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June 2015

Damon Bell Retracing the Steps of Civil Rights Pioneers

TONYA KUPER

hits it big in youth fiction

I Lost on Jeopardy

One Omaha Teacherâ€™s 15 Minutes of Fame

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june 2015

Hits it Big in Youth Fiction 22 I Lost on Jeopardy Teacher Chris Grinvalds Fulfills His Dream

10 @omahamagazine @omahamagazine

PUBLISHER Todd Lemke

14 Tonya Kuper

Volume 3 • Issue 1

departments 6

meet the family: The Hughes 10 activity: Omaha’s Modern Playgrounds 12 diy: Macraméniac 17 health: Lessons Learned in the Garden 18 fitness: Side Plank 19 young hero: Damon Bell and the Selma March 21 mind & body: The Joys and Dangers of the Teenage Summer 24 food: Raspberry Sorbet 26 mom on the rocks: Channeling Nick Nolte 27 lifestyle: Omaha Summer Arts Festival 28 calendar of events 30 the grandpa chronicles: First Star I See Tonight

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EDITOR David Williams MANAGING EDITOR Robert Nelson ASSOCIATE EDITOR Daisy Hutzell-Rodman CREATIVE DIRECTOR John Gawley DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY & INTERACTIVE MEDIA Bill Sitzmann SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER & WEB CONTENT MANAGER Kristen Hoffman GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rachel Joy CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bev Carlson • Anna Hensel • Danielle Herzog Jennifer Litton • Lisa Lukecart Leslie Murrell • Kara Schweiss ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Gwen Lemke • Greg Bruns • Gil Cohen Kyle Fischer • Angie Hall • George Idelman ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Sandy Besch Matson ACCOUNT ASSISTANTS Jamie Cole • Jessica Cullinane • Dawn Dennis Alicia Smith Hollins • Jessica Linhart OPERATIONS Tyler Lemke ACCOUNTING Holley Garcia-Cruz WAREHOUSE DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Mike Brewer Printed by Omaha Print For a one-year subscription (12 issues), send $9.95 to P.O. Box 461208, Papillion, NE 68046-1208. www.omahamagazine.com Original contributions become the property of Omaha Publications. Contributions cannot be acknowledged or returned. The information contained within HerFamily is for informational purposes only. It is not intended and should not be used to take the place of seeking professional advice, counsel or assistance. Omaha Publications makes no endorsement of and is not responsible for contributors or advertising herein. If you have concerns or questions related to your health, consult with your physician. HerFamily is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of Omaha Publications, 402.884.2000.

On the Cover: Ella (10) and Ayda (8) Borden leap into summer.

4 HerFamily • June 2015

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meet the family

by Jennifer Litton photography by Bill Sitzmann

The Hughes Mixing Artifact Bags and Family

hris Hughes is a father of three who spends most Monday and Wednesday evenings toiling away in his upstairs workshop on Farnam Street. It is a curious space filled with antiquities and tools akin to his trade—custom leather bags. He fulfills orders from across the world, assembling packages containing his hand-constructed waterproof tote bags, briefcases, and artisanal aprons crafted with quality materials.

6 HerFamily • June 2015

omahamagazine.com

Chris and Beth Hughes With Kit, Jane, and Levi

“I wanted the items that I designed and sold to have a timeless quality to them. I wanted someone to look at them years in the future and say ‘look at this artifact,’” Hughes says. Hence, you have the evolution of the name of his business, Artifact Bag Co., a thriving online business that Hughes started more than four years ago. Hughes says that being an entrepreneur is a constantly evolving process of new experiences. “The minute I get comfortable with something, I take on a new challenge. I’m always throwing myself into the fire so that I’m never bestofomaha.com

comfortable. When you come home from days of that, you really just feel like your legs are rubber bands. You feel like you could just collapse.” In a flip-the-switch moment, Hughes dons his daddy hat before stepping in the door at home. “The minute I cross that threshold into my house, I’ve got two boys and a girl that are jumping up onto me. I have to kick in the afterburners. I just have to be present because for them they’re fresh and they want to see their dad,” he says. His children are Kit, 6, Levi, 4, and Jane, 2. >

HerFamily • June 2015 7

meet the family continued

Hughes’ schedule has him spending weekdays at his shop, surrounded by a small team of craftsmen and craftswomen who assist him as business demands. He also works until almost 11 p.m. a few nights of the week and at least one weekend day. He says his demanding schedule sometimes frustrates his children. “It pulls me away from them so often.” But they do enjoy visiting their dad’s cool space. “They’re fascinated by the workspace because of all of the machines and all of the materials.”

“I’m learning every day and I make mistakes every day. I’m very fortunate to have a great group of friends who’ve been on this parenting road a little bit longer than I have that I can learn from.” -Beth Hughes

His wife is Beth Hughes, who works as a speech-language pathologist at the RiteCare Speech and Language Clinic located in the Munroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The couple went to school together at Westside High School, but didn’t actually date until years later when the two crossed paths again while Beth was in graduate school. Beth says that having an Internet-based business can make finding the right balance between family and work challenging. “The Internet never stops. So it’s not like Chris can just walk away at 5 p.m. and say, ‘Oh, the shop’s closed for the day.’ There are always more things to do in terms of emails to respond to and social media stuff to post and promote and things to research for projects that he has coming up,” she says.

8 HerFamily • June 2015

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But knowing that the family sets aside evenings for sit-down meals and plans one day out of each weekend to spend together provides a home base for sanity. “Getting some sort of schedule just so that we all know what to expect has been helpful,” she says. As a mother, Beth says she feels privileged to help her children grow and develop into the people that they’re meant to be. “I like to help foster their interests and teach them things and to see things through their eyes. It’s just fascinating.” She finds strength in her support system of mommy friends. “I’m learning every day and I make mistakes every day. I’m very fortunate to have a great group of friends who’ve been on this parenting road a little bit longer than I have that I can learn from,” Hughes says. The kids keep active with swim lessons, fishing, tee-ball, and riding bikes. Some Sunday mornings, one might find the Hughes family over at the Bagel Bin—a family favorite. They also love going to the zoo.

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Friday nights are family movie nights. “I’ll make popcorn on the stove,” Chris says. “They love watching Star Wars over and over again. They like that good versus evil kind of stuff.” Hughes is inspired by his children’s creativity. “All of the sudden a card table becomes a fort to drape blankets over, or a stick becomes a rifle. They’re just constantly interpreting their environment in very imaginative ways.” “They haven’t really been taught that they are not artists or those other things that happen in life when people dash people’s dreams and hopes. They are still very optimistic,” he says. “In many ways, I never lost sight of that either, so on some level, I relate with them.” bestofomaha.com

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HerFamily • June 2015 9

activity

by Kara Schweiss photography by Bill Sitzmann

Playing it Safe The high speeds and big falls may be gone, but the fun remains on

Omaha’s modern playgrounds.

f you come from early Omaha stock, it’s likely your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and maybe even your great-great-grandparents grew up frolicking on the City of Omaha’s playground equipment. “The movement for playgrounds really came about in the late 1890s,” says Tracy Stratman, recreation manager for the City of Omaha Parks & Recreation Department. “It all started in the inner cities to create locations for kids to actually get out and have constructive play. That way they could deter negative activities and youth crime.” Gone, though, are many of the early playground standards. You won’t see the sheet-metal slides that sizzled in the sunshine and featured steep, narrow steps. It’s nearly impossible to find tall teeter-totters (Anyone else remember crashing to the ground when the child on the other end suddenly scooted off?) or high, slick, monkey bars positioned over a shallow layer of sand on hard

10 HerFamily • June 2015

ground. Oh yes—don’t forget those flat merry-go-rounds that sent children skidding off the perimeter. As children, we wanted playground toys that were faster, higher, and more intense, but from an adult perspective, it’s safety first. Or as Stratman puts it, “Your perception of what you see on a playground drastically changes when you become a parent.” Contemporary playgrounds still deliver the thrill, but rein in the risk for kids of all ages and abilities, says owner of Crouch Recreation Eric Crouch. As a Heisman Trophy winner for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, he knows about the unpleasantness of hitting the ground hard. The company’s installations can be seen all over the metro area in public locations such as Benson Park, Vogel Park, and Stinson Park, as well as other sites such as SIDs, commercial daycares, and schools throughout Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. omahamagazine.com

Elmwood Park’s playground is a Midtown favorite.

“Accessibility is huge and safety is one of the top factors. Quality of equipment, and sometimes design, factors into it as well,” Crouch says. “We want things to be safe, to look nice, and to stand the test of time.” Industry standards are guided by the American Society for Testing and Materials, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Crouch says. But manufacturers have found ways to keep the old standbys (“You really miss the mark if you don’t include slides or swings”) only with safer—and sometimes more fun—options from saucer seats and wide platform slide entrances to spring supports for see saws and pliable surfacing. “We are so safety-conscious today and we’re making improvements, but we’re seeing the throwback to what we did as kids,” Stratman says.

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Larger playground structures are typically modular so clients can create one-of-a-kind arrangements with more features than ever available, Crouch says. “Now kids will get to a park and they see something that will interest them: How do I use this? It takes a little bit of their mind and their body strength to look at a piece of equipment and interact with it,” Crouch says. “New designs stimulate creative thinking.” Other innovative elements seen on today’s playgrounds include the use of environmentally-friendly materials, custom designs that integrate into the surroundings, shade structures, seating for parents or caregivers, stroller- and wheelchair-accessible paths, and even sports and fitness features to make parks appealing to all ages. But one thing never changes, Stratman says. “The confidence building as well as the social skills you learn on the playground are limitless.”

HerFamily • June 2015 11

diy

by Kristen Hoffman photography by Bill Sitzmann

Macraméniac

nce you’ve slipped slowly into plant-lady insanity like I have, you start to accumulate more plants than floor space. The simplest and most attractive solution? Just hang new creations from the ceiling! Besides the occasional blunt-object-to-thehead, the liability is minimal. And nobody trips over hanging plants. Your dogs can’t knock them over on the way to the window, and small humans aren’t digging into them. Since the plastic hangers that come with plants aren’t exactly appealing, know that there is a cheap, natural-looking option. That’s right, we are throwing it back to the ‘70s. I’m talking about macramé.

MATERIALS • Jute String • Scissors

Grab a single string from each pair of knotted strings, and tie it to a single string of the pair next to it.

Kristen Hoffman, DIY

12 HerFamily • June 2015

omahamagazine.com

Molly Maid clean is n

Molly Maid clean is now green! Molly Maid clean is now green! Trust Molly Maid to clean your home so thoroughly, people are guaranteed to notice!

Trust Molly Maid to clean your Trust Molly Maid to clean your homehome so thoroughly, people so thoroughly, people are guaranteed to notice! are guaranteed to notice!

Start with four pieces of jute that are two times as long as your desired length. Fold all four in half, and tie an overhand knot creating a loop near the top to make a hanger.

Molly Maid clean

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HerFamily • June 2015 13

feature Lisa Lukecart by

photography by Bill Sitzmann

14窶ォerFamily 窶｢ June 2015

omahamagazine.com

onya Kuper was bored. As a stay-athome mom, her 4-year-old son and baby kept her hopping. Her husband would eat dinner, play with the kids, and help her put them to bed. As an attorney, he would often head back to work until the early morning hours. Therefore, Kuper had nights to herself. She devoured books like Dracula, Pride and Prejudice, and Harry Potter. Not so surprising for someone with a master’s degree in reading. She binge-watched The Vampire Diaries, but there was only just so much Ian Somerhalder to drool over. Kuper’s story doesn’t have a romantic beginning. She needed to clean one weekend when her eldest acted up. “Just please take him downstairs. He’s like the son of the devil,” she jokingly said to her husband.

She wrote a second book, sort of a Mean Girls meets Pretty in Pink. Her agent sent the book out to a short list of editors, one asking if she would like to try a science fiction trilogy for young adults instead. Kuper was a “science fiction geek” so she knew she could do it. Anomaly, about a girl named Josie who can push and retract reality, was created based on a quantum physics theory. “I loved that it was about a girl who was fighting to save her family,” Madison Schuetz, 14, says. She just finished the book and loved the dual points of view. Every chapter switches from Josie to Reid, a boy character who helps Josie train, so the book isn’t gender specific. >

Man, it’d suck falling in love with the devil’s son. Hmm…That would be good story. Kuper’s thoughts soon transformed into words on a page. Closer, a story about a girl falling in love with the devil’s son, would be her first novel. “It was terrible,” Kuper recalls with a laugh. Kuper wrote for fun, but three quarters of the way in she researched the publishing world. She soon amassed an entire file full of rejections. Friends, family, and her husband supported her through it all. She learned a lot about herself in the process, including that it is okay not to have everyone like her. “If you are going to write, you have to have thick skin and buck up,” she advises future writers.

bestofomaha.com

HerFamily • June 2015 15

feature continued

beer gardens live country music fun zone

Kuper, 37, soon changed from full-time mom to full-time writer.

“I have the best job ever. I kill people for a living,” Kuper says. Tears ran down Kuper’s cheeks the first time she saw her book on the shelves at Barnes & Noble. She scared the girl in front of her, who was buying Anomaly. Kuper signed her first book on the spot. “Create your own reality,” is something she typically writes to teenagers during book signings. Kuper grew up with little money in a small cornfield town in western Illinois; her father was an auto mechanic and her mother a stay-at-home mom. Kuper had to work hard for her future. “Do whatever you want to do. Think of the biggest thing and then work for it,” Kuper tells teenagers. She plays a bit with her blue scarf, detailed fittingly with Rebel symbols from Star Wars. Kuper adds an element of the movie, such as Josie’s Vader T-shirt, into each book. Anomaly, published by Entangled, took off, hitting the bestseller list on Kindle for science fiction and science fiction romance. Recently, it reached the top of the bestselling teen science fiction as well. Her second book in the Schrodinger’s Consortium trilogy, Enigma, won’t be available until this October. “I want it to be out, like, now,” Schuetz says. Kuper is currently comfortable in her own skin.

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After Kuper’s first signing at the American Association Conference, she had an ampersand tattoo etched into her wrist. “In writing, when you add an ‘and’ the possibilities are endless. And now I have my ‘and.’”

16 HerFamily • June 2015

omahamagazine.com

health

by Anna Hensel

Earth Children Kids can learn countless lessons in the garden.

ith summer vacation and a welcome reprieve from the classroom under way, spring is a great time to teach kids lessons in greener pastures. Spending time in the garden with mom and dad not only helps get kids outside, but can also unearth some hidden interests. Scott Evans, the Horticulture Program Coordinator for UNL’s Extension office in Douglas and Sarpy counties, got his start in plants as a kid, and his passion never faded. He grew up around nurseries with garden-loving parents, and despite a childhood obsession with dinosaurs, springtime visits to greenhouses in Council Bluffs made him into a plant guy. “The smell of earth and that dampness is still something that, to this day when I walk into a gardening center, just brings back very fond memories,” says Evans. Even if your kids aren’t crazy about plants, Evans believes that working hands-on with flowers, vegetables, and shrubs can teach kids important lessons about sustainability, especially if they’re not around plants all that much in the first place.

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“When kids grow up in urban settings, they don’t realize where their food comes from. They’re missing that connection from where food actually comes from,” says Evans. To make the experience more fun for parents and children alike, be sure to tailor your gardening routine to whatever your kid is interested in. Parents can get their creativity budding by browsing Pinterest or other websites for gardening project ideas. Have a child who has a craving for homemade pizza? Grow the necessary ingredients together—tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc. If your kids love fairy tales, plant vegetables and flowers with whimsical names—there’s the Snow White carrot and the Purple Dragon carrot, for starters. Or try planting flowers with a variety of fun colors, smells, and textures for those still exploring their interests, like Gardenias or Woolly Lamb’s Ear. For children who are too young to start taking care of plants on their own, pulling weeds and watering plants alongside adults are good tasks. Many gardening stores even have smaller, easy-to-carry

watering cans or trowels designed just for the budding young gardeners. While adult supervision is key, Evans says to not be afraid of letting kids get their hands dirty. The more involved they are in the project, the more likely they are to stay interested. Evans also recommends teaching kids simple biology principles that will help them understand how plants grow. Explain to them how plants aren’t like animals in that they make their own food, and thus need to have a proper amount of sunlight and water to flourish. Finally, remember to start small. Remind children that even with tender loving care, not every plant will bloom, and don’t try to grow an entire greenhouse overnight. Even just starting with a few pots or another container garden can teach kids valuable horticulture lessons, and help their creativity bloom. “It’s like when we go to dinner—our eyes are bigger than our plate,” says Evans. “Just starting small allows for a greater success, and then when you have that success, you can continue to build upon it.”

HerFamily • June 2015 17

fitness

by Rachel Joy photography by Bill Sitzmann

Side Plank Sanskrit name: Vasisthasana (vah-sish-TAHS-anna)

he side plank strengthens the wrists, arms, abdomen, and legs. It also improves your sense of balance and concentration.

1. Begin by kneeling with hands on the ground in front of you. Keep your

shoulders above the wrists and knees below the hips. Step your right foot backward to press on the ball of the back foot and step the left foot back to meet the right (plank pose).

2. Press the hands firmly into the ground. Engage the core by pulling the belly towards the back of the spine and activate the legs.

3. Distribute all weight onto the right wrist and slowly turn onto the edge of the right foot. Stack your left foot on top of the right.

4. Engage the legs by drawing them closer together. Press through the heels towards the ground. Reach your left hand towards the sky, and gaze at the fingertips.

5. Breathe slowly and deeply three to seven times. As you exhale, place your left hand on the ground to meet the right (plank pose).

6. Repeat these steps for your left side.

Rachel Joy, Fitness

18 HerFamily • June 2015

omahamagazine.com

young hero

by Lisa Lukecart photography by Bill Sitzmann

It would be the same path the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., would take in his dress shoes in second and third marches to the capitol. Now, here was Damon trudging along in his gray and white Air Jordan sneakers. He could feel this in the silence—the weight of history heavy on his 12-year-old shoulders. His father, Jermaine, had tears in his eyes.

“They always say you don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been, so I’m going to get a chance to find out where I came from.” Damon Bell at the Spencer Street Barber Shop.

-Damon Bell

A white man sauntered up to Damon and his group near the middle of the bridge. He was holding a huge white sign that read simply, “I’m sorry.” He explained how he had lived in Selma when the marches happened and thought there was just nothing he could do to help. “It was a sight I’ll never forget,” Jermaine recalls. Damon wanted to explore the rich history of his people’s struggle. So, when the Omaha Housing Authority sponsored an essay contest in which students were asked to detail why they would like to make the trip to Selma, Damon just had to enter.

Damon Bell wrote his way to the 50th anniversary commemoration of the Selma march.

amon Bell took one step onto the Edmund Pettus Bridge and heard silence. Real silence, the kind that made him pause and remember.

This was where 600 people marched 50 years earlier, hoping to complete the 54-mile journey from Selma to the state capitol in Montgomery. Instead, they were brutally assaulted by Alabama law enforcement officers, beaten with billy clubs, crushed by horses, and attacked by dogs in what would be known as “Bloody Sunday.” bestofomaha.com

He wrote, “They always say you don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been, so I’m going to get a chance to find out where I came from.” OHA football coach Gannie Clark hosted the contest, wanting to share the experience of Selma with a younger generation. He agreed with the sentiments in Damon’s essay. “We need to teach tolerance before we are doomed,” he says. OHA wanted to offer a chance for young people to participate in events surrounding the 50th anniversary of the marches that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned racial discrimination for voters. Despite the thousands of people in attendance, Damon says, the entire day “was peace, a lot of peace.” He saw influential black leaders such as President Barack Obama, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Martin Luther King III. And he talked with actor Chris Tucker, who gave Damon his autograph At a museum in Selma, Jermaine noticed Damon on his phone as they observed the footage of what happened that fateful day on March 7, 1965. Damon just couldn’t stand to see people get hurt. >

HerFamily • June 2015 19

young hero continued

dinner & auction

Friday

Jermaine told his son he needed to watch it even if it was tough.

Feb. 20, 2015

“He needs to know what actually happened,” he says. “Our right to vote came with blood, sweat, and tears.” Damon feels everyone should vote and even if someone believes it doesn’t really matter, it is important to take the chance. Clark, who lived about 90 miles from the bridge, says the outing was good for Damon and the other kids to see a different perceptive. “Racism in Omaha is like racism in Selma,” Clark says. “I told the boys during the trip to use their anger to speak out, use their anger to fight against any kind of injustice. It isn’t a black/white thing. It is an American thing.” Racism is getting worse, Jermaine believes. He doesn’t feel people are making progress. Damon knows it is still an issue, but feels like the world is changing.

Honorary cHair:

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He hopes the future will be full of peace. His goal is to someday be a professional football player or an engineer. When Damon is not attending Scared Heart School as a sixth grader, his classroom is at Goodwin’s Spencer Street Barber Shop where his father has worked for the past 20 years. Damon is a fixture there almost every day, listening and learning from such men as owner Dan Goodwin and others. Goodwin marched on Washington and shook hands with Malcolm X. A shop window broken over 46 years ago—intentionally left unrepaired to this day—is a powerful reminder of racial tensions in Omaha. A bullet (Goodwin believes fired by police) smashed the pane during the 1969 riots that erupted after a police officer shot and killed an unarmed girl, 14-year-old Vivian Strong. Jermaine says that is what makes his son a smart kid, learning both sides of the table. Despite living in “the hood,” Jermaine will never leave. “I love North Omaha,” he says proudly.

20 HerFamily • June 2015

omahamagazine.com

mind & body

by Bev Carlson, Lutheran Family Services

Teen driving fatalities start going up in June and peak in August.

Footloose

erhaps there is no age that can appreciate the joys of summer more than the teens. Swimsuit weather, no homework, driving privileges… finally. Even those older teenagers with jobs have time and freedom unlike during the school year. It is a glorious time in which lifelong memories are made. But getting there safely takes a little planning and, perhaps, good ideas and a little encouragement from mom or dad. Left to their own devices, it would be easy for many teens to quickly fall into negative patterns once the last bell sounds on the school year. While there’s certainly a place for sleeping in, lazy days, and video game marathons, no one, including your teen, is going to feel good about a summer in which nothing else is accomplished. Or, as they might say the week before school starts, “I feel like I wasted my whole vacation.” Or, even worse, they have too much freedom, leading to trouble or tragedy.

bestofomaha.com

The Joys and Dangers of the Teenage Summer In the Omaha area, there are many options for teens to get involved. If you haven’t already talked with your student about creating a plan for how they will spend their break, you still can. Many of the big-three choices are already determined by this time: summer employment, summer school, or other school-related activities like athletics or band camp. It may not be too late for your teen to still find a job, but the longer they wait, the harder it may be for them to find something they like that will be flexible enough for their other summer activities. If a job is not an option, there are other ways to encourage your teen to stay somewhat productive and busy. Look for volunteer opportunities. Even if they are not ongoing, having established projects will keep kids active and learning. Check with your place of worship, your school— even your own workplace might provide opportunities for teens to volunteer.

Local nonprofits have their own rules about their volunteer workforce. Special rules apply when working directly with clients, but in Omaha especially, nonprofit organizations hold events nearly every weekend and can always use willing workers to help. Fundraising events like golf tournaments, 5K runs, or auctions generally rely on volunteer power to be successful. Projects like these are terrific ways for older teens to strengthen their resumes for college or future employment. Just setting a minimum standard or goal for the summer is a step forward for many kids. For example, one goal might be that your child will be responsible for getting dinner on the table twice each week, plus keeping the yard mowed and trimmed—whatever makes sense in your home. The idea is that your teen is not left with endless and empty days to fill with no direction or support. Parents should also be aware that summer—not winter—is by far the most dangerous time for teen drivers. Teen driving fatalities start going up in June and peak in August. You may want to have a conversation that revisits basic safe driving rules about having additional teens in the vehicle, drinking and driving, texting and driving, and frankly, unnecessary driving. Above all, cherish the time you still have with your children at home. Enjoy the adults they are becoming, and do what you can to help them get there—happily and safely.

Bev Carlson, Lutheran Family Services

HerFamily • June 2015 21

feature Danielle Herzog by

photography by Bill Sitzmann

I LOST ON

Jeopardy i

HE DIDN’T WIN, BUT BRAINY TEACHER CHRIS GRINVALDS DID FULFILL HIS DREAM OF BEING ON THE SHOW.

t was a big day in Chris Grinvalds’ life when Jeopardy came back on the air in 1984 after a nine-year hiatus. Every day at his grandparents’ home in Yutan, Neb., Grinvalds and his family would sit together and watch question after question to see who would win it all in Final Jeopardy. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that, 30 years later, he would get the chance to do it himself. Grinvalds, 42, loves trivia. He loves it so much, he says, that it makes more sense to him than any textbook he’s ever read. According to Grinwalds, trivia is, “how I learn.” For years he attempted to put his skills to good use by applying over and over again to Jeopardy’s online auditions. But he was never chosen. Until one announcement changed everything. While teaching marketing, world history, and computers at Bennington High School, Grinvalds learned that Jeopardy was holding targeted tryouts in Omaha. He submitted his application and hoped that this was finally his chance. Two weeks later, in December 2013, he got a call inviting him to come to an audition in downtown Omaha. When he arrived, there were 200 people divided into four groups of 50. First they had to complete a written trivia exam, and if they passed, they were called out in groups of three to play a mock game. They answered a dozen questions while the cameras rolled to see how they would do on screen. Grinvalds nailed it. He felt confident, excited, and hopeful. But then he waited. And waited. And never heard back from them. Nearly one year later, the phone rang.

22 HerFamily • June 2015

“Chris,” said the caller. “What are you doing in December? We want you to be in the teachers’ tournament for Jeopardy.” His dream was actually happening. But what he didn’t anticipate was how much stress it would cause. For the two months leading up to the competition, Grinvalds dealt with insomnia, shingles, and a massive increase in anxiety and anxiousness. He was more nervous than he had ever been in his life. A comfort to him was his school community. His principal, Dr. Matt Blomenkamp, was behind Grinvalds every step of the way. He told him to do whatever he needed to prepare and be on the show. In fact, the entire school supported him through the whole journey. They even threw a large viewing party in the common area after the show had aired—complete with snacks, an abundance of television screens, and more than 100 students in attendance. And when the day to compete finally arrived, Grinvalds felt mentally prepared. The problem was, he couldn’t get his nerves to calm down. From the second he hit the stage, he wasn’t comfortable. All the years of waiting for this opportunity overwhelmed him. And although he competed strong and made it with thousands of dollars to Final Jeopardy, he just couldn’t finish as the winner. But to his school, and to himself, he did win. “I didn’t lose anything out there,” says Grinvalds. He’s even planning to give it another go after his three-year waiting period is over. “I haven’t quit doing crossword puzzles and trivia,” he says. “I’m going back even stronger and I’ll definitely be ready next time.” omahamagazine.com

The school threw a large viewing party in the common area after the show had aired— complete with snacks, an abundance of television screens, and more than 100 students in attendance.

bestofomaha.com

HerFamily • June 2015 23

food

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24 HerFamily • June 2015

omahamagazine.com

Endless amazing interior designs to help bring life to your home!

ingredients • 3 cups fresh raspberries or peeled and chopped mango • 1 Tbsp lime juice • 1/4 tsp salt • 2 large egg whites, room temperature • 1/2 cup sugar • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar • Mint leaves, for garnish

preparation 1. In a blender or food processor, purée raspberries, lime juice, and salt until smooth. 2. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to extract the juice; discard the seeds. 3. In a large saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a simmer. 4. In a large stainless steel bowl, combine the egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. 5. Set the bowl over the simmering water and continue to beat on medium speed until the mixture is glossy and thick, about 3 1/2 minutes. Increase the speed to high and continue beating over the simmering water until mixture becomes very stiff and glossy, about 3 1/2 minutes. 6. Remove from heat and continue beating on medium speed until room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes. 7. Fold the raspberry purée into the egg whites until combined. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze, covered, until solid, at least six hours. To serve, let the sorbet stand at room temperature until softened slightly, about 10 minutes. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired. Sorbet can be kept covered and frozen for up to three weeks. Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: About 1/2 cup, Calories: 102, Fat: 0, Saturated Fat: 0, Cholesterol: 0, Sodium: 118mg, Carbohydrates: 23g, Fiber: 4g, Protein: 3g bestofomaha.com

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mom on the rocks by Leslie Murrell

Oh dear. I look like Nick Nolte’s Mug Shot!

t’s summertime and I’m taking full advantage of the fact that my kids are preteens and sleeping in. Camp Mom is pretty laid back and the kids seem to appreciate it. Yesterday, I filled up 50 water balloons, declared my contribution to their summer fun, and went inside to read my book. Max asks if we can go swimming. I tell him that I just need to finish one more thought and then we we’ll go. Two hours later, I finish the thought. Once we get to the pool, I see a bunch of familiar moms that I haven’t seen in a while. I wave to the fellow gym moms. There was a half-hearted, “Do I know you?” kind of reciprocation wave. That’s when I get a glimpse of myself in the window reflection. It’s not that I feel like I should get all dolled up to go to the pool, it’s that I look that awful. My hair is a wirey mess. I have no make-up on and my current summer wardrobe is whatever I grab out of my laundry basket as I’m putting away the clean clothes,

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which happens to be full-length faded gym sweats in the middle of summer, a t-shirt, and my flip-flops from last year. It’s evident that to these very put-together moms, I look a little bit homeless. And what’s the point in showering and washing my hair anyway if I’m going swimming? In short, think of that famous Nick Nolte mug shot from several years ago. It hasn’t occurred to me until just now that I look like a mom begging for help. I smile with pride because I’m living a dream: I’m a writer and mom. This is apparently what it looks like. I don’t have it all together, but I do indeed have it all. I mentally “high five” myself and play frisbee with the kids for a while. When we leave the pool, I wave to the now-concerned moms. I’ve always been a low-maintenance kind of a gal, but right now I realize I’m a no-maintenance gal. I resolve to maybe give a slight bit of effort to my summer look. Camp Mommy takes on a new meaning.

Leslie Murrell, Mom on the Rocks

npdodge.com 26 HerFamily • June 2015

omahamagazine.com

lifestyle

by Kara Schweiss photography provided by the Omaha Summer Arts Festival

Ashley Keenan at last year’s Summer Arts Festival.

art that hopefully lasts well beyond the event. ACT, inspired by a highly successful program developed by a Tampa arts festival, encourages children ages five to 10 to buy original pieces of art they select themselves. “ACT was such a hit last year that we’re bringing it back for two full days—Saturday and Sunday—at this years’ festival,” says Elizabeth Balazs, the festival’s manager. The artwork for the ACT booth is priced at $5 or less, and every piece is donated by professional artists who are participating in the market. “Young buyers and their families can visit the artist at his or her booth to ask questions about their new treasure, and maybe even have their original work signed by the artist,” she says.

Not Just for Adults The ever-evolving Summer Arts Festival now offers

several family and youth activities.

he Omaha Summer Arts Festival has been one of Omaha’s great familyoriented summer events for more than 40 years. It’s a three-day wonderland for the senses starting with the compelling colors and amazing textures in thousands of works of art under canopies lining both sides of a five-block stretch along Farnam Street and the Gene Leahy Mall. Live music enhances the festive atmosphere and a huge variety of goodies and refreshments round out a full-on sensory immersion. This year, families with children under 10 are expressly welcomed with a subsection of the festival just for them—a Saturday bestofomaha.com

and Sunday (June 6 and 7) Children’s Fair with its own family entertainment stage and activities. Community organizations offer a wide range of art-related crafts and games centered around a theme, which this year is “How Does Your G-ARTen Grow?” Admission is free, and many Children’s Fair activities are free as well. Other crafts require up to four 50-cent activity tickets, a fee organizers say helps to offset materials costs. But the heart of any arts fair is the artists’ market, and a new program introduced last year called Art Collectors in Training (ACT) cultivates an early appreciation for

Omaha Summer Arts Festival is collaborating with The 402 Arts Collective to coordinate the ACT program this year, Balazs says. The 402 Arts Collective is a network of artists who advocate for the arts in Omaha. Collective members will be on hand at the ACT booth to assist kids in selecting art and encouraging them to get the most out of the program. Omaha Summer Arts Festival also features the Young Artist Exhibition for students in grades six through 12 representing more than 30 area schools. Their artwork is displayed in gallery space on two floors of the W. Dale Clark Main Library during the festival, and artists may choose to participate in live art demonstrations or offer their works for sale as well. “The Young Artist Exhibition is celebrating 20 years this year, and it gives budding artists what is often their very first opportunity to show their work to a wider audience,” Balazs says. “Not only does the exhibition support arts education, it gives talented students a chance to shine.”

HerFamily • June 2015 27

Calendar of Events

LEGO: Travel Adventure

Lost Egypt

Omaha Beer Fest

FOR THE KIDS

FOR THE FAMILY

FOR MOM & DAD

FAIRYTALE LAND

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

OMAHA BEER FEST

THROUGH AUGUST 9, OMAHA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM— 500 S. 20TH ST. The museum princesses are back

JUNE 5-8, CENTURYLINK CENTER PARKING LOT B –

AKSARBEN VILLAGE. Featuring hundreds of

in an enchanting exhibit. Enjoy sing-alongs,

N. 10TH AND MIKE FAHEY STS. Kick off your summer

American craft beers from 50 participating

dancing knights, and acting out old fairytales.

by attending the area’s ultimate beach party.

breweries, hourly Beer Academy sessions, live

In this wonderful world where books and stories

Over 375 tons of sand will transform the middle

music, a Homebrewer Expo, VIP Lounge, food

come to life, you’ll never know what adventure

of downtown Omaha into a beach. Corporate

vendors, contests, and more. Visit website for

you’re in for. $9, free admission for kids under 2.

and community group teams will compete to

VIP and Weekend Pass info. Friday: 5-9 p.m,

402-930-2352

build their best 15-ton sand sculpture. Great

Saturday: 1-6 p.m. $35-$45. 402-850-6776

- OCM.ORG

music, food, and fun for all. Free. Sat/

-OMAHABEERFEST.COM

JUNE 5-6, OMAHA BEER FEST—STINSON PARK,

10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun/11 a.m.-5 p.m. 402-451-0787

LEGO: TRAVEL ADVENTURE

– SANDINTHECITYOMAHA.COM.

41ST ANNUAL OMAHA SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL

MUSEUM—500 S. 20TH ST. What will you build in

ANIMATION FROM THE ANIMUTTS

JUNE 5-7, SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL—10TH-15TH ST AND

the new exhibit LEGO Travel Adventure? This

THROUGH JUNE 13, GALLERY 72—1806 VINTON ST.

FARNAM. Join us for one of the city’s premier

exhibit invites children and their families to

This show explores animations viewed as

events for exceptional art, atmosphere, and

use LEGO bricks to create their own imaginary

art. These are computer and stop-motion

entertainment, featuring 135 of the nation’s

dream machines. What will you build? Where

animations produced through collaboration of

finest visual artists, three stages of continuous

will you go? $9, free admission for kids under 2.

artists Rebecca Hermann, Peggy Reinecke and

entertainment, food, special events, and

402-930-2352

Tom Sain, who call themselves The AniMutts.

artist demonstrations. Friday & Saturday:

- OCM.ORG

5-9 p.m. 402-496-4797

11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

- GALLERY72.COM

402-345-5401

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 6, OMAHA CHILDREN’S

MARY POPPINS

-SUMMERARTS.ORG

Featuring the irresistible story and

LOST EGYPT: ANCIENT SECRETS, MODERN SCIENCE

IMAGINE DRAGONS

unforgettable songs from one of the most

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 6, DURHAM MUSEUM—

JUNE 10, CENTURYLINK CENTER OMAHA—

popular Disney films of all time, plus brand-new

801 S. 10TH ST. Step into the world of

455 N. 10TH ST. Grammy Award-winning rock

breathtaking dance numbers and spectacular

archaeologists, Egyptologists, and other

band Imagine Dragons are set to bring their

stagecraft, Mary Poppins is everything you

researchers through multiple hands-on

electrifying live shows back on the road in 2015

could ever want in a hit musical for the whole

elements, immersive storytelling, and real

with the Smoke + Mirrors Tour in support of

family. Written by Downton Abbey creator

mummies and artifacts. The exhibition

their new album, Smoke + Mirrors. Alternative

Julian Fellowes, this promises to be an

challenges visitors to apply numerous methods

rock band Metric will be special guests on the

unforgettable time at The Rose. Get swept up

to unveil hidden mysteries within the display.

Smoke + Mirrors Tour. Also joining the tour line-

in the fun of this high-flying tale. We think you

Children free, Adults $9. 402-444-5071.

up will be Astralwerks’ recording artist, Halsey.

will agree, it is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

- DURHAMMUSEUM.ORG

7:30 p.m. $30-$60. 402-341-1500.

JUNE 5-28, THE ROSE THEATER—2001 FARNAM ST.

Starting at $10. 402-345-4849

- CENTURYLINKCENTEROMAHA.COM

-ROSETHEATER.ORG

28 HerFamily • June 2015

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HerFamily • June 2015 29

the grandpa chronicles by David Williams

First Star I See Tonight

louds can be real jerks. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for them when playing a lazy afternoon game of scanning the skies for accidental compositions that bear a resemblance to a fluffy elephant, indian chief, or bunny rabbit. And to be fair, vapors of the cirrus variety are innocent enough. What’s there not to like about the diaphanous tendrils of these angelic waifs of the cloud world? No, it’s those bulbous, low-hanging cumuli (derived from the Latin for “poopie head,” if I remember correctly) that are the real troublemakers. These bad boys of the ethers demonstrated their bratty stubbornness on a recent camping trip with my preschoolage grandsons, Barrett and Easton. The plan was that a campfire soiree would yield to a bit of sleepy-eyed stargazing. With star chart in hand, I’d be champing at the bit to regale the boys in a constellation-byconstellation exploration of the heavens. Oh, what celestial beauties awaited! Orion! Ursa Major! And (all together now) Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse!” But a thick blanket hung and pelted us with seven hours of continuous rain through the shank of the day. Like I said, clouds can be real jerks. As if to further taunt us, they receded to reveal a canopy of stars only after the kids were tucked away in their sleeping bags.

David Williams, The Grandpa Chronicles

30 HerFamily • June 2015

So for now I’ll have to settle for stargazing of the indoor variety, the kind that had occurred a few weeks earlier in a visit to The Rose children’s theater. The gloriously gaudy space is a visual treat in itself, but leave it to a small child to be swept away by the simplest of sights. Midway through the play I noticed out of the corner of my eye that 5-year-old Easton wasn’t paying attention to the actors. Instead, he was craning his neck skyward. The production called for a dragon-shaped constellation to be projected on the ceiling. Overhead was a slow-motion parade of stars drifting across the vault of the majestic theater; a mesmerizing star field watching over starlets on the stage below.

It was as if Easton was chewing up the entire cosmos and digesting it in one big intergalactic gulp. The look on Easton’s face was one of awefilled wonder. It was as if he was chewing up the entire cosmos and digesting it in one big intergalactic gulp. All I could do for what seemed an eternity was to observe the observer, combining the viewer and the view. If only I could have bottled the look in his eyes to make it last a lifetime. Sure, it was an experience that I had hoped to capture under real stars, but grandpas can’t be too choosy. There will be other camping trips, other starry nights. For now I’ll just have to soak up the magic whenever and wherever it comes.

omahamagazine.com

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HerFamily • June 2015 31

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