metroMAGAZINE's August 2011 Issue

The Spirit of Omaha

jack becker joslyn art museum executive director

joslyn art museum & durham museum’s union station turn 80

SpiritofOmaha.com • august 2011

50 FABULOUS EVENTS • 10 CATEGORIES • ONE BIG NIGHT!

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For events presented between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011.

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SPEAKER

BEST THEME

NEBRASKA CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY

FILM STREAMS

OMAHA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Holidazzle

Feature III, featuring Steven Soderbergh

For the Kids Benefit 2011 –Monster’s Ball

OPERA OMAHA

PROJECT HARMONY

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OFTHE MIDLANDS

Spirits Of the Opera

Speaking of Children, featuring Andrew Bridge

NEBRASKA HUMANE SOCIETY

LUTHERAN FAMILY SERVICES OF NEBRASKA

On the Road Benefit: On the Road Goes Back to College

Dining With Dogs

Luncheon benefiting At Ease, featuring Bob Kerrey

JOSLYN CASTLE TRUST

THE SALVATION ARMY

Joslyn Castle Classic Weekend

JUNIOR LEAGUE OF OMAHA High Heel Dash

ADOPTION LINKS WORLDWIDE Fandango –Hit a Home Run for Kids!

2011 D.J.’s Hero Awards Luncheon, featuring Apollo Anton Ohno

THE ROSE GUILD

GIRLS INC. OF OMAHA

HETRA

Lunch for the Girls, featuring Madeleine Albright

Rockin’ Rosie 2011 – Rosie Rocks the Silver Screen Havana Garage Kentucky Derby Gala

EDUCATION

UNDER 500

BROWNELL-TALBOT SCHOOL

NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL, GREATER OMAHA CHAPTER

BEST ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Gala 2011: Hats Off to B-T

Soiree 2010: ABBA Mania

OMAHA SYMPHONY

SKUTT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

OMAHA COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE ACT II

90th Anniversary Gala

Angel Flight 2010 - Jazzed Up for Green

Destination World’s Fare

WOMEN’S FUND OF OMAHA

MERCY HIGH SCHOOL

YOUTH EMERGENCY SERVICES

FIESTA a la Mercy - How Sweet It Is

Metro Stars Dance for a Chance

2010 Fall Luncheon (celebrating its 20th anniversary)

MOUNT MICHAEL BENEDICTINE ABBEY AND SCHOOL

MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION

Night of Knights - Knights in Tuscany

Blue Jean Ball –Wild About Wishes

SACRED HEART SCHOOL / CUES

HOPE CENTER FOR KIDS

The Gathering

Expressions of Hope Gala

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, MID-AMERICA COUNCIL Centennial Celebration Banquet

YOUTH EMERGENCY SERVICES All About Omaha 10th annual Torchlight Ball

NEBRASKA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

FOOD & WINE

OVER 500

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF OMAHA

vinNebraska Spring Wine Event 2011

Brew HaHa

CAMP FIRE USA (NOW COMPLETELYKIDSSM)

CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE

Pinot, Pigs & Poets

Wild and Crazy Cabaret, featuring Melissa Peterman

EASTER SEALS NEBRASKA Easter Seals Nebraska’s Wine Event 2011

LUTHERAN FAMILY SERVICES Wicker & Wine Basket Auction

OMAHA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

CATHOLIC CHARITIES Irish Fest 2011: Living the Legacy

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION 2011 Omaha Heart Ball

ANGELS AMONG US Omaha Says Farewell: Oprah Finale Event

HEALTH & WELLNESS

OVER 1,000

JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Big Omaha 2011

14th Annual Gala - Big Dreams...

Big Hearts: Real Hope for a Cure

WOMEN’S FUND OF OMAHA

CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY & UNMC

25th Anniversary and Birthday Bash

Tuesday, November 29th Aksarben Cinema

Omaha Fashion Week Grand Finale Runway Show

Kicks for a Cure

GREATER OMAHA YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY Man & Woman of the Year 2011 Grand Finale

2011 Young Professionals Summit – From I to We: Changing the Conversation

MIDWEST HEART CONNECTION

NEBRASKA CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY

Hearts of Hope

Sand in the City

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL & MEDICAL CENTER

LAURITZEN GARDENS

Gala 2010, featuring an evening with Kenny Rogers

Antique & Garden Show

Cast your Vote at

Look for more details and ticket information in upcoming issues of

features / DEPARTMENTS

metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

features

events

cover STORY

8

8

80 & 80 the joslyn & the durham turn 80

37 60

the metroSCENE SAVE THE DATE

knowing

35

special SECTION

18 18

SUSAN G. KOMEN NEBRASKA race for the cure

CELEBRATING SARPY sarpy county events & activities

36

SANDSATION sand in the city–lund company

STRENGTH IN SERVICE omaha serves

metro

15

nonprofits

home

metro

DOWNTOWN LIVING TOUR midtown crossing

28 29

spirit

SAUCHA: PURITY with mary e. vandenack

LIVING IN THE MOMENT with dixie clark

18 24

articles | columns

62

HOROSCOPES

working

with sue moon

departments

21

READY 2 SERVE non-profit & YP profiles

22

30 31

wisdom

TIME FOR A GOOD BOOK with roger fransecky

INTELLIGENCE with aristotle group

YP Q&A • YOUNG PROFESSIONALS “definition of ‘spirit of omaha’?”

32

LOOK WHO’S SHELTERING nebraska humane society

smart specials!

bravo!

24

honoring our local

WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE omaha community playhouse awards night

51

6

metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

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metro The Spirit of Omaha

AUGUST 2011 • VOL. 23 NO. 8 Press releases and other editorial information may be sent to: P.O. BOX 241611, OMAHA, NE 68124 or e-mailed to: Editor@SpiritofOmaha.com Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Staff Photographers

Andrea L. Hoig

Daniel Flanigan Cindy Grady Linda Shepard Dave Stock Caroline Thompson

Senior Editor/ Creative Director

Robert P. Killmer

Writers Managing Editor

David J. Williams Senior Accounts Manager

Ryan Lally Account Executive

Katie Fourney

Leo Adam Biga Elizabeth Ford Molly Garriott Ashley Griffith Susan Kuhlmann Dave Link

Administration

Interns

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Web Content Manager

Megan Olson Events Editor/ Layout

Erin Sarmiento

SpiritofOmaha.com metro MAGAZINE is wholly owned and operated by the publisher and is not affiliated with any other publication, operating solely on subscription and advertising revenues and the good will of the agencies and charities we support; all of which are very important to the continuing growth and quality of this publication. Thank you to all who support this endeavor.

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402-333-7499 sales@SpiritofOmaha.com MISSION STATEMENT The mission of ALH Publications is to recognize the ongoing efforts of Omaha-area businesses, organizations and individuals to better the community through their support of charitable and civic causes. ALH Publications also encourages people’s desire to give something back to the community through volunteerism and philanthropy.

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metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

THE JOSLYN ART MUSEUM

cover STORY metroMAGAZINE

THE DURHAM MUSEUM

the joslyn art museum showcases art’s power to inform and transform

great debate what’s your favorite work at the joslyn?

STORY BY DAVID WILLIAMS | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE JOSLYN ART MUSEUM AND ELIZABETH FORD

“IT’S THE BUILDING ITSELF. THAT’S MY FAVORITE WORK OF ART.” ~ JACK BECKER JOSLYN ART MUSEUM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

FOR EIGHT DECADES, it has been home to great debate in arguments that play out in hushed tones saturated with a reverence normally reserved for whispers in grand cathedrals, mosques or synagogues. Gallery chatter at the Joslyn Art Museum may be in undertones, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be as animated as the vibrant bronze and steel sentries standing guard in its outdoor sculpture garden.

For this writer, there can be no debate.

My favorite piece in the Joslyn collection is the Jackson Pollock. The Jackson Pollock has always been my favorite piece. The Jackson Pollock will always be my favorite piece.

Galaxy was created in 1947 and is particularly notable because it came at a turning point in Pollock’s career when he first moved away from thickly painted…

Wait a minute. Scratch that. Let’s reboot.

Martin Puryear’s Self has always been my favorite Joslyn piece. A minimalist monument rendered in red cedar and mahogany, Self resonates as a primitive nod to existential themes of being and nothingness.

What’s that? We’re also including older works in our survey? In that case, Grant Wood’s folksy Stone City would clearly rate as… uh, no, I meant Degas’ Little Dancer, which is most surely my hands-down fave…

Impossible. Utterly impossible.

It is madness for a writer to interject himself into a story, especially one in which he has such strong opinions. No, I meant to say one in which he has such obviously wishy-washy opinions. No, what I really meant to say was… oh, never mind.

(Note to Editor: Aaargh! Delete copy above and launch article with text below) continued on page 10 8

metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

metroMAGAZINE • The Spirit of Omaha

THE COAL-BLACK UNION PACIFIC ENGINE No. 1243 sits inert, a hulking behemoth from an era when steam was king and railroads epitomized American might in westward expansion and conquest.

Its nearest neighbor is the No. 1014 Benson ParkWest streetcar, a sunset-yellow bauble that saw its last sunset in 1955 during its historic journey on the final run of the city’s once vibrant streetcar system.

Today they are ethereal ghosts haunting tracks to nowhere. Or are they?

A much more fitting intro would have been to describe them as “tracks to discovery” at the Durham Museum.

Omaha’s most stunning Art Deco treasures, Union Station and the Joslyn Art Museum, are celebrating 80th birthdays this year.

Built in 1931, the former Union Station was once one of the nation’s busiest terminals before finding new life in 1975 as the Durham Western Heritage Museum and later changing its name to the Durham Museum. It was the first major train station to champion the eclectic design style that flourished throughout the ‘30s.

The Joslyn Art Museum rose in marble that same year as a beacon in pink for culture in a city formerly known for its smoky gambling dens and bawdy houses of ill repute.

For far too many, history has been consigned to the intellectually laissez-faire and decidedly irrelevant realm of dusty bookshelves and musty relics. In poll after disturbing poll, it is increasingly evident that a growing number of our neighbors have only the vaguest understanding of history, of who we are, how we got here, and where we are going.

But the building hovering above the tracks below 10th Street, in this life and in its former one, has always been about who we are, how we got here, and where we are going, explained Christi Janssen, the executive director of the museum that is anything but frozen in time.

“On January 15, 1931, Omaha’s Union Station opened its doors to the public, connecting tens of thousands of visitors to the rest of the country,” Janssen said. “Eighty years later, Union Station connects generations.”

Not all of the trains are at the Durham lie dormant.

Some stir from a deep slumber with every new wave of visitors. continued on page 11

union station is at full throttle in its 80th year

frozen in time exhibits at the durham museum always fresh, never frozen STORY BY DAVID WILLIAMS | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE DURHAM MUSEUM

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metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

cover STORY

the joslyn art museum celebrates 80 years | continued

JOSLYN ART MUSEUM

position with better lighting, it now seems to just float in space and has stirred a reawakening in me where I see it in a completely new and different context.

I can just stand here and stare at it all day and… did you say favorite piece?”

Uh-oh. Here it comes.

“No, no, don’t print that,” Jurovics said in shaking his head as my eraser did its dirty work. “Okay, let’s do this. We can call this my favorite piece this week. Are you getting this down? Better make that my favorite piece today because it can change so quickly.”

JOHN WALKER, UNTITLED (LEFT) AND MARTIN PURYEAR, SELF (FOREGROUND)

DONALD JUDD, UNTITLED

STRIKE THREE That’s when Jack Becker ambled around the corner to join the debate just when I was beginning to think that my task was one of Sisyphean futility.

“I can help you there,” explained the READY ON THE SET! TAKE TWO! executive director of the venerable This is the story of a quest. institution known for its emphasis on With the Joslyn celebrating 80 years 19th- and 20th-century European and in advancing great art and its power to American art. inform and transform, metroMAGAZINE He was taking a break from surveying set out to poll the galleries in search of progress on the major re-installation of favorite works. the museum’s American and American And who better to ask than an artist? I Western galleries that will debut on found Peter Sakievich wandering the Tuesday, August 9th. The effort highlights Joslyn Treasures: Well Traveled and the history of American painting from Rarely Seen (running through August 28). 1800 to 1950 and presents a new The exhibition features prominent works interpretation of the museum’s famed that recently returned to their marblecollection of art of the American West clad home after doing a bit of and Plains Indian cultures. globetrotting. The Utah-based artist was “It’s the building itself,” he chirped. on a whistle-stop, cross-country tour of “That’s my favorite work of art. My five museums in different cities as he favorite individual work changes every made his way east to accept a Hudson time I walk the galleries, but the building River Fellowship at the prestigious itself remains in encapsulating all the program in the Catskills-girded town of treasures within it.”

Hunter, New York.

“That’s not fair,” Sakievich protested.

DESPAIR “It’s been a long time since I’ve been here Three strikes and you’re out, I guess, and I just started to check things out, but especially with deadline looming.

I do love both of these Jean-Léon Becker dashed back to his duties and I Gérômes,” he said in admiring a pair of was about to accept defeat when I portraits from the French master. stumbled upon Rachel Gibson, the “Yes, yes, but which one?” I queried. smartly uniformed art school grad and “Which is your favorite?” recent Chicago transplant who was “You’re kidding, right?” came the reply. working the gallery that day.

Next!

“I’m completely spoiled,” Gibson beamed, “because I get to help all of our STRIKE TWO great guests in the shadow of this “I do have a favorite piece,” explained beautiful work,” she said in gesturing to Toby Jurovics. The curator of the museum an untitled painting by John Walker. “I that is adorned in Native American motifs see something new in it each and every led me to Donald Judd’s untitled amalgam day. It’s my very favorite. Is that what you of brass and blue anodized aluminum. wanted to know?”

“We recently re-installed this gallery of Thank you Rachel Gibson! And 20th century art,” he continued, “and the “thank you” to the Joslyn Art Museum for whole idea was to showcase the building 80 years of great debate. itself and how well it works with postm war American painting. Having moved this piece here to a more prominent

JACKSON POLLOCK, GALAXY 10

metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

metroMAGAZINE • The Spirit of Omaha

the durham museum celebrates 80 years | continued

DURHAM MUSEUM A RECENT VISIT FOUND A CLUTCH of Jackson Elementary School kindergartners on a summer school field trip “oohing” and “aahing” when a miniature train set sprang to life. It’s a crowd favorite, this sprawling, HO-scale vista of Americana complete with a drive-in movie whose twin bill marquee never changes.

A more contemplative “indoor voice” tone followed when the kids made their way to the next stop on an itinerary of wonder. Is it just possible that a real tepee once stood above the banks of the muddy Missouri on the very spot of the replica where they enjoyed learning about the eponymous tribe that lent its name to the their city?

How could they possibly forget any of the jawdropping sights and insights encountered all throughout the station once they crossed under the original “To Trains” sign, the one that acts as a portal to new worlds of discovery?

The utility of railroading, once the most romantically charming of people-movers, seems now relegated mostly to movement of the coal that once powered the mighty engines of travel and commerce.

“Through an ever-changing line-up of exhibitions, programs and events, we strive to be that ‘utility’ that brings the young and the young at heart together,” Janssen said. “The station’s purpose may have changed but its mission hasn’t– to serve the people of Omaha.”

And as for those kindergartners? Will they be able to buck the trend of America’s gradual decline into a country of those who don’t know their own past?

Let’s hope that those kids– surrounded by and immersed in history at the Durham Museum– heard the faint echoes of the Omaha Tribe, the spirit of the aptly named people whose name means “those who go against the current.” m

“EIGHTY YEARS LATER, UNION STATION CONNECTS GENERATIONS.” ~ CHRISTI JANSSEN DURHAM MUSEUM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

cover STORY continued

80 candles

the durham museum & joslyn art museum celebrate 80th birthdays with family fun STORY BY METROMAGAZINE STAFF | PHOTOGRAPH BY ©LAURIE AND CHARLES

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION THE DURHAM MUSEUM On Sunday, August 21st, from noon to 5 p.m., join the Durham and the Joslyn for a swinging day of fun for families. Reminisce about the 1930s while exploring the trains and exhibits at Durham and the galleries and gardens at Joslyn.

Where to start? Flip a coin! Paid, discounted admission of just $5 for an adult and $4 for a child (18 and younger) earns guests a wristband good for the day at both museums. Each organization will feature special activities for all ages.

The Durham Museum, making its home in Omaha’s beautiful art deco Union Station, is home to permanent exhibits that preserve Omaha’s vibrant history. Traveling exhibits cover subjects ranging from history and culture to science and industry along with many entertaining, educational, family-oriented activities. The Durham Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and has strong ties with the Library of Congress, National Archives and The Field Museum.

Gilbert Stanley Underwood, one of the finest architects in the classic art-deco style, was given free rein in designing the structure and his style is reflected in every facet of the construction, from the ceiling of the Suzzane and Walter Scott Great Hall right down to the door handles.

JOSLYN ART MUSEUM Joslyn Art Museum is a major regional resource for the collection, preservation, and interpretation of the visual arts. Dedicated to excellence and celebrating art in all its variety, the museum maintains a collection of art historical significance, ranging from antiquity to the present, with special emphasis on 19th- and 20thcentury European and American art. Through its collection, exhibitions and education programs, Joslyn Art Museum seeks to foster appreciation and enjoyment of art for the benefit of a diverse audience.

The station opened to great fanfare on January 15, 1931 and quickly became one of the busiest stations in the nation. In its heyday, 64 passenger trains and some 10,000 passengers passed through the facility every day. The last passenger train pulled out of Union Station in 1971.

Admission is free for members and children age 2 and under; $7 for adults; $6 for seniors; and $5 for children 3-12.

Visit www.durhammuseum.org

The museum’s original 1931 building is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the nation, with 38 types of marble from seven countries. The Walter and Suzanne Scott Pavilion, a 58,000square-foot addition built in 1994, was designed by renowned British architect Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, as his first U.S. commission. The museum features galleries, a 1,000seat concert hall, fountain court, education technology gallery, lecture hall, classrooms, library, café and museum shop.

Museum Admission: $8 adults; $6 senior citizens (62+) and college students (with ID); $5 ages 5-17; free for children four and younger and Joslyn members. The general public is admitted free on Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon. Visit www.joslyn.org

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metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

IN 1931, THE CITY OF OMAHA BECAME HOME TO TWO FACILITIES, ONE A GRAND STATION SERVING RAIL TRAVELERS IN LAVISH STYLE AND ONE A BASTION OF CULTURE, PRESENTING VISUAL ART AND MUSIC PERFORMANCES IN A STUNNING PINK MARBLE BUILDING.

UNION STATION, HOME TO THE DURHAM MUSEUM, AND JOSLYN ART MUSEUM BOTH TURN 80 THIS YEAR.

JACK BECKER JOSLYN ART MUSEUM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

p

ACKED BUSLOADS OF PEOPLE MADE

THE ROUNDS OF OMAHA’S

PREMIERE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS SUMMER’S DOWNTOWN LIVING TOUR.

FROM YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TO FAMILIES to emptynesters and from riverfront condominiums to row houses to loft townhomes, the very best in urban living was showcased.

Participating developments were 1101 Jackson, Bebe Runyan, Dunsany Flats, jLofts, Joslyn Lofts, The Paxton, Riverfront Place, SoMa, and this month’s featured property, Midtown Crossing, where access to the city’s most vibrant restaurants, night life, museums, festivals, theater and concerts is measured not in metrohome

gallons of fuel but instead in mere minutes of walking distance.

downtown living tour www.midtowncrossing.com

SPECIAL METRO MAGAZINE ADVERTORIAL 15

metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

downtown living tour

midtowncrossing

200 S. 31st Ave. Omaha, NE 68131 402.934.6450 www.midtowncrossing.com Contact: Dori Conway, Sales Manager

www.facebook.com/midtowncrossingatturnerpark www.twitter.com/midtowncrossing

MIDTOWN CROSSING Midtown Crossing is more than an option for urban living. It redefines the very concept, combining the sophistication and energy of a modern city with the convenience and security of a close-knit and unique neighborhood community.

downtown living tour

Located just minutes from downtown with convenient interstate access, our condominiums feature state-of-the-art construction, spacious floor plans, floor-to-ceiling windows, sweeping views, and a full range of amenities. Concierge service is standard and parking is plentiful. Just steps from our condominiums, you’ll find several upscale and casual dining opportunities, entertainment, fitness, shopping, services and Nebraska’s only Westin Hotel. For more information call 402.934.6450.

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metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

Nano Little, Mark Maser and Amy Haddad

magicintheair

t

Christine Mann, Kristi Burnnett and Doris Buell

joslyn castle trust magic at midtown

with

crossed fingers, interior designers filled the penthouse suites at Midtown Crossing for the drawing of design spaces for the upcoming Joslyn Castle Trust Designer Showcase.

On June 30th designers had the chance to scope out the condos at 220 S. 31st Ave., the site of Magic at Midtown: A Tour of Upscale Urban Residences. After carefully examining each room and making note of their favorites, the designers gathered for the big draw to allocate spaces to the designers.

The 32 spaces were paired off with the same number of designers, who will show off their skills during the designer showcase.

The residences will officially open November 17th with a gala and fireworks. Public viewing of the condominiums will continue through December 4th.

Interior Designers

Ric Klaas and Diane Luxford Asid

“We’ve been chatting with Midtown Crossing since it opened because it’s the new center of town, the new place to be,” said Mark Maser, Magic at Midtown Tour steering committee member. “We knew the Omaha community would love to see what’s happening on the residential side and how handsome those spaces truly are. Add in the vision of dozens of the area’s best designers and those spaces are truly going to be something to behold.”

Magic at Midtown is expected to raise over $100,000 for Joslyn Castle Trust’s efforts to restore the Joslyn Castle property.

Mike Klug and Molly Skold

For more information, visit www.midtowncrossing.com.

Julia Russell and Lester Katz Photos by Sh elby Craw and Liz Ford

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

celebrating SARPY COUNTY

Are you smarter than a fifth-grader when it comes to arithmetic? Let’s use the hottest months of the year to bone up on the coldest of sciences by running through the numbers on what lies ahead for Sarpy County fun this summer.

sarpycounty DOING THE MATH ON SUMMER FUN tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM AIR SHOW

406,276

The attendance figure for the Omaha Royals’ final season at Rosenblatt Stadium.

With a new name and a glistening new park, the Omaha Storm Chasers look to draw even larger crowds in 16 remaining home games at Sarpy County’s newest crown jewel, beautiful Werner Park.

1,400

The number of acres encompassing the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center (1111 N. Bellevue Blvd.). Fall colors are right around the corner amid the scenic bluffs overlooking the Missouri River.

The forest offers spectacular scenery and an educational view into the area’s wildlife and natural habitat. www.fontenelleforest.org

500

The number of pennies you’ll need to pinch to pay the cover for the Friday Night Music Series at Soaring Wings Vineyard (17111 S. 138th St). Editor’s Pick: Swine on the Vine, the vineyard’s annual pig roast, is August 21st. Also check out Smooth Jazz Saturdays and Acoustic Sundays at what is perhaps the area’s premier vintner. www.soaringwingswine.com

75

“Numbers don’t lie,” she continued, “but what really makes Sarpy County such a special place is the spirit of cooperation and collaboration between the public and private sectors: the business community, schools, non-profit organizations and government entities working together for the greater good of those that choose to live, work and play here.”

3

“All those numbers above are no accident,” explained Linda Revis of Sarpy County Tourism. She’s the tourism director of the group that last year had over 10,000 people sign the organization’s guest book, even as the bureau exhausted a print run of 50,000 visitor’s guides. Maybe that helps explain why the number of hotel rooms in Sarpy County has doubled in the last five years alone.

1 ZILLION

“Around every city corner and along every country road,” Revis added, “there’s music, adventure, history and entertainment waiting for you in Sarpy County.”

The number of years the Sarpy County Fair has offered up bronco-ridin’, demolition derby-crunchin’, BBQslathered fun for all ages. This year’s fair runs August 3rd – 7th at the Sarpy County Fairgrounds in Springfield. www.sarpyfair.com

As in Toy Story 3, the August 12th Starlight Movie offering at the Sumtur Amphitheatre (11691 S. 108th St.).

From swing to rock and from symphonic to ballet, this al fresco venue promises an eclectic array of under-the-stars delights all summer long. www.sumtur.org

The estimated decibel level at the August 27th – 28th Offutt Air Force Base Defenders of Freedom Air Show. Also the number of people expected to be in attendance and the recommended SPF level of sunscreen to bathe in that day. www.offuttairshow.com

For more on planning a Sarpy Summer, visit www.gosarpy.com. m

And let’s not neglect a different, equally important set of numbers, those that measure dollars being counted in cash registers all over Sarpy County.

“Our population growth rate is twice that of Douglas County’s and three times that of the state overall,” said Jane Nielsen in pointing to recently released 2011 Census data. Nielsen is president of the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce and understands that tourism can be an important economic driver.

FONTENELLE FOREST

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metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

business SPOTLIGHTS

ribbon CUTTINGS

Members of the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce celebrated new homes with recent ribbon-cuttings.

Visit www.sarpychamber.org.

CHOCOLATERIE STAM Experience a nearly 100-year Dutch tradition. Enjoy the atmosphere of this unique European style chocolate shop, Chocolaterie Stam, which features pure, Belgian chocolates, European licorice, coffee drinks and real Italian gelato made with ingredients from Italy and a local dairy. shadow lake towne center 7474 towne center parkway #123, papillion, ne 68046 www.stamchocolate.com | 402.933.7826

RIBBON CUTTING AT MMC MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS INC. The employee-owned MMC Contractors, a company that focuses on mechanical preconstruction, new construction and renovation, inaugurated their new space on April 14th.

9751 south 142nd st., omaha, ne 68138

SPRINGFIELD DRUG & OLD FASHIONED SODA FOUNTAIN Enjoy an experience like no other at this beautifully restored drugstore and soda fountain. Cool off the whole family with your ice cream favorites, including whipped cream and sprinkles. A museum-quality collection of drugstore and ice cream antiques will take you back 100 years.

205 main st., springfield, ne 68059 www.springfielddrug.com | 402.253.2000

RIBBON CUTTING AT WERNER PARK The Omaha Storm Chasers ushered in a new era of baseball with a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Sounds at the April 15th opening of Werner Park.

12356 ballpark way, papillion, ne 68046

Coale Design original

SPRINGFIELD ARTWORKS Bold, contemporary art draws guests into Springfield Artworks to watch artists at work and purchase one of a kind, local pieces. Glenn and Margie Trembley, along with other outstanding artists, incorporate new and challenging techniques in their jewelry, glass, silk wearables and sculptural fiber art.

RIBBON CUTTING AT PAPIO TECH Papio Tech, a managed IT services and tech support company, moved into new offices with an April 19th ribbon-cutting ceremony.

183 main st., springfield, ne 68059 www.springfieldartworks.com | 402.301.9162 19

607 pinnacle dr., suite c, papillion, ne 68046 metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

Over 2,300 alleged victims of child abuse were served by Project Harmony last year. This response to our most vulnerable is only possible with the generous support of this community.

Š2008

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metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CONNECTING YP ORGANIZATION PROFILE

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION PROFILE

ready 2 serve

partnership for our kids WWW.PARTNERSHIPFOROURKIDS.ORG

WWW.READY2SERVEOMAHA.ORG

No matter how well we excel as a giving community, we’re only as good as the next generation. But how can we cultivate the next wave of leaders if we don’t know where to find them? It’s about time to figure out how, and Ready 2 Serve has a solution.

Changing lives one kid at time. This has been a driving force behind Partnership for Our Kids ever since its birth. In 2007, Winners Circle and All Our Kids joined forces with their united vision to help disadvantaged students create and maintain a desire to learn and graduate.

Whether you are a young professional looking for leadership opportunities or a nonprofit in need of volunteers, Ready 2 Serve is here to help. The online resource, a partnership between the Greater Omaha Young Professionals and the Women’s Fund of Greater Omaha, connects people to volunteer openings with boards, committees and councils who are interested in finding new talent.

Partnership for Our Kids serves over 4,500 at-risk youth from Omaha Public Schools by getting them involved in the organization’s programs.

The Winners Circle program encourages students to achieve goals in reading, math and life skills with support and motivation from their teachers, parents and volunteers. Students are recognized and honored for their success at quarterly Winners Circle Celebrations. The All Our Kids mentoring and scholarship program helps students in grades 612. Teachers and counselors select students who have obstacles keeping them from their academic potential. Participating students then attend bi-monthly meetings to learn about academic skills, tutoring, career exploration, leadership, team-building and healthy living.

If you are an individual interested in getting involved, all you have to do is create a volunteer profile with your interests. Once you receive approval from the website, you are free to begin browsing positions. If you are a non-profit, you can register your organization, post volunteer opportunities and search for possible candidates to help you reach your goals. You can even have multiple users for your organization to represent different program areas.

In a few clicks of the mouse, you could be on your way to joining or finding the next generation of leaders. Working together, we as a community can keep Omaha a strong and energetic place.

Visit www.ready2serveomaha.org to get started.

Partnership for Our Children hosts a variety of events during the year to reach out to the public. On July 30th, they created “An Evening to Escape” during the Summer Wine and Food Festival.

Interested in helping out? You can make donations or volunteer as a Goal Buddy with the Winners Circle or a Group Mentor with All Our Kids. For more information, visit www.partnershipforourkids.org.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN THE NEWS

eliana smith SINCE IT’S INCEPTION IN 2008, Omaha Fashion Week has been paving the way for up-and-coming local designers. It’s most commonly thought of as a bicoastal and beyond profession… New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Milan, but designers from the 402 are making their own mark on the fashion industry, including Eliana Smith.

With Argentinean roots and a Utah upbringing, Smith has seen a world of culture. Growing up with a mother who was employed by a couture house, Smith was never far from the fashion industry. While working on a degree in vocal performance at the University of Utah, Smith came to realize that she loved design just as much as singing.

In her junior year, she applied to the Salt Lake City Fashion Institute and graduated in 2010. Smith has been in Omaha for a little over a year and describes the city as “a dream location for entrepreneurs.

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The resources are rich and consumers are open to new ideas.

People here are willing to support local talent.”

Now Smith has a coveted slot in the finale on the final day of Omaha Fashion Week 2011.

“I’m really excited for our next collection in the ElianaSDesign brand,” she said of the opportunity to show her eclectic fall 2012 line. “The ‘ElianaSDesign girl’ is traveling to ‘50s glam India and our colors and customized prints will reflect this new adventure.”

Now in it’s fourth year, Omaha Fashion Week has grown to draw as many as 6,000 attendees. This year’s show features 44 designers form all across the region.

Omaha Fashion Week 2011, where local designers aim to make a global impact, runs August 21st through the 27th at Nomad Lounge. metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

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metroMagazine • SpiritofOmaha.com

define the “how do you‘spirit of omaha’? beth riley jeremy belsky chief development officer • 34 BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF THE MIDLANDS I FEEL INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE to work in a city where we have philanthropic leaders focused on systems change– true philanthropy– rather than trying to bandage societal problems.

Donors in Omaha are investing in social change and are interested in seeing a return on their investment. At Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands, we serve many of the most vulnerable youth in our community, children and teens who are growing up in single parent households, extreme poverty, or both. Donors in Omaha are astute and know the value of matching kids with quality community-based mentors. When adults can serve as role models and cheerleaders to kids facing adversity, we see real results in reduced dropout rates and reduced activity in the justice system.

Omaha is unique in having such an informed base of philanthropic leaders who are committed to making this a promising, safe place for all children, regardless of their background. Even more exciting, we are having real conversations about these issues in our community. I can’t imagine living, working and raising my own son anywhere else!

planned giving officer • 37 BOYS TOWN COMING TO OMAHA after growing up in small town Nebraska (pop. 2,500), I was impressed with the city’s vastness and big buildings. Why, I wondered, had my hometown never grown like that?

The explanation is simple. That community didn’t have the foundation to attract medium and big companies that spur growth. It just didn’t have it, whatever that special “it” was. I’ve always felt that Omaha’s “it” factor has been our philanthropists, large and small, who continue to set the pace in generating a spirit of giving back to Omaha. The $3 billion downtown development effort over the last decade (Qwest Center, Union Pacific, First National Bank, etc.) was a show of “we can do this!” by Omaha’s community leaders. Getting to perform charitable gift planning for Boys Town parallels the generosity of Omahans. At Boys Town we want to heal families and save children, and that takes resources of all kind. The spirit of Omaha is no different. We’re proud. We empathize. We want to help.

Keep giving and keep growing, Omaha!

sarah lopez

kareen hickman

director of development and communucations • 26 INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES

development director • 39 PRIDE-OMAHA, INC.

WHEN I ASK PEOPLE who are not originally from Omaha how they came to be here and what has made them stay, the answer is always the same.

Despite their varied backgrounds, people quite logically point to Omaha’s job market and educational opportunities as being initial attractors, but it was the community’s laid-back nature, sincere friendliness and quiet generosity that inspired a sense of belonging, ownership and desire to reinvest their time, talent and treasure here. At Inclusive Communities, we are always challenging our students to consider how they can serve as better stewards of the community that we all share. As our society becomes increasingly diverse, a large part of this process will involve reaching out across the divides of race, faith and class to maintain the same sense of “belonging” that has, for years, encouraged people to make Omaha home. As someone who grew up here, I am grateful for the opportunity to be involved in work that is helping to define and maintain what we like to refer to as the “Spirit of Omaha.”

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I DEFINE THE SPIRIT OF OMAHA as building a better community. In my 11 years here, whether through work or volunteer activities, I have always had a heart for working for the greater good of my community. The work I do at PRIDE, an acronym for Prevention Resources and Information on Drug Education, is about keeping children safe and drug free so they can reach their full potential and be tomorrow’s leaders. In hopes of building a healthier, safer community for all, it is my goal to help work toward changing the cultural influences that encourage children to use drugs. Over the years I have seen how this community comes together to support the work of the non-profit sector. We live in a great city with so many opportunities to give not just money, but also time and talents. We are blessed to be part of a community that wants to get involved and enjoys finding creative and innovative ways to elevate our great city. The spirit of Omaha is in its people!

metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

ElainE JabEnis and dEE OwEn stEal thE shOw, but what ElsE is nEw?

celebrating the arts

omaha • lincoln • council bluffs

Women of a certain age STORY BY DAVID J. WILLIAMS

Omaha COmmunity PlayhOusE awards night 2011 “Omaha Community Playhouse, this is Dee, may I help you?”

Those words were repeated time and again during a visit to the Omaha Community Playhouse a few days after their Awards Night 2011.

Just how is a writer supposed to conduct an interview when his subject’s job is to answer the phone?

The President’s Award-winner for extraordinary leadership in activities excluding performance or production, Dee Owen is the woman who, along with her late husband Edward F. Owen, has contributed much to ensure that the curtain keeps going up on the storied stage on Henry Fonda Drive.

THE FAMILIAR VOICE of the Omaha Community Playhouse, Owen volunteers in the humblest of fashions, but others may recognize the name as one associated with generous giving in the arts, the name that adorns the lobby of America’s largest community playhouse.

“I’m just delighted that they even put up with me,” Owen quipped in between phone calls. “This is my second home and I’ll do anything for the Playhouse except get on stage. They know that, but went and did it to me again anyway,” said she who admits to suffering from stage fright.

“I almost had a fit the other night. Someone should have told me in advance because I would have at least worn a nice dress!”

THE ANNUAL EVENT that honors both volunteer and theatrical efforts was held June 27th. While youthful singers, dancers and actors had a spring in their step in a non-stop parade to the dais, “women of a certain age” were the main headliners that night, and Owen wasn’t alone in getting a surprise.

Not by any means for the first time in her illustrious stage career, Elaine Jabenis stole the show when a clever ruse was employed to coax her to the microphone so she could learn that the Clarence Teal Cameo award would now be known as the Elaine Jabenis Cameo Award.

“I bought the first brick for the Omaha Community Playhouse,” Jabenis beamed afterward in a lobby crowded with trophy-toting celebrants.

The woman who was once on a first name basis with the Fonda clan– Henry, Peter and Jane– has attained almost legendary stature as the grande dame of the Omaha footlights.

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metroMagazine • aug 2011

THIS IS MY SECOND HOME AND I’LL DO ANYTHING FOR THE PLAYHOUSE. ~ DEE OWEN JABENIS MADE HER PLAYHOUSE DEBUT in 1952 as the betrothed in The Father of the Bride, seven years before the first ticket was sold at the “new” location of the company founded in 1924 at the corner of 39th and Davenport Streets.

“No, silly, I’m not that old!” said the actress who also enjoyed a notable career in television and fashion. “I wasn’t talking about the original Playhouse. I meant that I bought the first commemorative brick when the Playhouse moved here. Come on, I’ll show you.”

So we wended our way through a rippling current of sequined gowns until…

“Ah, here it is, here’s my brick!” she said in proudly tapping a toe on the floor near the lobby bar.

DEE OWEN PHOTO BY ©LAURIE & CHARLES

“The Playhouse has added so much to my life,” Jabenis said, “but it’s also added so much to the life of our community. The quality of performances here means that audiences can see Broadway-caliber work done right here in Omaha.”

ELAINE JABENIS PHOTO BY ELIZABETH FORD

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Fonda McGuire Award Most Outstanding Performance of the Season Kathy Wheeldon, Ann Landers in The Lady with All the Answers Bill Hutson, Morrie Schwartz in Tuesdays with Morrie

Mary Peckham Award Memorable Performance in a Feature Role Play: Connie Lee, Truvy in Steel Magnolias Chris Shonka, Mitch Albom in Tuesdays with Morrie Musical: Kirstin Kluver, Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls Seth Shirley, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls

Barbara Ford Award Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role Play: Charleen J.B. Willoughby, Ouiser Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias Randy Vest, Arnold Burns in A Thousand Clowns Musical: Jennifer Tritz, Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Eric Micks, William Barfée in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Elaine Jabenis Cameo Award Memorable Performance in a Small Role Play: Jennifer McGill, Annelle Dupuy-Desoto in Steel Magnolias

THE PLAYHOUSE HAS ADDED SO MUCH TO MY LIFE, BUT IT’S ALSO

Rob Baker, Leo Herman in A Thousand Clowns Musical: Bailey Carlson, Rusty in Footloose, the Musical

ADDED SO MUCH TO THE LIFE OF

Roderick Cotton, Mitch Mahoney in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

OUR COMMUNITY. ~ ELAINE JABENIS 25

metroMagazine • aug 2011

continued

continued

omaha • lincoln • council bluffs

ERIC MICKS

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF OMAHA COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE

Bill Bailey Debut Award Outstanding Performance In A First Appearance On An OCP Stage KATHY WHEELDON

PAUL HANSON

Theresa Fuchs, Ariel Moore in Footloose, the Musical Paul Hanson, Ren McCormack in Footloose, the Musical

Trustees’ Award To Recognize Special Distinguished Service To OCP Alena Furlong

President’s Award CHRIS SHONKA AND BILL HUTSON

CONNIE LEE

For Extraordinary Leadership & Work for OCP in Areas of Activities Excluding Performance or Production Dee Owen

Edward F. Owen Award For Corporations, Foundations & Individuals Whose Partnership & Contribution Have Nurtured & Sustained Ongoing Development of OCP HDR

Echo Ellick Top Production Award

JENNIFER TRITZ

Outstanding Backstage Work Tim Burkhart CHARLEEN J.B. WILLOUGHBY

Special Award Steve Priesman for his years of volunteer stage managing, namely for A Christmas Carol

Box Office Distinguished Service Award Sandra Squires

Staff Ten Year Award Lara Marsh, Tim Schmad and Melanie Walters

26

SETH SHIRLEY

KIRSTIN KLUVER

metroMagazine • aug 2011

awinningevening

Kaitlyn McClincy, Dennis Collins, Kim Jubenville, Mark Thornburg and Mike Shelton

t

Terese Kudrna with Betty and Jerry Golmanavich

omaha community playhouse awards night

standing

ovations are commonplace at America’s largest community theatre, but few were as thunderous, as sentimental, or as heartfelt as when honors were conferred at the June 27th Omaha Community Playhouse Awards Night 2011. Stage legend and television and fashion veteran Elaine Jabenis learned that night that the Clarence Teal Cameo award would now be known as the Elaine Jabenis Cameo Award. Dee Owen, a tireless advocate who does everything from answering the phone to lending her family’s name to the Playhouse’s stately lobby, was honored with the President’s Award. The Fonda McGuire Award, named for Playhouse alums and Hollywood legends Henry Fonda and Dorothy McGuire, went to Kathy Wheeldon for her work as Ann Landers in the one-woman show, The Lady with All the Answers and to Bill Hutson for his unforgettable turn as Morrie Schwartz in Tuesdays with Morrie. Steve Priesman received a special award for his long service as a volunteer stage manager, most notably for his almost quarter-century role as the unseen and unsung force behind the juggernaut that is A Christmas Carol. See the Bravo section in this issue for a full story and a list of all the winners at the event that recognizes volunteers, actors, theatre arts professionals, staff and partners.

Karrin and Joe Dignoti

Scan this code using your smartphone to view more photos online at SpiritofOmaha.com.

Camille Metoyer Moten and Dave Wingert

Tim McCandless and Mark Kocsis

Gary and Eloise Tesar Photos by Sh elby Craw and Liz Ford

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

purity saucha:how we metroMAgAzinE • The Spirit of Omaha

treat ourselves

with mary e. vandenack

This article shifts from my examination of the yamas of yoga to the niyamas. The niyamas are the second limb of the eight-fold path of yoga. The niyamas are observances and relate to how we treat ourselves. The first niyama is saucha, defined as purity or cleanliness. Yoga is a practice designed to unify mind and body. The concept of saucha thus relates to the purity of the physical, the mental, the emotional and the environment.

season to change the ways I’m eating and to eat lightly.

I usually eliminate processed foods and sugars and anything else that may have snuck into my diet that I deem not in my best interest. I take some time to notice what I have been eating and how it is affecting me. We all have our dietary culprits. My way of removing them is to cut back to basics for a few weeks. Personally, I turn to ayurvedic principles of detox for my body type.

losers several times. That was pretty ineffective. For the rest of the round, I decided to adopt the practice taught to myself and my son by a friend. His approach was to yell “perfect” whenever you have a shot that is less than you are hoping for. The technique works rather well. I did have to yell “perfect” several times but I was laughing rather than getting frustrated and ended up enjoying the round even though I shot well above my average that day.

PHYSICAL LEVEL On the physical level, there is the basic of taking care of one’s body. How we take care of ourselves externally often represents how we feel about ourselves internally.

For me, the only way a detox works is if I clear enough time that the focus during that period can be the process of clearing. I take time out to do more yoga and meditation, spend more time sitting on the deck and more time with friends, as well as other activities that relax me. Detoxing usually does not work well in periods of high stress. While it is important to seek to eat well to help support oneself through times of high stress, going to the lengths of a detox during that period can be counter-productive.

I have begun to apply the “perfect principle” in areas of my life off the golf course as well. If you can’t get yourself to use “perfect,” at least go for “okay,” but speak well to yourself, no matter what. You are not a moron because you had too much on your plate one day and forgot to get one thing done. If you have too much on your plate, you need some loving kindness and it starts with how you treat yourself.

There are times in our lives - when we are ill, when we are grieving, or when we are faced with significant challenges such as unexpected financial hardship that the simplest physical self-care may seem challenging. It is during these times that basic selfcare is crucial.

My longtime practice has been to keep a simple list of those things that are really important. If they are not happening, I know life is out of balance and I need to retrack. Most recently, after many challenges within a year, I started crossing many things off my calendar so that I could do a better job of taking care of myself.

Exercise is also an important part of saucha on the physical level. Exercise keeps energy moving within the body. Exercise and care of the physical body supports the ability to clear the mind.

PHYSICAL SURROUNDINGS Saucha also refers to our physical surroundings.

When items sit in our closet unused and undusted for years at a time, past energy remains trapped. There is a reason that it feels great to clean out closets and donate to thift stores or have a garage sale. It is a way of clearing energy and cleansing.

DETOX I have been a fan of a combined physical and mental detox on a regular basis. I am not, however, a fan of intense detox practices. I simply take some time each

MENTAL PURITY Mental purity is about how we are thinking and speaking. What thoughts are we holding on to?

What things do we say repeatedly?

What are we listening to? What type of music do we play? What type of television channels do we have turned on? What do we focus on when we read the paper or blogs? What magazines are we picking up?

When we are checking out at the grocery, are we reading the celebrity tribulations or the magazines on healthy cooking? Are we putting into our mind information and thoughts that will improve our internal energy?

What are we thinking? When we are driving to work, are we grateful that we can still afford the gas to get there or are we ticked because the new driver or old lady in front of us is driving too slowly?

What are we saying to ourselves? I listened to myself while golfing recently. Golf is a difficult game and I am struggling with my inability to shoot par every round.

Choosing to listen to myself was a good decision. I was sick of the conversation after three holes. During those three holes, I must have called myself and my golf coach

What are we saying to others? Are we letting people know that they matter to us? Are we aware that the conversation we are having with someone can be the very last one that we might have? I recently had a “last” conversation with a friend who collapsed later that day and died of a stroke a few days later. Are our conversations uplifting or are we complaining about the color of Jane’s shoes? If we are finding the need to say things that make someone feel “less,” why are we doing that?

I was recently getting ready to teach yoga at a studio where the locker room is shared with a gym. It was a Sunday morning and I was trying to create a positive mindset that would support those who showed up for my class. In the locker room, I ran into a lady who had been working out vigorously and was sweating on a very hot day. She said to me, “Don’t you just hate the heat?

I just hate the heat?” I looked at her and said, “Actually, it seems to suit you really well. You look invigorated.

I’m sure that as soon as you cool from your workout, you are going to feel great and have a fabulous day.” I ran into her later that morning and she thanked me for shifting her mindset. Imagine if we could all offer that to others just a little more often.

Mary E. Vandenack, while a lawyer by profession, has studied extensively in mind/body areas of fitness and wellness.

She is Yoga Alliance RYT-200, Power Pilates certified, ACE certified and has completed her Stott Pilates comprehensive studies, as well as a variety of work in nutrition.

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metroMAgAzinE • Aug 2011

the soul’s jouRnEY

presence livinginthemoment

“LIFE CAN BE FOUND ONLY IN THE PRESENT MOMENT. THE PAST IS GONE, THE FUTURE IS NOT YET HERE, AND IF WE DO NOT GO BACK TO OURSELVES IN THE PRESENT MOMENT, WE CANNOT BE IN TOUCH WITH LIFE.”

with dixie clark

~ Buddhist monk, author and poet Thich Nhat Hanh Living in the moment, accepting what is.

Breathing in... breathing out... stepping forward into what our Soul has placed in front of us. Taking care of our 10 percent in life. This is what allows our soul’s expression to come forward. This is what allows us to fully live our life.

ourselves frequently. For those who have suffered traumatic events in the past, in childhood, these often become frozen moments in time that keep repeating. There are many cases where time does not heal old wounds if we’re stuck in how we’re processing it.

Living in the moment, accepting what is. How hard can that be? It sounds simple on the word level, but if you’ve ever tried doing it, you know that sustaining that awareness can be a challenge. We get pulled out of living in the moment in a number of ways.

We get caught up in the future.

Many people have difficulty being in the present because they are very future-oriented, always planning their next step and multi-tasking all the things that need to be done in the day, week or month. Their energy and thoughts are ahead of them, living those times and places in the future.

We go on autopilot.

For those of us control freaks, we like to make Many of us get up in the morning and those not just Plan A, but Plan B and even C, just so we old programs and conditioning start running can be prepared for any event that might happen. us. We can get into a pattern of doing the We can create the worst possible scenarios, all the same things in the same ways, like driving the “what if” situations that create anxiety. If you’re same route to work. Our conscious mind can thinking of something that hasn’t even happened get tired of the repetition, and just “goes away,” yet and feel anxiety, anger or some other negative while our unconscious runs much of the day. emotion, you’re not living in the moment.

If you’ve ever changed jobs, driven in a new Living in the moment is a lifelong learning city or moved to a new location, you probably remember needing to be much more conscious process for most of us. Our soul is the Light of our consciousness. When we live in the past or and in the moment to get through your day. the future, when we go through life unconsciously, We get stuck in the past. it blocks our soul’s expression in the moment.

We are stuck in the past when we hold on to When we get caught up in “why did that happen, regrets over choices we’ve made. When we have what does this mean, what if this happens” type guilt over things done or left undone, it keeps us of thought patterns, we block our living fully in stuck reliving a time in the past, wishing it were the present and block the higher level energy different. Sometimes it’s resentment or blame that from guiding us in each moment. keeps us stuck. Anger over the actions of another We each need to find our own path in how we or reliving times of betrayal block our healing and make this happen, when we choose to do so. learning from these situations. Our thoughts go These are simply some suggestions that may round and round, our emotions come forward as if it’s happening now, and we re-traumatize be helpful.

Set your intention each day to live and love fully present in the moment.

Periodically throughout the day (use sticky notes or a watch alarm as reminders) begin focusing on your breathing. Use a phrase such as “Be here now” to call you back to the present.

Be aware of your thoughts and energy.

If your thoughts are in the past or future, change them to the present moment. “I am safe in this moment” is a phrase some people use. If it feels as though your energy is way out in front of you in the future or is in the past, pulling you back, just imagine your energy flowing back into your body into this moment.

If you continue to have difficulty letting go of resentment, guilt, trauma or anxiety from the past or worry about the future, ask yourself if there’s some action you need to take or if you need to accept and let go. If you are having difficulty doing this, get some help with it to allow you to live in peace.

Above all, love yourself in each moment.

No matter what’s happening or not happening in your life, no matter what other people do or don’t do... love yourself.

Each moment holds a blessing, a gift, if we just allow it to come forward. Each day is sacred and one of a kind. Our soul’s journey is made up of experiencing the wonder of it all.

Dixie Clark, MS, MSS, LPC is director and co-founder of Morning Star Center, a holistic wellness center. A licensed counselor and ordained minister, she holds a masters’ degree in both counseling and spiritual science and is currently obtaining her doctorate in spiritual science. With over 26 years experience in mind/body therapies, she combines spirituality and psychology to help people release emotional blocks, heal past trauma and change limiting beliefs to open to soul awareness.

dixie clark, ms, mss, lpc | www.morningstarcenter.com | www.dixieclark.com 29

metroMAgAzinE • Aug 2011

leading & LiVing • apogee group metroMAgAzinE • The Spirit of Omaha Learn more about Roger Fransecky and the services available for developing your resources at www.apogeeceo.com

it’s time for a good book

discover

with roger fransecky

“A BOOK IS THE ONLY PLACE IN WHICH YOU CAN EXAMINE A FRAGILE THOUGHT WITHOUT BREAKING IT, OR EXPLORE AN EXPLOSIVE IDEA WITHOUT FEAR IT WILL GO OFF IN YOUR FACE. IT IS ONE OF THE FEW HAVENS REMAINING WHERE A MAN'S MIND CAN GET BOTH PROVOCATION AND PRIVACY.” ~ Edward P. Morgan When I was 9 my mother lured me to a long-postponed dental appointment with the promise that if I were “good” she would buy me a new book. I was already a voracious reader and she knew that promise insured less squirming in the chair. Sure enough, post-filling I went to my favorite little bookstore and discovered The Tower Treasure, the first volume of the Hardy Boys series

by Franklin W. Dixon. I devoured it in an evening and the special world of secrets shared by teenage detectives Frank and Joe Hardy opened the door to a lifelong passion for mysteries.

Friends prod me to make recommendations but I confess that it becomes more difficult after one savors the depth of Agatha Christie’s Poirot (brought to life on PBS by the brilliant David Suchet) or, lately, Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander trilogy, disturbing as they are. I have always been attracted to detectives who struggle with what William Faulkner called “the old verities and truths of the heart... love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice.” My favorite sleuths are, like me, flawed and curious in an often dark, confusing and fallen world, where, as Meacham noted, “murder and betrayal and treason are constant threats and frequent foes.”

I deeply admire the thinking and writing of Jon Meacham, historian and editor (most recently of Newsweek), who reminds us that mysteries focus us on the devices and desires of our own hearts, dark as they may sometimes be. He notes that “mysteries and thrillers are not the same thing; though they are literary siblings... the distinction is that mysteries emphasize motive and psychology whereas thrillers rely more heavily on action and plot.”

I find P.D. James’ poet-detective Adam Dalgliesh to be the very model of a repressed and, later in the series, grieving man driven to find whatever truth is buried under the bloody sheets of life.

Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse is a curmudgeon driven to solve a deadly puzzle while drinking too much, offending too many, all the while finding comfort listening to opera in his leafy corner of contemporary Oxford.

I confess to liking, collecting, sharing and savoring both.

I have moved in my reading from Britain to Iceland with Hanny Mankell’s brilliant, if lost, Inspector

Wallander. I recently discovered Inspector Harry Hollow (that gives you a sense of the man), in Jo Nesbo’s series set in Oslo. I have favorites from Africa and Italy, too.

For thrillers I still am a sucker for Daniel Silva’s complex portrait of Gabriel Allon, an Israeli assassin with a passion for art restoration and a trail of personal loss. Who doesn’t like Jack Reacher, the creation of Lee Child, as he brings order with a Clint Eastwood-like fist in a search for simple justice? I just finished David Ignatius’ Bloodmoney, which brought me into the world of espionage and duplicity in contemporary Pakistan, a place he knows well as a Washington Post foreign affairs columnist. And Robert Ludlum’s latest novel sits on my bedside table waiting to be tested.

And yes, I could go on...

August is a month of long hot days rich with the invitation to slip off to a quiet corner and step into a world that is new, often startling and compelling... enjoy reading!

“A GOOD BOOK HAS NO ENDING.” ~ R.D. Cumming

mobile m obile m me metro! etro ro get the iPhone/iPad app now

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Your Y our ultimate pock pocket et guide to businesses & services in the metro area, view view metroSCENE metroSCENE photo photo galleries, galleries, s access access comprehensive comprehensive eevents vents & special interest calendars and MORE!

or visit SpiritofOmaha.com 30

metroMAgAzinE • Aug 2011

nes: optimal LiVing • aristotle group

social & emotional intelligence

be smart

with gordon h. parry

“EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IS NOT THE OPPOSITE OF INTELLIGENCE, IT IS NOT THE TRIUMPH OF HEART OVER HEAD - IT IS THE UNIQUE INTERSECTION OF BOTH.” ~ David Caruso Over the past 18 months, I have had the privilege to work with a team focused on expanding their capacity and performance.

We recently used a tool called TESI (Team Emotional and Social Intelligence). As our session came to a close one of the participants, ironically, received an e-mail with a link to a story on the power of emotional intelligence.

The focus of the story was a man who secured significant funding from Congress in a most unusual way. In a mere six minute pitch, he successfully secured $20 million in funding for PBS and won over his audience in the process.

You may be surprised to learn that this savvy political influencer was Fred Rogers, the legendary host of PBS’s long running children’s show “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” How did he do this? He used significant emotional and social intelligence in an authentic way. A video of Mr. Rogers’ presentation can be viewed on YouTube by searching “Mr. Rogers Congress.”

What does it mean to be smart? How important is intelligence in determining success? Is IQ the only measure of intelligence?

Studies as early as 1920 identified a concept called “social intelligence” and the ‘40s saw the intoduction of the idea of “emotional intelligence” to describe such qualities as understanding one’s own feelings, empathy for the feelings of others and the regulation of emotion. In 1995, Harvard psychologist and New York Times science writer Daniel Goleman popularized the concept and introduced the abbreviation EQ. Researchers generally agree that among the ingredients for success, IQ accounts for only about

20 percent. Emotional and social intelligence may help to explain the unusual finding that people with the highest levels of IQ outperform those with an average IQ just 20 percent of the time.

While many models of emotional and social intelligence have emerged over the past 15 years, most contain some variation of the components originally identified by Daniel Goleman in his 1995 book Emotional Intelligence:

Intelligence refers to the ability to think abstractly, recognize patterns, use reason, and apply knowledge. Intelligence has been divided into two broad categories: “cold,” focused on cognitive skills of reasoning, analytical and rational thought; and “hot,” focused on motivation, emotion and personal and social issues.

Our brains are hard-wired to give emotions an upper hand. Primary senses enter the brain at the spinal cord and travel through the limbic system, the place where emotions are processed prior to reaching our frontal lobe, where rational and logical thinking occurs.

The limbic system manages “hot” information while the frontal lobe manages “cold” information.

Social Intelligence, encompassing personal and emotional intelligence, is a core value. Knowing our highest-held values is helpful in managing our engagement and performance as well as explaining our response to different situations. A person who has social intelligence as one of their top values will react very strongly when that value is violated.

Conversely, they will be highly engaged when that value is honored.

If you are interested in determining your unique set of core values, the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) takes approximately 30 minutes and results in a printable report providing a rank order of strengths.

The VIA-IS can be accessed free of charge at www.authentichappiness.org.

Self-Awareness - ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions, and drives Self-Regulation - ability to control or redirect impulses, suspend judgment and think before acting Motivation - propensity to pursue goals with energy and passion Empathy - ability to recognize and respond to emotions in others Social Skill - proficiency in establishing rapport, managing relationships, and building networks According to Goleman, “emotional competencies are twice as important to people’s success today as raw intelligence or technical know-how.” Some of the most effective leadership development efforts focus on self-awareness and the capacity to build mutually satisfying relationships.

Similar to the role that emotional and social intelligence plays in individual success, it is also a key determinant’s of team success. The most effective teams display effective emotional and social intelligence.

Research and practice clearly demonstrate that emotional intelligence can be learned. While emotional intelligence increases with age, we can take purposeful action to increase it as well.

According to Goleman, “research indicates that the limbic system learns best through motivation, extended practice and feedback.” Emotional intelligence can be developed through a sincere desire (motivation) and concerted effort (practice and feedback).

Gordon Parry is the President of Aristotle Group, a firm dedicated to helping individuals, teams, and organizations achieve their full potential. In 2005, Gordon was one of 35 students selected globally to complete the first graduate program in the new field of applied positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

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metroMAgAzinE • Aug 2011

gordon.parry@aristotlegroup.net www.aristotlegroup.net

Look Who’s Sheltering Shelter Pets!

Train with Us and Have Fun with Fido!

NHS has great new classes for puppies and adults.

Basic Obedience–What every dog and pup should know.

Owly Growly–For dogs who don’t like others.

Drop-In Classes–Can’t commit to a full session? Drop in when you can!

Fun with Fido–Classes include going “Out on the Town” to work through distractions, learning tricks, exercising with your dog, honing obedience through games and having good old fashioned fun with your dog!

In-Home Training–Our trainers come to you, on your schedule, to help get you through pet problems that crop up.

Call (402) 444-7800 ext. 272 or go to www.nehumanesociety.org/training. *All class proceeds stay at the shelter to help homeless animals.

Save the Date!

Walk for the Animals Sept 25 • 8 a.m.–12p.m.

Nebraska Humane Society

Wendy and Terry Lacey with Tailer

Terry and Wendy Lacey Tailer Lacey is the picture of contentment, whether lounging in “her spot,” chasing her Frisbee squirrel or getting an ear scratch. Wendy and Terry Lacey’s 10-year-old golden retriever is comfortable in her role as queen of the castle and basks in their adoration. “She is just the best dog,” says Wendy. “We know everyone says that about their dogs,” added Terry, “but she has been such an easy dog to live with.” Wendy had been checking out dogs at the then-new Nebraska Humane Society adoption center when a litter of fluffy pups caught her eye. Tailer was the smallest and seemed to be a bit picked on. “I knew right away she was my dog,” said Wendy.

“Her eyes just drew me in.” The golden pup was smart, easy to train, and sweetly gentle. “I don’t think people realize how many fantastic purebreds go through the shelter,” Wendy explained, “or how many dogs are there due to factors beyond their control. Terry agreed. “They aren’t bad dogs.

They’ve simply had some bad luck.” Thanks to Wendy and Terry, Tailer’s luck changed long ago!

www.nehumanesociety.org gives you all the info!

Our biggest annual fundraiser takes place on the NHS Campus. Form a Dog Pack or raise money individually. Then join us for a morning of fun on our meadow with the Pancake Man, vendors, a silent auction and lots of doggone fun. Fido won’t want to miss this event that is “tailer” made for dogs. Find out more at www.nehumanesociety.org.

For more information go to “Programs and Events” on the NHS Website at www.nehumanesociety.org, or call 444-7800 ext. 273.

fresh.

birthstone of the month SPONSOR ED BY B OR SHEIM S

THESE VIBRANT PERIDOT JEWELRY PIECES, bezel-set in 14k white gold with a milgrain detail edge, are the perfect accessories for bright summer wardrobes.

Referred to as the “evening emerald,” Peridot is thought to protect against evil spirits and fosters emotional balance.

Popular in religious décor and noted throughout the Bible, it is also found in Hawaiian legend as the “tears of Pele,” the island's volcano goddess.

Peridot is the birthstone for August and ranges in color from yellowish-green to brownish-green. It is one of the few gemstones available in only one color. Typically, gems with a pleasant hue and strong saturation will be more valuable. Although it is a reasonably priced gem that is perfect for daily wear, it is easily abraded and should be worn with care.

BIRTHSTONE OF THE MONTH

Peridot is easily cleaned with a gentle solution made specifically for jewelry use.

Necklace: Retail $425, Borsheims price $275 Earrings: Retail $395, Borsheims price $260

peridot Lifelong care for generations of women

Dr. Carlson OB/GYN

Omaha’s first medical campus dedicated to women’s health is trusted by women of all ages. It’s comprised of a women’s center that offers all-encompassing treatment options and individualized care. A women’s hospital nationally ranked in the top 10 percent for patient satisfaction. And a name that has been, and will continue to be, passed down for generations to come. Methodist. That’s the meaning of care. bestcare.org ©2011 Methodist Health System

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metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

We’re on a Quest for a Cure…

Join us for the 2011 Susan G. Komen Nebraska Race for the Cure. ®

5k Run and a 5k/1 Mile Fun Walk Its time to register, recruit your team now!

NEW ION!

LOCAT

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2ND: OMAHA Qwest/Centurylink Center

TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT OUR SECOND LOCATION! SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1ST: CENTRAL NEBRASKA University of Nebraska at Kearney

www.komennebraska.org

metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

knowing NONPROFITS

IT’S

the most common of celebratory rites at finish lines everywhere. From the stumbling winners of a three-legged race at a family picnic to the champagne-soaked variety at the Indy 500 to the diminutive jockey who needs a boost in order to reach the lips of a rosegarlanded mount at the Kentucky Derby, the kiss is a poignant moment in time that best captures the sheer exuberance of winning.

Last year’s SUSAN G. KOMEN NEBRASKA RACE FOR THE CURE featured over 19,000 winners who ran and walked to raise $900,000 in the event designed to promote positive awareness, education and early detection of breast cancer.

The finish line was a sweaty, sneakerto-sneaker ocean of euphoric high fives, hugs and even kisses, but few scenes were more touching than the one captured in the photograph accompanying this story.

Lindy Rogers’ mother, SANDY AGNE, is an oncology nurse and avid runner who finished in the top three percent in last year’s race. She was diagnosed with breast cancer almost 10 years ago and is now cancer-free.

“Out of respect for her patients she had never adopted the pink t-shirt worn by runners who are cancer survivors,” Rogers said. “It’s hard to explain, but she didn’t want her patients to know she had breast cancer. She didn’t want to give them an opportunity to think that it was about anything but them and only them, especially on race day.

She wanted them to own their cancer.”

Such acts of selflessness are the very epitome of the highest ideals of the nursing profession, but what about Agne? What about the caregiver’s chance to rejoice in the simplest of acts, that of wearing the pink?

“My mom is an amazing woman and she does this, this idea of owning her cancer, in so many other great ways,” Rogers said, “but on race day she always insisted on being invisible.”

Agne’s family confronted her that morning and explained it was time to do the same thing she demands of her patients. It was time to own her cancer on race day. “After all,” Rogers added, “what better tribute can there be for her patients than to join them?”

SANDY AGNE AND LINDY ROGERS AT THE FINISH LINE

the susan g. komen nebraska race for the cure® promotes positive awareness, education and early detection of breast cancer

the kiss OWNING THE PINK ON RACE DAY STORY BY DAVID WILLIAMS PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE – NEBRASKA

Mass confusion at the finish line, Rogers explained, separated the runners who crossed only about 30 seconds apart.

“And then I heard it,” Rogers said as she now fought back tears. “I was searching for my mom and I heard a woman shout, ‘Here she comes!

Here comes another pink t-shirt!’”

Just as in the Paul Harvey commentaries of old, readers can already guess “the rest of the story,” the identity of the runner who now owns the pink, and the tender set-up for an unforgettable tableau that is “the kiss.”

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The 18th annual Susan G. Komen Nebraska Race for the Cure is Sunday, October 2nd at Qwest Center Omaha.

Up to 75 percent of the funds raised remain here in the Komen Nebraska Affiliate to provide breast health research, diagnostics, screening, treatment, services and education for uninsured or underinsured women and the remainder goes to fund national research.

Visit www.komennebraska.org to donate, register and for more information.

metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

m

metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha

knowing NONPROFITS

sandsation THE LUND COMPANY IS THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE STORY BY ELIZABETH FORD | PHOTO BY DAN FLANIGAN

Teams worked vigorously throughout the day to create their best sand sculptures to impress the judges and crowds. But only one team could take home the coveted People’s Choice Award.

“SUMMER VACATION” (DETAIL) Despite being a first-year rookie, the Lund Company won the hearts and votes of onlookers with their “Summer Vacation” display of says you need a beach to have frolicking polar bears. fun in the sand? Not when 18 teams transform Fisher and his team were honored to win the the QWEST CENTER OMAHA into a seaside award, but they didn’t lose sight of the purpose wonderland during the annual Sand in the City behind the competition. fundraiser for the Nebraska Children’s Home “It’s a wonderful event,” Fisher added. “We’re Society. But don’t be fooled. Sand in the City isn’t proud of what we did, but we wanted to do as just a bunch of grown-up kids playing in giant much as we could to raise as much money as we sandboxes all day. could for Nebraska Children’s Home.”

“The last three hours was a frantic pace,” NCHS has also helped Fisher take on another, recalled Lund Company team member more prominent title: father.

JASON FISHER. “There were moments of He and his wife adopted both of their children sheer panic of whether or not we were going to through the organization, and he was proud to finish. But somehow it all came together.” find the perfect opportunity to give back.

WHO

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“When I took over as president of Lund a little over a year ago,” Fisher continued, “one of the things I wanted to do– and we wanted to do as an organization– was to start being a little more focused on giving back to the community and involving our employees in those endeavors.”

Leading up to the competition, the Lund Company team rallied their efforts to raise money, support and awareness for NCHS. From having their employees pay for “jeans day” at work to asking for donations from major partners, the Lund team kept the foundational reason for the competition as their main focus.

This isn’t the end of the sand-paved road for the Lund Company. The team is already making plans for next year’s competition with sights set on a repeat of the People’s Choice Award.

metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

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Rachel Richards and Caroline Hinrichs with “Oprah” Omaha Says Farewell to Oprah (42)

Deana Walocha, Jenn Locke and Lisa Hagstrom Joslyn Castle Classic Weekend (38)

scene

the

metro

exciting • philanthropic • inspiring • fun

Highlights and photo coverage of charity and social events in the metro area

ADA Youth Ambassador, Carter Fangmeyer ADA Father of the Year Awards Gala (39)

Scan the QR codes using your smartphone throughout the metroSCENE to view additional photos from the event. Remember, when purchasing photos metroMAGAZINE donates 10% back to the organizaiton when you enter the code, GIVE10, on the checkout page.

Roger and Robin Dixon Hotel Deco XV and Zin Room Gala Opening (41)

Grace University NCHS Foundation Sand In the City (40) 37

metroMagazine • AUG JUL 2011 2011

Shervin and Michele Ansari

Melissa Marvin, Jan Buckingham and Suzanne Wise

Fella Vaughn, Ric Klaas, Dolores Maser and Mark Maser

t Mary Jochim and John Dee

Judy and George Haecker

blastfromthepast

Photos b y Shelby Craw an d Liz Ford

joslyn castle classic weekend

nearly

2,000 people enjoyed the festivities of the second annual Joslyn Castle Classic Weekend during June 17th to 19th. The weekend began with a fashion show presented by She-La in the Palm Pavilion Tent. Local models sported fall styles with pieces from Zenobia and Lafayette 148. Following the show was an exquisite lunch inside the castle.

The next event took guests back in time to the roaring twenties with the Jazz and Gin Gala also on June 17th at the Joslyn Castle. Men sported their zoot suits and suspenders and women looked stunning in flapper dresses and extravagant headpieces. The evening began with cocktail and appetizers at Palm Pavilion and followed with a gourmet dinner inside the castle. Afterward, guests returned to Palm Pavilion for dessert and dancing. The Sing Sing Swing band, featuring Robert Glaser and Camille Metoyer Moten, serenaded the crowd into the night. The weekend ended with the grand finale Classic Car Show on Father’s Day, which showcased over 80 hand-selected vintage cars and motorcycles on display throughout the grounds. The day also included magic shows, castle tours, great food and face painting.

For more information, visit www.joslyncastle.com.

Scan this code using your smartphone to view more photos online at SpiritofOmaha.com.

Marilyn and Woody Howe

Barry Little and Susan Schurkamp with Nano and Doug Little

Thanks to all the Sponsors, Car Owners, Committee, Volunteers and Guests who made the CastleClassic Weekend a success. www.joslyncastle.com www.joslyncastlecarclassic.com 38

metroMagazine • AUG 2011

fatherknowsbest

Fathers of the Year Hal Daub and Al Schmid with wives Mary Daub and Dottie Schmid

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Senator Tim and Tonee Gay with Papillion Mayor David Black and Brenda Carlson

american diabetes association father of the year awards gala

father’s

Day took on a new meaning for two dads this year as they were honored at the inaugural Omaha Father of the Year Awards Gala on June 16th at Embassy Suites La Vista. Over 350 people attended this fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association to recognize businessmen Al Schmid and Hal Daub for their outstanding ability to balance their personal and professional lives.

Al Schmid is the chairman emeritus of American National Bank and Hal Daub is a partner at Husch Blackwell.

The emcee for the night was metroMAGAZINE’s very own Andy Hoig. A highlight of the event was 12-year-old Carter Fangmeyer, youth ambassador for the American Diabetes Association, delivering a powerful and poignant speech about his day-to-day struggles and overcomings of living with diabetes. The event was a brilliant success according to Shawn Murphy, ADA executive director for Nebraska and South Dakota. “Without the nearly $80,000 raised this year by the gala, the ADA’s local outreach programs and local research grants to the University of Nebraska Medical Center might not be possible,” said Murphy.

Dr. Sarah and Bo Konigsberg

For more information, visit www.diabetes.org/OmahaFOTY.

Johnny Rodgers, Judy and Howard Shinkle and Bob Boozer

Scan this code using your smartphone to view more photos online at SpiritofOmaha.com.

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

Kay Farrell and Gary Perkins

Melissa Marvin, Macaela Smith and Cheryl Wild

Photos by Lind a Shepard

Eileen Korth and John Hauer

Jamie Wagner, Todd Moeller, Andrea Bailey, Jen Thiesen and Mike Gabel

Photos by Dan Flanigan

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Mike Wicht, Dixie Thomas and Jim Classe

funinthesand

nebraska children’s home society foundation sand in the city

whoever

Lauren and Kyle Eyre

said you need a beach to have some fun in the sand?

Nebraska Children’s Home Society (NCHS) hosted its eighth annual Sand in the City fundraiser at Qwest Center Omaha. From June 3rd to 5th, 18 corporate and community teams dusted off their pails and shovels for some serious sand-building competition. Approximately 350 tons of sand, 122 cases of water and six hours later, the teams successfully brought their creations to life after much training and brainstorming. The winning team and presenting sponsor was Millard Drywall Service. This event had about 16,000 visitors, including Mayor Suttle, and raised $95,000 to help NCHS provide safe and loving care to children. See the related story in this issue for more on Sand in the City.

Eileen Korth, Greg Stanton and Rich Eliason

For more information, visit www.nchs.org.

Scan this code using your smartphone to view more photos online at SpiritofOmaha.com.

Kevin, Beth, Evan and Ethan Stiles

THANK YOU, OMAHA!

NEBRASKA CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY’S SAND IN THE CITY® 2011

More than 16,000 visitors attended the weekend event, raising more than $95,000 for NCHS services to children and families. The continued support of generous businesses, volunteers and people’s choice award voters is greatly appreciated. www.nchs.org 40

metroMagazine • AUG 2011

John and Vanita Lund

Aimee Ketcham, Jaclyn Jandric, Jennifer Epp and Jenn Hellman

Ryan Gish and Arun Agarwal

frombauhaustoyourhouse

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Ford Photos by Shelby Craw and Liz

hotel deco and zin room opening event

perhaps

the most dramatic entrance of the evening at the June 11th grand opening gala of the Hotel Deco XV was the arrival of cast members from the blockbuster Broadway musical Wicked. They dashed across the street—the fabled stage door of the Orpheum Theater is only paces away—to mingle with the elbow-to-elbow crowd in the Zin Room, the hotel’s Americana fusion restaurant.

Colleen and Brad Hitton

The Hotel Deco XV is the beautifully restored and impeccably appointed boutique hotel that has returned the former Redick Tower to its original 1930 glory. Echoes of Bauhaus elements found throughout the stylishly contemporary 89-room hotel yield to a comfy “your house” vibe in the Zin Room. “Your house,” that is, if your home happens to feature a two-storey fireplace that still manages to seem somehow dwarfed by a towering image, the vintage night view of the Empire State Building that anchors the back wall of the space that specializes in Zinfandel.

Works by Arizona artist Justin Queal, including the skyscraper-high backdrop looming over the lobby bar, are featured throughout the Hotel Deco XV. Designer Brad Brooks of b2lab employs sleek Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs to compliment the chrome tubes girding the Le Corbusier sofas that are sprinkled throughout the property. The multimillion-dollar effort of Arun Agarwal’s White Lotus Development features rooms that carry the names of treasured Art Deco buildings—Rockefeller, Chrysler, Empire—monuments that epitomize American success, power and pride.

For more information, visit www.hoteldecoomaha.com.

Scan this code using your smartphone to view more photos online at SpiritofOmaha.com.

Lori Scott sings a song with one of the performers

Peter and Mark Volenec-Hamel with Chris Janicek

Meghann Schense, Caroline Hinrichs, Rachel Richards and Jacque Seiler 41

metroMagazine • AUG 2011

Andrea Hoig, Nancy and Jodi Johnson

Deborah Greene and Flora Laskley

Tristan Morris and Brynne Zelfner with “Oprah”

Andrea Hoig, Mike DiGiacomo and Mary Nelson

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Paige Hendrixson and Audrey Kirmis

Carol Wang, Victoria Halgren, Carrie Jenkins and Shannon Hoy

Kristy Pietro, Kari Wolf and Jacque Seiler with “Oprah” Shanna Austin and Michael Skardis with “Oprah”

asweetending aksarben cinema & step group, inc. oprah finale event

prior

to the farewell episode of the immensely popular and awardwinning “Oprah Winfrey Show,” over 500 local women of all ages gathered at Aksarben Cinema on May 25th to celebrate the end of an era. In the spirit of Oprah’s philanthropic endeavors, the event also served as a fundraiser for Angels Among Us, the non-profit partner for Aksarben Cinema’s philanthropic efforts. In addition to a red carpet and life-sized cutout of Oprah, the event featured several interactive stations in which various local businesses welcomed attendees and shared their brands.

One of the most anticipated components of the fun-filled afternoon was the final “Omaha’s Favorite Things” giveaway by jewelry store Elisa Ilana, in which each audience member received a $50 gift certificate. Aksarben Cinema, Hayneedle and BUNGALOW/8 Hairdressing also provided generous giveaways to several lucky winners. The event was prodcued

by STEP Group, Inc. For more information, visit www.stepgroupinc.com.

Mary Pat Cheshir and Wendy Deane Photos by Shelby Craw and Andrea Hoig

Mary Stephany and Debbie Davis

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Scan this code using your smartphone to view more photos online at SpiritofOmaha.com.

metroMagazine • AUG 2011

Co-chair Sue Swartzbaugh, Ivan Gilreath, Laura Schabloske and co-chair Kirk Swartzbaugh

Chris and Cristina Toth

Bob and Cherie Sadler

Jan and Bruce Martin

Tammy English and Tonya Edwards

ard Photos by Linda Shep

hittingthebeach

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boys and girls clubs of the midlands on the road

over

500 people “hit the beach” at On the Road, benefiting the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands (BGCM) on June 11th at Stinson Park in Aksarben Village. Sponsored by Battle Sports Science, this luncheon raised $240,000 to support BGCM’s mission to enable young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

During this beach-themed luncheon, BGCM President and event emcee, Ivan Gilreath, dedicated the event to Phil Schrager, longtime club supporter. Terri, Rick and Harley Schrager accepted a memorial plaque in Phil’s honor, commenting on his legacy and impact on underprivileged youth in Omaha. The speaker at the event was Chancellor Smith, the 2010 Nebraska Boys and Girls Clubs Youth of the Year and a receiver of a Phillip and Terri Schrager Foundation Scholarship. Showing their support for BGCM were honorary chairs Howard Kooper and Tom Fellman along with chairs Kirk and Sue Swartzbaugh.

For more information, visit www.bgcmidland.org.

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

Molly Borgmann and Amy Lackovic

Jennifer and Trey Mytty with Molly and Mark Gordon

Scott Peters with Maggie and Jamie Summerfelt

Debbie Gordon

Dr. Jose and Caryl Martinez

Betty Cernech, Ralph and Ruth O’Donnell Photos by Dan Flanigan

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what’scooking? visiting nurse association cooking for vna

the

3rd Annual Cooking for VNA event was held on May 5th at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs. The 200 guests in attendance helped raise $15,000 to support VNA home nursing visits to mothers with newborns in Council Bluffs and the rest of Pottawattamie County.

Signature recipes were demonstrated and prepared for the guests by Council Bluffs volunteer community chefs. The chefs included Jill and Doug Struyk, Elaine and Bob Fenner, Deb Gordon, Dr. Jose and Caryl Martinez, Martha and Dan Petersen, and VNA’s Cooking Matters program.

John Worshan provided music and was the emcee for the event. The honorary chair was Scott H. Peters and chef chair was Margarite Goodenow, VNA board member and community volunteer.

For more infomration, visit www.thevnacares.org.

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

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tablesgalore omaha symphony guild table art luncheon

Borsheims

Sally Stalnaker, Anne Jetter and Anne Blunk

Joan Miller and Vicki Warrington

Julia Russell

on

March 31st, the Omaha Symphony Guild started off their two-part event for Table Art 2011 at the Georgetowne Club. The first event, which was attended by 110 people, gave visitors the opportunity to meet with Mark Bergadon, director of sales for MacKenzie-Childs. The party also included floral and food demonstrations, both silent and live auctions, and a viewing of several table art creations. The guild held a luncheon the next afternoon, which was attended by over 230 people. Guests enjoyed lunch, beautiful tablescapes and a silent auction. The Omaha Symphony’s Educational Programs will benefit from the money raised so that children throughout the greater Omaha area will have a chance to experience the symphony. Last year alone, 37,000 children attended these programs. The chairs for this event were Liz Crosson, Lindi Janulewicz, Sheila Nelson and Kris Patton.

The honorary chair was Mary Ann Pederson.

Early to Bed

For more information, visit www.omahasymphonyguild.org.

Tracy Diehl troMAGAZINE by me s o t o Ph

mobile metro!

get the iPhone/iPad app now or visit

SpiritofOmaha.com 45

metroMagazine • AUG 2011

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sweettreats

omaha hearing school for children, inc. author event

on

Deb Steele with Author Debbie Macomber

May 4th, the Omaha Hearing School for Children, Inc. kicked off their 7th Annual Author Event.

Festivities included “Desserts with Debbie,” a patron party held on the 4th at String of Purls in Countryside Village and hosted by honorary chair, Robyn Hubbard. Fifty guests attended and had the opportunity to meet the author and sample a signature dessert and cocktail from author Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove Cookbook. On the 5th, 150 Macomber enthusiasts enjoyed hearing her story at a luncheon at the Hilton Omaha.

For more information, visit www.hearingshcool.org.

summershindig

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Photo courtesy of OHS for Children, Inc.

christ child society summer soiree 2011

the

L’Esprit Auxilliary of the Christ Child Society of Omaha aimed for the stars at its fifth annual Summer Soiree, Hitch Your Wagon to a Star. On June 9th at Happy Hollow Country Club, 206 guests enjoyed a social hour followed by a casual summer dinner. Dr. Kevin O’Malley was the master of ceremonies and urged audience members to raise their bid cards to support the various Christ Child Society’s programs. The $60,000 raised will help the society’s three centers continue to meet the needs of the surrounding community. The honorary chair at the event was Mary Rensch who was honored for her commitment and contributions to the Christ Child Society.

Chairs Cindy Huerter and Jill Petersen with Dr. Chris Huerter and Terry Petersen

For more information, visit www.ccomaha.org/centers/christ-child-center. rtesy of Photos cou Society ild h Christ C

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friendlygatherings

midlands hospital evening with friends

on

May 5th, Alegent Health Midlands Hospital hosted an Evening with Friends. The event was held at the Midlands One Professional Center and was sponsored by the Midlands Medical Staff. Funds raised will go towards the enhancement of women’s health services at the hospital. The Community Award went to the late Barney Shives, a long-time Midlands Hospital volunteer.

The Physician Award went to retired family practice physician, Dr. James Bare, who was the chief of staff at Midlands Hospital in 1978. Dr. John and Rhonda Harris were the honorary chairs for the dinner and auction, while Dr. Jeffry Strohmyer, medical director for Midlands Hosiptal, served as the event’s emcee.

Rhonda Harris and Dr. John Harris

Photo courtesy of the Midland s

For more information, visit www.alegent.com.

Hospital

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

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anartextravaganza gbt academy of the arts trailblazers sow on

the

Growing and Building Together (GBT) Academy of the Arts hosted a three-day fundraising event from July 8th-10th.

The event, Trailblazers Sow On: Art Brings History to Life, supported the academy’s after-school and summer arts education programs. A meet-and-greet breakfast kicked off the weekend of events Friday morning at the GBT Academy’s Auditorium. Of the 75 guests who attended, Stacy Henry, special assistant to Mayor Jim Suttle, presented a proclamation from the City of Omaha declaring July 8th as Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Day. The Kinseys, who served as keynote speakers, are philanthropists and collectors of African-American Art and historical artifacts.

Later on Friday, a program was held at Creighton University’s Harper Center Auditorium for youth, educators and the general public. The program was attended by more than 300 people. Six elementary school winners were recognized by the academy for its essay contest on Nebraska African-American trailblazers. Saturday’s luncheon and program was held at the Hilton Omaha. A silent and live auction occurred with auction items including student artwork and autographed items by Johnny Rodgers, Bob Boozer and Calvin Jones. Over 300 people were in attendance. The final event of the weekend was a program held on Sunday at Greater Beth-el Temple for the general public.

Vice Admiral Cecil Haney and M.J. Goodwin-Clinkscale

Johnny Rodgers and Bernard Kinsey

Kelly Wright and John Hlavacek

Deb Neary, Obba Babatundé and Rita Dantzler

Mayor Jim Suttle, Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, Representative Lee Terry and Councilman Ben Gray

For more information, visit www.gbtacademyofthearts.org.

Photos courtesy of Thompson Photography

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anightforleaders urban league of nebraska african-american leadership awards & gala

the Kandiss Crone and Deidra Andrews

Urban League of Nebraska on June 1st celebrated 22 years of honoring and recognizing African-American leaders on their accomplishments and contributions to the city of Omaha at the Omaha Hilton. The Urban League of Nebraska has taken responsibility for managing and administering the African-American Leadership Awards, and it is now one of their signature fundraising events. Over $10,000 of unrestricted dollars were raised, which will help defray the cost of services and program offerings provided through the ULN.

Marc Morial and Tom Warren, Sr.

For more information, visit www.urbanleagueneb.org.

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sy of Photos courte of Nebraska ue ag Le Urban

women’s fund of omaha womanspirit award

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May 6th, the Women’s Fund of Omaha recognized Maryanne Stevens, RSM, Ph.D., for her leadership and impact on the lives of local women and girls by presenting her with its prestigious WomanSpirit Award. Stevens was honored during a celebratory event at the Omaha Country Club.

The event recognizing Stevens included tributes by Terry Kroeger, president and publisher of the Omaha World-Herald; Barbara Person, partner, Baird Holm; and Tara Knudson Carl, Ph.D., vice president for student development, College of Saint Mary.

Barbara Weitz, Dr. Maryanne Stevens, RSM, Mary Heng-Braun and Dianne Seeman Lozier

For more information, visit www.omahawomensfund.org.

Photo courtesy of Women’s Fund of Omaha

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kidsfirst kids can community center annual fundraiser luncheon

Robert Patterson, Scott Darling, Chris Zimmers, Lori McGuire, Lisa Carlson, Alyson Gunia and Barb True Photos courtesy of Kim Therkildsen Photography

on

May 3rd, Kids Can’s Annual Fundraiser Luncheon was sponsored by Wells Fargo and raised over $54,000 to support the Kids Can Community Center programs. Nearly 400 people attended the event that was held at the Downtown Doubletree.

Highlights of the luncheon included the honoring of longtime community volunteer Carol Russell, who received this year’s Can Do Award for going above and beyond in her volunteer efforts for Kids Can and the community. Event honorary chairs were Barb and Bill Fitzgerald, who presented Russell with the award. Russell joined the previous Can Do award winners Vanita Lund, Joy Lewis and Paul Sather.

For more information about Kids Can, visit www.kidscanomaha.org.

Joel Russell, Mark Russell and Rick Russell 48

metroMagazine • AUG 2011

Ryliegh and Molly Welsh with Jill Ansderson

Abby Cameron and Drew Conley

Alan Klem, Co-Founder and Artistic Director

Nancy Johnson, Jackie Doan, Hannah Johnson and Hannah Rosseter Photos by Shelby Craw and Liz Ford

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perchancetodream nebraska shakespeare festival shakespeare on the green

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natural amphitheater in Elmwood Park was once again the scene of Shakespeare on the Green as the 25th season of The Nebraska Shakespeare Festival featured A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet. More than just the premier Shakespeare event here and throughout its multi-state reach, The Nebraska Shakespeare Festival also offers important educational outreach efforts. A Fall Tour promotes a love of language and theater among students who also enjoy workshops and post-performance discussions.

Camp Shakespeare offers two weeks of hands-on experience and fun as students discover the magic of stagecraft through the works of history’s greatest playwright.

A sonnet contest stirs the imagination of both budding poets and seasoned veterans. Music Alive, a collaboration between the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival and the Omaha Symphony, was enjoyed by over 2,600 middle and high school students as the symphony lent a lyrical score to the lyrical words unfolding on the Holland Performing Arts Center stage as brightly costumed actors spun the bard’s tales. Major supporters of Shakespeare on the Green include Creighton University, HDR, Mutual of Omaha, the Nebraska Arts Council, the Nebraska Humanities Council, the University of Nebraska-Omaha, the City of Omaha and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners.

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thefightagainst

domestic violence coordinating council awards luncheon ceremony

the

14th Annual Awards Luncheon hosted by the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (DVCC) of Greater Omaha was held at the Scott Conference Center on March 30th. This year’s theme was “A New Day, Visions of Hope.” Over 160 members of the community were in attendance.

Julie Medina, Judy Cullen, Charlie Venditte and Jennifer Reynolds

The keynote address was given by Beverly Frazier, the mother of a domestic homicide victim. Awards were presented to both individuals and organizations that have been working to end domestic violence in the community.

For more information, visit www.dvccomaha.org.

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Photo courtesy of the Domestic Violence Coordinatin g Council

united way of the midlands annual meeting and awards luncheon

united

Tina Labellarte and fellow staff members of American Red Cross

Victoria Nakibuuka-Muli

Way of the Midlands held its Annual and Stacey Ocander Meeting and Awards Luncheon at CoCo Key Convention Center on Photos courtesy of March 31st. Approximately 425 people attended the ceremonies this year. United Way Worldwide honored Terry Moore, United Way of the Midlands the president of the Omaha Federation of Labor AFL-CIO. UPS received the Community Service Award after surpassing $1 billion in corporate and employee giving since 1982. Both the American Red Cross Heartland Chapter and Metropolitan Community College were presented with the Chair’s Partnership Awards for their work with United Way.

Nancy McCormick and Terry Moore

For more information, visit www.uwmidlands.org.

Photos courtesy of Metro Omaha Medical Society

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laughsandmedicine metro omaha medical society medical mess club performance

2011 MESS Club

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Metro Omaha Medical Society hosted its 14th Medical MESS Club event at the Joslyn Art Museum on April 15th. An audience of nearly 400 people watched the MESS Club’s performance while a silent auction, in which more than 50 items were featured, raised over $5,000 to benefit the Metro Omaha Medical Foundation.

The club’s performance began in the Witherspoon Concert Hall and showcased popular songs with lyrics re-written to poke fun at current healthcare topics.

Each number was written and performed by member physicians under the direction of musical director Chuck Penington of Manheim Steamroller.

For more information, visit www.omahamedical.com.

Jill Reel, M.D. and David Filipi, M.D.

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

Help at-risk youth in Omaha.

Rappel down the side of the Woodmen Tower.

Sounds fun.

WOODMEN TOWER BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA MID-AMERICA COUNCIL 9.24.2011

www.mac-bsa.org/OverTheEdge

LEADERSHIP LUNCHEON FEATURING

Dick Vitale

How do YOU make a difference?

Philanthropy and Today’s Corporate Leader: The Benefits of Giving Back

September 8th CenturyLink Center (Formerly “Qwest Center”)

Register online at

NEbRASkA.wISH.ORg Or call 800-760-WISH (9474) Proceeds to benefit

The Scottish Rite Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

Media Partner:

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Schenken Family

agrandopening methodist hospital foundation dedication and open house

methodist

Hospital Foundation hosted a private family dedication, open house and grand tour on June 1st to celebrate the donors whose support helped build the Pathology Center–Schenken Pavilion. Over 200 attended the event and received tours of the new laboratory. The facility’s name honors two Methodist Hospital pathologists: Dr. John “Rudy” Schenken and his son Dr. Jerald “Jerry” Schenken. The combined service of these two nationally-renowned Methodist Hospital doctors spans six decades. The $22-million, 42,000-square-foot laboratory will help the foundation’s mission to “improve the quality of life by providing excellence in healthcare and healthcare education by Methodist Health System.” A highlight of the event was the unveiling of a beautiful glass tribute to Drs. Rudy and Jerry Schenken.

Photos courtesy of Methodist Hospital Foundation

For more information, visit www.methodisthospitalfoundation.org.

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Earl and Grace Leinart

big brothers big sisters of the midlands bowl for kids’ sake

big

Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands held their annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraising event at Papio Bowl on April 28th-30th and May 5th-7th, raising more than $235,000. Over 1,300 people participated in this year’s event, which included 90 minutes of “cosmic” bowling (dimmed lights, strobe lights and vibrant-colored lighting), pizza, beverages, music and fun prizes.

“All the money raised goes directly towards providing vulnerable youth with strong and enduring, professionally-supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better forever,” said BBBS of the Midlands CEO, Nichole Turgeon.

Kevin Thompson, Julie DeWitt, Amy Chittenden, Stuart Chittenden, Anna Goeschel and David Goeschel

For more information, visit www.bbbsomaha.org.

Brothers esy of Big nds Photo court of the Midla Big Sisters

t Kari Kirchloefer, Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle, Shawntell Kroese and Robert Patterson

Photos courtesy of Kids Can Community Center

Catherine Damico and Carol Russell

fundraisingfun KIDS CAN COMMUNITY CENTER KIDS AT HEART

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March 16th the first Kids at Heart Event was held and raised over $2,000. The event, held at Passport Restaurant, was attended by more than 60 “new friends” interested in learning more about Kids Can programs and services.

The goal of Kids At Heart is to support Kids Can Community Center’s fundraising efforts and serve as ambassadors of Kids Can by acting as a liaison with the public, peers and potential donors. This year’s event was led by Kids Can board member Shawntell Kroese.

For more information, visit www.KidsCanOmaha.org or call (402) 731-6988.

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

Dr. Robert M. Langdon, Jr. and the nationally recognized Nebraska Cancer Specialists are at the forefront of cancer diagnosis, treatment and research.

Margaret Block, M.D. M. Salman Haroon, M.D. Ralph J. Hauke, M.D. Robert M. Langdon, Jr., M.D. Kirsten M. Leu, M.D.

John M. Longo, M.D. Patrick J. McKenna, M.D. Geetha Palaniappan, M.D. David A. Silverberg, M.D. Gamini S. Soori, M.D.

Yungpo Bernard Su, M.D. Stefano R. Tarantolo, M.D. Stephan D. ThomĂŠ, M.D. Peter M. Townley, M.D.

Alegent Health Cancer Center - Bergan (402) 393-3110 Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center (402) 354-8124

Midwest Cancer Center Papillion (402) 593-3141 Midwest Cancer Center Legacy (402) 334-4773

West Dodge Medical Plaza (402) 445-8010 Plus, Fremont and West Point (402) 941-7030

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honorandpraise Mary J. Goodwin-Clinkscale

on

For more information, visit www.100blackmenomaha.org.

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whodunnit?

100 BLACK MEN OF OMAHA MEN OF HONOR GALA

April 9th, the sixthth annual Men of Honor Gala for 100 Black Men of Omaha was held in the Hilton Hotel ballroom.

Approximately 550 guests attended the event, helping raise over $70,000 for the organization. Major General Abraham J. Turner, Chief of Staff for the United States Strategic Command at Offutt Airforce Base; Dr. John Mackiel, superintendent of Omaha Public Schools; and Omaha native Marlin Briscoe, the first black starting quarterback in the NFL, were all honored at the event. Willie Pippen was the gala chair while John Beasley was the honorary chair.

Photos courtesy of 100 Black Men of Omaha

Robert Allen, Vernon McMorris, Akil Cook, Alex Carr, Xavier Jackson, James Mason, Tyler Davis, Cameron Lewis, Malik Ammons, DeJon Powell, Keon McKay, Talon Gier, Tim Clark, Feysel Rahmeto, Christian Blair and E.J. Mackey

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Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers and James Mason

nebraska kidney association kidney cruise of clues

Beth and Paul Jensen

Margaret Hines

on

April 1st, the Nebraska Kidney Association held its annual Kidney Cruise at Champions Run for 120 guests. This year’s theme was “Kidney Cruise of Clues,” which featured unsuspecting guests as suspects in a murder mystery. The evening included a live and silent auction as well as personal accounts from Janet Egenberger and Michelle Desler. Tamra Malousek served as event chair. The evening raised nearly $20,000 for the organization which helps Nebraska kidney and transplant patients and their families.

For more information, visit www.kidneyne.org.

Teanne Spinharney, Tammi Malousek, Traci Kelly and Terri Pennington Photos courtesy of Association Nebraska Kidney

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talkofthetown omaha hearing school talk of the town

midtown Damon Riehl with Paul and Peggy Schlieker

Photos courtesy of Om aha Hearing School

Crossing’s 9th floor Club Room overlooking the downtown skyline was the April 9th scene of the Omaha Hearing School Talk of the Town event.

Over 100 guests raised over $7,000 to benefit the Omaha Hearing School. Hors d’oeuvres from restaurants located in the Midtown Crossing community were served and guests were serenaded by Omaha’s own vintage vocalist, Michael Walker. Kellie Riehl and Robyn Kortan were the event chairs, while Suzanne Rogert, OHS executive director, assisted the event chairs in helping making the event a success.

For more information, visit www.hearingschool.org.

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

AUG. 19–SEPT. 18, 2011

By Steven Dietz

6915 CASS STREET | (402) 553-0800 WWW.OMAHAPLAYHOUSE.ORG media sponsor:

sponsored by:

Friend of the Playhouse

Vote for your favorite Omaha celebrity at:

www.yesomaha.org More than 400 youth were living on t h e s t r e e t s o f O m a h a a n d Council Bluffs in April

Proceeds benefit YES’ mission to serve and empower homeless youth

Saturday, August 27 Skutt Catholic High School 6:30 p.m.

Professional dance instructors will take the floor with Omaha celebrities to raise funds for Youth Emergency Services.

Join us for a night of red carpet glamour, food and fun.

Tickets: $50, available at www.yesomaha.org

complimentary valet • hors d’oeuvres • beverages • silent auction • dance

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

7RGG $QGUHZV -LP %RJJHVV -HUHP\ )DONH 0LFKHOOH 5LHOO &RDFK )ODQHU\ +HLGL :RRGDUG 0LNH +DUULV +DOH\ +HUROG .D\OD 7KRPDV .HUUL 3HWHUVRQ

t Jim Horan

Steve Stueck, Rob McCartney, Bill Randby and Julie Cornell

thesilverfox

omaha press club face on the barroom floor

on

March 11th, Rob McCartney was honored by the Omaha Press Club as its 128th Photos courtesy of Face on the Barroom Floor. Starting with Omaha Press Club hair-raising tales and finishing with Willie Nelson tunes, the Omaha Press Club’s salute to television’s “Silver Fox” was a unique evening in many respects–including the musical climax by the club’s newest Face on the Barroom Floor. Likely firsts, according to longtime Face watchers, were the emcee– Bill Randby–wearing a tuxedo and a father roasting his own son. Also present at the event was Jim Horan, the artist of the newest caricature. In the style of the Press Club gridiron show, McCartney capped the evening with a Willie Nelson-style salute to the audience.

For more information, visit www.omahapressclub.org.

roncallipride

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Rob and Sherry McCartney

RONCALLI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL FESTA DEL LEONE

the

22nd annual Festa del Leone was hosted by Roncalli Catholic High School on April 9th with approximately 450 guests in attendance.

The event raised over $162,000 for Roncalli students and programs.

The evening featured a cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, raffle giveaways and a presentation of the Lied Foundation Trust. Media celebrity Dave Webber was the master of ceremonies and special guests included Archbishop George J. Lucas, Mayor Jim Suttle, Senator Burke Harr, Senator Bob Krist and Roncalli graduates Senator Steve Lathrop and Congressman Tom Mulligan.

Alegent Health/Immanuel Medical Center

Photos courtesy of Roncalli Catholic High School

For more information, visit www.roncallicatholic.org.

Christina M. Hixson with Rev. Lloyd Gnirk

t Engineer Equipment Maintenance Company Omaha

Tim Kirkpatrick, Marc Bowman, Deb Miller and Kim Falk Photos courtesy of HETRA

adreamcometrue

HETRA BLUE JEAN AND DREAMS

on

April 2nd, the Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy (HETRA) held its Blue Jeans and Dreams event at Five Star Stables.

The theme was “Where Horses and You Make Dreams Come True.”

There were over 400 guests in attendance. JT from radio Q98 served as the emcee for the event. Highlights from the evening included the color guard being provided by the Engineer Equipment Maintenance Company Omaha and a riding demonstration by HETRA students and horses currently participating in the Horses for Heroes program.

The event raised over $44,000 to fund student sponsorship programs. Tim Kirkpatrick and Jodi Teal were co-chairs for the event.

For more information, visit www.hetra.org or call (402) 359-8830.

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forthekids CHILDREN’S SCHOLARSHIP FUND C.H.A.N.C.E. LUNCHEON

with

over 400 people in attendance, the C.H.A.N.C.E. Luncheon was held at Creighton University’s Harper Center on April 12th.

The Children’s Scholarship Fund of Omaha raised an astounding $120,000 for elementary and middle school students attending the 84 private and parochial schools in northeast Nebraska.

Jovann Harrington, Anthony Taylor, Kristlin Mogensen, Tracy Christensen, Avery Kesar, Kennedy Sommerer, Pedro Barajas and Mollie Goossen

For more information, visit www.archomaha.com.

polishedwithpower

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nd ildren’s Scholarship Fu Photos courtesy of Ch

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WOMEN’S POWER LUNCHEON

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April 28th, the Habitat for Humanity of Omaha Friends Board presented the 5th Annual Women’s Power Luncheon at CoCo Key Convention Center.

The luncheon attracted over 400 guests. Honorary chair Nancy Edick and Power Woman of the Year Rhonda Distefano were the featured speakers and shared the Habitat Story. Traci Payne, a Habitat Omaha homeowner, shared her heartwarming story with guests. The highlight of the luncheon was a talk from honorary STUD chair, John Ewing, Jr, who told his personal story and spoke about the importance of eliminating poverty and sub-standard housing. He was followed by 40 STUDs who circulated among the guests and raised more than $16,000 with Sign-A-Stud, the signing of 2-by-4 studs that will be used in the Habitat Omaha Women Build house. The total raised was $72,000, which will be used to help fund the 14th Annual Women Build home.

bitat for Humanity Photo courtesy of Ha

For more information, visit www.habitatomaha.org.

t Sr. Mary Hlas, ND, Mike and Debbie Gomez with Fr. Phil Rauth

Traci Payne, Rhonda Distefano, John Ewing, Jr. and Nancy Edick

cheersto100years

notre dame sisters annual development dinner

the

Notre Dame Sisters held their annual Celebration of Spirit Dinner at Roncalli High School. The theme for the evening was “A Century of Service, A Future of Possibilities,” which held special meaning as 2011 marked 100 years for the Notre Dame Sisters presence in America. The sisters were joined by over 250 supporters who helped raise more than $40,000 at the event. The evening began with a social hour and silent auction, which was followed by dinner, raffle drawings and an awards presentation. Sr. Marilyn Ross, RSM of Holy Name House was honored for her work in building and nurturing healthy communities and strong neighborhoods.

Dinner chairs were John and Deanna Foley of Central States Development.

Sr. Celeste Wobeter, ND and Sr. Marilyn Ross, RSM with chairs John and Deanna Foley

For more information, visit www.notredamesisters.org.

Photos courtesy of Notre Dame Sisters 58

metroMagazine • AUG 2011

A show hundreds of years in the making.

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metroMagazine • AUG 2011

6/17/11 9:25:32 AM

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savethedate August 5 STRIKE A CHORD 7 A benefit for Heartland Family Service Guests at this event will enjoy several different stations of themed food and drink while perusing silent auction items and voting for their favorite celebrity artwork.

A live auction follows, then the dueling pianists crown the evening with lively song as the crowd takes the dance floor!

Harrah’s Convention Center Council Bluffs–6:00 P.M. Visit www.heartlandfamilyservice.org.

August 6 JDRF WALK TO CURE DIABETES A benefit for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation “Wrangle Up a Cure” at this year’s JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, the largest fundraising walk in Nebraska.

Refreshments, face painters, moonwalks, rides, games, clowns, music and special guests will make this a fun and festive event, all while raising funds for diabetes research.

Elmwood Park–Omaha–8:00 A.M. Call 402-397-2873.

August 8 DVCC GOLF TOURNAMENT Benefiting the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council Get your foursome ready to play! Set up a four-person scramble or golf per person and enjoy 18 holes of golf, golf cart, and BBQ dinner following golf and golf prizes.

Stone Creek Golf Course Omaha–12:00 P.M. Call 402-398-9928.

August 8

August 22

August 27

SWING WITH PRIDE GOLF OPEN Benefiting Roncalli Catholic High School This tournament begins with lunch, with social hour, silent auction, raffle giveaways and dinner program to follow golfing. Master of Ceremonies is retired sports anchor Dave Webber.

The Player’s Club at Deer Creek Omaha–11:00 A.M. Visit www.roncallicatholic.org.

OMAHA BOY SCOUTS GOLF INVITATIONAL Benefiting Boy Scouts of America Mid-America Council This annual golf outing benefits the Scouting program of Mid-America Council, currently ranked as the number one council in the country. Registration and driving range opens at 11:00, lunch and program begin at noon, with 18 holes of golf starting at 1:00.

Omaha Country Club–Omaha Visit www.mac-bsa.org/golf.

DANCE FOR A CHANCE A benefit for Youth Emergency Services Please join us for the 3rd annual Dance for a Chance event! This event is the metro’s local version of “Dancing with the Stars” and includes a generous silent auction, raffle packages, hors d’oeuvres and dance performances from local community artist groups.

Skutt Catholic High School Omaha–6:30 P.M. Visit www.yesomaha.org.

August 22-27

August 27

OMAHA FASHION WEEK Omaha Fashion Week (OFW) is the Midwest's largest fashion week and features over 40 designers, 400 models, 100 make-up artists and hair stylists, and a ton of volunteers! The designers will all be from the Midwest and range from students to entrepreneurs that are about to release their lines in stores around America. General Admission, Reserved Seating, and VIP tickets are available. For more information on the designers, show line-ups, or tickets email info@omahafashionweek.com.

Nomad Lounge–Omaha Visit www.omahafashionweek.com.

5K/10K RUN AND REMEMBRANCE WALK A benefit for Ted E. Bear Hollow Now in its 13th year as a fundraiser for Ted E. Bear Hollow, the race occurs on the Keystone Trail and the Walk is held at Roberts Park. The event includes fabulous food, drinks, music, clowns, tattoos and raffle prizes.

Outback Steakhouse Omaha – 8:00 A.M. Visit www.tedebearhollow.org.

August 11 POOR CLARE SISTERS’ DINNER & AUCTION A benefit for the Poor Clare Sisters of Omaha The theme for this 2nd annual event is “An Evening in Assisi: Celebrating A Heritage” and is part of celebrating the 8th Centenary of the Foundation of the Order of St. Clare. Brandi Petersen will serve as Master of Ceremonies and event proceeds will support the construction of a new Monastery.

St. Robert Bellarmine Parish Mainelli Center–Omaha–6:00 P.M. Call 402-498-0961.

August 19 4TH ANNUAL MUSICAL REVUE BENEFIT A benefit for Children’s Respite Care Center This evening is the Patron Gala for The Songs of Leiber and Stoller, a Tony Award-winning show showcasing 39 of the greatest rock n’ roll and rhythm and blues songs ever recorded.

The Patron Gala includes reception, dinner and performance.

Mutual of Omaha Auditorium–6:00 P.M. Visit www.crccomaha.org.

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August 25 PARTY WITH A PURPOSE Benefiting the Women’s Fund of Omaha Part of Omaha Fashion Week, this event includes cocktails and light snacks before taking your reserved seat for the runway show featuring top name local designers.

Nomad Lounge–Omaha–6:00 P.M. Call 402-827-9280 or visit www.omahawomensfund.org.

metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

August 27 ANGELS FOR ANGELS GALA CELEBRATION A benefit for Madonna School and Workshop This event is the major fundraiser for Madonna School and Workshop, the Catholic Archdioces of Omaha’s unique outreach to people with cognitive and developmental disabilities. The evening includes silent and oral auctions and an elegant dinner.

Mutual of Omaha Dome Omaha–5:30 P.M. Call 402-556-1883.

August 27

September 9

September 16

September 24

OMAHA STARS GALA PRESENTS A HAWAIIAN LUAU Benefiting the Nebraska AIDS Project Grab your sandals for this special Night of 1,000 Stars Party.

Omaha Press Club–Omaha

ZOOFARI A benefit for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo This biennial fundraising event features a lively oral auction, exquisite food and entertainment, and captivating imagery. The evening promises to entertain and educate guests on the past, present and future of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo Omaha–5:00 P.M. Visit www.omahazoofoundation.org.

HALFWAY TO SAINT PATRICK’S DAY A benefit for Project Harmony The Project Harmony Service League will host this eighth annual event, a casual party that starts with Irish music and continues with dancing to Finest Hour.

Omaha Firefighters’ Union Hall Visit www.projectharmony.com.

STEP OUT: WALK TO STOP DIABETES A benefit for the American Diabetes Association Walking is one of the easiest, most relaxing forms of exercise for many people, but especially for those living with diabetes.

Stinson Park at Aksarben Village–Omaha Call 1-888-DIABETES x6886.

August 29 GREAT FRIENDS TO KIDS LUNCHEON A benefit for the Omaha Children’s Museum In its fifth year, this event recognizes individuals and organizations who have worked passionately to make the Omaha metro area a wonderful place for children.

Omaha Children’s Museum–12:00 P.M. Visit www.ocm.org.

August 31 PURSEONALITIES 2011 A benefit for Child Saving Institute This scholarship luncheon will feature a silent auction of fabulous purse packages!

Ramada Plaza Omaha Hotel & Convention Center–Omaha Visit www.childsaving.org.

September 8 CELEBRITY SPEAKER SERIES Benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska This Celebrity Speaker Series luncheon features Dick Vitale, college basketball’s top analyst and ambassador, speaking on Philanthropic Responsibility in today’s world and the benefits of giving.

Qwest Center–Omaha–11:00 A.M. Visit www.nebraska.wish.org.

September 11 WALKRITE FOR RITECARE Benefiting the Scottish Rite Foundation’s RiteCare Clinics This second annual event is a familyfriendly day with entertainment, clowns, food and fun, while supporting a great cause.

Zorinsky Lake–Omaha–9:00 A.M. Call 402-342-1300 or visit www.scottishriteomaha.org.

September 15 BREW HAHA A benefit for Habitat for Humanity of Omaha This food, micro brew and brewed coffee tasting event features over 20 restaurants, coffee and micro brewers. A signature “friend-raising” event, this year it is co-hosted by the Habitat FRIENDS and Habitat Young Professionals.

Lewis and Clark Landing Omaha Riverfront–5:00 P.M. Visit www.habitatomaha.org.

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September 21 2011 IGNATIAN DINNER Benefiting the Jesuit Partnership Council of Omaha This event is a celebration of Lay/Jesuit collaboration in our community.

Harper Center at Creighton–6:00 P.M. Call 402-397-2909.

September 23-25 LAURITZEN GARDENS ANTIQUE & GARDEN SHOW Benefiting Lauritzen Gardens This event brings together more than 30 of the nation’s most highly respected dealers representing American, Asian and European antiques.

Lauritzen Gardens–Omaha Visit www.OmahaAntiqueShow.org.

September 24 ANGEL FLIGHT A benefit for Skutt Catholic High School This annual event includes dinner, silent and live auctions and lottery. Funds raised ensure that the school’s general operating expenses are met, while augmenting Skutt Catholic’s financial aid program and technology fund.

Skutt Catholic High School–5:30 P.M. Call 402-330-0818.

metroMAGAZINE • AUG 2011

September 24 A VINTAGE AFFAIRE III A benefit for Autism Action Partnership Join Autism Action Partnership for a Champagne tasting like you have never experienced as you are personally escorted through tastings of fine Champagnes in Riedel stemware.

This will be followed by a silent auction, dinner and live auction of rare wines and other exquisite items.

Downtown Hilton–Omaha Visit www.autismaction.org.

September 24 JEWELS OF AUTUMN A benefit for Alegent Health Lakeside Hospital Alegent Health Foundation hosts this annual event featuring food and beverages, live entertainment and the Nebraska vs. Wyoming game on two giant screens.

Alegent Health Lakeside Hospital Omaha–6:00 P.M. Visit www.alegent.com/jewels or call 402-717-8182.

emerge

relax

metroMagazine

vibrations • with sue moon

and rethink

This month begins as we are still riding the tidal waves of the prior eclipses in June and July. Great change has happened in many lives. Neptune (creativity) will slip back into Aquarius (humanitarian) on the 6th to stay until February 2012. This will give us all an opportunity to review the past approximately 15 years to see if we have learned our lessons toward a highly evolved humanity aware of their spiritual roots. Mercury (communication/electronics) goes retrograde from the 3rd until the 27th. Remember to put off buying any computers, games, etc. and prepare for delays and miscommunications. The best things to do during a Mercury retrograde cycle are re-do, rethink, relax and clean out your closets or drawers. It’s a good time to reevaluate everything. It is not a good time to start anything new, like a business venture and definitely not a good time to sign contracts. They will usually need re-doing. We have a happy Sun in Leo, the sign it rules, which is a nice time for parties/vacations and just generally being happy. The Full Moon in Aquarius on the 13th could bring some emotional responses to being manipulated. The New Moon in Virgo on the 29th will be a time to see what new healing you can bring into your life. Lilith (danger) opposes Saturn (foundations) all month and challenges all to seek clarity and the truth in all of the lies and illusions that are around us. There are five planets in retrograde this month, which slows things down even more, asking us to just chill and integrate all of the recent changes.

aries

mar 21 - apr 19

A strong energy in your home sector could create problems.

Mind your biting tongue and be kinder. Not everyone is as smart as you. Venus (play/love) starts your month in a very amorous state of mind. There is good energy for a fun vacation in the first few weeks. There is potential rebirth in your job sector and look for a better one if you don’t like the one you have.

taurus

apr 20 - may 20

From the 5th to the 20th, Mars (aggression) opposes (dance or fight) Pluto (power for change), which may cause some power plays with a potential for strong words or even violence.

This happens in your everyday living sector. Venus in your home brings the possibility of re-decorating. The New Moon on the 29th gives you an opportunity to think about what you would rather be working on. The Mercury retrograde is also here. Time to rethink that job and your health.

leo

sagittarius

nOV 22 - dEC 21

jul 23 - auG 22

You never looked lovelier and all eyes are upon you, thanks to Venus and the Sun. Audition for something; you can’t lose. The Full Moon on the 13th makes an important relationship very emotional. It can go either way. The Mars/Pluto opposition hits you hard in the houses of health/work, opposing karma/institutions, through the 20th. Uncomfortable energies to say the least.

No speeding tickets this month as it won’t go in your favor.

virgo

auG 23 - SEp 22

This Mercury retrograde will hit you a little stronger than others. It’s pretty important that you sit down with yourself and get a clearer picture of where you are heading.

Then make some long-range plans/goals and implement at month’s end. Children and friends could be problematic from the 5th to the 20th. Just be your wonderful impartial self and all will work out.

Big changes in your money opposing other people’s money this month. As Neptune moves back into your subconscious area you have an opportunity to bring forth great gifts from your subconscious. You can use this for the arts or just having Technicolor dreams. There’s a potential for a rebirth in the career sector. Don’t hesitate.

capricorn

dEC 22 - jan 19

You and your relationships are in opposition. It will be up to you to make it a productive time and not a conflicting one. The Sun and Venus will travel through your death and rebirth house, helping you accept what you cannot change.

Your home needs to nurture and support you in different ways. Do you need to change out a few rooms?

aquarius

jan 20 - fEb 18

gemini

may 21 - jun 20

Three areas are lit up in your chart this month: Money/talents, siblings/daily life, and home/Mother. Mercury retrograde happens in the home area. Clean out closets and drawers to free up energy by the end of the month when you can throw yourself into a project involving new studies and possibly foreign travel or foreign friends.

cancer

jun 21 - jul 22

Everyday living patterns are calling for your attention.

Some things may have gotten a little stagnant and could use some new ideas. Because Venus (love/beauty) is in your money and talents house, you should focus on these areas the first two weeks. Mercury retrograde muddles your thoughts at month’s beginning and even slows down your earning potential, but after the 27th that will free up again.

libra

SEp 23 - OCT 22

Home versus career is challenging most of this month.

Work for balance. Mercury retrograde is calling up deep psychological issues from the past for you. Make sure they are finished and cleared. The Full Moon on the 13th will be an emotional time with the kids. Make it emotionally happy. Mars gives your career a boost all month, so take advantage of the added power.

scorpio

Mars gives your health a strong boost of energy. And your job too. Venus helps all your committed relationships to be happier and Jupiter helps your home be just what you want.

The full moon on the 13th makes you a standout person and people will notice. On the 20th, the new moon reveals a few hidden mysteries.

OCT 23 - nOV 21

Could be a month of power struggles for you if you don’t take the high road. Home will be emotionally charged on the 13th. Venus and the Sun highlight a very positive force in your career and people are noticing how charming you are. Relationships can be unpredictable at best.

pisces

fEb 19 - mar 20

Neptune and Chiron are both retrograde in your house of personality/body. This should give you some time to decide what you want to do for your body. The Full Moon on the 20th can reveal a few secrets. Pluto and Mars will be in a tug of war between your desire for more meaningful friendships and your desire to go play with the kids. Do some of both!

Sue Moon has been a student of astrology since 1972 and is an experienced journeyman and practitioner in a number of life enhancement disciplines.

You can find her astrology materials and dailies at www.suemoon.com and on Facebook. She is locally based at Bright Spirit Center • www.brightspiritcenter.com.

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metroMagazine • aug 2011

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