Inside Columbia Magazine - May/June 2025

Holy Cow!

� Pain relief

� Promotion of tissue healing

� Regulation of the digestive tract

� Osteoarthrits

� IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease)

� DJD (Degenerative Joint Disease)

� Muscle Injuries

� Tendon and Ligament Injuries

� Seizures

� Immunoregulation

� Hormone and reproductive regulation

� Nerve Paralysis

� Gastrointestinal Disorders

� Skin Allergies

� Behavioral Problems

� Quality of Life, and Hospice Care

� Performance Enhancement

The Vital Role of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation in Our Communities

By United Care Transport

In today's fast-paced world, access to health care is more critical than ever. Yet, for many individuals, getting to medical appointments can be a significant challenge. This is whee NonEmergency Medical Transportation steps in, playing a pivotal role in ensuring that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can receive the medical care they need.

Breaking Down Barriers to Health Care

One of the primary benefits of NEMT is its ability to break down barriers to health care access. Many people, especially the elderly, disabled or those with chronic illnesses, may struggle with transportation. Public transit options might be limited, and not everyone has access to a personal vehicle. NEMT services provide a reliable and safe means for these individuals to attend medical appointments, ensuring they receive timely care and avoid unnecessary health complications.

Improving Health Outcomes

Regular medical appointments are essential for managing chronic conditions, receiving preventive care, and following up on treatments. By providing transportation to these appointments, NEMT helps improve health outcomes. Patients are more likely to adhere to their treatment plans, attend follow-up visits, and receive necessary screenings, all of which contribute to better overall health and reduced hospital admissions.

Supporting Independence and Quality of Life

For many individuals, especially seniors and those with disabilities, maintaining independence is a key aspect of their quality of life. NEMT services support this

independence by enabling them to travel to medical appointments without relying on family or friends. This autonomy not only boosts their confidence bu also reduces the burden on caregivers, allowing them to focus on other aspects of support.

Economic Benefit

The economic impact of NEMT is significant. B reducing missed appointments and improving health outcomes, NEMT helps lower health care costs. Preventive care and regular medical visits can prevent the need for more expensive emergency care and hospitalizations. Additionally, NEMT services create jobs and support local economies, contributing to community growth and stability.

A Lifeline During Emergencies

While NEMT is designed for non-emergency situations, it can also be a lifeline during emergencies. In times of natural disasters or public health crises, NEMT providers often step up to assist with evacuations and transport to medical facilities. Their role in these situations underscores the importance of having a robust and reliable transportation network in place.

Conclusion

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation is more than just a ride; it's a crucial component of our health care system that ensures equitable access to medical care for all. By breaking down barriers, improving health outcomes, supporting independence and providing economic benefits, NEMT services ae indispensable in our communities. At United Care Transport, we are proud to be part of this vital service, helping to create healthier, more resilient communities.

50 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Since 1975, Coil has been building a better community. This year we are celebrating the people, projects and progress that have shaped our journey. DESIGN | BUILD |

Zola Heck Editor | zcrowder@mailzimmer.com Inside Columbia magazine

from the Editor

It’s officially sprummer! That’s the word my coworkers and I came up with when it’s not quite full summer yet, but spring is coming to a close. It’s such a happy time of the year. The sun is out, the flowers have bloomed, the grass is green, boats are zooming around the lake, trails are buzzing, evenings outside around the fie are in full swing, barbecues around the pool are beginning and so much more. This is the perfect time of year to get back into all of the outdoor hobbies that had to hibernate for the winter. One thing I enjoy doing from time to time is painting, especially outside when the weather permits. My love for creative arts started at a young age. I grew up in a very creative household, making music videos, painting, crafting, playing music and always dancing (badly). My mom has always had the itch for art, so much so that she started her own business, ZEdonk Art. Her business focuses on making art, specifically kids’ art, for filmand TV. You might recognize the work from “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Shameless,” “Criminal Minds,” “Young Sheldon,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Daddy’s Home” and so many more. Now, my sister is going on to take over the business and explore the world of making all kinds of unique art pieces for Hollywood. My dad is also very artistic; he is a professional drummer, editor and director. You may have seen his latest movie, “The Blue Angels,” which he directed and edited. Luckily for other creative Columbians, we will soon have a chance to enjoy the oldest and largest finearts festival in mid-Missouri. Art in the Park is coming to Stephens Lake Park once again. To prepare for the event, we put together a feature on pages 48-59 about four different artists and the variety of art they will be displaying at the festival. If you get hungry after a day full of art, head to pages 60-64 for the best bowls in Columbia. Looking for more fairweather activities and eats? On page 38, we’ve filed your summer bucket list with the best local stops.

This issue is meant to be your guide for sprummer, providing you, Columbia, with the entertainment options of the season, good eats, fashion tips, business news and more that you are craving. So, grab your favorite sprummer cocktail (or mocktail), sit back and enjoy this issue of Inside Columbia

our team MEET

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CONTRIBUTORS

Sara Fougere, Brook Harlan, Ava Kitzi, Wally Pfeffer, Nancy Noalson, Brandon Phillips, Dani Doyen, Geoff ratte, Jake De Vries, Janine Daniels, Jason Darden, Kelsey Parker, Nick Hardy, Mason Stevens, Jack Wax, Meghan Drakas

Ramen from Le Bao as seen in our ‘Bowl Goals’ feature.

Photo by L.G. Patterson.

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Rack and Roll

Our radio talents took the cue that it was time for another face-off. In this issue, we pooled Shags from 96.7 KCMQ and Peter, our team’s brand new news and talk format captain. The dueling duo headed downtown to Booches, not for a burgereating contest, but to challenge each other to a game of pool. Flip ahead to page 137 to see who sank the eight-ball, then check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for the felt-tastic footage.

Bowls on Bowls

Flip to pages 60-64 for our lineup of the best bowls in Columbia. From savory breakfast dishes to poke and sushi, learn all the local spots to get your fix. e visited some of our favorite restaurants to showcase their flvorful bowl menus. For a behind-the-scenes look at the photoshoot, head to @insidecolumbiamagazine on Instagram.

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Inside Columbia Advisory Board

Get to know our Inside Columbia Advisory Board members! We are thrilled to have such a talented group of individuals from all different industries in the community joining us to help shape the future of our publication. Their expertise across several professions and unique perspectives in the Columbia community will be invaluable as we continue to provide the best content for you, our readers.

Andrea Lyn Seppo Andrea Lyn Events

Ashleigh Stundebeck Select Realty Group

Sue Schwinke State Farm Insurance

Jennifer Heidrich Bronze by Design

Jessica Caldera Harper, Evans, Hilbrenner & Netemeyer

Jenny Dewar Pure Barre Columbia

Mackenzie Wells Mackenzie Wells Fitness

Jill Newton Volunteer

MJ Smith Department of Emergency Medicine, MU School of Medicine

Stephanie Witthar CenterPointe Hospital of Columbia

Amanda Alcamo Restoration Chiropractic

Erica Smithers RE/MAX Boone Realty

A Batch Made in Heaven

LOCAL MOM TURNS SOURDOUGH HOBBY INTO A THRIVING BUSINESS.

BY BAILEY RIZZO • PHOTOS BY L.G. PATTERSON

For Christy Bondurant, owner of Wildflower Bread, sourdough isn’t just bread. It started with a desire to feed her family good food.

“I'm really passionate about ingredients,” she says. “I know exactly where my sourdough started — in my own kitchen. It’s only ever been fed organic flour, so everything has originated with me. I think that’s what makes my bakes stand out from others.”

A JOURNEY ROOTED IN FAMILY

But sourdough wasn’t initially the plan for her life. When Bondurant met her nowhusband, she had just accepted a job to work in Atlanta for Chick-fi-A corporate. “We had a whirlwind romance and got married quickly,” she says. “I did move to Atlanta for a short stint, but I moved back because we both love living here.”

Bondurant says she and her

husband have always been passionate about good, quality food ingredients. “We care about what we put in our bodies and taking care of the life that the Lord has given us and just being really good stewards of that,” she says.

FROM HOBBY TO BUSINESS

Making bread, specifically sourdough bread, became a popular hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has been a way of life for thousands of years.

For Bondurant, it all started with a book. “For Christmas one year, my husband had gotten me a book (“Bread of Life” by Abigail Dodds) that had a handful of different bread recipes tied into just how bread has a correlation to scripture,” she says.

The book teaches how to create your own sourdough starter, then how to make sourdough bread after the starter has been established.

“I just decided, ‘Okay, I’m going to do it,' and so I created

my own starter at the end of 2023,” she says. “My intention with doing that was because I care about ingredients and the food I made. At that point, we were pregnant with our second daughter, and our firs daughter was a little over a year old. She was eating solid foods, so I wanted to make sure I gave her food that would nourish her body and that I knew exactly where it came from. So that was really the beginning of sourdough for me.”

At the time, Bondurant didn’t expect her sourdough hobby to be more than just that: a hobby. When a friend moved to Columbia with her family, she made them a loaf

of fresh sourdough bread as a housewarming gift. “I had given bread to people before, that wasn't anything new, but she was like, ‘Hey, if you ever start selling, we would totally buy from you,’” Bondurant says.

From there, she posted on Instagram, asking people to reach out if they wanted a loaf. “It's just taken off fom there,” Bondurant says. “I figued I would just sell to my friends on Instagram, but people started telling other people, and I had people texting me or messaging me on my personal Instagram.”

A NAME WITH MEANING

The next step for Bondurant was coming up with a name

for her bread business. After several months of toying with different options and asking for suggestions, the name came to her at the dinner table. “My youngest daughter was wearing an outfit with little wildflowers on it, and it just clicked,” she says. “It’s something that we’ve called both our daughters since they were little … they’re our little wildflowers.”

That’s how Wildflower Bread came to be. “I think it’s perfect because this business was created for them and because of them,” she says. “It just felt like the Lord said, ‘This is what I have for you, and this is your inspiration.’ It just tied everything together perfectly.”

MORE THAN JUST BREAD

While bread is a cheap staple at every grocery and convenience store, people today are gravitating toward handcrafted, small-batch bakeries. Bondurant believes this is because of the connection that is created between the baker and the buyer. “In some way, you make a new friend,” she says. “Like myself, people are also starting to care more about what’s in their food.”

From fresh, quality ingredients to the personal touch of human connection, buying local adds a story to every loaf — something a big-name brand simply can’t replicate.

“I'm a mom with two little girls who I love dearly, who

are the most important thing to me, and that's my first jo,” Bondurant says. “Sourdough is something I do on the side. If I was thinking about my situation from an outsider's perspective, knowing I'm supporting a family, there's that emotional connection that you're able to create in supporting somebody's dream and vision.

There are only a few microbakeries in Columbia, which creates yet another reason for Wildflower Bread to thrive here. But instead of competing with the other bakeries, they celebrate each other’s successes and help each other grow. “I’m good friends with two other people who do the same thing that I do. We call ourselves the bread buddies, and it’s really sweet to have that camaraderie,” Bondurant says. “These are some people that I really love and trust so if one of us ever can’t complete an order request, we can just point to the other person and say, ‘I have a trusted baker that you could reach out to.’”

COLUMBIA’S LOVE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

The city of Columbia is no stranger to small businesses, which Bondurant credits to part of her success. “I think that the people of Columbia are itching for small businesses and this is where I've seen a lot of small businesses thrive,” she says, “So I'm happy to be one of them and also one of the few sourdough bakers that are here in town.”

Bondurant says she plans to continue with Wildflower Bread as long as she can, but she also acknowledges her limits. “I see a lot of people talking about baking 100-150 loaves a week, and I don't know if that will ever be me,” she says. “I want to stay true to who I am and what this was supposed to be, which is just a little side hustle for me … something that is mine and that I can also share with my kids.”

With that, she says she sees this becoming a family business, rather than a full storefront. “I want to be steady and I want to be faithful with what I have,”

she says. “I want to continue to serve customers well and gain new friends and customers along the way.

In addition to sourdough bread, Wildflower Bread offers sourdough starter, bagels, cinnamon rolls, brownies, cakes, cookies and tortillas. Bondurant aims to serve the community by being a good person, offering good food, made with good ingredients.

“It's the personal connection that drives this whole thing,” she says. “I mean, how nice is it for somebody to come and pick up a warm loaf of bread to take home to feed their family that night and be able to provide a little extra cash for the family that they're purchasing from?”

The best way to stay upto-date on Wildflower Bread is following the Instagram page @wildflowerbreadcomo. There, Bondurant posts photos of products and has the menu linked in the bio. The best way to make a request is through direct message, where she will then bake your order on-demand.

Read for the Roses

BY JANE STEINBRECHER • PHOTOS BY L.G. PATTERSON

In 1925, successful sports columnist and University of Missouri alumnus Bill Corum coined the famous term “run for the roses” in his report of the Kentucky Derby. The phrase lives on today

as just one piece of Corum’s legacy that shaped the future of sports journalism, but author Elaine Strawn initially had no idea of her grandfather’s impact.

Strawn, a Columbia author and educator, comes from a

family of writers. She wasn’t fully aware of her family’s deep roots in writing until her sister happened upon the novel “Off And Running” in a small local bookshop. “Offand Running” is the autobiography of Strawn’s grandfather, Bill Corum.

Strawn and her sister were both unaware their grandfather had ever written a novel. That discovery led to a two-year research period where Strawn unpacked the fascinating lives of her grandfather, Bill, and grandmother, Kiddie.

Within that time, Strawn learned her grandfather had coined the phrase “run for the roses” among many other great successes in his journalism career. Strawn had always loved horses and watching the Kentucky Derby, so the knowledge that her grandfather had such a large role in the event was a surprise.

Strawn never met Bill or Kiddie, and hadn’t corresponded much with that side of the family, so she felt herself grow closer to these relatives — as if she truly knew them. She even learned that her grandfather had changed his name; Bill Corum’s given name was Martene Windsor Corum. His editor at The New York Evening Sun demanded he shorten his name to less of a “mouthful” for his bylines. And Corum obliged. “He was extremely driven,” Strawn says. “He had two loves: sports writing and Kiddie.”

Strawn decided she needed to put the legacy of her grandparents’ love story onto paper. After two years, Strawn completed “Kiddie and The Major,” a historical fiction retelling of her grandparents’ romance. In the novel, Kiddie and Corum navigate falling in love in the turbulent 1920s as their careers bloomed — Corum as a journalist, Kiddie as a model.

As for the title, Kiddie

and many others referred to Corum as “Major,” as he was the youngest soldier to make Major during his deployment to France during World War II. It’s a story of ups and downs, joys and sorrows, as two characters pursue their dreams and find their ooting in the real world.

“I just felt like I needed to write this story,” Strawn says. Although she never met her grandparents, she has a greater understanding of her family now. “They were part of me and I would defintely hang out with them any day of the week. I have a lot of connections to Bill. I feel like I'm really driven. I kind of can be over the top and passionate about things, with education being number one, but also my writing.”

While Strawn inherited her grandfather’s love for writing, she will also follow in his footsteps May 3 at the Kentucky Derby. In honor of the 100-year anniversary of Corum’s “run for the roses” headline, Strawn and her family will present the garland of roses to the winning horse. On this date, Strawn will also re-release a modified version of “Kiddie And The Major.”

“I just know (Courm) is going to be watching and thinking, ‘that’s my granddaughter,’” Strawn says. “It’s funny how he coined the phrase, and it’s not even in

his book. He never even talks about it.”

While Bill Corum may not have been aware of how iconic his wording was in 1925, Columbia local Elaine Strawn is making sure her grandparents’ legacies are well-known. Strawn named her publication company after Bill, giving it the namesake

of his autobiography, “Off And Running.” She will be a featured vendor at the Grown Up Book Fair at Rose Music Hall June 14, and a new edition of “Kiddie And The Major” will be available for purchase May 3 — the same day you might catch Strawn on your television adorning the winning horse at the Derby.

Standing Together

LONG-HELD MEMORIAL DAY PARADE RETURNS TO COLUMBIA.

BY JANE STEINBRECHER • PHOTO BY L.G. PATTERSON

Sherry Wyatt says she always considered herself patriotic, but the word took on a new meaning in July of 2012.

Wyatt is a retired nurse and mother of two Eagle Scouts. Her older son, Sterling Wyatt, told her he felt a need to do something meaningful by serving his country in the army. When Sterling was deployed to Afghanistan, Wyatt says she had a sinking feeling she would never see her son again.

U.S. Army Specialist Sterling Wyatt was killed in action in 2012. He was only 21 years old when Sherry Wyatt and her husband Randy became Gold Star Parents. Wyatt says she was shellshocked and gutted when she received the news every parent fears most. The Columbia community did what it does best, however, and rallied behind the family through their grief.

The Wyatt family's neighborhood was lined with American flags upo their return home from Dover, Delaware, where

Sterling’s angel fligt landed. Homemade meals and other tokens of help appeared on their doorstep with unwavering support from the town. But that isn’t where the community’s support ended.

When Wyatt and her husband heard the news that the Westboro Baptist Church was planning to protest their son’s funeral, the dread was palpable. The Westboro Baptist Church, based in Topeka, is known infamously for its harsh protests against funerals for fallen soldiers.

But in the 104-degree July heat, over 10,000 Columbians dressed in red formed a wall of protection, barricading Sterling’s loved ones from the hateful picketers outside of his memorial service.

“This is what the community does for one of our own,” Wyatt says. To this day, Columbia residents Wyatt doesn’t recognize will introduce themselves — whether it be at the grocery store or a community gathering — as members of the “Red Wall” of support that went viral for its unwavering support.

In fact, Columbians taking a stand against the protestors at Sterling’s funeral garnered so much attention that the family was invited on the Anderson Cooper Show. Sherry Wyatt spoke directly to Libby Phelps, the granddaughter of the organization’s founder who left the church that year.

“The first thing in y heart was, how could they?” Wyatt said to Phelps. “Our son died to ensure freedom of assembly ... freedom of speech.”

The Wyatts continue to keep Sterling’s story — after his memorial earned national attention — alive in our community. The Columbia Post Office was renamed for Sterling, Old 63 Park was renamed Wyatt Park and the St. Louis Military Entrance Processing Station was also dedicated in his honor. However, Wyatt felt the need to repay the support the community has so strongly given to her family.

Columbia’s longstanding Memorial Day parade has not marched the length of Broadway since 2019 when Mary Posner, the driving force

Columbia

May 26, 10 a.m.

behind the event, passed away. When years passed without a parade, Wyatt found herself wondering, “Why don’t they do something about this?” She then realized “they” meant herself.

Wyatt immediately went to work bringing the Memorial Day Parade back to Columbia. For 31 years, the city honored the military with the Salute to the Veterans Parade. Wyatt pitched changing the name to the Gold Star Memorial Day

Parade, as families become Gold Star Families when they lose a relative in service.

Parents like Sherry and Randy humbly wear the Gold Star emblem with solemn pride to honor their hero. There is an important distinction between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day: Memorial Day is to honor fallen soldiers specifically.

“I don’t want our sons’ and daughters’ sacrifices to be forgotten, or the price we pay for our freedom,” Wyatt says.

“In bringing this important community parade back, my family and I hope to return some of the support the community has shown us.”

She assembled a diverse board to advise her on plans for the parade with the goal to carry on the tradition of the parade for generations to come. Along with that, Wyatt established a non-profit organization to fund the parade and ensure success for the future.

The parade will kick off a 10 a.m. with the traditional march down Broadway. There will be special seating for veterans and those with disabilities to keep the event accessible and welcoming. The parade will conclude with a solemn wreath-laying at the courthouse. While the parade will keep the jubilant patriotism it has in years past, there will be a balance between celebration and respect for those who gave their lives.

In planning the event and establishing the non-profit, Wyatt has had to jump through endless hoops and red tape. It is intense work, but Wyatt is eager to bring the community together again.

“This is my passion,” Wyatt says. “Give me a mic and an audience. This is a project of the heart. I was not going to allow another Memorial Day to pass without honoring the

heroes of our country.”

While the parade will be of a celebratory nature, it is also intended to remember, honor and recognize those who laid down their lives. As the driving force behind the parade, Wyatt ensures that her son, along with many other Columbians who lost their lives in service, are properly recognized for their service.

The people of our city are known for showing up and showing out. Whether they were members of the red wall that blocked picketers from Sterling’s funeral or those who stepped up in other ways for the Wyatts, Columbia citizens have a rich history of taking a stand for our own. At a time when we may feel divided, Wyatt hopes this is a unifying event for the city.

The parade is still in need of entrants, volunteers and sponsors. Learn how to get involved at comogoldstarparade.org. For those looking to sponsor the event, there are five evels of support, just as the Gold Star has five poits. Smaller donations put sponsors at the American and Patriot Levels, while more generous donations put sponsors at the Blue, Silver and Gold Star Levels. Let’s continue doing what Columbia historically does best and come together as a city of stars.

Dates and events are subject to change. Please visit insidecolumbia.net/events for the most up-to-date information.

May 9

The Music of Studio Ghibli

Missouri Theatre

Close out Missouri Symphony’s regular season with the works of Joe Hisaishi, who is recognized as one of the greatest composers of his time. Listen as this concert explores Japanese music and allows the audience to experience pieces from Studio Ghibli film.

7-9 p.m.; $39-50; themosy.org/calendar/ the-music-of-studio-ghibli

May 9

Movies in the Park:

“A Bug’s Life”

Calendar MAY

May 6

Columbia Art-chitecture Contest

Columbia Art League

Get ready to celebrate Columbia’s historic architecture with an art contest for all ages! The Art-chitecture contest offers the perfect chance to honor architects, designers, engineers and more who created historic places and spaces that shape our community.

12-6 p.m.; free; comopreservation.org/ art-chitecturecontest

Cosmo Park

What better way to watch the classic film“A Bug’s Life” than on the lawn with family and friends for free? Grab the kiddos and watch as the star ant accidentally destroys his colony’s food supply and tries to figt off a army of grasshoppers.

7:45 p.m.; free; como.gov/parks-and-recreation/special-events/movies-in-the-park

May 10

Girls on the Run Heart of Missouri 5K

Bear Creek Trail at Albert Oakland Park

Run your heart out for a good cause this May at the Girls on the Run Heart of Missouri 5K. Girls on the Run

March 10

Mid-Mo Baby Expo

Courtyard by Marriott Boone Health and Zimmer

Communications presents an event featuring giveaways, raffles andendor booths selling everything new, expectant and experienced parents alike will need. From strollers and diapers to expert advice, this is the one-stop shop for all things baby.

8 a.m. to noon; $10; midmobabyexpo.com

inspires individuals of all abilities to discover, build and grow self-confidence through exercise.

9 a.m.; cost subject to changes, heartofmissourigirlsontherun.org/5k

May 10

The

Fray

The Blue Note

The Fray is coming to Columbia for a night you won’t forget! The crowd will get to hear all kinds of hit songs, including “How to Save a Life,” which became the unofficial theme song o “Grey’s Anatomy.”

7-8 p.m.; $40; thebluenote.com/event/ the-fray

May 11

Honky

Tonk Revival

Rose Music Hall

Calling all cowboys! This honky tonk takeover will have everything from two-step and traditional country to

western music performed by Travis Feutz and the Stardust Cowboys. So grab your cowboy hat and boots, and get ready for good vibes!

2-4 p.m.; free; rosemusichall.com/event/ honky-tonk-revival-3

May 17

Stronger Than Fiction Festival

Missouri Theatre

The festival of the year is back for the eighth year! Stronger Than Fiction 2025 is bringing the latest films fom the Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism. Don’t miss this opportunity to watch all the latest film school maserpieces.

1-9 p.m.; free; calendar.missouri.edu/event/ stronger-than-fition-festival-2025-mt

May 29

Central Bank

Downtown Live!

The District

Take part in the downtown shutdown as 9th Street closes off or the Cody Jinks: Hippies & Cowboys Tour with Tanner Usrey. Join the party outside The Blue Note and enjoy live music and cold beer while enjoying the views of Broadway!

8 p.m.; $59.50; discoverthedistrict.com/events/centraldowntown-live-cody-jinks-hippies-ampcowboys-tour-with-tanner-usrey

JUN

June 8

Mareck Dance:

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Missouri Theatre

Go down the rabbit hole of the outlandish and whimsical production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Student musicians and dancers will be featured alongside established professionals. Don’t miss this family-friendly, fantastical depiction of Wonderland.

2 p.m.; $32-$48; concertseries.missouri. edu/node/323

June 14

Bags ’n Wags

Cherry Hill Village Square

Calling all dog lovers! Bags ‘n Wags is here to fulfill ay of your pet needs, from pets up for adoption and shopping to a costume contest, competitions and more. The Secret Life of Pets will also be shown as an outdoor movie, so don’t miss this barking good time!

4-10:30 p.m.; free; andrealynevents.com/bags-n-wags-festival

June 13

Movies in the Park:

“The Addams Family”

Cosmo Park

They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky — and they’re at Cosmo Park! It’s never too early to get into the Halloween mood, so bring the family to watch the beloved cartoon rendition of the classic story.

8:45 p.m.; free; como.gov/parks-andrecreation/special-events/movies-inthe-park

June 15

Show Me Reptiles 2025

Knights of Columbus Hall

Scales, claws and tails, oh my!

Reptile enthusiasts will not want to miss this gathering of extraordinary creatures up for adoption. Whether you’re a snake fan, lizard lover or hoping to see an especially cool critter, this event is for you!

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; free; visitcolumbiamo.com/event/columbia-reptile-expo

June 20

City of Refuge

Summer Market

10 N. Garth Ave.

In honor of World Refugee Day, City of Refuge is hosting their second

Volunteer & Fundraising Opportunities

May 10

Home Composting 101 Workshop

Columbia Farmer’s Market

annual Summer Market. Support our new neighbors by shopping globally-curated jewelry, art and food across unique cultures and backgrounds. There will be live entertainment and activities for the entire family to enjoy. To help with the celebration, apply to be a vendor, volunteer or sponsor. 4-9 p.m.; free; cityofrefugecolumbia.org/event/worldrefugee-day-celebration

June 29

Taylorville; A Tribute to Taylor Swift

The Blue Note Swifties will not want to Shake It Off and miss this live tribute to pop sensation Taylor Swift. Go on a journey through the eras, from Swift’s country roots to her pop anthems and folksy vibes. Keep an ear out for the songs you know All Too Well, as well as your underrated favorites – you might just find ourself Enchanted by the deep cuts you forgot you loved. Find your Getaway Car and immerse yourself in the world of your favorite pop sensation, and let your Wildest Dreams come true! 2 p.m.; $20-55; thebluenote.com/event/taylorville

According to the City of Columbia, food scraps and yard waste make up almost one-third of residents’ trash. Learn how to reduce your waste and turn those food scraps into something beneficial o the environment at the city’s Home Composting 101 Workshop.

9-10 a.m.; free; como.gov/city-source/ march-2025/home-composting-workshops/

June 8

Voices of Columbia Logboat Brewing Company

Heart of Missouri CASA’s signature fundraiser returns to highlight the vibrant local music scene in Columbia. Three bands are set to perform outdoors at Logboat Brewing Co., where you can enjoy the live music all while supporting CASA’s mission of advocating for children in the Boone and Callaway County Family Courts. CASA is still seeking sponsors to help put on this incredible event. To purchase a sponsorship or make a donation, visit their website.

3-6 p.m.; homcasa.org/events-training/ voice-of-columbia

June 14

Drop-In Volunteer Workday

Kilgore’s Community Garden

If you can’t quite commit to a regular volunteer schedule, drop in at the Volunteer Workday at Kilgore’s Community Garden at your own pace. This is a volunteer opportunity that requires no commitment; it’s an open-door policy. Connect with the Earth and get down in the dirty to keep the produce in the community garden healthy and thriving!

9 a.m.; columbiaurbanag.org

Columbia Calling

BY BAILEY RIZZO | PHOTOS BY L.G. PATTERSON

Though it doesn’t have quite the size or stature of bigger cities like Kansas City or St. Louis, Columbia offers a wide variety of places to visit, things to do, foods to try and more. When the rush of Mizzou students heads home for summer break, it’s time to embrace the city beyond its college roots. Whether you’re a resident looking for something new or have family and friends visiting from out of town, this list has something for everyone. With that, here are 10 things to add to your summer bucket list in and around Columbia.

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TAKE A HIKE

If you’re craving a little adventure and fresh air, head to Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. The trails here take you through peaceful woods, over limestone bridges and along trickling streams — perfect for a relaxing stroll or a thrilling hike. But the real gem? Devil’s Ice Box. This cool, double

sinkhole cave stays chilly even on the hottest summer days, making it the perfect spot to cool off after exloring. Whether you’re looking to break a sweat or just soak in nature, this hike is a must!

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GO CAMPING (OR GLAMPING!)

Columbia may not host any national parks, but Cooper’s Landing offers a unique riverside camping experience that competes with the beauty of our nation’s best parks. Campers can enjoy tent sites or RV spots with stunning views of the Missouri River. The site features live music, food trucks and a laid-back atmosphere, making it a favorite for both locals and travelers. Amenities include restrooms, showers and picnic areas, as well as tent rentals for both camping and glamping. It's the perfect spot for some relaxation by the water and an immersion in nature — without leaving the city. Visit cooperslandingmo.com/camping to book your campsite.

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FLOAT ON THE WATER

Finger Lakes State Park, just north of Columbia, offers a great spot for kayaking, canoeing or paddleboarding. The water trails, formed from old mining pits, make for an easy and scenic paddle. It’s a peaceful way to explore the area and maybe even catch a fish or tw. Watercraft rentals are available for all-day use, and life jackets and paddles will be issued upon renting. If those activities don’t sound appealing, though, the swim beach is a great option to cool off in the water or elax on the shore. It’s a perfect way to spend a summer afternoon outdoors.

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PICK FRESH BLUEBERRIES

For a fun, family-friendly summer adventure, head to Blueberry Hill Farms, located near the airport. With over two acres of lush blueberry bushes, you can pick your own berries, which are at their peak in June. Blueberry Hill Farms offers six variet-

ies of blueberries: Duke, Patriot, Legacy, Blue Crop, Sweetheart and Pink Lemonade. Containers are provided, but be sure to bring water, sunscreen and bug spray! You should also wear cool clothing and closedtoed shoes. Visit blueberryhillfarmsmo.com for more information.

CATCH A FLICK UNDER THE STARS

There’s nothing quite like watching a movie under the stars on a summer night, making a drive-in movie the perfect addition to your bucket list. While Columbia doesn’t have a drive-in of its own, B&B Theatres Moberly Five & Drive is a short drive away and offers a nostalgic experience that’s worth the trip. Whether you’re planning a romantic date night, a family outing or an evening with friends, the drive-in caters to all. To make the most of your drive-in experience, be sure to arrive early to get a prime viewing spot and pack essentials like blankets, bug spray and snacks. Visit bbtheatres.com for upcoming showings.

HIT UP THE FARMER’S MARKET

Looking for a fun and flvorful way to spend your summer Saturdays? Head to the Columbia Farmers Market, ranked the #2 farmers market in America and the #1 farmers market in Missouri (American Farmland Trust, 2022.) Along with the freshest local produce, farm-raised meats and handmade baked goods, you’ll also fin delicious options from local food trucks and live music. Enjoy a lively community vibe that makes it the perfect weekend outing. Open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, it’s a great way to support local farmers. Visit columbiafarmersmarket.org for more information.

GRAB A SLICE

Gumby’s or prefer Italian-inspired classics from places like Endwell Taverna, G & D Pizzaria and Tony’s Pizza Palace, there’s no shortage of cheesy options. Why not turn it into a weekend adventure? Grab your friends, taste your way through town and decide once and for all which slice takes the crown. May the best pie win!

LEARN A NEW SKILL

or pole dancing and lyra at Muse Pole Fitness, there’s something for everyone. These offerings (and so many more!) make it easy to learn something new, meet great people and have fun along the way. Grab a friend or go solo — either way, you’ll leave feeling refreshed and accomplished!

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JAM OUT WITH LIVE MUSIC

Columbia’s music scene is nothing to turn your head at, and there’s no better place to catch live performances than The Blue Note or Rose Music Hall. As a convenient stop between Kansas City and St. Louis, these iconic venues bring a variety of talented up-and-coming artists to the stage — giving you the chance to discover your next favorite band or artist before they hit the big time. Plus, tickets are often fairly affordable, making it easy to enjoy live music without breaking the bank. Whether you’re into indie, rock, country or anything in between, there’s always something happening at these venues.

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ENJOY A LOCAL BREW

Columbia is home to a lively craft beverage scene that’s perfect for fueling your summer buzz. Logboat Brewing Co. offers a laid-back atmosphere and popular brews like Snapper IPA, while Bur Oak Brewing Company features crowd favorites such as Big Tree IPA and Lily Ale. For a classic brewpub experience, Flat Branch Pub & Brewing pairs house-made beers with delicious food, and Broadway Brewery blends creative brews with farm-to-table dishes. If you're looking for something a little more unique, Six Mile Ordinary serves up innovative small-batch brews, while Waves Cider Co. provides locally crafted ciders. Many of these spots also host live music, food trucks and events, making them perfect for a fun afternoon or evening. Whether you’re sipping an IPA, enjoying a farm-fresh meal or trying a crisp cider, Columbia’s breweries offer something for everyone. Cheers! 1 5 16 1 7 18

Columbia knows good food — especially when it comes to pizza! Whether you’re craving a slice from downtown favorites like Shakespeare’s, Pizza Tree and

Discover a new hobby or master a new skill this summer! Columbia is bursting with talented individuals and local businesses offering incredible classes and workshops to help you step out of your comfort zone and try something exciting. Whether it’s cooking or cake decorating at Back 2 Basics Cooking, woodworking and bowl-turning at Sawdust Studios, painting at The Canvas on Broadway, ceramics at The Mud Room,

Party Anthems

5 SONGS FOR A NIGHT OUT.

Welcome to our Ultimate Lists! In each issue, you will normally find a cuated selection of things to listen to or watch, put together by a member of the community, an on-air talent from Zimmer Communications or a member of the Inside Columbia staff. For this issue, Meghan Drakas, ABC 17’s Evening News Anchor/Reporter, shares her ultimate playlist to get ready for a night out on the town. Scan the QR code on this page to hear the full playlist. Enjoy!

BY MEGHAN DRAKAS

Your playlist while getting ready for any occasion can set the energy for the entire event. Getting ready for a fun night on the town should have a soundtrack to match the expectations for the night. I’ve put together my top fie songs in the rotation for any fun event. Take a listen!

“Happen to Me” - Russell Dickerson

“Girls just wanna have fun” — these lyrics perfectly describe the upbeat momentum of not knowing what will happen next on your night out. The pop-country vibes remind me of a cool summer night with the windows down in your car and the wind blowing through your hair.

“Tequila - R3HAB Remix” - Dan + Shay, R3HAB

This upbeat remix of an iconic summertime song encapsulates the feeling of letting your hair down and having a good time. This song continues the upbeat energy to keep you in a good mood while picking out your outfit

“I Remember” - Cheat Codes, Russell Dickerson

This song has you recalling the “young, dumb, and wild and free” nights of having zero worries in the world and feeling like anything is possible. This song might make you try that new hairstyle you’ve been eyeing or take a chance on a spicy dish on the menu. This song gets you in the mindset to expand your horizons, even if it’s only for a night.

“Love Somebody” - Morgan Wallen

These country island vibes set you up for a song you won’t be able to get out of your head. Belt out these lyrics while swaying to the pop beat when you pick out your dancing shoes for the night.

“Heartless” - Diplo, Julia Michaels, Morgan Wallen

This song is practically begging you to have a fun night out! With the blend of pop, country and slight electronic influene, this final song is one o lock in the energy for the night. Jamming out to this while putting the finishing ouches on your makeup is the ultimate way to get ready for your night out on the town.

PHOTO BY L.G. PATTERSON

The Need for Speed

When most people hear “speed, power and agility,” they picture young athletes sprinting down a field, cutting sharply around defenders or exploding off the ground for a jump shot. And while these qualities are essential in sports, they’re equally valuable beyond the court, especially as we age.

The truth is, training for speed isn’t just for the young. Agility and power are fundamental for everyone, regardless of age or athletic ability. Unfortunately, they’re often overlooked in favor of more traditional strength or cardio exercises. But incorporating these elements into your routine can have a profound impact on quality of life.

BY MASON STEVENS • PHOTOS BY AVA KITZI

THE AGING PROCESS AND POWER LOSS

One of the first things to go a we age is power: our ability to generate force quickly. Being powerful isn’t just about how strong you are; it’s how fast you can apply that strength. Think of power as the difference between slowly pushing a heavy object versus catching

yourself quickly when you trip. That quick reaction time relies on power.

Loss of power begins subtly, typically in our 30s, and gets worse with each passing decade. This decline contributes to slower reactions, decreased balance and an increased risk of falls. But it’s not inevitable. Like strength and endurance, power can be trained.

AGILITY AND FUNCTIONAL FITNESS

Agility, the ability to change direction quickly, isn’t limited to the track or court either. It’s tied closely to coordination, balance and the ability to navigate life’s unpredictable moments. Moving quickly and efficiently doesn’t just make someone faster; it keeps them safer and more capable in everyday situations.

Imagine having to quickly change direction to avoid slipping on ice or needing to sidestep a curb you didn’t see. That’s agility in action. Or think about reacting swiftly when your dog darts after a squirrel. These are real-world examples where speed and coordination matter just as much as in any athletic event.

FAST-TWITCH MUSCLE

Speed is important for muscles too. Our bodies are made up of different types of muscle fibers, sow-twitch and fasttwitch. Simply put, slowtwitch fibers hande endurance tasks, like walking or light jogging. Fast-twitch fibers, on the other hand, are responsible for explosive movements and quick reactions. They help you jump, sprint, catch yourself during a stumble or rapidly lift something heavy. These fibers ae also important for a healthy metabolism, even reducing the risk of diabetes. Here’s the catch: fast-twitch fibers tend to atophy faster with age, particularly if they’re

not being used. Incorporating speed and power drills keeps these fibers active, stong and responsive. Think of exercises like short sprints, jump squats or weaving laterally through cones.

BENEFITS BEYOND THE GYM

The ripple effect of speed, power and agility training goes well beyond fitness. ot only does it improve physical confidence, it also sharpen the mind. Quick, coordinated movements require focus and a mind-body connection. This challenges the brain as much as the muscles. The crossover between physical training and mental sharpness is critical for maintaining health and quality of life.

Balance and coordination are significantly enhanced when these elements are trained together. For example, someone who regularly works on agility drills is better prepared to recover quickly if they lose their footing. Reaction time improves, allowing you to respond to your environment more effectively. This could mean catching a glass before it drops, dodging a pickleball to the head or catching your kids in a game of tag.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START

Training for power and agility might sound intimidating if you haven’t done it before, but it’s easily scalable. It doesn’t have

to mean sprinting at full speed or jumping hurdles. It could be as simple as practicing quick footwork patterns, doing light medicine ball throws or short bursts of faster-paced walking. The key is incorporating movements that challenge your body to move quickly and forcefully. And the payoff? Beter balance, quicker reflexes,

sharper coordination and more confidence in eveyday life. So next time you think of speed, power and agility as something reserved for the young, think again. These qualities aren’t just for athletes, they’re for anyone who wants to stay mentally sharp, physically strong and functionally fi well into the future.

Clients working out at RHO Engine Room.

Backyard in Bloom

EXPERT ADVICE TO GET YOUR GARDEN SUMMER-READY.

If April showers really do bring May flowers, then it’s time to get your garden in gear! For some, a garden can be a place of beauty and tranquility. For others, the thought of maintaining a garden could be anxietyinducing (for the gardener or the plants, we’re not sure).

As summer approaches,

your garden is about to take center stage – but is it ready for the spotlight? The heat, unpredictable rainfall and potential pests of the season can make landscaping feel like a challenge, even for those seasoned in gardening. Whether you’re a natural green thumb or a certified plant killer, a little preparation goes a long way in ensuring your

BY BAILEY RIZZO | PHOTO BY L.G. PATTERSON

outdoor space thrives.

Ashlee Wallace, a landscape designer at Doctor’s Lawn & Landscape in Sunrise Beach, says one of the main things people struggle with when starting their garden is having the patience to let things grow.

“They tend to overplant and mix things that shouldn’t be together,” she says. “In a year or two, it's so overgrown (that)

plants are struggling because of where they were placed. I think people just look at a space and don't really think about sun or shade. Then they overplant because they want it to look full and have that instant gratification instead of being patient and waiting.”

Wallace says it’s important to understand where plants need to go, based on whether

they need full shade, full sun or partial sun. “For example, anything that blooms, you need to have at least six hours of sun in order to get the full color.”

As a designer, Wallace says her priority is to make a space “more beautiful than it began.” When planning a design that includes a pathway or patio, she draws at full scale, meaning the sizes are representative of what they will be in five ears. “That ensures you don't overcrowd or overplant.”

When choosing what to plant, people often want options that bloom and come back year after year. “In Columbia, hydrangeas and peonies are great to make sure you have a bloom all summer long,” Wallace says. “Having some butterfly bush or allium will also help promote bee pollination, which is a really good thing to help the flowers stay colorful all summer.”

Wallace also recommends investing in a good irrigation system. “If you are committing to doing a garden or any type of landscaping, you need a quality irrigation system,” she says. “Relying on watering by hand doesn't always guarantee the life of the plant or the vegetable. With the irrigation system, you can make sure that each area is timed the way it needs to be timed.”

For anyone who identifies as a “black thumb,” lowmaintenance options include boxwood bushes, Andorra junipers or blue star junipers.

BEST LOWMAINTENANCE, PERENNIAL POLLINATOR PLANTS FOR COLUMBIA FLOWERS

Purple Coneflowe

Black-Eyed Susan

Milkweed

Bee Balm

Blazing Star

Coreopsis

Yarrow

Goldenrod

Columbine

HERBS & SHRUBS

Lavender

Russian Sage

Catmint

Butterfly Bus

Spicebush

GRASSES

Little Bluestem

Prairie Dropseed

“They don't take a whole lot of water, and any of the ornamental grasses are really, really low maintenance, especially if you haven't invested in an irrigation system,” Wallace says. “They're pretty drought-friendly, and aside from the grasses, they'll stay green year round. It's a nice pop of color year-round, and in the dead of winter, you'll still have some greenery.”

Whether you’re refreshing the garden you’ve been working on for years or just starting out, a lush landscape can do a lot to beautify your home.

PAIRINGS

Purple Coneflower + BlacEyed Susan + Blazing Star

A mix of color, height and season-long blooms

Milkweed + Butterfly Bus + Bee Balm

The ultimate monarch and bee-friendly combo

Lavender + Russian Sage + Catmint

Drought-tolerant, fragrant and full of buzzing pollinators

Goldenrod + Aster + Yarrow

Late-season nectar source for migrating butterflie

Landscaping designed by Fern Wildflwer

Landscaping designed by Ashlee Wallace

Home isthewhere Art i

Four Local Artists Are Making Their Mark in the Park.

By Jane Steinbrecher

Photos by L.G. Patterson

Since 1959, Art in the Park has been a showcase of our city’s finest at. It makes sense that the oldest and biggest art festival in midMissouri would be held in Columbia, a midwestern hub for creativity and artistic expression. Countless artists call Columbia home, whether they be painters, sculptors or potters, or work with fibes, glass or wood. No matter the medium, Columbia is known for its vibrant artistic landscape. Meet the heart behind the art: four of Columbia’s artists in their natural habitats — their studios.

Randy Mayes, Wood Carving

When Randy Mayes describes himself as “real simple,” he’s referring to his methods and tools of creating, not his eccentric collection of woodworks and paintings. A majority of his work is colorful and playful, whether it be the hand-carved wood decoys and sculptures he crafts or the hundreds of stones he paints.

As a lifelong artist, Mayes sticks to methods he calls “old school.”

The path from an idea to the bird carvings and statues you may see at Mayes’ Art in the Park booth in June starts with a sketch. Mayes draws all of his own patterns, gathering inspiration from nature. After the sketch, he gets to carving. His main subjects are birds: sandpipers, loons, ducks and whatever else strikes his inspiration that day.

For carving, Mayes says he’ll use any wood, but prefers basswood or anything with a tight grain. He’ll also carve sculptures of birds out of driftwood he plucks out of nearby ponds and lakes. Once his patterns are sketched, Mayes goes to his workshop.

Mayes’ workshop sits in a concrete bunker in his basement. Stepping into it, you may notice the walls are covered in photographs, ribbons and sketches, and a layer of sawdust and woodchips covers every surface. He says he has 15 to 20 projects in his mind at all times, so the tabletops are full of works in different stages of production. Like most artists, Mayes thrives in what he calls “controlled chaos.” This workshop is Mayes’ sanctuary and a tribute to his old school methods.

“People will ask if I studied art,” Mayes jokes. “And I tell them, ‘yeah, in my workshop.’”

There are only a couple of power

tools in Mayes’ workshop, fewer than you might expect from a woodworker. He uses a power saw for larger cuts, but prefers to shape the majority of his projects by hand. Carving by hand takes much longer than relying on power tools, but Mayes says he’s not in the business of rushing his creations. It’s not about how fast the art is finished an painted; it’s always been about taking the time to craft something carefully.

“You can power tool them all you

want,” Mayes says. “It’s quicker, but you’ll never get the satisfaction of doing it by hand. I get so much out of it when I get to be hands-on.”

With each intentional cut of the wood, Mayes transforms pieces of wood into renditions of birds. Many of his pieces are rooted in realism, but he likes to put character into the birds. His pieces are all unique, but often have similar fantastical features like smiles, quirky poses and the same distinct eyes made of marbles.

Once the piece is carved, sanded and ready for color, Mayes takes it upstairs. When he paints, Mayes sticks with simple acrylics. Despite having several cups full of brushes in his upstairs painting room, he has a mere five fvorites he uses. For a palette, he uses the same paper plate until it runs out of space for paint or it begins to fall apart. In this painting studio, with his five brushes an trusty plate, Mayes moves quickly to bring color to the wood carvings and

the stones he paints colorful scenes and characters upon.

His painting technique is quick and may appear unfocused, but each colorful stroke is aimed and intentional, just like his carving. Mayes can add dimension and depth with a few masterful swishes of his paintbrush to the bird carvings. Although his tools are simple, the final poducts are whimsical, bright and playful.

Some finished poducts are kept

around the home, some are gifted and some will be displayed at Art in the Park. Since Mayes was born and raised in Columbia, Art in the Park is his favorite place not only to showcase his work, but to admire the work of other artists.

“I love to see everyone else’s art,” he says. “When I invite people to Art in the Park, it’s not to see me, but to see how other artists view the world.”

While Mayes likes to see how other artists view the world, surveyors of his

work will get a glimpse of his perceptions of nature. Mayes uses bright colors to capture the wonder and beauty of the world around us. He says he primarily gathers inspiration from spots in midMissouri, namely Eagle Bluffs and othe conservation areas across the state where he can see the birds.

Mayes says he can find inspiraton anywhere, but his favorite source is pinned to the wall just above the desk in his woodshop: a black-and-white photo of his grandfather, around six or seven

years old, seated at a desk in the midst of the Depression Era. Like everything else in the workshop, the photo is coated in a thin layer of sawdust. Mayes’ grandfather Leroy was a carpenter, who raised Mayes’ father to take an interest in woodworking. While Leroy Mayes was a practical carpenter, Randy Mayes developed a more artistic style under the guidance of his father.

“When he was a teenager, he was always going to his dad’s trailer to carve,” Connie Mayes, Mayes’ wife, says. She and Mayes met at 18 years old. Connie fondly recalls how Mayes’ love for woodworking started young, as a bond with his father and late grandfather, and has turned into a lifelong passion.

After 35 years in the Columbia Art League, countless ribbons and awards, regularly being juried for Art in the Park

and even an invitation to the White House for his artistry in 2002, some might assume Mayes would be flasy with his accomplishments. But when he’s asked about his success in the art world, Mayes shrugs and says, “I’m a lucky man.”

While Mayes is proud of his achievements, the art has never been for recognition. Larger pieces can take months at a time and even smaller figues consume endless hours of carving. But when Mayes sits in his workshop, under that prized photo of his grandfather and gets to work on a new piece, that is where he’s happiest.

“This is what I do,” Mayes explains. “This is what I love.”

When you buy a piece from Mayes, you’ll have it for a lifetime — he guarantees free, lifelong repairs on all of his work.

Katie Barnes, Snow Pond Ceramics

Artistry runs in Katie Barnes’ genes. Her father is a woodworker, her mother is a fine art quiter and her brother composes music, so she inherited a creative mind and a knack for making. As a child, she started telling people she wanted to be a potter after watching a guest on "Sesame Street" throw and shape clay on the wheel.

But Barnes didn’t have the chance to pursue this dream until later in life; she never took a pottery class and still hasn’t. Barnes is entirely self-taught, with her ceramics practice starting in 1998 while she pursued an undergraduate degree in fisheres and wildlife sciences and a master’s in photojournalism at the University of Missouri.

At her first Art in the ark in Columbia, she displayed her photography. While

Barnes pursued photography as her career, ceramics was more of a hobby. When she did explore ceramics, she focused on making practical pieces like bowls and vases at a nearby studio.

She found her real passion in 2020. Quarantine restrictions shut down the studio, leaving Barnes with a bag of clay, a few tools and spare time. She began shaping tiny homes out of the clay and inspiration sparked.

Through what she calls “the magic of mini,” Barnes creates a world of her own. In her studio you will find a villag of countless tiny houses, all handcrafted with care. From matching sets and whimsical mushrooms to match strikers and magnets, Barnes creates each piece by hand — never with a mold — and handstamps each window and door to make

each house uniquely precious.

“At first I thougt only people who threw on the wheel were real artists,” Barnes says. “But my pure passion is working with my hands and making things like this.”

For each house she crafts, Barnes shapes the clay by hand, not following any stencil or set method. She underglazes the dried project and uses colorful mason stains to add pops of color and patterns, giving each work its own personality. From start to finish, her ceramc works are as unique as fingerprits.

Though Barnes also makes planters, vases, pencil holders and match strikers, her decorative houses are the most popular among customers. For a while, Barnes was uncertain what purpose the tiny homes could provide on their own.

She’s a practical person, one to seek purpose in everything she uses or creates.

“I was having a hard time at first wth the idea that I was making trinkets without a specific purpose,” Barnes admits. “But people will tell me, ‘I set (the tiny homes) on my windowsill and they just make me happy.’ So, I think that’s the purpose. People reflect on the happiness it brings them.”

The themes of coziness and joy are evident in Barnes’ work. She believes the theme of home stemmed from beginning these creations during quarantine, a time when home meant everything. Barnes’ home studio is bright and filed with personality, from personal art on the walls to gifts and posters of her favorite musicians. With her husband also being an artist, Barnes’ home is colorful and comforting, a feeling that is clearly conveyed in her work.

Creating these houses spurred on a fascination with the concept of “home,” along with an interest in architecture. Barnes draws inspiration from the beautiful historical neighborhoods of Columbia, but also from unique homes and structures in cities she travels to. She jokes that her husband will often have to slow down while driving just so she can snap photos of the houses that invoke inspiration for her pieces.

Inspiration might come quickly to Barnes this way, considering how much she travels. Barnes dives into art shows across the country, but likes to stay close to home by participating in art shows in Lawrence, Kansas City and St. Louis.

Her work is on display at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City and the Columbia Art League, and was featured at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis. She draws ideas from the unique architecture of cities across the country, but says Columbia is her favorite place to get ideas and Art in the Park is her favorite show.

“Art in the Park is an anomaly,” Barnes says. “The amount of people who show up to buy and support local art is massive.” She also says she recalls hardly being able to eat because so many eager Columbians were lining up at her booth to buy.

With tiny sculptures, large planters, matching village sets and everything in between, Snow Pond Ceramics replicates that warm, cozy feeling of home with each piece sold. When Barnes was asked how many houses she’s crafted by now, she assumes it must be upward of 5,000 — perhaps close to 10,000. After crafting this many homes, Barnes still hasn’t burnt out. She loves each part of the process, but her favorite step is what she does with the leftover clay.

Barnes’s practicality leads her to try and use every last bit of clay after a project.

With the scraps, she crafts even tinier houses to fie and glaze, with “take me” stamped on the back.

She hides these tiny sculptures when she travels — on windowsills, tucked in the divots between brick walls, beneath stop signs and on seats in theaters — hoping her art happens upon an unsuspecting passerby. She scattered nearly 150 of these around downtown Columbia during True/False Film Fest. Wherever those tiny sculptures wound up, she hopes they give their new owners a warm sense of home.

Katie Barnes’ tiny homes are available at her online shop, snowpondceramics.com

Michelle Marcum, Art Chica Marcum

Ycolorful and whimsical style evokes a sense of deja vu, it could be because you’ve dined at Irene’s, where her design of the iconic bone coyote is printed on the side of the building. Her art has been on display at Cafe Berlin, on the walls of the Dandy Lion Cafe in Ashland and inside Parkade. She’s also designed merchandise for the Columbia Art League since 2013.

Marcum has loved illustrating and designing since she was young and studied art at Stephens College. Throughout college, she worked at Subway and says she remembers thinking, “I want to be an artist, not a sandwich artist.” Then she joined the graphic design team at Subway and started her career.

Marcum is still a full-time graphic designer in the corporate world. When she isn’t working, she’s honing her style in her garage studio that is just as colorful and eccentric as her work. She mainly focuses on designs she places on stickers, enamel pins and T-shirts, which are her bestsellers.

When Marcum started selling prints of

her designs online and doing pop-ups at Biscuits, Beats and Brews, she says she did decently. But her work truly took off at Earth Day in 2020, where her illustrations of a nymph-like tree creature sold rapidly. Since then, Marcum has been involved in the Columbia Art League and often raises money with her designs for nonprofits such as The Center Project.

She does about two art shows each month to sell her merchandise. But for Art in the Park, Marcum picks up a brush and paints. This is the only event where Marcum creates paintings. She does not make prints of these paintings — they’re all one of a kind and only available once.

For her Art in the Park paintings, Marcum follows a theme each year. This year marks her fourth Art in the Park installation, and she has titled her collection “In My Jurassic Era.” She will showcase paintings of fossils that still keep her woodland, fantastical style intact. One painting in particular shows the fossil of a winged archaeopteryx, surrounded by playful red mushrooms. She says the idea came to her while working at True/False Film Fest and exploring the themes of time. And while her Art in the Park theme changes each year, it’s easy to spot which works are Marcum’s. She keeps her fantasy style consistent with each bright design or illustration she showcases.

On her eccentric, playful style, Marcum says, “I just kind of think of myself as a fairy.” Marcum describes her house as her “fairy kingdom housing strange, whimsical oddities.” In her studio, you’ll find her latest vetures spread out in an organized chaos. Currently, Marcum is working on illustrating a set of tarot cards and a Field Guide to Missouri Fairies, which she designs alongside her partner, who is a biologist. Marcum is constantly thinking of new projects, saying one idea leads to another before they meld into her creations. There are many notable sources of inspiration in her studio, including an impressive DVD and VHS collection from her parents, but a statue of a rabbit near her easel catches attention easily.

This rabbit was sculpted by Marcum’s mother, a preschool teacher who also creates art. “My love for creepy-cute things like (this rabbit) comes from my mom,” Marcum says of the rabbit, which has deep-set eyes and a peculiar smile that fits the description of “creepy-cute.”

Across Marcum’s work, you will find “creepy-cute” designs of woodland creatures, aliens, dragons, unicorns and more. Her designs feel like a fantasy story come to life with her vibrant use of colors and playful poses.

“I try to make things memorable,” Marcum says. “That’s the secret. You can have the best piece in the world, but it’s nothing if people don’t remember it. (Art) needs to be memorable.”

Marcum can be found at three booths at Art in the Park this year — the merchandise booth and two for her art — where she will carry shirts, stickers, mystery boxes and paintings. If you’ve ever wanted to dive into a world of fantasy, Marcum’s bold, whimsical illustrations are for you.

While Marcum only does pop-ups and her paintings are only available for a short time at Art in the Park, her website artchicamarcum.com carries everything from blankets and tarot cards to pins and hats.

Yukari Kashihara, Shirahaze Gallery

Yukari Kashihara’s art journey began growing up in Osaka, Japan. She’s been drawing and sketching since she was a child, but it was her father who inspired a love of ceramics. She would accompany her father to galleries and shops to study the beauty of pottery and how art can be an outlet for emotions.

For Kashihara, her art is an outlet for joy. Kashihara left Japan for midMissouri when she studied for her master’s degree in fine arts fom the University of Missouri. She started out as a printmaker, but dove into studying three-dimensional mediums

like ceramics.

“People don’t realize how much there is to learn about ceramics as a medium,” Kashihara says. “The more you learn, the more opportunity there is to be inspired.”

After graduating, Kashihara and her husband settled in Rocheport to open a studio out of their home. Kashihara says she loves the tight-knit community in a small town like Rocheport and gathers a lot of inspiration from the nearby Katy Trail and other beautiful sights of nature in the town. She acknowledges how difficult it is for aspiring studio artists to

find their distinct stle, saying that her bright, playful interpretations of nature took time to forge. Kashihara’s art has shifted from practical pots and bowls to teapots and decorative pieces.

“Art is a part of life,” Kashihara says. “As you grow, your art will grow. As your life changes, your art will change, too.” Her shop is set up in the foyer of her home, which is just as bright and charming as her work. Large windows cast plenty of light on organized shelves of her ceramics, prints and photographs for sale. Almost all of her pieces are inspired by nature: elephant tea-pots glazed with reeds and flowers, mugs with ceramic birds perched on the handles and trinket trays adorned with handpainted plants and landscapes. She says she draws ideas from what gives her joy and the majority of that joy comes from traveling. She’s backpacked across countries and continents, and hiked in some of the most beautiful destinations in the United States, but ideas come to her in Rocheport just the same.

Each piece is made of porcelain and wheel-thrown before they are intricately designed with underglaze and high-fied. She wants to express themes of peace and harmony in her work; Kashihara says each piece is like a visual diary. The pieces are quite time-consuming. On

average, one of Kashihara’s ceramic works takes between four and six weeks.

However, Kashihara says there’s no place in the world she’d rather be than in her studio, working away at a new piece.

As a full-time studio artist, Kashihara has the freedom to hone her craft and stick to her style. She taught for a while, but considers herself to be better at creating than teaching. “My philosophy is: if I don’t enjoy it, I’m not going to do it,” she says. “(The art) must make you happy.”

After over 20 years of creating and selling beautiful porcelain pieces, Kashihara has been juried for almost every year of Art in the Park and received widespread recognition. Above the counter in her shop, colorful ribbons — Awards of Excellence, Mayor’s Choice, Best of Show and more — are on display. Kashihara says she feels blessed to pursue her passion this way, but it took copious effort and practice to get here. She’s still constantly improving, seeking out new inspiration and ways to artistically express and share the joy she feels when she’s creating.

Visitors can shop Kashihara’s collection at Shirahaze Gallery, located at 200 Second Street in Rocheport and open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Browse her portfolio at shirahaze.com

Bowl Goals

By Zola Heck | Photos by L.G. Patterson

Taste Different Cuisines

One Bowl at a Time

Columbia is no stranger to good food, and there’s something comforting about a bowl of goodness for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Luckily, there are plenty of spots with all kinds of bowls to choose from, from healthy bowls to ramen bowls, poke bowls and more! We’ve put together a guide to Columbia’s cuisines that make us bowl over.

Soup-er Excited

Whether it’s a cold day and you’re craving some hot broth, or looking to cool off wit cold ramen, Le Bao has all the bowls you could want prepped and ready. Jina Yoo, the owner of Le Bao, says the ramen is a very popular bowl, especially the pork. “We are in general Asian street food, but we have three types of ramen,” she says. “The pork bowl comes with egg, bean sprouts, spinach and corn in there.” Making the ramen is no easy task; Yoo says crafting the broth alone is a two-day process. “We have to soak the bone, discard the water, boil it up in a 40–50-gallon pot, then dump the water to discard all the nasty stuff and then ge purified broth,” she says. “Then we season it and cook it for 8-10 hours, then strain it and keep it in the cooler.” But the process is all worth it when she sees people enjoying the bowls on the daily. “It makes me happy when I am seeing people who like my ramen noodle bowl,” Yoo says. “Especially little kids, they love ramen noodles.” It not only tastes good, but Yoo says there are plenty of health benefits to the dish. It’s a protein broth so it’s really good for you,” she says. “There’s a lot of collagen and other nutrients.” Yoo is also introducing a cold ramen for the summer, which she plans to have available at the end of May. “It’s not traditional ramen noodles; it’s a cold ramen noodle with a spicy sauce on it.” For those inspired to make their own version at home, Yoo says to maybe not, stick to letting the pros make it. “You probably shouldn’t, she says. "It’s way harder than you think.” If you have allergies, Le Bao also has gluten-free options.

Spicy Chicken Ramen from Le Bao.

Shrimp and Kimchi Ramen from Le Bao.

Healthy Heaps

Nothing feels better than diving into a healthy and nutritious bowl to fuel your day. At Nourish Café & Market, Owner Kalle LeMone says the bowls are created with a nice balance of flvors. “We have a portion of our menu that are bowls, all filed with organic veggies, sauces, and/or beans and grains, and high-quality protein like chicken, turkey, beef, sausage, etc. can be added,” she says. If you’re attempting to make a bowl at home, LeMone says it’s important to balance macros. “Have some healthy complex carbohydrates (beans, sweet potatoes), healthy fats (olive oil, avocado) and high-quality protein (chicken, beef, seafood, eggs).”

Main Squeeze, which recently started serving food once again when John Gilbreth and his wife took over, has several bowl options to choose from including its most popular Buddha Bowl. This bowl has a mix of rice, tofu, broccoli, carrots, purple cabbage, sesame ginger, microgreens, scallions and sesame seeds. Main Squeeze has always had a mission to promote plant-based eating through fresh juices, smoothies and cafe eats.

Sunshine Bowl from Nourish Café & Market

Acai Berry Bowl from Nourish Café & Market

Broadway Bowl from Nourish Café & Market

Okey Poke

Located on East Broadway is another spot to enjoy a delicious bowl, but this time it’s tangy seafood or savory hibachi from A Little More Poke Bowl & Hibachi Express. Some of the poke bowl options include the Honolulu Seafood Lover, is a sushi rice bowl, with salmon, crab meat, shrimp, seaweed salad, mango and more. If you’re not into fish, A Litte More has a chicken poke bowl customers can enjoy with chicken and crab meat, along with fresh toppings like avocado, cucumber, sweet corn and more. Their hibachi bowls are another crowd favorite. The Hibachi Chicken Bowl comes with sauteed vegetables and fried rice or hibachi noodles. You can also get this bowl with steak, salmon or shrimp or pick a combo. So no matter what you are into, A Little More has what you need to satisfy a bowl craving.

Buddha Bowl from Main Squeeze.

The Works Bowl from Main Squeeze.

Fire Bowl from Main Squeeze.

Savory Scoop

If you’re craving something savory for lunch, Beet Box loves to offer savory bowl options. “We’ll play around every single day with brand new concepts and recipes. It means every day will be something different. Our services are heavily driven by specials, so expect something different every time you come in,” the Beet Box website states. Amanda Elliott, one of the owners of Beet Box,

says the quality of the bowl all depends on the quality and variety of ingredients.

“All of our ingredients are bright, punchy and full of flvor,” she says. “We want our bowls to be memorable when you take a bite.” Along with bowl options on the menu, Beet Box allows all wraps to be made gluten-free as a salad or bowl as well. So, if you see something you like that might work better in a bowl for

you, the team at Beet Box can make it happen. If you’re looking to get creative in your own kitchen, Elliot says the key is to have, “Lots of fresh pickled veggies, a flvor bomb sauce and protein,” she says. “That’s always going to taste great.” While some of the menu items are subject to change, here is an idea of the flvor combos you can expect when dining in with Beet Box.

Bowls from Beet Box

Top left: Hummus Bowl

Top right: Lamb and Eggs Bowl

Bottom: Kibbeh Chicken Bowl

2025 FACES OF COLUMBIA

No one wants to hear from a robot when they need customer service, wants to solicit a service or make a purchase at random; no one wants to trust our cars, hair or health with a stranger. We want personal connections with those we choose to do business with. Luckily, Columbia is a town with vibrant industries; there is no shortage of locally-owned establishments here. There are faces behind every business, friendly experts that treat each client and customer like family. In the following pages, you will get to know the faces behind Columbia’s businesses and their stories. Whether it’s a generational, family establishment or an independent, locallyrun service, meet the trustworthy faces that are ready to serve our community.

At Mutrux Automotive, trust and safety are the top priorities. Their team of skilled, devoted specialists know picking an automotive technician is a difficult decision — you want to know exactly who you’re trusting your vehicle with.

Mutrux Automotive is a locally owned family business that treats their employees and customers like family. “Everyone should have a personal relationship with their auto technician,” Patrick Norris, master technician says. “Knowledge and trust go hand in hand.”

Norris and his fellow technicians at Mutrux operate on complete honesty. Using the golden rule, they treat

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each vehicle as if it were their own personal property. Norris has years of mechanical expertise; he began working on engines in high school, served as a diesel mechanic in the army and then joined Mutrux after years of experience at dealerships.

Working for a family owned business is important to Norris. “Small, locally owned businesses are the faces of every community,” he says. Rather than going with a chain conglomerate, trust a small business to provide the expert repairs you need — trust the face of automotive technicians.

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At Ai Painting Plus, the commitment to providing top-notch service goes beyond delivering high-quality work. Austin Ilsley, the production manager and co-owner of Ai Painting says it’s about providing an outstanding customer experience from start to finish

“From the firstconsultation to the finalwalkthrough, we prioritize clear and consistent communication, ensuring our clients feel informed and valued every step of the way,” he says.

Ever since his firstpainting job, he has been driven by a passion to raise industry standards, making it the

foundation of his business model. “My dedication to providing clients with the best service they've ever received is what inspired me to build Ai Painting Plus into what it is today,” he says.

To prioritize the customer experience, Ilsley says Ai Painting is dedicated to maintaining an unwavering commitment to training and development, ensuring that every team member embodies the culture the Ilsley duo has built. “Their success is a direct reflection of the culture we've built —one that values excellence, integrity and continuous improvement.”

For over eight years, New Beginnings Construction & Remodeling has served the mid-Missouri area by providing customers with high-quality, long-lasting results. For owner Nathan Goen, construction is something he has always been good at. “I'm passionate about it,” he says. “It's very rewarding, transforming people's spaces or homes into exactly what they want or need.”

New Beginnings started with Goen and his wife working together on evenings and weekends to build their customer list and reputation, doing side jobs while working full time. Now, it has grown to have several

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employees and partners as the premier remodeling company in Columbia. “We have always had the resources to handle any remodeling project, no matter the size,” he says. “We also keep on top of current trends and designs and listen to feedback.”

For Goen, the goal is to continue expanding, providing good-paying jobs and much-needed services to midMissouri residents. “We really hope to continue to serve and help even more people in our community,” he says. “It's quite rewarding to drive through town and see where we have worked or built.”

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Jordan and Chance Mertgen, the founders of United Care Transport, care deeply about their clients and the community, saying they are proud to be “serving the community and meeting the needs of our client base.” The duo believes that being the face of medical transportation goes beyond serving the community—it means prioritizing patient care, ensuring reliability and maintaining the highest standards of safety for everyone.

“UCT has demonstrated unwavering dedication to serving our communities through significant vehicle and service area expansion,” Jordan says.

UCT’s commitment to providing reliable and accessible medical transportation continues to grow.

The goal is for the team to meet the diverse needs of our clients with excellence and compassion. Over the past year, UCT has added three wheelchair-accessible vans and four ambulatory vehicles to the fleet.

“These additions enhance our ability to offer safe and comfortable transportation options for individuals with varying mobility needs. Our expanded fleet underscores our promise to deliver top-notch service to every client, regardless of their physical requirements,” Jordan says.

Along with an expanding fleet, UCT has also expanded its serving areas, now encompassing Sedalia, Boonville, Columbia and Jefferson City. “This expansion

allows us to reach more communities and provide timely, efficient transportation services to a broader population,” Jordan says. “Our strategic placement in these key locations ensures that we are always within reach, ready to assist those in need.”

And there are no plans of slowing down. “We are excited to continue our journey, expanding our reach and enhancing our services to better support the health and well-being of those we serve,” Jordan says.

“We are proud of the strides we have made and remain committed to pushing boundaries and setting new benchmarks in the medical transportation industry.”

In addition to serving the community, UCT strengthens its impact by building partnerships with local organizations, further deepening its community connections. “In 2024, UCT established service agreements with 11 new healthcare teams and organizations,” Jordan says. “These partnerships have been instrumental in enhancing our service delivery and ensuring seamless coordination for our clients.”

With a steadfast commitment to growth, innovation, and compassionate care, United Care Transport remains dedicated to redefiningmedical transportation—one safe, reliable ride at a time.

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When someone needs roadside assistance, it can often be a scary moment. The Doug Perry Towing team strives to turn a negative situation into a positive one.

“I truly love being able to provide help to those in need. It's always a stressful situation when you have to call us, I take pride in making it as painless as possible,” says Laura Scott, the office manager for DPT.

Scott, who has been with the company for 11 years now, says she feels lucky to keep her family legacy going. “My dad started this company in 1980, I am so proud to be a part of what is now the third generation

to own it,” she says.

She has gone from watching the business get its boots on the ground, to seeing it develop to support the growing community. “The technology and equipment that our company has implemented over the last few years has profoundly impacted the success of our business,” Scott says.

Her only wish is that her father could see her now. “I wish my dad was here to see what this business has become today! Success comes easy when you know how to take care of people!”

With summer just around the corner, you want your lawn in tip-top shape. Taking care of our lawns keeps Columbia looking fresh, so go with a local landscaping company who’s dedicated to making our community beautiful. CIM Exteriors wants to take your outdoor space from the idea stage all the way to the finalproduct.

As an all in one exteriors company, CIM provides design, installation, hardscaping, sod installation and so much more.

Founder Bryce Clark began the business with a single truck and no equipment. Now, CIM Exteriors has

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expanded to a large, fully equipped crew that is wellprepared to make your landscaping goals a reality. CIM Exteriors not only perfects each client’s outdoor space, but fits our lawn to your unique goals.

Instead of corporate chains that may offer cookiecutter solutions to your landscaping needs, CIM Exteriors understands each client’s vision and customizes a plan for you. Whether you’re requesting the patio of your dreams or installing greenery, Clark and his crew will get you there. Prepare for summertime with CIM Exteriors, the trusted face of landscaping with roots in the community.

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THE FACE OF HEALTHY SMILES CLARITY

DENTAL

The experts at Clarity Dental know a healthy smile looking back at you in the mirror can instill confidence and boost self-esteem. Feeling confident in your smile can make the difference between wanting to put yourself out there or staying in your comfort zone.

The Clarity Dental team, including Sabrina Ealy, clinic manager and dental hygienist; Dr. Aleena Hilger, dentist; and Dr. Matthew Buswell, dentist, are committed to helping Columbia achieve healthy smiles with patient-centered , affordable and accessible care.

"Even though we focus on oral health, our team keeps whole-person care front of mind. We know how powerful a healthy, pain-free smile can be," Ealy says.

Poor oral health can impact a person's eating, speech and self-esteem, which can lead to reduced social interaction. Clarity Dental is here for the whole family, offering simple and deep cleanings, preventive exams, oral home care products and recommendations plus dentures, partials and crowns. When dental care is neglected, seeking care can be demotivating or embarrassing. The Clarity Dental team encourages patients to forget about stigma and seek treatment, as oral care is as important as taking care of any other part

of your body.

"Dental hygiene goes past your teeth. The mouth is the gateway to your well-being. The bacteria in your mouth can be traced to other parts of your body, including your brain, bloodstream and heart, to name a few," Ealy says.

Clarity Dental encourages forming positive dental habits and associations early. The clinic sees patients of any age, including infants. The team recommends children start early or when they get their firsttooth to review good brushing habits, cavity prevention and building trust with a dentist.

"We love seeing kids in the clinic so they can start their care early. It makes a huge difference in the health of their teeth and the likelihood of them developing healthy dental habits," Ealy says.

Clarity Dental's modern, comfortable and familyfriendly clinic is open to everyone in the Columbia community. The clinic accepts Medicaid for adults and children as well as self-pay patients. An incomebased sliding fee scale is available for those who need it.

Qualifying low-income patients can receive exams for as low as $50 and extractions as low as $30 per tooth.

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For entrepreneurship in Columbia, Nic and Brooke Parks are what you would call a power couple. Brooke is the CEO of The Pinball Company, while Nic is the CEO of Parks Amusements. You may know Parks Amusements as the driving force behind Lakeside Ashland, Silverball, and Level Up Entertainment — the Parks are involved in many industries of entertainment; they bring the best every time.

Arcade fans can bring the fun home by checking out The Pinball Company’s extensive stock of machines, including rare classic editions that have been carefully refurbished. The Pinball Company sells games directly to homes across the country under the expert business prowess of CEO Brooke Parks. “The entertainment industry is always changing,” Parks says. “We are proud to have been able to adjust to the changes and stay in business for nearly 20 years.”

Brooke and Nic work as partners in business and in life as two married serial entrepreneurs. They met at the University of Missouri while receiving their MBAs, and now manage several businesses all while still making time for their children and enjoying everything Columbia has to offer. And for the town they love so much, the Parkses hope

to up the ante on entertainment. “We hope to play a role in bringing more attractions to Columbia, including an ice rink, children’s museum, event center, ferris wheel, etc.” Parks says. Profitsfrom their businesses are invested in ventures for the entire community to enjoy.

At Parks Amusements, Parks aims to employ students from MU to inspire young people towards a prosperous career in business. Nic Parks is currently an adjunct professor at the university, educating aspiring entrepreneurs with the vast business knowledge he shares with his wife, Brooke. “Columbia has a lot of entrepreneurial spirit and the university provides access to young talent,” Parks says.

If you’re enjoying the new 700 foot long zipline at Lakeside Ashland, gaming away at Silverball, bowling at Level Up, in need of an at-home pinball machine or enjoying a great meal at Shiloh’s, Nic and Brooke are to thank. This dynamic duo has been bringing fun and games to Columbia since 2008, using savvy business practice and expertise to truly make them the faces of entrepreneurship. Nic and Brooke work hard and play hard, and are eager to keep bringing the entertainment.

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Ellen Woltjen, PE, a Project Engineer on McClure’s Water team, pursued her passion for sustainability after earning a degree in bioengineering with an emphasis in the environmental field. She is proud to be part of a team at McClure that shares her commitment to keeping Columbia sustainable by protecting Missouri’s natural resources.

Since joining McClure, Woltjen has earned her Professional Engineer license and has designed projects that have a positive impact on the community. “McClure has a vision of making lives better,” Woltjen says. “My team members and I are always looking for ways we can enhance the communities we serve.”

Water quality is essential to our health and environment. As Columbia’s population continues to grow, McClure is focused on developing sustainable, cost-effective and healthy water system solutions. Woltjen and her team are your trusted water resource recovery experts, ensuring that our water is always treated properly and communities are protected.

McClure partners with clients to explore their options, navigate regulations, and deliver high-quality solutions. With a dedication to building relationships for success and making lives better, McClure continues to be a reliable and forward-thinking leader in civil engineering.

THE FACE OF PEDIATRICS

MU HEALTH CARE’S CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

For Dr. Laura Hesemann, medicine was an easy choice. A pediatric nephrologist and chief medical officer for MU Health Care’s Children’s Hospital and chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Hesemann says she loves what she does. “In my work as a leader at MU Health Care, I get to focus every day on helping our teams do their best work to take care of kids,” she says. “We focus on getting better every day, so every child who comes to our hospital or clinics has the best care in a kidfriendly environment.”

For Hesemann, caring for patients with kidney

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diseases means she walks side by side with patients and families. “Kids are incredible,” she says. “They are resilient, loving and fun.”

The new Children’s Hospital opened in May 2024, but pediatric care is more than a new space. “It's all about the people inside,” she says. “They work hard every day with the common goal of improving the health of kids in Missouri.”

When she’s not helping families at the hospital, Hesemann can be found spending time with her husband and three daughters.

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Doctors of Dental Surgery at ProDental Ryan Wymore and Vincent Atsitty were both determined to get into the business of dental work. Wymore grew up in the industry, while Atsitty knew the customer service aspect was the driving factor. “I have always liked working with my hands. My father was a dentist, and he always said I have good hand skills and a mechanical mind I have always enjoyed how things come together,” Wymore says. “I come from a lower income community that did not have access to dentistry and want to be able to get people out of pain and back into everyday life,” Atsitty says.

Now, it’s all about making people of all ages feel their very best, no matter what work needs to be done. “We provide a variety of services to people of all ages, and do any procedures from crowns and dentures, to implants and Invisalign,” Wymore says. Atsitty agrees saying it’s all about, “being able to provide a dental home to for a family regardless of their age.”

ProDental has expanded as time has gone on, introducing new machinery to enhance patient care.

“Our office has grown over the years by having access to the latest technology, and access to fantastic courses

to implement a variety of procedures. I am really proud of the team we have built here and are in a position to provide A+ patient care for our community,” the pair states.

One of the things ProDental prides itself on to enrich patient care is the acceptance variety of insurance.

“We accept a variety of insurance plans that our local businesses offer. Access to patient care has become an issue in today’s world and we try our best to provide patients with options with a provider in their network,” Wymore says.

The goal is to keep serving and providing Columbia with remarkable care as the years go on. “We hope to continue to serve the community and learn the latest procedures to further serve our community by providing exceptional care,” Wymore says.

Both Wymore and Atsitty have a mission of caring deeply for every patient who walks through the door.

“My mission is to take care of my patients the way I would like to be cared for while providing the best dentistry I can offer,” Wymore says. “My mission in dentistry is to bring people into good oral health through respect, kindness and compassion.”

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For 38 years, State Farm Agent Phyllis Nichols has been working to ensure her clients feel comfortable and supported when disaster strikes. “No matter the topic they trust that we are here to help them with unexpected circumstances of life,” Nichols says.

One of those unexpected events is the severe storms and winds that accompany spring. Nichols says to make sure you have an emergency kit on hand, clean out your gutters, keep dead or weak tree branches trimmed, inspect your roof for loose or missing shingles, make sure

your sump pump is working well, get impact-resistant windows or storm shutters, review your homeowner’s policy and have a plan if you need to evacuate. “I hope we can carry on our good neighbor ways by educating folks in various realms of insurance needs and making sure that they are ready to face the future,” Nichols says. If you are looking for an agency that cares about you and your family, Nichols would love the opportunity to work with you.

Whether you’re throwing a large party or hoping to impress a smaller gathering of guests, local catering is a great way to showcase the unique flvors of Columbia. However it’s important to go with a trustworthy option.

Sara Fougere, owner of Sara Fougere Catering, is not only the face of catering, but the face of her company as well.

“I love food. I love feeding people, the process of acquiring the best ingredients, cooking new things, trying different techniques, and following food trends,” Fougere says. “My business is me. It carries my name and

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reputation and is how I am known in the community.”

As someone with a deep passion for sharing food and building creative menus for each client, Fougere is a master of the catering art.

“Food has always been my passion, and there is nothing I enjoy more than sharing my creations with others,” Fougere says.

Try a taste of homemade, handcrafted catering with the trusted, locally-rooted service from Sara Fougere Catering.

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RESTORATION CHIROPRACTIC

Helping people reach their full health potential is the reason Restoration Chiropractic’s Owner and Chiropractor, Dr. Taylor Sirois, alongside his wife Leah Sirois, got into the business of chiropractic care. “I grew up in chiropractic as the son and grandson of chiropractors. I experienced the difference in my health and the health of my family compared to what was considered normal, with the benefit of chiopractic care,” Dr. Taylor says.

As the Face of Family Chiropractic Care, Restoration Chiropractic provides care for people of all ages, from infants to seniors. They show their commitment to supporting families through every stage of life. Whether that’s a new baby that could have small cervical misalignments from the womb or birth, children who are misaligned from a fall, pregnant mothers who are experiencing major changes to their bodies, or someone in their golden years looking to maintain a healthy spine. “No matter the phase of life, we are passionate about walking alongside those in our community who want to live their healthiest life,” Leah Sirois says.

Not only does Restoration Chiropractic focus on hands-on care, but also education for families about spinal health and lifestyle choices. By building strong patient relationships, creating personalized treatment plans, and achieving meaningful health outcomes for families, they exemplify the qualities that definea true leader in

family chiropractic care.

Under Dr. Taylor Sirois’s leadership, Restoration Chiropractic has experienced immense growth since the beginning, including expanding the doctors and team to have a broader impact in the community. Their commitment to providing gentle, neurologically based chiropractic care for individuals of all ages has been recognized by the community, earning them the title of Best Chiropractic Office in Columbia for three consecutive years. As Restoration Chiropractic continues to grow, it has integrated advanced therapies like SoftWave Tissue Regeneration Therapy, a non-invasive treatment designed to accelerate healing and reduce pain. “By continually adopting new technologies and expanding our range of services, Restoration Chiropractic strives to reach and positively impact more individuals and families in the community, aligning with our mission to promote holistic health and wellness,”

Dr. Taylor Sirois says.

Along with serving the health of the Columbia community, Taylor and Leah Sirois also enjoy spending time with their family and enjoying all of what Columbia has to offer. Dr. Taylor expresses, “We value building a strong sense of community that strengthens our relationships and our commitment to serving all of Columbia’s chiropractic care needs.”

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For over two decades, the team at Arbor Fertility™ has been supporting the families of Columbia and MidMissouri in their dream of becoming parents. Founded by Shvetha Zarek, M.D., FACOG, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, the mission of Arbor Fertility is to provide the best affordability in the region with continued excellence in patient care and success.

A Castle Connolly, Best of Missouri Life Top Doctor and former Director of IVF at MU Reproductive Health and Fertility Center, Dr. Zarek founded Arbor Fertility™ to provide a pathway to have a substantial

impact in decreasing the cost of fertility care to promote accessibility.

Arbor Fertility™ was established on the belief that high-quality care does not have to come with highlevel intervention and high cost. Dr. Zarek says she is most proud of the clinic’s growth and the strength of the patients. “Our patients trust us with one of the most important journeys of their lives, and seeing their resilience and joy when they finaly hold their child is the greatest reward,” she says. “None of this would be possible without our team's unwavering commitment.”

Banking is more than just handling money — it’s about building trust, fostering relationships and empowering financialgrowth. Scott Nelson, First Midwest Bank vice president, has been with the company for over 12 years. He enjoys helping people and being around people.

“Banking is a great way to do just that,” he says.

First Midwest Bank has deep roots in Missouri, helping local communities thrive since 1964. The company came to Columbia 15 years ago. “We have now grown to two locations with a great staff and facilties,” Nelson says.

2025 FACES OF COLUMBIA

Columbia is the perfect location for Nelson to continue his career in helping people through their banking needs.

“Columbia feels like a big small town, which really reminds me of my roots,” he says. “The people are very friendly and I look forward to seeing the continued growth of Como.”

Beyond his role as vice president, Nelson enjoys spending time with his family. “Both of my daughters live in Columbia and I have a 4-year-old grandson,” he says. “My wife and I also enjoy hiking, biking and our church activities.”

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PROVIDENCE COUNSELING CENTER

Starting counseling can be a major step forward in one’s life. When you begin this process, findinga therapist you can trust may seem daunting. It’s important to evaluate where you are mentally in the present moment, as well as where you hope to be in the future to help you fin the right group of clinicians to work with.

Since 2017, Providence Counseling Center has had the honor of providing therapy to their clients and helping them take steps towards achieving their mental health goals. Melynda Larkin opened Providence Counseling Center eight years ago and this year she welcomed Rebecca Wallace as a partner. PCC has a focus on providing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, along with other modalities, such as Person-Centered, Existential and Narrative Therapy. PCC prides itself on being among a growing number of successful counseling practices in Columbia.

The team of clinicians at PCC is committed to building strong, dynamic relationships with each client that allows them to make positive steps toward their goals. The staffworks to help potential clients findthe therapist that is the best fit for their needs. The clinicians at PCC primarily focus on individual therapy. Each clinician specializes in different

areas and age ranges, and focuses on creating an atmosphere that feels safe and empathetic to allow clients to reach their fullest potential.

PCC wants to grow the services offered to the Columbia community. In late 2023, PCC was able to welcome a full-time psychologist who provides adult ADHD and diagnostic testing at the clinic. The team at PCC is hopeful to continue to support mental health by working with provisionally licensed clinicians, helping the field grow.

Larkin and Wallace strive to keep the clinic warm and welcoming for both clients and clinicians. Both have felt the support and commitment the community has for mental health during their time working at Columbia Public Schools, as well as in the therapeutic setting. Melynda, Rebecca and the rest of the team are proud to be a part of the Columbia community and are excited to see what the future brings.

Providence Counseling Center continues to be a place where people have the opportunity to grow. While starting therapy may be an intimidating step, it is just that: a step. Choosing to begin counseling can feel safe when you are working with a trustworthy team like Providence Counseling Center.

Navigate Wellness began as a company of two that grew into a place that offers on demand services such as concierge nursing, care management, mobility services, end of life care and more on demand. Owners Ryan Hopper and Janie Bailey, along with Practice Manager John McNeeley are grateful for the growth that allows them to provide excellent aid to Columbia’s most vulnerable and those who care for them. Navigate Wellness has a mission of helping people safely age in place and at home. They bring assisted living and nursing to their clients while preventing unnecessary utilization of other facilities. They achieve this by growing rapidly to offer the best care possible that can fill the gaps eft in the healthcare system.

“We fell in love with caring for people,” Hopper says. “As we became experts in our fields, we grew to understand the strengths and limitations of the healthcare system… our job is fillingin the gaps and educating people on what they need and how they can find t.”

The team at Navigate Wellness have rich histories with health care, giving them the knowledge to address each client’s needs directly. Navigate Wellness humanizes healthcare by helping their clients navigate the aging process. Nursing homes and systematic care are not your only options. Navigate Wellness promises transparency and companionship through this difficult part of their clients’ lives.

Navigate Wellness has expanded tremendously, doubling in size each year as they accumulate more healthcare advocates and experts on their team. These are individuals with vast experience in local senior living establishments, ICU, hospice, the ER and health care. With this experience, the team takes on a direct education role with their consulting and care.

“As we continue to grow, we will continue to stay true to our mission: changing the way people age,” Hopper says. “We are streamlining and changing the way people have access to health care; wherever our clients are, (we’re) not limited by working hours. We will continue to add the best health care workers who are tired of being limited in their care.”

Making a plan for an aging family member is daunting. It may feel as if a living facility is the only option, but Navigate Wellness takes an individualized approach to each situation by informing their clients of each available option. When you’re choosing how to best assist an aging loved one, it’s vital to go with a trustworthy organization that has a genuine passion for making the aging process safe and comfortable for everyone. Navigate Wellness aims to provide clarity in these difficult times, along with top of the line care. If you’re seeking concierge healthcare, a mobile infusion option or something specified for your loved one, go with the trusted face of the industry.

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2025 FACES OF COLUMBIA

At Reclaim Chiropractic, their impressive team of doctors are united under the common goal of expanding holistic health for women. Reclaim can treat any individual of any age, but has a focus on female patients throughout various stages of life, whether it be pregnancy, postpartum or aging. Doctors Kelli Winarski and Alisha Squires, along with Raven Curd, office manager, have a deep understanding of the unique challenges women face through life.

“We know what it's like to put ourselves last and what it takes to reclaim our health, our energy and our joy,” Winarksi says. “Our passion is helping women reconnect with movement, nourishing food and mental wellness — not just to survive, but to truly love life again. We care for men too, but walking alongside women as they rediscover their strength? That's our calling.”

Reclaim honors a family model and offers care to any client, but emphasizes that women cannot be limited to the conventional medical model. They need care that leaves them empowered and informed.

Reclaim values extending care to the community, doing so by growing rapidly to include additional wellness services. They aim to treat the whole person, not just the symptoms. This goes beyond the four walls of the clinic. Reclaim stays connected to the community

with their Inner Circle and ongoing outreach. They partner with local food and wellness businesses monthly to discuss expanding wellness and to learn something new about the industry.

“We’re simply responding to what people already know,” Squires says. “True wellness makes sense and we’re here to make it more accessible than ever.”

If you’re experiencing pain, whether it be headaches, digestive disorders or need relief during your pregnancy or postpartum, go with the business that prioritizes the needs of women. Reclaim offers healing that lasts beyond the typical band-aid solutions for menstrual pain, arthritis, back pain and more. Just a few of the benefitsreported from satisfied clients are improved sleep, more energy and better motion.

“We believe that motherhood and womanhood don't have to compete,” Curd says. “You can nurture your family and yourself, and we're here to help you do both beautifully.”

The team at Reclaim Chiropractic say it heals them from the epidemic of always putting themselves last. Chiropractic and natural health give women the path to live intentionally. It’s in the name — reclaim your health by conquering pain at Reclaim Chiropractic, the face of women’s health care.

2025 FACES OF COLUMBIA

Having a vein condition his entire adult life, Missouri Vein Care founder Dr. Michael Ryan truly understands what his patients are going through. “I know all of the pain, misery and fatigue associated with it,” he says. When new technology emerged to treat vein conditions, Dr. Ryan recognized its life-changing potential.

His personal connection to this field sets Dr. Ryan apart from other specialists in Columbia. “The benefits I saw from vein treatment were powerful enough for me to change careers and open Missouri Vein Care,” he says.

Dr. Ryan and his team participate in local health fairs and offers in-office screenings for local businesses. “We hope to continue to improve the quality of lives of residents for many years to come,” he says.

The office began as a one-location practice 20 years ago, but has expanded to three patient-focused locations, serving all of central Missouri. “We are grateful for the support Columbia has given us, and can't wait to see what the next 20 years have in store for us,” Dr. Ryan says.

For 25 years, Garrett Painting has been a trusted provider of painting services in Columbia. Founded by Shane Garrett, the company was established to enhance customer service and deliver high-quality finishes

“We recognized a lack of professionalism in the painting industry in Columbia and knew we could fillthat gap,” Garrett says. “Our goal was to create exceptional customer service while helping our team members grow and develop.”

Specializing in cabinet refinishingand a range of painting services, Garrett Painting integrates both traditional and modern techniques to ensure durable

2025 FACES OF COLUMBIA

and aesthetically pleasing results. “We have been applying high-quality finishesof all types for decades and our commitment to quality and innovation continues to grow,” Garrett says.

In addition to its services, the company actively participates in community initiatives, including partnerships with organizations like Wilson’s Fitness for a Cure. “We ARE the local community!” Garrett says.

Looking ahead, Garrett Painting aims to continue providing top-quality services. “We want to continue offering high-quality finishesand exceptional customer service for another 25 years,” Garrett says

THE FACE OF

2025 FACES OF COLUMBIA

DENTISTRY BY DESIGN

Being the face of dentistry doesn’t just mean having straight teeth and a bright smile — it’s about guiding the community toward better dental hygiene and preventing dental issues. As the new owners of Dentistry By Design, husband-and-wife duo Dr. Kayla White and Dr. Houston Rash say they “love being able to have such a profound impact on a person by improving their oral health.”

As a well-established family dental practice, Dentistry By Design offers both dental and cosmetic services, including regular cleanings, same-day crowns, implants, teeth whitening, Invisalign and more. This allows them to meet the needs of patients of all ages, whether it’s routine care or treating more complex dental concerns.

According to the website, Dentistry By Design “promises to take the time to listen to your dental concerns and provide high-quality advanced dental care with the best materials in a comfortable environment.”

Dr. White and Dr. Rash aim to provide comprehensive dental care in a pleasant and welcoming environment. Dr. White and Dr. Rash both took over the practice in December last year. “Currently, we are seeing new patients as well as same-day emergency appointments,” Dr. White says. “We have also recently incorporated new technology into our office, which has allowed us to work more efficiently and provide state-of-the-art technology to the community, including same-day porcelain crowns.”

Both Dr. White and Dr. Rash grew up in Columbia and attended the University of Missouri and the Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health. Because of their ties here, they are passionate about supporting the city in any way they can. “We are excited to give back to the community we grew up in,” Dr. White says. “We are actively staying involved and connected by being members of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce as well as donating to various schools and charities within the community.”

The team at Dentistry By Design aims to grow the practice and provide comprehensive dental care to Columbia residents. “Our goal is to create an environment that fosters patient comfort and trust as core values,” Dr. Rash says. “Everyone should have access to dental care, and our goal is to fulfill that in the comunity.”

When they’re not working, Dr. White and Dr. Rash enjoy spending time with friends and family, visiting local spots in Columbia, biking the MKT Trail, playing pickleball, and cheering on the Mizzou Tigers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Combining their expertise and compassionate approach, they continue to make positive impacts on their patients’ lives. “We look forward to growing this practice and continuing to serve Columbia and the surrounding areas,” Dr. White says.

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A trusted family in mid-Missouri real estate spanning two generations, the Arey brokerage is proud to celebrate its evolution from “Tracy Arey Real Estate” to “Arey Real Estate.” In 1989, Tracy Arey entered the real estate industry, beginning his career on a path that would include real estate, construction and development. Eventually, his wife, Beth, and their son, Bennett, joined the family brokerage. Today Arey Real Estate continues to operate with the same founding principles: loyalty, responsiveness and professionalism. With over 25 years of experience, Beth Arey has navigated nearly every real estate scenario, with her primary focus on taking care of her clients. Prior to working in real estate, Beth was a teacher in Columbia and found herself ingrained within the community. She fell in love with our special city and the families that reside here. Beth has always been a fierce advocate and firmy believes in going the extra mile for her clients. Together, Beth and Tracy have four children and fivegrandchildren. Outside of real estate, Beth is an avid golfer, a voracious reader, a Chiefs fan and loves

spending time with friends.

Born and raised in Columbia, Bennett Arey was always a True Son, long before his days at the Univesity of Missouri. Bennett quickly realized how much he enjoyed helping those around him — whether relocating to Columbia, findingthe house in which to raise your family or navigating opportunities with investors. Bennett prides himself on placing buyers in homes he would be proud to sell for them one day; he feels that he “wins” when his clients win. Married to his high school sweetheart, Alexis, they live in Columbia with their two daughters. Outside of life as a dad and realtor, Bennett enjoys hanging out with friends, fishing,hunting and enjoying local restaurants.

Arey Real Estate specializes in the mid-Missouri market, working with buyers and sellers, specifically those who are new to the area or looking to take the next step in homeownership by building their own home. Learn more about Arey Real Estate and download their free Buyer’s Guide by visiting areyrealestate.com or @sellingcomo on Instagram.

After noticing a gap in the market for sandblasting and surface preparation, along with powder coating and painting, Eran Eaton, the owner of ShowMe Mobile Blasting, knew he had the perfect plan to benefit the community. “After speaking with industries and people who would benefit from what I could do, I made the decision and haven't looked back,” Eaton says.

This small business focused on family has grown in the last fiveyears, traveling all over the country to serve clients. “We have traveled to Georgia, West Virginia,

Louisiana and about all in between,” Eaton says.

While the goal is to continue to grow, Eaton says keeping the customers at the forefront will always be the focus. “Customer service I feel has been a great contributing factor. I want to be a one-stop shop from drop offto pick up,” Eaton says. “The local businesses and individual people who have used our services and continue to call for further services, I am truly thankful and look forward to continuing their needs.”

THE FACE OF FINANCIAL PLANNING

Five years ago, Jordan Nietzel saw a vacancy in Columbia for families who wanted real financialadvice, not a sales pitch. “I found most advisors are focused on selling products that earn themselves high commissions or solely managing investments, rather than practically answering the most pressing questions people have around money,” he says.

“Not seeing a solution I'd want to use myself, I knew I had to start Trek Wealth Planning.”

Nietzel is a born-and-raised Columbia native, so he aims to help the community and see it thrive. “I want to

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make personalized financialplanning more accessible, so more people have the tools and knowledge to thrive financialy,” he says. “As more families in our community achieve financialstability, we can create a ripple effect where generosity and investment strengthen the entire community.”

Nietzel is a Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Financial Analyst – a rare combination that distinguishes him from most advisors. “I have a legal obligation to put my clients’ interests ahead of my own,” he says. “In an industry ripe with hidden fees, I value transparency.”

THE LADDER REPORT

Look Who’s Moving Up In Business

JENNIFER JOHNSON was announced as BOONE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY’s fist director of philanthropy on March 12. In this role, Johnson will diversify funding sources, build new relationships and expand on existing ones. She will raise philanthropic support for the Society’s mission to connect the community with our city’s rich history. Johnson has lengthy experience with nonprofit ork and community efforts.

HEART OF MISSOURI UNITED WAY’s new CEO and President TALIA JACKSON began March 3. She has more than 20 years of experience in engineering, telecommunications and construction leadership. She will guide the dedicated team at United Way toward further achievements in education, health and advocacy.

The BOONE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY’s Board of Directors and Endowment Trust Board has welcomed six new leaders.

MIKEL FIELDS is a luxury real estate agent with a decade of marketing experience.

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF MID-MISSOURI welcomed three new members to its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors at the Ronald McDonald House helps the organization meet the goal of providing routine, tranquil care to families of young patients by offering meals, laundry service and comfortable housing near the University Hospital. The Board of Directors now includes: BRANDY VEATCH, philanthropist and wife of Mizzou Athletics Director Laird Veatch, KYLE CARROLL, senior business development manager at MFA Oil and JOHN STATES, associate of Little Dixie Construction.

JOY BESS is the K-12 social studies curriculum coordinator for Columbia Public Schools. Prior to this, she was a teacher at Lange and Gentry Middle Schools. TARA COX has experience working with the city of Columbia and the University of Missouri, both in human resources. She also has spearheaded decades of genealogical research. GARY SMITH, PH.D. served as director of admissions and registrar for the University of Missouri and is a former BCHS board president.

The Endowment Trust Board includes LEE RUSSELL, former administrator at MU Healthcare and CEO of the Columbia Board of Realtors. She also served as a trauma nurse, vice president of finane for Atlantis Airlines and director of Briarwood Psychiatric Hospital. KEITH WHITNEY is a vice president of banking at Simmons Bank and oversees the committee for Simmons Bank’s Partner in Education with Blue Ridge Elementary School.

CITY OF COLUMBIA hired PAUL EISENSTEIN as the new economic development director and REDI president. Eisenstein previously worked with the Missouri Department of Economic Development for eight years, amassing various leadership roles. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Missouri, a master’s degree in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis and a bachelor’s degree in urban affairs from Saint Louis University.

STEPHENS SWITCH-UP

Shannon Lundeen is Coming into Her Own.

BY JACK WAX | PHOTOS BY L.G. PATTERSON

Shannon Lundeen is on her way to Columbia from Denver, leaving behind mountains and familiar ski slopes for the plains and rolling hills of Missouri. Lundeen will be beginning a new phase of an impactful career in higher education and her family will be beginning a new adventure in a small town they will eventually call home. A moving van will transport the family’s furniture and possessions, but it’s the intangible things that Lundeen carries

president of Stephens College. Lundeen will be living in Columbia as part of an extended family, which includes her 80-year-old mother, Judy, who will continue her grandmothering responsibilities with Lundeen’s two youngest sons, ages 14 and 7. Her partner, John Bauder, will resume his career in the field of climae change remediation after helping settle everyone into their new life. Lundeen’s oldest son, age 17, is returning to Colorado in the fall to live with family

An important part of the legacy that I'd like to leave behind is to ensure that Stephens is included in national conversations about distinctive higher education environments.

Shannon Lundeen

with her that will be just as necessary — she’ll be taking with her all the experience, skills and personal attributes she’s developed over nearly 20 years in higher education academic affairs. She’ll need and use every bit of what she brings as she assumes her new role as the 25th

friends while finishing his senior ear of high school in the International Baccalaureate Diploma program. When speaking about her family, Lundeen is open and casual, personable, not stuff. Nothing about her — from her faux mohawk hairstyle to her experience

as a woman in the academic universe — fits the sereotypical image of college presidents, most of whom are men and a decade or so older. At 48 years old, Lundeen presents herself with the confident, crisp syle of someone who is prepared to shape the future of the nation’s second-oldest women’s college.

Lundeen will succeed current Stephens President Dianne Lynch, who retires after 16 years at the end of this academic year. Among the milestones of Lynch’s tenure are the doubling of the college’s endowment fund due to a $2.5 million annual gift and an increase in enrollment this past year of 60% — a response to the broader range of educational programs she ushered in.

Although friends and colleagues describe Lundeen as a dreamer with a bold vision, she looks to the challenges ahead realistically. “Ensuring the future financial viabiliy of the institution, which means ensuring it is financially stable and sustainable, is going to be key to its success,” she says. Building on the foundation of her predecessors, she wants to continue “fund- and friend-raising, strategic enrollment management and innovative partnerships.” Raising the institution’s visibility is also a priority of hers. “An important part of the legacy

that I'd like to leave behind is to ensure that Stephens is included in national conversations about distinctive higher education environments,” she says. “The college is actually a pioneer in thinking through how a women's college can change and expand to meet the evolving needs of our students.”

If anyone is already in a position to motivate college-age women and build a supportive and challenging environment in the classroom and on campus, that would be Lundeen. Her career path makes her position at Stephens seem inevitable, which is exactly what Stephens student Kate Stevens felt when she fist met Lundeen during a Zoom interview. Stevens, who is president of the Stephens student body government, was included on the search committee for the new president. “After hearing Dr. Lundeen, it was difficulto sit through the other interviews because I was just so excited for the future of Stephens,” she said. “It takes a very specific ype of person who can come here and who will become part of the Stephens community. I almost cried, realizing what she would do for the future of the college.”

Lundeen inspires enthusiasm in Stephens faculty as well as in students.

Sara Linde-Patel, associate professor and program coordinator of Stephens’ equestrian studies, met Lundeen during her campus visit in March. “Her dynamic energy and her passion for student success impressed me,” Linde-Patel says. “She puts students at the heart of all of her decisions, and I was reassured that she prioritizes not just academic rigor but the students’ well-being.”

Linde-Patel’s impressions pinpoint two major aspects of Lundeen’s approach to her profession — her academic rigor and her concern for the development of students. Lundeen started expressing those deep roots early on in her life. She was raised in Chicago, where she attended a Catholic school, although her family was not Catholic. She says that she absorbed the Jesuit commitment to addressing social injustices but also couldn’t help but to be troubled by church traditions that differentiated females (who could become nuns) from males (who could become priests). After high school, she went to Colgate University, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and women’s studies. “I wanted to really understand gender discrimination and grapple with really big questions about the meaning of life,” she says.

Lundeen found part of the answer — at least in terms of finding meaning in her own life — when she taught a year of public high school in Kenosha, Wisconsin. “I just fell in love with teaching,” she says. “I saw how you could have an impact on somebody by showing them their potential and letting them know that you believed in them.”

This insight led Lundeen back to graduate school to prepare for a future in education. At Stony Brook University in New York, she earned a Ph.D. in philosophy with a graduate certificae in women’s studies. Kelly Oliver, who was her dissertation director at Stony Brook, recalls Lundeen’s academic prowess and her lightheartedness. “When you think of philosophy Ph.D.s, you might imagine the stereotype of anti-social, egg-heads stuck in their own minds or introverted Eeyores, wallowing in their own nihilism,” Oliver says. “(Lundeen) is the exact opposite; she is positive, fun-loving, outgoing, caring and committed to helping others. Even as a grad student, she was a leader, always organizing special events, including, my favorite, karaoke parties.”

As a newly minted Ph.D., Lundeen took her fist step into higher education as associate director of the Gender, Sexuality

Lundeen walks with students on campus.

and Women’s Studies Program and the Alice Paul Center for Research on Gender, Sexuality and Women at the University of Pennsylvania. While there, she taught and, for six of her eight years, lived in residence in a fist-year college house as a faculty fellow and living-learning community advisor. During those years, her two oldest sons were born. “We just loved the experience, and it gave me this

be a misconception. After Case Western, she moved to North Carolina to work at Elon University, where she served as the inaugural director of academic-residential partnerships and associate professor of philosophy. Once again, she was able to ensure that students’ experiences outside the classroom contributed to their development as individuals and scholars.

Lundeen has had a positive impact

microphones, presenting at professional conferences, so that people can hear the Stephens story from the people who are making it happen.”

Lundeen’s enthusiasm for Stephens and her new role is leavened with an awareness of the challenges facing women’s colleges. Back in the ‘60s, there were close to 300 women’s colleges in the United States; today there are

I love stories that are rooted in place and have any kind of central focus on an empowered woman or a woman who is coming into her own power.

real view of how critical all the other work that happens outside of the traditional four walls of the academic classroom is for getting students ready and able to learn,” she says.

Leaving UPenn, she accepted a position as the director of the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women at Case Western Reserve University, where she was appointed to faculty in the School of Medicine (bioethics) and College of Arts and Sciences (philosophy). Susanne Rivera, currently president of Macalester College in Minneapolis, started as a colleague of Lundeen’s at Case Western, and went on to become a longtime friend. She admires her friend’s administrative skills as well as her ability to relate to others. “Dr. Lundeen can see the big picture and attend to details in order to get things done. This is rare. She also is a powerful motivator— because of her charisma, people want to follow her lead,” she says. “People who get to know her will appreciate her authenticity, her passion and her sense of humor.”

If it seems as if Lundeen can’t possibly have packed even more academic experiences into her background to prepare for leading Stephens, that would

Shannon Lundeen

on hundreds, probably thousands, of college students while teaching and leading programs that help students become more capable, confident and knowledgeable. She added another dimension to that career in 2022, when she left life on campus and headed to Denver, the headquarters of the Higher Education Resources Center, a national organization whose mission is to prepare women and gender-diverse individuals for roles in higher education leadership and to provide them the tools to advance in their careers. As the vice president of programs and operations for HERS, she created and carried out programs impacting women in academic leadership positions throughout the nation’s colleges and universities. The HERS philosophy of bridging the gap between the world as it exists and the world as it could be is summed up on their website under the heading, “A Force for Change,” which states, “We shape and support bold leaders for an equal voice in the future of higher education.” Lundeen will be applying that same philosophy as she leads Stephens faculty. “I want to invest in the development of faculty and staff,” she says. “I want to get them in front of

fewer than 30. Stephens College is not exclusively for women; its performing arts conservatory, master’s programs and workforce development programs educate men alongside women. But for women who seek an educational environment designed to maximize their potential, a single-sex education can provide a unique mixture of challenge and support. “I think that one of the values of a women’s college is that for women in particular, those classroom spaces are designed to empower them in a setting that reduces sexist stereotypes and their negative effects,” Lundeen says.

Transitioning from her role at HERS to her position at Stephens doesn’t leave much time for Lundeen to indulge in leisure reading. In those rare moments when she puts aside professional journals or work-related reports, she likes to pick up novels, usually from local authors. “I love stories that are rooted in place and have any kind of central focus on an empowered woman or a woman who is coming into her own power,” she says. This describes her tastes in fiction, but is also a good description of where she is in her own life.

RIVERSIDE REMODEL

Cooper’s Landing Announces Plans for a New Building.

BY ZOLA HECK | PHOTO PROVIDED BY COOPER’S LANDING

Cooper’s Landing Riverside Resort & Marina has always been a crowd favorite in Central Missouri. Known for its family camping spots, dining and entertainment, great views of the Missouri River, location on the Katy Trail and so much more.

But for several years, the Owner of Cooper’s Landing, Richard King, has been patiently waiting to make improvements to the beloved facility and break ground on a new building. “After overcoming years of challenges, this announcement comes with both pride and relief,” he says. “Right after I bought Cooper’s Landing, I wanted to get this done but then it flooded an

then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.”

Since then, King says it has been a three-year battle, trying to dot the i’s and cross the t’s to get this new building off the ground, or on the ground, really.

According to a press release from Cooper’s Landing, the goal for the remodel is to “turn the trailside stop into a standout destination for campers, cyclists and paddlers, and elevate the event experience for the community of musicians, artists and vendors we host.”

In the new main building, there will be enhanced facilities and visitor amenities, including an expanded general store, a full-service bar, second-floor deck seating

new bathrooms and showers, Wi-Fi, and road and parking improvements. The plan is for the building to be flood-esistant by adding a new steel structure designed to resist lateral forces. “We’ve only scratched the surface of potential improvements and are committed to making Cooper’s Landing the best possible experience for visitors,” King says.

While the plans are now in the works, the idea is for demolition and construction to begin this fall. “We can’t wait to begin this new chapter and enjoy these improvements with this supportive community,” King says.

The Future is Now Local Leaders Address Community Needs to Create Heightened Success Down the Line.

By Zola Heck

Photos by L.G. Patterson

While Columbia is a thriving community, it is always important to discuss a vision and plan for future development. Inside Columbia Publisher Emeritus Fred Parry hosted a CEO Roundtable luncheon, catered by The Broadway Hotel Chef Jeff Guinn, with ten local leaders in

different industries in Columbia.

The group discussed the economic future of Columbia, including how to improve and support local startups and entrepreneurs, opportunities to create more partnerships between businesses and higher education institutions, how to entice the younger generation to build a life in our

community and how to put plans into action to see necessary change.

Supporting the Local Economy

The future is unknown for everyone. As much as we would like to have an idea of what it will look like, we will always be surprised. This is especially true with the Columbia community.

The future of the local economy depends on the success of local businesses. But the key is retaining those businesses in the area for the long haul. John Hall, the managing partner at Relevance, says he has run into this problem fisthand.

and it's because we've created this attractive, wonderful place to come. We just weren't prepared for all the guests that showed up.”

Nic Parks, the chief executive officer at Parks Amusements, says that as an entrepreneur himself, it’s

"We just weren't prepared for all the guests that showed up."

- Bill Costello

“One of the reasons why some of my companies aren't located here is that we did get certain support with investors, because there's not the density,” he says. So, the question is, how can Columbia be more attractive and feasible for local start-ups? “I think it's just looking at what actually makes sense to attract the right resources that accelerate these companies,” Hall says.

Senior Relationship Manager for the Bank of Missouri Bill Costello says the root of the problem is that Columbia is one step behind. “Think about how the population of Columbia has expanded over the years, the number of new people that have moved here, the type of people that have come here,” he says. “I sense that we're always playing a bit of ‘catch up’ — from an infrastructure standpoint ... from a safety standpoint ... from an entrepreneur support standpoint,

easy to get enticed by other thriving communities, especially when you see all they have to offer. “We talk about the West Coast, specificall San Diego, and my wife is always saying, ‘We could live there; they have beautiful homes, the water, there is an airport close by.’ We travel a lot and that’s an issue in Columbia: you’ve got to drive two hours either way to get on an airplane,” Parks says. One thing that Parks thinks would elevate Columbia’s economy would be improving the youth sports facilities and entertainment options to keep families spending dollars locally. “Our friends and family in Kansas City and St. Louis will say, ‘Come here because we have the zoo, the children’s hospital, this state park and that,’ but we want to be able to say, ‘Come to Columbia because we have these things in the entertainment and sports fields’” he says.

Bill Costello Bank of Missouri

Brady Dubois Boone Health

Ed Scavone Central Bank Boone County

The President and Chief Executive Officer at the Central Bank of Boone County, Ed Scavone, says the University of Missouri and the students are truly the heart of the business community.

“When you think about the university on new investments, enrollments, it has historically been the driver of all the good things and talent that have created a lot of the business activity around this community,” he says. “Just look around this table. Students came here for a reason and stayed.”

Higher Education

Generation Z is increasingly choosing to opt out of attending a traditional four-year college. But, being a college town, Columbia thrives on the students, specifically the ones wh choose to stay and live in Columbia

after graduation. So, it’s time for the community to find ays to retain this generation and the ones to follow. But the question is: how?

The President and Chief Executive Officer of the Missouri Community College Association, Brian Millner, says he has seen the tide shift on higher education. “I have witnessed a very substantial change in higher education and the expectations of the value proposition, and I think that is a real piece of what this community is going to have to address,” he says.

“I think there are a lot more people questioning whether a degree is necessary.” Millner thinks it’s about creating opportunities for students to live, study and work in the community so they have a life set up for them after graduation. “We could create an earn-while-you-learn-type model, so you're getting whatever certificae or

John Hall Relevance

degree is necessary along the way,” he says. “We've got all these wonderful amenities ... a safe place to live and the business community is sustaining jobs and opportunities for people while they get a degree.”

Brady Dubois, president and chief executive officer of Boone Health,

you succeed,” he says. “You do your part; we're going to do our part, and together, we're going to have a great organization, you're going to have a great environment to work in and you will learn a lot from one of the best hospitals in the nation.”

Columbia Police Department Chief

"We've got, you know, all these wonderful amenities, a safe place to live, and the business community is sustaining jobs and opportunities for people while they get a degree.”

- Brian Millner

says his team is already providing opportunities like that for students. But the problem is, they can’t seem to fill the slots. “e've got private partnerships with Stephens College, where we have a joint nursing program where we facilitated their learning lab,” he says. “The challenge is, even with those opportunities, the talent pool of folks applying to access those were about 60%. So today, we've got 40% of our student positions vacant.”

Dubois says it’s becoming much more difficulto find had-working candidates. “I mean, if you show up on time, if you take a shower before you come to work and you show up, you have a good chance of succeeding.”

Dubois wants to emphasize that the whole point of these programs is to help students flourish, but its a two-way street. “We're trying to send the message that we will help

Jill Schlude agrees that it’s all about putting in the hard work and knowing that even though it takes time to reach your goal, the journey is worth it. “You're going to have to start at the bottom to get someplace, and even if you own the company, there is a price to pay for that, and that's really hard,” she says. But just as Dubois is struggling with filling student spots Schlude has also seen some setbacks. “We have to really sell our department because it's very competitive with law enforcement pay,” she says. Programs are already in the works to entice people to not only stay in Columbia but to recruit out-of-state workers to be a part of our community. “We started a program where we were paying for officers’ academy,” she says. “They are obviously getting paid while they go to the academy, and then they transition and get a salary as soon as

Nic Parks Parks Entertainment

Paul Eisenstein REDI, Inc.

Randy Cole Columbia Housing Authority

Jill Schlude

Columbia Police Department

Columbia’s economic future are great. The hard part is turning an idea into a plan. This can start simply by bringing more people into the community with attractive events, Brian Whorley,

year-round?’ So, how they experience our city's amenities, airport, trails and especially our downtown really matters.” Whorley recalls Peter Stiepleman's often-used mantra of

“I think we have something special here. I think that if we can articulate our community vision more broadly, it'll help.”

- Brian Whorley

founder and CEO of Paytient says. “We're bringing close to 250 people into Columbia the fist week of June. It's some of our teammates, a few investors, partners and clients,” he says. “I've heard people ask themselves in years past, ‘Can I see myself being part of this community

“the community with the best schools wins.” Whorley thinks refreshing that civic statement to project what Como hopes to be in the future is important. “I think we have something special here; I think that if we can articulate our community vision more broadly, it'll help,” he says.

Brian Whorley Paytient

Some of the action plans are already in place to attract visitors and, hopefully, residents to Columbia. President of Regional Economic Development, Inc. Paul Eisenstein says the I-70 project is just one example. “I-70 going to three lanes in both directions ... that's a tremendous opportunity,” he says. “That's great. But now we've got to ask, ‘How else do we want to grow?’” Hall states his main goal is to be the person of change in the community, to take charge and show others that change only occurs through action. “I want to be a person of real change,” he says. “It’s my fist time meeting Chief (Schlude) here and I am really impressed, she is such a down-toearth person. The fist thing I asked her was, ‘What can I actually do?’” It’s not about just the discussion, Hall

says, it’s about the follow-through. “I would just challenge us to do something more actionable when we leave here.”

Randy Cole, the chief executive officer of the Columbia Housing Authority, says a driving factor for people to not stay and raise a family in Columbia is the lack of affordable housing, but there are steps the city can and should take to change that. “Other communities are making progress on this issue in a variety of ways,” he says. “I think as a community, we could start by reducing some of the regulations for development.” Columbia is constantly seeing progression toward a bountiful economic future, but the community needs to remember it’s about coming together, creating ideas to benefit th future and taking action.

Brian Millner Missouri Community College Association

RAPIDFIRE Final Thoughts

On Airport Success…

“I think we've mentioned the airport, but just thinking through ... some successes we've built on and how Stacy Button and Mike Parks did a great job expanding the terminal at the Columbia Regional Airport.”

Randy Cole, chief executive officer of the Columbia Housing Authority

On Implementing Action…

“I always try to leave somewhere by saying, ‘How can I actually be helpful to people? So, I'm going to go to a meeting to support some of the things that I told (Schlude) that I agree with, which we were in alignment with, and then I'll keep spending my money at local places.”

John Hall, managing partner at Relevance

“Let's talk about ideas, let's talk about action. I get approached by a lot of people about projects that they want to happen. I would say, if we can get together, there are very specific, actionable things that I think do mae sense for the city to help on the youth sports and entertainment front, and I'd like to be able to share those opportunities in a large group to see who's in on these potential types of projects.”

Nic Parks, chief executive officer at Parks Amusements, LLC

“I think it's important for people who care about the future of our community and have innovative ideas to really speak up. I am interested to get to know more people and their perspectives.”

Paul Eisenstein, president of Regional Economic Development, Inc.

On a Growth Mantra…

“I think that the community with the best STEM talent builds the future that every other community lives in.”

Brian Whorley, founder and chief executive officer of Paytient

On the Downtown Economy…

“Downtown seems to have more vacancies, if you walk around, there's a lot more small business spaces empty than I can remember.”

Ed Scavone, president and chief executive officer at Central Bank of Boone County

On Expansion…

“We're continuing to hire. We have to hire as we're expanding. We're adding providers and we're adding services. That is also how we interface with higher education partners.”

Brady Dubois, president and chief executive officer of Boone Health

On Collaboration…

“I just feel like if we're going to be a city and not a town, we’ve got to talk about the mayor’s race and politics in general. We have to be able to solve the crime problem and also concern ourselves with things like climate change. Somebody's got to bring those two voices together in a meaningful way.”

Brian Millner, president and chief executive officer of the Missouri Community College Association

On Voting…

“75%, at best, of registered voters in this community don't vote in municipal elections. That just blows my mind. Why are we not motivated, more activated, to get out and affect change that makes a difference?”

Bill Costello, senior relationship manager of the Bank of Missouri

On Serving the Community…

“We have to create a climate here where people want to come and serve their community in a very real, meaningful way, but yet feel like they're supported by people who they don't hear from.”

Jill Schlude, chief of the Columbia Police Department

Ooey Gooey Goodness

JOWIN’S KITCHEN BRINGS A ST. LOUIS DELICACY TO COLUMBIA.

BY BAILEY RIZZO PHOTOS BY L.G. PATTERSON

From a table at the farmers market to a storefront on Business Loop, Jowin’s Kitchen is a bakery straight from the heart.

Jean Nicklas, owner of Jowin’s Kitchen, grew up with a whisk in hand and an apron hung around her neck. “My grandmother loved to bake,” she says. “She baked cookies all the time and my mom (nicknamed ‘Jowin’) loved baking, so we were always doing different things and trying new stuff.

As she grew up, Nicklas

kept that passion alive by baking and decorating cakes for friends, family, events and more. But during the pandemic, she made the choice to leave her job in the communications field and turn her passion into a profession. “My kids were grown and gone and I had the availability; the more I looked into it, the more it looked like the right time and the right thing to do,” she says. “To share and to make a business of baking has just been great because I just enjoy doing it so much.”

Being from St. Louis, the

birthplace of gooey butter cake, Nicklas knew there was an unclaimed market for the dessert. “We just knew people really liked it and whenever I had it anywhere, people loved it,” she says. “People would request it from me a lot, and we didn't see a lot of it here. I thought if we focused on that, it could be a niche market we could capture and it worked.”

Gooey butter cake was invented when a baker supposedly reversed the proportions of butter and flour while trying to make a regular cake. There are many variations of

this dessert, but Nicklas uses a recipe of her own. “Even if you go to St. Louis today and get gooey butter at different bakeries, they make it a little differently everywhere,” she says. “People say ours is just what they remember. So, it's a scratch version of the homemade version that you would've made at home rather than getting at the bakery.”

Jowin’s Kitchen began as a home-based bakery, selling gooey butter cakes and other pastries at the local farmers markets, makers markets and festivals. “But everybody was

always asking us if we had a brick-and-mortar, so we decided to look into if we could do that,” Nicklas says. “And then it all came together.”

In August 2024, Nicklas opened Jowin’s Kitchen as a storefront at Parkade Plaza. However, the endeavor was not without its challenges. “We didn’t really know what l needed to be done,” she says. “We were very fortunate that Reinhardt Construction was able to help us with all the permitting and knew how things had to be constructed. They were incredibly helpful with that.”

the case since the day we started,” she says. “Everybody has been so helpful and so supportive. It really has been incredible. That’s how we

was from the corner that I grew up on, which is just shocking,” she says. “It's just so fun to see people. I'm still just so tickled that we have a bakery.”

At the Jowin’s Kitchen grand opening, Nicklas was surrounded by not only her husband and children but also extended family from out of town and friends. “It almost felt like a wedding because everybody was here and everybody was so excited,” she says. “That has been just so heartwarming for me. The people have been so sweet about it.”

Nicklas credits her success in building a thriving business to the unwavering support of her family and the encouragement of the Columbia community. “You hear stories about the public being unkind and complaining about things, but that has just never been

ended up here … just out of the support of everybody lifting us up.”

Since opening, Nicklas has learned how to run a business, as opposed to baking in her own home. But like all things, all it takes is time and practice to get the swing of things.

“We have learned quickly to be more efficient and to make more in less time,” she says. “We've got some employees now and that helps a whole lot. It still feels very new because we just keep learning how to do things better, but it just gets smoother and easier as we figue things out.”

Jowin’s Kitchen features many flvors of gooey butter

cake. “Traditional is always the most popular; you can't go wrong with that,” Nicklas says. “And then white chocolate raspberry is usually our next bestseller. Lemon is also very popular, which is funny because it was originally a seasonal flvor, but people ask for it so much that we keep it year-round.”

Other flvors include chocolate chip, turtle, chocolate mint and more. Jowin’s Kitchen is also sells gooey butter cheesecake, cookies, wraps, salads, and coffee and tea from The Grind.

While Nicklas says there are many reasons she loves what she does, her favorite thing is when people come in to say hi and chat about life. “If people say they're from St. Louis, I always ask them where they're from, and one time somebody

Nicklas’ vision for Jowin’s Kitchen is to create a welcoming space where people love to spend their time. “We try to make it as comfortable and as friendly as we can, and we hope to have more people see it as a place to come and bring a friend to sit and just enjoy time here,” she says. “We hope to keep growing the products that we offer, and there are always new things to try. That's really what we hope for: a friendly neighborhood spot where people like to go.”

Someone once asked Nicklas if opening a bakery had always been her dream. She initially responded with a no, but her husband recalled her talking about it around 25 years ago. “There are so many ‘whys’ that go into fulfilling dream,” she says. “It has truly been a dream to say we did it … to take the chance and see where it leads us.”

Jowin’s Kitchen is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Visit jowinskitchen.com for more information, or drop in for a hot coffee, a delicious pastry and a good conversation with Nicklas.

A Berry Good Bar

BY SARA FOUGERE | PHOTOS BY L.G. PATTERSON

My friend Terri, who works in the kitchen with me, and I have come to a realization: we’re bar girls. Now, slow down. I mean, we do LIKE a bar and have been known to frequent a location where libations are present, but we’re talking about dessert bars. Bars are perfect, more than cake or pie, probably even more than cookies. You can cut them

small, like we do for catering, or large, for care packages for my boys. There may not be time for five sheets of cokies or the patience to stack and frost a beautiful cake. But a 9x13 pan full of brownies, lemon bars, peanut butter blondies or a lovely fruity crumble bar with extra crumble?  There’s always time to get that in the oven! Right now, we’re really obsessed with all things rhubarb, and these bars hit all the right

notes: tart with strawberry sweetness. Did I mention a pile of extra crumble? We can make these in the spring with fresh fruit and when we’re really hungry for them in the winter, there is always frozen rhubarb to get us through. I think you’ll find the perfect in these lovely spring weeks. Cut a big one and share some with friends. Become a bar person.

Strawberry Rhubarb Bars

Crust & Filling Ingredients Strawberry Rhubarb Filling Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. To make cutting easier, I line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out.

Crumble mixture for the crust and topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and using a pastry cutter, two forks or a food processor, cut in the butter until all the flour is coated and resembles pea-sized crumbles. I prefer to put it all in the food processor; it’s much quicker.

Whisk the egg, milk and vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour over the flour/ butter mixture and gently mix together.

You will have about six cups of the crust/crumble mixture. Set two cups aside. Pour the remaining into the prepared pan and flatten down with your hands or a flat spatula to form an even crust. It will be a little crumbly — that’s okay. Set aside.

Strawberr y rhubarb filling: Gently mix all of the filling ingredients together. Spread over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture all over the filling. Sprinkle the oats on top. With the back of a large spoon or flat spatula, lightly press the topping down so it’s snug on the strawberry rhubarb layer.

Bake for about 42-50 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out *mostly* clean (with a few jammy strawberry/rhubarb specks). Mine take about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely on a wire rack.

2 and 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

2 and 1/2 cups sliced rubarb (half-inch pieces)

If you can't find fresh, use frozen. They will cook better if you use both either fresh or frozen.

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

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Bun and Done

LOCAL CHEFS TEAM UP TO CREATE BAO BUNS.

Ihave known Chef Jina Yoo and Chef Dennis Clay for 20 years. I’ve known Chef Jina from her fabulous restaurants, Jina Yoo’s Asian Bistro and Le Bao Asian Eatery, and Chef Dennis because he has worked at most of the wellknown, high-end restaurants in town since the late 1990s and he is currently the general manager at Le Bao. Both are passionate chefs with excellent techniques. When thinking about bringing in some outside

chefs to share their experiences and talents in these articles, Chef Jina and Chef Dennis quickly made my short list. I wanted to know the secrets of Jina's restaurant, Le Bao. If you have had bao or steamed buns, you know how delicious and addictive they can be. Jina and Dennis showed me how to make the dough and roll, stuff steam or fry the buns.

Baozi, or bao buns, are made with a yeasted dough and traditionally stuffed with

BY BROOK HARLAN • PHOTOS BY L.G. PATTERSON

highly seasoned braised or ground meats, or vegetables, and sometimes served with a dipping sauce. In addition to their delicious ramen, Le Bao serves some traditional bao buns, but also some with Jina’s unique, personal twist. Some of their creations are Bulgogi beef, pulled pork, fried shrimp, Philly cheesesteak, Rocky Bao-boa (a pizza-inspired bao bun with pepperoni — one of my favorites from the photoshoot). In addition

to savory, they have some delicious sweet creations — apple pie, Oreo cheesecake and mochi, just to name a few.

As I am sure you can tell from the photos, Jina, Dennis and I had a lot of fun in the photoshoot. We made one big batch of dough and almost a dozen different bao buns. You can take this recipe (the actual one that Le Bao uses), along with some creativity to make your own unique bao bun creations.

Bao Dough

Ingredients

498 grams water 110 degrees (about 2 cups)

17 grams yeast (about 2 tablespoons)

907 grams all-purpose flour (about 6 1/2 cups)

45 grams sugar (1/3 cup)

Instructions

Heat water to 110 degrees. Add yeast and water to a stand mixer bowl, agitate gently, and let sit for 10-15 minutes to activate. You should see the top covered in bubbles.

Separately add the remaining ingredients, but don’t mix it. Turn the mixer on low and add the bloomed yeast water in three stages while mixing (you can also mix by hand in a large bowl). Allow the dough to form and come together, about seven minutes or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Cover the bowl with a warm, damp towel and allow the dough to rise for 20 minutes.

Punch down the dough and form it into golf ball-size pieces. Allow to rest. Using a rolling pin, flatten the first piece and roll from the outside to the center. Rotate a quarter turn and repeat until the dough is one quarter inch thick in the center and the edges are slightly thinner.

TO STUFF

Place about a half cup of cool filling into the center of the dough. Place the dough in your hand and pull one side to the top. To create the pleated closure, create a half-inch pleat at an angle folding to the center, then pinch to close. Go the same direction to the center, overlapping the previous pleat, and continue until the top is closed. Squeeze and twist slightly to seal.

TO STEAM

Have a bamboo or steamer basket steaming. Use parchment paper with a few slits cut in it or oil the bottom of the bun slightly. Place the buns in the steamer, making sure to leave about one and a half inches between them to leave room for the buns to expand. Steam for nine minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly before eating.

TO FRY

Once the bun is stuffed press the top down slightly — this will aid in cooking uniformly. Preheat a saute pan over medium-low heat, and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

Add the bun and cook until golden brown, flip and repeat. The whole process should take about eight to ten minutes, so the outside is fully cooked and the inside is cooked all the way through. Once the bao bun has cooled slightly, you can eat it as is or serve it with a sweet or savory dipping sauce.

NOTE

Cooked bao buns can be cooled and then frozen for a month or two. Make sure to label them; they all look the same once frozen. The best method is to thaw fully in the refrigerator or for about an hour at room temperature. Steam for five to six minutes to reheat and serve.

17 grams kosher salt (1 tablespoon)

18 grams baking powder (3 1/2 teaspoons)

680 grams vegetable shortening or butter (about 3 1/2 cups)

Delicious Hibiscus

ENJOY A SOUR SIP FOR SUMMER.

BY BRANDON PHILLIPS, DANI DOYEN, GEOFF PRATTE, JAKE DE VRIES, JANINE DANIELS, JASON DARDEN, KELSEY PARKER, NICK HARDY

| PHOTO BY

L.G. PATTERSON

Ring in the summer with a refreshing Hibiscus Sour. Enjoy hints of floral and citrus with this fun patio cocktail, and come see us at the Tellers bar!

BrandonPhillips,DaniDoyen,GeoffPratte, akeDe Vries,JanineDaniels,JasonDarden,KelseyParkerand NickHardyarebartendersatTellersGallery&Bar.

Risky ‘Biscus: Tequila Hibiscus Sour

Ingredients

1 ½ ounces Una Familia Blanco Tequila

1 ounce Pinckney Bend Hibiscus Tonic syrup

3/4 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon

1/2 ounce of simple syrup

5 dashes of Fee Foam (egg white alternative)

Instructions

Mix all ingredients. Garnish with black rock salt and edible orchid. Serve up or on the rocks.

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AS COLUMBIANS, we’re no strangers to a great cup of coffee, a plate of tangy barbecue, a savory slice of pizza or a fiery roll of sushi. Our city’s cuisine scene includes the best of the best, from dives and hole-in-the-walls to upscale eateries. In each issue, Inside Columbia selects a handful of our favorite restaurants for a glimpse at what our town has to offer your tastebuds.

Room 38

Small Plates, New American

Glenn’s Cafe Cajun, Upscale Southern

CoMo Smoke and Fire Smokehouse, Barbecue

Nourish Café & Market Bowls, Smoothies

Flat Branch Pub & Brewing American, Brewpub

D. Rowe’s Restaurant & Bar Grill, Sandwiches

D Pizzaria Pizza

Endwell Taverna Modern, Italian

One of downtown’s newest restaurants is a full-service, classic Italian eatery set up in what once was Columbia’s first City Hall and, at one time, a jailhouse. The character of the unique building extends to the food, too — Endwell adds a modern flair to their pizzas, pastas and cocktails. Endwell prides itself on quality ingredients, especially in their New York style pizza. Stop in for lunchtime deli service or a decadent dinner. Whether you finish your visit with a slice of their tiramisu or an affogato, your night is sure to end well.

The Roof American, Tapas

Günter Hans European, Beer Garden

Sophia’s Italian, Mediterranean

Addison’s American, Casual Dining

Le Bao Asian Eatery Asian Fusion

Sage Brunch, Coffee

Cafe Berlin Bakery, Café

Ocha Noodles and Ramen Ramen, Thai-fusion

Sycamore American, Farm-to-Table

Broadway Brewery Brewpub, Farm-to-Table

G &

Jina Yoo's Asian Bistro Asian Fusion, Sushi

Bangkok Gardens Thai

Dive Bar American, Comfort

Geisha Sushi Bar

Sushi, Korean

For bold takes on your favorite rolls, get your next sushi fix at Geisha Sushi Bar. In the heart of downtown, Geisha keeps it authentic and fresh while pushing the boundaries of creativity in each hand-crafted roll they serve. Expand on your favorites by adding customized toppings or order the must-try Mizzou roll, a spicy, crunchy take on the raw delicacy. If sushi isn’t your speed, order one of their traditional Korean dishes, from jokbal and bossam to their infamous Korean cheese corn dog: a mozzarella cheese fish cake deep fried and finished with sugar and ketchup. Get adventurous with your sushi at Geisha; you may just leave with a new favorite dish.

Bud’s Classic BBQ

Barbecue, Comfort Food

If you’ve noticed the smoky, mouthwatering scent of barbecue wafting through downtown Columbia, chances are it’s coming from the open garage doors of Bud’s on 9th Street. Bud’s, a new barbecue joint, specializes in Kansas City inspired fare like pork belly burnt ends and smoked brisket, alongside classic sides such as tangy coleslaw, decadent mac and cheese, housemade chips and more. Bud’s Classic BBQ is also a happy hour hotspot with an expansive cocktail menu and beer selection. The next time you’re craving barbecue, treat your tastebuds to the new classics down at Bud’s.

CC’s City Broiler Steakhouse

Broadway Diner American, Diner

Barred Owl Butcher & Table Farm-to-Table, Butcher Shop

11 Eleven Shareables, Contemporary

Booches Billiard Hall American, Burgers

Murry’s American, Jazz Bar

Kampai Sushi Sushi, Japanese

Flyover American, Southern-inspired

Love Coffee Cafe, Bakery

Ellianna’s Donut Shop Donuts, Pastries

Beet Box Middle Eastern

Grand Cru French American, Wine Bar

44 Tavern American, Fusion

House of Chow Chinese

Delia's Mexican Grill Mexican, Tex-Mex

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Cafe Poland Polish, European

The Heidelberg American, Pub

Belly Market & Rotisserie Deli

Main Squeeze Vegan, Juice Bar

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InsuranceproductsandservicesareofferedbyMutualofOmahaInsuranceCompanyoroneofitsaffiliates.Homeoffice:3300MutualofOmahaPlaza,Omaha,NE68175. MutualofOmahaInsuranceCompanyislicensednationwide.UnitedofOmahaLifeInsuranceCompanyislicensednationwide,exceptNewYork.UnitedWorldLifeInsurance CompanyislicensednationwideexceptConnecticut,NewYorkandtheVirginIslands.CompanionLifeInsuranceCompany,Hauppauge,NY11788-2934,islicensedinNewYork. OmahaInsuranceCompanyislicensedinallstatesexcept:AL,CA,CO,ID,IL,LA,NC,NH,NV,NY,PR,RI,VI,VTandWI.Productsnotavailableinallstates.Eachunderwriting companyissolelyresponsibleforitsowncontractualandfinancialobligations.IndividualmedicalcoverageavailablethroughMutualofOmahaMarketingCorporation,andis underwrittenbyvariousinsurers.RegisteredRepresentativesoffersecuritiesthroughMutualofOmahaInvestorServices,Inc.aRegisteredBroker/Dealer.MemberFINRA/SIPC. InvestmentadvisorrepresentativesofferadvisoryservicesthroughMutualofOmahaInvestorServices,Inc.,aSECRegisteredInvestmentAdvisoryFirm. MutualofOmahaAdvisorsisadivisionofMutualofOmahaInsuranceCompany. 456006

Right On Cue

AN EIGHT-BALL DUEL? SIGNS POINT TO YES.

In each issue, multiple on-air talents from Zimmer Communications’ stations take on a seemingly simple challenge to see who comes out on top. In this issue, Shags from 96.7 KCMQ and Peter, our team’s brand new news and talk format captain met up for a game of eight-ball pool at Booches. Go to insidecolumbia.net to see a full video of the challenge.

The Challenge

Each DJ will aim to knock the cue ball into all of their balls, solid or striped, landing them in the table’s pockets. The winner has to then make the final move and sink the eight-ball.

The Contenders

Shags and Peter both arrived at Booches with the same goal: to win. However, Peter hasn’t played pool in 15 years and Shags claims to be an expert at the bar game.

The Outcome

Peter broke the rack of balls, but didn’t sink any. After a long back and forth, Shags succeeded in pocketing a solid, making Peter team stripes. Shags started out strong — he sank three before Peter managed to get on the board. Then, Peter quickly closed the gap in score. He advanced on Shags’ score after Shags had a few unfortunate moves. The solid yellow one-ball bounced on the edges of the table and rolled right next to the pocket before tragically stalling. Then, Shags locked in and sank the rest of the solids, leaving only the fateful eight-ball. Upon Peter’s turn, he scratched, setting Shags up for the perfect final shot … who missed the pocket by just a hair. After a few more turns with Peter creeping up on the scoreboard, Shags finally sank the eight-ball and won the game.

“ The height difference played into Shags' advantage to win this game. There was no stool for the short man. If I had a stool, I would have won this game."

-Peter

“I think we all expected me to win, to be honest. It may come as a shock, but I’ve been in a bar or two in my life. It was only a matter of knocking off he dust and getting back into it. It was a good match though, Peter played good defense. He made me work for it."

-Shags

Chamber QMB Breakfast

Hundreds of chamber members braved the elements to attend the Quarterly Membership Breakfast sponsored by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Columbia Public School leadership provided updates on student scores and the superintendent search. Adam Saunders and the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture shared their next steps for a campus in west Columbia. The Small Business of the Year nominees were also unveiled.

1. Bill Costello and Joe Priesmeyer

2. Thresa Berkley, Syreta Toson, Dave Griggs

3. Lindsay Young Lopez, Victoria Brees, Penny Kuhns-Knarr

4. Adonica Coleman, Jade Poe, Jazmyn Drake

5. Adam Saunders

6. Wende Wagner and Matt McCormick

7. Suzette Waters and Michelle Baumstark

Date Feb. 12

Location The Crossing Church Photos by Nancy Toalson and Wally Pfeffer, mizzouwally@compuserve.com 2 4 6 7 1 3 5

Scouting America Breakfast

4 6 7 1 3 5

The annual Scouting Patron Breakfast, an event put on by Scouting America to support the youth and their families, raised $190,000. The event was sponsored by Joe Machens Ford and led by Tommy Goran. Keynote speaker Brad Tilden, National Scouting America board chair, Eagle Scout and retired CEO of Alaska Airlines, spoke on the impact organizations like scouting have on youth.

1. Sophia Froese and Julie Stansfiel

2. Jeanne Sinquefield and Hank telzer

3. Marcia Thrasher, Shannon Drewing

4. John Fabsits, Chris and Jeff Jone

5. Karen and Jacque Cowherd

6. Gary Smith, Gene Gerke, Chris Bouchard

7. Mike Grellner, Kip Kendrick

Date

March 6

Location

Holiday Inn Executive Center

Photos by Nancy Toalson and Wally Pfeffer, mizzouwally@compuserve.com

19th Annual Rootin’ Tootin’ Chili Cookoff

Sponsored by MFA Oil, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Columbia held its 19th Annual Rootin' Tootin' Chili Cookoff Over 30 booths provided amazing chili to the hundreds of folks who stopped in. Voters awarded vendors with titles such as best chili, best booth and most money raised.

1. Lynn Sestak and Jill Templeta

2. Riley Cooper, Jevean Brown, William Brown

3. Melissa Manie, Jamie McDonald, Kenzie Smith, Kristen Deker

4. CJ Pelletier, Conner Berry, Emily Omahundro, Liberty Stone, Reiley Caruthers

5. Alana Nyhart and Taylor Hunter

6. Sydney Olsen and Shane Winter

7. Emma Spillman and Sarah Frank

Date Feb. 22

Location Holiday Inn Executive Center Photos by Nancy Toalson and Wally Pfeffer, mizzouwally@compuserve.com 2 4 6 7 1 3 5

73rd Annual Kiwanis Pancake Day

The Kiwanis Clubs in Columbia combined their efforts to put on their annual Pancake Day. The Kiwanis Clubs include philanthropists, community leaders, volunteers and professionals who strive to improve the lives of Columbia’s youth. Hundreds of fans of sausage, pancakes and good coffee helped raise money to benefit our community.

1. Randy and Sherry Wyatt

2. Lori Geissert and Brandon Painter.

3. Phyllis, Cope, Cheryl Fadler, Bill Moyes, Alice Wondra

4. John Shrum and Lili Vianello

5. Janelle Patterson, Mo Louis, Brenda Mosby, Nancy Toalson, Don Mosby

6. Isabelle Bequette, Molly Delgado, Eva Seek, Bill Whearty

7. Denise Rock, Ray Beck, Andrew Paten, Kane Rock

8. Front row: Claire Dinwiddie, Elizabeth Mendenhall

Back row: Kyle Cook, Cameron Cook, Jackson Cook, David Dinwiddie

Nancy Toalson and Wally Pfeffer, mizzouwally@compuserve.com 2 4 6 7 8 1 3 5

Date March 22

Location

Delaney Hall at Columbia College

Photos by

A New View

Being a photographer, I can get some access to unique points of view of the community. In the following months, I would like to share with you some of those sights with A New View.

I love eating chicken wings. They can be fried and covered with buffao sauce, rubbed and smoked or barbecued and tossed with garlic and parmesan.

It’s all good.

Usually, it’s not a good idea to watch me devour wings. I attack them viciously

and end up with my face, hands and sometimes clothes covered with chicken remnants and sauce. My family won’t let me order them in a restaurant because of the embarrassment I cause them.

I saw several guys at the Man Show utilize my technique while battling it out in the wing-eating competition. I felt justified.

Most of the crowd were laughing, or just disgusted.

The event made me very hungry.

L.G. Patterson

The Assignment: Como Man Show The Location: Northeast Event Center

Community Crime

COMING TO TERMS WITH CRIME IN COLUMBIA.

One of the most interesting aspects of Columbia’s recent mayoral contest was the debate over the perceived level of criminal activity in our community. While most of the dialogue centered specifically around incidents in downtown Columbia, there seemed to be an equal amount of concern regarding what was happening in neighborhoods throughout our city which have traditionally been isolated from the all-too-common reports of shots fied, drug activity, vandalism and theft.

As I’m penning this column, our community is dealing with the aftermath of a particularly violent weekend. What started on April 11 as a nine-hour police standoff wth a suspect who had made terroristic threats quickly evolved into a weekend with at least three confirmed shootings esulting in five gunshot vctims. This, by coincidence, came less than three days after a large majority of voters chose to stay the course with the status quo governance of a mayor and city council.

While Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude is making significant progress in rebuilding a department that has been severely understaffed for several years, she lacks the authority to bring her force up to the minimum standards

for protecting a city the size of Columbia. Conservative estimates say we need more than 50 additional officers to adequately cover our streets. Unfortunately, there’s a big price tag that comes with that type of staffin

There are rumors circulating that our mayor and city manager are getting ready to ask voters to approve a new sales tax to fund additional officers. I find yself conflcted on the matter. On one hand, I believe we desperately need more officers. On the other hand, a sales tax is NOT the way to fix this poblem. The city has quietly found a way to add 122 new positions to its budget in the last three years to provide services that are far from essential. Given the current climate and concern over public safety, we should all be asking why putting more officers on the street has not been a higher priority in recent years. Rather than tightening the belt in other departments, city officials will want to fund police the same way we fund our parks. By my way of thinking, police and fie protection are essential services and deserve the priority of general revenue in the city’s annual budget. Citizens should not have to pay “extra” to get the police protection they deserve.

This strategy is the perfect scheme for Mayor Barbara Buffaoe and City Manager D’Carlon Seawood who many say don’t support our men and women in blue. If voters reject the idea of using sales taxes to fund police protection, we’ll hear the tired refrain, “Oh well, we tried … but the citizens didn’t want to spend more money on cops.” Rather than trimming the funding for cultural affairs, sustainabilty and other nonessential services, they want local taxpayers to cough up more money.

It’s important to mention that hiring more officers won’t make Columbia’s crime problem go away. As a community, we’re going to have to come up with a multifaceted approach that hits this problem from all sides. Those who understand our dilemma best will tell you that illegal drug use is connected to almost every violent act in our city. We must find a wy to eliminate the demand for drugs in our community. Gangsters and drug dealers from Kansas City and St. Louis will stop preying on Columbia if demand begins to dry up.

We must also find a wy to give our youth a sense of hope about their futures. This should begin in our public schools. If the prospects of opportunity were more evident, our youth would not be tempted by the

BY FRED PARRY

allure of criminal activity as a means of survival.

Finally, we’ve got to be more intentional about creating economic opportunities in our central city. If you want to break free from the cycle of poverty and crime, you need a job. In order to get a job, you need stable housing, reliable public transportation and affordable childcare. There’s a dire shortage of all three of those things right now in Columbia.

There may be a temptation for some of us to stick our heads in the sand and say, “I’ve got a job. My kids are in college. I’m making my mortgage payments.” At this point, the problems facing our community belong to all of us. If we choose to do nothing, we’ll continue to be subject to drive-by shootings, home invasions and stolen cars. Today’s problems will only get worse if we don’t address the root causes. If we, instead, put our heads together, work collaboratively and chip away at these core issues one at a time, there’s a good chance we can create the change we’re looking for. Given last month’s voter participation rate of 25.18%, it’s clear we’ve got a long way to go.

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Bank of Missouri

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Doug Perry Towing

Dryer’s Shoe Store

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Garrett Painting

Heartland Homes Remodeling and Roofing

Holly J Greenup Photography

Korte Tree Care

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Do you ever wonder “Why am I even with this bank?”

It’s too easy to accept a mediocre experience when banking is just a part of life. Before, it seemed like I had to jump through every hoop for my bank. I wanted a bank that would actually work for me.

Look, switching banks is a big decision. I never made the e ort before, because I assumed I’d just get the same thing. After switching to The Bank of Missouri, I’ll never wonder if my bank can do more.

The bank of not settling. The Bank of Missouri.