THE READER OMAHA AUGUST 2022 by PioneerMedia.Me

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AU GU S T 2022 | volU M E 29 | I SSUE 6

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August 2022

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Empowering immigrants to live with confidence and free from fear. August 2022

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JOBS: Upskilled: How the Pandemic is Reshaping Omaha’s Workforce

(DIS)InvestED: Digging up the Roots on Food Insecurity in Omaha’s Latino Communities

o f

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(DIS)InvestED: The Longer Nebraska Ignores Its Prison Problem, the Bigger It Gets

NEWS: Saddle Creek Floods Have Become a “Fact of Life” for Residents and Businesses

Dish: Omaha’s Best Brunches: From Brews and Bros to Inventive Menus to a Buffet That Won’t Quit

READERS’ CHOICE: Your 2022 Best of the Big O! Winners and Runner-Ups

publisher/editor........... John Heaston john@thereader.com graphic designers........... Ken Guthrie Albory Seijas news..........................Robyn Murray copy@thereader.com copy chief.............. Michael Newgren spike@thereader.com lead reporter............... Chris Bowling chris@thereader.com associate publisher.... Karlha Velásquez karlha@el-perico.com report for america corps member..........Bridget Fogarty bridget@el-perico.com creative services director....................... Lynn Sanchez lynn@pioneermedia.me editorial & membership associate.........................Arjav Rawal arjav@pioneermedia.me editorial & membership associate emeritus............ Leah Cates leah@pioneermedia.me

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

CULTURE: Vinyl Healing: The Stories Our Music Tells

ARTS: Five Emerging Artists Riff on ‘I’ve Been Here Before’ in G1516 Exhibit

PICKS: Cool Things To Do in August

CULTURE: Wilco’s Nels Cline Talks Outlandia, Dad Rock Labels and New Music

BACKBEAT: Petfest Preps for Another Festival With Great Expectations

HOODOO: August Burns Blue with Full Schedule of Live Music

arts/visual.................... Mike Krainak mixedmedia@thereader.com eat.................................. Sara Locke crumbs@thereader.com film.................................Ryan Syrek cuttingroom@thereader.com hoodoo................. B.J. Huchtemann bjhuchtemann@gmail.com over the edge..............Tim McMahan tim.mcmahan@gmail.com theater.................... Beaufield Berry coldcream@thereader.com backbeat.... Virginia Kathryn Gallner backbeat@thereader.com

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OVER THE EDGE: Listening to Music Has Evolved. Maybe How We Pay for It Should as Well. OUR DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES

MUSIC: 2022 Maha Coverage

August 2022

NEWS: Nebraska Abortion PAC (story by Isa Luzarraga)

Alexis Arai: Un Hito en el Jazz on The Green

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Micah Ringlein and his daughter, Miriam, get a kick out of the swings at Conoco Park in Omaha before the heat bears down on a summer morning.

August 2022

O M A H A

J O B S

Upskilled

How the Pandemic is Reshaping Omaha’s Workforce by Arjav Rawal

maha’s economy appears to be doing well. As of July 2022, the unemployment rate for the metro area sits at 2.1%. Job growth has remained steady since the economy started recovering from the pandemic-induced economic downturn, and the number of Omahans in the labor force appears, slowly but steadily, to be returning to pre-pandemic levels. Chris Decker, an economist at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, says a major factor in how Omaha’s economy has recovered is the decision by workers to upskill. Upskilling is the practice of learning additional skills, either in an existing or a new career path. “During the 2020-21 period, enrollments at a lot of universities, including UNO, were pretty high,” Decker said. “You had a lot of people with low-paying jobs suffering an immediate hit and saying that was as good a time as any to go back to school and look for a different career path post-pandemic.” That’s where the Workforce Innovation Division (WID) at Metropolitan Community College comes in. In 2014, Metro was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to launch a program to help IT

An instructor at Metropolitan Community College works with students from the college’s Integrated Education and Training Program. Photo courtesy OF Tammy Green. students secure employment before they completed their degree. Lyndsie Gibbs, who oversees career advancement programs for WID, said the department’s creation stemmed from wanting to replicate that model for other professions. WID’s programs work with people who have been out of the workforce for several years, face barriers to employment or are looking to upskill or reskill into a new job. Major Omaha businesses, including the SELDIN Company and Mutual of Omaha, hire students either during or after the program.

August 2022

Students can enroll with the goal of obtaining a certification or license. Gibbs said the program specifically targets jobs that pay around $18 an hour or more. “Usually, during a recession, interest in education and training tends to increase,” Gibbs said. “We saw people wanting to do IT credentials, social media credentials, medical representatives, project management, pharmacy tech … all sorts of stuff.” Gibbs said much of the heightened interest in career

advancement programs was driven by a desire to find flexible remote work. “A lot of folks came [to the program] from low-income, front-facing positions. The service industry, customer service … we still see folks coming in now because a lot of the front-facing service industry positions have been automated,” Gibbs said. Education is fully funded for students who meet income guidelines, according to Gibbs, and scholarships are available for those who don’t.

O M A H A Gibbs said helping students who face barriers to employment, which include prior criminal charges, immigration status, age and issues finding child care, can be challenging. She tries to be transparent with students and businesses about those barriers. “We ask students about [any potential barriers] during the intake process, and our business partners tell us what barriers they can and can’t work with,” Gibbs said. “We have a workforce that is willing … but some of these barriers stop them before they can get a foot in the door.” Gibbs believes that’s where their team’s strengths lie. “We tell them what to expect when they go through the program –– but we don’t tell them they can’t do the program,” Gibbs said. “We work our tails

off to find the right employer for a student.” The program appears to be a success: Gibbs said 83% of students enrolled in the last six months of 2021 have retained employment. She calls the program Omaha’s best-kept secret. “We’re one of the newest divisions, only about five years old, so we’re still the baby of the college,” Gibbs said.

J O B S advantage Nebraska has compared to other states. It’s a longterm dynamic that we need to address,” Decker said. Gibbs sees her department as the right solution. She said the “earn-and-learn model” that WID employs allows a business to see an employee’s talents right away, as opposed

to those waiting a year to finish their education before getting hired. “A lot of cool stuff can happen when you start to see businesses invest in their talent pools,” Gibbs said. “These are businesses investing in their future workforce. That says a lot.”

WID aims to solve what Decker calls Omaha’s most important economic issue in the long run: the labor force. The percentage of metro-area citizens participating in the workforce has fallen by 5% since 2000. Decker says that’s because of an aging population that contributes to an increase in retirees. “That puts pressure on businesses wanting to hire, which could narrow the cost-of-living

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( D I S ) I N V E S T E D

Caught in the Revolving Door Phil, a Community Justice Center participant, is reflected in a fisheye security mirror.

The Longer Nebraska Ignores Its Prison Problem,

the Bigger It Gets Story and Photos by Chris Bowling

he chemical smell of disinfectant lingers while the linoleum floors reflect the dull glow of vending machines stocked with pineapple Fanta, XXL and microwavable burritos. The space feels like a YMCA rec room (minus the ping pong tables), but the men sitting in blue plastic chairs only have to look up to remind themselves where they are.

suffered political standstills in the Nebraska Legislature over issues such as sentencing reforms. Some efforts, like a new $15 million state grant program to fund reentry efforts (open for application until Aug. 15), aim to address the issue. But unless something drastic happens, even building one new prison at this point wouldn’t adequately house all of Nebraska's prisoners. It would need two.

“THIS FACILITY IS UNDER 24-HOUR LIVE/RECORDED VIDEO AND/OR AUDIO SURVEILLANCE,” a red sign spells out underneath one of the six fisheye security mirrors.

That has a huge effect on efforts to help incarcerated Participants visualize the victims they’ve harmed in Community people, especially Justice Center workbooks. for drug offenses, and non-violent drug offenses made up 26% of all Abdullah is a trainer with the earlier. And that’s not all that’s Community Justice Center (CJC), gotten worse. Nebraska has the prison admissions in 2020. Molly It’s the kind of place the men, a nonprofit based in Lincoln that second-most overcrowded pris- Robustelli, senior policy specialist inmates at the Omaha Correctionteaches restorative justice, a tech- on system in the nation. And it is with the Crime and Justice Instial Center, never want to come nique that encourages reconcil- one of only four states whose pris- tute, said possession can usually back to — and they’re here to iation and helps offenders avoid oner population has increased in be attributed to addiction, which learn how. repeating their mistakes — an ur- the past decade compared with requires treatment, behavioral an 11% decline nationally. Mean- health programs or, better yet, “If I can get to the end,” said gent mission for Nebraska. while, the system is dealing with prison alternatives. Those aren’t Shakur Abdullah, a former inmate Thirty percent of inmates re- staff shortages. available across Nebraska’s crimleading a program on July 11, leased in 2018 ended up back inal justice system, though, and “you can, too.” in prison by 2020, up four perNebraska has had repeated the absence of that programming, centage points from a decade chances to stop the trend but

August 2022

( D I S ) I N V E S T E D the CJI report says, can lead to higher rates of recidivism. “The overcrowding is a bottleneck and certain programs are only available in certain facilities,” Robustelli said. “It just creates challenges upon someone's release.” There are also too few correctional officers to oversee classes — though some programs like the CJC put their employees through prison training so they can lead classes unsupervised. And when they do get in front of prisoners, it has an effect. In 2019, researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studied about 380 CJC participants and found they were less than half as likely as other prisoners to reoffend. Greg Glass started as a participant but now helps lead the classes as a peer counselor. It’s his way of giving back. “I can’t undo the harms I’ve caused,” Glass said. “But I think about my life, and someday I’m going to die. This is my way of paying it forward, to make sure they don’t make the same mistakes I did.” But the CJC, which is one of many organizations that sponsor

Jim Jones is founder of the Community Justice Center, one of many organizations that sponsor programs for Nebraska’s incarcerated people. programs for Nebraska’s incarcerated people, has its work cut out for it. Its staff of seven covers two jails, all 12 of the state’s proba-

tion districts and 10 prisons, said founder Jim Jones. The latter releases about 1,800 people annually, about 500 of whom go through the CJC’s program, according to Jones. So they have to work fast to reach as many people as possible — compressing their course load into one day and a follow-up graduation.

who’d been impacted by crimes, like a woman whose mother struggled with a drug addiction that destroyed their family. Jones asked participants to put themselves in the mom’s shoes, to think about the harm she caused and what she lost. Their homework was to visualize the effect their crimes had on people around them.

In the morning, trainers challenge participants to talk about what brought them to prison, specifically experiences like trauma, addiction and mental illness. The afternoon The Reader attended a session, Jones, who founded CJC in 2001, read letters from people

Abdullah, who was sentenced to death row in 1977 for a crime he committed at 16, found mentors and purpose before being released in 2016. Roscoe Wallace, who had been in and out of prison since the ‘80s, changed his life after losing his son to gang violence. Jones himself spent two years in prison after a military injury turned into a prescription drug addiction, which escalated and resulted in a string of Lincoln robberies in 1989.

ROBERT ORTIZ JUMPED AT THE CHANCE TO TAKE A CLASS AT THE OMAHA CORRECTIONAL CENTER.

In addition to the actual coursework, part of what makes the program effective are the trainers leading it.

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( D I S ) I N V E S T E D

SHAKUR ABDULLAH, A FORMER INMATE, SPEAKS TO PARTICIPANTS OF A COMMUNITY JUSTICE CENTER PROGRAM. “The hook is that they’ve been incarcerated and now are out living positive lives,” Glass said. “That shows people that this is possible.” When Robert Ortiz saw the class advertised on a notice board in the OCC, he jumped on it. It was the first program he’d seen in months. Speaking frankly about these emotions doesn’t happen often in prison, he said. “It’s like putting words to thoughts you couldn’t express,” Oritz said. But Ortiz is also the type of person who’s ready to confront these feelings and has been working with a therapist. Who really needs to hear what the CJC has to say are the guys in his unit who haven’t taken the same steps. “I think it can be useful for anyone, but not everyone will give themselves that chance,” Ortiz said. “You can see how the mindset works. They’re afraid to open themselves up.” Making informed decisions on programming requires data and research Nebraska doesn’t have, said Zach Hamilton, associate director of Nebraska’s Center for Justice Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

“Identifying, for however many dollars you spend on reentry, how many recidivism events you prevent, how many future crimes you prevent, that work hasn't been done,” Hamilton said. “I think there's a general understanding that dollars and cents tend to go more towards confinement of individuals and less towards programming of individuals.” Some states have dedicated decades to that research. Since the ‘90s, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy has provided its state Legislature with a cost-benefit analysis for how much each program saves or costs the state. Circles of support and accountability save Washington taxpayers $25,657 for every inmate who participates in a program. Meanwhile, injecting a person with Naltrexone (a drug meant to prevent people from using drugs and alcohol in the future) hasn’t been shown to work and ends up costing taxpayers $20,376 for every person who receives it. “You saw nationally during the Obama administration [a push] for some sort of an understanding of evidence-based practices, and utilizing those evidence-based

August 2022

practices to reduce recidivism,” said Hamilton, whose UNO group is starting its own cost-benefit analysis of programs available to Nebraska’s inmates. “[We need to] identify that programs exist, but some of them are better than others. And if you can evaluate those programs, identify what works and then replicate them, you're going to have a greater chance of success.”

5,658 inmates in 2020. Last year researchers returned to give it another shot. Of the 21 proposed solutions, 17 were unanimously approved by a working group of experts. Those solutions included finding alternatives to jail time for low-risk offenders, improving reentry practices, adding capacity to mental health services and eliminating barriers to employment.

That’s not to say Nebraska hasn’t researched its system. In 1989, a legislative research team deemed Nebraska prisons were at a “capacity crisis.” In the last decade, the state has twice received funding from the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, a partnership between the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Pew Charitable Trusts that connects states with researchers and provides funding for studies.

The group’s analysis led to LB920, which would have established court alternatives for lesser crimes, financial incentives for higher education and more. But the bill stalled in this year’s legislative session largely because opponents balked at reducing sentences for certain crimes. Len Engel, the director of policy and campaigns for CJI, which conducted Nebraska’s most recent study, said the good news is that a lot of lawmakers and agency officials understand the problem. The bad news is advocates for reform need to make a convincing argument – and quick.

In 2014, outside researchers built policy examples for the state that would have reduced its prison population by 10%, investing $32.8 million in recidivism reduction strategies and saving $306.4 million in building and operating a new prison. Those proposals went untouched and the population increased beyond projections to

“[Making small changes] requires basically a system that's controllable,” Engel said. “And right now, it's somewhat out of control because of the number of people incarcerated.”

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This program is open to those in the city limits of Omaha who are current tenants and property owners/managers. One party per address may apply, so please coordinate with your property owner/manager before submitting an application. Those who received funds previously are eligible for Second Time Assistance. An ERAP representative will reach out to you via email, text and phone call. You may receive communication from unknown numbers regarding your application. It is critical to check your email including Junk, Spam, Promotions folders regularly.

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August 2022

N E W S

Hell & High Water Saddle Creek floods have become a ‘fact of life’ for residents & business owners. The city has the solutions — but are they worth the cost? by Sydney Johnson

ill Randby stood in front of a green screen, his sleeves rolled up as he pointed to the intersection of 50th Street and Saddle Creek Road. It was pouring rain in early August 2021, and the KETV meteorologist knew in a matter of minutes it would be underwater. “I’ve seen more flooding in the last 10 years than I did in the first 20 years that I was here,” said Randby, who started covering Omaha’s weather 30 years ago. At O’Leaver’s Pub, Ian Aeillo worked behind the counter in 2016 when someone walked in, telling everyone to move their cars as floodwater approached the bar. By the time Aeillo got to his house around the corner, wading through waist deep water, his guitars, music equipment and furniture were submerged. “I remember thinking, ‘Everything I own is now waterlogged,’” Aeillo said. Saddle Creek Road, specifically south of Dodge Street, has long been identified as a flooding hazard: newspaper articles from more than a half-century ago describe floods overcoming buses, and studies from the past 20 years recommended expanding sewer systems or moving the road entirely. Jim Theiler, assistant director of environmental services for Omaha, said the pricetag to fix Saddle Creek is about $250 million, though he doesn’t have a “good recollection of what all was included in that cost.” However, decades-old studies of sewers, road construction and other projects city officials sent to The Reader have combined figures of about $300 million. That’s unjustifiable, he said.

“We see very little actual reported damages to property from flooding on Saddle Creek,” Theiler said. “A vast majority of flooding is confined to the street, very little escapes the public right of way and onto [private] property.” But doing nothing has a cost too. Dingman’s Collision Center saw its shop doors bow in and cars swept away in last year’s floods. Tres Johnson of (drips) botanical elements plant shop lost nearly his entire inventory. “It’s a dangerous area,” he said. “… But it’s just kind of a fact of life down here.”

The History and the Sewers After a storm, mud and water seep through the basement door of Dingman’s Collision Center at 50th and Saddle Creek. It takes days for the overflow to subside, said repair process manager Dan Brake. The basement is a dark, rock and mud-floored space under the shop where rushing water flows — the last remains of a creek. Before there was a road cutting diagonally through midtown, there was a small tributary. Its history traces back to pioneer legend — one historian says it got its name after a saddle fell into the trickling waters from the wagon of a man heading west for gold. Saddle Creek first saw road construction in 1898 when the City of Omaha built a boulevard alongside it, according to the North Omaha History blog. A year later a flood covered the street. Omahans advocated for a sewer system to stymie future

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floods. The road reopened in 1905 and sewer construction finished two years later. In 1934, the city built the Dodge Street overpass which now has about 50,000 cars drive over it weekly.

At the intersection of Saddle Creek Road and Dodge Street, a car is submerged in a flash flood after heavy rains in 2008. Photo from floodrisk.iowa.gov.

But flooding didn’t stop. In 1948, The Omaha World Herald chronicles water Men constructing a sewer at Saddle Creek running up to and Farnam streets in Omaha in 1934. bus floors and Robert W. Mullin of Omaha. Photo courtesy washing away of History Nebraska. manhole covers along Saddle Creek Road from Hamilton to Cuming Street. In 1981, the newspaper reported upward of three feet of water running at the intersection of Saddle Creek and Dodge. Saddle Creek’s current sewer system is a combination of two systems. From Woolworth south, the original sewer built in 1927 is still in use. To the north and east the sewer was replaced in 1961, said Steve Andersen manager of Collection System and Flood Control within the Omaha Public Works Department. Andersen said those systems — 95 and 61-year-old, 12-by-12-foot reinforced concrete box systems — are “as good as the ones that we’re putting in today.” After doing inspections and walkthroughs beneath Saddle Creek within the last two years, Andersen concluded there are no maintenance

(drips) botanical elements plant shop had nearly 3’ of water outside of its shop during the 2021 floods. Photo courtesy of Tres Johnson.

N E W S benefit analysis on any fixes to Saddle Creek, Theiler said. According to employees, (drips) botanical elements and Dingman’s Collision Center didn’t report their damages to the city and instead relied on community members and employees to clean up the damage.

A depiction of the drainage swale proposed by UNMC’s study in 2007. Photo from UNMC press release. reads the 2003 Destination Midtown report.

FEMA maps released this year show Saddle Creek in the flood zone. opportunities to increase sewer capacity. At the end of the day, flooding might just be something residents and business owners have to accept. “Do you know how to make it stop raining, Michelle?” said Omaha’s city engineer Todd Pfitzer to a reporter in August 2021 when asked if there was anything the city could have done to prevent citywide flooding. “ I don’t.”

“High Priority” The attitude toward Saddle Creek Road was different 20 years ago. In 2003, Destination Midtown, “one of the largest and most proactive planning studies in the history of Omaha,” outlined a plan to address the road south of Dodge Street. One “high priority” plan proposed reconstructing the street or moving it to the west, replacing it with a drainage channel. Four years later, University of Nebraska Medical Center, along with the City of Omaha, Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District and the Nebraska Department of Roads, revisited the idea and estimated costs of construction and buying property to be between $17-$20 million to keep Saddle Creek Road on its existing alignment, and $21-$24 million on a

new alignment. Brian Spencer, current executive director of campus development and real estate for UNMC, said that the project’s cost made UNMC take a step back. “It wasn’t necessarily a walk away, it was a ‘We don’t own all of the property, and this would impact people whose property the university and the city didn’t own,’” Spencer said. “There were definitely some thoughts of ‘Hey, we’ve got to be good neighbors’ and can’t just blanket take everyone’s property in order to make this happen.” As those ideas stayed on the table, development in the area only accelerated. From 2008 to 2020, the city has incentivized $122 million worth of development in midtown, according to a Reader analysis of tax increment financing. Those dollars gave rise to areas like Blackstone and Midtown Crossing, integral elements of a city plan to rebuild its urban core. Just last year the city also gave UNMC $93 million for development along Saddle Creek Road over the next decade.

As far back as the ‘80s, Omaha City Council member Danny Begley, who grew up in and now represents the area, remembers flooding as a problem. “I remember helping my friend and his family who lived at 4410 Chicago St. bail out his flooded basement back in high school,” Begley said. Begley directed other inquiries made by The Reader to the Public Works department. In 2006, the City of Omaha outlined five priorities to address the area’s sewers through its Saddle Creek Sewer Evaluation. The first priority was the Dodge Street Sump Area, a space under the Saddle Creek underpass that collects water and, during high rain volumes, floods. The city estimated it would cost $650,000 to fix the sump — installing high-water warning signals and addressing inlet capacity, or the systems that allow water to enter storm drainage. The second priority outlined similar problems in the William-Woolworth area with similar costs. The remaining priorities focused on the sewer system’s ability to handle fast, high-volume storms — a cost of about $270 million. None of these priority proposals outlined in the 2006 Sewer Evaluation was acted upon.

It adds to what was already a growing flooding concern.

“Our basic assumption for the past few years has been that to do anything that would turn the dial on flooding related issues in Saddle Creek would have costs that we cannot justify related to the risks that we are able to quantify and the disruption that would be required…to the general public,” Theiler said.

“The intense level of urban development within the Saddle Creek watershed has complicated this issue,”

Public works has seen very little reported damage to property from flooding and hasn’t done a cost/

Currently the city is trying other ways to address flood risk. Along with sewer maintenance checks, they are also searching out federal funds following recent FEMA mapping that labeled Saddle Creek as a floodplain. These federal funds, if attained, would help residents and property owners who see basement backups of sewage when it rains. This would pay for those basements to be filled and abandoned, Theiler said. “The city understands that the overland flooding issues on Saddle Creek exist, from a risk management perspective, in most cases, they are nuisance issues that may slow or impede traffic, but for short durations of time,” Theiler said. “Trying to mitigate this would be very problematic, not just due to costs, but due to actual feasibility of construction and community acceptance due to the amount of disruption that would be required.”

The Future of Saddle Creek Road The City of Omaha, business owners in the area and even KETV’s Randby have watched the water collect on Saddle Creek Road year after year. They all know this problem won’t solve itself, and increased frequency of hard, heavy storms as a result of climate change may make it worse. “There are more frequent [floods] now,” Randby said. “We’ve seen increased rainfall rates from thunderstorms, which a lot of climatology experts believe is attributable to global warming and the ability for the atmosphere to hold more moisture.” For those like Aeillo the solution seems clear. He’s seen business owners scoop water from their buildings, rebuild structures damaged by torrents of storm runoff and, ultimately, deal with the creek that never really left. “The people at O’Leaver’s, the people at Dingman’s, the people at the gas station across the street who work hard and run honest businesses don’t deserve to face those types of situations on a yearly basis,” Aeillo said.

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( D I S ) I N V E S T E D

Growing Health Siembra Salud Uses Gardening to Reduce Food Insecurity and Health Disparities Story and Photos by Bridget Fogarty

rates of food insecurity across the U.S. In Omaha, predominantly Latino and Black neighborhoods are the same areas defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as food deserts — low-income communities where the nearest grocery store is more than a mile away.

t’s 11 o’clock on a sunny June morning in La Vista, Nebraska, and four young women are admiring more than three dozen leafy green vegetables poking out of the dirt on the south side of Zoraida Llasaca’s home. Llasaca, a Peruvian woman who has called Nebraska home for the past 18 years, smiles beside the pots of growing herbs that line her backyard garden’s perimeter. Her hands shift from one plant to another as her elderly mother and 11-year-old daughter, Grace, help her check the garden’s progress. Months ago, this corner of Llasaca’s yard was a patch of grass. Then team members from Siembra Salud, a free health education initiative of the Latino Center of the Midlands, worked with her to make the space into a garden for her family: digging up dirt, arranging a brick perimeter, planting the seeds. Now, the space is teeming with herbs and vegetables already ripe for picking that will provide the Llasaca family multiple harvests through the fall. “Let’s get out of the heat,” Lla-

Access to healthy foods is one of the many social determinants of health — the ways the places we live, learn, work and play impact our health. Immigration policies and transportation also play a significant role, as does access to health care.

[ABOVE] Zoraida Llasaca checks on the growth of her In Nebraska, where tomato plants. [left] Zoraida 12% of the population smiles with her daughter, identifies as Latino, Grace, in their living room. saca suggests in Spanish, and she leads her family and the Siembra Salud team from the backyard garden to her front steps and into her home. The Llasacas are one of 35 families currently enrolled in Siembra Salud, which translates to ‘grow

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health’ or ‘grow wellness.’ The program equips low-income Latino families with the tools to grow and maintain their own gardens and, as a result, have better access to affordable, nutritional foods. The program is filling a gap in Latino homes, which have higher

more than half of Latino residents report not having a personal physician. That’s more than triple the percentage of white residents, according to Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services. For many, seeing a doctor is a financial choice rather than a medical one. One in five Latinos in Nebraska

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6/17/21 4:23 PM

( D I S ) I N V E S T E D

Siembra Salud interns Flor Solano, Yazmin Islas, Milvian Lopez and program specialist Diana Linares (from left to right). white Americans. A couple of minutes later, Yazmin Islas, a Siembra Salud intern, takes Llasaca’s blood pressure. Then, Flor Solano, another intern, shares ideas of how to get the whole family exercising for at least 30 minutes a day. “When I was little, my mom would walk with us to the corner store and back every single day,” Solano tells Llasaca in Spanish. “I always looked forward to it.”

Efrén García, Siembra Salud coordinator. report being unable to see a physician due to cost, and they are six times more likely than whites to lack health care coverage, according to DHHS. But programs like Siembra Salud can help close the gap by working from the ground up. Helping families grow fresh food is just the first step — Siembra Salud uses gardening as a catalyst to have regular conversations about health education that help reduce and prevent health disparities. Llasaca invites the group inside to take a seat on two couches in the corner of her living room. Above them hang colorful paintings of

flowers, a wolf’s silhouette against a glowing planet in space and a decorated violin. The artist, Llasaca’s daughter, Grace, sits on the ground nearby crafting a fish-shaped mosaic of plastic beads as the women get to talking. “Have you had any experience with diabetes?” 22-year-old Milvian Lopez asks Llasaca in Spanish. Llasaca nods. “I know friends who suffer from diabetes,” Llasaca says in Spanish. “It’s insufficient sugar in the body.” Lopez nods and continues to explain how Hispanic and Latino populations in the U.S. are at higher risks of developing diabetes than

August 2022

For almost an hour, the conversation flows from topics like eating healthy foods to prevent illness to getting up to date on vaccinations. The visit ends when the team gives Llasaca a packet of phone numbers and addresses for community health centers, meal programs and other resources in Omaha. These biweekly visits feel more like conversations with family than a presentation of medical facts – and that’s intentional, according to Efrén García, the Siembra Salud coordinator. “We don't just check in on their gardens,” García said, “but we also check on how they're doing in all aspects of health – how they're doing emotionally, spiritually, socioeconomically, anything that they need help with.” Siembra Salud interns are mostly

high school or college-aged Latinos interested in careers in public health. When participants are greeted at their homes by staff who look like them and speak their language, García said, it opens doors to conversations they might not otherwise have with a health care provider who doesn’t speak Spanish. “Trust is built every time we come,” said Diana Linares, the specialist for Siembra Salud. “I have several families who I sometimes have to take more time with because, sometimes they tell me, ‘Thank you, this was a therapy for me.’” Community organizations like Siembra Salud and the Latino Center of the Midlands play a tremendous role in connecting health care resources and community members, said Athena Ramos, an associate professor in the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. That’s especially true in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately impacted Latinos and exacerbated health inequities. A Siembra Salud intern’s role is similar to that of a community health worker: to be a trusted health liaison of the community they serve, Ramos said.

( D I S ) I N V E S T E D “(Siembra Salud staff) have spent numerous hours with families teaching them about gardening, about healthy eating, about how to use the produce that they’re actually producing in their gardens,” said Ramos, who serves as an evaluator for the program. “They have the trust of the people that they serve, and they have an ability to educate people and provide resources in a way that’s culturally, linguistically and contextually appropriate.”

pants change the ways they cook, exercise or talk about their health after seemingly simple conversations with Siembra Salud team members in their gardens or living

rooms throughout this summer. She came to Omaha from Guatemala in 2017, and she’s brought the health education lessons she teaches home to her family, too.

Llasaca sees her bountiful garden as a labor of love her whole family has gotten to work on together. Grace has taken up gardening, too, and now cares for her own orchid and blueberry plants. Llasaca believes team members from Siembra Salud, especially young Latinas, have shown her daughter the opportunities that are possible for her when she gets older.

Program evaluation data show from 2019 to 2021, Siembra Salud conducted 774 home visits with 75 families and provided participants over 550 referrals to community agencies, such as food banks, immigration legal services, behavioral health services or English classes. Participants have reported better physical and mental health, improved dietary intake and increased physical activity following their involvement in the program. Lopez, the lead intern on Llasaca’s home visit, has seen partici-

“You don’t have to get to the point of getting sick to get educated at the hospital — you can avoid all that with being educated at your home,” Lopez said.

“The motivation that they have, the desire they have to be here, it excites me to see the youth when they return to appreciate the plants,” Llasaca said in Spanish. “This is what enriches me; it encourages me.”

Yazmin Islas takes Zoraida Llasaca’s blood pressure during a health education visit.

Stories Coffee Company would like to thank you for voting us • Best Coffeeshop • Best Breakfast Joint • Best Brunch Spot 11432 Davenport Street 15555 West Dodge Road (Lifegate) 902 Dodge Street #101 (Lula BS) 10520 S 204th Street (Grenta)

www.storiescoffeecompany.com @storiescoffeecompany August 2022

D I S H

Omaha’s Best Brunches

From Brews and Bros to Inventive Menus to a Buffet That Won’t Quit by Sara Locke

’m occasionally asked why I so rarely do reviews for The Reader. It’s a good question. If your food were paid for in exchange for you simply saying you liked or didn’t like a meal, you’d cash in, right? But as someone who shifted from food-phobic in the first two decades of my life to loudly cheering on the guy who burned my grilled cheese at my favorite food truck, I can’t call myself unbiased. The grownup me is 100% rooting for anyone trying to make Omaha a more delicious place. Even when their kimchi isn’t my cup of tea. What I can offer in terms of a review is situational superlatives. In this case, I won’t tell you who has the best brunch. Best is subjective, and while some will roll their eyes as you mention your favorite chain, others will grimace as you rave about the latest hip place for mimosas with the ladies. There’s a time and a place for everything. Village Inn’s waffles with strawberries and whipped cream? Two in the morning after a night out with your favorite theater nerds. Lobster bisque at an upscale bistro? Proving to your parents that becoming an online influencer is not only legitimate, but lucrative. Read on for the best circumstantial brunches Omaha has to offer.

Marnier French Toast and bottomless mimosas Small Venue, Satisfying Menu

Saddle Creek Breakfast Club 1540 N Saddle Creek 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday Officially a breakfast and lunch spot, but when your Friday calls for French toast, SCBC has you covered. The chef-driven menu is seasonal and inspired and includes vegan options. While the small spot is eyeing a larger location in the near future, the Breakfast Club won our hearts on a shoestring budget in the smallest of spaces. We can’t wait to see what they show us as they continue to grow. Puts the Art in Culinary Arts

The thin crust has its work cut out for it under Crescent Moon’s generous toppings — Photo: Facebook tour of Crescent’s extensive beer menu and bottomless mimosas to make brunch your team’s favorite meal of the week. There’s nothing precious or delicate about Crescent’s brunch. This weekly event is suited to the brews and bros crowd with a childlike appetite for life, but a fully grown-up appetite for delicious dishes. Enjoy special trivia, bingo, singalongs and drag events, and take advantage of Service Industry Specials every Sunday.

foster beignets are a weekly reason to celebrate. For a savory flavor, dig into the crawfish etouffee scramble with pecan smoked bacon, or enjoy the shrimp and grits Sardou with any of the clever cocktails on the impressive menu.

3578 Farnam 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Let the Good Times Roll

Sink your teeth into dishes like sweet and savory, apple-woodsmoked candied bacon and a thin crust pizza with sausage gravy, scrambled eggs and bacon. Add a

1934 S 67th St. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

An always-packed event, Mantra offers an inventive menu and inviting atmosphere to ensure a positively charged experience every time you dine. Despite the crowd, the accommodating hosts never pressure or rush their guests, and you’ll feel welcomed and wanted while you take your time over a plate of Grand

Brunch With the Boys

Crescent Moon Ale House

Herbe Sainte

You can make Mardi Gras happen any time of the year, and bananas

August 2022

Follow the Crowd

Mantra 6913 Maple St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays

Stirnella 3814 Farnam 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to close Sunday With cocktails that bring childlike whimsy to decidedly adult drinks, and a rotating menu of inspired dishes, Stirnella finds a way to dazzle even the most loyal diner. For an omelet that proves there’s more than one way to crack an egg, try the Taleggio pork belly with pecorino and shaved truffles. The meals at Stirnella are both familiar and surprising, remaining accessible even when they reach peak elegance. Classic Meets Creativity

Taxi’s 1822 N 120th St. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday Taxi’s has been serving one of

D I S H Bistro 8702 Pacific St. 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Mature doesn’t mean boring, but you’re less likely to encounter a loud crowd or wild weekend warriors over your braised Brussels and Benedicts. Find a cozy place on the patio for your perfect plate and a (hopefully perfect) date. Game Time

Why settle for one sauce when you can enjoy Dos Salsas with SCBC — Photo: Facebook Omaha’s favorite brunches for more than two decades, and still manages to throw in surprising touches and signature style. Enjoy Chef Brian’s Benedicts and bottomless mimosas indoors, or a pile of waffles on the patio. A More Mature Menu

Timber Wood Fire

Thanks Omaha for voting us

BesT BrewpuB, AgAin Proud pioneers of the fermenter-to-table movement.

Upstream 514 S 11th St. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays A game on the big screen, billiards with your buds, and a brunch buffet that simply won’t quit. Upstream is about atmosphere, and it doesn’t work in half measures. A broad menu of brews to choose from means you’ll find the perfect pairing for whatever finds itself on your plate. While buffets are almost unheard of these days, this isn’t a buffet for the sake of gluttony. Rather, this chooseyour-own adventure is a treat on your terms.

It would be wrong to say the freshest beer is automatically the best beer. But the best beer almost always tastes its best when it is, in marketing speak, at the peak of freshness. And it’s hard to get any fresher than beer brewed thirty feet away from your table. And it’s doubly hard to get any better than when that table is here at Upstream. But we suspect you already knew that.

Celebrating Over 30 Years Of Making Ice Cream Th e Old Fashioned Way

Two Omaha Locations:

Old Market

Downtown • 1120 Jackston 402.341.5827

Benson

6023 Maple 402.551.4420

tedandwallys.com

Home of America’s Most Premium Ice Cream Ted & Wally’s Ultra-Premium 20% Butterfat Made from Scratch with Rock Salt & Ice August 2022

READERS’ CHOICE

Pella

Windows & Doors READERS’ CHOICE - SPONSORED STORY

n 1925 in the small central Iowa town of Pella, Pete and Lucille Kuyper invested in a cutting-edge product, a window screen that operated like a roller shade. This led to the launch of Pella Windows & Doors, named for its headquarters and founding community, which today employs more than 8,000 people in 17 manufacturing locations and more than 200 showrooms across the country. Pella’s innovativeness continues. Pella Corporation was number eight in Fast Company’s Most Innovative Design Companies of 2022 listing, the first window and door manufacturer to make the cut. The company was also recognized for design excellence as Most Innovative Window by Window + Door, Most Valuable Product by Residential Products, in the Top 30 Most Innovative Products by Dotdash Meredith’s “Beautiful Kitchens & Baths” magazine, an Architect’s Newspaper Best of Product Awards Editors’ Pick, an Architizer A+ Product Awards finalist, an Azure AZ Awards for Design Excellence People’s Choice Award Winner, an International Design Excellence Awards Gold Winner, and an International Builders Show Best in Show. Pella Windows & Doors of Omaha and Lincoln has served the local community for over 60 years. The locally owned and managed branch has experienced significant growth and opened a gorgeous new showroom near the triangle of Highways 370 and 50 and Interstate 80 in 2020 to meet the needs of clients in the Omaha/Council Bluffs metro and surrounding areas. The facility features a 46,000-square-foot warehouse with six ground-level and 12 dock-height doors for the growing installation divisions, giving installers multiple

August 2022

entrances to process orders more efficiently. The prefinish department expanded in size by 25% to include two paint booths and allow for more production at a lower cost to customers. The new facility also boasts a larger area for offices, a new showroom, and training space. Owner Greg Boulay has focused on leadership development, process improvement, and customer service. A new three-executive team has been named to guide the company’s strategic development and includes Vice President of Sales and Marketing Vince Boulay, Vice President of Operations Wes True, and Chief Financial Officer Duane Putz. Pella’s local team understands business owners’ and homeowners’ desire for windows and doors that stand up to Midwestern weather extremes. The Omaha showroom features an impressive variety of products with sales representatives who have the expertise to guide property owners in making sound choices for long-lasting and beautiful results. Pella’s Lincoln Experience Center is located at 4822 Pioneers Boulevard (Suite 4) and provide the same level of service to customers in and around Lincoln. Homeowners and business owners are welcome to stop by a showroom to see and touch the broad selection of windows and doors, and to explore options like Hidden Screen and Easy-Slide Operator up close. A free, no-pressure, in-home consultation can be scheduled online, via phone or at a showroom visit. Virtual consultations are also available. As Nebraska invests in workforce development initiatives, Pella Windows and Doors of Omaha and Lincoln prides itself on offering growth and development opportunities for employees and installers. Providing excellent customer service starts by investing within, Vince Boulay explained. This comes from equipping teams to be creative, collaborative problem-solvers, innovators, honest, passionate, sustainable, committed, team-oriented, and dedicated to continuous improvement. Additionally, Wes True said the company remains customer-focused because it maintains a great work “culture that starts at the top” and “bleeds over into our installers, and they feel like it’s almost a family-type environment.” Vince Boulay accredits much of the company’s success to its employees and the fresh perspectives they offer.

“We’ve had so much growth through our people,” he said. “As we’ve doubled in size the organization structure has changed... Internally grown.” Investing in its local brand. Investing in its people. That is how Pella Windows and Doors of Omaha and Lincoln continues to leave a footprint in the State of Nebraska, double in size, and emerge as an industry leader. Take Omahan Austin Annan who was age 17 when he began working in the company’s warehouse. Now 20 years later, he’s served in several leadership roles including management because the company believes in improving the workforce by also investing in employees’ competencies and skills, product education, installation education, and serviceability. Even through economic downturns, Pella Doors and Windows of Omaha and Lincoln “invested back into the company knowing that our economy was going to come back. That our builders were going to come back,” Annan said. “We are seeing that with how we’re building our business. You truly feel like you’re working for a good family atmosphere.” For more information about Pella Windows & Doors, visit pella.com, call (402) 331-9225, or stop by the Omaha showroom at 14478 Crest Road.

August 2022

READERS’ CHOICE Once again, our loyal readers have spoken. And, as always, we listened. As we try to fumble our way out of the pandemic, it’s been a crazy time for all local businesses. So this year, we’ve encouraged everyone to step away from online ordering to do a “double-take” in 2022 by visiting and nominating their favorite local businesses. Protect the service, retail and restaurant culture that helps define Omaha as our home. As always, we stuck to our process:

Nominations and final voting: Based entirely on community participation, Omaha businesses are nominated as the best in their category at TheReader.com beginning in January and running through the end of February. Thousands of nominations inform the top nominees in each category who appeared on the final ballot. Final voting ran from March 5 through April 30 with stringent procedures help insure one-person, one-vote. In order to minimize vote-buying, any business caught incentivizing votes with deals or any other offers would be disqualified. An independent accounting firm Hancock & Dana, one of Omaha’s oldest, counts the tens of thousands of final votes to tabulate the awards. Winners: This list represents what Omaha locals and Reader readers love — businesses that are the best at what they do. With deep thanks to everyone in the community who participated, we congratulate these amazing awardees!

So, here are the winners of the 2022 Readers Choice Best of the Big O! Awards:

Best Professional & Health Services Best Appliance Repair Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: ServiceOne Readers’ Choice: Andy’s Appliance Repair & Parts House, Nebraska Home Appliance

Readers’ Refer: Half Price Books

Best Catering Company Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Abraham Catering

Best Bank Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: First National Bank of Omaha Readers’ Choice: American National Bank, 1st State Bank, Dundee Bank

Readers’ Refer: Great Western Bank, Security National Bank, Arbor Bank, i3 Bank, Pinnacle Bank, Wells Fargo

Best Bookstore Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Barnes & Noble

Readers’ Choice: Eddie’s Catering, Catering Creations Readers’ Refer: A Catered Affair, Global Gatherings

Best CBD Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Total CBD

Readers’ Recommend: ACCESSbank

Readers’ Choice: The Bookworm, The Next

Chapter Bookstore, Hearthside Candles & Curios, Jackson Street Booksellers

Best Cell Phone Provider/Carrier Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Verizon Wireless Readers’ Choice: T-Mobile, AT&T, U.S. Cellular Readers’ Recommend: Google Fi Readers’ Refer: Total Wireless

August 2022

Best Chiropractic Practice Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Platinum Chiropractic + Wellness Readers’ Choice: Martin & Schrage Chiropractic Readers’ Refer: Koca Chiropractic, Millard Family Chiropractic & Wellness, Essentials Family Chiropractic/Essentials Natural Family Health, Becker Chiropractic and Acupuncture, Special Kneads LLC, Awaken Chiropractic, Heartland Chiropractic Clinic

Best College or University Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: University of Nebraska at Omaha Readers’ Choice: Creighton University, Metropolitan Community College, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Readers’ Recommend: Bellevue University Readers’ Refer: Clarkson College, Midland University

Best Counseling Clinic Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Psychiatric Services, P.C. Readers’ Choice: Heartland Family Service, Arbor Family Counseling, Omaha Integrative Care Readers’ Refer: Becker Counseling Services, Healing Tree Counseling, Spence Counseling Center, The Center for Mindful Living

Best Credit Union Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Centris Federal Credit Union Readers’ Choice: Metro Credit Union, Cobalt Credit Union Readers’ Recommend: Omaha Police Federal Credit Union Readers’ Refer: Creighton

READERS’ CHOICE Federal Credit Union, Omaha Firefighters Credit Union, Veridian Credit Union

Best Dentist Office Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Creighton University School of Dentistry, Premier Dental Readers’ Recommend: Bolding Dentistry, Roger K Curry, DDS, The Dentists at Village Pointe Readers’ Refer: Apple Family Dental Care, City View Dental, Panneton Dental Group, Gum Disease Specialists, Husker Dental, Millard Oaks Dental, Parra Family Dentistry, Portal Ridge Dental, Quality Dental, Sanders Family Dental, Smith & Hascall Family Dentistry,

SpringHill Dental, Today’s Dental

Best Dermatology Clinic Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Midwest Dermatology Clinic P.C. Readers’ Choice: Skin Specialists P.C. Joel Schlessinger, M.D., Nebraska Medicine Dermatology Clinic at Lauritzen Outpatient Center, Braddock Finnegan Dermatology, P.C. Readers’ Recommend: MOD Dermatology Readers’ Refer: Skin P.C.

Best DJ Service Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: A Lasting Impression DJ

Readers’ Choice: Bryan Hill Entertainment, Inc., The Jack Entertainment, Something Blu

Club, The Exercise Coach West Omaha, Exodus Athletic Club, Todd Smith Fitness, YMCA of Greater Omaha

Best Dry Cleaner

Best Florist

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Camelot Cleaners

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Piccolo’s Florist

Readers’ Choice: Fashion Cleaners, Max I. Walker, Nu Trend Dry Cleaners

Readers’ Choice: A Flower Basket, Purple Orchid Flowers, Taylor’s Flower Shop

Readers’ Refer: Tide Dry Cleaners

Readers’ Recommend: Loess Hills Floral

Best Fitness Center Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Planet Fitness Readers’ Choice: Genesis Health Clubs, Life Time Fitness Readers’ Recommend: SuperSlow Zone Pacific Springs Readers’ Refer: Body Masters Fit

Readers’ Refer: Blooms, Bouquet Flowers & Fine Gifts, District 2 Floral Studio, Janousek Florist & Greenhouse, John Fox Design

Best Garden Center/ Nursery Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Mulhall’s

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SCHEDULE YOUR EYE EXAM TODAY MALBAR.COM | 877-457-6485 *Offer eligible for children 18 years old and younger. Requires purchase of a complete prescription pair, including frame and lenses. **Requires purchase of a complete prescription pair, including frame and lenses. Does not include sunglass frames, Barton Perreira, Cartier, Chanel, Cutler and Gross, Dior, Gucci, Maui Jim, Michael Kors, Nifties, Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Ray-Ban, Robert Marc, Silhouette, Tiffany & Co., Tom Ford, Woow, accessories, contact lenses, or medical procedures. Cannot be combined with any other discounts, promotions, or insurance plans. Not valid on previous orders. Other restrictions may apply. See practice for full details. Offer ends 09/04/2022. 22AEG-322313

August 2022

READERS’ CHOICE

Omaha Trusts the

Big Red Truck AND the best trained HVAC Techs in the area

READERS’ CHOICE - SPONSORED STORY

our home is likely your most valuable asset. And when it comes to your most valuable asset, you want to give it the best care possible. Fortunately, that care is at your fingertips. For over 65 years, Eyman Plumbing, Heating & Air has been offering top-level service with its big red trucks. The big red trucks have become synonymous with quality care for your home, not only because of the best equipment, but even more importantly, because of the people inside. Eyman has the best trained HVAC techs in the Omaha metro area. This is because Eyman has invested time, money and energy in ensuring every one of their HVAC techs is highly trained and ready to tackle the most difficult challenges your home can produce.

Hvac Tech Training Program All of Eyman’s HVAC techs are trained through a five-year program, resulting in expert technicians in the field of home repair. This program, provided by Steamfitters & Plumbers Local Union 464, is through the only federally certified facility in the region, and it is backed by over 100 years of HVAC experience, from the largest industrial operations to the smallest homes. The faculty at the training facility have over 60 years of combined HVAC experience. The HVAC industry is continually updating, though, which is why this also includes 40 hours of continuing education required every year, ensuring they stay current with always changing technology and repair methods. All of this knowledge is passed on to every HVAC tech working for Eyman Plumbing, Heating & Air.

August 2022

Many companies only give their managers and owners a full training package along with license and certification, but Eyman believes so strongly in proper education for employees that they are willing to send every one of their HVAC techs through this rigorous training program. Every HVAC tech is also licensed and certified. Fewer than 10 percent of applicants are accepted into this program, and the apprenticeship takes 1,650 hours on the job and 220 hours in the classroom. This extensive level of skill and training allows Eyman’s HVAC techs to offer repairs before replacement whenever possible, saving homeowners time and money. Technicians with less experience and skill would be more likely to encourage customers to replace expensive products because they are unable to complete the repair. They have the training and experience to knowledgeably work on any make or model and to give you the best recommendations for your home.

The Eyman Way One thing Eyman techs are not trained in is how to sell to customers. Instead, Eyman’s techs learn “The Eyman Way”: Treat every customer like family and do the job right the first time. This involves the old-fashioned method of simply being honest, standing by and guaranteeing your work and earning a fair price for hard work. The techs working at Eyman are prepared to handle the largest municipal and infrastructure projects in the Omaha area—from Nebraska Crossing, Legacy and Village Pointe to Shadowlake, Countryside Village and Rockbrook, to Blackstone, Midtown Crossing, the Capitol District and the Old Market, to their most important customer, you and your home.

Your local HVAC partner Eyman has served nearly everyone in the area, from some of the largest establishments such as Fortune 500 companies and large educational systems to the locally owned businesses that help define the Omaha community and its surrounding metro. Eyman’s HVAC techs have provided their excellent services everywhere from Council Bluffs to Gretna and Bennington and everything in between—Elkhorn, Louisville, La Vista, Papillion and Bellevue, including their civic centers, libraries, schools and parks. Some examples of the wonderful local organizations Eyman has been able to help include the Bemis Arts Center, M’s Pub, Overland Sheepskin, Ted & Wally’s and Upstream Brewing in the Old Market; the Joslyn Castle and the Cottonwood Hotel in Blackstone; Pitch Restaurant and Film Streams Theater in Dundee; 1912 in Benson; and the Alamo Drafthouses in Midtown Crossing and La Vista, to name just a few of the thousands of businesses served. When it comes to your most valuable asset, you should give it the best care possible. That care is available to you, and has been for over 65 years. Eyman Plumbing, Heating & Air’s quality services, big red trucks and best trained techs are a part of the Omaha metro community. For over 65 years, Omaha and the surrounding communities know they can “trust the big red truck.”

s k n a h T

Omaha 65

HVAC

TrusT The Big red Truck!

Trusteyman.com • 402-731-2727

READERS’ CHOICE Readers’ Choice: Benson Plant Rescue, Canoyer Garden Center

Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, CHI Health Lakeside Hospital

Readers’ Recommend: Lanoha Nurseries

Best Insurance Agency

Readers’ Refer: Cirian’s Farmers Market, Indian Creek Nursery

Best Grocery Store Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Hy-Vee Readers’ Choice: Trader Joe’s, Fareway Grocery, Natural Grocers Readers’ Recommend: Whole Foods Market, Baker’s Readers’ Refer: ALDI, Family Fare

Best Hardware Store Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Menards Readers’ Choice: ACE HardwareCenter, Westlake Ace Hardware, Home Depot Readers’ Refer: Petersen & Michelsen Hardware, Ideal Hardware & Paint Center

Best Health Clinic Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Methodist Physicians Clinic Readers’ Choice: University of Nebraska Medical Center, OneWorld Community Health Centers, Essential Family Medicine of Omaha Readers’ Recommend: Boys Town Pediatrics

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: State Farm Insurance Greta Ritchie Readers’ Choice: State Farm Insurance - Steve Skidmore, American Family Insurance Steve Grow Readers’ Recommend: State Farm Insurance - Beau Iske Readers’ Refer: Farmers Insurance - Douglas Blasing, i3 Insurance, New Frontier Insurance Company, State Farm Insurance - Cort Bonner

Best Jewelry Store Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Borsheims Fine Jewelry Readers’ Choice: Kay Jewelers Readers’ Recommend: Goldsmith Silversmith, JR’s Jewelry Readers’ Refer: AAA Ultimate Pawn, Perspective Jewelry Design Studio, Riddle’s Jewelry

Best Kitchenware Store Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Bed Bath & Beyond Readers’ Choice: Williams Sonoma, HomeGoods, The Container Store

Best Lasik Center

Readers’ Refer: Strada Healthcare, CHI Health Bellevue, Think Whole Person Healthcare

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Omaha Eye & Laser Institute

Best Hospital

Readers’ Choice: Omaha LASIK Eye Surgery Vision Center LasikPlus

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Methodist Hospital Readers’ Choice: Nebraska

Readers’ Refer: Kugler Vision, Brumm Eye & Laser Vision

August 2022

Best Law Firm - Divorce Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Koenig Dunne Divorce Law Readers’ Choice: Husker Law, McGill Law, P.C., L.L.O. Readers’ Refer: The Law Office of David Riley

Best Law Firm Personal Injury Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Hauptman O’Brien Wolf & Lathrop, P.C. Readers’ Choice: Dyer Law, Inserra l Kelley l Sewell, Injury Lawyers Readers’ Recommend: The Law Offices of Ronald J. Palagi

Best Moving Company Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Firefighters On the Move Readers’ Recommend: Two Men and a Truck Readers’ Refer: Somebody With A Truck

Best OB/GYN Practice Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Mid-City OB/GYN Readers’ Choice: Omaha OB/ GYN Associates, Olson Center for Women’s Health (Nebraska Medicine)

Optical, Target Optical, Vision Specialists of Omaha

Best Optometrist Practice Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Malbar Vision Center Readers’ Choice: Midwest Eyecare, Millard Family Eyecare, Pearle Vision Readers’ Refer: Eye Care West, Illumin, Omaha Primary EyeCare, Vision Specialists of Omaha

Best Orthodontist Office Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Igel Orthodontics Readers’ Choice: Omaha Orthodontics, Hawley Orthodontics Readers’ Recommend: Huerter Orthodontics Readers’ Refer: Dr. Clarke Stevens-Braces Omaha, Weber Orthodontics, McAllister Orthodontics, Olson Orthodontics

Best Pediatric Office Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Children’s Physicians Readers’ Choice: Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha Children’s Clinic

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Malbar Vision Center

Readers’ Refer: CHI Health Lakeside, Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Heartland Family First

Readers’ Choice: Pearle Vision, ViewPointe Vision

Best Pet Grooming

Best Optical Store

Readers’ Recommend: LensCrafters, Omaha Primary EyeCare Readers’ Refer: America’s Best Clocktower Village, Commercial Optical, Shopko

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Ashley’s Pet Spa Readers’ Choice: Wag, Downtown Hound Readers’ Recommend: Pawfect Choice

READERS’ CHOICE The Paw Spa Pet Resort, Dogtopia of Omaha-West, That Dog Wash Readers’ Refer: Dakota’s Mobile Pet Nail Trimming Service, PawPrince & Princess, Shelly’s Pet Parlor, Susie’s Professional Pet Grooming, The Paw Spa Pet Resort

Best Pet Store Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: PetSmart Readers’ Choice: Long Dog Fat Cat, Petco, Woof & Whiskers

Readers’ Choice: Kohll’s Rx, CVS Pharmacy Readers’ Recommend: Nebraska Medicine Outpatient Pharmacy at Bellevue Health Center Readers’ Refer: CHI Health Pharmacy (Bellevue), Nebraska Medicine Outpatient Pharmacy at Durham Outpatient Center, Ed’s Rexall Drug, Elmwood Pharmacy

Best Realty Company

Readers’ Refer: The Green Spot, Pet Supplies Plus

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: PJ Morgan Real Estate

Best Pharmacy

Readers’ Choice: Better Homes & Gardens Denton-Erickson Group, Nebraska Realty

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Walgreens

Readers’ Refer: Celebrity Homes Inc., Coldwell Banker NHS

Real Estate, Complete Real Estate Group

Best Tattoo Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Big Brain Readers’ Choice: Eye Candy Tattoo, Black Squirrel Tattoo, Liquid Courage Readers’ Recommend: Viking Tattoo Inc. Readers’ Refer: Evil Eye Tattoo, Strategic Tattoo

Best Veterinary Clinic

Readers’ Recommend: Walnut Creek Veterinary Clinic, Westgate Animal Clinic Readers’ Refer: Chance Ridge Veterinary, 24th Street Animal Clinic, All Creatures Veterinary Clinic, Benson Animal Clinic, Dobesh Vet Clinic, Gentle Doctor Animal Hospital, Heartland Pet Hospital, Langley Animal Hospital, Lone Tree Animal Care Center, Ridgeview Animal Hospital, Rockbrook Animal Clinic, Western Hills Pet Hospital

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Ralston Vet Readers’ Choice: American Animal Hospital, Best Care Pet Hospital, Millard West Veterinary Clinic

PUTTING YOU FIRST.

Thank you for naming us the Readers' Choice Best of the Big O! It's an honor to be recognized for our dedication, integrity and service by the community we call home. It's what you can expect from the great big, small bank.

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August 2022

READERS’ CHOICE

BEST LIVING & HOME Services Best Apartments Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Vivere - City + Ventures Reader’s Choice: Notre Dame Housing, Old Mill Apartments - Lund Company Reader’s Recommend: Broadmoor Hills

Best Carpet Cleaning Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: COIT Cleaning and Restoration Reader’s Choice: Maxim Cleaning and Restoration, Zerorez Reader’s Recommend: Jones Services, L & M Carpet Cleaning, Mysteree Machine Carpet Cleaning, Ortiz Services LLC

Best Custom Home Builder

Best Duct Cleaning Company Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Maxim Cleaning and Restoration Reader’s Choice: DuctMedic, Midwest Clean Air

Best Electrician Company Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Miller Electric Co. Reader’s Choice: ServiceOne Reader’s Recommend: Advanced Electrical Services, Electric Express, Millard Electric Co., Urban Electric, Vaughn Electric

Best Foundation/ Basement Repair Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Thrasher Foundation Repair

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Denali Custom Homes

Reader’s Choice: Jerry’s Waterproofing

Reader’s Choice: Castle Brook Builders of Omaha

Reader’s Recommend: Groundworks

Reader’s Recommend: Mercury Builders, Silverthorn Custom Homes LLC, SL Jensen Construction Inc.

Best Drain Cleaning Company Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Eyman Plumbing Heating & Air Reader’s Choice: Major Drain Reader’s Refer: ASAP Appliance & Plumbing, Five Star Plumbing & Drain, Heritage Plumbing, OCB Plumbing

Best Furniture Store Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Nebraska Furniture Mart Reader’s Choice: Posh Peacock Consignment Furniture Reader’s Recommend: Found Vintage Market, HomeGoods Reader’s Refer: Mod Lines LLC Vintage Mid-Century & Retro, Rush Market

Best Handyman Services Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Ace Handyman Services Reader’s Choice: Let Me Fix It

August 2022

Handyman Service

Best Heating & A/C Company Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Eyman Plumbing Heating & Air Reader’s Choice: A-1 United Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical, R Mechanical Heating and Air, SOS Heating and Cooling, River City Heating & Cooling, Standard Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. Reader’s Recommend: ServiceOne Reader’s Refer: Eccles Heating & Air Conditioning Inc

Best Home Window Company Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Pella Windows & Doors Reader’s Choice: Window Innovations, Omaha Door & Window, Renewal by Andersen Reader’s Recommend: America’s Best Choice

Best House Cleaning Service Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Maids & More Reader’s Choice: COIT Cleaning and Restoration, Pink Shoe Cleaning Crew

Best Landscaping Company Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Sun Valley Landscaping Reader’s Choice: Lawn Boyz

Best Lawn Service Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Lawn Boyz Reader’s Choice: Heartland Lawns, Turfbuilders Lawn Care Inc.

Best Painting Company Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Modern Painting, Inc. Reader’s Choice: Brush & Roll Painting, The Painting Company, Ultimate Painting Reader’s Recommend: Custom Colors Painting and Home Remodeling

Best Plumbing Company Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Eyman Plumbing Heating & Air Reader’s Choice: Aksarben ARS Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, Backlund Plumbing Reader’s Refer: In-Law Plumbing & Drain Services, Inc., Integrity Plumbing, OCB Plumbing, ServiceOne

Best Roofing Company Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Pyramid Roofing, Inc. Reader’s Choice: McCoy Roofing, Siding & Contracting Reader’s Recommend: D & M Roofing Reader’s Refer: Artisan Roofing Inc., Done Right Home Improvement, HomeWise Roofing & Exteriors, Royalty Roofing & Renovations

READERS’ CHOICE

Omaha Eye & Laser

! e n O y t i r o i r P s i y a Airw Thank you

READERS’ CHOICE - SPONSORED STORY

hank you Omaha for voting us Best of the Big O in LASIK for the 7th year! Serving not only the Omaha area but the entire Midwest, The Omaha Eye & Laser Institute specializes in Bladeless Customized iLASIK (one of the most advanced forms of fully-customized, bladeless LASIK Laser Vision Correction), Laser cataract surgery with the advanced LenSx laser cataract system, and the laser surgical treatment of many other eye diseases. The Omaha Eye & Laser Institute is completely committed to delivering the best possible care for our patients so that they can enjoy clear, crisp distance vision without glasses or contacts. Our focus on advanced laser technology to produce better surgical

for voting Igel Orthodontics

results and better vision is what truly distinguishes us. Our Omaha ophthalmologists & optometrists are committed to improve your quality of life by dramatically improving your vision. We were the first eye doctors to bring bladeless laser vision correction LASIK to Nebraska in 2002, and we were the first doctors to bring bladeless Laser Cataract Surgery to Nebraska in 2011. All our LASIK and cataract surgeries are performed in our own private, exclusive, AAAHC accredited / state-certified surgical center - ensuring our consistent care for our patients during every step of treatment. We have highly-experienced and dedicated support staff that focuses exclusively on eye surgery.

BEST

Orthodontic Office Readers' Choice 2022 10801 Pacific Street, Omaha NE 68154 402.330.1152 • Igelorthodontics.com

Thank you for voting us Best of the Big O for

Best Day Spa and Readers’ Thank you, Omaha for voting us

Refer for Best Massage.

Best in LASIK for the 7th year!

www.omahaeye.com • (402)493-2020

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thereader.com

“The best in Massage, Body Treatments, Spa, Pedicures, Manicures and Laser Hair Removal.” To schedule an appointment Please call 402-384-8400 Facesspa.com • 2605 S 84th St. August 2022

READERS’ CHOICE

BEST GETTING AROUND Best Airline Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Southwest Airlines Readers’ Choice: Delta Air Lines Readers’ Refer: American Airlines, United Airlines

Best Auto Body Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Don & Ron’s Carstar Collision Center Readers’ Choice: B Street Collision Center, Dingman’s Collision Center, Great Plains Auto Body & Car Care, Hallett Auto Body Readers’ Recommend: Dave’s Auto Body Co. Readers’ Refer: 2 Men and a Shop, A-1 Body Inc., Midwest Auto Repair, Precision Auto

Best Auto Repair Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Dingman’s Collision Center Readers’ Choice: Brakes Plus, Jensen Tire & Auto, Omaha Car Care Readers’ Recommend: Auto Specialists Inc., Toyo Techs Readers’ Refer: 2 Men and a Shop, Exclusive Honda & Acura Repair, Gino’s Automotive Services, Lantz Brothers, Midwest Auto Repair, Tuffy Auto Service Centers

Best Bike Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Bike Rack

Best Auto Dealer Service Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Superior Honda of Omaha Readers’ Choice: Gregg Young Chevrolet, Sid Dillon Chevrolet Readers’ Recommend: Baxter Subaru, Baxter Volkswagen La Vista Readers’ Refer: Baxter Ford, Lexus of Omaha, Sports & Imports Auto Sales & Repairs, Village Pointe Toyota

Readers’ Choice: Greenstreet Cycles, Community Bike Project Omaha, Trek Bicycle Store of Omaha Readers’ Recommend: Omaha Bicycle Company Readers’ Refer: Olympia Cycle, Re-CYCLE Bike Shop

Best Brake Service

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Safelite AutoGlass Readers’ Choice: Omaha Glass

Readers’ Choice: Auto World, Sonny Gerber Auto Sales, Eckley Auto Brokers

Best Car Wash Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Russell Speeder’s Car Wash Readers’ Choice: Tommy’s Express Car Wash, Rocket Carwash, Cornhusker Auto Wash Readers’ Refer: Club Car Wash, Fantasy’s Car Wash, Gorilla Car Wash, Symphony of Suds Car Wash, Tornado Car Wash

Best Gas Station/ Convenience Store Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Casey’s General Store Readers’ Choice: QuikTrip Readers’ Refer: Anderson Convenience Market & Anderson Auto Care, Kum & Go, Kwik Shop

Best Hotel Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel

Best Oil Change Shop

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Brakes Plus

Readers’ Choice: House of Mufflers & Brakes, Midas

Readers’ Choice: Midas, Tires Plus

Best Buy Here/Pay Here Used Car Lot

Best Auto Glass Repair Shop

Pro, Auto Glass Now, ABC Auto Glass

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Prime Auto Sales And Service

August 2022

Readers’ Recommend: Tuffy Auto Service Centers Readers’ Refer: Jensen Tire & Auto

Best Pre-Owned Car Dealer Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Carmax Readers’ Choice: Prime Auto Sales And Service, Auto World Readers’ Recommend: Eckley Auto Brokers

Best Tire Service Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Discount Tire Store Readers’ Choice: Midwest Tire Company, Inc. Readers’ Recommend: Tommy’s Tires & Custom Wheels Readers’ Refer: Marion Tire Pros, Tuffy Auto Service Centers, Firestone, Jensen Tire & Auto

Best Tourist Attractions Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Readers’ Recommend: Fontenelle Forest Readers’ Refer: Lauritzen Gardens, The Old Market

READERS’ CHOICE

BEST DINING Best Bagel Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Bagel Bin, Panera Bread Readers’ Choice: Bruegger’s Bagels Readers’ Refer: Hy-Vee, Karma Koffee

Best Bakery Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop Readers’ Choice: The Cake Gallery, Pettit’s Pastry, Baked After Dark, The Omaha Bakery, Olsen Bake Shop Readers’ Recommend: Le Quartier Bakery & Cafe, Culprit Cafe & Bakery, Great Harvest Bread Co. Readers’ Refer: Hardy Coffee, Shandy’s Bakery, Uptown Bakery, Cupcake Omaha, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Orsi’s Italian Bakery, WheatFields Eatery & Bakery

Best Breakfast Joint Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Lisa’s Radial Cafe Readers’ Choice: First Watch, Saddle Creek Breakfast Club

B’s Breakfast, Brunch, and Bar, Vidlak’s Brookside Café

Best Brunch Spot Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Early Bird Brunch / Hurry Bird (formerly Eat Bob’s Donuts), Lisa’s Radial Cafe Readers’ Choice: Saddle Creek Breakfast Club, Le Peep Omaha, Jams Old Market Readers’ Recommend: The Sojourn Cafe Readers’ Refer: Bailey’s Breakfast and Lunch, Stories Coffee Company, First Watch, Good Lookin’, Dario’s Brasserie, Jimmy’s Egg, Lula B’s Breakfast, Brunch, and Bar, Mantra Bar & Grille, Modern Love, Ollie & Hobbes Craft Kitchen, Railcar Modern American Kitchen, Tavern 180, Vidlak’s Brookside Café

Best Buffet Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: HuHot Mongolian Grill Readers’ Choice: China Buffet, Pizza Ranch, Valentino’s, Ameristar Heritage Buffet

Best Burger Joint

Readers’ Recommend: Early Bird Brunch, Le Peep Omaha, Summer Kitchen Cafe, Sunnyside on Center

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Stella’s Bar & Grill

Readers’ Refer: Over Easy, The Sojourn Cafe, Good Lookin’, Homestyle Cafe, The Special Restaurant, Bailey’s Breakfast and Lunch, Stories Coffee Company, Jimmy’s Egg, Lula

Readers’ Recommend: Five Guys, Winchester Bar & Grill

Readers’ Choice: Block 16, Dinker’s Bar and Grill

Readers’ Refer: Don & Millie’s, Louie M’s Burger Lust, Smitty’s Garage Burgers and Beer, Sickies Garage Burgers

& Brews, Copps Pizza Company, CheeseburgersA Take-Out Joint, Angus Burgers and Shakes, Big Red Restaurant And Sports Bar / Big Red Keno, Burger Theory, Omaha Tap House, Blatt Beer & Table, Bronco’s, Charred Burger + Bar

Best Café/Diner Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Shirley’s Diner Readers’ Choice: Lisa’s Radial Cafe, Louie M’s Burger Lust, Vidlak’s Brookside Café Readers’ Recommend: The Sojourn Cafe, Culprit Cafe & Bakery Readers’ Refer: Jimmy’s Egg

Best Chicken Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Alpine Inn Readers’ Choice: Dirty Birds, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Time Out Foods, Chick-fil-A Readers’ Recommend: Pizza Ranch, Quick Bites Soul Food

Best Chinese Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Three Happiness Express Readers’ Choice: Jade Garden Readers’ Recommend: Ming’s Restaurant, Rice Bowl, Bo Bo China, Hunan Fusion, Blue & Fly Asian Kitchen, Crystal Jade Restaurant, Hunan Palace

Readers’ Refer: Dragon Wok, Taste of China, China Palace Restaurant, Five Spice, Gold Mountain Restaurant, Golden Bowl Chinese Restaurant, Copal, Sechwan Sunrise, Szechuan Express Chinese

Best Coffeeshop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Scooter’s Coffee Readers’ Choice: Zen Coffee Company, Stories Coffee Company, Archetype Coffee Readers’ Recommend: Edge of the Universe, The Beanery, Hardy Coffee Readers’ Refer: Blue Line Coffee, Amateur Coffee, Karma Koffee, Myrtle & Cypress Coffeehouse, Green Beans Coffee, Urban Abbey, Dripped + Draped, The Table Coffee Co., Bad Seed Coffee & Supply (formerly Muglife Coffee), Dundee Double Shot Coffee, Harold’s Koffee House

Best Doughnut Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Hurts Donut Co. Readers’ Choice: Olsen Bake Shop, Pettit’s Pastry, Square Donut Readers’ Recommend: Winchell’s Donut House, LaMar’s Donuts Readers’ Refer: Dunkin’ Donuts, Sunrize Donuts, The Omaha Bakery, Stories Coffee Company, Donut Run

August 2022

READERS’ CHOICE Best Drive-Thru Restaurant

Best Greek Restaurant

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Runza Restaurant Readers’ Choice: Abelardo’s Authentic Mexican Food, Bronco’s, Chick-fil-A Readers’ Recommend: Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Curry in a Hurry, Pickleman’s Gourmet Café Readers’ Refer: Harrison Beijing Gate, Panda Express, Taco Bell, Feta’s Greek Restaurant, Lil’ Burro, Popeyes, Amigo’s Restaurant, Don & Millie’s

Best Falafel Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Amsterdam Falafel & Kabob Readers’ Choice: El Basha Mediterranean Grill, Oasis Falafel of Omaha Readers’ Refer: Ahmad’s Persian Cuisine

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Javi’s Tacos Readers’ Choice: El Churro Spot/The Churro Truck, 402 BBQ, The Cheese Life Readers’ Refer: Dos de Oros Taco Truck, Wonton Jon’s / Loaded Bowls, Best Burger, The Corndog Company Omaha, The Dire Lion Grille and Chippy

Best French Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: La Buvette Wine & Grocery

Readers’ Choice: Jim & Jennie’s Greek Village, Feta’s Greek Restaurant

Best Italian Restaurant

Readers’ Recommend: King Kong Gyro Readers’ Refer: Grecian Gyros, John’s Grecian Delight, Mediterranean Bistro

Best Gyro Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Greek Islands Restaurant Readers’ Choice: King Kong Gyro, Amsterdam Falafel & Kabob, El Basha Mediterranean Grill Readers’ Recommend: Feta’s Greek Restaurant, Jim & Jennie’s Greek Village Readers’ Refer: Sam’s Gyros, Grecian Gyros, Izmir Gyro House

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Ted & Wally’s UltraPremium Ice Cream Readers’ Choice: Coneflower Creamery, Dairy Chef, eCreamery Readers’ Recommend: Graley’s Creamery & Confections Readers’ Refer: Dolci Old Market, Christy Creme, Dairy Queen Grill & Chill, Goodrich Dairy Ice Cream, Zesto Shoppe

Best Indian Restaurant

Readers’ Choice: Le Voltaire French Restaurant, Le Bouillon, Dario’s Brasserie, V Mertz

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Greek Islands Restaurant

Best Ice Cream Shop

Best Food Truck

Indian Cuisine Readers’ Refer: Shahi India Grill, T O 5 Bollywood Grill

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: The Jaipur Readers’ Choice: Curry in a Hurry, Kinaara Readers’ Recommend: Flavors Indian Cuisine, Curri Fine

August 2022

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Lo Sole Mio Ristorante Readers’ Choice: Mangia Italiana, Spezia Readers’ Recommend: Roma Italian Restaurant, Sgt Peffers, Malara’s Italian Restaurant, Nicola’s Italian Wine & Faire, Via Farina, Vincenzo’s Italian Ristorante Readers’ Refer: Avoli Osteria, Capri, Fazoli’s

Best Japanese Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Hiro 88 Readers’ Choice: Blue Sushi Sake Grill, Yoshitomo Readers’ Recommend: Umami Asian Cuisine, Sakura Bana, Matsu Sushi

Best Local Food-Serving Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Block 16 Editor’s Note: There was a lot of confusion this year about restaurants that serve locallysourced food, so we’ve added an editor’s choice to this year’s category. Editor’s Choice: Boiler Room, Dante, Gather, Kitchen Table, Modern Love, Over Easy, Saddle Creek Breakfast Club, Sage Student Bistro, V Mertz, Via Farina

Best Mexican Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: La Mesa Mexican Restaurant, Maria’s Mexican

Restaurant Readers’ Choice: Abelardo’s Authentic Mexican Food Readers’ Recommend: Trini’s Mexican Restaurant, Isla del Mar Restaurante, Hook & Lime, Taqueria El Rey Readers’ Refer: Cilantros Mexican Bar & Grill, Javi’s Tacos, Lil’ Burro, Lina’s Mexican Restaurant, Roja Mexican Grill, Copal, Rivera’s Mexican Food, Azteca Mexican Restaurant, El Rancho, El Vallarta, Fernando’s Burritos, Howard’s Charro Café, La Carreta Rosa, Mula, Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant, Ramona’s Mexican Restaurant, Rivera’s Mexican Food, Taqueria Tijuana, Victor’s Mexican Restaurant

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: El Basha Mediterranean Grill Readers’ Choice: Ahmad’s Persian Cuisine, Amsterdam Falafel & Kabob, Mediterranean Bistro Readers’ Refer: Chaikhana Bar & Shishkabobs, Shahen Afghan Restaurant

Best New Restaurant Editor’s Note: The last two years have been anything but business as usual. This year, we wanted to be sure to include establishments that may have been overlooked for their official “Best New” nomination and open the contest to those who have been making it work through a very tough initiation. The following restaurants have all opened since the start of the pandemic, and have fought hard for their chance to be recognized!

READERS’ CHOICE

Husker Law: Results

You Need, Competitive Price READERS’ CHOICE - SPONSORED STORY

verybody needs help sometimes, and clients of Husker Law can count on having an even fuller-service law firm in their corner. Our team of attorneys have unique backgrounds and diverse legal experiences. They approach each case with an open mind and include the client as an active part of their legal team. Since 2013, Husker Law’s founding partners Michael Sands and the late Aaron Wegner have helped Omaha families navigate divorce, family law and bankruptcy. This year the firm added several new lawyers with expertise in criminal defense, personal injury and civil litigation. Marcus Hytrek is a Creighton Law School alum and former farm kid. Growing up in

small-town Nebraska, he played football, basketball, and ran track. A desire to serve his country led him to the U.S. Navy Reserve, where he worked as an Electrician’s Mate. Marcus studied Latin and Ancient Greek, history, art history, archaeology, philosophy, and international relations, earning a bachelor’s degree in Classical and Near Eastern Civilizations from Creighton University. Continuing at CU as a law student, he developed an interest in family law, criminal defense, and trust and estates, which are the concentration of his practice today. Craig Martin grew up in Omaha and attended the University of Nebraska, working in private industry for 10 years before returning to Creighton Law School. He brings experience in various legal systems around the U.S. and worldwide. His areas of practice are criminal defense, divorce and family law, and general and commercial litigation. Highlights of Craig’s legal experience include the recovery of $1.6 million in a Texas litigation case and the dismissal of the largest cocaine seizure in Nebraska.

Husker Law’s team is dedicated to getting clients the results they need at a competitive price, with flexible scheduling and payment options. For a free initial consultation, call 402-415-2525 or contact us online.

HuskerLaw.com 1055 N 115th St Ste 302 402-415-2525 consult@huskerlaw.com

L to R: Craig M. Martin, Marcus Hytrek, Janene Huntley (paralegal), Michael Sands, Brenda Ronspies (paralegal), Ryan A. Steen and Keith M. Buzzard

August 2022

READERS’ CHOICE Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Javi’s Tacos Readers’ Choice: Edge of the Universe, The Switch Beer and Food Hall, Cheeseburgers- A Take-Out Joint, Gather in Omaha, Pacific Eating House Editor’s Choice: Cafe Postale, Cumbia, Everett’s, Rebel Monkey Pizza

Best Nouveau Cuisine Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Modern Love Readers’ Choice: Au Courant Regional Kitchen, La Buvette Wine & Grocery, Edge of the Universe, Le Bouillon Readers’ Recommend: The Boiler Room Restaurant Readers’ Refer: Brushi European American Cuisine

Best Pasta Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Lo Sole Mio Ristorante Readers’ Choice: Spaghetti Works, Pasta Amore, Spezia Readers’ Recommend: Via Farina, Avoli Osteria, Roma Italian Restaurant, Nicola’s Italian Wine & Faire

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Shucks Fish House & Oyster Bar

Best Ramen Restaurant

Readers’ Refer: Lutfi’s Fried Fish

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Ika San Ramen and Izakaya Readers’ Choice: JINYA Ramen Bar Readers’ Refer: Akarui, Yoshi-Ya Ramen

Best Restaurant for Romance Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Brother Sebastian’s Steakhouse Readers’ Choice: V Mertz, La Buvette Wine & Grocery, Spezia Readers’ Recommend: Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, Au Courant Regional Kitchen, Kobe Steakhouse of Japan, 801 Chophouse Readers’ Refer: Modern Love, Stokes

Best Sandwich Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Pickleman’s Gourmet Café

Readers’ Refer: Noodles & Company, Malara’s Italian Restaurant

Readers’ Choice: Block 16, Ethnic Sandwich Shop

Best Pizza Parlor Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Mama’s Pizza Readers’ Choice: Tasty Pizza Readers’ Recommend: Pitch Pizzeria, Noli’s Pizzeria, Big Fred’s Pizza, Copps Pizza Company, Frank’s Pizzeria, La Casa Pizzaria, Zio’s Pizzeria Readers’ Refer: Johnny Sortino’s Pizza Parlor, Sgt. Peffer’s-

Omaha, Virtuoso Pizzeria by David Losole, Brick Oven Pizzeria, Via Farina, Bernie’s Original Pizza Parlor, Don Carmelo’s Pizzeria, PizzaWest, Piezon’s Pizzeria, Pizza Counter, Rebel Monkey Pizza, Valentino’s

Readers’ Recommend: The Bánh Mì Shop, Jimmy John’s, Barrett’s Barleycorn Pub & Grill, Little King Restaurant Readers’ Refer: Mr. Goodcents, Star Deli, Get Real Sandwiches, Jersey Mike’s, Gandolfo’s New York Delicatessen, Schlotzsky’s

Best Seafood Restaurant

August 2022

Readers’ Choice: Blue Sushi Sake Grill, Plank Seafood Provisions Readers’ Recommend: Isla del Mar Restaurante

Best Steak House Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: The Drover Readers’ Choice: Brother Sebastian’s Steakhouse, Mahogany Prime Steakhouse, Johnny’s Café Readers’ Recommend: Cascio’s Steakhouse, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Charleston’s Restaurant, Gorat’s Steak House, Kobe Steakhouse Of Japan Readers’ Refer: 801 Chophouse, Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops, Texas Roadhouse

Best Sushi Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Blue Sushi Sake Grill Readers’ Choice: Hiro 88, Yoshitomo, Umami Asian Cuisine Readers’ Recommend: Ponzu Sushi & Grill Readers’ Refer: Sakura Bana, Matsu Sushi

Best Sweets Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop Readers’ Choice: Brownie Bar Omaha, Old Market Candy Shop, Chocolaterie Stam Readers’ Recommend: Chocolat Abeille Readers’ Refer: Vitale Bakery, Love More Sweets,

WheatFields Eatery & Bakery, Grand Patisserie

Best Taco Shop Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: California Tacos & More Readers’ Choice: Maria’s Mexican Restaurant, Javi’s Tacos, Abelardo’s Authentic Mexican Food, Voodoo Taco Readers’ Refer: Hook & Lime, Roja Mexican Grill, Lil’ Burro, Mas Chingon, Taco Co., El Churro Spot / The Churro Truck, Taqueria Tijuana, Mula, Ramona’s Mexican Restaurant

Best Take Out Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Salween Thai Restaurant Readers’ Choice: Winchester Bar & Grill, Javi’s Tacos Readers’ Recommend: Curry in a Hurry, Taste of New Orleans, Burrito Envy & Tequila Bar, Blue & Fly Asian Kitchen, Modern Love, Rice Bowl Readers’ Refer: Crystal Jade Restaurant, Hunan Palace, Hartland Bar-B-Que, Lil’ Burro, China Wok, Dinker’s Bar and Grill, Mai Thai Lounge, Thai Spice

Best Tapas (Small Portions) Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Mula Readers’ Choice: Blue Sushi Sake Grill, Hook & Lime, Le Bouillon Readers’ Refer: Cumbia Omaha

Best Tex-Mex Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: La Mesa Mexican Restaurant Readers’ Choice: Maria’s

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November 19 & 20 Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center December 3 & 4 Orpheum Theater

The Wizard of Oz

April 7 Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center May 13 & 14 Orpheum Theater

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13 August 2022

READERS’ CHOICE Mexican Restaurant, Romeo’s Mexican Food & Pizza, Stokes

O: Salween Thai Restaurant

Readers’ Choice: Modern Love

Readers’ Choice: Thai Pepper, Thai Orchids Restaurant

Best Wing Restaurant

Readers’ Recommend: Roja Mexican Grill, Trini’s Mexican Restaurant, Hook & Lime

Readers’ Recommend: Bangkok Kitchen, Laos Thai, Mai Thai Restaurant

Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O: Oscar’s Pizza & Sports Grille

Readers’ Refer: Cilantros Mexican Bar & Grill, Lil’ Burro

Readers’ Refer: Thai Spice, Pla Too Thai

Readers’ Choice: Buffalo Wild Wings, Ray’s Original Buffalo Wings

Best Thai Restaurant Readers’ Choice Best of the Big

Best Vegetarian Restaurant

Readers’ Recommend: Wingstop, Crescent Moon,

Copps Pizza Company, The Salty Dog Bar & Grill, Nite Owl Readers’ Refer: Big Red Restaurant And Sports Bar, Modern Love, Tracks Lounge, Addy’s Sports Bar & Grill, The Corner Kick Cantina, Finnegans Pub & Grill, The Good Life Sports Bar & Grill, Heron Bay

Best Nightlife & Play Best Bar for an Internet Date

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: The Berry & Rye

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Edge of the Universe Reader’s Choice: Flying Timber Axe Throwing, The Village Bar, Beercade

Reader’s Choice: Edge of the Universe, Red Lion Lounge, Tiny House Bar, WestEnd

Best Bar with Live Music

Reader’s Recommend: LOCAL Beer, Patio and Kitchen, Tiny House Bar, WestEnd, Homy Inn, Nite Owl, The Down Under Lounge

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: The Waiting Room Lounge

Reader’s Refer: North Shore Tavern, Stocks n Bonds, Winchester Bar & Grill

Reader’s Recommend: The Omaha Lounge Reader’s Refer: Rathskeller Bier Haus, Site-1 Brewing, The Slowdown, The Berkley

Best Bar for Beer Selection Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Crescent Moon, LOCAL Beer, Patio and Kitchen, Rathskeller Bier Haus

Best Bar for Conversation Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Mr. Toad’s Pub Reader’s Choice: The Berry & Rye, Edge of the Universe Best Bar for Craft Cocktails

Reader’s Choice: The Down Under Lounge

Best Bartenders Are At… Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Winchester Bar & Grill Reader’s Choice: Krug Park, Edge of the Universe

Dundee’s Place Bar & Grill, Stocks n Bonds, The Trap Room, WestEnd

Best Brewpub Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Upstream Brewing Company Reader’s Choice: Crescent Moon, The Benson Brewery, Brickway Brewery & Distillery, Site-1 Brewing Reader’s Recommend: Farnam House Brewing Company, The Jaipur Brewing Company and Restaurant

Best Casino Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Horseshoe Council Bluffs Reader’s Choice: Ameristar, Harrah’s, Prairie Flower Casino

Reader’s Recommend: Big Red Restaurant And Sports Bar, M’s Pub, The Down Under Lounge, The Tavern

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Jake’s Cigars & Spirits

Reader’s Refer: The Berry & Rye, Addy’s Sports Bar & Grill, The Corner Kick Cantina,

Reader’s Choice: Copacabana Cocktail Lounge, Havana Garage- Cigar Lounge

August 2022

Best Cigar Bar

Reader’s Refer: Nickleby’s Smoke Ring

Best Cocktail Lounge Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: The Berry & Rye Reader’s Choice: Laka Lono Rum Club, Holiday Lounge, Interlude Lounge, WestEnd Reader’s Refer: Green Onion Lounge, Edge of the Universe, Wicked Rabbit

Best Concert Venue Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: The Slowdown Reader’s Choice: Stir Cove, The Waiting Room Lounge Reader’s Recommend: Omaha Performing Arts, Sokol Auditorium and Underground

Best Dance Club Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: The Max Reader’s Choice: Bushwackers Saloon & Dance Hall Reader’s Recommend: Ozone Lounge

READERS’ CHOICE Reader’s Refer: Bar 415

Best Driving Range Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Topgolf

Best Neighborhood Tavern Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: The Village Bar

Reader’s Choice: Milt’s Golf Center

Reader’s Choice: Winchester Bar & Grill, Crescent Moon, Homy Inn, Leavenworth Bar

Reader’s Recommend: Stone Creek Golf Course

Reader’s Recommend: Vis Major Brewing Co., Krug Park

Reader’s Refer: Indian Creek Golf Club

Reader’s Refer: Perry’s Place, The Down Under Lounge, Alderman’s Bar, Barley’s Bar & Grill, The Bull Moose, Dundee’s Place Bar and Grill, Jammer’s Pub, KoZee Lounge, North Shore Tavern, The Nifty Bar

Best Golf Course Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Tiburon Golf Club Reader’s Choice: Indian Creek Golf Club, Field Club of Omaha

Best New Bar

Reader’s Recommend: Quarry Oaks Golf Club, Bent Tree Golf Club

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Edge of the Universe

Reader’s Refer: Benson Championship Golf Course

Reader’s Choice: Tiny House Bar, The Bull Moose

Best Happy Hour Bar Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Blue Sushi Sake Grill Reader’s Choice: The Village Bar, Barrett’s Barleycorn Pub & Grill, Edge of the Universe Reader’s Recommend: Charlie’s on the Lake, Alderman’s Bar, Hiro 88 Reader’s Refer: The Down Under Lounge, The Tavern, Dundee’s Place Bar and Grill, Winchester Bar & Grill

Best Movie Theater Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Aksarben Cinema Reader’s Choice: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Midtown, Marcus Majestic Cinema of Omaha, AMC Oakview Plaza 24, FilmStreams Reader’s Refer: AMC Oakview Plaza 24, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema La Vista

Reader’s Recommend: Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews

Best Patio at a Bar Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Mr. Toad’s Pub Reader’s Choice: 1912 Benson, Charlie’s on the Lake Reader’s Recommend: Blatt Beer & Table, The Trap Room, WestEnd, Bärchen Beer Garden, Brownie’s Watering Hole

Reader’s Recommend: La Buvette Wine & Grocery, Vino Mas

Reader’s Recommend: Big Red Restaurant and Sports Bar, Ice House Sports Bar

Reader’s Refer: Howard Street Wine Merchant, Wine, Beer, and Spirits, Hy-Vee, Marks Pantry and Bottle Shop

Reader’s Refer: Lefty O’Toole’s, Ref’s Sports Bar & Grill, Lighthouse Bar & Grill, Pauli’s Lounge

Best Sand Volleyball Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Winchester Bar & Grill Reader’s Choice: O’Leaver’s Pub, The MARK, Big Red Restaurant & Sports Bar

Best Sports Bar Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: DJ’s Dugout Sports Bar Reader’s Choice: Addy’s Sports Bar & Grill, The Good Life Sports Bar & Grill, Tanner’s Bar & Grill

Best Throwing Axe Place Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Flying Timber Axe Throwing

Best Wine Shop Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Spirit World Reader’s Choice: La Buvette Wine & Grocery, Twisted Vine, Vino Mas Reader’s Refer: Marks Pantry and Bottle Shop

THANK YOU!

OMAHA AREA, FOR CHOOSING US! BEST HARDWARE STORE

Reader’s Refer: O’Leaver’s Pub, Sullivan’s Bar, The Down Under Lounge, The Tavern, Brownie’s Bar & Grill, Monolithic Brewing, Rathskeller Bier Haus, Winchester Bar & Grill

Best Retail Wine Selection Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Spirit World Reader’s Choice: Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market

CONTINUE SHOPPING YOUR #1 STORE!

Stop in, visit OR SCAN THIS QR CODE! August 2022

READERS’ CHOICE

For a More Luscious Lip, Dr. Popp Has the Solution READERS’ CHOICE - SPONSORED STORY

r. Jeffrey Popp is a fully certified Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgeon in practice since 1983. Dr. Popp, his office staff and fellow health professionals aim to provide patients with the highest quality of cosmetic and reconstructive surgical care available. Dr. Popp recently added detailed resource videos to his website to serve as virtual consultations for patients who are interested in specific procedures. His staff requested that he create a video about the lip fillers, implants and lip lifts because these are such high-demand procedures. View the video here. ——> These videos are meant to offer general information about procedures for those people who are considering a procedure. For an in-person consultation with Dr. Popp, call the office and make an appointment at 402-391-4558.

Lip Procedures Whether a person’s lips have thinned with age, they want to balance a fuller top or bottom lip, or they simply never had naturally plump lips, lip liners and lipstick may not be enough to create a perfect pout. Several procedures are available to enhance lips and provide a beautiful, natural-looking result: lip fillers, lip implants and lip lifts.

Lip fillers are the most common procedure of the three. This nonsurgical option typically lasts six months to a year, requires no downtime and is reversible. Lip implants are soft, solid silicone implants that are long-lasting but reversible, and the minor surgical procedure requires minimal downtime. Lip lifts are more common in people who’ve noticed the philtrum (the area from the bottom of the nose to the top of the upper lip) lengthen with age, or who have a naturally long philtrum with thin lips. This surgical procedure creates minor scarring that should fade within a year and takes a longer recovery time than fillers or implants, but results are permanent.

Before the Procedure Because lip fillers are a nonsurgical option, preparation is simple, with patients given a topical numbing cream before injections begin. Lip implants are considered a minor surgical procedure, so the lip area is anesthetized in preparation for two small incisions. A lip lift requires local anesthesia and the patient may also choose sedation, which may require general surgical screening. Patients who experience frequent cold sores and are not under treatment for this condition may be advised against lip procedures, and patients with certain autoimmune diseases may not be good candidates for fillers and implants.

The Procedure Lip fillers include hyaluronic acid products under brand names like Restylane’s Kysse or Juvéderm’s Volbella and are injected through a cannula slowly and incrementally. In addition to the topical numbing cream applied before the procedure, pain is mitigated with tissue-cooling devices and the injections contain a local

Lip implants require an injected local anesthetic. Two small incisions are made, one on each side of the lip, and the implant is inserted in a tunnel created in the tissue between them. The incisions are then stitched closed. The Permalip implants are available in different diameters and lengths, so the cosmetic surgeon will choose the size that best fits the patient’s anatomy and desired results. The procedure usually takes about 30 minutes per lip. A lip lift procedure typically takes 1 to 2 hours and involves an injected local anesthetic and the option for sedation. Before the procedure, the patient and surgeon will have discussed the options of lifting only the central part of the lip, adding a lateral lip lift to also bring up the edges, and combining the procedure with lip filler. The incision site is at the junction of the base of the nose and the philtrum; it is relatively inconspicuous and should fade within a year, but the patient can conceal the scar with makeup as soon as three weeks after the procedure.

After the Procedure Pain after a lip procedure is usually minimal. Patients are encouraged to apply ice to the area to help address bruising and swelling, which will usually last only days after fillers but diminish over a period of weeks following implants or a lift. Patients may be advised to massage the area around an implant during the post-surgical period. Patients should expect full recovery quickly after fillers and within weeks of an implant or lift procedure. pre/post procedureS images: lip fillers (Left), lip implants (Center), and lip lifts (RIGHT).

PRE

POST

PRE

anesthetic. Patients usually feel an initial burning and stinging sensation followed by numbness. The process takes 20-30 minutes, depending on whether only the upper lip, only the lower lip, or both lips are treated.

August 2022

POST

READERS’ CHOICE

BEST Personal Services Best Beauty Salon Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: The Copper Pin Salon & Spa Reader’s Choice: Garbo’s Salon and Spa, Bombshell Beauty, The Salty Blonde Salon Old Market Reader’s Recommend: Bella & Co, Hank & Ax: A Salon Reader’s Refer: Fringes Salon & Spa, Allure Health and Med Spa, Beauty Operators, Dark Horse Salon & Spa, Kinship Salon, Milan Laser Hair Removal, Minabella Beauty Resort, Salon Eleven, Theresa

Mulligan Studio

Best Church Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church Reader’s Choice: Lifegate Church, Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, First United Methodist Church Reader’s Recommend: Stonebridge Christian Church Reader’s Refer: Crossroads Church, Immanuel Lutheran Church, First Unitarian Church, Millard Alliance

Church, The Satanic Temple

Best Cosmetic Practice - Noninvasive Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Skin Specialists PC: Joel Schlessinger, M.D. Reader’s Choice: Ideal Image Omaha, Dermatology Specialists of Omaha

Best Cosmetic Surgery Practice Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Popp Cosmetic Surgery PC Reader’s Choice: Aesthetic

Surgical Images, Ideal Image Omaha, Skin Specialists PC: Joel Schlessinger, M.D. Reader’s Refer: Finkle Cosmetic Surgery Center

Best Day Spa Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Faces Day Spa Reader’s Choice: The Copper Pin Salon & Spa, LovelySkin Spa, Vibe Salon and Day Spa Reader’s Recommend: Garbo’s Salon & Spa Reader’s Refer: True Rest Float Spa

YOU’RE

PERFECT

JUST AS YOU ARE Thanks for thinking of us when you want to make changes

PoppCosmeticSugery.com 402-391-4558

August 2022

READERS’ CHOICE Best Massage

Best Organic Grocery Store

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: The Copper Pin Salon & Spa

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Trader Joe’s

Reader’s Choice: Massage Envy, Omaha School of Massage, Old Market Massage

Reader’s Choice: Whole Foods Market, ALDI, Natural Grocers

Reader’s Recommend: Faces Day Spa, Intuitive Wellness With Makala, Oasis Massage & Spa Reader’s Refer: Balanced Haven Massage, Garbo’s Salon & Spa, Life Dimensions by Illona

Best Men’s Clothing Store Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Men’s Wearhouse Reader’s Choice: Jerry Ryan Clothing & Sportswear, Lindley Clothing

Best Retail Meat Counter Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Fareway Grocery

Reader’s Choice: Vibe Salon and Day Spa, Legacy Nail Salon, Martini Nails & Spa Reader’s Recommend: Bella & Co, Garbo’s Salon & Spa, Premier Nail Bar Reader’s Refer: Aksarben Nails, Lynn’s Nails and Spa, The Nail Shop

Reader’s Choice: Countryside Village

Reader’s Choice: Hearthside Candles & Curios, Tannenbaum Christmas Shop

Reader’s Recommend: Village Pointe

Best Sporting Goods

Reader’s Choice: DICK’S Sporting Goods

Reader’s Refer: Baker’s, Natural Grocers, Super Saver

Best Shoe Store Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse Reader’s Choice: Von Maur, Shoe Carnival, Famous Footwear Reader’s Recommend: Haney

Reader’s Refer: Play It Again Sports

Best Storage Facility Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Dino’s Storage Reader’s Choice: StorageMart, Milt’s Mini Storage Reader’s Refer: Armor Storage, The Storage Loft

Best Store for Engagement Rings Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Borsheims Fine Jewelry Reader’s Choice: Kay Jewelers, Goldsmith Silversmith, Zales Reader’s Refer: AAA Ultimate

THANKS FOR VOTING, OMAHA! See you next year! 40

August 2022

Best Store for Unique Gifts Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: City Limits

Reader’s Refer: Rustic Cuts Butcher Shop, Wohlner’s

Best Retail Produce Selection

Pawn, Perspective Jewelry Design Studio

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Westroads Mall

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: SCHEELS

Reader’s Choice: Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, ALDI

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Minabella Beauty Resort

Best Shopping District/Mall

Reader’s Choice: Just Good Meat, Stoysich House of Sausage

Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Hy-Vee

Best Nail Salon

Shoes Reader’s Refer: T.J. Maxx

Reader’s Refer: Teddy Bear Connection

Best Thrift Store Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Thrift World Reader’s Choice: Goodwill Reader’s Recommend: The Salvation Army, Tip Top Thrift Shop, Scout Dry Goods & Trade, Thrift America

Best Women’s Clothing Store Reader’s Choice Best of the Big O: Von Maur Reader’s Choice: Torrid, Dress Barn, Scout Dry Goods & Trade Reader’s Recommend: beyourself boutique, Flying Worm Vintage Reader’s Refer: Dillard’s, Shop Nelly Boutique

August July 2022 2022

33 41

C U L T U R E

Vinyl Healing

Passing on a record collection closes a painful chapter for one Omaha family and starts another on a hopeful note Story by Matt Casas | photos by Chris Bowling

thumbed through the sleeves, sitting cross-legged on the floor. Amber Wormington, 45, eyed John Prine’s album “Sweet Revenge,” her father’s go-to cradle music when she was a baby. “There was two of everything, But one of me,” Prine sings on the opening song. We sat in her family home in West Omaha, silent and empty in preparation for her mom, Cindy, 64, to move to Kelso, Washington, a small town about 35 minutes north of Portland, Oregon. Of the few remaining items sat two white cardboard boxes crammed with the likes of Bob Dylan, Billy Joel and Pink Floyd among the collection of nearly 200 vinyl records. Most hadn’t been exhumed from the basement in the almost two decades since Amber’s father died — leaving behind this collection, his prized possession as well as a record of the family’s emotionally complicated history. But now, they were ready to part ways with it. “I think this is the first time in my life I’ve really been able to let something go, so that I can feel that closure,” said Amber, who was passing the collection on to me. All our lives, we collect. From records to furniture to ticket stubs and birthday cards, this stuff inherits meaning, and, when we die, it survives to tell our stories.

AMBER WORMINGTON (LEFT) AND MATT CASAS ARE SURROUNDED BY THE RECORD COLLECTION OF WORMINGTON’S FATHER. These records are no different. One I fished from Amber’s dad’s collection, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,” is rich with history. “Blowin’ In The Wind” is forever tied with the 1963 March on Washington. In “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” Dylan travels 12 misty mountains, a dozen dead oceans, seven sad forests, and 10,000 miles in the mouth of a graveyard, showing the need for expression in a bleak world — something Amber’s dad believed in.

August 2022

“I’ll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it,” Dylan sings. “And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it. Then I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’. But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’.”

Freewheelin’ Amber always connected to her dad, Daniel Ben Wormington, through music. From the cradle to car drives, the Omahan was her guide to rock stars and

storytellers. His records were his pride and joy, and even today many are in pristine condition. “That’s because kids weren’t allowed to touch them,” Amber said. One day in the late ‘80s, Amber saw Neil Young play “Rockin’ in the Free World” on MTV. She told her dad she wanted to buy his album, and they got “Harvest” at Shopko. Her dad was proud to hear Amber straying from hair metal.

C U L T U R E He also pushed classic literature and counter-culture media (he always picked up an Omaha Reader, Amber said) at locales like the now-closed Antiquarium to give Amber a critical view of society. He tried to impress empathy on her by interviewing the homeless downtown. But their relationship was complicated. Her father struggled with mental illness and alcoholism, creating a rough home life for Amber’s family. Then, in 2003, at 47, he committed suicide. Music suddenly became a source of pain. Amber struggled to choose artists to listen to, letting algorithms shuffle through songs and pretending her dad was flipping through the tracklist. “That’s why I love Pandora,” she said, “because it’s random, and when things are randomized in algorithms, I can convince myself it’s a ghost involved, and my dad is sending messages.” As the years went by, Amber and her mother left the records untouched. Looking at them hurt, but the thought of giving them away felt wrong too. As individual records they’d be just like the other vinyl crowding the “used” sections of stores across the country. Besides Ben, the hobbyist poet, factory worker and selfavowed anti-capitalist, would have hated any profit to come from his passion. When Cindy decided to move, she and her daughter knew it was finally time to let go. They just needed to find someone who’d appreciate them.

New Morning When I was a high school student at Millard South I didn’t

can blossom from the tragedy. One person’s legacy of complex music appreciation, discovery and soul-pouring becomes another’s.

Amber Wormington sits in her home with her cat Sunshine. have much direction outside of guitar and the debate team. That changed when I met Amber. I respected my junior and senior-year writing teacher’s smarts and humor. When I asked her opinion on Charles Bukowski, she had one word. “Misogynist.” In her classes, I lived my dream of being a writer. I waxed poetic and made my arguments, leaned against the grain and got true feedback. Ten years later, she contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in inheriting about 80 pounds of vinyl. We’d kept in touch off and on, and she knew I was a music nerd who’d give the collection a good home. So, in late May this year, she picked me up outside my downtown apartment and we headed to pick them up.

Down In The Groove

erally aren’t worth much. At Recycled Sounds near 76th and Cass streets, I flipped through the Joan Baez section, her smiling, me frowning. Stuart Kolnick, the store owner, said that Ben had a focused collection rather than a whole bunch of random vinyl. People always try to hawk their old LPs, Kolnick said, usually not in the best condition. He himself wants to leave his prized possessions to his nephew. Record collecting has an overwhelming psychological undercurrent, according to a 2006 study by the Journal of Economic Psychology. Though people in every generation crave the sensory and emotional aspect of music, for collectors, physical records connect us to artists, tell the world about ourselves and help us to decipher something greater about our own identities.

In determining the value of a collection there are two factors to consider: sentiment and monetary worth.

“The consumer–artist relationship is about capturing the essence of the artist,” researchers wrote, “rather like the possession of holy relics of the saints.”

Most of Ben’s collection are classic albums, but many classics aren’t hard to find and gen-

For Amber and her mother, the records also represent one of the few positive things that

These records that Ben discovered throughout his life from the ‘60s to the ‘80s were now mine to uncover — reading liner notes, memorizing years, examining art, and of course, playing them. And as I blend them with my own collection, I hope I can imbue new memories on the albums and allow them to continue their journey.

Bringing It All Back Home After about an hour of talking about music, Amber’s mother Cindy, wanted to show me her own passion — the backyard. The trees and rows of plants stood tall in intricate designs on the downward sloping hill. It took years to nurture. And now Kolnick wants to leave it, proud to let it pass to someone else. As a collector, Ben’s albums radiated wisdom, struggle and love — even when he didn’t as a husband and father. Allowing his life to live on through his music lets Amber and Cindy close this chapter of their lives on a satisfying note. But for me, the story’s just getting started. I’ve already begun pouring through these relics nightly, listening to albums like the warm instrumentals of Leo Kottke. More than anything, I look forward to holding these memories in my hands and creating new ones with the people I love, whom I won’t ever forget, with music that I’ll love and study forever. Thankfully, I have my work cut out for me.

August 2022

W PICKS W are $30 in advance or $35 the day of the show. Find more information at theslowdown.com/sleigh-bells. — Matt Casas

August 10

A Conversation with

Tarana Burke Holland Center

August 5

New American Arts Festival Benson First Friday

For more information, go to www.bffomaha.org/naaf.html — Janet Farber

August 9

Sleigh Bells

with N3ptune Slowdown

(Proof of vaccination or test required.)

The 9th annual New American Arts Festival is Benson First Friday’s feature for Aug. 5, with activities throughout the creative district from 5-10 p.m. Co-sponsored by Heartland Family Service, NAAF offers a range of exhibits, artisans, performances, vendors and food trucks, sampling the cultural panorama of Omaha’s refugee and immigrant communities. This year’s participants include vendors Pratik Rayamajhi, Umuco Wacu, Tri-Faith Initiative, Jasive Solorzano, Nurullo Mavriya, Taidet Perez, Mohammad Shafiq Seddiqi, and Assumption Ukrainian Catholic Church; performances by Mallika Madduri, Umuco Wacu, Karen Youth Loves Culture, Oscar Rios Pohirieth, Darayu Boltaeva, and the Umoja Choir; after-dark projections by Virgilio Rodriguez; and exhibitions at the BFF Gallery and Radial Arts Center.

Tarana Burke, activist and author best known for founding the international me too. movement, will have a candid conversation with Jannette Taylor, president & CEO of theWomen’s Center for Advancement (WCA), about the state of affairs with women’s rights and the continuation of the me too. movement. Almost two decades of Burke’s life have been dedicated to social justice and laying the groundwork for a movement that was created to help young women of color who survived sexual abuse and assault. Proceeds from the event will be used to support survivors of sexual assault through the free programs WCA provides, including legal services and helping victims become stable and self-sufficient.

With the release of her latest and notably self-produced album, “Revolutionary Love” (2021), DiFranco celebrates her 22nd studio success since she started as a folk guitar-playing songwriter in 1989. In 1990, she established Righteous Babe Records. Righteous Babe artists Gracie and Rachel (chamber-pop duo), Zoe Boekbinder (they/them, singer-songwriter), and Jocelyn Mackenzie (psychic, singer-songwriter) will accompany. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the all-ages show starts at 8. Tickets are $35-$65. — Matt Casas

August 11 Root of Two presents

The Fugu Plan Bemis Center

Learn more or submit a question for Burke at wcaomaha.org. The rescheduled Sleigh Bells/ N3ptune tour is finally here. New York noise-pop headliners support their fifth album, “Texis” (2021), with accompaniment from the upand-coming Denver artist. Sleigh Bells debuted in 2010. The duo was notable for genre-bending pop production and harsher rock instrumentation. Many argued it was the cutting edge of pop music. Opener N3ptune released their debut album with Rusty Steve entitled “RENAISSANCE” (2021) and is a proudly Queer writer, artist, and all-around performer. Doors open at 7, with this all-ages show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets

August 2022

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. Get tickets, $50-$100, at www. TicketOmaha.com. — Lynn Sanchez

August 11

Ani DiFranco

with Righteous Babes The Admiral Ani DiFranco and four Righteous Babes perform at The Admiral Theater on Aug. 11 in a show for the soul.

The Fugu Plan is an experimental sound duo consisting of vocalist/composer Yuka and musician Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz. Their music explores tribal and contemporary traditions, which they describe as a cross between sacred music and the avant-garde. But on another level, the songs help induce a meditative state. The featured exhibit by Maya Dunietz at the Bemis Center is a series of installations dealing with the physical sensations of music.

W PICKS W Experience the performance from 7-9 p.m. Admission is free. — Matt Casas

August 12

Dad Jokes

The Backline Comedy Theatre

The duet, which focuses on the care and empathy that emerges over time when two lives share space, can be experienced at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts on Aug. 18 at 8 p.m. There is no admission fee. For those who cannot attend, live streams of the performance can be viewed on the Bemis Center’s Facebook and Twitch pages. — Efren Cortez

August 18-27 Another installment of Dad Jokes at The Backline takes place on Aug. 12. Featured improvisational comedic performers include Taylor Grote, Rachel Ware, Justin Edmonds, Michael Johnson, and Michael Smith. It has a clever name for a long-form comedy act.

American Son Benson Theatre

You must arrive at least five minutes before showtime or may be turned away with no refund. There is a no-drink minimum. Tickets are $10, and the show is open to adults 18 and up or with a parent/ guardian.

August 18

Sarah Hennies & Judith Hamann

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts (Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test required.)

With the “Elvis” movie playing this summer, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll is looking to stick around the minds of Omahans a bit longer when the Omaha Community Playhouse showcases a run of “The Legend of Georgia McBride.” The Matthew Lopez play, which will run from Aug. 19 through Sept. 18 in the Howard Drew Theatre, follows an out-of-work Elvis impersonator who starts filling in the role of a drag queen to help pay the bills.

The gallery is at 1806 Vinton St. Request RSVP for the receptions to info@rbrg.org or TEXT to 402496-4797. — Mike Krainak

August 23

Animal Collective Slowdown

Tickets can be purchased on the Omaha Community Playhouse website and at the box office. Times and prices will be announced. — Efren Cortez Christopher Demos-Brown’s “American Son” will have its Omaha run at the Benson Theatre in the latter half of August. Directed by Kathy Tyree, “American Son” focuses on an estranged bi-racial couple who must confront their feelings about race and bias after their son is detained by police following a traffic stop. The play premieres Aug. 18. Show times are 7:30 p.m. except for Sunday, Aug. 21, when a matinee performance starts at 2 p.m.

August 20-28

Peter Max Experience: Prints, Posters & Paintings RBR Gallery

Tickets are available for $20 and can be purchased on the Benson Theatre website.

August 19 – September 18

Legend of Georgia McBride Omaha Community

Maryland’s Animal Collective is coming to the Slowdown with Tomato Flower on Aug. 23 for an all-ages show. It’s been 20 years since they started repaving the roads to indie music with their often-wild experimental sounds and innovative approach to the scene, undeniably challenging the genre’s soft, safer side. Tomato Flower is the perfect complementary act. The Boston-based band performs pop, bossa nova, math rock, and dub –- all as a tight quartet. Doors open at 7, with the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $36$41, including a $1 charity fee.

— Efren Cortez

The tag-team of New York percussionist Sarah Hennies and renowned Melbourne cellist Judith Hamann will be performing a 90-minute duet titled “The Reinvention of Romance.”

Three limited engagement gallery receptions are planned: Saturday, Aug. 27, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-6 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 28, 12-3 p.m. Renowned Max curator Lesley Smith will accompany the collection to Omaha and will be available for in-gallery Q&A and discussions.

“The Legend of Georgia McBride” will contain adult language.

Doors open at 8:15, and the show starts at 8:30 p.m. — Matt Casas

Playhouse (Howard Drew Theatre)

Are You Experienced? The Peter Max version, that is. The iconic pop artist returns to the RBR Gallery, opening Aug. 20 from 4-6 p.m. with his version of the music, fashion, celebrity and culture of the ’60s and’ 70s. “The Peter Max Experience!” features his popular prints, posters and paintings, virtually all of which are for sale.

— Matt Casas

August 25 Root of Two presents

Public Assembly

August 2022

W PICKS W

with Mary Lawson

Friday, Aug. 26, is the emerging designer showcase entitled “Vivere” for $79.16-$101.48. Lauren Bander and Dan Richters co-headline with ten supporting acts.

Bemis Center

And finally, Saturday, Aug. 27, is the VIP finale for $95.90-$112.65. Terri Buckner and Buf Reynolds co-headline with nine supporting acts.

August 26

Little Brazil

guests can experience five entertainment stages, scavenger hunts, free crafts, dining, shopping, and a Pirate Cave Adventure. On both days, the fun starts at 10 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m.

Waiting Room

Tickets are $8 for children and $13 for adults. No outside food or drink is allowed.

with Las Cruxes and Uh Oh

— Matt Casas

— Matt Casas Another event that takes advantage of the featured “Root of Two” exhibit at the Bemis Center will happen on the last Thursday of August. This time, guests experience the final part of the three-piece showcase featuring the titular art installation. Although event planners recommend attending all three Public Assembly installments, the finale is open to anyone. Explore the exhibit and its meaning relating to society, politics, and art in Omaha.

Thomas Wharton

Garden of the Zodiac Gallery

The meeting runs for one hour, starting at 6:30 p.m. at no cost.

August 25-27

Landon Hedges (bass and secondary vocals in Desaparecidos, formerly in The Good Life) started Little Brazil in 2002. Since then, the band, with longtime member Dan Maxwell, has released six albums, including “Just Leave” (2022).

Tickets are $10-$12 for this 9 p.m. show. Stradling the media of sculpture, painting, photography, drawing and installation, Thomas Wharton’s intersectional art will be presented at the Garden of the Zodiac Gallery in a show opening Aug. 25, with a public reception from 6-8 p.m.

Omaha Design Center

The Fall 2022 Omaha Fashion Week lineup focuses on the concept of “Magis,” meaning “excellence for the greater good.” Each event runs from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, is the “Audere” designer showcase theme featuring emerging and featured designers for $56.82-$101.48. Omaha Fashion Camp headlines with 15 supporting acts.

Las Cruxes (Los Angeles) and Uh Oh (Omaha) support headliner Little Brazil (Omaha) at The Waiting Room on Friday, Aug. 26.

Las Cruxes mixes abrasive screamo with accessible psychedelic crooning surf numbers. Uh Oh recently released “Good Morning” (2021), leaning into lyrics and tight harmonies.

— Matt Casas

Omaha Fashion Week

August 27 – September 26

August 25 — November 27

The artist is fascinated with manipulating light and shadow within a tight aesthetic and conceptual framework. Some of his creations are sleek and sculptural light fixtures, controlled by handcrafted wood spindles. These toplike carvings are also incorporated into mixed media two-dimensional compositions, in which they function as abstract forms. Wharton’s play with scale, illusion and distortion toys with viewers, challenging them to become aware of the nature of perception. Go to gardenofthezodiacgallery.com or Facebook for more information.

August 2022

— Janet L. Farber

— Matt Casas

August 27-28

Midwest Pirate Festival

Bellevue Berry and Pumpkin Patch

If you want a pirate-themed, outdoors and family friendly festival, this two-day event delivers live entertainment and a daily $100 cash treasure hunt in the heart of Bellevue. At the Midwest Pirate Festival at Bellevue Berry and Pumpkin Patch,

Memory Serves: Drawing Others Close UNO Weber Fine Arts Art

Gallery For Dr. Mark Gilbert, the classification of Arts and Sciences has always been personal as well as professional. An artist and UNO art professor, Gilbert uses compassionate portraits of those with terminal diseases to help doctors and caregivers better understand and serve their patients. Gilbert’s latest exhibition, “Memory Serves: Drawing Others Close,” features portraits of dementia patients and their caregivers to inspire compassion among medical students and the public. This time it’s closer to home as the exhibit includes an image of his late father, Norman, whose own drawings, which depict his wife Peg’s end of life due to Alzheimer’s, are also in this show. An opening reception is Friday, Aug. 26, from 5-7 p.m. Daily showings are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, scan this QR code. — Mike Krainak

August 2022

C U L T U R E

Wilco’s Nels Cline

Opens Up

As the Alt-Rock Band Prepares to Headline Outlandia, the Lead Guitarist Talks Memorable Guitar Moments, ‘Dad Rock,’ Omaha Indie by Leah Cates

This interview has been edited for brevity. For an extended version, check out the Q&A online via the QR code.

hen Wilco headlines Outlandia on Aug. 13, the band’s lead guitarist –– Nels Cline –– probably won’t be looking at the audience. The 66-year-old guitar legend told The Reader he prefers to disappear into the music he’s making with Wilco, which has been alt-rock royalty since dropping the seminal “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” in ’01. But on their 12th studio album, released May 27, Wilco sounds more country than rock. “Cruel Country” is a warmhearted double album that evokes a bruised optimism about the U.S. –– although Cline told The Reader he doesn’t see “Cruel Country” as political. Ahead of Outlandia, The Reader chatted with Cline about the new record, Wilco’s Midwestern roots, Cline’s iconic “Impossible Germany” guitar solo and more. The band has Midwestern roots — Jeff [Tweedy, the band’s frontman] is from Illinois, The Loft [Wilco’s

recording studio] is in Chicago … Do you guys feel a connection to the Midwest? Jeff has an affection and affinity for the Midwest. I can feel it. I’ve heard him describe it. It’s very important to him, the Midwest itself, and Chicago specifically, which is enjoying a vibrant and diverse music scene … [And] I have really fond memories of playing in Omaha … There’s something to be said for the architecture of downtown Omaha. It’s got a real flavor we appreciate. Is the band friends with, or influenced by, any big names in the Omaha indie music scene? When … we [played] rock festivals in Europe, Bright Eyes [was there and] we all became friendly. Conor [Oberst] ended up moving to Los Angeles, where I’m from, and interacting with friends of Pat [Sansone, a multi-instrumentalist for the band], and people I know … And I have a really good friend

August 2022

Nels Cline, who’s been chosen one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all-time by Rolling Stone, told The Reader he’d rather curl up with his guitar than explore new cities while on tour. — Photo by Sean Ono Lennon

C U L T U R E from Omaha … [who] gave me a feeling for how the downtown area changed, and that a lot of it had to do with what the music scene brought to the city. There’s a stereotype that Wilco is “Dad Rock.” But my friends and I are fans, and we were toddlers when “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” came out. Is the “Dad Rock” stereotype shifting? It’s been a frustrating –– verging on infuriating –– label that emerged around the time of [our 2007 album] “Sky Blue Sky” … because we started [the album] with a soft song. I think that’s the only reason this ever took hold … There are more 20-somethings [at concerts] than there were a handful of years ago … This is a multi-generational audience.

sions came down. Do you anticipate the audience responding differently to your music? I don’t really see [“Cruel Country”] as political … It’s humanistic, it’s poetic, and has a certain kind of classicism about it … [But] it’ll be interesting to see what the vibe is in the Midwest … In spite of all the [COVID] surges … people are focused on finally hearing live music … I don’t know if that’s going to take precedence over political assessments of our art form. [Being on tour in Europe], in a place that has socialized medicine and no guns, while this stuff is going on here, reminded us of when we were in Utrecht [the Netherlands] in 2016. The results of the presidential election came down, and we all felt

like we’d had an explosive device go [off] next to our heads. We were so numb. Our ears were ringing from despair. It’s surreal to come back … [and] feel like these problems are insurmountable, or we’re going [in] such the wrong direction. What’s a guitar moment you love on “Cruel Country”? Pat is from Mississippi … [and has] a really deep connection to what I might generally refer to as country rock … Live, on a song like “It Takes a Lifetime,” where I’m playing square neck dobro, [Pat is] doing this classic, country twang, electric guitar … He’s all the way on stage left, and I’m on stage right, but when I hear that, I get so excited.

The “Impossible Germany” guitar solo [from “Sky Blue Sky”] is legendary. What’s it like to play live? It has been one of the most amazing and surprising developments of my so-called professional life … [Years ago, when we debuted] “Impossible Germany” in Spain … people went crazy. [The band was] looking at each other like, “What’s going on?” [We realized] the song had some kind of life force we didn’t know it had … I don’t think anybody in the band could have predicted, even for a second, that it would have this kind of resonance … It is this incredible blessing –– how many epic guitar solo-centric songs, that aren’t metal, exist in the lexicon today? I can’t think of [any]. It’s a very unusual event on the musical landscape.

Tell me about moving more directly toward country music than in the past on “Cruel Country.” [When Jeff first sent us the songs, they] struck me as being stunningly classic in what one might term country or folk, with strong choruses and traditional song structures. I didn’t know if these were Wilco songs, honestly … [There was] a massive amount of material because Jeff … wrote, in my memory, 51 songs in 52 days. Absolutely mind-blowing … He’s probably writing a song right now. They flow out of him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it in my lifetime. We have at least another half an album that’s being worked on as well [in] a different style. Jeff’s been calling it something like art pop. You’ve been on tour in Europe, and Omaha will be your second U.S. show since the Supreme Court deci-

August 2022

ART

Location, Location

FIVE EMERGING ARTISTS RIFF ON ‘I’ve Been here Before’ IN G1516 EXHIBIT by Kent Behrens

roup shows based on a theme can get bogged down in cliché, repetition and overplayed nuance. Once a subject or direction is chosen, success rests on choosing artists of accomplished craft but with widely varied voices. Keeping the theme general and even ambiguous keeps the choices open for both the curator and the artists. In developing “I’ve Been Here Before,” Gallery 1516’s second iteration of its Emerging Artists series, curator and participating artist Katie B Temple chose to pursue a group of four additional artists that fit her ideas of fractured, edited and imperfect memory and recall. She landed on an eclectic group of accomplished practitioners in Sophie Newell, Oria Simonini, Evan Stoler and Joseph Vavak. About the process, Temple said, “As an artist who makes

work about place, I searched for artists whose work would connect with that directly or indirectly. Over time, as all five artists chatted, we seemed to have other connections exploring people, places, and objects. We had this common thread of [the] nostalgic.” You may be familiar with the work from these Nebraska artists, as all have had solo or group exposure locally. In no particular order, what follows is a glimpse of some of the work in the show. A good example of Sophie Newell’s narrative collage style is represented by “Surround Yourself,” a mélange of cut and torn papers, fabrics and paint, arranged on a base of handmade paper. To build the narrative, she brings together nostalgic references and images: a page from a ledger, an image of a turn-of the-century house, for example, maybe suggesting some trappings of life that we may have pursued with passion, but which are often fleeting. The piece culminates in a suggestion of respite in the guise of an advertisement for a popular perfume. Newell’s other collage pieces reinforce the nostalgic thread in two additional offerings: a series Katie B Temple: “It’s a Brick House,” 2022, of three digitally altered vintage acrylic on canvas, 72” x 72” portraits, each

AUGUST 2022

weaving together two separate portraits, and a series of ersatz Life magazine covers depicting a severely altered cover model. Taking a break from her usual collages, “Clay Portraits” consists of about two dozen glazed and fired, hand-formed discs of reddish clay. Each wall-mounted slab Oria Simonini: “Here We Are/Capsized,” 2022, oil on panel, 6” x 6” depicts a vintage, anonymous headshot transferred to the surface. mand reflection. The small, intiThe color appears to be applied mate paintings avoid bothersome through glazes, but a few look details like trees, rocks, buildings to be painted after firing. It is left and clothing, and do not suggest to the viewer as to how the color specific political side-taking. They and impressions in the clay re- seem poignant expressions of late to each photo. Don’t expect emotion, camaraderie and brothdeep messages here — these may erhood. be just a fun treatment of nostalEvan Stoler challenges viewers gic portraits. also to reflect upon his abstractIn stark contrast to Newell’s va- ed, graphically bold and modern riety are Oria Simonini’s uncom- assemblages. But unlike the other plicated but vexing paintings de- artists, the nostalgic connection picting people, most surrounded is not immediately apparent. by a field of blue water. Stoler finds his muse in the evThe people are loosely ren- eryday, mundane materials about dered, the impression gestural, which we don’t think twice, put but the subjects are not with- to aesthetic tasks never imagined. out emotion, clearly portrayed His works are made almost entirethrough eyes, facial expressions, ly of Elmer’s Glue-All, that milkyand body postures. Most are sug- white glue that, when dried on gestive of migrants traversing an your hands, could be peeled off imposing river or sea, or resting in sheets, not unlike peeling skin after an arduous journey. They after a sunburn. also could be simply small groups He seems to have mastered the enjoying the cool of the water substance, creating large, dyed late on a Saturday afternoon or a sheets of glue, which when dry community of family and friends are cut, torn, folded and further gathered for a baptism. manipulated and reconstructed For all the abstraction in the into postmodern assemblages. faces and bodies, the works de- The sheets mimic stretched vinyl

ART

Joseph Vavak: “West of Here series - San Miguel County, New Mexico,” 2020, archival pigment print, 20” x 24”

Evan Stoler: “Seabreeze,” 2021, glue, dye on canvas, 20” x 16” or rubber and frosted glass. Each work is aesthetically interesting, but mostly relies on the impact of the paradox — the ubiquitous and commonplace out of context — and this is evident only after reading the title card or catalogue for a description of materials. Of note is “Windows,” a stacked series of 14 square wooden frames, possibly canvas stretchers, each covered with dyed, translucent sheets of glue. The impression is that of modern totem of frosted glass and matte-glazed ceramic tile. The blue dyes work well with the piece, but one wishes this were free standing, or somehow backlit, so light had a chance to play through the squares. Joseph Vavak photographs Nebraska and the Midwest.

He seems to thrive on deserted buildings, unadulterated scenery, and his landscapes and townscapes void of activity or people. His portraits of deserted buildings and rural towns are not without the disquieting tension of anticipation or memento. Vavak’s images offer little to indicate technique; his shooting and printing could be analog or

digital. His colors are true, never enhanced, and any manipulations like burning and dodging are well hidden. His black and white prints are professionally executed, but there are only four in the show. You may find yourself wanting more. The building “portraits” capture the weathering and devolution of so many bars, grain stores and Union offices. The abandoned buildings appear to have regained some dignity, as they beckon imaginary townsfolk and stoically hold onto details of a vanishing history. Intensely colorful, layered washes melt together to form Katie B Temple’s mixed-media paintings of houses. Her work has evolved into very expressive and less formal studies of house. Each

Sophie Newell: “Clay Portraits,” 2019-2022, ceramic, size varies, approximately 6” x 7” each

is a testament to the concept of “home” and its many adaptations — that place you plant yourself, if only temporarily. Most of the paintings touch on the process of building, a couple through extraneous lumber attached to her canvases, and others through imagery honoring those classic toys that spawned so many architects and engineers — Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs and Legos, to be precise. Of note is “Framed Up,” a diptych held together with a frame of lumber. The pair of paintings is the star here, a representation of a house built of Tinker Toys. Although an interesting concept, the lumber framing appears out of scale, the boards being too heavy and imposing for the scale of the images. Don’t miss Temple’s painting “Structurally Sound,” just east of the front door. The exhibit is up through Aug. 28. Appointments are preferred, but the gallery has regular open hours Wednesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry is free, and masks are optional. Please check the website for additional hours and further information.

AUGUST 2022

B A C K B E A T

‘For Us, By Us’

Volunteers work a booth at a recent Petfest — Photo by Katy Cowell.

Petfest Preps for Another Festival With Great Expectations by Virginia Kathryn Gallner

hen he travels, Zach Schmieder tells people that Omaha is not something to sleep on. “As someone who books shows and runs a bar for a living, I don’t have to like all the bands that I hear,” Schmieder said. “But I would say nine out of ten times that I hear a band play in Omaha, it blows me away.” BFF (formerly known as Benson First Fridays) started as a community grassroots effort and has been steadily growing since it became a nonprofit. Around 2015, BFF took over management of the Sweatshop building, renamed it Petshop, and resurrected the Sweatfest music festival under a new name. Schmieder co-founded Petfest as a BFF volunteer and has been the lead booking agent since its inception. He prides himself on the festival’s wide range of genres. “Petfest is definitely a group effort,” Schmieder said. “When you’re in it, and you’re there in the crowd, watching one band after the other, it’s a wild ride … Petfest completely embodies what Omaha is.” Schmieder said this year is set to be the most extravagant festival yet. “I think this year is my Sistine Chapel,” he said, laughing. He asked the band Hide (Chicago) if it would want to play “this gnarly festival in Omaha” – and it said yes. Another out-of-town act is Amulets (Portland). All the same, Schmieder tries to focus on local musicians, including some returning from previous years, such as No Thanks, Universe Contest and DJ Crabrangucci.

Chalis Bristol, known by night as DJ Crabrangucci, was hunting for unique sounds on MySpace in the early 2000s, accumulating sounds from Japanese rock, South American funk, French rap, and more — then curating a vibe through mixed CDs for her friends. “I had a thirst for a worldly experience that I wasn’t getting in Omaha … a way of broadening my horizons,” she said. When she got out of high school, she started going to raves and dance parties. DJs would ask her what she was listening to. “I was giving these dudes a bunch of music for them to play, so I was like, maybe I should be DJing,” Bristol said. Since those early days, Bristol has taken the city by storm. She has performed at Maha Music Festival, Omaha Summer Arts Festival, Benson First Fridays, and College World Series events at the Slowdown. Music is Bristol’s love language. “Ultimately,” she said, “DJing is a vehicle for what I love to do — sharing music.”

He loves the free-spirited nature of Omaha music. “How Omaha is influenced by society … there’s kind of a lag with what happens here. It’s kind of a good thing. You don’t have to be trendy. People get into different things because they’re not cutting edge, and in that way, it becomes cutting edge.” Nance will be joined by his band on the outdoor stage, including Omaha legend Dereck Higgins. BFF also contributed to the establishment of Benson as a Creative District through the Nebraska Arts Council. Creative placemaking efforts are a way of formalizing the presence of arts and cultural activities as a step toward urban revitalization. In some instances, this process has exacerbated gentrification — but given community involvement and the input of residents, it can be a great benefit to a neighborhood. Alex Jochim, co-founder and executive director of BFF, moved to Benson in 2009, and the

neighborhood was already bursting with creative energy. BFF amplified that community through First Friday events. Now its title as a recognized Creative District will allow BFF to access state funding for programs and events. Jochim is not concerned about gentrification reaching Benson. “The neighborhood is so supportive,” he said. “The way we combat that is continuing to work with the community that exists here.” He looks forward to watching BFF and Petfest grow with this new recognition. “I’m just super excited to continue what we’ve been doing for a decade and make it bigger and better,” he said. “It’s a for us, by us kind of thing,” DJ Crabrangucci said about Petfest. “It’s a festival run by people in Omaha that are very passionate about music and arts in the community.” Petfest is Saturday, Aug. 13, at Petshop in Benson. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the show.

Another local artist performing at this year’s Petfest is David Nance. He grew up in Grand Island playing in a marching band and singing in choir. Now, in the last few years, he’s done everything from lo-fi home recordings to sessions at ARC Studios. Nance returned from LA a few years ago to be with his family in Nebraska after his sister died. “That’s when I started doing music,” he said. “Something about the impermanence of life. You can die anytime. You gotta make it count.”

AUGUST 2022

Universe Contest conquer the Petfest stage — Photo by Keyonna Jeter.

H O O D O O

So Much Music

The In the Market for Blues Festival Kicks Off the Month, Promoter Jeff Davis Delivers Three Free Shows Full of International Talent, and It’s Great to See So Much Live Music Again by B.J. Huchtemann

ver 40 bands and 14 hours of music are on tap as In the Market for Blues brings the annual blues festival to multiple indoor and outdoor venues in and around the Old Market. The Blues Society of Omaha now partners with festival founder Héctor Anchondo and other sponsors to keep the event growing and bringing in bigger talents. This year’s headliner is Curtis Salgado, a local audience favorite who is a multiple Blues Music Award winner, including repeat wins for Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year, most recently in May. He also has a list of albums, his latest being “Damage Control” (Alligator Records). [See The Reader’s interview with Salgado by Virginia Kathryn Gallner at thereader.com/culture/music/theblues-is-a-feeling.] Selected other national and regional headliners of note include The Cate Brothers, Brandon Santini, Jeremiah Johnson, The Bel Airs, Cassie Taylor, Josh Garrett, The Soul Searchers, Polly O’Keary & The Rhythm Method, Shaw Davis & The Black Ties, The Old NO. 5s, Orphan Jon & The Abandoned,The Terry Quiett Band, Andy Sydow and, of course Héctor Anchondo. There are a number of the best local roots artists also on the Aug. 6 schedule, too many to list here. Admission is $30 per person on the day of the event at the festival headquarters, 13th & Douglas, which will open at 10 a.m. Look for the pop-up tent with the Blues Society of Omaha banner. Find all the details at inthemarketforblues. com.

Playing With Fire Meanwhile Jeff Davis is back with the second free Playing With Fire blues concert of the summer.

Highlights include Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears on Thursday, Aug. 11, 9:30 p.m., and Carolyn Wonderland on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 6 p.m. Find the full schedule at zoobar.com.

Hot Notes A night of Americana is up at Lincoln’s Bourbon Theatre on Thursday, Aug. 4, with Steve Earle & The Dukes and The Whitmore Sisters at 7:30 p.m.

Blues fiddle player Anne Harris channels a joyous musical force that is full of light and inspiration. See her at the free Playing With Fire shows Friday and Saturday, Aug. 1213, at Turner Park at Midtown Crossing. Photo by Michael W. McGee via facebook The music is back at Turner Park at Midtown Crossing on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 12-13. Music is scheduled to start at 5:30 each day with the lawn open for seating at 4 p.m. Friday’s headliner is Markus James & The Wassonrai. Bandleader James has received international recognition for his mix of blues, rock and the Indigenous music of West Africa and his home of Mali. From Florida, guitarist JP Soars Gypsy Blues Revue will feature blues fiddle player Anne Harris, who is a fierce and inspiring force of nature when she plays. The Chicago-based Harris has performed at Playing With Fire with Otis Taylor. Also on the bill are Milwaukee’s Blues Music Award-nominated artists the Altered Five Blues Band featuring an ensemble that’s been together for 20 years. Saturday, Aug. 13, the headliner is the U.K.’s Catfish, a blues-rock band nominated in five categories in the 2021 U.K. Blues Awards, in which they took home Band of the Year honors in 2020. Also on the bill are the U.K.’s When Rivers Meet, which was the first band

to win 4 U.K. Blues Awards in the same year in the 2021 ceremony. Rounding out the bill is a duo-oriented act featuring Friday performers James and Harris. Find more information and video clips of this tremendous lineup at playingwithfireomaha.net.

Music for the City The following weekend, Aug. 20, promoter Jeff Davis brings another free blues concert with the August edition of Music for the City at the Dam Bar & Grill on the River City Star Landing. Performing is powerhouse rockabilly-roots-rock vocalist Nikki Hill and her hardcharging band, along with the U.K.’s rising stars When Rivers Meet and U.S. soul-pop-rock duo VanderWells. Music starts at 4:30 with BluesEd band The Redwoods. See musicforthecity.net.

Zoo Bar Blues After an amazing 49th anniversary celebration in July, Lincoln’s Zoo Bar has a great lineup in August.

The inaugural Outlandia Music Festival happens Friday and Saturday, Aug. 12-13. This is a ticketed event at Falconwood Park that includes some distinguished Americana and rock artists, including Wilco, Local Natives, Silversun Pickups, Margo Price, The Breeders and more. Tickets are available at etix.com. The Sunday Roadhouse concert series has two shows scheduled this month. Sunday, Aug. 14, 5 p.m. at Reverb Lounge marks the return of Amy LaVere and Will Sexton. Both are acclaimed artists, and their ongoing collaboration creates excellent music. Another Roadhouse audience favorite, the always-rockin’ Sarah Borges, is back Saturday, Aug. 27, 8 p.m., at Reverb Lounge. Details at sundayroadhouse.com. The Vandoliers play Reverb Lounge on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, 6-9 p.m. the BSO presents the Hadden Sayers Band at The Jewell. Sayers’ Texas blues-rock sounds and songs have built him a loyal following. Find a curated list of blues and roots shows and BSO-sponsored gigs at omahablues.com. Follow facebook.com/bluessocietyofomaha for late-breaking information.

AUGUST 2022

F I L M

Thor and Gorr Kinda Bore in Mild Thunder Blunder ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Ain’t No ‘Ragnarok’ by Ryan Syrek

efore we go any further, let’s get something straight here: Swapping Guns N’ Roses for Led Zeppelin isn’t like exchanging Mr. Pibb for Dr. Pepper. It’s more akin to asking for a Diet Coke and getting ranch dressing: Technically, it is the same general substance, but it isn’t anywhere near the same thing, and although some people really love it, most of the people who do are very unhealthy. Downgrading from Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” in “Ragnarok” to a smattering of GNR’s “greatest” hits in “Thor: Love and Thunder” is a pretty good summary of the whole experience. The cosmic cleverness of the last Thor installment has been replaced by sloppy, lazy choices that seem just good enough to hit the release window that was promised. Writer/director Taika Waititi and cowriter Jennifer Kaytin Robinson somehow get almost all the small things very right and all the big things quite wrong. The mistakes go beyond asking Natalie Portman to be funny, but that choice is right there at the top of the list … The first scene portends the problems to follow. Gorr (Christian Bale) wanders a desert with his daughter, praying for salvation from a generic intergalactic deity. After his daughter dies, an oasis with the aforementioned deity appears for no good reason. Once inside, Gorr stumbles upon a magic sword that kills Gods, which is totally a thing that otherwise omnipotent Gods just leave lying around. Gorr kills his God and swears

As Humphrey Bogart once told Ingrid Bergman: “We’ll always have Taika Waititi’s ingenious reinvention of Thor in Ragnarok.” IMAGE: Marvel/Disney to do the same to all others. This all happens in like maybe three minutes … Every beat is rushed, every motivation and plot thread are explicit and convenient, and we haven’t even seen Thor (Chris Hemsworth) yet. When we do, he’s traveling with the Guardians of the Galaxy! Woohoo! Fans have waited a long time to see these wacky adventures … which are then mostly skipped over via a voiceover from the sentient, stoned pile of rocks that is Korg (Waititi). It becomes very unclear how much of what follows is Korg’s version of events. That’s just one of many things that feels like fallout from mayhem in the editing room. Thor returns to Asgard, which is now a tourist trap, one of those fantastic little things the film nails. He arrives to find Gorr’s shadow monsters doing mayhem de-

spite the best efforts of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson). Then Jane Foster (Portman) shows up with Thor’s hammer and powers. What follows is a cliched quest to stop a bad guy from getting a magical object in order to go somewhere to do a very bad thing. “Ragnarok” was silly, but it hefted emotional weight. Thor’s fundamental identity was shattered and reforged. Then the events of “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” happened. They further traumatized the Norseman, although not as much as “The Northman” traumatized its Norseman: He kissed his mommy! All those years of Thor storytelling (Thorytelling?) somehow lead to a wildly simplistic, overwhelmingly facile conclusion that would be funny if it weren’t so self-serious.

Speaking of self-serious, Portman is a talented dramatic actress who has been funny one (1) time on “SNL” when she rapped curse words. She is a complete mismatch with Waititi’s sensibilities, which require a cheeky sincerity exhibited exactly nowhere in Portman’s otherwise impressive filmography. Her inclusion here makes no substantive difference to the plot, as she could be lifted out without changing the narrative in any way. And yet Thompson, who is almost impossibly delightful here and integral to events, gets zero (0) development or depth. The best part of the movie is somehow Russell Crowe’s “Greek” accent and/or the credit stinger we can’t talk about, introducing a character that can’t be mentioned, played by an actor who can’t be named. Again, other than thinking “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is a better musical cue here than any Rush song, all the insignificant elements click. Two giant screaming goats steal the show, the black-and-white space battle is inspired, and a child uses a teddy bear’s laser eyes for monster murder. Those things just don’t add up to a movie. “Love and Thunder” is nowhere near an unpleasant flop so much as it is just half-inert. Expecting the exhilaration of “Ragnarok” would be unfair, but nobody should ask for Diet Coke and get a glass of ranch dressing. Oh, we’ll still drink it, but it’s nothing to be proud of ….

Grade = C

Other Critic al Voices to ConsideR Carmen Phillips at Autostraddle says: “Ultimately, in a movie that promises love to span each universe, nearly everyone finds some version of a love-filled ending, except the sole queer woman of color. Even Korg — yes, the cheerful Rock monster dude! — finds gay happiness to call his own. Funny how the Black bisexual woman can’t say the same, now isn’t it?”

AUGUST 2022

Jennifer Heaton at Alternative Lens says: “Waititi’s more laid-back approach to directing works great in its moments of comedic respite, but it does also lead to pacing issues and a more fractured editing style; you can just sense how many scenes must have been binned, or how much improvising they’ve cut around. It’s not an inherently bad style of filmmaking, but it’s one that requires

a lot of skill and a fair bit of luck, and sadly fate wasn’t as much on Waititi’s side this time around.” Anupama Chopra at Film Companion says: “In an interview, Waititi described ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ as ‘the craziest film I’ve ever done.’ He said, ‘If you wrote down all the elements of this film, it shouldn’t make sense.’ It doesn’t.”

F I L M

Men Would Rather Become Assassins Than Go to Therapy

‘The Gray Man’ Pits Chris Evans’ Mustache Against Ryan Gosling’s Blue Steel by Ryan Syrek

given here. His backstory, which is told in an avalanche of flashbacks, is pretty much just “really needs to speak to a mental health professional.” Gosling smolders better than most, and his gruff smugness pops best against Evans’ campy mustache-twirler.

t’s possible that the fights in “The Gray Man” are cool. No one will ever know. Edited by a blender with meth addiction and shot while the sun was on time out, almost all the copious brawling is nearly indecipherable. It’s like someone telling you he can do Bruce Lee’s sweet nunchaku moves, but only if you close your eyes. This is a problem, considering that the premise of “The Gray Man” is “Hey, what if … violence?” Still, somehow Netflix’s latest attempt to bust blocks at home remains in the general vicinity of a good time.

In 2003, Six (Ryan Gosling) is recruited out of prison by Billy Bob Thornton to do murders for the CIA. This is highly plausible because, in real life, the government absolutely loves exploiting the incarcerated for free labor. Nearly 20 years later, Six is still killing in the name of the good ol’ U.S. of A. When a young hotshot named Carmichael (Regé-Jean Page) takes over for Billy B., Six discovers he’s corrupt AF. And everyone knows that it’s OK to shoot people in the face if you’re told to by a nice bureaucrat but not a mean one. Six flees with evidence, so Carmichael dispatches Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) to eliminate him “by

The “I” in CIA stands for intelligence, and the “A” stands for agency. This violent spy thriller has barely any of the former and gives characters little of the latter. IMAGE: Netflix any means necessary.” The difference between Six and Lloyd seems to be that Six kills only innocent people by accident, whereas Lloyd does it on purpose. This is also the difference between America’s political parties. Lloyd kidnaps Claire (Julia Butters), who is B.B. Thornton’s niece. This angers Six, who once babysat her, which is a lifelong bond you never forget. With the help of Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas), whose name is possibly never mentioned, Six attempts to

save Claire, kill Lloyd, and bring Carmichael to justice. Because that’s what convicted-murderers-turned-unpaid-government-assassins do. The biggest shock in “The Gray Man” comes just after the credits start to roll, and you realize what you watched was based on a book. Not just one book, either. There is apparently a whole series dedicated to … a character whose defining characteristic is not showing any emotion. Six’s real name is never

At least we can understand the simplistic motivations of the two lead dude-bros. The reasoning behind why Dani chooses to help Six is explicitly explained as “concern about her career.” Say what now? She’s willing to face-shoot strangers and bring about biblical collateral damage because she’s worried about her future job prospects? #GirlBoss, right! The closest any female character in the film gets to agency is working for the CIA. Directed by the Russo Brothers, “The Gray Man” fittingly operates in the limbo between genres. It’s not smart enough to be an espionage thriller, not cheeky enough to be an action comedy. Saved only by its relentless pace, Gosling’s smarm, and Evans’ bluster, it is basically “Stupid John Wick.” Please note: John Wick is not a MENSA member.

Grade = B-

Other Critic al Voices to ConsideR Rachel Leishman at The Mary Sue says: “‘The Gray Man’ is the kind of action movie we’ve come to love from the Russos and a great time — especially if you love Gosling and Evans just throwing one-liners at each other while getting stabbed, shot, punched, and thrown into cars.”

Travis Hopson at Punch Drunk Critics says: “At a reported $200M cost, one might think it should have something to say, as well. But that’s not what Netflix was paying for.”

Hoai-Tran Bui at Slashfilm says: “Its greatest disappointment is that it knows what it has — Gosling, a great cast, a lot of money — and it still ends up being less than the sum of its parts.”

AUGUST 2022

F I L M

CUTTING ROOM by Ryan Syrek



Like when Jim Gaffigan appeared in “Scooby Doo,” which is a real thing that really happened, Film Streams is about to offer a collision of comedy and mystery. In partnership with The Backline Comedy Theatre, the Ruth Sokolof Theater will be abuzz on Aug. 16, starting at 4 p.m. And not just because there will be a fight over whether the “E” or “R” comes first in theater/theatre! Funny in the Sun will feature food trucks, games, an improv workshop, stand-up comedy (at 6 p.m.), and a mystery screening of a film (at 6:30 p.m.). There’s even a contest to guess which movie they’ll show. Nobody else pick “Human Centipede,” OK?

The first time I saw “Wild at Heart,” I was just a kid nursing a raging fever. I came across it on accident when HBO used to do “free preview weekends,” which is a real thing that really happened. I remember vividly thinking, “Oh, so this must be what it feels like to be insane.” I don’t think Alamo Drafthouse Omaha will be able to recapture the “magic” of that feeling, but it sure is trying. On Aug. 27 at 8 p.m., the theater is pairing David Lynch’s whackadoo romance with “Gun Crazy,” which was written by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. That movie has been described as “subversive,” which is the level right below “versive.” Both films

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AUGUST 2022

are pulpy-good, “lovers-on-the-run” flicks that fit together, as a character in “Gun Crazy” says, “like guns and ammunition.” As we well know, that is the pinnacle of American companionship.



A quick note to acknowledge that the Oakview theater is a zombie. That is to say, it was dead for a while (when AMC left) but it has come back to life! In early July, B&B Theatres reopened Oakview Plaza 14 and apparently also cast its vote in the senseless, never-ending theater vs. theatre war. Although not yet installed, the chain’s Unlike “Reefer Madness,” the title website suggests for Dalton Trumbo’s “Gun Crazy” that it will soon have seems less silly and more prophetic. at least one auditoriAlamo Drafthouse is showing it in a um with “ScreenX” combo with “Wild at Heart,” which capabilities. Given seems fair. IMAGE: Wikipedia typical associations with the letter X, I had assumed that meant awful homicides gets its own podeither no kids are allowed or that cast or miniseries. This isn’t a full everyone in the audience would review, as I’m not done with it yet. be doused in Mountain Dew. This is just me making sure everyTurns out it means that it will fea- body knows there’s a semi-local, ture screens on side walls for a true crime joint that folks are like270-degree perspective. I’m go- ly to ask if you have seen yet. You ing to go on record and say that’s want to be prepared with your too many degrees. Nick Lachey opinion on whodunnit or whogave us the only 98 Degrees we’ll didn’tdunit, as we’ve all been ever need. Still, a warm welcome deputized by this brand to B&B, please don’t eat our of “entertainment.” brains.



Speaking of things you don’t want happening, “Mind Over Murder” is the new HBO documentary series that explores the killing of Helen Wilson … in Beatrice, Nebraska. They say you haven’t truly made it as a state until one of your grisly,

Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send relevant information to Ryan (film@thereader.com) and follow him on The Reader Film Twitter feed: https://twitter. com/thereaderfilm

C R O S S W O R D

Almost Paradise

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

— they’re nearly anagrams, off by one letter — by Matt Jones

Across

1. Mettle

6. Fan ___ (writing collected on Archive of Our Own)

14. ___Vista (Google rival, once) 15. Paris-area airport 16. Tabloid target 17. Roald who wrote “Matilda” 18. Malfunction

35. “... say, and not ___” 36. High-altitude tune 38. Sore throat culprit, perhaps 40. Stunt double, e.g.

48. Manufacturer of Gummi Bears

46 49

49. Spain and Portugal’s peninsula

43. “The $100,000 Pyramid” host Michael 45. Jai ___ (indoor sport)

41 45

29. Calendario opener 31. Fabric problems

30. Race, as an engine

34 39

20 25

19. Made it to the bonus round? 22. Letters on a beach bottle

9. Glass part 13. Limber

50. From former Formosa, for example

25. L.A. athlete

26. Expert on IRAs and the IRS

27. “Duck Hunt” console, familiarly

56. ___ Squad (Best Buy support service)

28. Plot point in some sci-fi horror films

57. “The Last ___” (apocalyptic video game series)

32. “Project Runway” mentor Tim

Down

33.

1. Carpet cleaner, briefly

34. 37. 39. 41.

42. 44. 46.

65. Top point 47. California’s fourthhighest mountain 66. “I’m ___” (bakery(and part of a chain Quarter-turn from themed tune from sharing its name NNW “The Amazing World with a “Pacific” city) of Gumball”) At some future time 50. Buenos Aires’s loc. 67. Email folder Aconcagua’s range 52. Stretch of history 68. Tom ___, “Animal Hotel room fixtures Crossing” character 53. Apprehend Comedian Will who based on the played Kenny Rogers 54. Reaction to a funny Japanese tanuki TikTok video, maybe and Bill Clinton on (raccoon dog) “Mad TV” 55. “Weird Al” Yankovic’s 69. Roulette wheel stock-in-trade Steers clear of, as an spaces, for short issue 59. Slurpee’s rival 70. Not for minors The Jazz, on sports 60. Old-fashioned record tickers player “Sharknado” star 61. Be eco-friendly Tara

2. Ripen

balancing and horn- 58. playing 62. 11. Belgian tennis player Mertens, current world #1 in doubles 63.

5. Energized all over

12. ___ Kennedy and The Conspirators (backing band for Slash)

6. Brouhaha

14. Obstinate

7. City with an Ivy League university

20. VCR insert

8. Jacques Cousteau’s ship

22. Lengthy tales

3. ___ Wayne 4. Couturier Cassini

9. Movie-watching spot 10. Act that may specialize in

51. Elmo’s inanimate nemesis

21. Natural water falls? 23. Coin sound 24. “Just Keep Swimming” movie

August 2022

Drop in the mail Dog at the end of “Family Ties” credits Note after fa

AnsweR to last month’s “ANY DAY NOW” P A C S U H U H T H R E B M C U S P A L I W E D O S E E P T D A B E U R O E R O D P O K E E R E R A N

E X I T S R I P E S T

M O O S I M P A C A R D N Y E D A K E S Y L L A G O O P A P P I M P E D E S U E A T T R H E E N A P S O

E L A F R I M A G A N O N B I C Y B S T S E R A I R N I A I N D G S O

A S T U T E

P I E R R E

E S S A Y S

R U M B L E R S

O N M E

S K I D

R S E Y I S

C O M I C S Garry Trudeau

JeffREY Koterba

Jen Sorensen

August 2022

O V E R

T H E

E D G E

A Change of Tune

How We Listen to Music Has Evolved. Maybe How We Pay for It Should as Well. by Tim McMahan

emember when we used to run album reviews in The Reader? Whatever happened to those? It’s like this: The way I listen to music — specifically new music — has changed, in part due to my age, but more so because of how technology has changed the media. Case in point: As a teenager, I grew up listening to vinyl records, not out of nostalgia or because I was a “collector,” but out of necessity. For music lovers, that’s all there was. Albums were almost always considered as a whole or a half, to be consumed in one sitting, preferably with headphones to not disturb your brothers or parents when listening at high volumes. Albums were journeys with a beginning, middle and end, or more accurately, a Side One and Side Two (and in some cases, Side Three and Side Four). As a result, when I think about albums I grew up with — such as Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” or Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy” or Steely Dan’s “Aja” or Elvis Costello’s debut or Peter Gabriel’s “So” or “The Velvet Underground and Nico” or Talking Heads’ “Fear of Music” or Joni’s “Blue” — I consider them only as a whole, with each song anticipating the next. The erosion in listening habits began with the emergence of CDs in the mid-’80s, when I was in college and for the first

tify. Maybe it’s time we start paying for music the way we pay for movies. If you want access to an entire album from an artist — say, for a 24-hour period — you have to rent it like you’d rent a new movie. Or buy the download. Or buy the physical media.

Maybe it’s time we start paying for music the way we pay for movies. Photo: Adobe Stock time in my life, busy. Something changed, and if I didn’t get to track 12 or 13, that was OK. As a result, I don’t know if I can name by memory every track on any CD I own. That certainly wasn’t the case with my vinyl albums.

I rarely purchase vinyl albums. When I do, I buy only those I know I’ll listen to again and again. I’m not a collector. I don’t have that kind of room in my house. And maybe most importantly, I don’t have that kind of time.

So here we are in the digital age with Spotify and playlists and other kinds of randomizers forever changing how we consume music. And while some may point to the rise of vinyl sales (and even CDs), only about 10% of music purchased last year was in those formats. Everything else was streamed. Which brings me to my point.

But I still listen to a lot of new music, in fact, more than at any time in my life because every song in the world is now at my fingertips. I know listening to music on Spotify provides virtually no income to the indie bands I love, but I have to believe they’d rather me listen than not listen. Right?

I now find that I consume albums the same way I consume films or live performances — as a whole, in one sitting, like watching a movie. And just like a movie, after I’ve seen it, I’ve seen it. Oh, I might go back and listen one more time. I make note of the songs that stood out and add them to a playlist of the year’s favorites. But by and large, the album as whole is set aside, with a smile or a grimace.

Album reviews were critical in the old days when the only way to listen to a full album was to pay for it (and hope for the best, because like it or not, you were stuck with the purchase). Today, instead of saving your money, album reviews only save you from wasting your time. Maybe it’s time for artists to charge for that full album experience instead of just giving it away on YouTube, Bandcamp and Spo-

Because the streaming model doesn’t work for independent artists and never will. We’ve all seen the numbers — artists get a fraction of a penny per play on streaming services. A million plays are worth maybe a thousand bucks, certainly not enough to cover the cost of the recording. This model would work only if we could persuade the post-internet generation of consumers to value music the same way those of us who grew up paying for it do. And that might be a bridge too far. Unless we figure out a way to value music and compensate artists for their art — for their efforts, for their vision — they’re going to go away. Because, for good or ill, we’re not going back to the way things used to be.

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.

August 2022