July 2014
Katie Glessman
Spit & Polish Patriotism
Meet the Family The Tobins & HETRA
Happy
4
th
of July!
The besT plaCe fOr kids.
Diego, age 8 Kearney, NE Critical Aortic Valve Stenosis
Visit ChildrensOmaha.org for more information on how we can help your child. For a pediatrician, family physician or pediatric specialist, call 1.800.833.3100.
on the
inside july 2014
features 8
Katie Glessman and the Benson High JROTC 16 Paws to Angels 20 Rolling Down the River 22 OPS Teachers go the Extra Mile(s)
8 12
15
@omahamagazine
departments 6 Health:
Nosebleeds in Children 10 DIY: Easy. Quick. Art. 12 Meet the Family: The Tobins 14 Health: EMDR: A Powerful Tool for Treating Trauma 15 Young Heroes: The Kospa Kids and HETRA 18 Health: Perspectives on Pain 24 Food: Peanut Butter and Apple Slices 26 Mom on the Rocks: A Texas-sized Fourth of July 27 Fitness: Bottoms Up 28 Calendar of Events 30 The Grandpa Chronicles: Camping with Easton, Bug, and Guy
Volume 2 • Issue 2 PUBLISHER Todd Lemke EXECUTIVE EDITOR David Williams MANAGING EDITOR Robert Nelson EDITORIAL INTERNS Jillian Humphries 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 • Heather Gomes M.D. • Anna Hensel Allison Janda • Jennifer Litton • Leslie Murrell ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Gwen Lemke • Greg Bruns • Gil Cohen George Idelman • Vicki Voet ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Sandy Besch Matson ACCOUNT ASSISTANTS Alicia Smith Hollins • Jessica Linhart Dawn Dennis • Sydney Stander OPERATIONS Tyler Lemke ACCOUNTING Jim Heitz 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.
@omahamagazine
www.omahamagazine.com Original contributions become the property of Omaha Publications. Contributions cannot be acknowledged or returned.
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Barrett Williams, Parker Sitzmann, and Easton Williams prepare for a (mustard-stained) Fourth of July extravaganza.
4 HerFamily • July 2014
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. Owned and managed by Omaha Magazine, LTD
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See a doctor 7 days a week Same Day Pediatrics offers scheduled sick appointments 7 days a week for all Omaha kids.
Call (402) 334-SICK Same Day Pediatrics Locations:
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14080 Boys Town Hospital Road
2801 South 88th Street
(139th & Pacific, on Boys Town Campus)
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BOYS TOWN
速
health
by Heather Gomes, M.D., Boys Town Ear, Nose & Throat Institute
Nosebleeds in Children
n
osebleeds are quite common in children ages two to 10 years. While some children have the occasional bloody nose, others battle with chronic nosebleeds. No matter your situation, understanding why a nosebleed occurs and what to do when it happens can help ease the stress during the next occurrence.
WHY DOES MY CHILD GET NOSEBLEEDS? Nosebleeds occur when tissue lining inside the nose breaks and blood is released. The small blood vessels in a child’s nose can rupture easily. It is important to understand the type of nosebleed. There are two types with two different treatment methods. • Anterior nosebleeds are the most common type. Blood will flow directly out of the nostrils. Anterior nosebleeds can be stopped by sitting upright to ensure the head is higher than the heart. • Posterior nosebleeds are less common and typically occur in elderly people or after a blunt trauma to the nose. The bleed occurs higher and deeper in the nose, causing blood to flow down the throat. Posterior nosebleeds usually require medical attention.
PREVENTING A NOSEBLEED Even when taking proper precaution, children can still get the occasional nosebleed. Boys Town Ear, Nose & Throat Institute has the following recommendations to prevent nosebleeds: • Watch for nose picking, as long nails can scratch the nasal passageway. • Add humidity to the home with a cool-mist humidifier during dry months. • Limit the amount of anti-inflammatory, allergy and cold medication given to the child. • Monitor the nostrils for dryness and add petroleum jelly to the nostril opening if skin is cracked. • Eliminate second hand smoke exposure.
WHEN TO SEE A PHYSICIAN If your child’s nose bleeds several times a week, contact your physician. A physician can examine your child’s nose to determine the severity of the situation and provide alternative options to manage the bleeds. If your child’s nose is bleeding due to a blunt trauma accident directly to the nose, seek medical attention immediately.
STOPPING A NOSEBLEED Once a parent notices a nosebleed and it is determined to be an anterior bleed, Boys Town Ear, Nose & Throat Institute recommends the following: • Step 1 – Have your child sit up in a chair and tip his or her head slightly forward. • Step 2 – With tissue in hand, pinch the soft part of the nose shut between your thumb and forefinger. • Step 3 – Apply steady pressure and firm grip to the nose for 10 minutes. • Step 4 – If the bleeding continues after more than three or four attempts, seek additional medical support. Remember to not stuff tissues or cotton balls into the nose to stop the bleeding. This could cause the blood to run down the back of the throat or could cause the object to become lodged in the nose.
6 HerFamily • July 2014
Heather Gomes, M.D., Boys Town Ear, Nose & Throat Institute
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PELVIC AND BLADDER PROBLEMS. MORE COMMON AND TREATABLE THAN YOU THINK. Uncontrollable bladder, constipation, and pain below the bellybutton are all symptoms of pelvic floor disorders. One in three women suffers from this common issue and Alegent Creighton Health is bringing treatment options to the forefront. With physicians who specialize in women’s health and pelvic floor disorders, discover the solutions and comfort you need with innovative procedures and individualized care. You can even make an appointment without a referral. At Alegent Creighton Health, it’s always the right time to focus on your well-being. We believe it should be easy to learn more about your health. Visit AlegentCreighton.com/Pelvic.
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HerFamily • July 2014 7
feature
by David Williams photography by Bill Sitzmann
Katie Glessman prepares to represent America in France.
8窶ォerFamily 窶｢ July 2014
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Katie Glessman and The Benson High JROTC Program
w
hen local teens talk about hitting the beach this summer, images of carefree days splashing around at Fun-Plex may come to mind. Katie Glessman aims higher. The beach she’s hitting isn’t just any old Omaha beach, but the Omaha Beach…as in the one in France. The Benson High School student, a member of the school’s vaunted JROTC program, will travel to Normandy with a cadre of Bunnies to represent America during ceremonies commemorating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. “To represent Benson, the state of Nebraska, and the military at the D-Day events is pretty special,” says Glessman, whose recently bestowed title of Battalion Commander will make her the ranking member of the school’s JROTC program when her senior year begins in August. Glessman and her band of brothers (and sisters) will, among other duties, parade past a reviewing stand populated
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by President Barack Obama and the heads of state from England, France, Canada, and Germany. Pretty heady stuff, but the most emotional part of the journey, she says, will unfold in hushed tones in a different area of the famous battlefield. “All those crosses,” says the soldier who will be confronted with row after row of them at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. “That’s what is most important to me about this trip. All of those little white crosses.” Each state was invited to send its top JROTC unit to France, and it’s no surprise that the legendary program at Benson, where a full 12 percent of the student body suits up for drills, was selected. “Our JROTC program is a living, breathing testament to the strong tradition of excellence at Benson High School,” says Principal Anita Harkins-Baldwin. Omaha Public Schools’ four-year graduation rate in 2013 was a troubling 77.8 percent. Benson’s number was 73.6 percent. Over 99% of Benson JROTC cadets graduate, says First Sergeant (Ret.) Daniel Falcon.
“My thing is working with kids,” says Falcon, who served 24 years in the Army before beginning a 15-year affiliation with the Benson JROTC program. “We have saved a lot of young people from the street with JROTC. Our kids learn structure. They learn responsibility. They learn leadership. Iraq. Afghanistan. Germany. Korea. I’m proud that our cadets have gone on to defend their country all over the world.” Unlike so many people her age, Glessman has a solid roadmap to a future, one that will be in service to the loftiest of patriotic ideals. She enlisted as a reservist less than a month after her 17th birthday last December. One week after her return from France, she’ll be off to basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In between, Glessman has her sights set on the application process for the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she hopes to study law. The military covets recruits like Glessman, she of the seemingly cool, calm, and collected demeanor. So is there anything this kid can’t handle? “All those planes!” says the young lady whose first-ever flight will be the one she boards to hop across the pond to France. “And then the return flight! And then the flight to basic training! Don’t know how that’s going to go for me. We’ll see!”
HerFamily • July 2014 9
diy
by HerFamily staff
before
Quick. Easy. Art.
Create your own Warhol-inspired wonder.
i
mmortalize your children in this clever pop art project. The only “art skills” you need for this amazingly easy, idiot-proof effort is the ability to trace and then color in an image. There are a number of free photo editing sites on the web. We chose pixlr.com for our handiwork.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED • Archival paper in the color of your choice. • Carbon paper (yes, it still exists and can be found at any office supply store). • Pencil and black Sharpie pen. • Picture frame. • Your fave photo of your child, loaded onto your computer.
HOW IT WORKS • Visit pixlr.com. • Click on the PIXLR Editor program. • Select the “Open image from computer” option. • Upload the photo of your choice.
10 HerFamily • July 2014
• Click the “Adjustment” tab in the toolbar at the top of the page. • Then select the “Threshold” feature that you’ll find in the drop-down menu. You’ll see that a pop-up window has now appeared. • Use the arrow in the pop-up window to manipulate your image to the desired effect. Hit the “OK” button. • Don’t worry about any jagged edges in the image. We’ll fix those in a moment. • Click “File” on the PIXLR toolbar and save to your computer. • Print out your work of art. • Using a pencil and carbon paper, transfer the image to the archival paper, which is important to use if you want to create an instant heirloom that will last through the ages. • Smooth out any jagged or pixilated areas of the image in the tracing process. • Use the Sharpie to fill in the remainder of the image and frame it up!
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after HELPFUL TIPS AND MORE • Not all images lend themselves to this project. A bit of trial and error may be in order before you find the photo that works best for this stencil-like vibe. • Want to go big on this one? Put the original image on a flash drive and have your neighborhood copy center print it in any size you’d like. Do this step before the transfer process. • Do you happen to have or have access to an overhead projector? Print the photo on a transparency sheet and ditch the carbon paper. Just project your image directly onto the paper and trace from there.
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HerFamily • July 2014 11
meet the family
by Jennifer Litton photography by Bill Sitzmann
Meet the Family The Tobins
y Jaiden, Madison, Delon, McKenzie, Shauntel, and Gabriella
12 HerFamily • July 2014
ou might think that Shauntel and Delon Tobin of Northwest Omaha live for Tuesday nights. It is the only night of the week that their dance card is not full with their children’s practices or games. But the family actually enjoys the barely-controlled chaos, according to their daughter McKenzie, a fourth grader at Picotte Elementary. “I don’t like staying at home. I’m just one of those people that likes to go about and travel a lot, “ says the 9-year-old. McKenzie is a dancer. And her talent, and many evenings away at practice, has made her quite the star. McKenzie and her 10-year-old sister
Gabriella’s dance team recently won the Rainbow Dance Competition. Their prize? A once-in-a-lifetime “meet and greet” with the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes in New York City in July. The sisters attend Next Step Dancing with Maren and practice multiple times a week. McKenzie, who is nicknamed “Macaroni,” appreciates the support she gets from her parents taking her to lessons. “I feel encouraged when they do that. I’m happy,” she says. Besides the two sisters, there is also 9-year-old New York Yankee fan Jaiden, who is Gabriella’s fraternal twin. He plays baseball and also loves playing games on
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his PlayStation. Finally, there’s little 3-year-old Madison, also a dancer and a Doc McStuffins fan. “We are a close-knit family and I love it,” says Shauntel, who works full-time as an insurance representative with Traveler’s Insurance. Each day begins with Shauntel rising alone in the darkness at 4:30 a.m. so she can take her time getting ready. “I also make sure everybody’s stuff is lined up for the day,” she says. The organized mom’s preparation involves laying the kids’ clothes out and making sure their backpacks are filled with the proper homework, any papers that need to be signed and their homework folders. Next, she wakes up Delon, who works as a pharmacy technician at Alegent Creighton Lakeside Hospital. After he is ready to go, the couple wakes up all four kids at 6:30 a.m. They shower and get dressed, then head for breakfast. “While I’m cleaning, he’ll be doing breakfast for the kids. They love waffles and pancakes from scratch.” Then, presto, it’s off they go for their day in their Diamond white Toyota Sienna, the minivan they consider a home away from home. “We live in our car sometimes. We’re always running here or there,” Shauntel says. Each kid has their own ipad and regularly plays educational games on the popular learning app Agnitus. After Delon finishes his shift at 3:30 p.m.,
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he picks up the kids from daycare and returns home for snacks and homework time. Then, bing-bang-boom, they are out the door again after Shauntel arrives home from work an hour later. It is a 20-minute drive from their home in Northwest Omaha to Jaiden’s baseball practice across town at John G. Neihardt Elementary School. Navigating the busy Omaha streets at rush hour requires patience and often, a deft turn of the radio dial. As a stressbreaker, the family all joins in on a country music sing-along. “We just let everything go and everybody sings in the car.” The girls love Taylor Swift, while Shauntel prefers Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts. “Some nights you catch every red light and it’s like ‘ugh.’ Or you get stuck behind an accident. Then you have those nights where the traffic is perfect and you’ve caught almost every green light and you’re there in a little bit,” she says. On nights that Jaiden has baseball practice, they first drop him off and then drop the girls off at dance. Next, begins a series of ping-pong-ish driving moves for daddy. “Then Delon will leave and go pick up Jaiden and come back and watch the rest of the girls at dance,” Tobin says. The day finally wraps up around 9 p.m. “There’s just no way we would get it all done if it wasn’t a team effort. So we come together and we pull it off, and it comes off every day,” she says. The two met while they were employees
of the Cracker Barrel in Chicago and were married in 2006. After visiting Shauntel’s family in Omaha, Delon knew he wanted to make Nebraska their home. “The thing I will remember to this day is the first time at night when I saw all the stars. It was like a crystal, clear night. The air quality to me was superb. I looked at her and I said, ‘we’re going to have to move here.’” Having lived on the edge of Chicago, an area prevalent with steel mills, the Tobins prefer the cleaner air available to them in Omaha, especially since their children also have asthma. Given the opportunity to transfer with his job, they jumped at the chance. As a dad, Delon loves being part of his kids’ myriad activities and seeing them progress by overcoming shyness. “To see them come out of their shell and just grow personally, that is amazing,” he says. They also have a lot of support from Shauntel’s mother, Kim Konig and her husband Jeff, who attend all of Jaiden’s games. “They are very busy with four kids. I don’t know how they do it. It would drive me nuts,” Konig says. For Shauntel and Delon, all the effort is time well spent. “We just want to make sure the kids have the best possible experience growing up. We don’t force them to do any of their activities. We just take them and support them,” Tobin says.
HerFamily • July 2014 13
health
by Bev Carlson, APR, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska
EMDR
A Powerful Tool for Treating Trauma
j
ane tried to kill herself three times. In rapid succession. She came to Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska (LFS) after being hospitalized following her third try. First, she received therapy to stabilize her mental health. Then she entered long-term therapy to address the root causes of her suicide attempts. She was successful at achieving sobriety and ending suicidal thoughts. But she continued to live as a victim, anxious and depressed—and not really knowing why. Although she had a college degree, she worked a dead-end part-time job. She had no money, so she continued to live with an emotionally draining family and date an abusive person. Jane (not her real name) began working with one of the LFS therapists who provides specialized trauma therapy called “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing,” or EMDR. EMDR is most widely known for treating post-traumatic stress (PTSD), but LFS therapists recently completed a pilot project that found it also was highly effective in working with other kinds of trauma. With EMDR, Jane’s therapist helped her identify a sexual assault from her childhood. Within two months (eight EMDR sessions), she showed dramatic improvement in the level of distress from this memory. Within two weeks of completing EMDR therapy, Jane had found a new, full-time job, moved into her own place, and broke up with her abusive boyfriend. Jane credits the image she first saw during EMDR: her adult self, protecting her “child self” from harm. Jane says she never realized how powerless she once felt. Now she realizes that she is not responsible for other people’s actions.
14 HerFamily • July 2014
Therapist Ben Czyz demonstrates the EMDR machine. When someone experiences trauma—a car accident, a sexual assault, witnessing violence—whatever it might be, the brain tends to freeze that moment in the person’s mind so it never gets resolved or processed. Any event that triggers this memory brings back the entire trauma—the sights, smells, sounds—every time. Such memories have a negative effect that interferes with the way the person sees the world and reacts to other people. EMDR essentially works to unfreeze this memory, allowing the brain to process it the same way as it does non-traumatic memories. The specific eye movements and light configurations used in EMDR allows the person to break the connection between the memory emotional impact of the trauma, which then allows them to release the emotional pain associated with it. Eventually, they can remember the experience and process it intellectually without reliving it every time, or allowing those emotions to guide their current behaviors. For Jane, EMDR was truly a life-changing therapy. A very positive one. Experts say one in four adults and one in five teens experience mental illness within a given year. If you know someone who might benefit from this type of trauma therapy, please contact your local LFS office. omahamagazine.com
young heroes
by Allison Janda photography by Bill Sitzmann
Young Heroes Maria, James, and Sarah
i
t’s good exercise. You get to help people. You get to wear cool boots. And maybe best of all: You get to hang out with horses all day. But there’s one other advantage to volunteering at the Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy: Even teen volunteers are critical to the operation. “At some volunteer jobs we didn’t always feel useful or needed,” says Sarah Kopsa, 18, the eldest of the three children of James and Jennifer Kopsa who volunteer at HETRA. However, she says, when the three arrive at the stables, there’s always something for them to do. “We know that if we are on the schedule we better show up because they really will have a problem providing the therapy without us,” Sarah adds. And so it is, every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. that the Kopsas participate in a variety of activities, including mucking stalls, sweeping, grooming, setting up the ring for students, laying out toys, and more. “During the lesson I’m really busy resetting the rings and toys for the next student. It’s good for me to wear boots because it gets dusty in there,” Maria, 13, shares. HETRA’s mission is to improve the quality of life—both physically and emotionally—for adults and children with disabilities using equine-assisted activities. Those with special needs go to the HETRA facilities in either Valley or Omaha each week for lessons to help them improve their core strength and balance. Arriving just after school on Wednesdays, the Kopsa children immediately set out to groom and care bestofomaha.com
The Kopsa Kids
for the horses. As kids begin arriving for their sessions, the Kopsas are there to not only welcome them, but also to help get everyone ready to ride, working with anywhere from three to five children each session. “The horses are mild-mannered, but we still have to be at their side at all times, holding the reins and spotting the rider,” Sarah says. “The activities, like throwing balls through a hoop or reaching out to take a stuffed toy off a post, may seem simple to us, but to our riders it is challenging.” While volunteering at the facility may not be forever, it has done plenty to inspire plans for the future among all three Kopsa children. Sarah, who has worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant in an assisted living facility, plans on studying nursing and credits her experiences at HETRA and in assisted living for showing her how to support and interact with others. Maria is considering teaching as a career path “so I’ll be able to better help kids with special needs.” And James? The 16-year-old hopes to go into accounting and eventually, law. “HETRA is strengthening my desire to serve others in need,” he says. “I think I will always be more sensitive to people who are disabled, to the parents of disabled kids, and to organizations like HETRA. I don’t know how accounting and law will play into that, but it seems like there could be a good fit someday.”
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HerFamily • July 2014 15
feature Anna Hensel by
photography by Bill Sitzmann
Cherie Fry of Paws to Angels
Paws to Angels
Pet Mortuary Provides a Safe Haven for Grieving Pet Owners
16 HerFamily • July 2014
f
amilies dealing with the loss of a pet now have a helping hand—or paw or two—to turn to, in the form of Paws To Angels, the only full-service pet loss center in Nebraska. Owner Cherie Fry started Paws to Angels after the death of her dog, Chadz. Fry considered herself a “pet parent” to Chadz, and was shocked to hear what traditional pet death care consisted of—deceased pets are often put into garbage bags and kept in a freezer until a garbage truck comes around. “Two weeks later, [after Chadz’s death] I began my business plan. I made a vow to change the way things are for pet parents—to provide them a more respectful, dignified |aftercare with a personalized touch,” Fry says. Fry turned to other pet owners in the community, and found a coalition of pet lovers who were as eager as her to see a change in animal death care. With no centers in Nebraska that dealt with pet loss, Fry found herself on the forefront of a new movement in pet care. “They [pet owners] want pets treated more like family. And we’re here to do that,” Fry says. Keeping this community of pet lovers at the core of her omahamagazine.com
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business, Fry’s goal is to guide a family through the loss of their pet at their own pace, and make them aware of what options are available in animal death care. While Paws to Angels specializes in organizing the final arrangements for their customers’ pets, they also offer a variety of services that are free to the public. Fry is on call 24 hours a day, and leads grief support groups for both adults and children. It’s this personalized care that has gained Fry a loyal following. Sondra Akrin approached Fry around Thanksgiving when her 12-year-old cat, Louie, was diagnosed with renal failure. Within days of her cat’s diagnosis, Akrin heard about Paws wto Angels, and knew she wanted Fry to take care of Louie when he passed. Akrin was in and out of contact with Fry in the weeks leading up to Louie’s death in January, pre-planning for his euthanasia and final arrangements. While Akrin had lost human members of her family, it was her first time losing a close feline member. “What I wanted to do was to honor the 11 years I had him [Louie]. He was like my kid, and so what was nice about the process was that Cherie was very flexible about, ‘whatever you need, I’m here for you,’” Akrin says. Linda Hester had a similar experience to Akrin. Hester previously owned three other pets, and she buried them at Tully’s Kennel after they died. But when she put down her 14-year-old cat, Cosmo, in February, her veterinarian informed her Tully’s no longer did burials. Grief-stricken, Hester received Fry’s phone number from a veterinary technician. Fry immediately picked Cosmo up from the vet’s office, and met with Hester and her husband. They opted to have a single chapel ceremony with Paws to Angels, before cremating Cosmo. They were able to incorporate some personal mementos into their ceremony, such as Cosmo’s favorite blanket. In return, Hester has become a firm advocate for Paws to Angels. She even wrote a letter to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, notifying her of Fry’s work. Hester believes that the help she received from Fry after Cosmo’s death helped prepare her for her mother’s death a month later. “I’d been trying to help do a little bit of stuff for Cherie, paperwork or whatever, and I told her about it [my mother’s death], and she texted me every day to see if I was okay,” says Hester. For Fry, that’s just another part of her job. As the sole employee of Paws to Angels (with the exception of her two cats, Garfield and Cleya, who serve as the general manager and grief counselor respectively), Fry has a lot on her plate, but she just wants to give pet owners the options that she never had. “I have walked my grave journey, and it is really an honor for me to be here for families,” Fry says. bestofomaha.com
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health
by Robert Nelson
Perspectives
on Pain
c
hronic headaches can be withering. They can also lead a person down the path to dependence on opiatebased pain meds. There are better ways to treat the pain. Here are three solutions —from three very different perspectives— on how to find relief.
ACUPUNCTURE Tereshel Johnson believes her acupuncture sessions work to relieve headaches. But, as a woman who has worked and studied in the American healthcare world, she is sometimes skeptical about many of the claims made by other acupuncturists. “There is so much that is unknown about it—it’s hard for Western medicine to get a grip on the Eastern mind,” says Johnson, owner of both Omaha Headache and Migraine Clinic and co-owner of Green Chiropractic in Omaha. “What we do know from studies: Acupuncture can work to relieve some problems. It definitely has its place.” For those with chronic headaches, the first step is an extensive assessment. The primary goal: To make sure that there’s not some major medical issue that first needs addressing. “Acupuncture isn’t for muscular-skeletal problems—that kind of thing,” she says. But acupuncture can be very successful releasing stressed muscles or reducing inflammation, she says. “Sometimes Western medicine isn’t the answer for pain,” she says. “There is a place for acupuncture. We may not know how, but it has helped countless people through the ages.”
CHIROPRACTIC At her chiropractic clinic, Johnson also begins with an extensive evaluation. She first determines if there are major structural problems—or some other major health problem—that should be handled by medical doctors and surgeons. If the patient is healthy outside of some spine misalignment, she will begin a chiropractic regimen.
18 HerFamily • July 2014
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Headaches, she says, can come from problems in both the thoracic and lumbar sections of the spine. There is often a nerve being pinched or too little, or too much, movement between certain vertebrae. The key for those suffering headaches: Make sure you seek a cure to the underlying problem, not just some pills to numb the pain. “If you medicate, the dysfunction and structural problems are still there,” she says. “And they are not going to get better by being masked. You need to go to the source of the pain to get any long-term relief.”
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MASSAGE Haley Martin can toss around some awfully impressive Latin terminology for the muscles in your back and neck. The point is, though: As a licensed massage therapist, you’ve got to know the intricacies of the human body to know exactly where to focus massage therapy. For those with chronic headaches, Martin says, the primary culprits are usually the three scalene muscles, the scalenus anterior, scalenus medius, and scalenus posterior. Whiplash is a common cause of damage and inflation in those muscles. Bad posture at work causes problems, especially if you’re slouched over a computer all day. “Anatomically, people get their shoulders rounded, their chest muscles pulled together—everything pushed and pulled from where it should be naturally,” says Martin, who works for Downtown Omaha Massage. “Whatever the cause, the nerve bundle that leads to your upper extremities gets inflamed. So we have to go release that area with massage.” And yes, the worse the ball of angry muscles and nerves, the rougher the job might be to get relief. “Honestly, things can get a little intense,” she says. “The longer you’ve had the problem, the longer it can take to get to the solution. If things get intense, we start talking a lot about those deep breathing exercises.”
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HerFamily • July 2014 19
feature
by Jennifer Litton photos provided by Tubing & Adventures
Tom and Gretchen Klimm with kids Toby, 8, and Maddie, 10.
Rolling i
Down the River
20 HerFamily • July 2014
t’s summertime, and that means parents are driving themselves crazy looking for fun, unique ways to spend a day outside with the kids. Gretchen Klimm has found her summer paradise. She loves soaking up the rays of summer while tubing down the Elkhorn River with her family. “It’s a great time because the river offers lots of exploring, both on and off the water. Kids are never afraid to jump in and pull you through the shallow water either,” Klimm says. It is a trip made possible thanks to Brock Beran and his outfitter company, Tubing & Adventures. Besides providing a great experience for families, Beran says, he considers safety and protecting the environment his top priorities. “I want everybody to have a good time, but I also want everybody to be safe and take care of the river and not litter. Our company provides the tools and knowledge to do so,” he says. “When we are on the water, Brock is just a phone call away in case of an emergency. And he has a way to get to you fast, if needed. As a mom, that’s very comforting,” Klimm says.
Toby and Maddie Bernadt. Beran has an airboat always “at-theready” and a lifetime of experience after spending his childhood summers at his family’s cabin on the Platte River. Beran, who works as a civil engineer in his “day job,” recommends the “short float trip” as an ideal adventure for families because groups float in a different part of the river from other, more rowdy groups. “It’s a good option for families who don’t want to be on that party scene,” he says. Tubers meet at a designated parking lot along the river. From there, they are bused to the entry point. “Hop off the bus, hop in your group of tubes, and start floating,” Beran says. Wildlife enthusiasts will appreciate the chance to spot a lot of different critters during the float. “There’s a lot of turtles, a lot of fish. There’s also deer and bald eagles, blue herons, frogs and toads,” he says. Klimm says that floating is all about having fun with family and friends on the water. “When the moment arrives that we spot the sand cliff off to the left, it’s game on. First one to the top wins! As challenging as it is, it’s a ton of fun,” she says. omahamagazine.com
RAILCAR MODERN AMERICAN KITCHEN Sunday One $15 bottle of wine off select menu Monday Moscow Mule Monday’s $5 Mule’s Tuesday 1/2 price lunch for one with wine or beer purchase Wednesday One free appetizer under $10 Thursday Happy Hour pricing all day long in the bar area Friday Flat bread Friday 11AM-6PM - $5 flatbreads, two per voucher omaha-west.itex.com 402-541-7963 Connect. Trade. Save.
Saturday Free appetizer with bar drink purchase (anywhere in the restaurant)
We take you back to the classic American dining experience: Food that blends flavors from so many cultures, from all corners of the melting pot that is the United States.
(402) 493-4743 | www.railcaromaha.com bestofomaha.com
1814 N 144th St. | Omaha, NE 68154
HerFamily • July 2014 21
feature
by Allison Janda photography by Bill Sitzmann
22窶ォerFamily 窶｢ July 2014
omahamagazine.com
Breaking Down the Language Barrier OPS teachers go the extra mile —or extra thousands of miles— to immerse in second languages.
l
earning a second language is a hobby that many—okay, some—people enjoy. For Susan Mayberger with Omaha Public Schools, learning Spanish as a second language has been integral to a fascinating life and career journey. “After teaching for three years I had an opportunity to take a year off and learn Spanish as a second language,” Mayberger says. “I did this in Spain after having taken two years of high school Spanish. I thought I was oh so smart. I go there and I couldn’t even ask, ‘Where is the bathroom?’” That experience may have turned off some on the idea of learning another language. It only fueled Susan’s fire. “In the situation of being college educated but feeling like I wasn’t very successful, I think that’s what started my empathy for people who are coming to the United States and learning English as their second language,” Mayberger says. After graduating, the Omaha native moved to New York in 1980 and earned her Masters in ESL. After spending about 12 years in New York in both the private and public sectors, Mayberger and her husband moved back to Nebraska in 1996. In 1998, she secured her current position with OPS as the Coordinator of the ESL Migrant and Refugee Program. “Originally we were just working with ESL students, and then more of our students qualified for the migrant and refugee
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program,” she relates. In the Omaha Public School system, 109 different languages are spoken. When Mayberger first returned to OPS in 1996, there were only 29 different languages being spoken. Students are not divided
Omaha Public Schools’ Susan Mayberger into various classes based upon their primary language. “As we teach in English, we learn special strategies to teach. We use a lot of pictures. Acting out or roleplaying and video clips are all methods we use to help our students understand what we’re teaching them as they learn English,” Mayberger tells. In addition to her position with OPS, Mayberger is the representative for the Nebraska Migrant Education Program’s
Bi-national Program. The program exists as an agreement between Mexico and the state of Nebraska, working towards the education of students that cross the border and come into OPS schools. “We have an opportunity in the summer to bring up teachers from Mexico,” Mayberger says. “We invite teachers to come work in our state with our students for the summer. As a school district we are so challenged in finding enough teachers to teach in our dual language program. It’s my hope that this partnership will help us in filling the need that we have for excellent bi-lingual teachers.” The children, however, are not the only students that Mayberger is invested in teaching. “I support a lot of work with parents,” she says. “In order for our students to be successful and cultured well into the United States, you have to help to bring the parents along.” A program offered through OPS at the Yates Community Center off of 32nd and Davenport offers learning programs for adults. “Every day, Monday through Friday, we have about 180 to 200 parents taking classes and learning English,” Mayberger says. “They also learn about being parents in the United States. We teach them about our educational system. Sometimes it can help parents get jobs or improve their jobs, which gives them the ability to help their families.”
HerFamily • July 2014 23
food
text and photography provided by Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
ingredients • 1/4 cup low-fat granola • 1 oz dark chocolate chips
• 2 large Gala or Fuji apples • 3 Tbsp peanut butter
preparation 1. In a small bowl, combine granola and chocolate chips. 2. Slice each apple into 8 wedges. 3. Spread approximately 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter on each apple wedge. 4. Dip apple wedge, peanut butter side down, into granola mixture. Serve immediately. Nutrition Facts: Calories: 105, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 45mg, Carbohydrates: 16g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 2g
24 HerFamily • July 2014
Peanut Butter and Apple Slices
h
ere’s a healthy snack for kids or anyone else who loves apples, peanut butter and chocolate. This apple wedges recipe can be a healthy snack or an apple dessert.
Find more great recipes at HealthyKohlsKids.com. The Healthy Kohl’s Kids program is a partnership between Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and Kohl’s Department Stores to educate children and parents about healthy nutrition and fitness.
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mom on the rocks by Leslie Murrell
A Texas-sized Fourth of July
b
lowin’ up stuff. Yeehaw! I’m from Texas, so the Fourth of July means we’re free to blow whatever we want up to smithereens. So you can imagine my surprise when we moved here to the “Good Life.” I thought I had rid myself of the blow-stuff-up mentality. I thought wrong. Again. I also thought upon leaving Texas behind, I’d be leaving all that football crazy in the rear view mirror. Texas doesn’t hold a candle to the sport of being a football fan or blowing up stuff quite like Nebraska. At that time, the only legal explosions around our new home were controlled explosions in the mall parking lot. We moved here when the kids were two years old. I’d get them tucked in and quietly tiptoe out of their rooms. Right after we’d get them to bed, KABLAMMO!!! Incessant M-80’s start, and then the mall fireworks that apparently aren’t just for the mall, started going off all around us. All I could think of is a war zone. Red Dawn was happening right then. The kids started wailing, waking each other up. I wanted to just
run outside and yell, “What the heck, y’all!?” But the word y’all would throw these usually docile Midwesterners off. The muffled explosions were like some kind of The Hunger Games filmed in Beirut in the 80’s. Eventually, we gave in and just let the kids stay up to watch fireworks. Instead of a mall, we just set up lawn chairs and looked downhill. We also relied on neighbors who blow up a month’s budget. It didn’t take long until Chris crossed over to the pro blow-stuff-up party. He insisted it was some rite of passage to teach kids how to light fireworks. You know, play with fire. Eventually we succumbed to the pressures of the Good Life in warfare celebrating our independence. We found ourselves at friends’ parties celebrating America. In the end, it was not a mall, but we ended up driving to a location, letting others handle it. I’ll never quite understand it. But if you can’t beat them, join them. It’s liberating. Which is what we’re celebrating anyway, right? Read more of Murrell’s work at momontherocks.com.
NEW exhibits, attractions and programs • Explore in the new kid-sized First National Bank branch and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center • Bring fairytales to life in the new Fairytale Land exhibit • Rock out on a musical staircase *
-
• Take a ride on the all new, Dino-Train
* *Tickets available for purchase
26 HerFamily • July 2014
omahamagazine.com
fitness
by HerFamily staff photography by Bill Sitzmann
Bottom’s Up
t
here are many different exercises to attack a backside that’s gone soft. But one of the simplest and best ways is to lift it—literally. Besides tightening the tush, this exercise also works the legs while strengthening the lower back.
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W H AT D I D
YOUR CHILD LEARN TODAY?
Exercise 1. Lie facedown, palms flat on the floor under your chin, elbows out, legs extended behind you.
2. Lift chest and legs and rear. 3. Curl heels toward your rear as shown, pointing your toes to the sky.
4. Return to the start and repeat, doing three sets of 12 reps.
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Call (402)932-4978 or visit omahacm.org to begin your child’s
LEARNING! HerFamily • July 2014 27
Calendar of Events Dinos: The Big Dig
The Color Run
Jazz on the Green
FOR THE KIDS
FOR THE FAMILY
FOR MOM & DAD
DINOS: THE BIG DIG
OMAHA STORM CHASERS
JACKSON BROWNE
THROUGH SEPTEMBER 7, OMAHA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM,
THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1, WERNER PARK 12356 BALLPARK
JULY 2, ORPHEUM THEATRE – 409 S 16 ST. For
500 S 20TH ST. Grab
WAY. Batter
a shovel and dig in to Omaha Children’s Museum’s summer blockbuster, Dinos: The Big Dig. Uncover secrets of the past in this 10,000 square-foot exhibit featuring lifesize robotic dinosaurs. Dig, explore and unearth fossils in the two-story dig pit, make your way through the 40-foot fossil climber, take your photo with a T-Rex and climb aboard the Dino-Train for a ride. - OCM.ORG
FAIRYTALE TEA JULY 11, 12, 25, AND 26, OMAHA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM, 500 S 20TH ST. Enjoy
a night with three of Omaha Children’s Museum princesses for a light dinner, dancing, story time, crafts, and play in the museum after hours! 6 pm-8 pm. Tickets: $10-$25. 6 pm-8 pm. - OCM.ORG
GIFFORD FARM FAMILY FUN SATURDAY JULY 12, GIFFORD FARM EDUCATION CENTER, 700
Story time! Visit the farm animals and listen to stories from area residents. Children’s author Tina Semteck will be the special guest of the day. $5, ages 2 and up, half price with military ID. 10 am-2 pm. 402-597-4920. CAMP GIFFORD RD, BELLEVUE.
- ESU3.ORG
TOUR DE ZOO JULY 31, OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM, 3701 S 10TH ST. Bring
your bike and ride during Tour de Zoo, a family fun event including dinner, snacks, and refreshments plus special animal encounters during the funfilled evening. Reservations are required. $20, member; $25, non-member; Free, kids 2 and under. 6:30-8:30 pm. 402-738-2038.
up! The Triple-A champion Omaha Storm Chasers continue a defense of their title. RAILROAD DAYS JULY 12 THROUGH JULY 13, LAURITZEN GARDENS, 100 BANCROFT ST. Explore
this region’s rich railroad heritage at Railroad Days 2014. This festival includes admission into five of the area’s best attractions for families, including: Lauritzen Gardens, The Durham Museum, the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, the RailsWest Railroad Museum and the Historic General Dodge House. During the festival, you will enjoy many railroad themed activities. $15/family. 9 am - 5 pm. 402-346-4002. – LAURITZENGARDENS.ORG
DRUMS ACROSS NEBRASKA DCI SHOW JULY 14, BUELL STADIUM, 14905 Q ST. The
only Drum Corps International show in Nebraska. Music and pageantry like you have never seen or heard. $10-$30. 6-11 pm. 402-715-8525.
some, Jackson Browne is a definitive voice of the sun-soaked, mellow Southern California vibe that emanated from Laurel Canyon and spread far beyond in the mid ‘60s and ‘70s. Catch him this summer as he tours stripped down and unplugged, with just an acoustic guitar and a magnificent back catalogue to choose from, this is an evening not to be missed. 7:30 pm. $62-$184. 402-661-8501. - OMAHAPERFORMINGARTS.COM
VIBES AT VILLAGE POINTE – HARDWOOD DASH JULY 5, VILLAGE POINTE SHOPPING CENTER, 168 & WEST DODGE RD. Warm
summer evenings and hot live music where friends can join you for a glass of wine or a cold beer, and where kids can have their face painted and dance down by the stage. Bring your chairs or spread a blanket each week and be entertained by the best lineup of local bands in West Omaha! 6:30-8:30 pm. Free. 402-505-9773. - VILLAGEPOINTESHOPPING.COM
– DCI.ORG
JAZZ ON THE GREEN THE COLOR RUN
JULY 10 THROUGH AUGUST 14, MIDTOWN CROSSING
JULY 19, CENTURYLINK CENTER OMAHA, 455 N 10TH ST.
– 31ST & 33RD FARNAM-DODGE STS. Omaha
Also known as The Happiest 5k on the Planet, organizers love chucking paint and making people smile. Less about your 10-minute-mile and more about having the time of your life, The Color Run is a five-kilometer, untimed race in which thousands of participants are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer. $35-$55. 402-341-1500.
Performing Arts will again present Jazz on the Green at Midtown Crossing this summer. The free outdoor concert series will run six consecutive Thursdays and is located in the idyllic Turner Park. Thu/5 pm opens, 7:30 pm show begins. Free. - JAZZONTHEGREENOMAHA.COM
– THECOLORRUN.COM/OMAHA
– OMAHAZOO.COM
28 HerFamily • July 2014
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the grandpa chronicles by David Williams
Roughing It Camping with Easton, Bug, and Guy
r
eality TV is increasingly crowded with all manner of woodsy survivalist fare. Most programs focus on the notion of “extreme” something-or-other, with life-or-death cliffhangers leading up to every commercial break. So I thought I’d take my elder grandson, 4-year-old Easton, into the wilds (of my back yard) to test our mettle against the forces of nature. Turns out that nature had nothing to do with our survivability quotient, and roughing it was the least of our challenges. The entire adventure ended up being an object lesson in the foibles of urban camping in my Country Clubarea neighborhood. The dreamy, awestruck look on Easton’s face as the four of us trekked from the deck to our campground was one I had seen only on the rarest of occasions, situations that usually involved Santa, Star Wars, or sugar. The four of us? Oh, I neglected to mention Easton’s constant pillowtime companions, a pair of plush toys named Bug (a lady bug) and Guy (a wiener dog). Our bare-bones shelter was a 30-some-year-old pup tent purchased from Sears that is now held together by a patchwork of duct tape
30 HerFamily • July 2014
and jagged stitches hastily sewn around a campfire over the decades. It was the same tent and same back yard in which Easton’s father, Eric, first braved the elements of a now distant, earlier millennia. We were well-stocked in the reading department, with Easton choosing a couple of favorites—The Cat in the Hat and Caps for Sale—as the stories that would usher him into the land of nod. So far, so good. The rest of the evening unfolded as follows: 9:00 p.m. sharp Easton’s out like a light. 9:06 p.m. Bug and Guy follow suit. 9:20 p.m. The party on a neighboring deck is in full (and loud) swing. Midnight Still awake as the beer flows freely next door. Worse yet? Country music. 12:33 a.m. A staccato series of explosions off in the distance (Fireworks? Gunfire?) is followed by a symphony of sirens (definitely gunfire) and is later accompanied by a police helicopter strafing the ‘hood in pursuit of some midnight malcontents.
1:10 a.m. The party over the fence mercifully fizzles out, but I am to the point where, now totally wired and checking my watch every ten seconds, all I can do is to think about how to think about getting to sleep. 2:00 a.m. Surrender. I make if halfway to the house through the dewy, toe-tickling lawn carrying the dead weight of a sleeping child before a tiny voice murmuring the words, “Bug…Guy,” causes me to reverse course. 2:02 a.m. Easton is nestled in a warm bed with his buddies and, again, completely comatose. “Did you get tired of camping, Po-Po?” Easton asks the following morning using my nonsensical nickname, one of mysterious, unknowable etymology. Yeah, I guess I kinda did. I had become tired of camping. The city had done what nature could not in terms of derailing our wilderness outing. Only Easton, Bug, and Guy came through the experience showing the resiliency of true outdoorsmen. Po-Po? Not so much.
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Summer Reading Program
Presented by
May 31-July 31
2014
Kids’ & Teens’ Prize Pack: • • • •
Coupon sheet Collapsible water bottle Book Storm Chasers vouchers
(for 8/3 or 8/4)
• Drawing entry for gift certificates to area entertainment venues including Defy Gravity, CoCo Key Water Resort and movie theaters.
Kids’ & Teens’ Program
Get a prize pack by reading or listening for 10 hours AND collecting 10 virtual badges from a variety of activities!
Adults’ Program
Collect any 10 virtual badges and be entered in a drawing for gift certificates and memberships to area entertainment venues. Prizes available beginning June 1, while supplies last.
Visit omahalibrary.org to find out more & sign up. bestofomaha.com
HerFamily • July 2014 31
Omaha Magazine 5921 S. 118th Cir. Omaha, NE 68137
We were proud to participate in both the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and 2014 Capital One Bowl Halftime Show! Award Winning Competition Team
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Professional Dance Education For All Ages! Jazz • Hip-Hop • Lyrical • Tap • Ballet • Pointe • Modern • Contemporary • Dance Theater We allow students to develop skills to their optimum potential while challenging them to achieve higher levels of dance education.
402.493.5671 • onpointedancecentre.com 32 HerFamily • July 2014 1812 N. 120th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68154
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