el TPS no fue creado para dar una residencia inmediata a los beneficiados, sí ha sido un respiro para muchos. Este beneficio tenía que ser renovado cada cierto tiempo pagando una cuota de $495 según lo exijan las autoridades, este periodo puede ser entre 6, 12 y 18 meses. No solo Juan pende de un hilo sobre saber qué va a pasar con su vida después de estar en el país 30 años y lo que dice es razonable: “Yo llegué aquí más joven y con más fuerza para trabajar. ¿Qué haría yo en mi país? Según lo que veo, las cosas están cambiando para bien pero aún así ya yo hice vida aquí. Compré mi casa y está paga. Uno se trauma con toda esta situación”.

Fechas marcadas En 1990 se crearon reformas sobre la Ley de inmigración en el que la Fiscalía de EEUU podría otorgar estatus de protección temporal a inmigrantes cuyos países de orígenes hayan entrado en un conflicto armado, un desastre ambiental u otras condiciones. En 2003, el Servicios de Inmigración sostuvo la batuta, pero a partir del 2017 quien designa si un país aplica para el estatus de protección temporal es el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de los Estados Unidos (DHS). El Salvador había entrado al TPS en 2001 debido a que sufrió dos terremotos mortales. Honduras había entrado debido a las secuelas devastadoras del huracán Mitch que dejó sin hogar a más de 1,5 de 6 millones de habitantes y destrozó pueblos enteros. Mientras que los países africanos se deben a la situación belicosa en esas regiones. En un mensaje del DHS del 2018 explica que las razones

NOVEMBER 2020

por la que se le da término a la protección es porque “la secretaria determinó que las condiciones originales causadas por los terremotos de 2001 ya no existen”. “Muchos proyectos de reconstrucción han sido terminados. Las escuelas y hospitales dañados por los terremotos han sido reconstruidos y reparados, las casas han sido reconstruidas, y se ha proporcionado dinero para agua y saneamiento y para reparar carreteras y otras infraestructuras dañadas por el terremoto. El desorden sustancial de las condiciones de vida causadas por el terremoto ya no existe”, agrega el mensaje. En este caso, la situación de Juan es distinta, así como la de muchos salvadoreños que estando en el país optaron por esa situación.

DICIEMBRE

El inmigrante patriota Juan era un agricultor de Sonsonate, una ciudad al suroeste del país. Allí conoció a su mujer y tuvo su primer hijo. Había sufrido amenazas de muerte por los grupos guerrilleros y decidió partir a EEUU por los caminos verdes. No tenía visa.

Celebre el Festival de luces navideÑas a iluminar el hambre Para donar al Banco de Alimentos, envíe un texto con la palabra “FOOD” al 74121. Conozca más sobre cómo puede ayudar visitando holidaylightsfestival.org

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Con $ 2 000 que le prestó su cuñada que ya vivía en el estado de California (EEUU) decidió partir. Pasó por Guatemala y luego en la frontera con México lo rebotaron varias veces. Para ese entonces México, cuenta González, no emitía visas a los salvadoreños. Después de sobornar a unos oficiales mexicanos entró a ese país rumbo a la frontera estadounidense. Sin pestañear cruzó con unos coyotes hasta llegar a California. El plan era traer a la familia. “Fue un tiempo difícil. Los mexicanos me regresaron varias veces, no podías pasar si eras continuada en la página 4 y

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hermano con el hijo de Juan ya difícil encontrar otro trabajo libres. Los beneficio y continuada de la página 3 y correr con los gastos en la era bueno pero tuve salvadoreño. Uno tenía que adolescente. ciudad. Un amigo de Juan que el estrés. Ahora trab a los guardias para California pidió hermano con elEnhijo de Juan ya asilodifícil libre y continuada de la páginapagarles 3 empresa de constru estaba encontrar en Omaha le otro sugirió trabajo que te dejaran tranquilo. Y de político y se lo dieron. difíc con hijo de Juan y continuada la página 3 “En esehermano pero noera sé ha así que 1994gastos llegó gusta, adolescente. b y correr conenellos en ya la uno cobraba algo. Tuve entonces todo era más fácil de venir salvadoreño. Uno teníacadaque pueda estar yahíco d aquí. que ser muysalvadoreño. cuidadoso con tramitar. Renovaba mi asilo eladolescente. Uno tenía que el e ciudad. Un amigo de Juan que eliminación del TPS” pagarles a los guardiasel para California pidió asilo dinero que En me habían Trabajó en una empacadora tiempo que me pedían”, ciud a los guardias paracontó.estaba emp Omaha En California pidió asilo prestado, lo único que Juan y su familia e de carne yen después trabajó enle la sugirió que te dejaran tranquilo. Y erapagarles político y se lo Allí dieron. “En trabajó en unaese empresa esta tenía”, dijo Juan. y más con la llegad empresa de alimentos Conagra que te dejaran tranquilo. Y gust venir así que en 1994 llegó político y se lo dieron. “En ese de galletas junto con su cada uno cobraba algo. Tuve entonces todo era más fácil de Jenny, cuyo nomb donde duró 18 años. “Me retiré veni Más tarde cada su esposa esposa, hasta hubo unaentonces unohizocobraba algo.queTuve pue aquí. todo eracausaba, más fácil fue de resguardado que me que ser muy cuidadoso la con travesía tramitar. y después Renovaba su despedidami asilo el hizo por el estrés masiva y se les aquí artículo. no tenía Renovaba vacaciones ni mi días asilo que ser muy cuidadoso con tramitar. elim el

el dinero que me habían tiempo que me pedían”, contó. Trabajó en una empacadora el DESTACADO dinero // FEATURE que ARTICLE me habían tiempo que me pedían”, contó. Tr prestado, era lo único4 que ARTICULO Ju de carne y después trabajó enNOVEMBER la Allí trabajó en una empresa prestado, era lo único que de tenía”, dijo Juan. empresa de alimentos Conagra y mc Allí trabajó en una empresa de galletas junto con su tenía”, dijo Juan. emp Jenn donde duró 18 junto años. “Me galletas conretiré su Más tarde su esposa hizo esposa, hasta que hubo una de don Más tarde su esposa hizo fue por el estrés que me causaba, esposa, hasta que hubo una la travesía y después su despedida masiva y se les hizo la travesía y después su despedida artíc no tenía vacaciones ni hizo días por masiva y se les no libres. Los beneficios y el pago difícil encontrar otro trabajo hermano con el hijo de Juan ya y continuada de la página 3 hermano con el hijo de Juan ya difícil encontrar otro trabajo libre y continuada de la página 3 ARTICULO DESTACADO // FEATURE ARTICLE bueno pero tuve cáncer y correr con los gastos en la// FEATURE adolescente. yera correr con los gastos enpor la era b ARTICULO DESTACADO ARTICLE salvadoreño. Uno tenía que salvadoreño. Uno tenía que adolescente. el estrés.Un Ahora trabajo en que una el es ciudad. Un amigo de Juan que ciudad. amigo de Juan pagarles a los guardias para pagarles a los guardias En California pidió para asilo En California pidió asilo empresaen deOmaha construcción y me emp estaba encontrar en Omaha le trabajo sugirió estaba le sugirió que te dejaran difícil otro hermano con el dieron. hijo de “En Juanese ya te ydejaran tranquilo. Y político y continuada de la tranquilo. página 3 Y que político se lo y se lo dieron. “En ese libres. Los beneficios y el pago gusta, pero no sé hasta cuando venir así con quelos engastos 1994 en llegó venir así que en 1994 llegó cada uno cobraba algo. Tuve era bueno pero tuve cáncer por gust y correr la adolescente. cada uno cobraba algo. Tuve entonces todo era más fácil de entonces todo era más fácil de salvadoreño. Uno tenía que pueda estar ahítrabajo debido auna la pued aquí. aquí. que ser muy cuidadoso con el estrés. Ahora en ciudad. Un amigo de Juan que que ser muy cuidadoso con tramitar. Renovaba mi asilo el tramitar. Renovaba mi asilo el pagarles a los guardias para En California pidió asilo eliminación del TPS”, dijo. y me elim el dinero que me habían empresa de construcción estaba en Omaha le sugirió el dinero que me habían Trabajó en una empacadora tiempo que me pedían”, contó. Trabajó en una empacadora que te dejaran tranquilo. Y político y se lo dieron. “En ese tiempo que me pedían”, contó. prestado, era lo único que prestado, era lo único que venir gusta, pero no sé hasta cuando asíy que en trabajó 1994 llegó carne después en la de Juan y ysudespués familia estaban bien Ju carne trabajó en la cada uno cobraba algo. Tuve entonces todo en erauna másempresa fácil de deAllí Allí trabajó trabajó en una empresa tenía”, Juan. pueda estar ahí debido la y má aquí. dijo Juan. empresa de alimentos Conagra empresa y más con laalimentos llegada de suahija de Conagra que serdijo muy cuidadoso con tenía”, tramitar. Renovaba mi asilo el de galletas junto con su de galletas junto con su eliminación TPS”, “Me dijo. donde duró años. “Me retiré donde Jenny, duró cuyodel también 18nombre años. retiré Jenn el Más dinero me habían tardeque su esposa hizo tiempo Trabajó en18una mesuque pedían”, contó. Más que tarde esposa hizo esposa, hasta hubo una esposa, hasta queempacadora hubo una porcarne el estrés que me causaba, fueJuan resguardado para este fue por el estrés que me causaba, prestado, único que la travesíaeray lo después su la y su familia estaban bien de y después trabajó en la travesíamasiva y después su despedida masiva y se les hizo despedida y seempresa les hizo Allí trabajó en una no tenía vacaciones ni días artículo. no tenía vacaciones ni días tenía”, dijo Juan. empresa de alimentos Conagra y más con la llegada de su hija artíc de galletas junto con su donde duró 18 años. “Me retiré Jenny, cuyo nombre también Más tarde su esposa hizo// FEATURE ARTICULO DESTACADO ARTICULO esposa,ARTICLE hasta queDESTACADO hubo una// FEATURE ARTICLE NOVEMBER 2020 la travesía y después su despedida masiva y se les hizo por el estrés que me causaba, fue resguardado para este no tenía vacaciones ni días artículo.

ARTICULO DESTACADO // FEATURE ARTICLE

NOVEMBER 2020

Estafadas y TPS En 2003, Juan recibió una carta del servicio de Inmigración en el que decía que su asilo no sería renovado y que comienza un trámite de deportación. La razón: las autorizades estadounidense “descubrieron” que Juan prestó prestó servicio militar obligatorio por dos años y luchó contra las guerrillas de ese país durante el periodo de la guerra civil. “Yo la verdad no entendí esa razón porque cuando pedí el asilo nunca me preguntaron eso. Sí, yo presté servicio militar porque estaba luchando por mi país, además era obligatorio. Hasta el mismo gobierno de EEUU nos entrenó, fueron ellos quienes enseñaron al ejercito a defenderse, ahora me pusieron eso como excusa para no renovarme el asilo”, dijo González sin nada que esconder.

Así que buscó un abogado entre las calles Dodge y 86 el cual le “prometió” que resolvería su problema y apelaría su caso. “Pasaron más de cuatro años y el abogado me dijo: busca tu pasaporte que serás deportado. Me cobró $15 000, me estafó, no hizo nada. Decidí buscar a otro abogado, se llama Brian Blackford y él tomó mi caso y, gracias a él estoy en el programa del TPS y sin pagar la cantidad del otro abogado”, dijo.

Incertidumbre y controversia En septiembre de 2020, el programa se había convertido en una fuente de controversia política durante la administración de

de un voto de mayoría cualificada en el Senado (involucrando a 3/5 de todos los senadores), dada la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA) para TPS.

presidente Trump busca poner fin a las protecciones de los inmigrantes sin dar señal de soluciones como una residencia permanente. Hasta ahora, todos los titulares del TPS tienen permiso de trabajo vigente hasta el 4 de enero de 2021. Pero hasta el cierre de esta edición no se ha dado reporte de nada más. La única manera en que los titulares de TPS pueden ser ajustados a la residencia permanente legal es a través

La esperanza de Juan es su hija Jenny, quien cumplirá 21 años el año que viene y someterse al proceso legal de reclamar familiares directos.“Si me dicen que debo salir del país, pues saldremos para llevar a cabo todos los trámites. Yo ya no tengo nada qué hacer allá en El Salvador. Nuestra única esperanza es mi hija. Pero debes saber que todo esto te trauma”, dijo. Luego de las elecciones las expectativas es que desaparezcan los baldes de agua fría y que las autoridades den un camino justo a estos seres humanos que han aportado a la economía de este país.

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SALVADORANS WITH TEMPORARY PROTECTION expect deportation BY KARLHA VEL ÁSQUEZ RIVAS

bucket of cold water fell to Juan González when he saw in the news that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ended the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) that benefited 300,000 immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Syria, Honduras, Yemen, Somalia and South Sudan. The idea of knowing that he could be deported to his home country keeps him in alert. “It’s stressful, imagine that after 30 years of living in this country you’ll be told to go back,” Gonzalez said, a pseudonym to safeguard his identity.

Most of the holders of the TPS are Salvadorans of 240,000 beneficiaries. All of them have a social security number and work permit that allows them to get their driver’s license, open businesses and sense of stability. But the court’s decision made for this benefit to last until January 4, 2021. If U.S. law makers don’t come up with the bipartisan resolution, Salvadorans and other beneficiaries would enter a limbo of illegality. According to the director of the Salvadoran Immigrant Institute, César Ríos, it is estimated that more than 15% of holders of that nationality with TPS would return to El Salvador if there is no alternative. Others, instead, consider going to Canada.

Faced with this situation last year the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, held talks with the government of Qatar to generate alliances and create temporary work visas for Salvadorans who wish to go to that country. On the other hand, he made agreements with the US to limit the number of deportations, if it comes to be the case of not looking for another way out. A 2017 study by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center found that terminaing TPS would negatively impact Social Security and Medicare revenues of 6.9 trillion, as well as the decline of Gross Domestic Product to $45.2 trillion and increase the cost of deportations over the next 10 years. However, while it is true that the TPS was not created to give immediate residency to beneficiaries, it has been a respite for many. This benefit had to be renewed from time to time, paying a fee of $495 as required by the authorities. This period run between 6, 12 and 18 months. Not only does Juan hang in the balance about what’s going to happen to his life after being in the country for 30 years and what he says is reasonable: “I came here younger and with more strength to work. What would I do in my country? From

ARTICULO DESTACADO // FEATURE ARTICLE

what I see, things are changing for the better, but I’ve still made life here. I bought my house and it’s paid for. You get traumatized by this whole situation.”

Marked Dates In 1990, reforms were created on the Immigration Act in which the U.S. Attorney’s Office could grant temporary protection status to immigrants whose countries of origin have entered into an armed conflict, environmental disaster or other conditions. In 2003, Immigration Services held the baton, but as of 2017 who designates whether a country applies for temporary protection status is the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). El Salvador had entered TPS in 2001 because it suffered two deadly earthquakes. Honduras had entered due to the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Mitch that left more than 1.5 out of 6 million people homeless and destroyed entire villages. African countries are due to the bellicose situation in their regions. A 2018 DHS message explains that the reasons

protection ended is because “the secretary determined that the original conditions caused by the 2001 earthquakes no longer exist.” “Many reconstruction projects have been completed. Earthquake-damaged schools and hospitals have been rebuilt and repaired, houses have been rebuilt, and money has been provided for water and sanitation and to repair earthquake-damaged roads and other infrastructure. Substantial disorder of living conditions caused by the earthquake no longer exists,” the message adds. In this case, Juan’s situation is different, as are that of many Salvadorans who were in the country opted for this situation.

The Patriot Immigrant Juan was a farmer from Sonsonate, a city in the southwest of the country. There he met his wife and had his first child. He had suffered death threats from guerrilla groups and decided to leave for the US on the green roads. He didn’t have a visa. With $2,000 lent to him by his sister-in-law who already lived in the state of California (USA), he decided to leave. He continuada en la página 8 y

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passed through Guatemala and then on the border with Mexico rejected him several times. At that time Mexico, he said, did not issue visas to Salvadorans. After bribery some Mexican officers entered the country on their way to the U.S. border. Without hesitation, he crossed with some coyotes until he reached California. The plan was to bring the family. “It was a difficult time. The Mexicans came back to me several times, you couldn’t cross if you were Salvadoran. One had to pay the guards to leave you alone. And everyone charged something. I had to be meticulous with the money I had borrowed, that’s all I had,” Juan said.

Later his wife made the journey and then his brother with Juan teenage son. In California, he sought a political asylum and they gave it to him. “Back then everything was easier to process. I was renovating my asylum as long as I was asked,” he said. There, he worked in a cookie company with his wife, until there was a mass termination period and they found it difficult to find another job and run with the expenses of the city. A friend of Juan’s who was in Omaha suggested he come, so in 1994 he moved here. He worked in a meat packing factory and then at the food company Conagra where he lasted 18 years. “I withdrew

ARTICULO DESTACADO // FEATURE ARTICLE

because of the stress it caused would begin. The reason: me, I had no vacation or days the American authorizers off. The benefits and payment “discovered” that Juan served were good, but I had cancer on a compulsory military from stress. Now I work in a service for two years and fought construction company and I against the country’s guerrillas like it, but I don’t know how during the civil war. long I can be there because of “I didn’t really understand that the elimination of TPS,” he said. reason because when I applied Juan and his family were fine for an asylum, I was never asked and more with the arrival of their that. Yes, I served in the military daughter Jenny, whose name because I was fighting for my was also protected for this article. country, and it was obligatory. Even the US government itself trained us, they were the ones who taught the army to defend themselves, now they put that as an excuse not to renew my In 2003, Juan received a asylum,” González said with letter from the Immigration nothing to hide. Service saying that his asylum So, he looked for a lawyer would not be renovated and on Dodge Street and 86 who that a deportation process

Scams and TPS

NOVEMBER 2020

“promised” him that he would solve his problem and appeal his case. “More than four years have passed and the lawyer told me: look for your passport because you will be deported. He charged me $15,000, sneered at me, didn’t do anything. I decided to find another lawyer, his name is Brian Blackford, and he took my case and, thanks to him, I’m on the TPS program and without paying the other lawyer’s amount,” he said.

Uncertainty and controversy By September 2020, the program had become a source of political controversy during President Trump’s administration, who look to end immigrant protections without signaling solutions such as permanent residency. So far, all TPS holders have work permits in force until January 4, 2021. But until the

close of this edition, nothing else has been reported. The only way TPS holders can be adjusted for legal permanent residency is through a qualified majority vote in the Senate (involving 3/5 of all senators), given the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) for TPS. Juan’s hope is his daughter Jenny, who will turn 21 next year and submit to the legal process of claiming direct relatives. “If you tell me I have to leave the country, then we’ll leave to carry out all the paperwork. I don’t have anything to do there in El Salvador anymore. Our only hope is my daughter. However, you must know that all this traumatizes you,” he said. After the election, the expectations are that the buckets of cold water will disappear and that the authorities will give a fair path to these human beings that have contributed to the economy of this country.

Ciudad de Omaha Solicitud de Propuestas Edificio del Antes Native Omahans Club 3819 N 24th Street Omaha, Nebraska 68110 La Ciudad de Omaha invita a recibir propuestas para la compra y desarrollo de 3819 N 24th Street Omaha Nebraska 68110, antes conocido como el Edificio del Antes Native Omahans Club. La Ciudad de Omaha tiene la intención de vender el Edificio para obtener fondos para auxiliar en los esfuerzos de desarrollo comunitario. El valor tasado es de $110,000. La Ciudad no planea participar en el proyecto financieramente. El plazo para entregar propuestas es en o antes de las 4:00 p.m. del 4 de diciembre de 2020. Para más información y/o para recibir el paquete RFP, llame o envíe un email a Autumn Evans, Property Acquisitions/ Disposition Planner, Planning Department, al teléfono (402) 444-5150 Ext. 2023 o Autumn.Evans@Cityofomah.org.

Departamento de Planeación de la Ciudad de Omaha Centro Cívico Omaha/Douglas 1819 Farnam Street, Room 1111 Omaha, NE 68183

Hola Omaha,

Nosotros estamos listos para rodar La colección comienza el dia

30 de noviembre Programa de residuos sólidos de Omaha

NOVEMBER 2020

wasteline.org/mycart • 402.444.5238 ARTICULO DESTACADO // FEATURE ARTICLE

FOTOS COMUNITARIAS

COMMUNITY PHOTOS

ELITE STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY La Asociación Guatemalteca en Nebraska reporta que este año ya no habrá consulados móviles por parte del personal del Consulado General de Guatemala en Denver, CO. Para mayor información llame al 402-415-8487.

ANTONIO MORALES, propietario de la panadería y repostería Nietos, insta a la comunidad a consumir productos de comerciantes locales, y así contribuir con la operación de esos negocios durante la pandemia.

JANAY RAMOS, dueña de la dulcería y piñatería Arcoíris en calle 24, sufre los estragos del COVID-19 en su negocio por las bajas ventas. Por ello, hace un llamado para que la gente no deje de comprar a los pequeños locatarios.

Wells Fargo otorga $1 millón en becas para ayudar a los estudiantes con problemas financieros, considerando que la pandemia por COVID-19 está obstaculizando el camino educativo de dichos estudiantes. ¡Excelente! SERGIO MARTÍNEZ, fundador del South Omaha Interligas, inaugura una nueva temporada latina de fútbol debido al COVID-19. En esta oportunidad, no se permitirán espectadores y solo ingresarán los jugadores y directivos debidamente acreditados dentro del campo.

La Semana Binacional de Salud fue la oportunidad idónea para que el doctor Armando de Alba de la Universidad de Medicina de Nebraska se dirigiera a la comunidad para resaltar la importancia de vacunarse contra la influenza.

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El Departamento de Bomberos recibe a 31 nuevos reclutas en el Omaha Public Safety Training Center, donde se capacitarán por 12 semanas. ¡Buena suerte!

NOVEMBER 2020