THE READER - EL PERICO OMAHA APRIL 2021 by PioneerMedia.Me

A P R IL 2021 | vo lU M E 28 | IS SUE 2

Colleen Brennan

Ea Gu Lea ide gu rt hD to e of th Wo ay eO m ma en ha Vo Ele ters cti on s

Staring Down a Crowded, Noisy Election d mit avid CHe ll

er Brink g Hardin

don roWe

naomi HattaWay

Omaha Must Decide What Kind of City It Wants to Be gilBert ayala

STORY by

jasmine Harris

Corn elius Willia F. ms

Ben Cass

y destink star paul anderson

ita n juan nso joH

Chris Bowling kate gotsdiner kimara snipes

jonatHon laitHan

Cammy Watkins aimee melton

mark gudgel

patriCk leaHy

jen Bauer dan Begley

r.j near. y

pete Festersen

steven aBraHam

jea stotHn ert reBeCCa Barrientos-patlan

jeFF moore Ben gray

saraH joHnson

katHleen kautH

tyeisHa kosmiCki

sara koHen

vinny palermo

saraH smolen

JOBS: PRO Act Passed by House NEWS: The Painful Truth about Being Pregnant and Black in NE DISH: Dishing the Dirt ART: It’s Only Human HOODOO: Music is Medicine NEWS: Student Journalists Spotlight Climate Change FILM: 5 Flicks Instead of Traveling FILM REVIEW: Nomadland HEARTLAND HEALING: Fool’s Gold OVER THE EDGE: A Prick in Time PLUS: PICKS, COMICS & A CROSSWORD EL PERICO: Women at the Helm of Business /Mujeres a la cabeza del negocio | Claves para emprender en Omaha /Keys to Entrepreneurship in Omaha

402.496.0220 402.496.0220 402.496.0220 www.huberchevy.com www.huberchevy.com “Your “Your Way! Way!Under Underthe theExpressway!” Expressway!” 11102 West Dodge Rd. • Omaha, NE 68154 “Your Way!Dodge UnderRd. the Expressway!” 11102 West • Omaha, NE 68154 11102 West Dodge Rd. • Omaha, NE 68154

APRIL 2021

www.huberchevy.com

APRIL 2021

JOBS: PRO Act Passed by House

COVER: Staring Down a Crowded, Noisy Election

NEWS: The Painful Truth about Being Pregnant and Black in Nebraska

DISH: Dishing the Dirt: After a Sterile Year, The Reader was Ready to Get Dirty

PICKS: Cool Things To Do in April

ART: It’s Only Human: Bemis Tri-Part Exhibit Intimate Actions is a Natural Pandemic Response

HOODOO: Music is Medicine

NEWS: Student Journalists Spotlight Climate Change

FILM: Don’t Go-Go Traveling Yet; Watch These 5 Flicks Instead REVIEW: Nomadland

18 21 26 25 30

47 50

59 64

CROSSWORD: New Puzzle, Old Answer 63

healing...............Michael Braunstein info@heartlandhealing.com 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 music..................... Houston Wiltsey backbeat@thereader.com over the edge..............Tim McMahan tim.mcmahan@gmail.com theater.................... Beaufield Berry coldcream@thereader.com

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IN MEMORIAM: Gone But Not Forgotten

FEATURE: The New Normal of Grieving

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

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COMICS: Ted Rall, Jen Sorensen and Garry Trudeau

Women at the Helm of Business / Mujeres a la cabeza del negocio

HEARTLAND HEALING: Fool’s Gold

Claves para emprender en Omaha / Keys to Entrepreneurship in Omaha

April 2021

36 10

OVER THE EDGE: A Prick in Time: Most are Desperate for the Vaccine, While Others Turn Away OUR DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES

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A 1000 WORDS PHOTO BY

Sam Foo www.joshuafoo.com “This photo was taken in Tokyo, Japan. I was visiting with chefs Kane Adkisson of Kano and David Utterback of Yoshitomo working on projects for the two of them with my brother. The city was loud but peaceful, the buildings seem to reach the sky but are surrounded by natural landscapes. There is a rhythm to the streets from busy footsteps and the ambient noise of traffic. Like well-composed music, it fills your ears beckoning you to listen and join in. The fragrance of food in the air tempts you to stay there forever and continues to call me back like a singing siren.”

April 2021

O M A H A

J O B S

PRO Act Passed by House

The Protecting the Right to Organize Act Would Upend Labor Laws if Signed into Law by Alex Preston

he rate of union membership among workers in the United States has been in steady decline since its peak in the 1950s. Several factors have contributed to this decrease, including the staunchly anti-union Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 and more than half of states, including Nebraska, passing “rightto-work” laws, which prevent workers from being required to join unions. Hoping to reverse this decades-long trend, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, also known as the PRO Act, on March 9. This bill, if signed into law, would strengthen workers’ ability to unionize their workplace. The PRO Act was first introduced by Bobby Scott (D-Va.) in 2019 and passed in the House in early 2020, but the Republican-controlled Senate at the time did not put the bill up to a vote. Rep. Scott submitted the legislation again in February of this year, and the bill passed in the House 225-206. The vote was largely

along party lines, with only five Republicans voting in favor and one Democrat opposing.

work” statutes, which are encoded in the state constitution.

Depression,” but President Joe Biden has also voiced his support.

The PRO Act uses a number of approaches to strengthen labor laws in the U.S., including expanding the definition of “employee” to include independent contractors, allowing them to join unions. This means that workers for companies like Uber and DoorDash would be allowed to organize and collectively bargain.

Businesses in Nebraska are prohibited from entering a contract that excludes anyone from employment based on union membership or refusal to pay dues, and noncompliance is a misdemeanor offense, resulting in fines ranging from $100 to $500.

“I believe every worker deserves a free and fair choice to join a union — and the PRO Act will bring us closer to that reality,” Biden tweeted from the POTUS Twitter account. “I urge Congress to send it to my desk so we can summon a new wave of worker power and create an economy that works for everyone.”

Another way that labor laws would be strengthened is doing away with “right-towork” laws, allowing bargaining agreements to require paid dues from all workers represented by a union. The bill also prohibits anti-union activities by employers, such as retaliation for organizing. Additionally, the PRO Act gives the National Labor Relations Board authority to fine employers who don’t comply with fair labor practices. If the PRO Act is signed into law, it could have a major impact on Nebraska’s “right-to-

Database Developer Review, evaluate, design, develop, implement & maintain company databases & develop implementation documentation (data sources, diagrams, & other movement process). Write code for database access, modifications, & constructions (stored procedures, & analyzes, designs). Implement database schemas & provide expertise in creating database tables, views, indexes, constraints, stored procedures, rules & other objects to optimize performance & enforce data integrity. Design solutions for multi-table, multi-database, & complex processing needs. Work closely with IT staff & end-users to design & develop specifications, data dictionaries, & access methods. Use query execution plans to ensure proper design. Implement plans & procedures to automate & improve efficiency & effectiveness of data processes & analysis. Use scheduling tools & scripting routines to automate data loading & refreshing from internal & external sources. Manage & lead SSIS integration projects. Design & implement ETL-style operations using SSIS. Develop SQL queries to create business applications. Assist in developing, generating, & distributing SQL Reports supporting line-of-business production systems & ad-hoc decision support needs. Provide effective testing of new technology related to data management, storage, & retrieval. Work with software development project teams to develop & execute testing procedures for database enhancements & corrections & with team to optimize continuous integration & deployment. Participate in Agile-style project processes & provide database leadership to project teams, mentor team members on database technologies & SSIS packages & workflows, & identify & champion improvements to database aspects of projects. Minimum Requirements: Bach degree in Computer Science, Engineering, MIS, or closely related field with 5 yrs exp developing complex database systems for multi-tier, web-based & mobile technologies that includes proficiency with database development, including the development of stored procedures, indexes, ActiveBatch jobs, SSIS packages & RedGate tools & with current & recent versions of SQL Server, Visual Studio, & Windows & Microsoft Office computing environments; familiarity industry standards regarding Microsoft database development concepts, practices, & procedures. Please send resumes to Caylee Messersmith, Farm Credit Services of America, 5015 S. 118th Street, Omaha, NE 68137.

April 2021

Nebraska is currently ranked 24th in the nation for union membership, with 10.5% of workers represented by unions, which is below the national average of 12.1%. The PRO Act could have a significant impact on the ability of Nebraska workers to unionize if signed into law, possibly helping the state get closer to the national average. The Nebraska Department of Labor declined to comment for this story. The PRO Act is not only supported by major labor organizations, such as the AFL-CIO, which says it is the “most significant worker empowerment legislation since the Great

Now that the PRO Act has passed in the House, it goes to the Senate, but its chances of passing there are slim without filibuster reform. Under current Senate rules, the legislation would need support from 60 senators. However, with Republicans adamantly opposed to the bill, it is unlikely to land on the president’s desk. Strengthening unions and labor laws was a major component of Biden’s platform as a candidate. If the PRO Act fails in the Senate, it would be seen as a significant setback for his legislative agenda.

Database Analyst/ Administrator

Participate in technical design, development, administration, & evaluation of existing/ proposed databases by providing system expertise & database domain knowledge. Provide expertise on data extraction, transformation & loading, using management tools to maintain data confidentiality, integrity, & availability in database environments. Create database tables, views, indexes, constraints, triggers, stored procedures, rules & other objects to optimize performance & enforce data integrity. Develop implementation documentation (data mapping, data flow diagrams, & other methods) to define data repositories & relationships. Assist in maintaining standardized database procedures & standards for administration, security, & utilization of database systems. Monitor database systems to ensure optimal performance & apply knowledge of Microsoft & Oracle databases to maintain consistent peak performance & data security. Analyze future database requirements & develop strategies for data storage & system usage while maintaining effective & consolidated environment. Analyze, design, & implement sound database schemas to achieve system integration. Develop & manage plans/procedures to automate & enhance efficiency & effectiveness of data processes & analysis. Assist in developing, generating, & distributing data driven reports. Create PL/SQL & T-SQL queries to support ad-hoc report generation & data analysis. Work with business & data analysts to develop testing procedures for database enhancements & data corrections. Provide testing & implementation of new technology related to data management, storage, & retrieval. \Minimum Requirements: Bach degree or equivalent in Computer Science, MIS, or a closely related field with 5 yrs of database management & development experience with data warehouse database architecture & decision support tools in an Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server environment & with proficiency with database analysis, development, administration, stored procedures, query analysis & optimization, tools & methods to automate the extraction, transformation & loading of data; Microsoft & Oracle database tools & technologies; current & recent versions of Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle SQL Developer, Microsoft Visual Studio, & database optimization & monitoring tools; familiarity with industry standards regarding Microsoft database development concepts, practices, & procedures; ability to architect complex databases; expertise using current/recent versions Microsoft operating systems & Microsoft Office. Send resumes to Caylee Messersmith, Farm Credit Services of America, 5015 S. 118th Street, Omaha, NE 68137

Company: ProKarma, Inc.

ProKarma, Inc.

Job Title: Solutions Architect #831388 ProKarma Inc. has mult. openings for Solutions Architect in Omaha, NE; travel and/or relocation to various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S. is required. Design system and obtain info on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces. Provide architectural design. Reqs: BS in Comp Sci, Engg (any), or related tech./analytical + 3 yrs exp. in IT-Comp.-related position or Associate’s in Comp Sci, Engg (any), or related tech./analytical + 4 yrs exp. in IT-Comp.-related position. To apply, email Resumes via email to postings@prokarma.com with Job Ref#831388 in subject line.

Software Development Engineer in Test #827772

ProKarma, Inc. Big Data Engineer #818297

ProKarma, Inc.

Software Development Engineer in Test #825482

ProKarma Inc. has mult. openings for Big Data Engineer in Omaha, NE; travel and/or relocation to various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S. is required. Designing and developing Hadoop and Spark solutions. Design, develop, and modify software systems and utilize tools and technologies to build solutions. Reqs: MS in Comp Sci, Engg (any), or related tech./analytical + 2 yrs exp. in IT-Comp.-related position.

ProKarma Inc. has mult. openings for Software Development Engineer in Test in Omaha, NE; travel and/or relocation to various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S. is required. Developing and writing computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents, data, and information. Create, modify, and test the code, forms, and script. Reqs: BS in Comp Sci, Engg (any), or related tech./analytical + 3 yrs exp. in IT-Comp.-related position.

To apply, email Resumes via email to

postings@prokarma.com with Job Ref#818297 in subject line.

ProKarma Inc. has mult. openings for Software Development Engineer in Test in Omaha, NE; travel and/or relocation to various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S. is required. Develop, modify and evaluate existing automation and performance scripts for software applications. Design and develop test automation framework. Reqs: MS in Comp Sci, Engg (any), or related tech./analytical + 2 yrs exp. in IT-Comp.-related position.

To apply, email Resumes via email to

postings@prokarma.com with Job Ref#827772 in subject line.

postings@prokarma.com with Job Ref#825482 in subject line. April 2021

E l e c t i o n jasmine Harris

kate gotsdiner Cammy Watkins

tyeisHa kosmiCki

jonatHon laitHan

kimara snipes

Ben gray

saraH smolen

gilBert ayala

pete Festersen

Ben Cass

katHleen kautH

mark gudgel

r.j. neary

Photo illustration (based on Guess Who board game) by Chris Bowling

aimee melton

saraH joHnson

sara koHen

r Brinke g Hardin

jeFF moore

jen Bauer

vinny palermo

steven aBraHam

patriCk leaHy

don roWe

Staring Down a

Cornelius Williams F. reBeCCa Barrientos-patlan ita n juan nso joH

paul anderson

dan Begley

david mitCHell

jean stotHert

y destink star

Colleen Brennan

Crowded, Noisy Election naomi HattaWay

Omaha Must Decide What Kind of City It Wants to Be by Chris Bowling

t didn’t take long after the snow thawed before the signs appeared. In every shade of purple, green, blue and red they jutted from lawns to slushy street corners. It’s not an uncommon sight for Omahans in spring who will vote in city election primaries on April 6 and generals on May 11. Every four years the candidate pools flood. Newcomers upset the status quo, incumbents keep their seats, the cycle churns on. But this year feels different.

“I think this is very pivotal,” said Jasmine Harris, a candidate for mayor in 2021. “What we saw [in 2020] wasn’t just overnight. These issues have been underlying for so long … And people are not just going back to normal. They’re staying on it. Now it’s election season and they want to see change. They’re hungry for change.” For many, this election season feels like a pressure cooker waiting to explode.

COVID-19 and calls for racial and social justice dominated 2020. As people suffered and died from the virus, protesters filled the streets and local government meetings. Today it feels like people have been activated, drawing them to cast their votes at the polls and announce candidacies on platforms that include affordable housing, criminal justice reform and addressing longtime inequities. The run-up to Election Day has been anything but ordinary. In Omaha, the last few months have brought: - a controversy over an appointed City Council member’s blog posts about race; - a candidate severing ties with a video game streamer who made violent comments about protesters; - the suspension and resumption of several mayoral campaigns after a tragic suicide; - retirement announcements from both the city’s police chief

APRIL 2021

hands long enough and people are fed up.

and top Douglas County public health official on the same day; - outsider candidates collecting high-profile endorsements from previous adversaries;

“People are not just going bac k to normal ... th ey want to see ch an They’re hungry ge. for change.”

- a diverse and passionate group of challengers for mayor and city council, many with more experience in nonprofits and grassroots organizing than politics; and

- the Douglas County Election Commission already sending out nearly 70,000 early ballots, which, combined with in-person Election Day turnout, could potentially triple the turnout of the last Omaha city election primary. For many the message is simple: City leadership has sat on their

“It’s really important to understand that, like, yes, there are larger systemic issues that have always been talked about, right,” said Ja Keen Fox, an organizer and now political consultant for several Omaha City Council candidates. “But the solutions haven’t been derived from the people that are most impacted by those issues.” Others don’t see it that way. Although voter turnout exploded last year, disparities between who voted still exist. And while Joe Biden won Omaha, only the second time a Democrat’s done so, Democrats still lost Senate and congressional races by wide margins. Some say the appetite for change is just not there for

E l e c t i o n “We’re seeing real ideas; we’re seeing people ... have to engage in the new ideas that we’re bringing. That’s the point.”

m a ny voters who want to talk about potholes more than police. “What the activists want to be the issues are not aligning with what the voters are saying the issues are,” said Crystal Rhoades, former chair of the Douglas County Democrats and a current public service commissioner volunteering with three campaigns across the city. “So all the candidate forums are asking about affordable housing, and it seems to be a buzzword that a lot of candidates have right now. But when you’re making phone calls and knocking on doors and talking to the voters, that’s not what they’re talking about.” But which candidates are viable and what a winning strategy looks like depend on who you talk to. It could be an election for the history books, or it could fizzle like a dud. It comes down to names on a ballot and voters across a diverse and fractured city to collectively decide what future Omaha wants to seek.

Predictable Patterns and New Catalysts Chris Carithers usually isn’t surprised at his job. The deputy election commissioner for Douglas County has overseen votes cast here since 2014. Like a lot of things in Nebraska, elections in the state’s most populous county and city follow pretty predictable paths. The same people tend to vote every time around the same issues that usually involve the nuts and bolts of life: trash pickup, roads, property taxes, etc. Although the elections are officially nonpartisan, city and county leadership will trade back and forth between Democrats and

Republicans. But even then, most people tend to gravitate toward the center. Even old disparities in voter turnout seem to be repeating themselves. “[East Omahans’] requests for ballots for this election are running at 80% of their total turnout for the last one, which is great,” Carithers said. “That means there are more people involved. But if you look at [West Omaha] they already have 3,000 more people requesting ballots than voted. West Omaha’s more involved again.” Even when Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District made history by casting its single electoral vote for Joe Biden, Republican Congressman Don Bacon beat his Democratic and more progressive challenger Kara Eastman by a wider margin than two years earlier. At the end it seems voters want to stay near a comfortable center rather than side with an extreme on either side of the aisle. But that’s not to say the unpredictable hasn’t happened. In 1994 and 1997, Brenda Council led campaigns built on registering new voters in East Omaha and bridging gaps between disparate and segregated pockets of the city. Kimara Snipes, a current candidate for mayor, remembers knocking on doors for Council. Seeing another Black woman activated something in Snipes, who went on to lead the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance and govern the state’s largest school district as a member of the Omaha Public Schools Board of Education. “That was my first time ever knocking on doors for anything, not even my church.” Snipes said. “I didn’t even know her.” Council lost by fewer than 1,000 votes in 1997, and the seed was planted that despite what the num-

bers say, neighborhood unity, strategic campaigning and a candidate representative of a marginalized community can at least get you very close to winning. More than two decades later, Omaha has still never elected either a Black man or woman to mayor. Candidates like Harris and Snipes hope to change that. Snipes, who’s been involved with politics since her family started holding internal elections in 1981, says she’s uniquely poised to unite different parts of the city. Harris has a background in public health and criminal justice reform, two key skill sets she says couldn’t be more applicable to progressing Omaha. And they’re not the only ones championing equity. The remaining Democratic mayoral opponents, real estate broker RJ Neary and public school teacher Mark Gudgel, both say racial and social equity is a No. 1 priority along with halting the brain drain and addressing issues like climate change. Nearly every candidate for mayor or city council has at least something to say about issues like the city’s affordable housing crisis. Most acknowledge Omaha is falling short in serving citizens equally. They also say Omaha needs to change how it polices, though few say they would commit to divesting funds from the police. The result is a candidate pool that’s actually not much larger than most years, Carithers said, it’s just filled with more viable candidates than ever. That’s a win for activists like Fox. “We achieved our first goal, which is to have every race contested,” he said. “And we’re seeing real ideas; we’re seeing people that have never had to really campaign against someone have to engage in

the new ideas that we’re bringing. That’s the point.” It all feels like it’s building up to something, said Gary Di Silvestro, a former advisor to Mayor Jim Suttle and the current campaign manager for Kimara Snipes. While others use history to paint a predictable image of Omaha, Di Silvestro sees it differently. Democrats have won the big races following changes in national leadership. Suttle won following President Barack Obama’s historic win in 2008, the first time Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District went blue. John Cavanaugh won a seat in Congress in 1976 after Jimmy Carter replaced Richard Nixon, the first Democrat in more than two decades to represent the district. And more than that there are a lot of people in this race. That’s an indication that people are ready for change. “You know, we always say every election is a watershed election, right?” Di Silvestro said. “But this one genuinely is. Genuinely.”

Voters Decide Crystal Rhoades said she has spent her career trying to diversify politics. The former Douglas County Democratic Party chair said she made it her mission to support and elect more LGBTQ and BIPOC candidates. Now as a public service commissioner she’s not consulting as much, but she is volunteering to help with three campaigns her husband is working on, including Sara Kohen in District 7, Danny Begley in District 3 and Vinny Palermo in District 2. Despite her personal feelings about how things should change, she said there’s one thing she has to remember: Voters don’t care what you think.

APRIL 2021

E l e c t i o n

Ja Keen Fox in front of Mayoral candidate Kimara Douglas County Attorney Don Snipes was endorsed by Kara Kleine’s home in December Eastman, Ann Ashford and 2020. Photo by Chris Bowling. former U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson. Especially this year, Rhoades said, voters don’t care about the same things that have made headlines throughout 2020. She said the 100,000-plus people she and others working on these campaigns have talked to want to hear about trash, roads and other perennial topics. “If that’s what voters want to talk about, then you better talk to them about what they care about, because otherwise you’re just spending a lot of money and a lot of time talking about messaging that isn’t getting any traction,” she said. Likewise, Jim Vokal, former Omaha City Council president and current executive director of the Platte Institute, a right-leaning thinktank said he doesn’t anticipate any shocking results this election. People are generally happy with Mayor Jean Stothert’s performance, he said, and the only races that could shift the city council’s political makeup are in heavily Republican districts out west and the purple District 5 around Millard. Still, name recognition, fundraising abilities and the short one-month turnaround from primary to general make this an uphill battle on all fronts. “Here’s the deal,” Vokal said. “City elections are so quick. After you get through the primary, you only have six weeks to really digest some of the stuff. These are pretty big, comprehensive, emotional issues. How much of that can you really get into in a six-week campaign?” Rhoades also said while money alone doesn’t win races, candidates have to raise a certain amount if they don’t want to get smothered by a barrage of ads. Stothert raised more than $860,000 by March 2, according to

campaign finance records. That’s far more than her closest challenger, RJ Neary, who raised about $385,000. And it’s even higher than people like Harris, who raised about $50,000, and Gudgel and Snipes, who have raised less than $25,000. But candidates like Snipes say it’s not about how much you have, it’s about how you use it. Since starting her campaign Snipes has worked out of the Scooter’s Coffee conference room on 30th and Ames streets. When her car broke down, she took the bus to canvas. For Rhoades it doesn’t matter how great a story someone has, they still have to listen and communicate with voters. That takes time, money and support that feels lacking among many candidates, especially in the mayoral race, which she doesn’t think the Democrats have a shot at winning. She hopes she’s wrong, though. That perspective has caused friction between her and Fox, who has accused Rhoades of perpetuating white supremacy for working with Colleen Brennan, an Omaha City Councilmember who made racially questionable comments on her personal blog. Rhoades denied that she worked with Brennan and called Fox’s comments misogynistic, upsetting and said that he could “fuck off.” While the conversations activists have spurred are necessary, they’re not endemic of how most voters feel, Rhoades said. When asked if she feels like any activist-backed candidates are likely to win over establishment Democrats, Rhoades said no. “I’m not at all concerned about it,” she said. To activists like Fox, discounting candidates running on issues of

APRIL 2021

Crystal Rhoades, former chair of the Douglas County Democrats, says voters are mostly concerned with perennial issues. race, policing and equity is the same as discounting Black and brown voters. To Fox, that’s what perpetuating white supremacy looks like.

Jasmine Harris, mayoral candidate, says people are hungry for change.

“If you don’t address it. I think that’s noticeable,” Vokal said. “It doesn’t have to be your top focus, but it needs to be somewhat of a focus along with how do we deliver city services? … Given the last year, I think you’re pretty tone deaf if you’re a Republican and you’re not addressing the importance of continuing conversation.”

“I think the important thing to talk about is who the audience is,” Fox said. “We’re talking to Black and brown people on purpose, not because they have historically voted in high numbers, but because they’re the people most impacted by the issues. And if we’re talking about the issues that they care about, we can increase their voter turnout.”

Bigger Than Omaha

While Fox recognizes Omahans can’t change their government overnight, he said people can change who they campaign for, gathering under a tentpole of moral ideas that will attract new voters and make others comfortable to join the coalition.

In a few days, Omaha will halve its herd of city government candidates. After primary day there might be surprises. There might be some “I told you so’s.” Not everyone will be happy, but maybe they’ll find common ground on which to compromise.

That process is already starting, Fox said. Even if no incumbents are unseated, politicians are having to fight for their jobs like never before. They’re getting involved in conversations about equity that have been hot topics in areas like North and South Omaha, but not citywide. Things are changing.

Because no matter what side you’re on, something does feel different about this election. Issues are getting discussed in a new way, and more people than ever will likely vote.

“This might take some time, and it might not happen in this election,” Fox said. “But we’re going to make this a normal part of living in Omaha, that candidates are speaking directly to the people impacted by those issues.” Vokal agrees. He said while most Omahans still seem to want a government that manages basic necessities and gets out of the way otherwise, it’s irresponsible to assume the old ways of addressing race relations, policing and social inequality are going to work. Everyone needs to be a part of the conversation for changing Omaha.

The city, state and country seem to be in a continued state of flux, a pressure that keeps building. It could lead to nothing. Just a dud that fizzles out. But many don’t think it will. “People are looking at us,” Snipes said. “And they’re seeing us. We have to lead by example and show people that this is really possible. And we really can take this city and push it forward … it’s so much bigger than just what’s happening in the mayoral race. This is something that’s going to trickle over into so many other things. But it’s gotta be done the right way.”

The Claire M. Hubbard Sustainability Series focuses on a different sustainability topic each quarter on a local, regional and national level. The speakers often present the environmental problem, along with possible solutions and work they are doing to help combat the issue. Following the speakers’ presentations, there is a question and answer session. Environmental concerns encompass a wide array of issues. These issues include air quality, greenhouse gases, water treatment, species endangerment, global warming and more. Metropolitan Community College takes the opportunities to highlight these various environmental issues, whether it be an informational session, or a more hands-on approach through noncredit courses. The offerings change and vary each quarter and can be found at mccneb.edu/ce. Quarterly, MCC shines a spotlight on a different environmental issue so community members can learn more, ask questions and broaden their horizons.

To learn more about the Hubbard Sustainability series, and view past and upcoming events, visit mccneb.edu/hubbard. MCC also offers sustainability courses so people can learn how they can make an environmental difference in their own homes. This spring, Sustainability classes include a series about solar energy, how it works and how to implement it at home. To view a list of upcoming courses and register, visit mccneb.me/sustainable. Registration can also be done by phone at 531-MCC-2400.

Metropolitan Community College affirms a policy of equal education, employment opportunities and nondiscrimination in providing services to the public. To read our full policy statement, visit mccneb.edu/nondiscrimination.

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APRIL 2021

N E W S

The Painful Truth about Being Pregnant and Black in Nebraska Black infants in Nebraska are twice as likely to die during birth than white babies. Nebraska has the second-highest difference between white and Black babies’ death rates in the nation. Meanwhile Black birthing parents face more fatal outcomes.

by Addie Costello

Black parents in Omaha face significantly higher rates of birthing complications due to a lack of medical care in areas with a majority Black population, lack of access to alternative maternal care like doulas and midwives and an implicit medical bias against Black birthing people, according to Owens.

he baby monitor Lisa Billingsley got at her shower echoed the sounds of a silent nursery weeks after the birth of her first child. Instead, Billingsley herself was monitored by constantly beeping machines. Her son’s first moments were backdropped by starch hospital white and not the bright yellow Billingsley carefully chose for the nursery.

“The stats have really been unchanging for decades,” Owens said. “Black women and their children are suffering more — or in the worst cases, dying — because of this legacy of medical racism.”

She did not pace the length of the recently decorated nursery hoping her son would drift into sleep. Instead, she laid with him Candy Zollicoffer and her 10-month old son Zion pose in their home on in her hospital bed with March 12, 2021. Zollicoffer experienced complications during her pregnancy a feeding tube down her that jeopardized her and her baby’s health. Photo by Chris Bowling. And despite efforts to throat making it difficult to change that, including new turn her head to see the inand suffers from an autoimmune Douglas County received a failing legislation from State Sen. Machfant placed in her arms. Most new disease that can cause pregnangrade. aela Cavanaugh to expand Medicparents would be praying for their cy complications. She researched aid coverage for birthing parents, “I had never even considered baby to fall asleep, but Omaha res- doctors and was on a premium Charles Drew Health Center helpwhat I went through because of ident Lisa Billingsley was wishing health insurance policy. But she ing moms in medical deserts or my race,” Billingsley said. “But she could stay awake. didn’t know in Nebraska, her race then when I saw that there were groups like the Women’s Fund of In 2009, Billingsley spent her alone made the chances of her reports of so many Black women Omaha and Nebraska Friends of child dying during birth twice as Midwives fighting for reproducfirst three weeks of parenthood having so many problems with hospitalized, unable to eat on her likely as a white baby. childbirth, I wondered to myself tive rights and the allowance of midwives to practice freely in the own or walk without assistance afThe average infant mortality well then was that part of it?” state, the gap in mortality rates ter severe blood loss during labor rate per 1,000 births for all birthing Diedre Cooper Owens, the dibetween white and Black babies caused the paralyzation of her in- people over 40 in Nebraska from rector of the Humanities in Med- remains stubbornly wide. testines. 2015 to 2017 was 6.9. The same icine Program at the University March of Dimes reported that Delivery by a cesarean sec- average for Black birthing people of Nebraska-Lincoln, explained tion usually takes around 45 min- over that same period was 10.9, doctors ignoring Billingsley’s pain the disparity ratio in Nebraska showed no improvement in 2020 utes, according to the Cleveland according to March of Dimes, is a common experience for Black while the national levels of disparMedical Clinic. Billingsley laid on a national organization that has patients. been working for 80 years to help ities in preterm births worsened. the operating table for 2.5 hours. “Often Black birthing peowith the country’s high maternal “What are some of the first “They ended up having to put and infant mortality rates. In recent ple are not believed when they me under because I started to tell years, March of Dimes has started say they’re experiencing pain or steps and best practices that are them that I could feel whatever programs focusing on making ma- some complication,” Owens said, going to happen with medical they were doing,” Billingsley said. ternal healthcare more accessible “There’s a lot of patient blaming practitioners in hospital systems to ensure that Nebraska can actually “They kept telling me, ‘No, you and equitable and last year it gave that goes on when we think about reverse its numbers in terms of macan’t.’ I said, ‘Yes, I can. I can feel Nebraska a D+ grade for its per- Black mothers and Black birthing ternal morbidity, and mortality and that.’” formance in preterm births, lower people.” infant mortality?” Owens Billingsley expected some com- than the national grade of a C-. asked. plications. She was 40 years old

APRIL 2021

f l e s r u o Y m ar d I v o c t s n I a ag The community goal is to get every adult immunized. In the meantime, keep wearing a mask, giving space, and avoiding crowds. Doing right, right now means protecting your loved ones and your community from serious illness until the coast is clear.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines at DoRightRightNow.org DRRN Phase 2 Reader FP_Mar20_VF.indd 1

APRIL 2021

3/22/21 8:04 AM

D I S H

Dishing the Dirt After a Sterile Year, The Reader was Ready to Get Dirty by Sara Locke | Photos by Chris Bowling

hile The Reader has continued bringing food news, openings, closures and events throughout this pandemic year, one aspect of our former reporting service has been woefully lacking since COVID-19 shut down dining-out options. While your humble Reader writer has continued supporting local, I haven’t spent more than five minutes at a time inside a restaurant and only while quietly waiting for an order among a sea of delivery drivers. Observations each time offered only a somber silence as an amuse-bouche and left me hungry for the thriving scene it took decades to build. While I have wildly missed watching as a chef’s eyes light up explaining the inspiration for a sauce or the meaning behind a curiously named dish, social distancing has taken “hanging out” with the talent off the menu.

a curling, socially distanced line a dozen deep and an expected 40-minute wait, as the smell of chicken and fries permeated the hall.

The hard work of Moses Mosely, Mike West and Dan Whalen are positively reflected in the glowing reviews left by diners, and by the glut of return customers. But as this storm begins to lift, so does the heavy pall it has cast on our culinary experiences. While my first foray back into the world was a casual one, the impact felt enormous.

The experience at Dirty Birds is a handful in more ways than one. Oversized sandwiches and personalities make this casual chicken spot shine.

April 2021

Dirty Dining I recently took my first steps into The Switch, the beer and food hall in Blackstone that opened just as the first quarantine’s restrictions lifted in June 2020. Partnering with Bartholomew Restaurant Group, The Switch’s roster of restaurants has undergone an overhaul since its initial opening, and the spot now features several pop-ups alongside regular tenants. One of the newest Switch stars is the aptly named Dirty Birds, located in the back of the dining hall. It was this cheeky chickeneria that lured me in on a recent rainy afternoon. When I arrived starving post-workout at 1:40 p.m. on a Sunday, I expected at the most a waning din of lingering diners in the hall. What I was greeted with instead was

The inevitable wait can be spent people-watching, taking in the sights of the hall or grabbing a beer at the conveniently adjacent Infusion. I spent it reveling in the noise of other people simply living their lives again. It was something I hadn’t even thought to miss. A Tinder date at a nearby table was almost enough to diminish the jovial sound of the Dirty Bird kitchen, but someone hating their date will never win over the sound of someone loving to cook in my book.

Nothing to Bawk At The energy of the kitchen alone made time fly. As I listened to Dan Whalen patiently respond to his customers’ queries, I took it all in. The rubber chickens hanging from the ceilings were the perfect complement to the handwritten cardboard menu above the sweltering kitchen. The guys in matching flour-spattered tees bellowed jovially to one another as one hand-tossed fries and another battered chicken quarters. As bustling and busy as the kitchen was, I noted that every member of the kitchen staff made eye contact with me and inquired about my day. To be frank, it felt downright scandalous after months of maintaining a relationship with online ordering or phone call to-go orders.

D I S H I smiled behind my mask at the fact that for the first time in a year a restaurant felt celebratory again. There was more than deep-fried-pickle chicken happening, but an actual experience to be had.

The Recipe The main ingredient for Dirty Birds’ soon-to-be famous chicken isn’t what you think it is. While the novel green bean brine the guys trial-and-errored their way into to achieve the pickle-fried flavor or the spicy Debo sauce on the fries may be their signature, it’s not what makes the place addictive. The three men behind the counter, Moses Mosely, Mike West and Dan Whalen, are more than business partners. They are roommates with a whole lot of history. From touring together as backstage chefs with acts like New Kids on the Block and Elton John to working together at Kitchen Table, this team has had each other’s backs for years. Their chemistry and charisma are the secret ingredients that make not only the recipes happen, but the energy that brings diners back for more. And believe me when I tell you, they know if you’ve been back. “It’s challenging, but it’s a challenging we chose,” said Mosely. “I get to hang out in the kitchen with my best friends, making food people love and making life a little more fun for anyone who comes to see us.” Mosely made time to talk between chugs of the Stories coffee that fuels his long days in the kitchen. At the moment, the staff is intentionally kept to just the three of them, allowing them full control over the experience customers are getting. “Being as small as we are, we definitely notice when we get repeat business. Seeing someone come back because they loved it, reading all of the posts where people are appreciating what we’re doing, it really sustains us. This is our baby right now, and we’re so into it and putting ev-

erything we have into making it great. Knowing people see that makes it our dream job.”

Sweat Equity As the guys carpool home, sweaty and smelling of Debo Fries after a long day, they aren’t spending any of the energy they have left patting their own backs. It was a long road to get to this point, and while the ambitious team has been behind not only every decision, but every plate that’s been served, praise is quickly diverted to their supporters.

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“The recipes were developed over a family dinner we made for Colin and Jess Duggan (owners) at Kitchen Table. That’s where we really took the time to play with the recipe and learn what was going to work. It’s one of our not-sosecret weapons that we use their popcorn spice, too. They really supported us and we learned so much there!” “It was Jay Lund (developer at GreenSlate) who drove us to choose The Switch. We had toured it, but he came to us after the fact and really encouraged us to make it happen. He assured us that rigorous cleaning would be done regularly to keep everyone safe, that the bar would be up and running so people would have somewhere to wait and we wouldn’t have to rush the food. It felt like everything and everyone was really lining up to make sure this happened, and it’s a lot of hard work but we’ve really been embraced. It’s exactly what we hoped it could be.” While Omaha continues to embrace the pickle-fried sandwiches (with two hands, since they are bigger than the average human face) they are also embracing three guys with a lot of positive energy and endless potential. Dirty Birds is located at The Switch Blackstone 3618 Farnam M-Th: 11am-10pm Fri: 11am-12am Sat: 11am-Until Sold Out Sun: 11am-8pm

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April 2021

W PICKS W PetRock’s smooth 70s rock, Slowdown has the show for you. The popular 70s tribute band will be performing two consecutive nights, Friday, April 16, and Saturday, April 17. PetRock has a lineup of crowd favorites from classic 70s bands like the Eagles, Styx, Doobie Brothers and Wings. Whether you’re looking for a night of nostalgia or an opportunity to “soft rock” to some classic tunes, these shows are sure to be a good time for all. is replaced by a bouffant of table saws. In “Good Morning Afternoon,” a cigarette-smoking woman arises from the center of a fruit and floral centerpiece like something out of an Esther Williams movie.

April 1

Fetish

Garden of the Zodiac

sexual fetish objects. Celebrating sexuality with alluring objects of desire, Buller both delights the viewer and furthers his goal to “demystify sex between men and encourage dialogue around topics typically not discussed in ‘polite’ society.” Larry Buller: Fetish runs through May 23 in the Garden of the Zodiac Gallery, 1042 Howard St. There will be no opening reception. Call 402-341-1877, email gardenofthezodiac@gmail.com or visit the gallery’s Facebook page. —Janet L. Farber

Larry Buller, whose show Fetish opens April 1 at the Garden of the Zodiac, is not interested in subtlety. Why else would he trick out his molded ceramic forms into highly embellished decorative set pieces using floral decals, gold luster, fur and fake gemstones while flirting with kitsch? Gilding the lily is, in fact, the point. In the age of Rococo, when chinoiseries flourished, emphasis was on abundant and elaborate decoration, equating to the life pleasurable. Buller has stepped into this breach, exploiting decorative arts’ historical and domestic connotations by encoding them further with the cultural vocabulary of gay identity, masculinity and

April 2

Glue Factory Petshop

Collage artist Glue Pinella will debut in Omaha with an exhibition at Petshop, opening on First Friday, April 2. Entitled Occurrences and Emptiness, it features new work in which retro magazine images are combined to create familiar yet surreal narratives. An admirer of the 1950s illustration, Pinella cuts out varied images of people, consumer goods, food and plants, reimagining them into fun and curious compositions. In “Cutting Edge Hairstyle,” a woman’s coiffure

APRIL 2021

All collage elements are pasted against the blank background of paper, an empty space the artist describes as consonant with his feeling about his own life as “a series of bizarre occurrences spontaneously arising out of emptiness then returning to that emptiness.” Nonetheless, his choice of source material and their recombination result in an alluring and whimsical view of the past, perhaps as prologue. Glue Pinella: Occurrences and Emptiness continues through Friday, May 28, at Petshop, 2725 N. 62nd St. Check the gallery’s Facebook page or email alex@ bff.org for more information. —Janet L. Farber

April 16 & 17

PetRock Slowdown

As PetRock asks on its website: “Are you ready to soft rock?” If you are indeed ready to hear

Doors open both nights at 7 p.m., and the show will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets start at $15 for general admission and go up to $45 for reserved and balcony seating. To see more details and Slowdown’s COVID-19 safety protocols, visit their Facebook page. —Alex Preston

April 17

Earth Day Elmwood Park

Omahans can celebrate a scaled-down Earth Day event in person this year. Held at the historic Elmwood Park on Pacific Street, the 32nd annual Earth Day Omaha will be free, open to the public and socially distanced. For more information, including a full event schedule, check out earthdayomaha.org. In collaboration with Sarpy County Earth Day, Earth Day Omaha is also hosting a monthlong, virtual expo: the Nebraska Earth Day Passport. From April 15 through May 15, up to 10,000 participants (called “players”) can download the Nebraska Earth Day Passport app and check out virtual exhibitor “booths.” At each booth, players compete for daily points

W PICKS W Ongoing

and prizes in challenges, which range from engaging with exhibitors on social media to captioning photos related to environmentalism.

10 Years After

Readers can learn more about the challenge, which is free to the public, by visiting earthdayomaha.org and Earth Day Omaha’s FaceBook page.

Union for Contemporary Art

—Leah Cates

April 17

Tom Papa The Waiting Room

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Union for Contemporary Art. To celebrate, the Union is planning a year of exhibitions, community engagement and surprises curated around the theme of Joy.

There are a variety of ways in which you may have become familiar with comedian Tom Papa. He’s acted in multiple films, appeared on all of the late night shows, and, most notably, performed standup comedy for more than 20 years. Papa is popular for his observational style of humor that focuses on the day-to-day difficulties of being human. He is currently touring to promote his 2020 memoir and Netflix special, both titled You’re Doing Great! These works remind the audience that life is hard, and we’re all just doing the best we can. On April 17, Papa is performing back-to-back shows at the Waiting Room Lounge at 7 p.m. and 9:30. Doors open an hour before showtime, and tickets start at $27.50. After the difficult year that was 2020, we could all use a good laugh, so reserve your tickets today and get ready for a good time. —Alex Preston

To kick off the celebration, The Union has unveiled its first exhibit of 2021, “Reflection,” by Omaha painter and former Union fellow Patty Talbert. The work fills most of the west facing window of Union building at North 24th and Lake Streets.

May 1-June 13

Cinco de Mayo Various

The organizers behind Cinco de Mayo Omaha are celebrating 100 years in Omaha with a funfilled schedule of events. Saturday May 1, Victory Boxing Club will showcase 15 action-packed Junior Olympic Boxing matches and other local amateur fights. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids (under 5 are free). A virtual Latino Expo! takes place May 5 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fifteen guests will speak on topics related to community, business, health/education and

culture. The event is free and offers a good opportunity for networking and to increase your knowledge of Latino culture. The celebrations continue with a salsa night at The Jewell May 8. Latin Music Series presents Andy William and The Nebraska All Stars with “El día del son cubano” from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ¡Gózalo! and find tickets at jewellomaha.com. The festivities continue into June with a Miss Cinco de Mayo contest on June 4 and a three-day festival with live music, carnival rides and games at the Plaza de la Raza at 24 & N St June 11-13. For more information, visit cincodemayoomaha.com.

“I started The Union as a means to help uplift and celebrate the beauty and resilience of my North Omaha community — that was the dream,” said Executive Director Brigitte McQueen. “It’s been such an honor to watch that dream become actualized in such incredible ways through the support of so many people.” Watch for more events throughout the year. Some highlights: an exhibition of works by abstract painter Mavis Pusey(1928-2019), several community-based tours and conversations around the nationally recognized “Undesign the Redline” project. Contact The Union for further information and COVID-19 protocols at info@u-ca.org or visit its website www.u-ca.org.

—Karlha D. Velasquez Rivas

APRIL 2021

—Kent Behrens

It’s Only Human Bemis tri-part exhibit Intimate Actions is a natural pandemic response by Kent Behrens

he pandemic has forced many of us to reexamine our connections to others and develop a new appreciation for intimacy and interaction with other human beings. Intimacy is not unique to relationships. Mutual understanding and personal communication have been intrinsic to the making and viewing of fine art since the first person drew a mark on a cave wall. The current exhibit at Bemis Center, Intimate Actions, is centered on the theme of intimacy, representations of the body and its connections to space, surroundings and relationships. The show features three solo displays by artists Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Joey Fauerso and Maria Antelman. As she had planned before the pandemic, Bemis Director of Pro-

grams and Chief Curator Rachel Adams brought the three accomplished artists under one banner, emphasizing connections to intimacy within their disparate styles. In similar fashion to other venues, the Bemis has instituted an assigned, directional procession through the three shows. Be sure to follow the blue arrows. In the first gallery, photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya presents Drop Scene, a series of color prints that comprises selections from several ongoing, individual projects the artist was involved with over the last several years. Sepuya shoots his images in-studio, and they first appear as candid shots taken between or after formal portrait sessions. Though initially appearing casual, closer scrutiny reveals carefully choreographed vignettes. The works feature mostly nude male bodies, often twisted into an appreciative or slightly teasing embrace. Some feature mirrors or subjects holding cameras pointed back at the viewer or phones depicting the same scene at which the viewer is staring. This allusion to the voyeurism inherent in all photography is subdued and does not seem overly judgmental toward the viewer.

Paul Mpagi Sepuya; “Figure (0X5A0918)” 2019; archival pigment print

April 2021

The scenes portrayed are quiet and bold but fragmented; white walls and black fabric backdrops provide the basis for each composition, exposed stands and sparse furnishings are either incidental or placed about each piece’s overall design. Occasional

off-camera “extras” give an arm or leg to complete many of the compositions. Much has been written of the racial, homoerotic, sexually provocative nature of Sepuya’s work. However, nothing here is overt; the images are sensual, and the subjects are comfortably passive yet engaged. Each model portrays dignity and vulnerability, and all have a serious, even matter-of-fact expression. The work stops well short of being prurient — the result is about intimacy, touch and being touched. Following the blue arrow, across the main hall is work by Joey Fauerso of San Antonio, Inside the Spider’s Body. The exhibit consists of stark, black and white paintings, metal sculptural elements and two video installations. At first, the work appears to be an installation piece of various images, welded wire sculpture and video because labels are not evident. The artist preferred her titles be further off to the side than usual or around the corner, and they disappear on the white walls. Although slightly confusing at first,

Maria Antelman; “Forever Rock” 2020; 60” monitor; dimensions variable, courtesy of the artist and Melanie Flood Projects, Portland, Oregon. this ultimately doesn’t matter. Just remember to take a little extra effort to discover titles for each piece. Fauerso’s paintings are similar in style to each other; each is done in layered and scraped blacks and whites on unstretched canvas. Created in a bold, expressive and somewhat primitive hand, the graphic, layered paintings are loose canvas panels or strips, torn in straight lines. As Fauerso states in the exhibition catalog, “I make collections of things that can be arranged in different ways. I am interested in using modular components to convey an un-

Joey Fauerso; “Inside the Spider’s Body” 2020, installation

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Maria Antelman; “Hypnos” 2020; digital inkjet print, steel derlying mobility of signs and circulation of meaning.”

video pieces seem to add a touch of humor and personal warmth.

The sculptural elements, welded wire cubes and enigmatic “sticks” provide a playful, solidifying structure to the presentations. However, their precise meaning, like that of the paintings themselves, is left to interpretation.

Her work emphasizes the dichotomy of making and destroying and then remaking. The imagery within each is a cryptic agglomeration of landscapes, bodies, faceless groups, flags, fruit, animals, rocks and various abstract patterns. Each initially appears to be some sort of story based on a dream or folklore.

At the room’s center is “Coda,” a five-panel painting, each panel surrounded by a welded wire cube. The imagery portrays a group of nondescript people walking or marching across a landscape dotted by flags, which make it appear as if this is war or a funeral procession. Fauerso also presents two video displays worth mentioning, “Inside the Spider’s Body” (2020) and “Attendance” (2016). Although the first is a bit long at almost 30 minutes, it is a two-channel performance of a woman “interacting” and deconstructing; loud sounds of painted canvas tearing and sliding against her body fill the room at times. Both

The blue arrows lead us to the last exhibit, Maria Antelman’s Soft Interface. Antelman’s black and white photographs often are presented in two, three or four images in bold, dark frames. The photos depict unclothed arms, legs, torsos, ears, all partial portraits of herself, friends or family. When presented in a group, the frames work as graphic elements tying pieces together and directing the viewer’s eye to connect the disparate parts, but always leaving pieces missing or incomplete. Some of these assembled photos are backlit video GIFs, closed-loop

animations. The animation is minimal and unnerving, simply two or three combined stills that make a chest look as though it is breathing or legs as though they are twitching. Antelman’s human subjects often partially morph into carved stone statues and sometimes further into raw rock, as portrayed in her video presentation, “Stone People” (2020). Implicit in the three artists’ work are those basic principles that play a role in all forms of intimacy — trust and vulnerability, recognition of our mutual connections to the past and our shared, immutable quest for the

archetype. In Intimate Actions, Bemis has gathered three very diverse artists who find common ground in those foundations. The exhibition continues through April 24. The show includes three sessions of Bemis’ Public Assembly, an open community forum that uses the exhibit as a starting point in how questions related to the art impact the current social, political and artistic landscape. Public Assembly’s final session is Thursday, April 8, from 7 to 8 p.m. RSVP is required for Zoom details. Information is at bemiscenter.org.

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H O O D O O

Music is Medicine

Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal’s long-awaited 2019 studio release, Natural Born Hustler, is ready with live performances in April by B.J. Huchtemann

e balance on the brink of a COVID-19-disrupted world that hopefully is returning to some mindful but more normal opportunities for live music. Lincoln’s Josh Hoyer is among those impacted. His career was on a serious upswing before coronavirus infection rates and closures ground life as most of us know it to a halt.

are elements he may have taken more time with if he’d known the release would be delayed. “But, as it is, I am very happy with the recording and feel it is very honest and genuine,” he said. “Sometimes songs and albums have a shelf-life; luckily this one has many of those ‘timeless’ songs that didn’t suffer after the lack of an immediate release.”

“I will never take any chance to play for granted again. Any time I get to play music is the best time,” Hoyer said in an email interview.

Hoyer said the album will hopefully be a favorite of classic soul and R&B fans and pointed to Color Red’s description of the album as “a collection of timeless songs slated to last through the decades … Hoyer and his musical cohorts make music for grown folks with their authentic, real, and honest songwriting … not confined by age, upbringing, religion, creed, or differences — they are meant for anyone who seeks the medicine of music.”

Natural Born Hustler on Color Red Music was released March 26. The recording sat on the shelf for more than a year. The project was recorded in 2019 in two sessions at producer, musician and Color Red founder Eddie Roberts’ Denver studios. Roberts is the guitarist for acclaimed U.K. funk and soul band The New Mastersounds. “It’s funny,” Hoyer continued, “We kind of rushed to get things done … before what was supposed to be the highest profile touring we have done up till that point [in 2020].” Those tours were, of course, cancelled, and Hoyer said there

“I think we often wish life would just slow down. I know I do,” Hoyer said reflecting on 2020. “So, I really enjoyed that aspect of the last year and have savored the downtime with my family. My kids and wife and I have never been closer and that is really special to me.

Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal hope the band’s momentum from before the pandemic will propel them forward in 2021 as they release a new CD and look to resume touring in the fall. Photo credit: James Dean

April 2021

Hoyer said creativity helped him stay positive during “an extremely crazy and sad time for our country and our world.” “Having that outlet for the wide range of emotions was instrumental in me keeping my mind together and maintaining hope for the future,” he said. “I have written around 30 songs since last year and have had some beautiful experiences writing commissioned songs for friends and fans. It has kept me connected and grounded in the art form.” “I will never take my musical life for granted ever again,” Hoyer repeated. “In the past, I would allow the frustrations of the business or my desire for better opportunities get the best of me. But I know now just how lucky I am to be able to do what I love for a living. I miss my band, the magic of live performances and all the wonderful people and places we get the opportunity to experience. It can be tough, but, man, is it rewarding.” Asked about what’s next for Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, Hoyer said, “It’s been extremely difficult to plan on anything, but I have hope and it looks like some really great gigs are around the corner, including House of Blues at Jazz Fest in New Orleans, our third Spanish tour, a three-week Color Red Revue in the fall with DJ Williams’ Shots Fired and The Polyrhythmics, and a Japanese tour in 2022. We just started rehearsing last week and the band is smoking!” The official record release show is Friday, April 16, at Lincoln’s Zoo Bar with an early and late show. The Jewell will host the Omaha CD release Friday, April 30, also with two show times. Find out more about the new recording, Natural Born Hustler, at color-red.com and at joshhoyer.com.

Hot Notes Playing With Fire has 2021 dates in place for both the Playing With Fire series at the Capitol District and for a new set of shows. Music for the City concerts will happen at the River City Star’s Dam Bar at Miller’s Landing. Look for the final show and artist announcements at playingwithfireomaha.net. The Blues Society of Omaha’s Thursday 6-9 p.m. series continues at Stocks ‘n’ Bonds. Thursday, April 1, catch the guitar power of Tim Budig Band featuring Shawn Holt, the late Magic Slim’s son. Thursday, April 8, the storytelling songs and big voice of Randy McAllister take center stage. Kansas City’s Kurt Allen Band plugs in Thursday, April 22. Orphan Jon & The Abandoned return Thursday, April 29. Stay up to date on the schedule at facebook.com/bluessocietyofomaha/ events. Lincoln’s Zoo Bar is adding shows to its calendar. Look for updates at facebook.com/zoobarblues and zoobar.com. Several other venues around Omaha have been bringing live music back. A few highlights from those schedules include the rockabilly of the Red Elvises at The B. Bar Friday, April 9, 5:30-8:30 p.m., see facebook.com/theb.baromaha, and the blues of Minnesota’s Joyann Parker at The Jewell Saturday, April 17, 6:30 and 9 p.m., see jewellomaha.com. The Omaha Lounge has relocated to 666 N. 114th St. and is also presenting live music. Find out more at theomahalounge.com. A big roots-blues show hits the stage at The Orpheum Friday, April 16, 7:30 p.m., when the Allman Betts Band performs. See ticketomaha.com.

very becoming Seven make good impreSSion in g1516’S firSt ‘emerging artiStS’ group exHibit By Kent Behrens at the former’s location at 16th and Leavenworth. Amplify Arts’ Program Director Peter Fankhauser offered this as the venue’s definition: “Artists in the early stages of their creative development, with 2 to 10 years of generative experience, a focused direction and goals, a developing artistic “voice,” who have yet to be substantially celebrated within their field, the media, or funding circles.”

VIEWABLE IN PRINT ONLY

TalberT Reflection of PoweR, 2019

Searching the term on the web only confounds the issue; it appears that arts writers and curators are in little agreement about this somewhat new and seemingly overused label. What they do agree on, mostly, is these artists evolving presence and reputation.

The exhibit, which takes good advantage of G1516’s excellent space, features the work of seven local contemporary artists at varying levels of experience and renown. Gallery 1516’s Assistant Curator Suzi Eberly tapped into Amplify Arts extensive roster to serve as guide through the forest of those transpiring from unknown to known. Together, they assembled a group of local talent, as described in the show’s accompanying pamphlet, “that reexamines and rewrites traditional artistic narratives.”

One possible enlightenment is the recent collaboration of Omaha’s Gallery 1516 and the art center Amplify Arts which resulted in an exhibit, appropriately titled Emerging Artists, which opened Sept. 13

Gallery Director Pat Drickey said the show was “put together as a kind of precursor and complement to the upcoming Spring 2021 Biennial.” In addition, it satiates the recent virus-induced dearth of art

ave you ever found yourself asking “What exactly is an emerging artist?” Is it as obvious as it sounds or is there more there than meets the eye?

Neil Griess BluRRed landscaPe, 2019

shows; group shows have always been a good way to show more work to more people. Prior to the completion, Eberly moved away, but still consults with the gallery. Subsequent curation and installation was then taken up by the staff at 1516. This transient collaboration yielded a group of seven artists at different stages of their careers: Camille Hawbaker Voorhees, Shawnequa Linder, Jenna Johnson, Neil Griess, Tom White, Patty Talbert, and Anne Dovali. Depending on your frequency of gallery visits in the area, a few of these names may be new to you, and

INTRIGUING, ISN’T IT?

OCTOBER 2020

shawNequa lindeR scotch and soda, 2020

N E W S

Student Journalists

Spotlight Climate Change UNL Undergraduates Develop Internationally Recognized Project Highlighting Nebraska Environmentalism by Leah Cates

hen he emailed his students’ article on eco-anxiety to one of the top U.S. environmentalists, University of Nebraska–Lincoln professor Joe Starita wasn’t necessarily expecting much. Bill McKibben — the environmentalist with 17 books and a Twitter following of nearly 370,000 — responded in minutes, saying he planned to feature it in a column for the New Yorker. “It’s not typical to have an 18-year-old write something that seizes Bill McKibben’s attention and ends up in the New Yorker,” said Starita, who’s taught in UNL’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications for more than a decade. “That sent off a wave of public recognition dominoes that have never stopped.” The article, co-authored by now-sophomore Aila Ganić and se-

nior Kayla Vondracek, is one of 21 stories featured on Climate Change Nebraska, which has garnered attention from a global environmental group (ICLEI) headquartered in Bonn, Germany. Built by students from seven UNL colleges, the project educates audiences on climate change in Nebraska — and inspires them to take action — via longform journalism, video montages, photography, surveys and more. Starita conceived of the site two years ago, when a bomb cyclone erupted in western Nebraska. Guided by Starita and UNL professor Jennifer Sheppard, also from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, students developed Climate Change Nebraska during an in-depth reporting class. While spring 2020 centered climate change problems, fall 2020 explored solutions. In between was a summer internship, where students designed a website spotlighting content they’d created.

Joe Starita coaches undergraduates from a range of disciplines as they take a deep dive into journalism. Photo courtesy of Joe Starita.

APRIL 2021

As they assembled their team, Starita said, the professors could afford to be picky; they received approximately 50 applications for around 18 slots. For the last half-century, most rigorous UNL journalism classes have been taken exclusively by journalism majors. But Starita opened this interdisciplinary project to all UNL undergraduates. Students range from classics and religious studies majors to students studying fisheries and wildlife. “What [they] had in common was … a la-

Climate Change Nebraska journalists collaborated via Zoom after classes went online due to COVID-19. Ganić (second from top left) became passionate about social issues in large part because her parents are refugees from Bosnia. Photo courtesy of Aila Ganić. ser-like focus for climate change and how to do something about it,” Starita said. One such student is Ganić, a political science major considering a career in environmental law. As she took her first-ever plunge into reporting, Ganić developed a sense of community with classmates not only learning the language of journalism but also grappling with objectivity; students couldn’t interview demonstrators in the morning and then protest come afternoon which, according to Starita, resulted in some students dropping out. But Ganić stuck with it. In addition to her eco-anxiety article, Ganić penned a piece on environmental racism. “If you care about mental health, racial justice … [or] protecting our farmers, climate change is connected,” Ganić said. “It’s interconnected with everything.”

When Katie Couric saw Ganić’s work, she invited the student to write an op-ed about her experience fighting for climate justice during COVID-19 on her blog. And Starita said the New York Times plans to run another student’s piece on public health. Now, in spring 2021, students are transforming their work into a 140page magazine for distribution to classrooms throughout Nebraska. Starita is confident that Climate Change Nebraska will continue its impact. “We [researched] the bejesus out of [climate change],” Starita said, “and we hope these facts will inspire you to ... make this world a better, safer, healthier place.” To view the Climate Change Nebraska project, visit: climatechangenebraska.com.

Sponsors Forest Green Sponsors – $5,000

The 32nd Annual Earth Day Omaha, the city’s largest and oldest ecological showcase and celebration, will be a hybrid event with both online and in-person activities scheduled from

Sea Green Sponsors – $2,500

APRIL 15 – MAY 15, 2021

In-Person

Virtual

“Mini” Earth Day Omaha

Nebraska Earth Day Passport

Saturday, April 17 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. @ Elmwood Park Featuring:

• A “Hard-to-Recycle” drive-thru collection will be held in Elmwood Park from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. with collections for compost, reusable and non-reusable textiles, electronics, metal, eyeglasses and hearing aids, EPS foam, and more! Details will be posted on earthdayomaha.org. • From 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. help clean up Elmwood Park with Keep Omaha Beautiful! Check in at the Elmwood Park Pavilion to receive instructions and lots of eco-friendly information. • Starting at 1:00 p.m. join Lora McCarville for a socially-distanced, outdoor yoga experience with Yoga Rocks the Park! Bring your mats. • Learn how to correctly plant a tree with an arborist! The demonstration will be streamed on Facebook live. Due to the pandemic, this will be a scaleddown celebration with limited activities to keep attendees safe and socially-distanced.

(in partnership with Sarpy County Earth Day) A community connection and engagement platform to display all of the local and regional activities, events, vendors, exhibitors and sponsors that typically make up the environmental expo. Go online to register for free on the new Nebraska Earth Day Passport at EarthDayOmaha.org and GreenBellevue.org, starting April 5th. The passport will launch on April 15th listing all of the activities and challenges taking place over the period from April 15–May 15. New challenges will be featured daily and attendees can earn points and compete for prizes by completing check in challenges, live polls, surveys, trivia games, and more! Participants who register between April 5–14 will receive 100 bonus points. Through the passport, the public will be able to nominate this year’s Earth Day Omaha Friend of the Environment winners! An award ceremony will be presented by Papio-Missouri River NRD and Firstar Recycling after May 15 to honor the 2021 finalists.

Grass Green Sponsors – $1,000

Fern Green Sponsors – $500

Moss Green Sponsors – $350

Than!k You

First Star Recycling is proud to be a sponsor of the Omaha & Sarpy County Earth Day celebrations! Nebraska's largest Materials Recovery Facility champions efforts to bring about greater recycling opportunities to help our community improve waste management practices and recycle more effectively. We understand the importance of sustainable recycling and are at the forefront of innovative technologies and programs to expand the materials we are able to recover! Residential and Municipal Recycling Commercial and Business Recycling Recycling Training and Waste Consulting Hefty® EnergyBag® Program Hard-to-Recycle Plastics into Products

Support local environmental efforts and WIN PRIZES!

Register for free at EarthDayOmaha.org and GreenBellevue.org, starting April 5th. Participants who register between April 5–14 will receive 100 bonus points.

Find this and more on the Nebraska Earth Day 2021 Passport App

•••• Exhibitor List •••• Faith, Trust & Pixie Dust Keep Omaha Beautiful Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska Felius Cat Cafe & Rescue Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail City of Omaha - Stormwater Program Bellevue Native Plant Society Green Omaha Coalition Cross Training Center – Cross Electronic Recycling – Redeemed Computers and Electronics Sahaja Yoga Conservation Nebraska

Fontenelle Forest Novozymes Blair, Inc Nebraska Wildlife Rehab Students for Sustainability Omaha Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue Mode Shift Omaha Earth Guardians Omaha Nebraskans for Solar Bellevue City Tree Board Milkweed Matters Douglas County Environmental Services CommonGround Nebraska

Friend of the Environment Award The Earth Day Omaha committee works with the Friend of the Environment sponsors to recognize each years’ nominees.

Did You Know?

Plastilite - Integritemp Lora McCarville/ Yoga Rocks the Park Omaha Organics Countryside Community Church Nebraska Ethanol Board The Big Garden Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha Farmers Market UNO Office of Sustainability Missouri Valley Group - Sierra Club Rosewood Environmental Art Green Gretna City Sprouts

2 0 2 0 Youth: Audrey M. Anderson Individual: Blake Johnson Nonprofit: Mode Shift Omaha Nonprofit: Habitat for Humanity of Omaha ReStore Business: Natural Grocers Lifetime: Roxanne Williams Draper 2 0 1 8 Youth: Kat Woerner Individual: Kaylee A. Carlberg

Dundee Community Garden Nebraska Environmental Trust Together, Inc. League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha Omaha Public Library PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) City of Omaha Recycling Program Heartland Bike Share (DBA Heartland B-cycle) Zoo Academy Hillside Solutions Dundee Bank Metropolitan Community College Firstar Recycling

Nonprofit: Mode Shift Omaha Business: Morrissey Engineering Lifetime: Art Tanderup 2 0 1 7 Youth: Stephanie Lund Individual: Kyle Johnson Nonprofit: City Sprouts Business: HDR, Inc. Lifetime: Don Preister 2 0 1 6 Individual: Eric Williams Organization: Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

The Reader BFF Omaha Omaha Public Power District Papio-Missouri River NRD MOTAC (Metro Omaha Tobacco Action Coalition) Metropolitan Community College Papillion Sanitation Beardmore Subaru T.E.A.M. (Tobacco Education and Advocacy of the Midlands) Yoga Rocks the Park Audubon Society of Omaha Cox Communications ... and more!

2 0 1 5 Individual: Dr. Ganesh Naik Organization: Benson Plant Rescue / Comm. Produce Rescue 2 0 1 4 Individual: Don Wells, Jr. Organization: Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, Inc. 2 0 1 3 Individual: Chelsea Taxman Organization: Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance

2 0 1 2 Individual: Angela Eikenberry Organization: Whispering Roots 2 0 1 1 Individual: Jen Valandra Organization: Keep Omaha Beautiful 2 0 1 0 Individual: Angela Brockman Organization: Lothrop Science, Spanish & Technology Center Magnet Students

The Earth Day Omaha Coalition is affiliated with Earth Day Network, the international organization that coordinates Earth Day events worldwide.

Earth Day Omaha is celebrating its 32nd year as the single largest environmental event in Omaha and one of America’s oldest, continually running Earth Days!

In a non-pandemic year, Earth Day Omaha features over 100 exhibitors, children’s activities, demonstrations, tree climbing, bike valet parking, live music, local food & beer, and more!

Please, donate now and help us continue to put together Omaha’s biggest environmental event at no cost to our community!

F I L M

Vans Go, With No Monet

Nomadland Paints a Peculiar Portrait by Ryan Syrek

rom bucket shitting to freezing tuckus in a gas station parking lot, it’s hard to say that writer/director Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland glorifies the experience of living out of a van. Still, for a film beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish, things do feel oddly romanticized at times. That’s not exactly a criticism, as the usual approach for a subject like this one is artistic poverty pornography. Watching narrative cinema bait Oscars by poaching from the poor is always gross. Zhao, working from the book by Jessica Bruder, permits her characters basic agency and dignity, daring to let them do more than bemoan their Steinbeckian plight. They do do that, just to be clear, but they do more than that, too. The result is a weirdly timid, tersely stoic portrait of capitalism’s human scraps. Frances McDormand plays Fern, a recent widow receded and reseeded by the Great Recession. When the factory shut down in her small Nevada town, she lost her house and her job. She now lives in a van, drifting like metal tumbleweed blown by weather currents and employment opportunities. Along the way, she meets fellow nomads, each of whom pays a story of sorrow and defiance as their entrance fee into Fern’s heart. Swankie (Charlene Swankie) has chosen to die of cancer on the road instead of disappearing into

Nomadland is either a celebration of living off the grid or a sad song about capitalism. Either way, Frances McDormand defecates in a bucket. Photo credit: Searchlight Pictures.

white hospital sheets. Bob Wells, who also plays a fictional version of himself, feels his son’s suicide like he’s still watching it happen in front of him. Dave (David Strathairn) becomes whatever the nomadic equivalent of a steady boyfriend is to Fern, until he asks her to stay with him permanently in his son’s guest house. Nomadland has no plot or subplot, no character or narrative arc, no easily discernible thesis or moral. It just kind of is. Some have called it a character study, but Fern doesn’t grow, change or learn anything really. Zhao’s loosely held reins simply let Mc-

Dormand gallop, pulling the film along with only her authenticity and chaotic charm. This isn’t some sloppy or lazy experience; nobody fell asleep at the van’s wheel. It’s just The Grapes of Wrath without the wrath. So, you know, grapes… Nomadland is the kind of movie it’s easy to project feelings onto. Its relaxed, nonchalant approach to desperately serious matters of poverty and the irresponsibility of the way communities treat their most vulnerable allows it to feel impassioned without it actually saying much of anything. It’s downright dangerous to imply that “maybe people us-

ing their vehicles as bathroom/ homes are doing just fine.” It’s equally as upsetting to demean those who have chosen “None of the above” in the shitty multiple-choice question America asks its children to fill out. Here’s what’s inarguable: McDormand is spectacular. Zhao is the real deal. And Nomadland is a good film that can be elevated to greatness, depending on how much work you’re willing to do on its behalf. To misquote a friend, given the awards love it’s getting, “It’s not the best film of the year, but your mom and dad will think it is.”

Grade = B

April 2021

F I L M

Vacation (Movies) All I Ever Wanted Don’t Go-Go Traveling Yet;

Watch These 5 Flicks Instead by Ryan Syrek

e’ve gone from “What’s a coronavirus?” to “Inject me with that sweet, sweet COVID-19 vaccine” faster than you can ask “Wouldn’t it be nice if we valued science at all times and not just mid-crisis?” That’s still not quick enough for long-caged, wandering souls who are straight-up thirsty for a trip to literally anywhere. Hold your antibodies, y’all. Don’t be the idiots in a horror movie who think the ax-wielding face-eater is out of commission just because he fell down and got a boo-boo. We need to back over COVID with a truck a few times, light its corpse on fire and spread its ashes like good gossip before we start sharing cooties with other zip codes. I beg y’all with a lust for wander to chill just a bit longer, pop open a window and spin one of these travel flick recommendations. This is a very specific prescription: Consuming all these films will both flood you with the sight-seeing feels you’ve been craving and show you why you don’t actually need (or want) to go anywhere. Hang in there, my travel-hungry babies.

Recommendation 1:

Spring Breakers The thought of copious sweaty human bodies pressed all up into one another was grody to some of us long before doing so became a golden ticket for a nasopharyngeal swab. Nearly a decade ago, writer/director Harmony Korine gave us the super-fun visual STD that is Spring Breakers, a movie

that finally used James Franco’s inherent not-so-subtle grossness to grand effect. The film is primarily a sizzling satire about the hedonistic meat grinder that American youth call vacation. However, it should also scratch the itch for folks who enjoy having travel stories that cross the line from “We got pretty crazy!” to “I am confident we have broken many laws...” Korine’s debauched hallucination is as much a cautionary tale about “leaving your inhibitions behind” as it is a neon-soaked cinematic rave. Also, it features Gucci Mane in a performance so energetic and exciting that he fell asleep while filming a sex scene. Oh, and according to Franco, Werner Herzog said “Three hundred years from now, when people want to look back at dis time, dey won’t go to de Obama inauguration speech, dey will go to Spring Breakers.” This one has it all, people!

Greece. Jesse and Céline now have two kids together and fear the sand slipping through the hourglass of their hearts. Because these are less plotheavy, intricately woven stories and more “Let’s talk as we stalk through gorgeous European scenery,” they feel more like visual postcards. Some say “Wish you were here!” while others scream something closer to “Can we ever really love another person?” Who doesn’t like a little existential crisis about the nature of true intimacy when traveling, right?

Recommendation 3:

The Trip Series

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon star as fictionalized versions of themselves, which likely leads to the inevitable question “Who are Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon?” In addition to looking vaguely familiar to American audiences, the answer is that they are British comedians who specialize in dad

humor. If you’ve never wanted to go to Europe with your father, here’s a chance to remember why. The Trip series consists of four films that were hobbled together from four seasons of a TV show, each dedicated to dining and relaxing in a different country. Does watching two rich, bored white dudes waste time while eating expensive meals and staying in quaint accommodations sound enriching or enraging to you? Either way, this will help with your travel yearning.

Recommendation 4:

Midsommar

Hear me out: Technically, yes, this is a pagan horror film that’s really about emotional abuse and processing trauma. It is also very pretty. Primarily set in a Swedish commune, cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski doesn’t skimp on visual poetry, his lens dancing around flower-soaked hillsides like a maiden twirling around a

Recommendation 2:

The Before Trilogy Richard Linklater’s narratively breezy, emotionally dense Before triptych stands at the intersection of travel and true love, serving collectively as perhaps the best relationship movie ever made. In Before Sunrise, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) is a naïve American student who falls for Céline (Julie Delpy) over the span of precisely one night in Vienna. Before Sunset, set nine years later in Paris, finally reunites the couple, who had broken their Viennese promise to meet again. Before Midnight jumps another nine years ahead and moves to

April 2021

It may not be safe or easy to go on vacation quite yet, but these five movies will scratch your travel urge. In both good and bad ways. Photo credit: Paramount Pictures.

F I L M pole. The, let’s say “deliberate,” pace of writer/director Ari Aster’s ode to “reasons you should dump him” provides ample opportunity to ingest the luscious surroundings. It may also provide the kind of epiphany that so many hope to find on their travels. Is it a happy epiphany? I mean, the film does end on one heck of a smile! The idea of vacation isn’t always to get away; it is sometimes about the quest for perspective. Midsommar might well allow you to reframe assumptions about relationship dynamics and anxiety disorders without having to pay a luggage fee for all your emotional baggage.

Recommendation 5:

Up in the Air

Was I not going to mention a movie with ties to Omaha and Anna Kendrick in it? Technically, this is not a “vacation” movie so much as a “travel” movie. George

Clooney stars as a terminator — meaning companies hire him to fire people — who also gives motivational speeches about living a minimalist life that allows you to move about freely without connections. The film also relies heavily on the rise of videoconferencing and has a lot to say about capitalism treating human blood like oil for its machine. It wasn’t so much “ahead of its time” as “evergreen.” Ultimately, the film doesn’t say that a vagabond life is inherently bad so much as it says that “home” is a very, very good thing to have. Over these past months, those of us lucky enough to have a safe, happy place to call our own may well have come to take it for granted. Even the best vacation eventually gives way to the bliss that is the first night in your own bed. Up in the Air gives you that feeling without making you accumulate 10 million frequent flyer miles.

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April 2021

F E A T U R E

The New Normal of Grieving by Lindsay Wilson

hen Matt Brewer, manager and funeral director at Bethany Funeral Home in La Vista, thinks back to the early days of the pandemic, the uncertainty is what stands out. “It was such an unknown with the virus,” he said. “There was a lot of confusion and a lot of nervousness and fear, but we still had a job to do.” As other workers hunkered down for what would become a year of working from home, the last responders at Bethany doubled down on their personal protective equipment and put their health on the line to continue providing vital end-of-life services to the community. “People are dying, and they don’t have anywhere else to turn,” Brewer said. When fall and winter hit, the directors at Bethany were handling about double their normal caseload. Bethany is a small funeral home, with only three funeral directors on staff. “Generally, we see about 15 to 20 [calls] per month, and at one point we were at about 45,” Brewer said. Seventy five percent of these calls were COVID-related. “It was sad that it was becoming routine,” he said. “It was terrifying and sad.”

Matt Brewer Bethany Funeral Home photo by Sam Foo

April 2021

With the caseload rise came an increase in exposure risk for last responders like Brewer. If a deceased person had COVID, the likelihood that their family members have been exposed is high. Even with safety practices

in place, last responders continue to be exposed to the virus every day. This takes a toll. “It’s emotionally, physically and spiritually taxing on us,” Brewer said. While last responders are also vital, public support has focused heavily on first responders. “It is tough, because there is this big support for the medical community, and rightly so. I do support that. But the last responders are sort of forgotten about,” Brewer said. Part of this absence of public support, Brewer said, stems from a failure in our overall reckoning with the deadliness of COVID. “The sad part about the state of our society or country: It became so politicized,” Brewer said. “There were a lot of people on social media and the news kind of denying the significance of what was going on. And it’s hard to hear people talk about whether or not they felt this thing was real when we’re going to work every day and actually dealing with the victims of it.” Brewer said the semantics of whether the actual cause of death was explicitly COVID don’t matter in the wake of the staggering loss of life to the virus. “When somebody says ‘Well, they probably didn’t really die of COVID, it probably was something else,’ that doesn’t help the family. They still are suffering the loss,” Brewer said. According to the CDC, by early March, more than 500,000 people had died from COVID-19

F E A T U R E in the United States. Every one of those deaths was attended to by a last responder like Matt Brewer. The pandemic is reshaping not only the work done by funeral directors and other last responders, it is changing the nature of how we deal with grief. At this point the 10-person limit on funeral services is a thing of the past, but the service has changed possibly forever. Where families formerly held services and had long lines to receive hugs and support from loved ones, many are forgoing the service altogether in order to keep everyone safe. “It’s almost like they’re grieving twice, because they can’t be a part of that service,” Brewer said. “They’re being deprived of that opportunity to say goodbye.” When guidelines first came out encouraging people to avoid large gatherings and socially distance, some families planned to simply delay funeral services for lost loved ones until they could hold a traditional funeral. As we enter the second year of the pandemic, it’s becoming clear the traditional funeral may not be possible for a long time. “As we see it going on and on further down the road from the actual death, I think a lot of families are giving up on having those,” Brewer said. While Bethany Funeral Home is back to full capacity for services, arranging a funeral for a death that occurred early in the pandemic is proving an impossible task for some families. They have grieved the loss, now they are grieving the second loss of the funeral they pictured to honor their lost loved one. Even if restrictions are lifting, the virus still lurks despite masks and social distancing. “It’s sad that they’re not able to give that person a good sendoff,” Brewer said. For families choosing to hold services, Bethany offers streaming options so high-risk individu-

als can take part without the risk associated with gathering. In addition to masks, social distancing and sanitizing precautions, Bethany also offers private viewings and separate rooms so loved ones can partake in the service from a safer distance. But Brewer said there’s no substitute for the loss of physical contact as a means of support. “To be denied that when you need it most is heartbreaking, and I don’t know how people are getting through it,” he said. Brewer is optimistic about the future but remains cautious. “Every time there’s a decrease in restrictions,” Brewer said, “we sort of hold our breath knowing that in two, three, four weeks from now we may see another spike. We have seen it a few times.” Brewer said the vaccine rollout offers hope for some return to normalcy. He was vaccinated early as part of a clinical trial, and he expects the rest of Bethany will get the vaccine as soon as possible. “Hopefully at some point we’ll get back to that normalcy, because I think human nature needs physical contact, especially in times of loss.” There are other reasons to be hopeful, Brewer said. He believes people are becoming more compassionate and more understanding of loss and separation, as we have all experienced heavy losses in the months of quarantine. In addition, the new precautions and accessibility measures taken during the pandemic will continue to benefit families in the future. In the meantime, Brewer is grateful to have a strong support system in his faith community. He is also thankful for a close sense of community among local funeral directors. “It is stressful, but we do have each other to lean on,” he said.

April 2021

I N

M E M O R I A M

Maria Luisa Gastón August 8, 1945 — January 30, 2021 “I feel that I have had five lives and that one of them began the moment I came to work in Omaha, full of fears and dreams, but hopeful in a job that would allow me to continue to lead my family, as a single mother. In this city I discovered new things that marked my life on a professional and personal level, for all the people I met and who are in my heart today. Many of them have become my family, and that makes it more difficult to have to say goodbye. However, (I must) leave.”

educating yourself, no matter how old you are, because that will set a good example for your children. Finally, I want to ask you not to lose hope, regardless of religious belief, since that spiritual part is what will help us to forgive and to be better people.” “And to all my friends and family who have joined my illness to live it as one body, I thank you for the wonderful messages, the memories, the awards, the party, the blessings, the music. Thank you, brothers and sisters of the soul. Thanks for much love.” — Bernardo Montoya

These were the words of Maria Luisa Gastón, an emblematic figure in education, leadership and social service in Omaha when she visited the El Perico newspaper in October 2014 to announce her retirement from work and her move to Florida.

I N

Today, searching our archives for the material that would allow us to write something in her honor, after her unfortunate death was made known, we discovered that the best words are those that she herself uttered in that interview:

To place In Memoriams in The Reader (print & website), go to TheReader.com/in-memoriam Submit Private Party In Memoriam Submit an online In Memoriam (starting at $50) or a print In Memoriam (starting at $30) with The Reader. We make placing In Memoriams online an effortless experience.

“As I say goodbye, I want to leave a message to the community leaders: I know that everyone represents a dependency that can achieve positive things. But to have a true impact they must adopt the path of collaboration and coordination, thinking about what the community really needs and how to improve it. And for this they will need to have a true spirit of service.” “To my Latino community, for whom I worked so long, I want to ask you not to allow anyone to steal your dignity, but on the contrary, reaffirm it. And above all, keep

M E M O R I A M

April 2021

We Remember Digital Memorial We Remember is a free, digital memorial that is created and maintained forever when an obituary is submitted through In Memoriams. The family has complete control over content and privacy. We Remember gives you one place to collect and share memories to paint a rich picture of your loved one’s life.

More info... To submit, go to thereader.com/in-memoriam.

c r o s s w o r d

Report Card

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

How did we do?

by Matt Jones

Across 1. It may be fatal 5. Disease contracted by Seal at an early age 10. Brand that pops up frequently in crosswords?

32. ___ Maria (liqueur)

40. Get all emotional and teary-eyed

16. Get ready for surgery

17. Couturier Cassini 18. British pottery manufacturer known for bone china

20. Helgenberger of “Erin Brockovich”

21. Less polluted

27. The Hulk’s catalyst 29. Food vendor’s requirement (abbr.) 30. Resource 33. Last name in riding lawnmowers 34. “___ bin ein Berliner” (famous JFK quote) 35. Desert landscape features

51 57

36. Spicy spread

47. Won back

37. ___ Na Na (group that preceded Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock)

51. John’s 2008 adversary

38. It’s said coming and going

58. “Out of Africa” author Isak

39. Kiddie lit web spinner who gets a B?

59. Element taken in supplements

42. Fashion line?

61. Sets up tents

43. Cartoonist who created Tintin

62. Brand with the discontinued flavor Grape Watermelon

44. Insignia on Cardinals caps 45. Hathor or Hera, e.g.

56. Gave high honors

48. McGregor of “Angels & Demons” 49. Mineral that’s the softest on the Mohs scale

60. Flea market event

Down 1. “You’ll hear ___ my lawyer!” 3. Singer Cocker who gets a C? 4. Leeway 5. Cindy Brady’s impediment 6. Like private phone numbers 7. Billionaire Branson who gets an F? 8. Price at a dime a dozen, perhaps?

50. Killer whale 52. Bodily system that includes the lungs (abbr.)

2. “Ooh ___!”

46. “We ___ song of sorrow ...” (lyric from Saves the Day’s “What Went Wrong”) 47. Beat too fast, like a heart

45. Fade out, like a light

45 48

41. Part of GLAAD

19. City that represents a county

26. “Ty Murray’s Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge” network

31. Fred’s wife, on “I Love Lucy”

15. ___ ear and out the other

25. “Damn, it’s cold out!”

23. ___-country (DriveBy Truckers’ genre)

14. Sitar master Shankar

22. Rowboat need

53. Acronym that sometimes means “right now”

9. Fortune teller 10. They’re added to foot baths 11. “Dilbert” cartoonist Adams who gets an A? 12. Equipment 13. Makes a decision 24. Hot concept 26. Chocolate necessity 27. Sum up 28. It comes straight from the horse’s mouth

APRIL 2021

AnsweR to last month’s “Quiet Onset” C A P S

H U S H

B E E P

I R A N

I F Y O U D A R E

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C O M I C S Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau

which deaths matter? by Jen Sorensen

APRIL 2021

TED RALL

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Fool’s Gold by Michael Braunstein

Bad air. Another optical illusion is in the meat industry. In today’s cancel culture, we don’t have to worry about Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham any more. But then again, green meat was never all that appealing.

n the 1970s and ‘80s, eggs were getting a bad rap. Probably came from breakfast cereal companies of Battle Creek, Michigan. The fake news kept printing that eggs were bad. “Don’t eat eggs,” they said. “You’ll get cholesterol!” As if “cholesterol” was a disease or something. About that time, I started going to the venerable Vince’s Gym in Studio City, California. I’ve written about Vince Gironda many times. Vince, a curmudgeonly Gypsy, was a hoofer, a bodybuilder, a movie actor and most famously a trainer to thousands of champion bodybuilders, Hollywood stars and celebrities. “Vince’s” was historic; had its roots in the 1940s. A shotgun building on Ventura Boulevard, it is best described by the slogan printed on its plain, grey t-shirts: “No pool. No chrome. No music. Just iron.” There was no air conditioning, no fancy machines, no juice bar, not even windows. The handle on the heavy wood door was a 20-pound dumbbell. Walls were covered by full length mirrors, and you’d get tossed to the curb if you spent too much time chatting or standing about. Vince and I somehow struck up a friendship, probably because he allowed me to bring him a double latte when I showed up to work out six days a week around 7 a.m. And in our conversations I learned that Vince knew more about nutrition, health, metaphysics and bodybuilding than Arnold and Jack LaLanne combined.

Raw truth. Vince took one look at scrawny me and said, “Fuzzy, I don’t want to take your money. You haven’t got a chance.” But the first thing he did was tell me what to eat. It included what Vince called “raw cream and raw scratch eggs” for breakfast. Raw meant cream

from milk that came straight from the cow, never pasteurized nor homogenized. At the time, you could still buy raw cream in grocery stores in California. I doubt that is the case now. And “scratch eggs?” That meant true free-range eggs as we call them now. Vince meant eggs from hens that were allowed to roam the farm and “scratch” for worms and bugs. When I started buying “scratch” eggs, I noticed something right away. The yolks had a deeper, yellower color. I learned it was mostly because of the carotene in a natural diet. A primary carotene source is grass. Believe it or not, chickens do eat grass. Now what that means to the consumer is that the egg is nutritionally balanced and the omega fatty acids work together to make it a nearly perfect food. Carotene is a nutrient. When a free-range hen acquires it naturally, the deep color of the yolk suggests a healthful diet. But if the color is the result of an extract, it is little more than window dressing. So, in the summer I trust the yellow. In the winter I wonder if it’s just fool’s gold.

Faked out. Now, if you eat eggs from a trusted farmer who allows the chickens to run free on pasture, during the summer months you’ll find the yolks

are very yellow. In winter, they are more pale because grass is scarce. Augmented grain with little carotene provides the bulk of a winter diet. But heads up! I bought some “pastured eggs” the other day that demonstrate how easy it is to fool the consumer. I learned this a long time ago. Some farmers buy chicken feed that contains a coloring agent extracted from marigold flowers. You guessed it. There are times when that yellow color in the yolk is because the hen is eating an extract. It doesn’t mean anything other than cosmetics. It looks good to the consumer, but it does not mean that the chicken is getting the goods you might presume. It likely means the feed contains xanthophyll. Yummy. From the Purina website, “For rich yellow yolks — A high level of xanthophyll, a coloring agent derived from marigolds, produces deep yellow egg yolks.” In the winter, when grass and carotene are scarce, I am more likely to trust the farmer whose chickens lay eggs that are not so fake-yellow. If I’m seeing bright yellow egg yolks in February, I’ve pretty much concluded that farmer is selling fool’s gold. Constructing favorable optics is commonplace with Big Food.

When you shop for steak at the supermarket, you won’t pick the steak with a tiny tinge of brown around the edges. And meat will start to turn after a time. Well, Big Food has an answer to that. Exposure to oxygen is the key. Keep oxygen away and the meat stays bright red for a longer period. The cello-wrapped steak is enclosed in what is called MAP or “modified atmosphere packaging.” The air in that pack could be carbon monoxide or another gas that scavenges oxygen molecules. No oxygen in the pack results in meat that stays red longer and has a longer optical shelf life. But that doesn’t mean it’s fresh. Red does not equal fresh just as rich does not equal smart. My personal theory on MAP meat is that the product is resistant to oxygenation. Oxygen is needed for any fire. In a sense, digestion is nothing more than burning food. Oxygenation is part of digestion. If I eat a steak that has been treated to resist oxygenation, I’m eating a steak that will be more difficult to digest. Don’t get fooled. Eat real food. Be well. Heartland Healing is a metaphysically based polemic describing alternatives to conventional methods of healing the body, mind and planet. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. Important to remember and pass on to others: for a weekly dose of Heartland Healing, visit heartlandhealing. com.

April 2021

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A Prick in Time Most of the world is desperate for the vaccine, while others turn away.

Photo by Mike Machian.

by Tim McMahan

noticed the tightness in my shoulder as I pulled my T-shirt over my head the morning after the shot. I made a chicken wing of my arm, then raised it up and down, then raised my hand over my head as if swinging an imaginary lasso, an attempt to gauge the limitation of movement. But that was it as far as side effects from getting my first Moderna COVID-19 vaccination shot. How did I luck into getting that shot? A note had gone out from my place of employ (no, not The Reader, Union Pacific) that a thousand doses had been made available to transportation workers who had been deemed 1C “essential,” even if that transportation worker sat all day in an office. The following Saturday, I was headed to Norris Middle School in Midtown Omaha, just a few blocks south of the VA hospital on Center Street. Cars and SUVs were lined up leading to the school, so I parked ol’ Trusty a few blocks away and hoofed it, passing an empty football field where a few people sweated on the running track trying to knock off some winter pounds. A huddle of masked older men stood outside. “I told them to make it hurt,” said a gray hair in glasses and a Husker hoodie. “They say if you don’t feel like shit afterward it didn’t work because that’s your body pumping up your immunity.” Not true, I wanted to say, but instead I kept following the giant road signs that pointed VACCINATION THIS WAY to a gym that looked like every high school gym I’ve ever stepped into — the

drab linoleum floors, off-white cinderblock walls and grimacing face of the school’s mascot, an angry cardinal. “Please stand on any open ‘x.’” The volunteer pointed at the floor. Six feet by six feet by six feet I made it to the sign-in table, where a woman with a “Hello my name is Inglish” (with an I, not an E) paper name tag asked me for my birthdate before pointing to a back row of tables where a kind nurse asked me for my birthdate again. “Which arm?” I rolled up my right sleeve. She chatted quietly while doing something with swabs and alcohol: “I see by the logo on your mask you work for the railroad. Lots of railroaders today. Lots of FedEX and UPS, lots of truck drivers. Must be transportation day or something. You’ll feel a prick.” It felt like nothing and everything. She slapped a bandaid on my arm and told me to sit in the bleachers for 15 minutes, you know, to see if anything bad happened. I made my way to the top row (just like at every high school basketball and volleyball game ever attended) and looked down at the crowd, mostly people my age, many younger than me, mostly guys. One woman sat with her head down looking like she was expecting something bad to happen. But nothing did. Most people sat and stared at their phones. Me too. I took a moment to open Facebook and post a message: “Just got Moderna’d (Pt. 1)”

April 2021

Within moments, “thumbs up” appeared on the post, along with a few hearts. And then, comments. Most were messages of encouragement; some asked about side effects; many were tinged with frustration. “How did you qualify?” I write this on March 17, but you’ll be reading this in April. Hopefully by then, if everything keeps going the way it’s been going, you’ll have received your first shot. But until then, you and many other sane people will be trying to figure out how to game the system and get placed further up the list. It’s been a long year. Hope has come in drips rather than waves. But the COVID-19 vaccine is the biggest wave of hope yet. It represents the reopening of America, the return to schools, a future vacation trip, an evening of fine dining and a late-night rock show. All without having to wear a mask. Probably. But you’ve got to get vaccinated first. And so does everyone else. And that’s where the sand has fallen into the gears. According to a PBS poll conducted the first week of March, 49% of GOP men say they won’t get vaccinated. The doomsayers on CNN say that reluctance could mean unending mutations and a virus that will never go away. The reasons for not getting the vaccine are as varied as the idiots who are refusing it. I’ve heard the spin from the politicians. I’ve heard the bizarre conspiracy theories. I even know one person who believes the vaccine is the Mark of the Beast. That’s a hard one to argue.

It seems inconsequential until this ignorance and/or stupidity and/or political boneheadedness impacts the rest of us. And it will. It already has. Because you can’t force people to get vaccinated. One example, close to my heart: While residents at elder care facilities were among the first to get vaccinated, some care workers at those facilities still refuse. As a result these people — along with other anti-vaxxers — are making it impossible for families to visit their older parents for more than an hour a week. Because we have to protect those reluctant few from getting infected. It’s frustrating, especially considering those living in elder care facilities have — for all intents and purposes — been placed in yearlong solitary confinement, their only family contact being the bellowing of “hellos” through closed windows. When you’re in your 80s, who knows how much time has been stolen by the virus. Half of your remaining life? A quarter? A tenth if you’re lucky. Now that they’ve all been vaccinated, it’s time to set these prisoners free. A vibration jolted from my wrist — my iWatch telling me 15 minutes have passed, and I feel fine, a month away from shot No. 2 and a month closer to the end of this pandemic. 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.

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Articles inside

HEARTLAND HEALING

14 DISH Dishing the Dirt: After a Sterile Year, The Reader was Ready to Get Dirty

OVER THE EDGE A Prick in

FEATURE The New Normal