Vox Magazine December 2020

DECEMBER 2020 • THE VOICE OF COLUMBIA

Belonging. Familiarity. Comfort.

Explore the many meanings of home.

PAGE 18

BECOMING MR. BRIGHTLIGHTS PAGE 7

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BREADHEAD PAGE 24

MIX IT UP WITH MOCKTAILS PAGE 31

PLANT AN INDOOR GARDEN PAGE 33 1

ERIKA, stroke survivor.

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If you’ve stopped your treatment plan, restart it or talk to your doctor about creating one that works better for you.

Start taking the right steps at

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FROM THE EDITOR

COMFORT AND JOY

E DI T OR I N CHI E F SARAH EVERETT DE PUT Y E DI T OR JARED GENDRON M AN AGI N G E DI T OR CIANNA MORALES

S

DI GI TAL M AN A G ING E D IT O R

eason’s greetings from a three-weeksfrom-getting-her-degree graduate student! As part of my grad studies, I did a research project that involved interviewing several magazine editors, and one of my favorite parts of the process was hearing editors talk about why magazines are so special to them.

“There really is a feeling with print that you’re kind of enshrining the words in something real and physical,” one editor says.

“There is a sense that we value this piece to the extent that we’re willing to actually physically put it into the world.”

“There’s a stability to them, and there’s a long-lasting quality,” another says. “I think magazines are true comforts.”

This month at Vox, we’re leaning hard into themes of comfort and home. We’re putting them on the pages of this magazine and out into the universe — because so many people have spent this past year staying home and in search of comfort, including me.

One of our features profiles Chris Foley (p. 24), who finds comfort in the routine of bread baking. For him, it’s almost a medita-

tion. For others, his sourdough is a comfort, a fresh-baked delight at the Columbia Farmers Market on Saturdays.

Our other feature focuses on home (p.

18). MU photojournalist Jacob Moscovitch asked Columbia residents young and old (or young-at-heart) what home means to them, and they wrote it on their portraits in their own handwriting.

It’s a fun exercise for anyone to think about for themselves. For me, someone who grew up in Columbia, home is the one spot on the sofa where I like to sit and read and eat and do homework and waste time. It’s playing a board game at the kitchen table. Home is the HyVee on West Broadway. It’s Fairview Elementary School. It’s local pizza. It’s the Magic Tree (p. 39).

Home is all the Vox covers that decorate our office walls. It’s the local restaurants and people we feature in Vox every month.

This winter season, I wish you all the feelings of home, of comfort and warmth and stability, and I hope this magazine — whether you’re flipping through the pages in print or reading online — brings you some.

GABY MORERA DI NÚBILA ON L I N E E DI T OR GRACE COOPER ART DI R E CT OR S HOPE JOHNSON, MADISON WISSE PHOT O E DI T OR COURTNEY PERRETT M ULT I M E DI A E DI T O R SAM MOSHER AS S I S TAN T E D IT O RS CULT UR E JESSE BAALMAN, CLAUDIA KHAW, SADIE LEA E AT + DR I N K HANNAH BRITTON, MADELYN ODEN CI T Y L I F E CHRISTINA LONG, EMMY LUCAS, ALEXANDRA SHARP CON T R I B UT I N G W R I T E R S JULIA BOWER, SOPHIA GONZALEZ, VIVIAN HERZOG, AIMAN JAVED, KATELYNN MCILWAIN, MADDY RYLEY, MATTHEW SCHMITTDIEL, ALYSSA SHIKLES, SARAH STRAUGHN, LEANNE TIPPETT MOSBY, COLIN WILLARD DI GI TAL E DI T OR S ELIZABETH BENSON, ALLISON BROWN, MIKAYLA EASLEY, GRACE GLANDER, FRANCESCA HECKER, ASHLEY JONES, TYLER MESSNER, LAUREN POLANSKI, LAUREN TRONSTAD M ULT I M E DI A E DI T O RS REID BAYLISS, NOAH CRIDER, ABBY ORF E DI T OR I AL DI R E CT O R HEATHER LAMB DI GI TAL DI R E CT OR SARA SHIPLEY HILES E XE CUT I V E E DI T O R JENNIFER ROWE OF F I CE M AN AGE R KIM TOWNLAIN

SARAH EVERETT Editor in Chief

Behind the issue When Jacob Moscovitch, an MU senior studying photojournalism, began working on an assignment for his photo class, he had no idea that his final project would become a Vox photo feature. What started as an interpretation of the word “home” grew into a visual study of the word’s many meanings for fellow Columbians. His project touches on ideas of familiarity and belonging that we all know, yet can’t quite fully describe. – Jesse Baalman Correction: In the November issue, the Q&A about midwifery should have stated that Katy Miller is one of the collaborators at Birthroot Midwifery.

Photography by Derek Rieke and Sophie Bartley

Vox Magazine

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MAGAZINE Cover Design: Madison Wisse Cover Photo: Jacob Moscovitch VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

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It only takes a moment to make a moment.

Take time to

be a dad today.

fatherhood.gov

#makeamoment

FEATURES

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24

Home.

Behind the bread

Who, what or where is home? A Vox photographer asked Columbia residents this question, and then captured their images and answers — in their own handwriting — about the varied definitions of home.

Fiddle & Stone Bread Co. owner Chris Foley’s time, dedication and experimentation lead to a baking business on the rise.

PHOTO ESSAY BY JACOB MOSCOVITCH

Photography courtesy of Drew Piester

BY AIMAN JAVED

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

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DEPARTMENTS

33 IN THE LOOP

07

07

Getting lit Candy Cane Crib creator Ryan Schultz has been lighting up Columbia since 2009.

Meet the man behind the crib.

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09

Crystal clarity

Discomfort food

Get in touch with your spiritual side with this beginner’s guide to crystal healing, tarot readings and palmistry.

MU student Sophia Gonzalez shares her experience with binge eating disorder, isolation and quarantine.

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11

From curtain call to final cut

Vox Picks

Stephens College and MU theater students become their own tech crews.

What you can do in CoMo this December, from virtual visits with Santa to fundraising.

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EAT + DRINK

Vox talks with Hemp Hemp Hooray co-owner Kevin Halderman about the cannabis industry (and the munchies).

29

Here for hemp

Ride-along with Lilly’s Cantina Take a trip in the popular Mexican food truck, which has seen an uptick in sales despite the pandemic.

CULTURE 13

Keeping a station alive Automation and at-home broadcasts keep KOPN on the air amid COVID-19.

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29

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Ditch the Shirley Temple Looking for a tasty drink minus the alcohol? Try these alternatives from CoMo restaurants and mixologists.

32

Kitchen’s greetings Expand your palate this season, and try these three family dishes.

CITY LIFE 33

A green thumb can help with winter blues These five plants will spruce up your home space — and your head space.

35

Clearing the air Learn what 50 years of the Clean Air Act means for CoMo and beyond.

36

Homes safe homes Homelessness grew 45% nationwide during the pandemic. Here’s what local shelters are doing to help.

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VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

Photography by Hana Kellenberger and courtesy of Unsplash, Warehouse Theatre Company and Tyson Hunt

EATING AND ISOLATION P. 9

In addition to putting together one of Columbia’s biggest light displays, Ryan Schultz also does residential holiday lighting in town.

WHAT CAN HEMP DO FOR YOU? P. 12

Getting lit Even after his lights were stolen, the Candy Cane Crib’s creator helps Columbia shine.

BY KATELYNN MCILWAIN The exact start of the holiday season is elusive at best and a heated debate at worst. Is it after the first snow? Or maybe right after Halloween? Or when stores begin to sell decorations? For Ryan Schultz, the holiday season begins when Columbia’s night sky lights up with Christmas lights.

Every year, Schultz travels from his current home in Colorado to his former home in Columbia to put together the Candy Cane Crib, an annual light show that raises money for charity. This year, the Crib is raising money for the Columbia Golf Foundation, which seeks to make golf accessible to local youth.

A light show may be the best way to end the tumultuous year of 2020. “It’s been a bad year,” Schultz says, even for him personally. In August, a trailer containing $15,000 of lights for the Candy Cane Crib was stolen in Colorado. Initially, the Crib posted about the theft on its Facebook page to let fans know the display might not happen this year — or ever again.

But Columbia resident Tiffany Pierce started a GoFundMe campaign, and local sponsors, including Logboat Brewing Company and Withrow Electric, also pitched in with fundraising efforts. With about $10,000 raised, Schultz knew the Candy Cane Crib could continue, even if it will look a little different this year.

The show has become a holiday staple in town, but it all started from one of Schultz’s own favorite traditions as a kid in Columbia: hopping in the car with his family, listening to Christmas

Photography by Hana Kellenberger

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

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IN TH E LOOP COMMUNITY

The Candy Cane Crib display has taken over the park outside Logboat Brewing Company every December since 2017.

Taylor Dalton (below) met Ryan Schultz when they worked at the Country Club of Missouri. Dalton helps Schultz put up Christmas lights.

jingles on the radio and touring the neighborhood light displays. Schultz says he told himself that when he grew up and got his own place, he would create something families would want to see every year.

So in 2009, when he had his own home off of Forum Boulevard, he began setting up a large light display. It was so popular that cars of families would cruise down the street every year to gawk at his work — and at how expensive the electricity bill must have been. He began receiving donations to help with the costs, but he didn’t accept the payment for himself. Year after year, he gave the donations to local charities instead.

Golf is a passion of Schultz’s, and when he wasn’t setting up lights for the Candy Cane Crib, he was working as an assistant golf professional at the Country Club of Missouri. That’s where he met Taylor Dalton in 2011. Dalton also worked at the club and says he always looked forward to days he and Schultz were scheduled together at work.

“He’s fun,” Dalton says. “He’s a genuinely nice guy who cares about others before himself.”

Dalton started helping Schultz put up the light displays at his house. The pair

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VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

made a business of helping other Columbia residents set up their own lights, something they still do when Schultz comes back to town for the holidays.

The charity-focused tradition stuck until 2017 when the Candy Cane Crib began drawing too much traffic to Schultz’s neighborhood. It was time to expand, and Schultz knew just the place.

He asked Logboat co-founder Tyson Hunt if he could relocate the display to the park outside Logboat’s taproom. With plans to move to Colorado anyway, Schultz thought Logboat’s community-oriented atmosphere would make a perfect new home for the Candy Cane Crib. Hunt agreed.

“I think most breweries are kind of a central gathering point in any community where breweries exist,” Hunt says. “Adding Ryan and the Candy Cane Crib into the mix, it just fit perfectly with what we’re trying to build here.”

And build Schultz did, filling the lawn with more than 300,000 lights.

Families could traverse the lighted walkways or enjoy the display from inside the taproom to get away from the cold. After the lighting ceremony in November, the display stays up through New Year’s Eve. During that time, the

CANDY CANE CRIB Logboat Brewing Company 504 Fay St. Free entry Display open Nov. 25 to Dec. 31

Crib hosts additional activities like raffles to boost donations.

“We were shocked by the amount of work that went into decking our building out and our yard,” Hunt says.

“It’s been incredible working with him and being able to have this space to not only bring awareness to local charity but also just to bring people together during the holidays.”

To Schultz, coming back to Columbia to light the night with holiday cheer is hardly a job. It’s his passion.

“When there are Christmas lights, it brings happiness,” Schultz says. “I enjoy decorating. I enjoy seeing the final product. And I enjoy seeing the smiles that it brings to people’s faces around the holidays.”

Photography by Hana Kellenberger and courtesy of Tyson Hunt

I N T HE LO O P ESSAY

Discomfort food In a weight-focused world, many people worry more about gaining the “COVID 15” than catching COVID-19.

BY SOPHIA GONZALEZ

I

t was the beginning of quarantine, and my kitchen counter was crowded with empty chip bags and candy bar wrappers. At that moment, I had lost control, and for a second, I was OK with that. I knew, however, that when I looked at the foil at the bottom of the bag, I’d feel guilty. Guilty about another binge; guilty for indulging myself.

The episodes hadn’t stopped while I was away from home to attend MU, but they didn’t get worse either. I was thrown headfirst into the reality of my disorder only a week after returning to my hometown of Dallas. I felt foolish for convincing myself this was over while I was at MU, and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to overcome it.

Binge eating disorder, also known as BED, is something I have struggled with since I was 12 years old. BED is characterized by repeated consumption of large amounts of food to the point one feels discomfort and loss of control, and guilt or shame afterward. It is the most common eating disorder in the United States, according to the National Eating Disorders Association.

I’m still not entirely sure if my cycle of binging and restricting food intake stemmed from discrete fat-shaming at family functions or from an irrepressible amount of media that reminds me I could always be a size smaller.

Even though it’s hard to identify the reason behind my simultaneous love and contempt for food, I know I’m not alone.

Binge eating challenges many people, especially in extenuating circumstances, such as the current pandemic.

Photo illustration by Madison Wisse

Two MU researchers conducted a study examining body image and unhealthy eating habits during COVID-19.

Antoinette Landor, an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, and Ginny Ramseyer Winter, an assistant professor for the MU School of Social Work, revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced people’s relationships with food, whether they suffer from a preexisting eating disorder or not.

“We conducted it the last couple of days of April, so we did it when most states were still pretty shut down, and people were forced to be home,” Ramseyer Winter says.

“We really just

SEEKING HELP If you or someone you know needs support, call or text the National Eating Disorders Association helpline at 800- 931-2237.

wanted to know what sort of eating behaviors folks were engaging in during social distancing and specifically things like fasting, purging, overexercising, binge eating.”

The study involved subjects between ages 18 and 34 and included various genders and ethnicities. An online survey gauged how often someone engaged in binge eating during a typical week and how often someone would binge during the pandemic. The study also examined whether or not people were overexercising or restricting eating behaviors while they were at home.

Since the 18 to 34 age range is prone to a negative relationship with body image, Ramseyer Winter says, this group could provide researchers with information beyond a subject’s relationship with food by focusing on the subject’s perception of his or her own body.

“We chose the age range because we know that negative body image peaks in adolescence and early adulthood and then remains pretty constant across the lifespan,” Ramseyer Winter says. “So we were really interested in that time when there’s a lot going on related to body image.”

Ramseyer Winter and Landor found that 37% of women and 44% of men said that it would be worse to gain 25 pounds than contract COVID-19.

“I mean it’s absolutely a result of diet culture, and it’s absolutely a result of fatphobia,” Ramseyer Winter says. She also attributed the results to the ages of those in the sample given that younger people are expected to be less likely to die from COVID-19.

Talking to Ramseyer Winter reminded me of my 12-year-old self who feared the flash of a camera long before Instagram, long before Facetune gave me the option to alter pixels that cinch my waist and erase my blemishes.

In the midst of the pandemic, I discovered that I was finding solace in my mother’s home-cooked meals. At the beginning of the lockdown and campus closure, I used food to cope with the panic that wrapped around everyone. This was the same way that I always dealt with being too VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

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IN TH E LOOP ESSAY

much or too little of anything. I continued swiping through social media posts that masked fatphobic rhetoric as low-calorie recipes and workouts that would burn fat instantly. I hoped this would cancel out the binging.

“I saw on social media people talking about things like the quarantine 15, a sort of insidious update for the freshman 15,” Ramseyer Winter says. “You know, that 15-pound weight gain during self-isolation due to overeating. We were really curious about if people were dieting more, using more overexercise tactics to address that out of fear of becoming fat and that fatphobia.”

After those initial episodes of binge eating, I wanted to achieve the ultimate quarantine glow up. It was going according to plan until my 18-year-old sister got sick in June. She has asthma, but suddenly, she had a high fever and the urge to vomit every 10 minutes. She took a test for COVID-19. My parents continually checked the status of her test results while I fought the urge to cry

every time I passed her bedroom door.

I missed baking cookies with her late at night, her sharp wit at the dinner table and our early morning picnics by the lake.

For the majority of quarantine, I avoided cooking in fear of a binge. Then it finally occurred to me: My fear of food had isolat-

Sophia Gonzalez is a senior journalism major from Dallas.

ed me even more than the quarantine had.

After a week of worry, my sister’s test came back negative. I took this as a sign from a higher power that I needed to make a change in the way I viewed myself and my relationship with food.

I met with my therapist over Zoom to come up with a plan that involved unfollowing profiles that promoted diet culture and used tips and tricks to shame those who weren’t deemed skinny. Deciding to make these changes helped me realize that the better version of myself isn’t defined by what I see in the mirror.

I am who I am, mirror or not.

The pandemic created a new kind of pressure to come out on the other side of lockdown as a skinnier person.

“It’s really just about becoming smaller, and to me that has nothing to do with being a better version of yourself,” Ramseyer Winter says.

Ramseyer Winter and Landor’s body image research put the pandemic into perspective. And for me, it’s a reminder that better doesn’t mean smaller.

THE COLUMBIA ART LEAGUE PRESENTS

Give the gift of art W I N T E R M E M B E R S ' S H O W

An Exhibition of Members' Works

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VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

11.10.20 - 01.02.21 BETTY AND ART ROBINS GALLERY Buy online at Coliumbiaartleague.org

Photography by Dan Shular

I N T HE LO O P VOX PICKS

Vox Picks for

DECEMBER Each month,Vox curates a list of can’t-miss shops, eats, reads and experiences. We find the new, trending, or underrated to help you enjoy the best our city has to offer.

BY HANNAH BRITTON

Visit…

Virtually with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Now through Jan. 7, you can book an online session with the season’s most popular Columbia Mall couple for up to five people. Skip the photo-op line by bringing Santa right into your home, and witness the joy as your kids get to talk to their holiday heroes. Options include a visit with Santa, a story time experience or a personalized recorded message from the man in red. Although the mall is still doing in-person visits, this alternative option provides a safe way to keep up a Christmas tradition.

Through Jan. 7. Book via the Columbia Mall website, visitcolumbiamall.com; live interaction, $24.95; pre-recorded video, $19.95

Sip…

On a cup of freshly roasted coffee from up-andcoming Oikonomia Coffee. Co-owners Ben Manker and Noah Schultz launched the online store Nov. 20, selling coffee from fair-trade producers. Their mission is to provide high-quality products at reasonable prices, while creating a coffee community, Manker wrote in an email to Vox. Some of the varieties include Ethiopian Harrar Natural and Honduras Serrano. Quarantiners rejoice: This Columbia-based store does not have a physical location, offering only online shopping options. oikonomiacoffee.com, prices vary, starting around $16 per 340-gram (12-ounce) bag

Give…

To those in need by donating to the annual CoMoGives fundraiser. Each year, this event amasses donations for charities and nonprofit organizations across mid-Missouri, such as Meals on Wheels of Columbia and Second Chance animal shelter. During December, participants can pledge to donate, help spread the word or host events to sponsor the fundraiser. Over $955,000 was raised last year.

Dec. 1-31, comogives.com/donate

Read…

Columbia author Jill Orr’s most recent title, How Not to Be Old (Even If You Are). This coffee table book is a lighthearted look at what it truly means to age, through topics like generational politics and the progression of time. It’s a change of pace from her four-part Riley Ellison mysteries, which focus on a young investigative reporter. Follow Orr on Instagram @hownottobeold for a peek at some of the book’s contents.

Where to buy: Skylark Bookshop, 22 S. 9th St; Barnes & Noble, 2208 Bernadette Drive; Plume, 5751 S. Rte K; $14.95 Photography and illustrations courtesy of Unsplash, Rawpixel and Jill Orr

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IN TH E LOOP Q&A

Here for hemp Hemp Hemp Hooray store owner Kevin Halderman is an avid fan of holistic healing.

BY FRANCESCA HECKER

T

he terms “hemp” and “cannabis” can spark a range of reactions. Some retreat; others lean in. Kevin Halderman takes either as an opportunity to educate people about the hemp plant, known botanically as cannabis sativa, and how it’s different from its marijuana cousin, cannabis indica.

Halderman is co-owner of Hemp Hemp Hooray with his wife, Nikki Halderman, and their friends of 20 years Jill and Jack Hartman. They opened the shop in Osage Beach in March 2019, and added the Columbia location in November that year.

Hemp and marijuana contrast in appearance and chemical makeup.

Both plants contain CBD — or cannabidiol, but the amount of CBD differs greatly between the two. The chemical responsible for psychological effects is THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol.

Hemp is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and has a max THC level of 0.3%.

Marijuana, on the other hand, can contain between 20% and 30% of THC. The hemp flower contains CBD, which can be extracted and blended into oils, lotions and supplements. Those concoctions are some of what Hemp Hemp Hooray sells,

12

along with products like actual hemp flower buds for smoking or vaping.

Some of the purported benefits of CBD are that it relieves pain and reduces anxiety and depression. No CBD products have yet been approved by the FDA. Cannabis is not just a plant to Halderman; it’s a holistic remedy that he says can help a lot of people.

What benefits have you experienced from hemp products?

It’s really allowed me to calm down. I was always a little bit hypersensitive.

Not anxious or anything else like that,

COMMON CONFUSION “The biggest misconception is that you’re involved in a marijuana business instead of a hemp business,” Kevin Halderman says of his work.

Hemp and marijuana share a plant family and have similar appearances, but differ in THC and CBD levels.

Kevin Halderman has co-owned Hemp Hemp Hooray for two years. The Columbia location, 917 E. Broadway, opened a year ago.

He says he treasures the freedom of owning a business.

but I had a short fuse, very short fuse.

And after a long time of this, everything has allowed me to just function and just say, it’ll be OK. How have perceptions of cannabis changed over the years?

The biggest growth of cannabis users right now is over (age) 60. A couple of different reasons for that are they’ve been indoctrinated into big pharma for a long time now. So they’re wanting to get off of five, 10, 20 pills a day. But also, they’re coming to realize that the prohibition of cannabis maybe was a lie and can benefit them.

How do you keep up with the evolving cannabis industry?

I don’t sleep. I read everything I can get my hands on and (watch) tons of videos. YouTube is crazy for seminars, especially now everybody’s putting everything on a webinar and putting it out online. And that information is just invaluable.

You’re in the business of relaxation, but, funnily enough, that can be stressful. What do you do to relax?

The hot tub. No, seriously. I (also) ride motorcycles a lot — I have four of them.

What’s your go-to snack when you have the munchies?

Shortbread cookies and ice cream. I found these Archway shortbread cookies; I ate a whole box of them in three days. I get Häagen-Dazs ice cream and Ben and Jerry’s in the pints.

I’ll get four and five at a time, and they will last me weeks.

Photography by Claire Noteboom

THE FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS P. 15

STAGE TO SCREEN P. 16

Keeping a station alive With an emphasis on live radio and volunteer hosts, KOPN had to shift quickly to stay on the air.

BY COLIN WILLARD In March, KOPN faced a choice: automate or temporarily go silent. “I realized, ‘crap, we’re not going to be able to have volunteers in here,’ ” KOPN’s general manager Tim Pilcher says. Unlike most modern radio stations, KOPN typically operated with someone in the studio 24/7. Pilcher says around-theclock, manual operation is rare in radio, but choosing not to automate fit KOPN’s philosophy of involving community members in radio production.

In addition to talk and news programs, KOPN broadcasts 46 different music programs on its station. Listeners can tune in to KOPN at 89.5 FM.

Photography by Grace Noteboom, courtesy of Warehouse Theatre Company and illustrations by Hope Johnson

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

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CULTURE RADIO

“As a community radio station, part of what we do is train people and give people a voice to be on the air,” Pilcher says. “Why would we want to go automated when part of our mission is to give people access to the airwaves?”

Powered by people KOPN’s designation as a community radio station means it depends on a staff of about 80 volunteers — about 80% on-air and 20% behind the scenes — as well as funding through donations and grants. In contrast, commercial radio is primarily funded by advertising and produced by paid staff, which allows for a more rigid broadcasting schedule.

But in mid-March, the pandemic forced KOPN to automate to protect the health of its volunteers and staff. Pilcher bought automation software and prepared KOPN for remote broadcasting.

The station was automated by the time the city’s stay-at-home order went into effect March 25.

At first, KOPN needed to rerun old programs to fill time slots, but within a couple of weeks, Pilcher says the station was regularly producing new content.

Pilcher developed protocols for volunteers to produce their programs at home, and, by April, he was devising a plan for production to resume in the studio.

KOPN volunteers have had the option to record their programs in-studio on an alternating weekly schedule.

Live...from home Diana Moxon, host of KOPN’s weekly program “Speaking of the Arts,” is one volunteer who has continued recording from home. She says her biggest challenge has been achieving consistent sound quality, but there have been multiple silver linings overall in her experiences with remote radio.

Producing her program remotely, she says, has allowed her to interview guests from outside Columbia who would not have been able to travel to the studio. “In terms of getting a hold of people, in many ways it’s easier because all they have to do is be on their computer at a certain time,” Moxon says.

Pilcher says he has also seen positives to remote production. Producing

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VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

at home has prompted many volunteers to develop new recording and editing skills, he says, which has led to better programming at the station.

KOPN has also been able to debut new shows since the start of the pandemic forced the station to move to a hybrid model. Dr. Elizabeth Allemann, who has volunteered at KOPN for about 15 years, hosts “Your Health Matters” with a few other local physicians. The program invites guests from the community and around the world to discuss public health and its challenges.

After the pandemic hit, a friend recommended that Allemann host another show to help the community understand the pandemic. Allemann says she pitched the idea to KOPN, and the twice-weekly “Community Pulse” program was born.

Allemann says her goal for “Community Pulse” has been to keep people informed by providing a local source for updates on the pandemic. Local policy makers, public health officials and the Columbia Public School’s superintendent have been among the show’s guests to discuss topics that have ranged from safe gatherings during the pandemic to the benefits of education outdoors.

Allemann says the community has responded to the program with interest

General manager Tim Pilcher loads a prerecorded program at the KOPN studios.

Because of the effects of COVID-19 on how volunteer hosts use the studio, the station now frequently uses archive or homerecorded programs.

TAKE A LISTEN Tune in to hear these KOPN programs.

“Speaking of the Arts“ 10–11 a.m. Fridays “Your Health Matters” 6–7 p.m.

Wednesdays “Community Pulse” 9 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays

and gratitude. She says she predicts that “Community Pulse” will last for at least another year, but she is taking things one day at a time.

“It’s possible that the community will feel well enough informed about COVID that they won’t need these things, but the science is evolving all the time,” Allemann says.

Keeping radio on Despite the economic impacts of the pandemic, Pilcher says KOPN has not faced funding issues. Its primary source of funding comes from three annual pledge drives. The June drive, which normally lasts a week, lasted just one day this year because volunteers were unable to be at the studio to answer phones. But Pilcher says the station raised $15,000 more than its goal of $20,000 during that June pledge drive.

“I think part of this is because when the pandemic hit, the community started to see the value of KOPN and community radio,” Pilcher says.

“When you’re at home, one of the things you can do is tune into your community radio station.” Pilcher says that listeners can hear the community’s music, ideas and interviews. “On KOPN, it’s a relationship,” Pilcher says.

Photography by Grace Noteboom

C U LT U RE METAPHYSICS

Crystal clarity ...And other ways to find answers to 2020’s most pressing questions.

BY FRANCESCA HECKER

A

re you reading your horoscope more often these days? Willing to try something, anything, to find answers amid the pandemic? Dive into the world of spiritual pursuits with Vox, and consider this a beginner’s guide to metaphysical services in Columbia.

Semiprecious stone powers Linda Bonebrake, owner of the metaphysical shop Karma Care, says crystals hold unique spiritual or supernatural powers. Holding crystals in your hand or displaying them in your house absorbs toxic energy, according to this practice, which Bonebrake is drawn to because she had a string of bad experiences with traditional medicine. “I ended up switching over to alternative things where I’m using crystal energy,” she says.

She says she believes the stones have various healing powers. Separate stones can be used in tandem, and Bonebrake says choosing the right size or polish depends on personal preference.

Healer’s tip: If you’re looking for a protective remedy that will absorb negative energy from your home, then a large chunk of raw black tourmaline is your best bet. But you shouldn’t carry this jagged and fragile crystal outside the home, Bonebrake says. Instead, choose a smaller and more polished stone.

Perusing a palm Clarise-Elise Keith began practicing palmistry more than 15 years ago. Although there are many methods palm readers use to interpret the lines on one’s hand, Keith’s process looks at deeper meanings and motivations.

Rose quartz Encourages selflove and respect, improves harmony in relationships, provides comfort in times of grief

Moonstone Brings good fortune, enhances intuition, brings inspiration, helps with digestive health, remedies skin, eyes and hair

Sapphire Attracts prosperity and peace, helps with blood disorders and eye issues, comforts depression, anxiety and insomnia

Amethyst Protects, heals and purifies, wards off intrusive thoughts, helps with addiction, anxiety and depression

Illustrations by Hope Johnson

Petalite Helps with mood swings, works against negative energy, grounds one’s emotional body, releases fear

SPIRITUAL SERVICES Karma Care Gem stones under $1 and palm stones under $10 1414 Rangeline St. karmacarellc.com Clarise-Elise Keith $20 palmistry walk-ins, clariseelise@live.com, 504-517-4253 Rexanna’s Readings From $20 for 15 minutes to $60 for 60 minutes, rexannasreading@ gmail.com, 289-7265

Keith says she does readings with her clients in person because it is important to physically see every line on a person’s hand and observe how the lines move. She looks at three main lines on a person’s dominant hand: the heartline, headline and lifeline. The shape, length, depth and color all act as a sort of map to one’s lifetime: past, present and future. Keith says all these features can change.

Healer’s tip: Palm readings can give you an overview of your life, Keith says. If you visit, she’ll use the process to analyze how your past experiences or traumas have affected the ways you communicate, love and handle certain situations. “Palm reading is excellent for looking at somebody’s entire life path,” she says. “How their childhood affected the way their mind works and how that plays out in the sort of map of their hand is quite fascinating.”

Tarot: not just a card game Rexanna Ipock-Brown interprets tarot cards to help guide visitors on their life’s journey. Readings can also answer questions concerning others, such as how you interact or events you’ve encountered in past lives.

Ipock-Brown begins her readings by connecting with the client, putting herself in a trance-like state and inviting her guides to join. Clients sit before her (now via Zoom) and think about life questions as she draws 20 cards. She interprets each card, gives as much explanation as the client needs and receives their input. After explaining almost every card in the deck, the last three act as a reading summary, highlighting key points and takeaways. She then uses the cards to answer specific questions.

Healer’s tip: “The more focused you are with your questions, the clearer your response is going to be,” Ipock-Brown says. “Tarot is much more flexible (than palmistry). It can tell you a lot more than just about you.”

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

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CULTURE THEATER

From curtain call to final cut Local theater students and professors continue to create, albeit virtually.

BY MATTHEW SCHMITTDIEL

T

he pandemic has forced university theater departments to lower their lights, close their doors and pivot from stage to computer screen. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, one of the most famous musicals in history, found great success when it bumped its theatrical release to the small screen instead, becoming the most-watched show out of all streaming service shows in July. But can the theater departments of Stephens College and MU do the same?

It was the opening night of MU Theatre’s Votes for Women back in

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March when Zoë Tyler, an MU senior majoring in theater, and her fellow cast members were told that the remaining performances were canceled due to COVID-19.

Since then, college theater in Columbia has seen many changes. The MU Theatre Department has produced original works So Near, So Far by Brett Kristofferson and All the Spaces by Murphy Ward and Kylee Compton. Both shows premiered virtually in July. In November, the department presented its 18th annual Life and Literature Performance Series, which included original

Julia Vuolo plays Corryn in Warehouse Theatre Company’s video production of Gidion’s Knot.

Actors took precautionary measures during the shoot.

and adapted works by MU students and faculty members. All of these productions were published or streamed online.

Technical difficulties Before any show’s opening night, the cast and crew spends a week — called tech week ­— testing all the show’s production elements such as lighting, sound and costume changes. This time, for All The Spaces, Tyler says the actors had to be their own tech crew as they shot their parts themselves.

Photography by Rachel Ives

C U LT U RE THEATER

“We had equipment actually shipped to people’s houses or dropped off, and if they lived in Columbia, we provided a green screen, a microphone, a sound system for that microphone,” Tyler says.

“We would test out the best camera they had, typically a cell phone, and we recorded those over Zoom.”

Singing over Zoom is something Tyler says she will never enjoy. “That stuff is not fun,” she says. The “stuff” includes going over 30 people’s lines individually. When there’s a mistake, they have to repeat it until it’s right.

“We’re just out here developing this new way of theater,” Tyler says. “Theater has to prove itself to be essential, and I think it is.”

Full house, empty seats Now months into the pandemic, both MU Theatre and Stephens College’s theater program have transitioned to shooting performances on location with cameras while taking precautions. Julia Vuolo is a third-year acting student

COPYRIGHT CONCERNS Recording performances can be legally complicated. MU Theatre originally planned to perform Beauty and the Beast but didn’t have the rights to do it as a virtual performance.

To abide by regulations, Tyler says MU Theatre has mostly focused on original material and music with the productions of All the Spaces and So Near, So Far.

and chairwoman of Warehouse Theatre Company, the student-run production house at Stephens. She says her company’s shows this semester, such as Gidion’s Knot or Chili Shakes — in which actors eat hot chili peppers while reading Romeo and Juliet — have been difficult to produce but rewarding. Both shows even made a profit from their performances.

Yet, the many moments that make theater special are lost when actors have to perform in front of a camera. “I would say not having an audience to actually feed off of is much more difficult with film,” Vuolo says. “But it’s also very exciting because you have to find that energy from within yourself and know that you have that ability now, because you’ve done it.”

Silver linings to the silver screen Tyler and Vuolo agree that virtual performances come with a range of benefits: There is no longer a limit on the number of tickets you can sell, you can watch from any location, and if you need

A V E RY

V I R T UA L TO U R DEC 15, 2020 — JAN 3, 2021 Invite your friends and family to a Holiday Home Tour watch party!

Tickets are $25, now through Jan. 3.

to pause the show to make some more popcorn, you can do that, too.

“I think there is a place for what we’re doing even maybe post-pandemic, honestly,” Tyler says. “Although, of course, I’m always going to love theater as it was.”

Brett Olson, an assistant professor of theater at Stephens College, says that another one of the positive things that came out of the pandemic is that it has taught students new skills such as self-taping, a practice that Olson says “is likely going to be how jobs are earned in the future in the performance industry.”

“It’s a very different process,” Vuolo says. “But we’re really fortunate to be able to learn through it and still be creating things, which is really awesome.”

To Tyler, the challenges brought about by the pandemic have helped prove her passion for theater. “You’re either going to be discouraged and do nothing,” she says. “Or you are going to rise to the occasion, and I’d like to think that’s what we did.”

H O L I DAY

A T I M E FO R H O P E A treasured tradition. Enjoy a spectacular holiday concert embracing a variety of music for the season and support Toys for Tots.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE A TICKET VISIT: theMOSY.org CALL: 573-875-0600 VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

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home. [noun]

/pronounce/ hohm

It’s the scent of fresh pizza or the sound of hometown crowds roaring “M-I-Z.” It’s enjoying ice cream from Sparky’s or an early morning kiss from your horse. We might call four walls and a roof home, but the magic of these spaces is what — and who — lives within them. And often, it’s a feeling that exists outside of those walls.

Home, for Columbia residents, is a certain ineffable splendor that comes in many forms. Who, what or where is home to you? We asked locals this question, and they wrote in their own handwriting what home means to them.

Photo essay by Jacob Moscovitch

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/

Design by Madison Wisse

Isiah Deshon is an early bird. Before the sun rises, and throughout the day, he visits his horses to feed them treats and kiss them. “These horses are getting older,” he says. “But they will always follow me wherever I go.” Deshon, an MU sophomore studying plant science, holds his 26-yearold horse, Shalimar, before sunrise at his home. They live on a few acres of land just south of Columbia.

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“Whenever I come back from a trip, I go straight to Tony’s,” Kellin Cobbins says of Tony’s Pizza in downtown Columbia.

“Ever since I was a kid, I used to eat here and get food with family.” Cobbins, a local rap artist, eats his usual order of shawarma-topped pizza in one of the restaurant’s booths.

He’s there so often that he knows the phone number by heart.

“I tell Grandma everything,” Aiden Nieves, 9, says. “She listens, and she understands me when I don’t know what to do.” Raised by his mother and his grandmother, Aiden says they are inseparable.

Aiden and his grandmother, Nancy Brown-Glasgow, pause during a visit in Shelter Gardens, a peaceful place they often visit to sit, relax and look out over the water.

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If it were up to Everly Millner, 6, she would play on the swings every day. “I like to swing with my sisters and help push them,� she says. Everly and her younger sister Winifred play together in their backyard.

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“The windows can be closed, and I still hear the announcer’s voice,” Nate Waters, 14, says of the MU football games that take place not far from where he lives on Lindell Street.

Waters, a freshman at Hickman High School, says he enjoys listening to the cheers and band from anywhere in his home: his bedroom, the kitchen and even the backyard.

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Lacey Chapman was exiting the highway after a long drive when the sun peeked through the trees and danced in her eyes. “I’m home,” she remembers thinking. “When I left Montana three years ago, I didn’t know when Columbia would feel like my own.“ Last year, when driving back from a trip to Montana, she says, “I felt it.”

For Rowan Millner, 4, home is eating ice cream with Sparky.

While her family sits at a table nearby, Rowan likes to feed her old pal outside the lime-green icecream shop. “I’m done,” she says, turning back toward her family.

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BEHIND For Fiddle & Stone Bread Co. owner Chris Foley, comfort comes in the routine of baking bread. His recipe for sourdough success includes fiddle music, Frisbee and a wood-fired brick oven. Foley is a man of many interests, and his bread business is on the rise.

Words by AIMAN JAVED Design by HOPE JOHNSON Photography by GRACE NOTEBOOM and MARGO WAGNER and courtesy of DREW PIESTER

THE

D

BREAD

ON A CRISP OCTOBER MORNING AT THE COLUMBIA FARMERS MARKET, ROUND LOAVES OF SOURDOUGH — SESAME STREET, HONEYED QUARTER, COUNTRY SOUR AND GOLDEN SPICE ­ — SIT ON DISPLAY AT CHRIS FOLEY’S TENT.

Chris Foley bakes about 200 loaves a week and sells them at the Columbia Farmers Market. He uses a wood-fired brick oven at Creekside Mill.

know your sourdough Fermentation: In bread, this is the metabolic process in which yeast, or the starter, converts sugar to carbon dioxide and alcohol, causing dough to rise.

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Behind the table, he sips a Diet Coke while his mother, Trish Foley, who helps him at the market every Saturday, drinks sparkling water. In the red truck behind them is a fiddle case. Through the tinted truck window, a dog cage is visible in the back seat. The wind carries a folk song playing from Foley’s portable speaker.

Why is the baker also a fiddler? Why does he drink Diet Coke? And where is his dog, Apollo?

Help from a heeler Foley, 37, bakes his bread in a wood-fired brick oven at Creekside Mill, located in southwest Columbia.

His process to make 200 sourdough loaves per week is an all-day affair on Mondays and Fridays. He begins by making the dough at home the night before and letting it ferment. In the warmer months, he uses Café Berlin’s walk-in cooler for this. You can find his bread at the Columbia Farmers Market, and he also sells to Rhett Hartman of MO Local Routes, who delivers food from mid-Missouri farmers and producers to customers.

At the mill, Foley’s dog, Apollo, runs free. “He’s my little healer,” Foley says as he explains naming his blue heeler after the Greek god. All Apollo wants to do during the hours they spend at Creekside Mill each week is play Frisbee. Foley never wants to say no, and Apollo never gets tired. But Foley must also do what he came here to do: bake bread for the farmers market.

The brick oven was built in 2014 by Richard Knapp, the mill owner and a local farmer who grows and mills wheat. Knapp had always wanted a baker to use the oven, so when Foley asked, Knapp immediately agreed. On Fridays and Mondays, Foley does the final baking preparations in a greenhouse at the mill.

6:30 a.m. wake-up call Foley leaves his house and picks up the dough from Café Berlin. He loads it into boxes and heads for Creekside Mill. He arrives at the farm by 8 a.m. and lets the dough rise in the warmth of the greenhouse.

He then begins prepping for the bake and starts a fire in the oven.

Music from his playlist of 1,000 songs hums in the background. Many of them feature the fiddle, a violin for folk music lovers. “It’s representative of the nature of baking,” Foley says. “There’s a whole lot of hard, fast rules and a whole lot of fiddling around trying to sort out what’s what.”

As he begins working, Foley’s black hoodie, which has an illustration of a fiddle on the back, gets dusted with flour. Quickly and efficiently, he dumps out the dough, sections it, folds it into round balls and places each sphere into a separate colander lined with a towel.

know your sourdough

Proofing: Also known as the final rise, proofing is when the shaped dough rises for the last time before baking in the oven.

“I found something that I have a knack for,” Chris Foley says of baking.

A gray cap hides his mullet and prevents his hair from interfering. Afterward, he goes outside to check if the oven is warm enough.

Apollo rushes to Foley with a teal Frisbee in his mouth, drops it on the ground and gazes at him with puppy dog eyes. On this particular day, Oct. 19, Apollo is celebrating his first birthday. He came into Foley’s life in December 2019, a few days after Foley’s 37th birthday. Now, he paws at Foley’s gray Levi’s, held up by a belt with a fiddle-shaped buckle.

Foley picks up the Frisbee and throws it. As Apollo rushes away, Foley walks to a nearby shed and brings back a log. Apollo returns, and they repeat their practiced motions. Foley grabs an ax and chops the log. He pokes around in the oven as he loads it with wood. Apollo returns. “You really love to play Frisbee, don’t you?” he says to Apollo. “It’s sort of an addiction. We might need to have an intervention.”

Without his dog, the long hours of baking at the farm used to be lonely. When Foley goes to the farmers market, Apollo stays home with Foley’s roommate and friend since 2008, Joshua Santiago, because he’s too excitable for the crowds. But at the farm, the two wait together for the bread to bake.

Foley lets his dough rise in the greenhouse at Creekside Mill. His dog, Apollo, begs to play Frisbee as Foley bakes at the farm.

Crumb & get it Find Fiddle & Stone Bread Co.’s sourdough at the Columbia Farmers Market every Saturday during its winter hours, 9 a.m. to noon. Follow @olewildbill on Facebook and Instagram, or visit fiddleandstone.com for

No knead for a strict plan Foley’s schedule changes based on the season. He needs to wait for the oven to reach over 470°F, which can take two to six hours depending on the weather.

Then Foley scrapes the wood and ash into a metal trash can. With a wet mop, he cleans the inside of the oven to prepare it for baking. It’ll hold its temperature for hours. He dusts a long wooden paddle with flour, plops four dough sections on it, scores each one with a knife and places them in the oven. He repeats the process until 30 to 40 loaves are baking. When all the loaves are inside, he seals the oven opening with bricks and a wooden door. Twenty minutes later, Foley checks the loaves and shifts them around if they’ve gotten stuck to one another.

Another 40 minutes later, the comforting aroma of fresh bread wafts in the air, and the loaves are done. Foley pulls out a loaf and sticks it with a thermometer. When the temperature reaches 212°F, he pulls out the loaves and cools them on metal racks.

When baking large quantities, he goes through a second or even a third batch. Depending on the number of batches and the weather, his day can take up to 11 hours. Then he packs the finished loaves in huge boxes that he pushes into the back of his red truck. Apollo jumps in the kennel in the backseat, and they head for home.

more information.

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Starting from scratch Four years ago, Foley quit drinking. That’s when sourdough found him. Foley stopped drinking for many reasons. He was losing friends who didn’t want to be around him, he was rotating through jobs he didn’t enjoy, he racked up credit card debt he couldn’t pay, and he had an unreliable car he sometimes slept in when he got too drunk. “The fun had left,” he says.

“It was just the thing I did to feel OK.” His rock bottom was the day his landlord demanded he pay five to six months of back rent.

He then decided something needed to change. “I kind of made a deal with God; I can’t keep going like this,” he says.

The next morning, he went to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting a friend had recommended to him.

He hasn’t had a drink since. These days, Foley sips on sparkling water and Diet Coke.“He’s changed so much about the way he lives his life,” says Santiago.

After, Foley began experimenting with bread, exploring YouTube tutorials and books about sourdough.

“I ended up with just so much time on my hands,” Foley says. “I remembered I used to like making bread.”

Three years ago at the Columbia Career Center, he took a natural leavening course, taught by Michael Kalanty, an artisan baker and author of the book series How to Bake Bread. Kalanty saw that Foley was more advanced than other students and offered him some of his 34-year-old sourdough starter, a fermented mixture of water and flour, which Foley uses to this day.

Some hard work and some genetic luck Foley has baking in his genes. His great-grandfather and great uncle were bakers in France. In 2011, Foley and his mother visited family there, including a cousin who is a baker in Dijon. If he could take the trip again now, Foley says he’d focus on the bread.

“At that time, I had no interest in bread,” Foley says.

“I was there for the wine.”

Foley’s first baking job was at age 15 at Ellis Bakery in Ashland where he lived with his family. His main task was making different kinds of dough. But after two years of long hours and low pay, he quit.

In subsequent years, Foley has worked at Shakespeare’s Pizza, Pizza Tree, Café Berlin, Lucky’s Market, Wolf’s Head Tavern and Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. Everywhere he has gone, he has worked with dough. He credits Café Berlin owner, Eli Gay, for first giving him the space to experiment with bread.

Six years later, Foley still bakes the restaurant’s bread.

Ready to leave his small town behind, Foley left Ashland right after high school. He moved to Columbia and later transferred to MU to study literature after a few years away from Missouri State University. In his 20s, Foley worked at Shakespeare’s Pizza with John Gilbreth, who later opened Pizza Tree and hired him. “He’s a guy who likes to say yes,” Gilbreth says of Foley. “That was something that I really liked about him.”

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Gilbreth introduced Foley to Knapp, owner of Creekside Mill. In May 2018, Gilbreth and Foley visited the mill to try the oven Knapp had told them about.

They were there for 18 hours and stayed up all night beforehand to prepare the dough. They tried to fire up the oven and get it to work. “The bread sucked,” Gilbreth says. “We didn’t know what we were doing.”

Despite the failed experiment, Foley remembers everything he learned that day. And now, each week at the farmers market, customers tell him his bread is the best they’ve ever had.

Down to business Foley’s mother, Trish, helps him out at the farmers market. She’s a people person, and he’s more of an Apollo person. After he launched Fiddle & Stone Bread Co. in February 2019, it quickly gained popularity and developed a loyal clientele.

Foley’s customers are familiar with his fiddling; he posts pictures on his business’ quirky Facebook page and sometimes plays the instrument himself at the market. Foley’s father, John William “Bill” Foley, plays the banjo, guitar and fiddle. In his teenage years, Foley played the guitar before eventually selecting the fiddle nine years ago. Soon, he began fiddling for square dance events in Hallsville.

In mid-October, Foley started a new website to expand his reach. Eventually, he hopes for a brickand-mortar retail location where he can teach bread-making as well as sell bread. He muses over moving into the loft above the mill’s greenhouse to work harder at his craft. He says everything is better since he stopped drinking.

“For the first time in my life, I can honestly tell people that I’m just super fortunate,” Foley says.

“I found something that I have a knack for and a huge support group between friends, parents and customers. It still blows me away that people buy my bread and enjoy it.”

Foley scores the sourdough loaves before baking. At the market, you might find him playing fiddle, an instrument he picked up from his father.

know your sourdough Starter: Also referred to as a culture, this live fermented mixture of flour and water makes the dough rise — no commercial yeast required.

MOCKTAIL MUSES P. 31

Chris Jones, Lilly’s Cantina chef and pico de gallo expert, prepares all the cold food and sauces for each day.

SPICE UP THE HOLIDAYS P. 32

Ride-along with Lilly’s Cantina Local business serves up meals on wheels and is busier than ever.

BY MADDY RYLEY Outdoor dining and socially distanced seating have been the eating-out norm since March, and food trucks are perfectly suited for both. Columbia has a robust food truck scene that includes 46 licensed mobile vendors, says Kala Wekenborg-Tomka, environmental health supervisor at Columbia/ Boone County Public Health and Human Services. In November 2017, 25 vendors were licensed. There were significantly less in 2010, with only four.

Although dining has had to adapt, the food truck industry continues to be on the rise, according to the Global Mobile Food Truck Market 2020 report. The report takes into account market size, volume, and value and price data.

Lilly’s Cantina has been serving Mexican street food with a gourmet edge since 2014. George Nikols, co-owner and operator of Lilly’s Cantina, says, “We’ve been consistent, and we’ve noticed an uptick (in profits) with COVID.” Nikols says the three big challenges he faces include finding suitable consumer locations, dealing with weather and handling mechanical maintenance on the truck.

In Columbia, there are designated spaces where food trucks park and conduct business, such as on other businesses’ property and on college campuses. Nikols says the food truck community does its best not to stack up in one spot. Social media accounts are the best way to know where food trucks will be operating because they change locations frequently and might not be open

Photography by Hana Kellenberger

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

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E AT + DRINK FOOD TRUCKS

on days when conditions are unfavorable.

So what’s it like to run a food truck? Vox shadowed Nikols on Oct. 28 to see a typical day of cooking in a food truck.

4:30 a.m. Shrimp in the nighttime George Nikols arrives with his son, Donnie Nikols, at Lilly’s Cantina’s commissary.

The kitchen is off of Vandiver Drive, tucked away in a small strip mall with a St. Louis Cardinals flag hanging on the door. It’s still dark when they begin to prepare the food.

Today’s special menu item is shrimp, which they marinate first. Some days, the truck serves up fish that George Nikols catches himself. “All of our sauces and marinades are homemade,” he says. “Donnie really has made a lot of them just by throwing things in a pan and testing them by trial and error.”

George Nikols says the key to cooking, for the self-taught chef, is to practice and listen to other cooks.

6 a.m. Food in the making Chris Jones, the truck’s pico de gallo master, arrives ready for work. He creates the pico that has tomatoes, onions and cilantro at one of the stainless steel counters, and the scent of fresh onions and cilantro fills the room. “Pico de gallo takes a lot of skill, a lot of work, and tacos are only as good as the toppings and sauce,” George Nikols says. Donnie Nikols and Jones work at the preparation tables, and George Nikols plans the truck locations for the week and updates their location information on social media.

The aroma of different spices and meats fill the air. Pollo asada cooks in the oven, carnitas slow roast, beef and shrimp are marinated and cooked. “We try our best to keep it fresh and local,” George Nikols says. “The price sometimes prevents the ability to buy local.”

Queso heats up in a melting machine, and blenders mix green salsa. Donnie Nikols shuts off the blender and tastes his creation. His face distorts. “Oh my God, this is too hot!” he says. Jones offers ways to tone down the spiciness. George Nikols says from his desk, “Well, Donnie can handle spice, and if he’s saying it’s hot, it’s too hot.”

Donnie Nikols continues experimenting with the salsa’s flavor.

10 a.m. Rolling out Once the food is all cooked, Jones and Donnie Nikols put it into pans. The two young men carry food into the back of the bright, colorful truck, decorated with a design by George

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Nikols’ wife. Then the three men load at 10:30 a.m., and the Freight Liner MT55 leaves its parking spot. The truck meanders slowly through the streets until it pulls into the Boone Hospital parking lot.

Jones puts chips into styrofoam containers so they’re ready to go when people order nachos. Donnie Nikols lays out tortillas next to the flat top grill and prepares smaller containers of meats, cheese and pico de gallo. The faint smell of gas permeates inside of the truck while the grill heats up.

11 a.m. Rush hour The food truck’s windows open. George Nikols greets customers and repeats orders back to make sure they’re right. Suddenly, a flood of nurses, doctors and hospital staff comes out of the building and makes its way to the parking lot.

Donnie Nikols cooks made-to-order quesadillas. George Nikols works the windows and chats with their customers,

George Nikols’ inspiration behind the food is from living in Southern California for many years.

LILLY’S CANTINA Follow lillyscantinacomo on Facebook to see hours and locations for the week.

calling out names when their orders are up. Jones is placing toppings onto nachos and handing Donnie Nikols whatever he needs. Tacos, nachos, quesadillas and huge burritos move out the window constantly.

“Woah, that was crazy,” Donnie Nikols says after the rush end. “They never have come out all at once like that before.”

The truck took 75 orders in less than 60 minutes. All of the men clean up their stations with spray bottles and rags. George Nikols says, “75% of all the work we do is cleaning.”

1:30 p.m. Cleaning up The Cantina’s windows close, and the crew drives back to the commissary. They clean and organize the truck so it will be ready for tomorrow, and all the leftover food is thrown away.

They bring dishes into the commissary to be washed.

3 p.m. After hours George Nikols heads home after 10 hours of work. He enjoys spending time with his 14-yearold daughter, Lilly Jacks. The truck is named after her. He spends his postwork hours doing house chores, cooking dinner and taking Lilly to her various activities. “I want to have a life with my daughter,” he says.

George Nikols says he is looking to extended the business to include dinner hours, but that would require more employees and more money costs. He is considering spots in downtown Columbia for nighttime business. For now, he says he enjoys going home, after serving food all day, to his family.

Photography by Hana Kellenberger

E AT & DRI N K BEVERAGES

ial milk c e p s late co cho Half and half, chocolate syrup, vanilla syrup, whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, sprinkles xby Haw DogMaster Distillery owner Van

Ditch the Shirley Temple

rina Cookson Pressed bartender Sab

“The vinegar gives it a little pop, which combines nicely with the fruit. Very refreshing,” says bartender Melanie Lising about the Orange-Pomegranate Buzz-Free Drink at Sycamore.

Mint, lime, lemon, Sprite, simple syrup, pineapple juice

mock pineapple m o jit o

It’s more fun than ever to drink without the alcohol.

Photography by Ethan Weston and illustrations by Hope Johnson

orange-fproemeegdranate rink buzz-

the vir gin unicorn

WYLD Sparkling Water at Hemp Hemp Hooray Real fruit-infused sparkling water with 25 mg of broad spectrum CBD Flavors: Lemon, blackberry, raspberry and blood orange Non-alcoholic craft beer at International Tap House The lineup: Heineken 0; Athletic Brewing Co. IPA, Golden Ale and Extra Dark; Lagunitas Hop Hoppy Refresher

Orange shrub (muddled vinegar, fruit and simple syrup), pomegranate preserve, simple syrup, soda water

n O

Cranberry juice, sweet and sour mix, lemonade, Sierra Mist, topped with a bordeaux cherr y

canned options

market to provide unique products. Some mimic the taste of alcohol, while others provide their own unique flavor.

According to an article in The Washington Post in June 2019, many millennial and Gen Z consumers are switching to mocktail options for health reasons, among other things.

What if you still want the mellowing effect of that evening glass of wine? Hello, CBD seltzers.

Hemp Hemp Hooray, located at 917 E. Broadway, has been carrying WYLD Sparkling Water for eight months. The canned beverage tastes like any other sparkling water, but contains 25 milligrams of broad spectrum CBD. CBD is not psychoactive, meaning you won’t get high when you consume it, but potential benefits include lower anxiety and depression levels and improved sleep.

These benefits make it a good alternative to cocktails, says Nikki Halderman, co-owner of Hemp Hemp Hooray.

Without the flavors that alcoholic spirits provide to a cocktail, bartenders and mixologists have to get creative. Here are some original recipes crafted by Columbia bartenders, and some options already on the menu.

u at Sycamore Resta men uran t the

N

owhere to go and a little more external stress than average?

That’s usually a perfect storm for a boozy solution. Indeed, alcohol consumption from spring 2019 to spring 2020 increased by 14% among those over age 30, according to a RAND Corporation study.

The same study showed women increased heavy drinking habits (four drinks or more within a couple hours) by 41%.

More than ever, it’s nice to have nightcap options minus the booze. However, mocktails aren’t just for those abstaining from alcohol. Sometimes you just aren’t in the mood for liquor, or you want to shake things up while still enjoying a fun drink.

International Tap House bartender Ian Cody says people choose a nonalcoholic drink for a variety of reasons.

“Some people just aren’t feeling it,” Cody says. “On game days, some people come in after drinking all day and just want something to sip on but don’t want it to be alcohol. Pregnant women come in with friends and want to have a drink, just not with booze. That’s why we have drinks that cater to everyone.”

These non-alcoholic beverages don’t have to be boring; many businesses are stepping into this sector of the cocktail

lie Evans y bartender Ky Teller’s Galler

BY JULIA BOWER

31

E AT + DRINK CHEFS

Kitchen’s greetings

memories of sitting around in Mexico with my family,” Rutiaga says. “When I eat tamales… that’s all I think about.”

We’re all tired of the monotony of cooking in. But with tips from these local chefs, your holiday table will be far from boring.

New Year’s resolution? Eat more ozoni

BY VIVIAN HERZOG

O

ur home kitchens have been bustling for the past nine months.

You might have baked sourdough for the first time or dabbled in pie fillings. Maybe you discovered the secret to moist banana bread, tried that mysterious whipped coffee everyone was talking about or figured out how to roast a flawless chicken. Maybe you did all of this, but maybe you didn’t. Maybe the thought of scrounging up yet another meal paralyzes you with dread, and you’re just dreaming about eating in a restaurant again.

Wherever you land on the cooking spectrum, the holiday season is sure to inspire you to spice things up on your stove. For inspiration, Vox asked three local chefs what they love to cook during the holidays.

Celebrate Hanukkah with latkes John Gilbreth, Pizza Tree

John Gilbreth grew up in Joplin, in a house where the holidays meant rowdy children afoot, a turkey on the table and air filled with Santa-related anticipation. Gilbreth moved to Columbia in 1999 and started a career in the food industry, a world in which he says he’s done everything from sandwich shops to high-end dining. But when Gilbreth met his wife, Amanda Rainey, eight years ago, she pushed him to expand his repertoire even further. “She had me whipping up all kinds of traditional Jewish holiday delights,” he says.

During Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, it’s traditional to eat fried foods like sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts) and latkes (potato pancakes). In the Gilbreth-Rainey household, latkes are the epitome of holiday cooking, but Gilbreth says you can’t just fry latkes in canola or peanut oil. To him, they aren’t latkes unless you fry them in schmaltz.

Schmaltz, which is rendered chicken fat with onion, is liquid gold in Jewish kitchens. It is intrinsically savory, and without

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it, latkes just “don’t have the full force of God,” Gilbreth says.

There’s no Navidad without tamales Francisco Rutiaga, Taqueria Don Pancho

For Francisco Rutiaga, childhood Christmases spent in Durango, Mexico, were filled with cousins, uncles, a great-grandmother and, inevitably, tamales.

Nowadays, Rutiaga, along with his parents, Pancho Rutiaga and Liliana Mendoza, spends the holidays at home in Columbia.

Rutiaga says he and his parents like to mix things up for the season. “Each year we go from making things like carne asada and birria, and then we switch it to prime rib with mashed potatoes,” he says. But no matter the year’s menu, one thing can be sure: It wouldn’t be Christmas to Rutiaga without his mom’s tamales.

Mendoza makes three kinds of tamales: chile verde (chicken with salsa verde), chile rojo (pork with salsa roja) and jalapeño-cheese. “Every Christmas brings back

TIPS + TRICKS Latkes For latkes that are crunchy, be sure to squeeze the water out of your potato mixture, and add more schmaltz to the skillet between batches.

Tamales “You gotta like making tamales to make good tamales,” Liliana Mendoza always says. Taqueria Don Pancho offers tamales as occasional specials.

Ozoni Finding mochi in CoMo might be tricky.

Frances Harvey recommends checking Lee’s Market or Hong Kong Market.

Frances Harvey, Fujiko Izakaya Ramen

When Frances Harvey thinks of the holiday season, New Year’s steals the show.

Harvey, whose mother is Japanese, lived in Japan when she was 12 and 13. She remembers the intricate, multicourse dinners that graced the New Year’s tables she, her younger sister and grandparents sat around.

But most of all, she remembers ozoni.

Ozoni is a light, dashi-based soup filled with seasonal vegetables, herbs and poached chicken. The main attraction is a large piece of toasted mochi that’s floated in the broth.

The mochi, a Japanese rice cake made with glutinous rice, is grilled until it’s crispy on the outside and puffy in the middle, eventually becoming a big dumpling, Harvey says. “When you bite down on it, it’s super stretchy. It’s got a bunch of pull to it, almost like cheese.”

Although she doesn’t usually get to spend New Year’s with her family, Harvey says she feels especially connected to them when she cooks ozoni: “It really reminds me of those two [Januaries] I got to spend with my grandparents… it takes me back to living there.”

Frances Harvey was born in California. Cooking Japanese dishes like ozoni helps her feel connected to her family.

Photography by Margo Wagner

50 YEARS OF CLEANER AIR P. 35

SHELTERS PREP FOR WINTER P. 36

A green thumb can help with winter blues Give your plants the proper care, and they’ll care for you right back.

BY ALYSSA SHIKLES When the pandemic altered the world as we knew it, some people coped with the stress and spare time by retreating to long-forgotten hobbies. Some took up exercise, others turned to the kitchen, and still more found relief by way of a green thumb. For new plant owners, caring for plants is equally therapeutic and aesthetically pleasing.

According to Psychology Today, being around plants can provide mental and physical health benefits, including reduced stress and depression, higher levels of creativity and production and stronger memory retention. Horticulture therapy, the practice of using plants and gardening to improve mental or physical health, applies these benefits in a controlled therapeutic setting.

Patrick Byers, a horticulture field specialist in Webster, says some of the benefits of horticulture therapy can be achieved simply by surrounding yourself with plants. A 2015 study from the Journal of Physiological Anthropology shows that working with and being around plants makes you feel more comfortable and reduce stress. “Plants and people are a great team,” Byers says.

“There are well-documented connections between human well-being and the presence of plants.”

Plants help humans by releasing oxygen and purifying the air, Byers says.

Research shows that plants absorb toxPhoto illustration by Madison Wisse, photography by Dan Shular and courtesy of Unsplash and WikiCommons

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

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CITY LIFE

ins and improve air quality and overall health. “After the fifth or sixth Zoom call of the day, I can look over and get a lot of pleasure out of plants that are on the desk,” Byers says. “It’s very calming in my environment, and I know that those plants are physically helping me.”

For Elizabeth Ustinov, an MU senior studying journalism who has acquired five plants since March, buying greenery was a way to feel better. “It kind of gives

pothos

GARDENING

me that responsibility to make sure that something I own doesn’t die or wither,” she says. “It helps me because I feel like I’m doing these plants good.”

With winter approaching and outdoor activities becoming less frequent, it becomes difficult to get outside and enjoy nature. To counteract the winter blues, it might be time to get that succulent or fern you’ve been wanting for your nightstand or desk.

FIVE INDOOR PLANTS TO WEATHER THE WINTER Before picking your plant, find out which kinds will do best in your home this winter.

With help from local experts, Vox came up with a list of plants that are perfect for newfound plant parents.

KEY Light:

Water:

water every two weeks high humidity,­­­­ moist soil

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VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

Boston fern

Want some color?

Christmas cactus If you want a plant that flowers, the Christmas cactus is perfect for the holiday season.

Byers says they are “tried and true” indoor plants and reliably flower every winter if you cut back on watering. They can handle low and high light but will flower more readily in a brighter environment.

Difficulty: Medium Light: Water:

Christmas cactus

minimal light or shade bright, direct light

Want a bit of a challenge?

Boston fern Ferns can be tricky if you don’t know the environment they need. Byers recommends putting them in your kitchen or bathroom for high humidity. Boston ferns need moisture and low light, so keep the soil damp by misting it once or twice a week.

Difficulty: Medium Light: Water:

aloe v era

For a plant that multitasks: aloe vera Not only is the aloe plant great for beginners, but its leaves also have healing purposes. A type of succulent, this medicinal plant can be used to relieve burns and heal wounds, though it is not suitable for households with cats. “If I could only keep one plant, it’d be this,” Diana Denman, owner of Columbia plant shop Wolf’s Point Studio. says. Put an aloe plant on an end table near a window to spice up your living room.

Difficulty: Easy Light: Water:

Doubt your green thumb capabilities? cactus or succulent If you’re not confident in your ability to keep a plant alive, a cactus or succulent might be perfect, particularly because they thrive on neglect, says Denman. This winter, stick your cactus or succulent in a windowsill so it can soak up as much light as possible.

Difficulty: Easy Light: Water:

cactus

Beautify your workspace: pothos These cascading houseplants make a statement in any room. Whether in a hanging basket or on a bookshelf, pothos are happy when watered after the soil has dried and do “beautifully” in indirect light, Byers says, making them great for your single-window bedroom. These plants are not suitable for households with cats or dogs.

Difficulty: Easy Light: Water:

Photography courtesy of Unsplash and WikiCommons

C I T Y LI FE ENVIRONMENT

Clearing the air Here’s what 50 years of the Clean Air Act looks like in Columbia.

BY LEANNE TIPPETT MOSBY

I

n October 1948, a killer crept through the streets of Donora, Pennsylvania, and took the lives of 20 people. The killer was not human; it was the suffocating fog of polluted air that spewed from local factories.

The Donora smog increased awareness of air pollution problems caused by nationwide industrial growth. In 1955, Congress enacted a series of laws culminating in the first comprehensive federal law that addressed air pollution.

Fifteen years later, the Clean Air Act became law on Dec. 31, 1970. It created a national framework to curb air pollution. The original 1970 legislation and the 1990 amendments to it resulted in major progress toward improving air quality and public health, including here in Columbia.

of Energy Management. Natural gas is 55% to 60% of what MU uses now, and 33% to 36% is regionally sourced biofuel.

Quality air According to the EPA, harmful air pollutant concentrations have gone down since 1990. This includes reductions in the concentrations of key air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide by 77% and sulfur dioxide by 85%.There was also a 99% drop for lead concentrations.

However, the benefits of such improvements are not distributed universally. Studies in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show people of color in the U.S. bear a pollution burden, experiencing 60% more pollution than their consumption generates.

Local effects Larger cities were most troubled by polluted air and therefore underwent the most change, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But changes can be seen in Columbia, too.

Christian Johanningmeier, Columbia Water and Light’s power production supervisor, says it switched from high-sulfur to low-sulfur coals, which reduced sulfur dioxide emissions. The Municipal Power Plant on Business Loop 70 East stopped burning coal in 2015 though the city buys some of its power from plants that still use coal.

Columbia’s 2004 renewable energy ordinance prompted further emission reductions as Columbia Water and Light added solar, wind, landfill gas resources and waste wood to the fuel mix.

Changes to the power plant on the MU campus included additional control equipment, low temperature combustion use and implementing natural gas and waste biomass to the fuel mix.

“Our coal use is down to less than 5%,” says Gregg Coffin, MU Director Photography by Tom Hellauer and courtesy of The State Historical Society of Missouri

The MU power plant, above, has moved over the years. The original plant, below, was built in 1892.

A fresher future Local efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have moved ahead even without federal requirements. In 2009, MU signed a voluntary commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. In 2019, the Columbia City Council adopted the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, with goals of 100% reduction in municipal emissions by 2050 and 100% reduction in community greenhouse gas emissions by 2060.

There is still more work to be done. Cities across the country continue to experience poor air quality.

Los Angeles experienced 28 unhealthy air days in 2019 alone, whereas Columbia experienced 19 days of unhealthy air quality between 2010 and 2018.

According to the EPA, this rating means anyone could experience adverse health effects. Benefits of clean air include decreased respiratory problems, hospital admissions and adult and infant mortality. Unhealthy days might increase as the climate changes.

That’s why taking action locally is necessary. The Clean Air Act started a conversation 50 years ago, and though the dialogue isn’t stopping, the act and grassroots voluntary efforts have contributed to a nation where we can all breathe a little easier.

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

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CITY LIFE HOMELESSNESS Shelters look a bit different during the pandemic. Tania (last name omitted for safety of subject) is a shelter advocate and case manager at True North who assists many of the facility’s homeless residents.

Homes safe homes Harbor House and True North had to alter housing options for Columbia’s homeless population during a time of shelter-in-place.

BY SARAH STRAUGHN

I

n an ordinary year, Missouri winters bring freezing temperatures and added difficulties for Columbia’s homeless population. With the city’s first snowfall this season coming earlier than expected on Oct. 26, homeless shelters had to adapt to ensure those in need could escape the cold while adhering to pandemic protocols.

Salvation Army Harbor House is one of these locations. The facility serves as a shelter for men, women and families for up to 90 days. In March, Harbor House’s staff had to adjust quickly to the pandemic to keep themselves and their residents safe, says Jordanna Boyd-Proctor, regional social services director for the Salvation Army.

Safety measures include beds spaced apart at recommended distances, temperatures taken twice a day and mandatory mask-wearing in common areas.

Additionally, the shelter implemented mandatory hand washing and social distancing, and hot lunches have been phased out in favor of to-go bag lunches. New people who enter the shelter are required to complete a COVID-19 screening via appointment.

Although many of Harbor House’s residents dislike living in the shelter with

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its new pandemic policies, Boyd-Proctor says they prefer using Harbor House’s facilities over not having any place to go.

Despite these measures, Harbor House occupancy has been low. The shelter has more than 50 residents at a time in a typical year. As of Nov. 10, there were 27 residents at Harbor House.

Boyd-Proctor says this season’s low occupancy might be because residents struggle to abide by the shelter’s pandemic precautions, such as limiting travel outside the shelter to essential errands or work.

She also thinks communal living is a fear among potential occupants. Specifically, she says occupants who normally prefer using the shelter are now choosing to live with family or friends to avoid catching COVID-19.

Harbor House is not alone in this struggle. True North, a 24-hour shelter for anyone experiencing intimate partner violence — especially those who are homeless as a result of relationship violence — has also had to adjust its operation to accommodate pandemic safety.

Like Harbor House, True North occupancy decreased, down 25% during the pandemic, says Elizabeth Herrera Eichenberger, executive director of True

NUMBERS TO KNOW 45% The rate at which homelessness grew nationally due to increased unemployment during COVID-19 Four The number of daytime warming centers currently open in Columbia 442-1984 Salvation Army Harbor House hotline 800-548-2480 True North 24/7 hotline Dec. 13 Opening day of Room at the Inn, an overnight winter shelter, at the Unitarian Universalist Church

North. With roughly 300 people at the shelter throughout the year, True North has adjusted its housing policies. The organization has hotel rooms where people can quarantine until they’re healthy.

Once they are COVID-free and space is available, they can transition to the shelter. If space isn’t available, they can stay at the hotel.

“The goal here is that none of us want the pandemic to be a reason why somebody doesn’t leave an abusive relationship,” Herrera Eichenberger says.

She says True North was lucky to have community support when many shelters were closed, specifically financial support from the COMO Health Initiative, the Community Foundation and Veterans United. Funding from these organizations allowed the staff to get creative and come up with the hotel idea.

True North also saw a 25% decrease in calls to its hotline during March, April and May. Herrera Eichenberger says call rates are slowly returning to normal.

Boone County has several homelessness initiatives in place, including reopening four warming centers with added safety measures for COVID-19, says Steve Hollis, human services manager for Boone County. Warming shelters include the lobbies, restrooms, drinking fountains and other public areas in designated buildings, such as the Boone County Government Center and the Activity and Recreation Center. Warming centers are only open during daily business hours.

Starting Dec. 13, Room at the Inn will serve as Boone County’s overnight shelter at the Unitarian Universalist Church.

“I would say, in typical fashion, Columbia has really risen to the occasion,” Hollis says. The entire community is working to support one another, he says, including helping those struggling before the pandemic and helping those struggling because of it.

Photography by Dan Shular

CALENDAR

TO-DO LIST

Your curated guide of what to do in Columbia this month.

ARTS

CIVIC

Women Over the Influence Vol II: Grindhouse

Virtual Magic Tree Lighting Everyone in Columbia knows the Magic Tree and its multicolored lights that illuminate Cherry Hill. This year, the tree lighting ceremony will take place virtually. So rather than brave the cold, tune into the Magic Tree’s Facebook page for the livestream event.

There’s still a chance to see the last two films in Ragtag’s four-part film series about the male gaze. Emma Mae, a look at the life of a Black female filmmaker during the L.A. Rebellion — the movement to create Black cinema during the Civil Rights Era, will screen on Nov. 28.

Freeway, a modern-day, raunchy take on Little Red Riding Hood, will screen on Dec. 5.

Both films are for mature audiences only and will be shown in the theater.

Dec. 3, 6 p.m., free, virtual event

FOOD

Columbia Farmers Market

Nov. 28 and Dec. 5., 9 p.m., Ragtag Cinema, $9.50 adults, $7.50 seniors, $5.50 members

Sisters Explore the beauties and complexities of female relationships with Sisters, a vignette performed by Stephens College students.

The show is rated PG-13 for adult content and will feature numbers from Broadway and off-Broadway musicals. You can view it on Stephens College’s YouTube channel.

Nov. 28, 7 p.m., Nov. 29, 3 p.m., free, virtual event

First Thursday Book Discussion: The Hound of the Baskervilles Read the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery, The Hound of the Baskervilles, along with other Daniel Boone Regional Library patrons. Written

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,

this month’s online book club will follow the famous detective as he investigates a home haunting. Sign up on the DBRL’s website.

Dec. 3, noon to 1 p.m., Daniel Boone Regional Library, free, virtual event

Masters Exhibit: Picasso The pandemic hasn’t stopped Sager Braudis Gallery from exhibiting its masters art gallery, and this year, Pablo Picasso is in the spotlight. The event is sponsored by Sager Braudis members and will feature famous selections, including Femme Drapés, a 1945 handbuilt ceramic sculpture.

Dec. 5-26, by appointment, Sager Braudis Gallery, free

Dolores Johnson discusses Say I’m Dead Get five generations of fam-

ily secrets all in one evening.

Dolores Johnson, author of Say I’m Dead: A Family Memoir of Race, Secrets and Love, will take you through her family’s fight for interracial marriage, including FBI raids and mysterious disappearances. Sign up on Skylark Bookshop’s website.

Dec. 9, 7-8:30 p.m., Skylark Bookshop, free, virtual event

Zoom Sketching Group Hoping to be the 21st century Leonardo da Vinci?

Then join a Museum of Art and Archaeology docent in a conversation on famous art before learning to sketch your own masterpiece. Sign up for this event on the museum’s website.

Dec. 15, 10-11:30 a.m., Museum of Art and Archaeology, free, virtual event

Photography courtesy of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mid-Missouri

DON’T MISS Grab some cookie rooftops and gumdrop awnings for this year’s virtual Build a House for the House Gingerbread Competition, hosted by Ronald McDonald House Charities of MidMissouri. Register a team for $25 by Dec. 1. Then, ask your friends and family to “vote” for your house from Dec. 11-17 by donating to the Ronald McDonald House. Winners will be announced Dec. 18 at noon.

Register on the organization’s website.

With cold weather ahead, the Columbia Farmers Market is now offering online order options as well as its year-round, in-person market. The vendors’ map is updated every Friday evening, so customers can see which vendors will be available each Saturday. Make sure to grab some local goodies and knickknacks.

Saturdays except Nov. 28 and Dec. 26, 9 a.m. to noon, 1769 W. Ash St.

MUSIC

Glitz: A Night of Dance & Drag Columbia’s favorite DJs collaborate with its favorite drag queens for a night of socially distanced dance hosted by Veronika Versace. Featured performers include Aieta Buffet, Atheena Voce, Muffie

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CALENDAR

Beaverhausen and Lisa de la Renta. Don’t forget your mask!

Nov. 28, 7 p.m., The Blue Note, $10-12

The Fried Crawdaddies Enjoy a night out with The Fried Crawdaddies, a group of Missouri music veterans whose unique sound combines blues, soul, country, rock ’n’ roll, folk and funk. The show takes place during The Blue Note’s First Friday Happy Hour and features a tribute to beloved showman Jerome Wheeler.

The District’s other First Friday events, including the art crawl, will not occur due to COVID-19 precautions.

Dec. 4, 6 p.m., The Blue Note, $5

Holiday Harvest Hootenanny The Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture celebrates another successful growing season with this annual event. Livestreamed from The Blue Note and featuring acts such as The Burney Sisters and The Kay Brothers, the show will highlight the value of urban agriculture. There will be music, raffle prizes, free swag, interactive bingo and a photo contest. Livestream the show on The Blue Note’s website.

Dec. 5, 2 p.m., The Blue Note, free, virtual event

LuSID You won’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind experimental musical project. Coming from St. Louis, LuSID features diverse instrumentation and live looping, which includes live guitar, bass, didgeridoo, vocals and vinyl record scratching. All of these elements blend to make a sound that defies musical norms and creates a show-stopping experience.

Dec. 11, 7 p.m., The Blue Note, $15

Dr. Zhivegas Come celebrate with Dr. Zhivegas during its 25th anniversary show at The Blue Note. With a career spanning more than two decades, Dr. Zhivegas is a popular Las Vegas-based dance rock act and has hosted sold-out shows in St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia. Masks and social distancing will be in effect.

Dec. 12, 7 p.m., The Blue Note, $25

Virtual Holiday Home Tour For the first time since 1984, the Missouri Symphony League’s Holiday Home Tour will be held virtually. The tradition lives on through video tours of three homes expertly decorated for the holidays. Funds raised will support Mis-

Diverse programming you can’t find anywhere else.

It’s community radio!

KOPN

89.5 FM live streaming at kopn.org 38

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

souri Symphony programs including Hot Summer Nights, Piano Student Showcase and the Missouri Symphony Conservatory. To watch, visit themosy.org/holiday-home-tour/.

Dec. 15-Jan. 3, $25, virtual event

SPORTS

Turkey Trax Virtual Run for 2020 Start your Thanksgiving morning with a 5K run. This year, you and your family can participate at any time and choose the 5K route that works best for you. To register, sign up at runsignup.com/Race/Register/. Turkey Trax will then mail your long-sleeved 5K shirt and bib directly to you.

Registration begins Nov. 26, race ends Dec. 10, $25 for adults, $19 for children under 13

Mizzou vs. Vanderbilt Ready to kick off Reading Day weekend? Don your black and gold mask and head to Faurot Field for Mizzou’s rescheduled Homecoming game Dec. 12. The SEC will schedule a game time two weeks prior to the game.

Dec.12, Memorial Stadium

SHELTER PET & LIFE OF THE PARTY

Amazing stories start in shelters and rescues. Adopt today to start yours.

HAMILTON 75K+ Instagram Followers

photo finish

Getting lost in the magic (tree) PHOTOGRAPHY BY HANA KELLENBERGER Blake and Lauren Sellers and their children, Adaline and Jackson, admire a string of lights at the Magic Tree in early November. The family drove by the display at Cherry Hill the night before and noticed the tree being decorated and wanted to see it in person. The Magic Tree is covered top to bottom in a rainbow of colored lights. The tree has been a holiday tradition in Columbia for the past 15 years. The Magic Tree will light up The Village of Cherry Hill from Nov. 20 to Jan. 6 from 5 p.m. to midnight each night. This year, the Magic Tree official lighting event will be held virtually on its official Facebook page Dec. 3.

VOX MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020

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Save a life. Don’t Drive HoMe buzzeD. BUZZED DRIVING IS DRUNK DRIVING.