THE READER OMAHA FEB 2023

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JOBs: Omaha’s Social Safety Net Faces Gaps as Recession Looms

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cOVeR: Give Me Shelter, Give Me Healing: Addressing the Needs of the Homeless

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Omaha’s Social Safety Net Faces Gaps as r ecession l ooms

On dec. 6, 2022, heartland Family Service announced it was laying off 30 employees. the cuts were attributed to a loss of nearly $3 million in philanthropic funding over the upcoming year. at the time, hFS President John Jeanetta told KEt V that he was worried about cutting housing programs when costs were rising and putting a roof over people’s heads was already difficult.

Exactly two weeks later, on dec. 20, the City of omaha informed residents of the Legacy Crossing apartments of a decision to vacate the property, citing a myriad of code violations. the city asked hFS staff to provide tenants with relocation assistance.

the tenants weren’t the only ones caught off guard. hFS staff, including senior leadership, had been preparing to take time off for the holidays. but Jeanetta said it was an honor to be asked to help.

“It’s the kind of thing our staff lives for … we certainly don’t do it for the pay,” Jeanetta said. “Many employees who we had just told we’d be letting them go were working through the holidays, working long hours … that’s probably the hardest part.”

housing programs are not the only ones feeling strained. Stephanie Sullivan, the communications director for the Food bank for the heartland, said they are seeing the worst food

insecurity rates in their 40-year history.

In fiscal year 2020, Sullivan said, the food bank served just over a million individuals. they expect to serve nearly 1.8 million individuals in 2023. that’s nearly an 80% increase from the height of the pandemic.

“We’ve been operating in crisis mode for the last few years with no breaks. between the floods of 2019, the pandemic, then inflation, and now the threat of a recession, it’s really bad,” Sullivan said. “We’ve

heard from people in southwest Iowa who have been going to their local pantry for the last four years because they lost their house in the floods and haven’t gotten it back since.”

Pandemic relief funds from the CarES act and american rescue Plan act (arPa) have buoyed nonprofits and social service agencies since the start of the pandemic. but that support is temporary, and advocates say the need is not going away. In fact, it may get worse if

the country falls into recession, as many expect.

“the amount of people laid off because of the pandemic prompted all this funding, but with people having gotten back to work, there’s a lot of people who assume the need went away when it’s only gotten worse,” Sullivan said. “Most people are just one crisis away from food insecurity.”

tom hoy is the vice president of development for together

continued on page 8

Story and Photo by ArJAv rAwAl

TogeTher omaha is one of many nonprofiT s facing increased demand. iT s food panTry is pic Tured here.

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Omaha, a nonprofit that focuses on hunger and homelessness. He said the number of calls to their crisis engagement program has gone from 1,500 per year to about 7,000-8,000 per year.

“[That’s] people who are under the gun, at high risk of becoming homeless. Once you get evicted, it’s on your record, and if you fall into the homelessness system, it’s so darn hard to get out,” Hoy said.

Meanwhile, a report from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Bureau of Business Research suggests that Nebraska’s economic activity will stagnate in the first half of 2023. The report points to two main factors – the number of initial unemployment claims, which increased by 0.41% in November 2022, and a 0.51% decrease in manufacturing hours worked.

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The unemployment numbers signal a softening in Nebraska’s labor market, while the cyclical nature of the manufacturing industry spills over into other parts of the economy. The report points to both as key characteristics of a recession, although it’s still unclear whether there will be one.

ARPA funds will continue to support social services for the time being, although the funding has to be spent by the end of 2026. Sullivan said while the food bank hasn’t received a payment of ARPA funds yet. It expects the first one before March, with more to follow.

Jeanetta and Sullivan both said the emergency funds will be difficult to replace.

“[It’s] an enormous influx of dollars at an unprecedented level coming in for areas like food insecurity and housing that had

never existed before,” Jeanetta said. “It will not be sustained, and all these systems will have to figure out how to right-size and go back to pre-ARPA. What we’ve seen … is that things don’t get really bad until after the disaster, and that’s what’s happening with COVID.”

Mike Hornacek, the president and CEO of Together, said the financing of nonprofits was at a breaking point before the pandemic.

“We were already approaching this precipice of philanthropists being tapped out. There’s no more money … we can no longer afford to rely on charity to address the issues we face,” Hornacek said. “The philanthropists have told us point-blank that we have to come up with more sustainable solutions. They’ve got millions of dollars, but it doesn’t grow on trees.”

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give Me shelter, give Me healing

Addressing the MAny needs of the hoMeless

StiLLmunkS

Whether home means an improvised living space, a dedicated shelter or couch surfing, the homeless often seek primary health care in ERs. But admitting the homeless as patients poses a problem. Even after treatment, their hospital stays may extend in lieu of a stable home for post-acute care recovery. Hospital beds get tied up in the process. That’s an issue anytime but is especially challenging in a tripledemic. In response, the Charles Drew Health Center and Siena Francis House launched the Health & Dwelling Medical Respite Program, which includes sending a Charles Drew mobile unit to visit Siena’s campus twice a week.

The program, which began in August, stems from an area Health & Housing Coalition that charted how well-being is adversely affected by unstable housing, making follow-up care problematic and resulting in high

readmissions. A task force from Siena Francis, Charles Drew, CHI Health, The Wellbeing Partners, Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless (MACCH), CyncHealth and Unite Nebraska put data behind “a problem that has long been known to us,” said CHI Chief Medical Officer Dr. Cary Ward.

Joy Doll, formerly with Project Homeless Connect Omaha and now vice president, community programs, at CyncHealth, noted “growing community concern that hospitals essentially house people at a very expensive rate and shelters call ambulances for guests recently released from the hospital and send them right back for care.”

“From the patient perspective,” she added, “there’s not much dignity or positive experience in that. Everyone in the homeless continuum of care knew about this situation and no one felt good about it.”

The medical respite program is a “safety net” addressing the issue, Doll said, at a time when COVID-19, RSV and flu cases overwhelm medical facilities.

“Outpatients in the hospital who don’t need to be there make it much more difficult to get people in that need to be hospitalized,” Ward said. “Hospitals want to keep those beds open and have them only for people who truly need hospitalization. That’s critical.”

The bottom line speaks loudly.

“Hospital care is very expensive,” Ward said. “If someone needs regular visits from a nurse, it’s not difficult if the patient has a home. If a person is homeless, there’s often no good place for them to go that we feel is safe for them to get the care they need, which makes it difficult to discharge them.”

It’s a medically complex population, even more so for older adults, who comprise a growing

segment of the homeless. The chronically homeless tend to readmit, thus creating a cycle that drains resources.

Pre-pandemic deliberations among homeless responders noted a medical respite gap.

“Shelters said they need a way to work with the health systems, and health systems said they need a way to work with the shelters,” Doll said. “That really led to the birth of this concept.”

No one could see the problem’s dimensions and solutions until the players started working together.

“We were all seeing it differently from our lenses,” said Kenny McMorris, president and CEO of Charles Drew Health Center.

Organizers studied medical respite models around the country for guidance.

The Wellbeing Partners CEO, Aja Anderson, a public health expert who wrote the grant that

S TORy By Leo AdAm BigA | PHOTOS By Brock

An Ambul Ance pulls up to sienA Fr Ancis House

A s community members look on.

funded the program while development director at Charles Drew, applauds this effort to reduce health disparities.

“Medical respite programs are proven to shorten hospital stays, reduce readmissions, improve health outcomes and lower the cost of health care,” she said. “It’s a win for everyone.”

CHI’s Mission and Ministry Fund donated $500,000 to launch the 24-month pilot program, which currently has five dedicated medical respite beds at Siena Francis. There’s capacity for up to 16 beds.

Said Ward, “Now for the first time we have a place for the homeless to go to give them access to whatever they need,” Ward said. “They can be seen by their health care provider or by clinical staff who can evaluate them and determine if there’s some treatment they can be given on site where they are sheltered so they don’t have to come back to the hospital. If they don’t have a home, having a place like this is a great resource for them.”

Hospital referrals have been slow as word spreads.

“We have to educate our health systems that this program is available and who’s the appropriate type of patient to refer to it,” Doll said.

“All health care facilities around the city need to be aware of this program,” Ward said, “because

my guess is there’s an even greater need for medical respite beds once we all know about it and everyone refers to it.”

Charles Drew President and CEO Kenny McMorris said patients are screened before being discharged, then assisted by a team of case managers and support staff to enroll in health insurance or receive ongoing care.

“After they graduate from medical respite, the whole goal is to teach ... them how to navigate the health care delivery system,” McMorris said.

Siena Francis shelter director Jamise Williams said the program assists participants with their health care and permanent housing needs.

“These people come from an acute care setting. They maybe need to rest a little bit longer, need to have a little more recovery time and have a little more recovery support while also working to find some permanent housing once this respite period is over,” she said.

“Patients are taken by the hand to get where they wish to be so they’re not falling through the cracks,” Williams said.

Williams said they try to provide as much permanent stability as possible, so patients don’t end up returning to homelessness or the ER.

“The goal is to get them into stable housing so we’re not rec-

A he Alth Access nAvigAtor looks out the smAll window of the chArles drew mobile he Alth clinic.

reating a turnstile of people rotating through the hospital and the emergency department,” said Doll with CyncHealth, which provides technical assistance with Unite Nebraska to track referrals. “They have a better positive healing experience that way.”

Unite Nebraska is a social care referral platform that connects health care and social care.

The homeless population is not monolithic. Just as their demographics and reasons for being without a home vary, service providers represent different touch points that don’t always mesh.

“Homelessness is very nuanced,” Williams said. “There’s so many factors people don’t really understand. Collaboration is definitely a must when trying to fix some of the service gaps and adjust some of the barriers the homeless population faces.”

Sharing information across organizations and disciplines is key.

“That’s exactly what the magic is on this one,” McMorris said. “There’s an intentionality between the health systems. Charles Drew Health Center and Siena Francis House in a very coordinated and deliberate way to address services for those who need post-acute care.”

The homeless also need support after their hospital release that only a focused program can provide.

“All of these individuals have co-morbidities,” McMorris said. “It’s not just hypertension or diabetes. It may be hypertension,

diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There’s a high incidence of behavioral health issues. They may be dealing with anxiety or depression. They may also be dealing with a substance-use disorder. The complexity of the population and the health conditions they present is exacerbated by their living conditions. The ability to connect with them is further disputed by their living environment or housing circumstance.”

The program, McMorris said, makes it possible to “be present and stay consistent in the lives of these individuals, which is going to help support them in their journey to stable housing and optimal health.”

A new player in this arena is the City of Omaha, which hired Tamara Dwyer, formerly with

MACCH, as its first homeless services coordinator in December.

“We’re excited there’s someone at that level who will be engaged in policy and understanding,” Doll said. “We’re anxious to meet to talk about the work we do and how we can partner. I think whenever there’s elevated attention on an issue and people are talking about it, hopefully more people will be aware.”

“I want to support them how they need it,” Dwyer said of the respite program. “I’m all about collaboration, especially with such a big issue as homelessness with all its complexities.”

In the fluid environment of transient health care, McMorris said, “The team is trying to be as nimble as possible. There’s some guiding principles we operate

with, but we’re learning on the fly, and no two patients are alike.”

No one’s expecting miracles.

“Some folks are going to have some lapses, and they’ll end up going back to the emergency room and we’ll be there to catch them and go through the process all over again,” McMorris said.

The program’s informed by social drivers and determinants of health.

Said McMorris, “Health outcomes of an individual are tied to their living environment, the built environment, not necessarily their chronic condition. What’s happening to exacerbate hypertension, diabetes? Could it be inconsistencies in housing? Could it be lack of access to health care? Could it be lack of knowledge on how to navigate the health care delivery system?”

The goal, he said, “is connecting people to all the things that make them healthy and whole and making sure they feel there’s someone to support them. We offer a relationship built on trust and safety. You have to start there first.”

CHI’s Ward is sure the program will make a difference.

“By having this resource available you’re going to have healthier people who have better nutrition and access to health care. You’re absolutely going to decrease the readmission rate and open up beds for those who really need them. I have no doubt this will prevent future unnecessary hospitalizations.”

Nurses take a breather iN the Charles Drew mobile health CliNiC outsiDe the sieNa FraNCis house.

Joy Doll, viCe presiDeNt, CommuNity programs, at CyNChealth

Dr. Cary warD, ChieF meDiC al oFFiCer at Chi health

aJa aNDersoN, wellbeiNg partNers Ceo

keNNy mCmorris, presiDeNt aND Ceo oF Charles Drew health CeNter

Intervening early is also essential, Doll said.

“If someone’s coming asking for food or utility assistance we should intervene there because we should be preventing the unhoused situation. Then we need some bridge programs and some pathways to affordable housing. That’s ultimately most important.”

Siena Francis is that bridge.

“Whatever housing and permanent stability looks like for them is what we work towards,” Williams said. “With some we bring up the idea of shared housing. Some might need more support; some might need assisted living, especially if they’re older. If people are not ready to live alone

and they have friends and family, we can help them problem solve and reconnect.”

“We’re finding you have to coordinate those things in a very individualized way to meet the needs of the individual. It can’t be a one size fits all in terms of service delivery,” said McMorris.

Local philanthropy supports enough shelter beds and affordable housing units to generally meet chronic or emergency needs, which is why Omaha doesn’t have tent cities. Still, not every need can be met all the time.

“You can always do more,” Ward said. “We always have a need for more mental health and more drug and alcohol rehab.”

Doll sits on a steering committee overseeing the program. She said input from the homeless helped inform it but no one with “the lived experience” of homelessness is in a decision-making role.

McMorris concedes the program is just a start. “We have a long way to go. That’s why we call it a pilot.”

Accountability will be key moving forward.

“When we fall short, admitting that and being willing to fix it together. Being transparent, being honest about what we can accomplish and what we cannot. Then also being able to pivot when something is not going the way we anticipated. There’ll be

some things we’ll have to go back and adjust as we figure out how to get them the right care, the right services at that right place and right time.”

Doll’s optimistic the local health and dwelling equation for the homeless is better balanced now than before.

“We’ve become more sophisticated now that care teams are meeting to do more concentrated care coordination around the patients for their appointments and services. It’s certainly evolving and we’re all learning. We’re coming together and leveraging all the assets in our community. I think it’s very empowering and promising.”

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The Downward Spiral

How CriminAL And menTAL HeALTH SySTemS BreAk down — And wAyS we CouLd Fix THem

by Chris Bowling

This is ins T

“The s piral:” a series from The abou men Tal heal T h and criminal jus T ice sys T ems. see The reader’s online Table of conTenTs on page 4 for parT 3 and check our march issue for The fourTh and final insTallmenT

Trying to save her son felt like fighting gravity in a landslide.

at first the outbursts and strange behavior seemed like something jacque, who asked for her last name not to be included in this story, could manage. but then the arrests came. Then the assaults. life became doctors’ offices, police cruisers, jails and emergency rooms.

during his latest, longest incarceration, jacque’s son said he’d been sent to hell without a trace of exaggeration.

“it’s just so, so very scary,” jacque said.

jacque’s experience isn’t uncommon in omaha. many people with serious mental illnesses get trapped in cycles of arrests and incarcerations spurred by systemic issues in the mental health and criminal justice systems — not enough space, not enough workers, not enough money and too many problems to tackle.

but there are reasons to be optimistic. douglas county has

$55 million left in pandemic relief funds to be allocated by the end of next year. much of that, if not all, could go toward a new mental health facility.

some say it’s not enough — workforce development, longterm care or preventive options are more important. but to douglas county commissioner mary ann borgeson, it’s a start.

“you can look at the dollars that you’re going to potentially save in having people not locked up in your jail,” borgeson said. “but the bigger issue is not having them locked up in your jail and in a place where they’re getting their mental health services. To me, you don’t put a dollar amount on that. That’s just the right thing to do.”

Always a Little Behind

when borgeson started representing southwestern douglas county in 1994, mental health was a problem.

The douglas county community mental health center did not have its own building. it didn’t even have its own department inside the douglas county health center, an art-deco structure built in 1932 as a “pest house” — a place to isolate and treat people suffering from communicable diseases.

decades later the mental health center has its own program, but it’s still inside the same building with only 16 beds to treat people with psychiatric needs. The department

also occupies one floor near the top of the building, making it difficult to access during an emergency and causing security issues for patients, staff and nursing home residents.

“i have not been able to wrap my head around it in the time that i’ve been here,” said sherry driver, clinical director of the douglas county community mental health center.

it’s a recognizable story for many in the mental health industry, which has faced perpetual challenges.

in 1999, the u.s. supreme court deemed institutionalization of those with mental illness and disabilities unconstitutional. in 2004, nebraska began clearing its institutions and sending people instead to community-based services, which the state was supposed to fund. To determine how much that would cost, the state got estimates from the six regional health care providers that oversee mental health care across nebraska.

on march 30, 2004, the regional providers said it would cost about $27.7 million. The state gave them $15 million. region 6, which covers dodge, washington, douglas, sarpy and cass counties, got about 38% of its estimate.

“i don’t think there was ever this catch up … to try to get us up to the level that we said we needed in order to fully fund all of those services,” said patti jurjevich, administrator for region

The Douglas CounT y healTh CenTer. The Douglas CounT y CommuniT y menTal healTh CenTer oCCupies one floor wiThin The builDing. Photo by Chris bowling.

6 Behavioral Healthcare. “So we’re always a little bit behind.”

Laws designed to protect people’s civil rights can also end up holding some back. Police are able to take people into “emergency protective custody” for 36 hours to force them to receive a mental health evaluation. But many hospitals are short on space and end up having to discharge people as long as they’re not deemed a threat to themselves or others.

Beyond that, families can request the county attorney file a Board of Mental Health petition to force someone to receive treatment. It must be proven the people are a danger to themselves or others and will not, or can not, get treatment voluntarily.

Inside the Douglas County jail, people with serious mental illnesses spend about twice as many days incarcerated as other inmates. At least one contributing factor is the five-month wait time to restore competency, which happens when inmates don’t understand their basic rights in the courtroom.

Samantha Douez with the public defender’s office said this happens maybe two to three times a week. The public defenders typically contract a professional to evaluate their client at a cost of $200-$400 per hour depending on the situation, then a state employee will do an evaluation. If a person is deemed incompetent to stand trial, he or she goes to the Lincoln Regional Center, one of the few remaining state mental hospitals, where competency is restored. That likely means medication and answering questions like, “What does a judge do?” before they’re sent back.

The Lincoln Regional Center is overseen by the Nebraska Department of Health and Hu-

man Services, which did not respond to requests for comment.

For public defenders, the long waits are a glaring injustice. Their clients are spending too much time in jail, which is mentally degrading, and not even getting real help when they’re sent to Lincoln.

“Getting them to the level that they can get through court proceedings is not the same as getting them to the level that they could function in society,” said Martha Wharton, an assistant public defender in Douglas County.

“He’s not doing any other type of rehab,” said Jacque, whose son was sent to the regional center. “They’re not explaining to him what his illness is, why this is happening … I said, ‘So when you guys consider him competent to go to court, will there be a plan if they let him out?’”

“‘No,’” Jacque remembered them saying, ‘“there’s no plan once they let him out.’”

“So Far Downhill”

Many families hope once their loved ones get involved in the criminal justice system, someone will notice the prob-

lem is less criminal and more mental-health related. But that’s not always how it goes.

Jacque’s son spent his 20th birthday in jail on a trespassing charge. He got out on a $1,000 bond then broke the mirrors and dining room table at Jacque’s house, caused a scene at a hairstyling school and went back to jail. When he was out again, a resisting arrest charge landed him in a hospital. He was home a few days later without medication or a follow-up plan.

Then he took Jacque’s car, drove to his father’s house and assaulted him. The Board of Mental Health stepped in, got the charges dropped and sent Jacque’s son to a hospital. There he attacked his sister and Jacque.

“Three days after he attacked me, they said he can come home,” she said. “I’m like, ‘You know that he came after me in the hospital. Right?’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, he’s fine now.’ So they sent him home.”

His next psych appointment wasn’t for six months.

Meanwhile, the combination of pills made him unable to move, Jacque said.

“He’s on too many pills. We have to drop these down,” Jacque remembered a psychiatrist saying when she took her son to the hospital. “I’m full, but I’ll take him as a patient.”

Things got better, but then he didn’t want to take his medications. Illegal drugs took their place. He scared the psychiatrist and got dropped as a client. Eventually police were called and he ended up back at a hospital. For two weeks, staff tried to find an available bed, searching in Omaha, Lincoln, Scotts Bluff and Norfolk. But there was either none or nobody wanted a violent patient. They sent him home with medication, which he dumped down the garbage disposal.

Later he got into an argument with his manager at a fast food restaurant and smashed her windshield with a baseball bat. Jacque begged his manager not to call the police as she drove her son around for four hours — he had an appointment with a new psychiatrist that day.

Then he went back to the hospital where one night he attacked his dad and three nurses.

“You saw the look in his eyes,” his dad told Jacque. “It was like … he was an animal being attacked.”

He went back to jail and waited six months for his trip to the Lincoln Regional Center. When he refused to shower, the jail had no choice but to force him into a cage and hose him down.

“He went from being somewhat in psychosis where you can still kind of talk to him to now he has six different voices in his head,” Jacque said. “He’s talking to them. I mean, he went so far downhill. He’s worse than when it first started.”

Local Options

The jail is not a good place to treat mental illness, said Mike

The nursing bay inside ConneCTions healTh soluTions Crisis response CenTer in TuCson, arizona. Photo courtesy of connections health solutions.

Psychiatric Bed c aPacity in c ass, dodge, douglas, sarPy, and Washington counties

Proponents of mental health reform say the community needs more beds to care for people in crisis. However, short staffing means many operating at less than full capacity for facilities in the counties that make up Nebraska’s Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare system.

In Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties, there are 129 psychiatric inpatient beds, though staffing shortages limit that (on Dec. 15, 2022, only 92 beds were available), according to Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare data. A new Douglas County facility could raise that to 205, which is roughly the average number of people with a serious mental illness inside the Douglas County jail.

ugh, think the county could increase capacity and access to care without running up the bill by targeting existing county-owned buildings. He also thinks long-term care is a must.

“Douglas County currently does long-term residential physical disability care,” he said. “We could augment that to include people with mental disabilities.”

Myers, director of the Douglas County Department of Corrections. None of its facilities were designed to be calming or therapeutic. Mental health workers often have to speak to people through small holes in the wall.

The jail has had success working closely with the Douglas County Community Mental Health Center, and Myers hopes much of the county’s $55 million in pandemic relief money can cement that relationship through a co-located facility.

Some have raised concerns that putting the facility too close to the jail, or having men-

tal health center staff working alongside jail staff, stigmatizes mental health as a criminal problem. But that’s already the reality, Myers said, and if they want to make a difference now, they have to go where the need is.

“Even if money was not an object, the clientele that are being served at the community mental health center are the same people we’re already working with,” said Myers.

One of the big improvements this facility could make is adding capacity to a strained system.

But increasing beds without having the people to staff them worries organizations like Omaha Together One Community (OTOC). The group, which organizes people across faiths and community organizations to advocate for policy and social change, suggested $2.75 million go toward a scholarship program, specifically to help more people of color and Spanish speakers — both of whom are underrepresented in the industry.

“You could build all the buildings you want in the world,” said Mark Stiles with OTOC, “but if you don’t have the workforce development plan to get people into these jobs, you’re going to have a bunch of empty beds sitting around.”

Others, like Douglas County Commissioner Jim Cavana-

But some say it’s not that easy. The longer someone stays, the more beds you need. The more beds you have, the more staff you need to pay. It’s also fraught given the legal framework the state implemented to move away from restrictive care, not to mention unpopular given the abusive history of such facilities.

Others hope the facility can be an assessment center to streamline the process and divert people from jail.

“Your assessment center is kind of that point of entry,” Borgeson said. “If you have a friend you think needs [help], you can take them to this assessment center. If a loved one is having a psychotic episode, the ambulance can come and take them to the assessment center … If we had something like that in a co-located facility, then you

continued on page 20 

Jim Cavanaugh, Douglas County Commissioner.

mary ann Borgeson, Douglas County Commissioner.

sherry Driver, CliniC al DireC tor of the Douglas County Community mental health Center.

Dr. margie Balfour, Chief of quality anD CliniC al innovation at ConneC tions health solutions.

would be able to make those determinations much quicker.”

Luckily, Douglas County has some good examples to follow.

Win-Win Argument

When it comes to addressing the intersections of mental health and criminal justice, it seems there aren’t many better places to work than Arizona.

“Over the years, the state has continued to invest in crisis care, because it does make good financial sense … regardless of whether you’re coming at it from social justice, clinical or as a responsible stewardship of taxpayer funds,” said Dr. Margie Balfour, chief of quality and clinical innovation at Connections Health Solutions, which runs a crisis response center in Tucson. “It’s kind of like a winwin argument in that way.”

Instead of going to crowded emergency rooms, law enforcement can bring people to the crisis response center and be out in under 10 minutes. Patients wait an average of 90 minutes to see a doctor. Staff put together patient exit plans, which can include housing, health care and social services.

Ultimately about 85% of the 12,000 adults the facility serves annually remain stable in community-based care, according to 2019 data from Arizona Complete Health.

The work also benefits from a more streamlined funding model. After Arizona became the last state to adopt Medicaid in the 1980s, it created the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS, pronounced “access”).

By putting health care funding through one funnel, it forces providers to work together, build stronger relationships and avoid duplicating work, Balfour said. The synergy also helps people follow through on their

care plans once they’re back in the community and has led to decreases in repeat visitors to the crisis center and fewer civil commitments.

“What Arizona does is they braid [all funding] through AHCCCS,” Balfour said. “So AHCCCS gets the federal funds, the state local funds, all the Medicaid funds, and then when they give their money to the [regional providers], they have all that together.”

Medicaid funding is a perennial issue in Nebraska, said Annette Dubas, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations. Most providers don’t make enough of the federal health care money to break even, she said. In 2021, Nebraska’s per-capita spending on Medicaid ranked near the bottom nationally — Arizona spent about $1,000 more per person by comparison.

A popular solution for some is Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. These facilities are required to serve anyone regardless of their ability to pay, carry an array of care options and include 24/7 crisis services.

Funding comes straight from the federal government at an enhanced rate that providers set.

“That helps them with recruiting staff,” Dubas said. “It’s also a very integrated system. They’re working with physical health providers; they work with the courts; they work with the schools; and it has a heavy focus on crisis services.”

Solutions like these are important because they emphasize capacity isn’t always the answer. Tucson’s crisis center has only 15 subacute beds where people stay for 3-5 days. Communication, organization, collaboration and good data to back it up mean lower costs and better outcomes.

Statewide the crisis system costs about $185 million annually; however, it saves about $370 million with fewer long hospital stays and lower emergency room bills and other incidental costs, Balfour said.

For their work they’ve received a MacArthur Grant and been designated a learning site by the U.S. Department of Justice, and Balfour was awarded Behavioral Healthcare Profes-

sional of the Year at the 2021 Crisis Intervention Team international conference. They’re also getting interest from other states to implement similar systems — and they’re more than willing to help.

“There’s a lot of things people don’t agree on,” Balfour said. “But one of the universal things that pretty much everybody agrees on is that law enforcement doesn’t need to be the default first responders for mental health.”

‘He Sees Your Pain’

It’s complicated. That’s the common sentiment about the relationship between criminal justice and mental health. And it’s not going to be solved easily.

But that’s not what Jacque wants to hear. As bad as things have gotten, she doesn’t think about her son as too far gone. She still thinks about the popular high school athlete with lots of friends and dreams for the future. Jacque hopes that future, in some capacity, is still possible — a steady job, a wife, kids.

How is he going to get there? At this point, hope doesn’t look like people and systems.

“God wants me to tell you that he sees your pain,” Jacque remembered a woman telling her in church. “He wants to take it away from you.”

At that point Jacque had been crying herself to sleep. She knew her son was scared, confused and alone. She couldn’t stop thinking about him.

They prayed for a few minutes and since then, Jacque has felt more peace. At least someone has her back, she thinks.

“You do anything for your kids,” she said, “and when they’re in pain, or if you don’t know what’s going on, it’s horrifying.”

Patti JurJevich, region 6 administrator (left) and vicki maca, director of criminal Justice and behavioral health initiatives.

tom riley, douglas county Public defender (left) and martha Wharton, assistant Public defender.

Photos by Chris bowling.

Organizations Look For Sustainable Solutions to Address Housing Crises

BY EllE lovE

Tina Murray remembered sitting on grime-covered stairs with the mother of two.

The apartment building they sat in had just been condemned by the city of Omaha. Mice, mold, a leaking roof, no heat in the winter and more problems made it easy in early 2022 for the city to justify vacating the Flora Apartments, which had been on Omaha code inspectors’ radars for years. But while the city counted it as a win holding landlords accountable, it was anything but for the residents who were given a day’s notice to leave their homes.

“She told me sitting on those stairs, as gross and disgusting as they were, that it was better than living in her car,” said Murray, senior director of crisis engagement programs with Omaha nonprofit Together. “That’s just unacceptable.”

A lack of affordable housing pushes Omaha’s poorest to accept unsafe living conditions. But when it comes to holding landlords accountable, the city often has too few tools until problems escalate and condemning buildings becomes the only option. Some high-profile examples include Yale Park Apartments in 2018, Flora Apartments in early 2022 and recently Legacy Crossing in December 2022. Nonprofits — which end up responding to the emergency by raising money and finding housing — say this pattern can’t continue.

“We need to start holding people’s feet to the fire so that way… [we don’t] see violations happening for five years then all of a sudden somebody says we’re pulling the plug and we’re gonna ask everybody to move in 24 hours,” said Mike Honerak, CEO of Together.

The most common tool city code enforcement has is a $125 inspection fee. But for some that’s not persuasive. David Carney, a local activist, released emails on Twitter alleging property owners for Legacy Crossing would rather pay inspection fees than fix violations.

Recently the city started a landlord registry, getting a list of all rented properties and inspecting them once every de-

cade. Properties with violations must pass two years of clean inspections before returning to a decennial schedule, said Dave Fanslau, city planning director, in a news release. City of Omaha Chief Housing Inspector Scott Lane did not respond to a request for comment.

Murray said while the registry is helping, particularly in educating the community more about tenant rights and how to report code violations, there needs to be more accountability.

“The education is great, but if you don’t have the enforcement piece to hold the landlord accountable, the landlord will get away with not fixing the code violations or responding to complaints filed by tenants,” Mur-

ray said. “ Because they know there’s 100 more people sitting there that are willing to live in those conditions and pay for it, because it’s better than living in a car.”

The urgency for a solution is underscored by Omaha’s shortage of affordable housing.

To meet the demand for affordable housing over the next two decades, Omaha needs $17.4 billion to produce 80,000 to 100,000 new units, according to a study by the Omaha Community Foundation. Much of the current stock also needs investment. According to United Way of the Midlands, of the 325,000 calls it received to its 211 bad break on hotline, 72% were rent and/or utilities related.

When buildings are condemned, it increases the need for nonprofits to raise money to keep people housed and fed. If nothing changes, they’re left to wonder when the next mass condemnation will be — the next time they’re forced to raise money, move furniture, check people into hotels and try to pick up the pieces in a chaotic situation.

“It’s not an immediate fix,” Murray said. “You take people from their housing and place them in hotels, it takes months to get people housed … You have [some] people with felonies, evictions, low income, etc. Those are the harder people to house so it takes more resources than that.”

“...they know there’s 100 more people sitting there that are willing to live in those conditions and pay for it, because it’s better than living in a car.”

Legacy crossing apartments. Photo from GooGle maP s.

February 2-April 2

Christian Rothmann: ColoR Fields

Garden of the Zodiac Gallery

The bold colorism of Berliner Christian Rothmann will be on full display at his return engagement to the Garden of the Zodiac Gallery, with an opening of his lively paintings on Feb. 2.

At work on a group of dynamic new material in oil, ink and watercolor, Rothmann is exploring the inspiration of mountain landscapes. Radiant color is at the forefront, used geometrically as a structural element, with gestural

markings forming the suggestion of topography and movement in space. The works recall the lushness of his characteristic botanical imagery with the romantic sublime often associated with the landscape.

--Janet L. Farber

February 3-25

With love

Ming Toy Gallery

The Little Gallery has returned to Benson First Friday in 2023 under owner Teresa Gleason’s guidance but with a new identity, purpose and inaugural exhibit. Renamed Ming Toy, which translates to “daughter of happiness,” the gallery will open “With Love” Feb. 3, from 6-9 p.m., featuring artists from the Omaha nonprofit Gotta Be Me.

“We hope our gallery, dedicated to exploring the creative potential of new, nontraditional and established artists, will bring happiness to all who visit and all who display their work with us,” Gleason said. “With Love” will be on display through Feb. 25 at 5901 Maple St. in Benson.

For more information, go to mingtoygallery@gmail.com.

--Mike Krainak

February 3 – March 31

Human, curated by Alyssa schmitt

Petshop Gallery

interpretations of the human experience.

Regular viewing hours are by appointment.

--Kent Behrens

February 7-12 To Kill A Mockingbird The Orpheum Theater

BFF Omaha and Petshop Gallery will host an opening reception for “Human,” its latest exhibit in the Benson neighborhood, on Feb. 3 from 7-10 p.m.

The group show, curated by Alyssa Schmitt, gathers work by nine local figurative artists and examines the unique and varied ways in which humans interact with one another and themselves.

Through a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, printmaking and photography, the exhibition hopes to emphasize the connections between different

“To Kill a Mockingbird” tells one man’s harrowing experience of racial injustice and false accusations in a town and courtroom of racists eager to convict him. The story also follows a girl and boy, the children of lawyer Atticus Finch, who happens to be the attorney committed to saving the life of Tom Robinson, the innocent man on trial.

Tickets are $35-$115 before fees, for eight performances, starting at 1, 2, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.

— Matt Casas

February 10 lost & Found Bockelman Multi-Media Project Project

The famous novel by Harper Lee hits the Orpheum Theater for a run in early February.

Jen Bockelman’s multi-media exhibit weaves together currents in life’s found objects, opening Feb. 10 from 6-9 p.m. at Project Project. Her installations and collages continue her exploration of a Nebraska identity imagined from not only ordinary social means but “the accidental narratives that we leave in recycling bins, in the trash, or at the thrift store.”

Bockelman is interested in this “play between the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. Not who we are, but who we tell ourselves we are. In this way we are … perpetrating a facet of regional identity by repeating it to each other and by passing the story down to our children.”

--Mike Krainak

February 10-11

Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet OvertureFantasy

Holland Center

February 10-26

Godspell

Benson Theatre

Attendees will learn how to make lamp-work beads in this free niche glass-blowing class at the Crystal Forge shop. You can even try your hand at glass-blowing if you wish.

The art of glass-blowing beads and lamp work has been around since the first century B.C., which means it’s one of the oldest art forms. Israel is thought to have been one of the first countries to originate this beautiful and ancient trade.

Join the fun and learn about glass blowing, and give it a go if you’re inspired.

— Matt Casas

February 17 - May 14

February 19

STRFKR The Waiting Room

Ankush Kumar Bahl and the Omaha Symphony will bridge two arts — classic storytelling and classical music — at the Holland Center for two nights.

“Romeo and Juliet” has been re-imagined for centuries to the point where adaptations just 30 years apart are strikingly different in tone (see the infamous Nineties film).

But the 19th century Russian composer Tchaikovsky has been just as enduring, owed partially to his love for Bill Shakespeare, whose work inspired Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet fantasy overture.

Experience the next re-imagination. Tickets are $20-$81 before fees for the 7:30 p.m. performances.

— Matt Casas

“Godspell” will visit the Benson Theatre for a run from Feb. 10-26.

“Godspell” draws from several ancient and modern sources, making for a surprisingly rich stew of source material for the stage. It’s a musical that has been around since the Seventies, with religious music and dramatized sections from the Bible. Stephen Schwartz composed the musical score for the play, decades before he wrote the music for the enduring “Wicked,” ubiquitous in the theatre world.

Tickets start at $35 before fees. Friday-Saturday shows start at 7:30 p.m., while Sunday shows begin at 2 p.m.

— Matt Casas

February 11

Bead Bash Days

Crystal Forge

Hot Shops Art Center

Modern Quilting on the Prairie

Gallery 1516

STRFKR — the quartet with a name so rad that even they shy away from spelling out the disemvoweled portmanteau — will take center stage at The Waiting Room on Feb. 19.

And because their psychedelic synth-pop music is so dang catchy, STRFKR is a household name among young and aging American hipsters and beyond.

In 2008, the before-times, the band’s song “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second” scored prime real estate on a Target commercial, catapulting the catchy aestheticists into a mainstream audience.

If you thought quilts were important only for posterity or cold weather, a new exhibit will help change that perspective. Gallery 1516 and the Omaha Modern Quilt Guild will host an opening reception Feb. 17 for “Modern Quilting on the Prairie.” The exhibition features almost 40 quilts, most made by over 25 artists, all members of the Omaha Modern Quilt Guild.

Included will be nine historic quilts from the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, all made by anonymous historical makers over the last two centuries. By showing the quilts together, the group hopes to illustrate the aesthetics of the modern compared with that of the historic quilts.

Go to www.gallery1516.org for more information.

--Kent Behrens

Das Kope will open the show, which starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $23-$25 before fees.

— Matt Casas

February 21-26

Omaha Fashion Week

Omaha Design Center

Omaha Fashion Week’s spring showcase at the Omaha Design Center is rapidly approaching, with several functions from which to choose.

That includes the Methodist Cancer Survivor Showcase (Tuesday), Metropolitan Community College Student Night (Wednesday), UNL Student Night (Thursday), Emerging Designer Showcase (Friday), Featured Designer Finale (Saturday), and Shop the Runway (Sunday).

For Tuesday’s show, cancer survivors will model and showcase pieces from a list of Omaha boutiques.

Ticket prices vary, with the average cost for most nights starting at $56.82. Sunday is free (just RSVP). Check out more information at omahafashionweek.ticketleap. com.

— Matt Casas

February 23

Unsane

Reverb Lounge

February 23

C. Spencer Yeh

The Bemis Center

Get ready for “The Simon and Garfunkel Story” at the Holland Center on Feb. 24.

If you dig the duo, here’s to you. This theatrical-concert rendition chronicles the group’s career and includes performances of hit songs such as “Cecelia,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Mrs. Robinson,” along with footage documenting their journey from the schoolyard to the history books as harmonizing folk heroes.

Whether you’re a diehard fan or just know the hits, this is a night you won’t want to miss.

Tickets are $29.50-$74.50 before fees for this 7:30 p.m. show.

— Matt Casas

C. Spencer Yeh will perform another invigorating night of sights and sounds at The Bemis Center’s Low End stage on February 23.

Yeh is a violinist, sound artist, improviser and composer from Taipei, Taiwan. His experimental musical project Burning Star Core, which started in Cincinnati blending multiple, far-out genres, released seven studio albums within six years from 2002-2008.

The musician won the prestigious Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award in 2019.

The event is free, but the venue recommends you RSVP online at bemiscenter.org/events/live-lowend-c-spencer-yeh.

— Matt Casas

Unsane will perform at the Reverb Lounge on Feb. 23 with Violenteer and Big Water.

The show will be another welcomed reminder of how not all noise rock trios from the late Eighties are created equally: Most do not survive into the modern era, but Unsane does things a bit differently.

For one, New York City’s Unsane became heralded as the architects of modern noise rock, as evidenced by their cult status and enduring love from a dedicated underground listenership.

Tickets are $15. The show starts at 8 p.m. Violenteer and Big Water will open.

—

Matt Casas

February

24

The Simon and Garfunkel Story

Holland Center

February

24-25

NETWAR 41.0 College of Saint Mary

Besides being a nonprofit event with some proceeds going to charity, NETWAR is a 27-hour party and tournament for gamers who enjoy playing and competing against friends in the same room.

NETWAR operates on a bringyour-own-system basis, meaning you must bring your computer or preferred gaming console — and all the necessary cords — to participate. Play casually or enter any of the many eSports the event will host on site.

Tickets are $40 before fees.

— Matt Casas

February 27

Trixie and Katya LivE

The Orpheum

Performers Trixie and Katya will perform side by side, bringing their trademark drag chemistry to The Orpheum on Feb. 27.

The long-time collaborators make their theatrical debut after years of working on television projects and books together.

The 41st NETWAR will take place at the College of Saint Mary on Feb. 24-25.

Of their selected on-screen works, they are perhaps most wellknown for “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Both appeared on season seven of the series. Afterward, the duo got picked up for a full series: “The Trixie and Katya Show” ran for 14 episodes from 2017-2018.

Tickets are $41.50-$143.25 before fees, and the show starts at 8 p.m.

— Matt Casas

Reservations for Two

OUR GUIDE TO VALENTINE’S DAy LIkE yOU MEAN IT

BY SaRa Locke

choose between options such as roasted pork risotto and a potato ravioli with ramp pesto. Citrus crème brûlée or brioche bread pudding. The solution? All pre-Fixe menu items are also available ala carte.

Family Friendly

Maybe you can’t get a babysitter, or maybe it just wouldn’t be a celebration of the people you love without your little humans. Either way, there are options for family fun on Valentine’s Day.

CTRL Coffee and Cereal Bar

1016 S 10th St.

For the Romantic

You don’t want to risk ruining the moment with obnoxious ’90s jams blaring overhead, or every waiter in the house clapping happy birthday at the next table while you’re professing your love. For a little more mature atmosphere without venturing into “stuffy,” grab a reservation at one of the following:

Brother Sebastian’s 1350 S 119th St.

402-330-0300

Cozy and intimate, Brother Sebastian’s was voted the best restaurant for romance in 2022. We don’t argue with the experts, and agree you’re onto something. Menu options range from delicate and dainty to prime rib and potatoes, and the wine list leaves nothing to be desired.

Nicola’s Italian Wine & Faire

521 S 13th St.

402-345-8466

An extensive and expertly executed menu for the more mature

appetite means you won’t find safety options of chicken tenders and grilled cheese for the uncultured palate. The thoughtful additions to each dish make any meal magical, whether you’re on a first date or celebrating a golden anniversary. Enjoy a stroll through the Old Market before your reservation to build an appetite worthy of the elegant options you’ll enjoy.

Au Courant

6064 Maple St.

402-505-9917

While Au Courant doesn’t usually offer service on Tuesdays, it’s making a special exception for Valentine’s Day this year. This will be a tasting menu-only service, and reservations must be made on the website at www.aucourantrestaurant.com/ to secure your spot, with tables open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Dolce

12317 W Maple Rd.

402-964-2212

The biggest fault in Dolce’s $35-per-person, pre-Fixe menu is the cruel fact of forcing diners to

Open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., this funfor-the-whole-family day date is a sweet idea any time of the year. Build your bowl from 33 cereals, 18 toppings, and 5 milk options before indulging in retro arcade games that kids and kids-at-heart will enjoy.

Spielbound

3229 Harney St.

402-763-8444

With more than 3,000 board games to play, you’ll be bummed that Spielbound is open only from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. With small bites and a functioning coffee bar, this is the perfect casual afternoon out, post-meal date, or family fun day.

Top Golf

908 N 102nd St. 531-867-6165

Get in the game with a swing and a swig from TG’s sprawling beer and cocktail menu. Open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Top Golf features a fun menu of accessible dishes, from wings and nachos to flatbreads and shrimp tacos. For a casual celebration, lunch date, or family affair, Top Golf is a fun and

low-pressure way to spend your special day.

Edge of the Universe

6070 Maple St.

We are pretty much always looking for an excuse to visit Edge of the Universe, which is open from noon to 10 p.m. The most whimsical spot in the city, EOTU is a celebration every day. Themed events, a fairy-tale atmosphere, and a dress code that insists you come as you want to be, not who you think you should be, means you’re just as likely to run into a glitter-bombed princess as an accountant on a Tuesday. While we advocate for treating yourself like royalty as often as possible, on Valentine’s Day, it’s especially sound advice. Costumes optional, a sense of wonder required.

Grab and Go

Maybe you have other plans and dinner must happen on the run, or perhaps a romantic picnic for two is on the menu. Either way, these grab-and-go options will help you take this celebration on the road.

La Poblanita

2322 S 20th

402-686-3000

Celebrate Valentine’s Day and taco Tuesday at the same time.

La Poblanita will send your asada or fuego tacos in

IntImate seatIng and a vIntage to suIt any palate, Brother seB astIan’s offers a more mature dInIng experIence for your valentIne. Image Brother SeB a StIan’S

a heart-shaped, to-go box. Five tacos and a drink of any size will set you back $20 plus tax.

The Churro Spot

1319 S 50th St.

531-999-1795

Say it sweetly with 11 crisp, delicious churros and a single edible flower. Roses are out, give them what they really want. Deep fried sweet cinnamon bread. Bouquets can be preordered any time, and a lucky few will be able to get their hands on them the day of without reservations.

For the King Charcuterie forthekingcharcuterie.com

(Pick up at Oak View Mall Food Court in Walt and Willy’s)

Intricate, beautiful, and absolutely delicious, a board from For the Kind Charcuterie is just right for this occasion. There is little as romantic as a hands-on dining experience, and a fireside board for two is a great way to say I love you.

eCreamery 5001 Underwood Ave. 402-934-3888

eCreamery deals only in flavors that are worth the calories, but its holiday selections are as clever and creative as they are craveable. For the girls night in, grab a Galentine’s Day pack. Single and not ready to mingle? Grab a pint of Not Today, Cupid or Me, Myself, and Ice Cream. For your beloved, a Be Mine 4 pack will keep the sweet moments coming (for however long it takes to smash four pints of ice cream. Maybe get the eight pack …)

Thanks Omaha for voting us BEST BREWPUB, AGAIN

Proud pioneers of the fermenter-to-table movement.

Be sure to check out our Instagram @TheReaderOmahaDish where we have been curating a list of Valentine’s Day specials under our story highlight reel. Have a delicious day!

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

Undead: Omaha’s dark nightlife on the Rise

dance PaRTies sPecialize in GOTh, synTh-POP, POsT-PUnk and indUsTRial MUsic

nOiR

STORY BY

The shirt on the patron seated with friends at the table reads, “Old goths do not dye we just fade to grey.” The group was one of a few huddled around tables catching up at Noir, a dance party specializing in goth, synth-pop, post-punk and industrial music. A late December edition of the event took place at midtown’s B. Bar, and the theme was paying tribute to a stalwart of dark electronic music, New Order.

I arrived at the 9 p.m. start time, and the DJ, Cemetery Gates, was playing Eighties synthpop hits and new-wave deep cuts to one lone dancer as another patron put candy and chips on tables. Soon after, small waves of college-age people entered the venue and filled the dance floor, singing along to songs from The Human League, the B-52’s and, of course, New Order.

Two weeks later, a frigid Saturday night in January found another Noir event taking place at

The Verdict in downtown Omaha. This one was aptly titled Desolate Winter and featured Cemetery Gates and DJ Sado_Naut. The event featured industrial music and deeper cuts of goth, synth and post punk, which is the more standard playlist for these events. The large lighting rig remained wisely unused for this type of dance party and a screen behind the DJs showed old-school goths

partying in the longform video The Height Of Goth: 1984: A Night at the Xclusiv Nightclub: Batley, West Yorkshire, UK.

The bar was a mix of well-dressed theater patrons looking for a drink after attending a performance of “Six The Musical” at The Orpheum and Noir devotees in elegant goth wear — leather, plastic and Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM T-shirts. The bar was set up so theatregoers could discuss the performance at the back and Noir attendees could dance and sing along loudly to “Sex On Wheels” from My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult. Neither seemed to mind the other.

In 2012, Noir Omaha started as and remains a Facebook group that serves as a hub for those interested in Omaha’s dark nightlife. In 2015, Cemetery Gates took things offline. Jeff Gates is his name when not performing, and we met for coffee to talk about Noir. He explained the origin of the parties.

“The Facebook page started in 2012 and was put together by a few other gentlemen who are still behind the scenes, but not involved as much,” he said. “They started the page, and it was more of a hub to find out what is going on in the goth community. There wasn’t a lot of activity at that time. I came on board as a DJ probably about 2015 with another guy and we started doing shows at House of Loom. We had many very successful nights there.”

In 2018, Gates moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and Noir was down to one DJ and House of Loom closed. The other DJ tried to keep the night going at Lookout Lounge, but stopped when Covid shut venues down.

“That was when I moved back to Omaha and started building back what we had,” Gates said. “During that time, I think we had 1,000 Facebook followers that we picked up. It goes back to Jeremy Eckhart. He started out doing a cyber goth night back in the early 2000s at Club Roxbury. That was my first experience when I moved here. I brought him in with Noir when I lost a DJ as he has a great following.”

The dance party spent some time residing at the now-defunct

MarQ Manner | PHOTOS BY JeFF GaTeS

ReveleRs at the veRdict dance as dJ sado_naut spins industRial music duRing JanuaRy’s noiR event.

Berkley, and now it seems to be settling into The Verdict with pop-ups at other venues.

“We are trying to find a perfect venue where people can also have conversations without having to scream. A lot of our dance nights we have had, it is loud and some of our community want to talk and mingle,” Gates said. “I feel like The Verdict is more so that way as they have that area where you can talk without it being too loud and so it is the best of both worlds.”

And what does Gates hope to see in the crowd when he is playing music? “I like to see old faces,” he said, “but when I see a young college kid come up to me and ask for Human League, it’s like ‘Woah’ — you are connected more than I thought. It helps me read the crowd a little bit better. I have learned that you can’t judge a book by its cover. We are in a day and age when the goth look doesn’t necessarily mean that they listen to whatever goth music might be defined to you. And I don’t like that goth label. I think it is more of a scene and culture of people coming together. You can look at them and think you know, but you

Cemetery Gates sets include more of the classic synth-pop and post-punk sound from artists of the past, but also newer artists such as Boy Harsher. Gates alternates sets with DJ Sado_Naut, whose specialty is industrial music. Gates explains the difference in styles.

“A lot of industrial fans are not so much into synth pop and new wave, especially the older stuff, so it’s a real challenge for us,” he said. “What makes it fun for us is trying to bring all those genre’s together on a night. They can trust that within 15 minutes it is going to abruptly go in another direction, and it can be harsh EDM [electronic dance music] or whatever. I think it all stems from the same tree. It is all dark electronic/dark wave. It is amazing at how you can easily mix a band like Erasure with Front 242. It just comes together really well, and you realize that while you are DJing.”

To keep up with Noir events and other goings on in the Omaha dark nightlife, join the Noir Omaha Facebook group or follow things on Instagram. The next event will happen Feb. 11 at The Verdict and is a Valentine

Patrons dance at a noir event in January at the verdict.

The Best Films of 2022

This LisT is ALWAys L ATe. hoPe iT’s WorTh The WAiT.

by Ryan SyRek

Asign that cinematic output has been throttled and distribution channels are at least modestly improving, for the first time in 20 years I actually saw every flick on my “must watch before I make my best of 2022 list” list. Even though I wait until the February issue to drop this list, typically at least one contender hasn’t been made available in Omaha yet. Not this year. That’s right, if something doesn’t appear here, it’s not an oversight, baby! you can assume I intentionally left it out and rage accordingly. Let me be clear, I did see “Tár.”

Every year’s top 10 has its own anomalies. What struck me most this go-round was how much the top five movies in particular are in quasi-conversation with one another. A marathon of those would be fascinating and exhausting. In specific, my top two are basically reverse sides of a scarred thematic coin. I also didn’t intentionally set out to load my

list with warrior women, but I ain’t mad at that. you know what, enough context, let’s just do this. you’ve waited long enough.

#10 –—— “Men”

Writer/director Alex Garland’s film has worn in my memory better than the immediate aftermath of its viewing. I’ve had more conversations that stemmed from this movie than

any other this year. It isn’t just a folk horror metaphor about the toxic pain of loving men; it provides space and context for people who have seen it to share their own tales of terror.

#9 –—— “The Woman King”

Although essentially just a retread of classic dude-bro historical action epics with Viola Davis, I was shocked at how

the basic beats felt fresh and new. From its exceptionally staged fighting to sensational supporting performers, it is better than almost all of the “braveheart”-type films it is compared with, and not just due to having 100% less Mel Gibson.

#8 –—— “Barbarian”

Don’t trust a best of 2022 list without this on it. Hands down the surprise flick of the year, writer/director Zach Cregger’s debut feature-length film was stylish without being shallow, clever without being smug, and the most pleasantly uncomfortable horror film of the year.

#7 –—— “Prey”

Surprise: I didn’t even write a review for this “Predator” sequel. It dropped on Hulu, and my biggest complaint was that

Last year’s best movies feature a doubLe dose of nihiLism, afrofuturism, irish momma drama, and so much more. i don’t recommend you watch them aLL in one sitting. still from “NeptuNe frost”

it would have played spectacularly in theaters. Watching at home while a Native American warrior (Amber Midthunder) outhunted an alien and outlasted the cloying condescension of her tribe was still dope. A near-perfect use of genre and sci-fi conceit, and the dog lives? It was a shoo-in.

#6 –—— “Glass Onion”

I did manage to make it to the theater for the one week Netflix deigned to grant writer/ director Rian Johnson’s latest. I then immediately watched it again the night it dropped on the streaming service. Boy does it play well as a rewatch … I’ve loved watching soft-brained talking heads get furious at the film’s skewering of the rich. I’ve loathed the discourse about whether “Glass Onion” “deserves” to be on top 10 lists. It’s on mine, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

#5 –—— “You Are Not My Mother”

Irish writer/director Kate Dolan has my full attention. The second folk horror entry on this list, the film has the ookiest scene of the year, and it’s a dance number. The score is hypnotic and intense, the acting is chilling, and the thematic scab it scratches about family burdens is picked raw. Roger Ebert preached at judging films by the context they establish for themselves. This was singularly consistent.

#4 –—— “Nope”

I am confident that becoming the only director to ever make my top 10 list with each of his first three films is the dis-

tinction that Jordan Peele has most sought. Unlike “Get Out” and “Us,” “Nope” boasts meta-criticism about the film industry and takes Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves to Death” as a literal horror inspiration. My top five this year all center on the search for meaning and purpose. “Nope” argues for a responsibility ethos while delivering a unique extraterrestrial in ages.

#3 –—— “Neptune Frost”

Writer/director Saul William’s lyrical, surreally sci-fi fairy tale packs a wallop. Not only in terms of how the Afrofuturist tale unpacks gender constraints but in how it forces confrontation on issues that are known but ignored. It is metaphorical and lyrical at times, abstracting its arguments. Other times, it is chanting obscenities at Google. Its contribution to the conversation about the meaning of life is that we shouldn’t forget about those for whom life is hell.

#2 –—— “The Banshees of Inisherin”

You know a film is good when I can’t stop thinking about a review I read about the film. Walter Chaw’s essay on writer/director Martin McDonagh’s disquieting drama is must-read and one of my favorite reviews ever. He astutely, and quite personally, breaks down the brutality of human interaction shown in this emotional sledgehammer of a movie. Colin Farrell is at his career best, yes. The trappings of the film are lovely, sure. But its unflinching, honest assessment that we are doomed to find meaning only through our relationships is a tragic take on the lesson offered by its spiritu-

al companion. That companion is the film you’ll find at the top of this list.

#1 –—— “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

As if it could have ever been anything else in this top spot. The reason everyone keeps talking about it is because it is, in fact, that good. What “Banshees” says is what this film believes, but it spins that into something beautiful. Its nihil-

ism isn’t the sullen, disappointed kind. It sees true beauty in the fact that we can weave the meaning of life in the space between those we love. Jobs don’t matter. Money doesn’t matter. Nothing matters but the relationships we make. We are not held to a specific plan, design, or purpose. We are just here to love and be loved. Isn’t that terrifying? But isn’t that beautiful. Any film that makes you cry at a conversation between rocks and at Jamie Lee Curtis with hot dog fingers was never going to be anything but the best movie of the year.

Narrative Features, Documentaries, Short Films, Animated Shorts, Nebraska Shorts

Gerard Butler Can Be Used as a Floatation Device

“Plane” shOUld Be GrOUnded fOr its COmPlimentary in-fliGht,

Until you think about it, which nobody recommends, “Plane” is about as mediocre as a generic action film can be. Unless you dig just a little bit, which is contraindicated by most medical professionals, Gerard Butler’s latest Liam Neeson imitation is almost impossibly neutral cinema. Up until you ask the most basic of questions, which should be seen as a cry for help, the whole experience can just fade into you, as Mazzy Star has long begged.

But if you do happen to think about how they callously portrayed the primary Black character in the film as a criminal who fled from justice without further explanation … If you dig just a little into how every woman in the film is either killed or cast aside ... If you ask whether, given horrible anti-Asian sentiments that exploded after COVID, it is maybe not the best time to present a nebulous Eastern region as having whole islands full of monstrous murderers … The whole thing comes apart like holiday airline travel plans.

Do I think director JeanFrançois Richet woke up and said,

imPliCit BiGOtry

BY Ryan SyRek

Warning: Turbulence ahead. and To be clear, The Turbulence is laTenT racism. buckle your seaTbelTs. IMAGE: A stIll froM thE lIonsGAtE MovIE “Pl AnE”

“I cannot wait to make a bigoted super-dad movie!” Nah. Do I think writers JP Davis and Charles Cumming set out to massively underwrite every character and make armed international mercenaries like Blackwater look cool? I hope not. Do I think “Plane” is so inadequate as to allow for these

Siddhant Adlakha at IGN says: “It would be one thing if this were the basis for a farcical, blood-soaked beat-’em-up with ridiculous stylings, but ‘Plane’ stays grounded for the most part, making these racial optics even harder to

problems to arise? You’re cleared for takeoff.

Here’s what happens: Brodie Torrance (Butler) is a pilot who has been relegated to crappy assignments after he justifiably choked out an unruly passenger shortly after his wife died. Dead

avoid the few times the movie does try to indulge in gleeful violence.”

Kate Sánchez at But Why Tho? says: “Absurd, loud, and the best parts of ’90s action films, ‘Plane’ is just a damn good time.”

women and sweaty grappling are two things “Plane” really loves. On New Year’s Eve, while trying to get home to his daughter, Brodie flies into bad weather and crashes on an island near the Philippines that is apparently ex-

continued on page 34 

Louisa Moore at Screen Zealots says: “I had a great time watching ‘Plane,’ even if it is the type of movie that I probably won’t remember seeing by the time 2024 rolls around.”

clusively inhabited by baddies who love taking hostages. Lucky for El Capitan, a stone-cold assassin dude happened to be on his flight.

Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter) was being extradited to America on a commercial airline, presumably because someone out there remembered the events of “Con Air.” He is accused of murder, which he admits, but does add that he has a whole different side to his story. That side is never presented. Thus, audiences are left with hoping that maybe he killed someone who deserved it, like an NFT trader or someone who writes mattress ads for podcasts. Brodie and Louis team up to free the passengers from the terrorists, and no one in the whole film gets to show any personality or say anything interesting ever.

Seriously, all dialogue is hyper-functional. Your liver will implode if you take a shot every time someone asks Brodie if he’s OK during the last 20 minutes. At that point, he has been beaten, shot twice, and looks like Dwayne Johnson’s least favorite gym sock. No, he’s not OK. But it’s all anyone can ask because anything more would require having a character deeper than “Human man,” “Human woman,” or “Person of color who kills people.”

Many people have laughed at the title for this film. “Plane” is, unquestionably, a profoundly stupid name. It is also all that was available. This script does not operate with adjectives. You cannot find a defining moment or characteristic. I tried to think of a better name while watching it, and I truly, genuinely couldn’t. Insofar as a movie’s title is supposed to reflect the film, it absolutely nails it. “Plane” is a lazy attempt to grab your attention that is too stupid to understand the problems it contains.

Grade: D

CUTTING ROOM

BY Ryan SyRek

No film news this month, only gratitude for two local fellas no longer with us.

I have no special insights about Mike Hill or Lew Hunter. I never met either. I do know lots of people who did. To a person, each man was spoken of with the kind of praise you can’t fake.

One time, for a silly scavenger hunt we were doing, a dear friend persuaded Mike to let her take a picture holding his Oscar … while she was dressed as an Oscar. What a kind thing to indulge.

I’ve heard how the Omaha Film Festival folks talk about Lew as a mentor. I’ve heard how people who heard Lew talk at OFF talk about Lew. What a kind man to donate his precious, limited time like that.

I do know Mike and Lew by their work. For my 10th birthday, I was so excited to see “Willow,” which Mike edited. It blew my mind. I think “Apollo 13” is one of the

most technically sound films I’ve ever watched. With “Frost/Nixon,” he turned a stuffy stage play about a political interview into a propulsive thriller. With apologies to his longtime collaborator Ron Howard, it wasn’t the directing that transformed that film into something special. It was Mike who found the perfect pace. He always did.

I read Lew’s “Screenwriting 434” for the first time in college. Everyone I know who has ever wanted to write a movie has read it. You want a stat that will blow your mind: In 1998, nine of the top 10 highest-grossing films were written by former students of his. It’s one thing to create art. The ability to help others achieve that dream, to be the stone that splashes in the pond and ripples out into waves of other creation, that’s next level.

Sure, we have some famous performers who would find purchase in a Mount Rushmore of Nebraska

movie icons. I would sincerely put Mike and Lew right up there. Legitimately, their influence is as substantial and colossal as any Cornhusker cinephile in history.

I just wanted to share my space with their memories for a moment. I have this space only because I started loving movies around the time I saw “Willow.” I have it only because I learned to write around the time I read “Screenwriting 434.”

Thanks, Mike.

Thanks, Lew. You won’t be forgotten.

Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to film@thereader.com.

Check out Ryan on KVNO 90.7 on Wednesdays and follow him on Twitter @thereaderfilm.

IT WOuld alWayS huRT TO lOSe TWO ImpORTaNT fIlm fIguReS WhO haIled fROm NebR a SK a.

The faCT ThaT ONe eNTeRTaINed me SINCe I Wa S 10 yeaRS Old (WITh “WIllOW”) maKeS IT STINg mORe. IMAGE: postEr for WIlloW froM luc A sfIlM And 20th cEntury f ox

fomo?

Fear of missing out on time with friends and family? Get vaccinated now! The COVID-19 vaccine is widely available throughout the state, but younger people are still getting coronavirus at the highest rates.

Let’s all do right to reach community immunity and get the good life back.

Across

1. “Don’t hassle the ___”

5. Pine for

9. Red Sea parter

14. Stuff in lotions

15. Aqueduct feature

16. “The Jetsons” dog

17. MVP of Super Bowl XXIII (23)

19. “Like, run, ___!”

20. Moving day vehicle

21. Source of vibranium in the Marvel universe

23. ___ Martin (007’s auto)

26. Contented murmurs

28. Replaceable oboe part

29. Early 1900s “King of Broadway” whose musical “Little Johnny Jones” is credited with popularizing “23 skidoo”

32. “Baker Street” instrument

33. Movie with Blu the macaw

34. Accelerator particles

37. His jersey #23 was retired by two NBA teams (even though he never played for one of them)

42. Swindle

43. Part of TTYL

44. Talk too much

46. “Quiz Show” actor whose character reels off “23”-based facts before a pivotal scene

23 and Me

welcoMe to the new year! —

by Matt Jones

51. World Golf Hall of Famer ___ Aoki

54. Heady beverage

55. Tennis player Naomi

56. Infomercial line

58. “What ___ we going to do?”

59. Arthouse film, usually

60. Comedian and star of the 2007 thriller “The Number 23”

66. Idyllic settings

67. Leave off

68. Council Bluffs’ state

69. Olympic flag feature

70. Cellphone signal “measurement”

71. Not easily understood

Down

1. “The ___” (1984 Leon Uris novel)

2. Flamenco dance cheer

3. Supporting

4. Zeal

5. Raise a red flag

6. Jackie O’s second husband

7. ___-1701 (“Star Trek” vehicle marking)

8. “Pinball Wizard” group

9. Piece of hockey equipment

10. Hope of many December movie releases

11. Skipping rock

12. Reduce bit by bit

13. “I need this win ___ I can taste it”

18. Bowen of “SNL”

22. “Pokemon” protagonist

23. Merrick Garland and predecessors

24. Baseball stitching

25. Type of masculinity that needs to be called out

26. Parisian’s confidante

27. Priest’s assistant

30. Victorian or Edwardian, e.g.

31. Tire inflater

35. Parminder ___ of “ER” and “Bend It Like Beckham”

36. Bit of sarcasm

38. Sweet-talking

AnsweRs in next month’s issue oR online At theReAdeR Com

39. Patient care gp.

40. Soup du ___

41. “___ Flag Means Death”

45. Squeezy snake

47. Cable network with a 50th anniversary last year

48. It may start with orientation

49. Afghanistan’s ___ Bora region

50. Common log-in requirement

51. Less welcoming

52. “QI” and former “Bake-Off” host Toksvig

53. Pilgrim in a Longfellow poem

57. “Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van ___

58. Talent show lineup

61. Britney Spears’s “___ Slave 4 U”

62. Space station that orbited Earth from 1986 to 2001

63. Spreadable sturgeon

64. Ma who baas

65. Talk too much

© 2023 MATT JONES

AnsweR to l A st month’s “C ApitAl letteRs”

COMICS

Garry Trudeau

Jeffrey KoTerba

Jen SorenSen

Hot in Here

WHile FeBruAry’S WeAtHer MAy Be uNpreDictABle, tHe rOOt S AND BlueS MuSic ScHeDuleS prOMiSe SOMe HOt MuSic tO WArM yOur Spirit S

By B.J. HuCHTEMANN

Benson looks like the place to be on Friday, Feb.

3, with Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal opening for Satchel Grande at The Waiting Room, 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, down the street at the Benson Theatre on Feb.

3, Kris Lager hosts another “Conduit

Live” arts showcase. The first two events sold out, so advance tickets are recommended. Watch Lager’s social media and krislager.com for details and ticket announcements. At the core of the rock ‘n’ roll variety show is a group Lager has named The Assembly of Assassins. The players are Michael Pujado (auxiliary percussion), Kevin Lloyd (keys), Travis Potter (trumpet), Caleb Collins (saxophone), vocalists Dani Cleveland, and the rhythm section of Matt Arbeiter (drums) and Joe Donnelly (bass). February’s guest artists are Matt Cox, Ally Peeler and Jason Birnstihl, plus comic Richard Reese, magician Jered The Incredible and live painter Norm4eva.

Nashville’s Mark Stuart plays Duffy’s in Lincoln on Friday, Feb.

3. Presented by the Nebraska Folk & Roots Festival, the 7 p.m. show also features Mike and Kerry Semrad (of The Bottle Tops) and Günter Voelker (of Jack Hotel). Mike Semrad Jr. is the founder of the Nebraska Folk & Roots Festival.

Blue House 33rd Anniversary

At The Jewell, Blue House & the Rent to Own Horns celebrate their 33rd anniversary with two shows Friday, Feb. 3, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Led by Joe Putjenter for over three decades, this band has been laying down walloping, horn-driven blues while playing mostly original tunes. In 2022 the group released “Can’t Sit Still, Live at Rainbow Studios.” See jewellomaha.com/shows and bluehouseblues.com

Blues Society of Omaha Series

This month’s BSO Presents shows start with the Bennett Matteo Band at The Jewell on Thursday, Feb. 9, 6-9 p.m. The group is led by the husband-wife

team of guitarist/songwriter Gino Mateo and vocalist Jade Bennett. Mateo was with Sugaray Rayford’s band for over 10 years. Their new disc was co-produced by blues guitarist Kid Andersen, who put the recording in front of Mike Zito. Zito’s Gulf Coast Records label is releasing the new record, “Shake the Roots.”

Blues-rock guitarist Alastair Greene is an exciting player who has worked with Sugaray Rayford and the Alan Parsons Live Project. Greene plugs in Thursday, Feb. 16, 6-9 p.m., at The Jewell. His CD “Alive in the New World” was produced by Tab Benoit and released in January.

Fantastic blues harmonica player and multiple Blues Music Award nominee Brandon Santini is up Thursday, Feb. 23, 6-9

p.m., also at The Jewell. His latest disc is “The Longshot,” a project that celebrates both his blues and rock influences.

Find all the BSO shows at facebook.com/bluessocietyofomaha plus a curated list of local shows at omahablues.com. Check the rest of this month’s Jewell events at jewellomaha.com/shows, including the BSO series plus performances by Big Wade & Black Swan Theory, Kris Lager solo and other great soul, jazz and Latin acts.

Des Moines’ Winter Blues Fest

Central Iowa Blues Society’s annual Winter Blues Fest on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10-11, at the Des Moines Downtown Marriott is a great destination event. A weekend pass is $55 in advance at cibs.org, on which you can also find schedule and hotel information. Hotel rooms go fast and reservations must be made separate from the festival ticket purchase.

The lineup features 20 acts under one roof with national artists of note including the duo of Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia, the Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling, The Dig 3, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Ana Popovic, Joanna Connor and Alastair Greene. Omaha’s Héctor Anchondo and Lincoln’s In the Pocket feat Nebraska Jr are also on the schedule.

Hot Notes

Lincoln’s Zoo Bar schedule includes a Tuesday, Feb. 7, 6-9 p.m., show with roots artists Amy LaVere and Will Sexton LaVere is an acclaimed song-

Exciting bluEs-rock guitarist alastair grEEnE’s nEw disc was producEd by tab bEnoit. grEEnE gigs thursday, FEb. 16, 6 p.m., at thE JEwEll. hE also plays wEdnEsday, FEb. 15, 6 p.m., at lincoln’s Zoo bar[bh1]. Photo courtesy Brat Girl Media.

HOODOO

writer and vocalist whose performances have been called “hypnotic, mesmerizing and legendary.” Her husband, Will Sexton, the brother of Charlie Sexton, has his own long list of credits. Will Sexton produced LaVere’s latest disc, “Painting Blue.” They have been seen in the area as a popular booking in the Omaha Sunday Roadhouse concert series.

Save the dates for the Zoo Bar’s 50th anniversary street festival Friday and Saturday, July 7-8. See zoobar.com and facebook. com/zoobarblues.

Lincoln Exposed happens Feb. 9-Feb. 11 with various styles of music at multiple downtown

venues. Look up Lincoln Exposed 2023 on Facebook for schedules.

Mouth of the South in the Old Market, 1111 Howard St., hosts a blues brunch Sundays, usually 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

There is also a special Valentine’s night show, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m., with Héctor Anchondo.

Remember The B. Bar’s schedule includes 5:30 p.m. Friday shows every week. See thebbaromaha.com/events.

The documentary “Remember the Drumstick” is available for streaming online. Follow the link to make a donation and view the film at rememberthedrumstick.com

Mike Hill 1949January 5, 2023

Three decades before winning an Oscar for co-editing the Ron Howard feature “Apollo 13,” Mike Hill paid his way through the University of Nebraska at Omaha as a WOW-TV assistant film editor. His job: splicing commercials into old movies for the late show. Among the classics he did this for were “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “On the Waterfront.” It was a perfect job for the cinephile, who frequented the Orpheum, Omaha, State and Indian Hills. Only a few years later, as a Paramount Pictures apprentice editor, fate led Hill to synch-screen dailies for the director of “Streetcar” and “Waterfront,” Elia Kazan.

The director’s “The Last Tycoon” (1976) was shooting on the lot. With the lead and assistant editors away in New York, the dailies job fell to Hill, who delighted in the opportunity. “Kazan was right up there in the pantheon to me,” Hill told this reporter. “He was very economical with what he shot. He let me edit a dialogue scene. Well, I’d never edited anything, but I said, ‘OK, sure.’ I was up all night trying to put this thing together. I showed it to him after dailies the next day and it was terrible. He chuckled and said, ‘Thanks for doing this, but you don’t have to make so many cuts. You can find a good take, and as long as it holds, you can stay with it.’”

Hill appreciated the tutorial. “He gave me all these little lessons that really stuck with me. It was really generous.”

Next mentoring Hill was New Hollywood maverick Hal Ashby. On his “Bound for Glory,” Ashby did post work in a rented house on Mulholland Drive. Editors Robert C. Jones and Pembroke Herring cut there. Ashby sometimes took a turn at the material. Hill soaked it all in. “I learned a lot from them.”

Getting to work on major films by iconic artists became master classes for Hill. “It was one of those lucky things where it just kind of fell in my lap, along with practically my whole career. I got to see the way these directors worked. It was really valuable.”

Heady stuff for a UNO criminal justice graduate who got hired to work in California’s penal system. Yet he managed to break into the screen industry, learning a craft that

turned into a distinguished career. Notably, he and Dan Hanley formed one of Hollywood’s most successful editing teams, cutting every Ron Howard film from “Night Shift” (1982) through “In the Heart of the Sea” (2015). Hill retired due to health issues. Hanley considered Hill “a brother.” Hill regarded Hanley and Howard as family.

“It’s unusual two editors work together as a team with one director for that length of time,” Hill said. “When I look back at it, it’s pretty amazing.”

While editing “The Holdovers” in Omaha in 2022, Alexander Payne and his editor Kevin Tent lunched with Hill. “We met at a Vietnamese restaurant and Mike arrived with his oxygen tank for a brief but utterly delightful meal,” Payne said. “He and Kevin compared notes about Mike’s generation of editors. I’d met Mike a few times in passing over the years, but this was to be the first and only time we had a meal together. He was a lovely man and an extremely talented film editor.” Tent echoed the sentiment, noting, “He was such a sweet man and a great editor.”

— Leo A. Biga

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Chatting With Our Inevitable Replacement

What OpeNaI’s ChatGpt KNOWs abOut

OuR MusIC sCeNe WIll suRpRIse YOu

By Tim mcmahan

Describe the music scene in Omaha, Nebraska.

“Omaha, Nebraska, has a vibrant and diverse music scene, with a mix of local and national acts performing in venues throughout the city. The city is home to several music venues, including the Slowdown, The Waiting Room, and the Holland Performing Arts Center. These venues host a variety of music genres, including rock, indie, hip-hop, electronic, and jazz.”

Thus began my chat with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. What, pray tell, is ChatGPT? It’s a computer-based “answering machine” that interacts in a conversational way, but unlike other chatbots, it not only provides answers, but it also admits its mistakes, challenges incorrect premises and rejects inappropriate requests. And it does all this by tapping into its own data in its “neural network” rather than searching the web. I guess you could say it “thinks.”

ChatGPT doesn’t just write simple phrases, it composes full essays as if written by a human being, but with much better grammar (certainly better than mine). Think of it as a HAL 9000 computer with better manners.

Since its launch in November, ChatGPT has been used to write everything from poetry to movie scripts, even to write songs in the style of Nick Cave. It’s like a deep fake for literature. In fact, the program has proven to be a headache in the academic world. Axios reports ChatGPT is being used by some dodgy college students to write term papers … and getting away with it. They call it Chat Cheating.

Algorithmic journalism — or robot journalism — is nothing new. There’s a good chance the financial report, earnings review, even the

recap of last night’s Knicks game was written by a robot. Writing stats-based stories is kind of robotic by its very nature, but could ChatGPT write fluently about art and culture — or, for that matter, local music?

To find out, I pulled up chat.openai.com on my Mac, created an account and began asking questions about the Omaha music scene. The initial responses were somewhat mundane and not much different than a Wiki search. Like anything else, I tended to skip over what it got right and zoomed in on the mistakes.

For example, it listed The Hive among the city’s “several independent music venues” alongside The Waiting Room, O’Leaver’s, the Slowdown and Reverb. The Hive has been closed for years and was never an indie music venue. It listed Hear Nebraska as a top source for indie music news, though that website hasn’t been active since 2017. When it didn’t list Lazy-i. com among the city’s indie blogs, it apologized, and later listed Tim McMahan as “a notable figure in the Omaha music scene.” Hear! Hear! Clearly this is Machine Learning at its finest.

As the discussion went on, ChatGPT began crafting its answers around what it presumed were my preferences, ignoring a broader view of Omaha music. Asked “What are some of the best bands in Omaha?” ChatGPT listed Bright Eyes, Cursive, The Faint, The Good Life, Ladyfinger (ne), The Mynabirds and O+S. Most of those bands haven’t released new music in a decade. Asked to list the best non-indie bands, it came up with 311, Saddle Creek Records, The Decatures, The Hottman Sisters, Big Harp, Digital Leather and Icky Blossoms — some of which are inactive or no longer living in Omaha.

But it got weirdly accurate when asked to list the “worst things about Omaha’s music scene.” ChatGPT’s answers ranged from “Limited exposure: Omaha is not a major music industry hub” to “Omaha has limited opportunities for local bands to perform” to “Omaha is not a main destination for touring bands.” Where was it getting this information?

Conversely, when asked how Omaha could improve its music scene, ChatGPT turned into a sage. Among its seven-point plan:

1. By providing more funding and resources to local bands and venues, Omaha could help to support and grow the local music scene. This could include things like grants, low-interest loans, and tax incentives for music-related businesses.

2. By working to develop an industry infrastructure, Omaha could help to connect local bands and venues with agents, managers, and other industry professionals who can help them take their careers to the next level. This could include things like music conferences, networking events, and mentorship programs.

3. By promoting the Omaha music scene to a national and international level, the city could help to draw more attention to the local music scene and attract more visitors to the city. This could include things like hosting music festivals, creating a music-themed tourist trail, and working with local media outlets to promote the scene.

Further points included encouraging diversity, developing more affordable housing, encouraging collaboration and networking, and increasing education and mentorship opportunities. It’s hard to fault any of the robot’s suggestions, which leads me to believe at the very least that ChatGPT could replace our local politicians after it replaces our local music writers.

Over The edge is a mOnThly cOlumn by reader seniOr cOnTribuTing wriTer Tim mcmahan fOcused On culTure, sOcieT y, music, The media and The arTs. email Tim aT Tim.mcmahan@gmail.cOm

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