PHOTO BY DANA DAMEWOOD
Learning. From Scratch.
One of the most well-respected, high-quality and affordable programs in the country, the Metropolitan Community College Institute for the Culinary Arts is an important component of Omaha’s vibrant restaurant and foodservice ecosystem.
Courses offered at the Institute for the Culinary Arts on the Fort Omaha Campus are led by experienced chef instructors that prepare students for a multitude of careers in the restaurant and hospitality industries. MCC also provides a broad selection of continuing education courses for community members looking to enhance their kitchen pro ficiency.
The MCC culinary and hospitality program is a pathway to the career you’ll love. Whether you dream of opening your own chocolate shop, being the maître d’ on a cruise ship, developing new packaged foods, running the line at a Michelin three-star restaurant, crafting world-class burgers or chasing Olympic gold, training here can help get you there. It’s not just possible, it has happened. Every one of those dreams has been realized. Yours can be too. mccneb. edu/culinary
Here, diners drive the lesson. Sage Student Bistro is a guest-centered classroom located in the Institute for the Culinary Arts. Students learn hustle, fundamentals, community, service and stewardship. All from scratch. Lunch service explores dishes from around the world, while the dinner menus celebrate the contributions of American culinary sages. Guests can make lunch or dinner reservations at op entable.com. mccneb.edu/sages tudentbistro
The Institute for the Culinary Arts has opened its kitchens for a wide variety of workshops, pairing studios and chef-led travel experiences, youth camps and teambuilding programs. If you’re looking for a place for your 12-year-old to pick-up knife skills, your executive team to develop some grit or to experience the last dinner on the Titanic for yourself … the Open Kitchen program is where you’ll find it. mccneb.edu/openkitc henworkshops
For more information about our programs of study, course offerings or locations serving a four-county area, call 531-MCC-2400 or visit mccneb.edu.
For roughly 35 years, Omaha Magazine has brought our readers stories of the city’s most fascinating people, delectable foods, and the arts & events that make Omaha the cultural epicenter of the Midwest.
TFor almost 40 years, this publication has given voice to Omaha, the Metro, and Nebraska. As our city grows and changes so does this associate editor; a sharp career change into a role I was born in Omaha to fill. My promise to my publisher, my staff, myself and you, dear reader is to continue that tradition.
However, I have long believed that one thing Omaha lacks is a true sense of identity. Sure, we’re known for business and beef but that’s just part of what we are, not who we are. Although a “Nebraska Boy” at heart, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world, but have grown fatigued by snide comments about “flyover country” or “cows and cornfields” when asked about my hometown. And although many Nebraskans do identify with aspects of those images, I believe we have more to offer and be proud of.
In this issue, we will introduce you to a stunning array of Omaha identities a patchwork if you will of our shared one.
Our A+C Theater section features actor TammyRa’ telling the story of following her dream to appear on the stage. She got there and has earned much acclaim by being her authentic self and giving the characters she plays an authentic voice.
The Active Living article in the 60+ section examines how a teacher from the landlocked Midwest pursued a career and a passion for the ocean. Though now retired, Pat Purkhiser remains an avid scuba diver, ecologist, and most of all, a beloved mentor.
Teacher retention is the focus of our main feature, and no, the answer is not their pay. What several teachers and administrators interviewed affirmed was that the exodus of talented and compassionate teachers is due to a lack of support, not money. Joel Stevens examines what schools, parents, and the community can do to make sure their voices are heard.
Dr. Joanne Li is the first Asian American woman to helm the University of Nebraska at Omaha as Chancellor. In this feature, she discusses her experience as a minority in academia, as a student, a professor, and now as the boss. She also explains her reluctance to be seen as an icon.
More in continuing education (pun intended), the Giving Feature highlights the Scott Scholars Program through the University of Nebraska system and how students are not just earning the opportu nity to learn, but lead.
For a lighter taste of Omaha’s identity, we are transported to Armenia in the Dining Review, where Omaha Kebabs is impressing local palates with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors. Then we’re off to the Balkans in the Adventure article where a father and son take an epic motorcycle tour and learn life lessons about opening their hearts and their hearth to “the stranger.”
Diversity of interests, talents, and personalities will shout with voices stentorious the true and strong identity of Omaha I hope you enjoy this, my first issue as editor, as much as I did working on it; together we’ll figure out who we are.
*Note: The hotel edition of Omaha Magazine has a different cover and does not include all of the editorial content included in the magazine’s full city edition. For more information on our city edition, visit OmahaMagazine.com.
003 From the Editor
Voice and Identity 006 Between the Lines 007 Calendar of Events 026 Adventure Motorcycles in the Balkans 040 History Haunted Omaha 073 Obviously Omaha Art Venues 090 Explore! 095 Instagram 096 Not Funny Just a Stage
014 Theater TammyRa’
017 Music Stronghold 020 TV & Film Simon Clark 023 Visual Elmer Miller
PEOPLE
034 Gen O Luke Eckles
042 Profile Kris Karnes 044 Sports Charlie Zielinski 048 Inspiration Profile Josh Turek
056 Calendar 062 Feature Scott Scholars
Teacher retention has taken a hit nationwide. But as we’ll find out, they’re not leaving due to lack of pay, rather due to low morale and lack of administrative and community support. Whether it’s dissolution their first year on the job or frustration an entire career spent, teachers are leaving our schools in droves.
Lemke spends his time on his passions: photography, community, and supporting local artists. He co-runs a community arts center in Lincoln called ‘HQ’ a space centered around free and accessible art, inspiring cre ativity, and promoting self-expression. There, he teaches film photography and runs an open and free-to-use community darkroom. For Lemke, photography and writing go hand in hand for storytelling, and portraying beauty in everyday things and people.
Persigehl is a Chicagoland native who relocated to Nebraska as a teen and never left. When a career quiz revealed she was best suited to become either a reporter or an accountant, she found middle ground, carving out a career as a writer and editor. She majored in journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and went on to write business features and profiles before landing at Omaha Magazine in 2009. Besides storytelling, her favorite activities include researching her family genealogy, volunteering as a dresser at Omaha Community Playhouse, going on outdoor adventures with her two college kids, and exploring new cities and cultures with her husband, Steve.
He eats, he writes, he writes about eating, and he tells stories of the people that create plates of delicious sustenance. Zorko has been helming Faturday Omaha since 2018, which includes a radio show on Omaha’s KIOS 91.5 FM, a podcast, and television appearances. He’s also profiled local chefs in Omaha Magazine for the past six issues. Through his years of culinary exploration, Zorko has come to know the deeply diverse food scene in our area. He is humbled by the hard work of those in the restaurant and hospitality industry, and the incredible kindness of those individuals. Zorko said he hopes that his efforts help viewers, listeners, and readers learn about different cuisines and cultures, connect with people, and share in his enjoym ent of food.
OCTOBER 2022 VOLUME 40 // ISSUE 6
Associate Editors
JULIUS FREDRICK · NICK MOORE · LINDA PERSIGEHL
Editorial Intern
SOPHIE ROSSITTO
Contributing Writers
TAMSEN BUTLER · GREG ECHLIN · CHRIS HATCH · DWAIN HEBDA
TERRY JENSEN · JEFF LACEY · CHAD LEMKE · JONATHAN OROZCO
SEAN ROBINSON · KARA SCHWEISS · JOEL STEVENS
TIM TRUDELL · DOUGLAS “OTIS TWELVE” WESSELMANN MIKE WHYE · DAVE ZORKO
CREATIVE
Creative Director MATT WIECZOREK
Sr. Graphic Designer MADY BUBB
Graphic Designer I RENEÉ LUDWICK
Contributing Photographers CHAD LEMKE · SARAH LEMKE
Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing GIL COHEN
Branding Specialists
DAWN DENNIS · GEORGE IDELMAN
Contributing Branding Specialists
GREG BRUNS · TIM McCORMACK
Publisher’s Assistant & OmahaHome Contributing Editor SANDY MATSON
Senior Sales Coordinator ALICIA HOLLINS
Sales Coordinator
M cCORMACK
Setter
SLAUGHTER
FISHER
Through Oct. 16 at Gallery 1516, 1516 Leavenworth St. This exhibit will display original artwork by fac ulty members from the UNO art department. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, by appointment. Admission: free. 531.375.6643. —gallery1516.org
Opening Oct. 21 at Creighton University Lied Art Gal lery, 2500 California Plaza. Temple is a mixed-me dia artist who explores themes such as leaving and looking for a home in her paintings. Temple’s works are influenced by her experiences of living in 17 different places throughout her life. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission: free. 402.280.2290. —creighton.edu
Through October at Modern Arts Midtown, 3615 Dodge St. This exhibit features new works by Iggy Sumnik, Jennifer Homan, Al Harris-Fernandez and over 40 other artists. 11-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, by appointment. 402.502.8737.
—modernartsmidtown.com/events
Opening Oct. 6 at Great Plains Black History Museum, 2221 N. 24th St. This exhibit will feature photographs, artifacts, and information about the Tuskegee airmen—a group of black servicemen who fought during World War II—and other African Americans who served their country. 1-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays. Admission: free. 402.932.7077.
—gpblackhistorymuseum.org
Opening Oct. 7 at Petshop, 2725-2727 N. 62nd St. Linder is a mixed media artist in Omaha who examines the relationships between chaos and harmony in her works. Open by appointment. Admission: free. 402.813.7530.
—bffomaha.org
Oct. 7-28 at BFF Gallery, 5901 Maple St. Unceded Artist Collective is a directory and community of indigenous artists living on the land of the Omaha and Oceti Sakowin in the Omaha Metro area. Open by appointment. Admission: free. 402.813.7530.
—bffomaha.org
RICHARD HUNT: MONUMENTAL
Opening Oct. 7 at Kaneko, 1111 Jones St. This exhibit will display works by two nationally-recognized art ists as well as two local ones. Each artist draws from a unique background and narrative to provide a histori cal perspective of his or her culture and its connection to the land. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. 402.341.3800.
—thekaneko.org
Oct. 14-28 at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th St. This event will allow visitors to see almost 300 works created by local, regional, and national artists. All artwork can be purchased at set prices before the auction, which starts at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 28. Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays.
Admission: free. 402.341.7130.
—bemiscenter.org
Through Nov. 9 at Fred Simon Gallery, 1004 Farnam St. This Omaha-based photographer often captures images of strangers on the street. In 2011, he made a photographic documentary called “Crossroads,” which has since become one of the world’s largest photography projects. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Fridays, by appointment only. 402.595.2122. —artscouncil.nebraska.gov
EN LINEA/IN LINE: DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANCISCO MATA ROSAS
Through Dec. 31 at El Museo Latino, 4701 S. 25th St. Francisco Mata Rosas’ photographs that make up this series emerge directly from the world of arched appearances and twisted identities, crossed by the long and sinuous scar of the border. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. Advanced timed tickets required: $5 general, $4 college students with ID, $3.50 students (K-12) and seniors (55+), free to members and children under 5. 402.731.1137.
—elmuseolatino.org
Through Jan. 8, 2023 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. This costume exhibition showcases clothing from one of the world’s most widely watched tele vision dramas, “Downton Abbey.” Visitors can see original costumes worn by the stars of “Downton Abbey,” depicting fashions of the British aristocracy in the early 20th century. 12-4 p.m. Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, closed Mondays. Admission: $13 adults, $10 seniors (62+) and mili tary/veteran, $7 children (3-12), free for members and children 2 and under. 402.444.5071.
—durhammuseum.org
Through Jan. 8, 2023 at Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S. 20th St. Children can learn about the current and future possibilities of space travel in this exhibit, which was designed with help from NASA’s Deep Space Exploration Systems at Johnson Space Center. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat urdays and Sundays. Admission: $15 children 2-15 and adults, $14 seniors (60+), free to members and children under 24 months. 402.342.6164.
—ocm.org
Oct. 1 at Funny Bone, 71305 Davenport St. This stand-up comedian and joke writer appeared regu larly on the Comedy Central show, “This Week at the Comedy Cellar.” He has also performed stand-up sets on “Conan,” “The Late Show with Stephen Col bert,” and more. 7:45 and 10:15 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Saturday. Ages 21+. Tickets: $25. 402.493.8036.
—omaha.funnybone.com
Oct. 1 and 2 at Creighton University Lied Education Center for the Arts, 2500 California Plaza. This contemporary musical centers around a suburban family trying to cope with crisis and with a mother’s unpredictable and worsening bipolar disorder. 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $18 general admis sion, $15 seniors (65+), $5 students. 402.280.1448.
—creighton.edu
October 1, 2, 6-9, at UNO Weber Fine Arts Building, 6505 University Drive South. This satirical play by Larissa FastHorse follows a group of teaching artists who try to create an elementary school pageant that celebrates both Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $16 general admission, free for UNO students. 402.554.7529.
—unotheatre.com
Oct. 6 at Funny Bone, 71305 Davenport St. This come dian starred in the MTV show “Totally Pauly” in the early 1990s, and he has gone on to appear in several other projects, including films such as “Jury Duty” and “In the Army Now.” 7:30 p.m. Ages 21+. Tickets: $25. 402.493.8036.
—omaha.funnybone.com
Oct. 7 and 8 at Funny Bone, 71305 Davenport St. Comedian John Morgan, also known as “Ragin Cajun,” takes an honest and heartfelt approach to talking about relationships and real-life issues in his comedy shows. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Ages 21+. Tickets: $15. 402.493.8036. —omaha.funnybone.com
Oct. 7 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. This show will include stand-up comedy and sketches performed in Spanish by entertainers Adrian Uribe and Adal Ramones. 9 p.m. Tickets: $45-$89. 402.345.0606. —ticketomaha.com
Oct. 7-23 at The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. This work by Rose Playwright-in-residence Brian Gueh ring centers around two grade-school students who sign up for popularity lessons taught by a 7th grader who offers to help them win friends. 7 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 5:30 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $25 for non-members, free for members (4 tickets each). Reservations required. 402.345.4849. —rosetheater.org
Oct. 13 at Funny Bone, 71305 Davenport St. This energetic comedian and actor has become known for posting relatable videos that address events hap pening in pop-culture and on the internet. King also tours the country performing for sold-out audiences. 7:30 p.m. Ages 21+. Tickets: $25. 402.493.8036. —omaha.funnybone.com
Oct. 13 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Doug las St. This comedian hosts a weekly podcast and has found success over the years with her observational, intelligent humor and quick wit. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $59.50. 402.345.0606. —ticketomaha.com
“Trainwreck” with Amy Schumer. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Ages 21+. Tickets: $40 for Friday show, $15 for Saturday shows. 402.493.8036. —omaha.funnybone.com
Oct. 15 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. New York Times best-selling author Rachel Hollis started Rach Talk as a Facebook show to talk about a variety of topics, and she has since found success on YouTube, with over 170,000 subscribers. 7 p.m. Tickets: $35$279. 402.345.0606.
—ticketomaha.com
Oct. 14 and 15 at Funny Bone, 71305 Davenport St. This comedian has connected with audiences through many different media platforms, including stand-up albums, radio shows, and films such as
Through Oct. 16 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Based on the hit movie, this musical fol lows a middle-aged, wannabe rock star who becomes a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school, where he helps a group of straight-A students start their own rock band. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $25-$57. 402.553.0800.
—omahaplayhouse.com
Oct. 18-23 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. This hit Broadway musical tells the story of legendary music group The Temptations as they rise from the streets of Detroit to earn a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: TBD. 402.345.0606.
—ticketomaha.com
Oct. 20-23 at Florence Community Theater, 2864 State St. This play is based on the classic novel about a scientist who creates a formula that releases his inner brutish nature. 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $12. 402.281.3481.
—florentineplayers.com
stagE PErformancEs
Oct. 21 and 22 at Funny Bone, 71305 Davenport St. This comedian, actor, and writer has contributed witty commentary to comedy round tables, head lined national stand-up comedy tours, appeared on television shows such as “Chelsea Lately,” and released his own book. 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Ages 21+. Tickets: $25. 402.493.8036. —omaha.funnybone.com
Oct. 21, 22, 28, and 29 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. This show, presented by Rave On Productions, pays homage to the original sci-fi horror film and tells the story of a young couple who spend a wild night in the castle of Dr. Frank ’N’ Furter. 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 7:30 and 11 p.m. Saturdays. Tickets: $35 general admission, $40 reserved pit rows and reserved balcony, $50 reserved pitside.
Oct. 27 at Funny Bone, 71305 Davenport St. Attendees can experience an evening of LGBTQ+ entertainment as drag performers lip sync and dance to popular songs. 7:30 p.m. Ages 21+. Tickets: $20. 402.493.8036. —omaha.funnybone.com
Opening Oct. 29 at The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. Young children can follow the adventures of two toys in this interactive show, as the characters welcome a wooden duck into their group and teach him games such as hide and seek. 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m. Sundays. Tickets: $17 for non-members, $10 for members. Reservations required. 402.345.4849. —rosetheater.org
Oct. 28 and 29 at Funny Bone, 71305 Davenport St. This comedian made his television debut in 2005 on Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend.” Since then, Lee has performed at comedy clubs and colleges, hosted his own web show on msn.com, and more. 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Ages 21+. Tickets: $15-$40. 402.493.8036.
—omaha.funnybone.com
Oct. 1 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. Williams is a Grammy-winning musician known for mixing country and southern rock genres with Christian messages in his songs. 7 p.m. Tickets: $25.75$218.25. 402.345.0606.
—ticketomaha.com
Oct. 1 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. This indie pop artist released her debut album, “Bad Ideas,” in 2019. Since then, Violet and her band have brought her eclectic musical sound to sold-out tours in the U.S. and Europe. 8 p.m. Tickets: $25 advanced/$30 day of show. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
Oct. 2 at Strauss Performing Arts Center, 6305 Uni versity Drive N. This performance by the Omaha Symphony will feature Beethoven’s “Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano.” The program also includes composer Caroline Shaw’s “Entr’acte” and Mozart’s “Symphony No. 36.” 2 p.m. Tickets: TBD. 402.345.0606.
—omahasymphony.org
Oct. 2 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Gibson is a spoken word artist whose poems focus on gender, LGBTQ issues, mental health, feminism, and more. 8 p.m. Tickets: $22 advanced/$25 day of show. 402.884.5353.
—waitingroomlounge.com
Oct. 3 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Toadies is a rock band that found success in the 1990s with their guitar-based songs that created a unique spin on the hard rock genre. The group began making a come back in 2008 and have since released multiple concert recordings. 7 p.m. Tickets: $30 advanced/$35 day of show. 402.345.7569. —theslowdown.com
Oct. 4 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Modern psych-rock band The Black Angels formed in 2004 and have aimed to reflect the realities of the world and communicate universal themes through their music. 8 p.m. Tickets: $22 advanced/$25 day of show. 402.345.7569. —theslowdown.com
Oct. 6 at Barnato, 225 N. 170th St., Suite 95. Townes is a country singer/songwriter who displayed her insightful songwriting skills on her debut album, “The Lemonade Stand,” which was released in 2020. 8 p.m. Ages 21+. Tickets: $30-$500. 402.964.2021. —barnato.bar
Oct. 6 at The Admiral, 2234 S. 13th St. This indie folk band earned spots on the Billboard charts for their albums “Let’s Be Still” in 2013 and “Signs of Light” in 2016. The group’s musical influences range from Americana to country-rock to classic pop. 8 p.m. Tickets: $45 advanced/$50 day of show/$99 premiere balcony.
—admiralomaha.com
PARAMORE
Oct. 6 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. This Gram my-winning rock band, which is led by singer Hayley Williams, has found success with hits such as “Still Into You” and “Ain’t It Fun.” 8 p.m. Tickets: TBD. 402.345.0606.
—ticketomaha.com
Oct. 7 at Barnato, 225 N. 170th St., Suite 95. This two-member band mixes Texas country with Ken tucky bluegrass sounds in their music. The duo has drawn inspiration from musicians ranging from Mumford & Sons to Avicii. 8 p.m. Ages 21+. Tickets: $25-$400. 402.964.2021.
—barnato.bar
Oct. 7 at The Admiral, 2234 S. 13th St. Palaye Royale rose from the Los Angeles rock scene to perform in concerts across the world and tour with artists such as Yungblud. This trio is known for combining glam rock, brit-pop, and art-punk sounds in their music. 7 p.m. Tickets: $29.50 advanced/$35 day of show/$75 premiere balcony.
—admiralomaha.com
Oct. 8 at Barnato, 225 N. 170th St., Suite 95. Musician and songwriter Aaron Bruno formed this alternative band in 2010. Since then, the group has released multiple albums with songs that have broken the boundaries of the alternative genre. 7 p.m. Ages 21+. Tickets: $45 general audience, $125 VIP access. 402.964.2021.
—barnato.bar
Oct. 8 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. This alter native band from London incorporates rock, jazz, post-punk, and cabaret sounds into their music. The group has released three studio albums and multiple singles. 8 p.m. Tickets: $25 advanced/$30 day of show. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
Oct. 8 at The Admiral, 2234 S. 13th St. Hippo Campus is a five-member, alternative band from Minneap olis. In February 2022, the group released their most recent album, “LP3,” which explores themes about personal identity and young adulthood. 8 p.m. Tickets: $26 advanced/$28 day of show/$60 premiere balcony.
—admiralomaha.com
Oct. 8 and 9 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. The Omaha Symphony and some of New York’s best singers will perform famous Broadway songs from shows such as “Wicked,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “The Sound of Music.” 7:30 p.m. Sat urday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: TBD. 402.345.0606. —omahasymphony.org
Oct. 14 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Doug las St. Singer-songwriter Bruce Hornsby has won three Grammys and collaborated with artists such as The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan. Hornsby will take the stage with the Omaha Symphony, conducted by Rob Moose, to perform classic songs and recent works. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: TBD. 402.345.0606.
—omahasymphony.org
Oct. 14 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Doug las St. This Grammy-nominated percussionist has collaborated with pop stars such as David Bowie and Mariah Carey, as well as jazz musicians such as Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins. Figueroa is known for his ability to play a variety of musical styles. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: TBD. 402.345.0606.
—ticketomaha.com
Oct. 9 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Kid Bloom is a music group known for combining electronic, indie rock, and retro pop sounds in their songs. Los Angeles-based musician Lennon Kloser formed the group in 2015. 8 p.m. Tickets: $20 advanced/$25 day of show. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
Oct. 9 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Alternative rock band The Airborne Toxic Event incorporated lyrical storytelling and coming-ofage themes into their sixth studio album, “Holly wood Park,” which was released in 2020. 8 p.m. Tickets: $25. 402.884.5353.
—waitingroomlounge.com
BUMPIN UGLIES WITH KYLE SMITH
Oct. 11 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. This reggae-rock group from Maryland spent over a decade touring the country and performing sold-out shows before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Since then, the band has released multi ple original songs and recorded a new album. 8 p.m. Tickets: $17 advanced/$20 day of show. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
HIRIE WITH BALLYHOO! AND SURFER GIRL
Oct. 12 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Hirie is a reggae pop star from Hawaii who has performed in venues across the world and aims to spread positivity through her music. 8 p.m. Tickets: $20 advanced/$25 day of show. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
Oct. 14 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. This rock band formed in 1999 and found success with their 2001 album, “Camino Palmero,” which went gold in the U.S. and sold over five million copies internationally. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $25 advanced/$30 day of show. 402.884.5353.
—waitingroomlounge.com
Oct. 14 at Liberty First Credit Union Arena, 7300 Q St., Ralston. This band from Apodaca, Mexico, uses modern instruments and pop sounds while paying tribute to the norteño music tradition of northern Mexico. Bronco has sold over 12 million albums and released multiple international hits. 8 p.m. Admis sion: TBD, $50 early bird. 402.934.9966.
—libertyfirstcreditunionarena.com
Oct. 15 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Mike Campbell is the former guitarist of the group Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Campbell and the other members of The Dirty Knobs began playing together over 15 years ago and released their first official album in 2020. 8 p.m. Tickets: $35 advanced/$40 day of show. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
Oct. 15 at O’Leavers, 1322 S. Saddle Creek Rd. This Pittsburgh-based punk rock band is led by musician Derek Zanetti. The band has addressed politics and problems in society through their music. 9 p.m. Admission: free. 402.556.1238.
—oleavers.com
Oct. 16 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. This music group adds vintage twists to current pop hits. Since 2011, Postmodern Juke box has remade pop songs into covers featuring the classic musical styles of artists such as Frank Sinatra and Bessie Smith. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $39.50-$170. 402.345.0606.
—ticketomaha.com
Oct. 16 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. This indie folk rock quintet from Virginia uses a variety of instruments to achieve a wide array of musical styles, ranging from bluegrass to Americana to Celtic. 8 p.m. Tickets: $22 advanced/$25 day of show. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
Oct. 18 at The Admiral, 2234 S. 13th St. In This Moment is a Los Angeles-based, goth rock band that has toured with artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth, and Lacuna Coil. The group originally formed as a metal core band, but they have since explored more melodic elements in their sound. 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $47.50 advanced/$50 day of show/$75 premiere balcony.
—admiralomaha.com
Oct. 18 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. This sing er-songwriter from Virginia has written about per sonal struggles while showing vulnerability and hon esty in his music. 8 p.m. Tickets: $20 advanced/$25 day of show. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
Oct. 19 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Twin Temple is a music duo who draws inspiration from their own practices of Satanism, as well as classic rock ’n’ roll, in their songs. 8 p.m. Tickets: $22.50 advanced/$25 day of show. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
SPACEY JANE WITH JOE P
Oct. 20 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. Spacey Jane is an Australian indie rock band. The four-member group released their debut album, “Sunlight,” in 2020. 8 p.m. Tickets: $18 advanced/$20 day of show. 402.884.5707.
—reverblounge.com
Oct. 20 at The Admiral, 2234 S. 13th St. Kurt Vile is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer from Philadelphia who incorpo rated thoughtful songwriting, murmuring synth sounds, and distorted guitar parts into his latest album, “(Watch My Moves).” 8 p.m. Tickets: $30 advanced/$35 day of show/$65 premiere balcony.
—admiralomaha.com
Oct. 20 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. This alternative music group is known for telling stories by pairing their songs with animated videos. Rare Americans was originally started by brothers James and Jared Priestner, and the group has earned over one million followers on social media. 8 p.m. Tickets: $15 advanced/$18 day of show. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
Oct. 21 and 22 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Concert pianist Awadagin Pratt will perform with the Omaha Symphony for the first time to play a new work by Jessie Montgomery entitled “Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra.” 7:30 p.m. Tickets: TBD. 402.345.0606.
—omahasymphony.org
Oct. 23 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. The Omaha Symphony will take fam ilies and children on a journey via the interactive musical narrative, “Sleepover at the Museum,” by Karen LeFrak. This story follows the adventures of a young boy and his friends at the Museum of Nat ural History. 2 p.m. Tickets: TBD. 402.345.0606.
—omahasymphony.org
Oct. 27 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. This artist meshes energetic rock sounds, satisfying pop hooks, and messages about romance in his songs. He has performed on shows such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and his music has earned over 500 million streams. 8 p.m. Tickets: $22.50. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
Oct. 27 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. Aesthetic Perfection is an industrial pop duo consisting of producer Daniel Graves and drummer Joe Letz. Over a nearly two decade-long career, the pair has mixed industrial, goth, and pop elements into their dark, electronic music. 7 p.m. Tickets: $25. 402.884.5707. —reverblounge.com
Oct. 27 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. This alternative artist has opened for musicians such as The Who and Ed Sheeran. Courtney examined themes of frustration, loss, and absence in his 2019 album, “404.” 8 p.m. Tickets: $18 advanced/$20 day of show. 402.884.5353.
—waitingroomlounge.com
Oct. 28 at Barnato, 225 N. 170th St., Suite 95. New York-based rock band Wheatus released their hit single, “Teenage Dirtbag,” in 2000. Since then, the group has recorded six studio albums and released multiple singles. 8 p.m. Tickets: $30-$500. 402.964.2021.
—barnato.bar
Oct. 28 and 29 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. Combs is a country music singer who was named the CMA Entertainer of the Year in 2021. He will take the stage in Omaha as part of his “Middle of Somewhere Tour.” 7 p.m. Tickets: $80-$1,255. 402.341.1500.
—chihealthcenteromaha.com
Oct. 29 at Scottish Rite Hall, 202 S. 20th St. This rock artist released his debut album, “Songs for the Daily Planet,” in 1994, and since then, he has become known for his sharp musical storytelling and husky voice. 8 p.m. Tickets: $40 orchestra floor, $30 audi torium, $35 balcony. 402.342.1300.
—scottishriteomaha.org
Oct. 29 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. This Omaha-based band is known for their passionate, punk rock music infused with political messages. 9 p.m. Tickets: $7. 402.884.5707.
—reverblounge.com
Oct. 30 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. This husband-and-wife music duo has created an eclectic sound by blending soul, country, gospel, and rock ’n’ roll genres in their songs. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $26-$41. 402.345.0606.
—ticketomaha.com
Oct. 31 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Singer-song writer KBong has drawn musical inspiration from hiking, traveling, and being in tropical places. He and multi-instrumentalist Johnny Cosmic have writ ten music and performed together for more than eight years. 8 p.m. Tickets: $15 advanced/$20 day of show. 402.345.7569.
—theslowdown.com
Through Nov. 20 at Gallery 1516, 1516 Leavenworth St. This music series will feature performances by Nebraska musicians each week. Attendees can also enjoy bagels, coffee, and other refreshments. 11:30 a.m. Sundays. Admission: free. 531.375.6643.
—gallery1516.org
Farmers Market Season is coming to a close. Those look ing to find fresh produce are encouraged to check with organizers for availability before attending any market.
Oct. 2, 9, and 16 at Aksarben Village, 67th Street and Mercy Road. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 402.345.5401.
—omahafarmersmarket.com
Oct. 1, 8, and 15 in the Old market, 11th and Jackson streets. 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 402.345.5401.
—omahafarmersmarket.com
Oct. 1 at Village Pointe Shopping Center, 168th and Dodge streets. 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 402.505.9773.
—reddevelopment.com/village-pointe/
Oct. 1 and 2 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. This event will feature over 25 exhibitor booths dis playing affordable, antique items. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets: $15 non-member adults, $9 non-member children (3-12), free for members and children 2 and under. 402.346.4002.
—lauritzengardens.org
Oct. 1, 2, 7, and 9 at 1150 River Road Dr., Waterloo, NE. This unique festival features antique, vintage, and junk vendors, as well as bands, food trucks, and more. 9-11 a.m. early bird and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $30 early bird, $20 three-day weekend pass, $10 general admission pass, $120 season pass, free for children 12 and under. 402.885.9859.
—junkstock.com
Oct. 7 at Trudy’s, 2814 N. 60 St. Teen Line is a BFF program that offers art activities, mentorship, and exhibition opportunities for high school students and teenagers. 6-9 p.m. Admission: free. 402.813.7530.
—bffomaha.org
Oct. 8 at DoubleTree by Hilton, 1616 Dodge St. This event is presented by Voodoo’s Odd Shop and will feature at least 30 different vendors. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission: $15 for adults, free for children 12 and under. 402.819.9618.
—voodoosoddshop.com
Oct. 8 at Chance Ridge Event Center, 506 Skyline Rd., Elkhorn. This event will include professional bull riding and live music, as well as games and prizes for children to enjoy. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Admission: $20 per person. 402.289.9560. —business.westochamber.org/events
Oct. 8 and 9 at Mid-America Center, 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs. Attendees can view a number of handmade items at this event. Callahan Promo tions is an organization that holds arts and crafts shows throughout the year across Iowa. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $6. 563.357.1986.
Oct. 8 and 9 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. This festival will feature activities such as Jap anese calligraphy, traditional games, and food tastings, as well as traditional music, martial arts performances, and more. The Omaha Sister Cities Association helps host this event. 10 am.-4 p.m. Tickets: $15 non-member adults, $9 non-member children (3-12), free for members and children 2 and under. 402.346.4002.
—lauritzengardens.org
Oct. 12 at Main Street in Old Town Elkhorn. Attend ees can sample wine and enjoy live music while exploring the shops in downtown Elkhorn. The first 300 hundred participants will receive a wine glass. 5-8 p.m. Admission: $20. 402.289.9560. —business.westochamber.org/events
Oct. 22 at Benson High School, 5120 Maple St. Par ticipants can dress up as zombies and infest the streets of Benson during this annual event. 5 p.m. Admission: free.
Oct. 25 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. Attend ees can wear Halloween costumes and take sweets from historical characters and spooky displays throughout the museum. Visitors can also play games, tour the Haunted Train, eat festive treats, and make crafts. 5-8 p.m. Admission: $13 adults, $10 seniors (62+) and military/veteran, $7 children (3-12), free for members and children 2 and under. 402.444.5071.
—durhammuseum.org
Oct. 26 at Liberty First Credit Union Arena, 7300 Q St., Ralston. This non-televised version of the long-running game show gives eligible fans oppor tunities to play classic games and win prizes such as vacations and new cars. 7:30 p.m. Admission: $30-$150. 402.934.9966.
—libertyfirstcreditunionarena.com
Oct. 29 at Fontenelle Forest, 1111 Bellevue Blvd. This family-friendly event will teach children about some of the forest’s resident animals, such as owls and snakes. The program will also feature spooky cookie decorating, slime-making, and more. 2-4 p.m. Admission: $10 for members, $20 for non-members. 402.731.3140. —fontenelleforest.org
Oct. 29 at MidAmerica Boston Terrier Rescue Foster Home, 5109 S. 51 St. This event will include a dinner, costume contest for both dogs and humans, games, raffles, and more. All dog breeds are welcome to attend. 4-6 p.m. Admission: $10 per family. 402.510.1346.
—adoptaboston.com
Through Oct. 31 at Skinny Bones Pumpkin Patch, 3935 NE-133, Blair. Attendees can visit the corn maze, mystery house, spooky trail, and other attractions at this patch, which is open for its 14th season. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Wednes days, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri days-Sundays. Admission: $12.95 Mondays-Thurs days, $20.95 Fridays-Sundays. 402.689.7585. —skinnybonespumpkinpatch.com
Through Oct. 31 at 17272 Giles Rd. This Hal loween-themed venue has three attractions: the Master’s Castle, House on the Hill, and Haunted Woods. Scary Acres also offers bonfires, outdoor entertainment, concessions, and a merchandise booth. Open 7 p.m.-midnight Wednesdays-Sun days and Monday, Oct. 31. Tickets: $12 Master’s Castle, $11 House on the Hill, $10 Haunted Woods, $28 combo passes. 402.896.9666.
—thescarefactor.com
When actor TammyRa’ (who uses one name professionally) was cast as the lead character Celie for the Omaha Community Playhouse’s staging of The Color Purple, she achieved a long-held goal.
“From the very first time I saw The Color Purple in Chicago, I wanted to be Celie. It was my dream show. Then came the pan demic and indefinite postponement of live theater. I thought I would never get to tell this story,” Tam myRa’ said.
But she did get to tell the story brilliantly. On August 1, she received the Playhouse’s prestigious Fonda McGuire Award for the most outstanding performance of the 2021-22 season.
“TammyRa’ is an actor who’s dedicated to storytelling. Her practice and her craft are really about uplifting the story she’s telling, and bringing a truthfulness and authenticity to all characters that she plays, really honoring their story and honoring their voice,” said Denise Chapman, who co-directed TammyRa’ in The Color Purple She has a long association with TammyRa’ through theater productions of The Union for Contemporary Art, where Chapman serves as producing artistic director.
“I was so happy that my family was there to see me receive that award, and I hope that this isn’t the last thing I do that’s positive. I want all the little especially brown girls to know that it’s never too late to follow your dreams,” Tam myRa’ said.
TammyRa’s personal story may be as com pelling as any she depicts on stage. She showed early talent, though she mostly lim ited her performances to family skits. “I was never the child who was picked to do shows, or picked to do solos in church,” she said.
Starting at the University of Nebraska at Omaha as a voice major, “I had goals of wanting to be on Broadway by the time I was 25,” s he recalled.
Then lif e happened.
“I had my first child when I was 21,” she said. “I felt like I would never be able to be a performer again.”
With a baby at home, TammyRa’ couldn’t commit long hours to rehearsals and per formances on top of classroom time. She switched her major and earned a bachelor’s degree in human resources and family sci ence, working in the field briefly. Needing more flexibility, she earned a cosmetology license and found work as a stylist. Her family grew to four children, and her per forming ambitions remained on hold. But being a committed young mother was an important chapter in her life story.
“I think everything happens for a reason, and timing is important,” she explained. “I don’t have any regrets…Family is everything to me. Raising my children was my responsibility.”
Eventually, as her children became more inde pendent, TammyRa’ made it to the stage, crediting a “wonderful support system” for helping make it possible.
She’s been “all in” ever since, appearing in productions from Gem of the Ocean at the John Beasley Theater (as Aunt Ester) and Fences at The Union for Contemporary Art, playing Rose, to a spectrum of roles at Lincoln Community Playhouse, Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre Company, Great Plains Theater Commons, and others.
She’s also done television ads including Home Instead commercials that still appear on TV now and then. She was involved in a movie project, Second Words , in 2016. She’s performed with the likes of Ted Lange, Anthony Chisholm, Omaha’s own John Beasley, Eugene Lee, and Carla Stillwell. She’s even acted with daughter Nadia Ra’Shaun Williams (featured in the Omaha Magazine spring 2020 issue), who followed her i nto acting.
TammyRa’ has also branched out to the pro duction side.
“She’s been a stage manager for me, she’s stepped into mentorship roles, and she’s gotten into directing,” Chapman said. “She’s not bound to just one part of the practice, but is able and willing to let herself expand and grow within the craft of theater.”
“I feel like anyone who is a true performer, an actor on the stage, should work behind the scenes,” she said. “Everybody needs every body. It’s not just, ‘I’m an actor and I’m going to go out there and be brilliant.’ You need everybody else to help you be brilliant.”
“TammyRa’ is a fabulous ray of light and a gift to the city,” Chapman said.
She shines bright, but TammyRa’ is no diva.
“A lot of people thought it was just a hobby for me, but I guarantee that if I can do this full time and pay all my bills I will. It’s coming,” she said.
“I do hope to get to Broadway or on the big screen. But I always want to be humble…I don’t have my next show yet, but I am prepar ing for auditions; I don’t know where it’s going to lead me. But I know I want to continue telling stories.”
Visit omahaplayhouse.com for more information.
“I was so happy that my family was there to see me receive that award, and I hope that this isn’t the last thing I do th at’s positive. I want all the little — especially brown — girls to know that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.” -TammyRa’STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS
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A+C MUSIC // Story by Jul ius Fredrick
From Left: Tim “Twig” Laurence, Aaron “Aaaron” Skouge, Chris “Crutch” Crutcher, Tim “Timmy” Wilson, and Ryan “Rymo” McLaughlin
From Joslyn Castles' crenella ted turrets, to Offutt's red-brick brutalism, or even Old Market courtyards where stone lions pace the wrought-iron gates the 'fortress' aesthetic is never far from the Omaha public eye.
Still, the metro claims but one genuine Stronghold: walls of sound, halls of havoc, and a bedrock carved by steel-strung axes, drumsticks, and coarse, grindstone vocals. There’s no particular location to tour; no pencil shavings on the city planner’s grid, nor ledger on the historic registry. Rather, it’s anywhere the punks are. Loud, crass, and wayward yet centered by a space where love and rage share a roof, old griev ance s be damned.
“I think the imagery just goes back to that '90s hardcore feel,” said guitarist and Stronghold architect Ryan “Rymo” McLaughlin on the band’s christening back in 2014, “the name just kind of stemmed from the idea that we’re a crew that stays together, going back to that kind of street wise 90’s youth-crew.”
“We’re a cohesive unit, it’s what keeps us sane,” added Aaron “Aaaron” Skouge, the band’s Garibaldi-bearded growler, hype-conduit, and lyricist. “We’re kind of our own stronghold.”
Formed in 2014, Stronghold’s original members McLaughin on guitar, Skouge on the mic, Tim “Timmy” Wilson on bass, and Ryan “Emmy” Swiler on percussion aimed to reprise the ‘straight-edge’ subgenre of the '80s and '90s, broadly defined by its decoupling of bodily excess (namely, drugs and alcohol) from punk’s frenetic, anti-establish ment pathos.
“I would say it was kind of my brainchild,” McLaughlin noted, “just very riff heavy, groove heavy, punk-influenced hardcore at the beginning. I had these ideas and said ‘let’s get together and write some songs,’ and I started doing it because of my love of 90 s hardcore.”
At the time, McLaughlin and Wilson were spearheading a punk outfit called Old Bones, and involved in another group, The Curtain Calls, with Chris “Crutch” Crutcher. The latter would join Stronghold as de facto composer and a second set of strings in 2019. Meanwhile, Skouge had frequented Old Bones performances over the course of their two-year run, ingratiating himself with McLaughlin and com pany. In 2014, Old Bones fractured under intensifying creative discord, the ensuing ‘crack!’ heralding demise, opportunity, and most importantly, marrow for a newborn project: Stronghold.
“It’s very incestuous, right?” McLaughlin quipped, the lineup now fielding 33-yearold Tim “Twig” Laurence on drums in lieu of Swiler, in addition to Crutcher.
“When you’re stuck in the '90s like, I want to sound like Madball and Hatebreed, just kick you in the teeth right? But [Crutcher] came in with these little parts written over the top, and we’re like ‘oh my God, this taking it to the next level!’
“I would just put on songs they wanted to play and just go through them and start writing my own parts,” Crutcher added, “and then when I came to [band] practice the first time, you know, they’d heard things they hadn’t heard before, which reenergizes [the music]…but still keeps that heavy, groovy, hardcore p unk spirit.”
Stronghold’s evolving, yet uncompro mising, involvement in the metro’s hardcore scene has caught the promet hean gaze of Dereck Higgins, Omaha’s post-punk torchbearer for over 40 years a nd counting:
“They have the secret sauce,” Higgins said. “I see them as being true to the music, what ever their amalgamation of influences was, it comes through very honestly.”
“Do I hear development? Absolutely,” he con tinued, “every time I see them they’re very good, they seem to be getting better, and I also like the fact that they try to kick our ass, R.A.F, you know? And we like that. We lift each other up, and that’s why I call it a ‘rag tag scene.’ ‘Brotherhood,’ that’s how I put it.”
Stronghold’s musicianship begets other admirable qualities; their unwavering dedi cation, not only to their performances, but to one another, chief among them. While their livelihoods outside Stronghold are from from synchronized with careers spanning health care, the service industry, and academia for eight years, the band has aimed to practice at least once a week. Jam sessions at Skouge’s Benson-area home are more than diligent rehearsal, they ’re a pulse.
“I need it. I need to yell into a microphone. I need to. I need to have my ears ringing for a bit,” Skouge confessed. “Failed relationships, dealing with family members passing away, or friends passing away… it’s the outlet for all of our rage and disappointment. Basically, it keeps us off the news and out of jail.”
With gigs returning to pre-pandemic pace in 2022 including prime-time sets at large festivals, like the Punk Rock BBQ and charitable SKATEFEST and work on the band’s first full-length album underway, the Stronghold banner continues its tat tered ascent. Its garrison, however, remains in the trenches; gritty and grounded as ever.
“The fact that we’ve been able to keep up this level of energy up and keep evolving over eight years, I thinks it’s pretty commend able,” Skouge said. “It’s definitely cheaper than therapy.”
Visit strongholdnehc.bandcamp.com for more information.
“They have the secret sauce. I see them as being true to themusic, whatever their amalgamation of influences was, it comes through very honestly.” -De reck Higgins
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imon Clark is young man, but has already made a name for himself as a filmmaker and director in Omaha. Coming from a family of public relations and media experts who own Clark Creative Group, it’s no surprise he’s inherited an eye f or imagery.
“I would say the hands-on experience of growing up on my dad’s commercial sets gave me inspiration to be a director,” he began. “The reason why I like this industry and job is because I love people’s stories, and I love brand stories.”
At 25, Clark has already worked on proj ects with clients across the nation. This is a high achievement, having just grad uated from the University of Nebraska at Oma ha in 2021.
His college experience is a familiar one, especially for creatives…meaning he shuf fled his major on a few occasions, like most young adults not exactly knowing what they want to do. It calls to mind a memorable quote from the MTV classic Daria : “My goal is not to wake up at 40 with the bitter realization that I’ve wasted my life in a job I hate because I was forced to decide on a career i n my teens.”
Starting with music technology, he tried journalism his sophomore year but even tually landed on general studies during his last semester. In the interim, Simon worked at his family’s company before going solo in February 2020; Simon Clark Production s was born.
Using his experience from Clark Creative Group, he now develops advertising campaigns and mu sic videos.
“Music videos are my favorite project coming from a music project,” he says. “I was a drummer [for Clark & Company], now I make music.”
One frequent collaborator for his musi cal ventures is Mendon Hale, a country musician based in Nashville. So far, Clark has directed and produced three music video s for Hale.
In Hale’s Hands on the Heartland , Clark captured Hale with a western Nebraska agrarian dreamscape as a backdrop, a ver itable army of extras in support. It reads as a statement about working-class people in the small towns dotting t he Midwest.
Clark did have an inspired undertone for th is project.
“Growing up in the Midwest, I feel there are a lot of misconceptions about Nebraska,” Clark said.
Closer to home, Clark has worked with Boyd Redinbaugh, owner of The Simple Man, a store that specializes in men’s apparel, accessories, and groom in g supplies.
Redinbaugh and Clark met years ago at a barber shop, only later coming together to strategize on how to enhance The Simple Man’s social medi a presence.
“The reason why I chose to work with Simon is, number one, he’s a local person,” Redinbaugh said. “Beyond that, he’s really creative, super flexible, and has a good eye for lighting. He keeps things fresh for me. He knows the current atmosphere and mood for soc ial media.”
The collaboration originally began with Clark producing monthly video segments featuring tip videos or learning how to mix a cocktail.
Scrolling through The Simple Man’s Instagram page, the mood Clark captures is what local men’s fashion is known for: com fort, ease, muted colors… and lots of flannels.
One of Clark’s more recent projects is his nonprofit called The Broccoli Creative Collective a platform designed to connect, promote, and grow a community for cre atives in the Omaha metro.
He founded Broccoli in 2018 after realizing there was a need for local creatives to connect and support each other on a shared plat form. Especially helpful for artists, Broccoli frequently does giveaways, photoshoots, and videos. Perhaps most importantly, it's f ree to use.
Clark isn’t too concerned with what he’d like to do in the long-term or what dream project he’d love to work on, but he wants to keep growing and eventually open his own studio one day. Lucky for him, he has the better part of a lifetime to get there.
Visit simonclark.productions for more information.
should mention to you that I’m really i nto burls.”
It doesn’t take long before Elmer Miller, the woodturner and artist from Murdock, Nebraska, opens up his verbal encyclope d ia of wood.
“Now, a burl is tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. Sometimes you’ll see it on the side of a trunk of a tree, there will be a big bump out. It’s commonly found in a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk, branch, or root,” Miller explained. “A lot of people don’t understand that it’s also found in the roots. A burl results from a tree being under stress i n some way.”
This is what Miller does; what he has done for the past 20 years, since he retired from his position working for the University of Nebraska’s leadership devel opment on Lincoln's East Campus. He takes a part of a tree that many would look at as defective or unsightly and he crafts and molds it, spins it to a new, repu rposed life.
He makes hats, large and small, wooden brims swooping low like the Murdock sunset outside his shop window. He makes clocks and bowls smoothing the edges of rough burls, and when the mood strikes, leaving some of that natural roughness intact. It’s a way of paying homage to where the wood came from and reminding his patrons that this was, in fact, once an imperfect, l iving thing.
”I get most of my burls from the West Coast,” he said, gesturing to a meticu lously labeled wall of wood in the back of his shop; a veritable mosaic of former trees. Each chunk of timber varies as much as the land their roots once held.
“Much of my wood comes from South America, Africa, lots of different coun tries as well,” he noted. “There’s a guy that I really trust, and he’ll send me a burl, sometimes a 400-pound burl on a pallet. I’ll chop it up and try to put it to work.”
ELM ER MILLERPutting it to work is an understated summation of Miller’s creative process and the mastery of his craft. But, that is his modus operandi; humble as an over looked bulge on the root of a tree.
“Any of those other artists, I mean. They are certainly way more artistic than I am,” he said when asked about his partici pation as a featured artists at the Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska this past June in C ass County.
He said this, while standing next to a perfectly smooth, gor geously glazed bowl that he has placed on a mad-scientist-look ing lathe, rotating at high speed. He’s carved this piece of functional art from a gigantic slab of cherry tree. That it could easily be on the shelf of an art gallery is, apparently, lost on the modest woodturner.
The front of As the Windmill Turns, Miller’s business that he sheepishly calls “a hobby, more than anything...a way to keep my hands moving,” is located in his workshop a few yards away from his residence on a gravel road outside Murdoc k, Nebraska.
It is there, amongst handcrafted pens and kaleidoscopes, that Miller spoke of his past and future.
“I had a really great shop teacher in high school who got me interested in wood,” he said, smiling widely at the recollection. “It was another artist that first got me started on burls. It was at a show and I thought, Amen! I want t o try that.”
Miller is all too happy evangelizing the art of woodturning. He is a member of two local woodturning clubs, the 50-per son-strong Omaha Woodturners, and the slightly smaller Lincoln club, the Great Plains Woodturners.
“We just don’t have enough younger people,” he said when asked about the future of the medium. “Just the older people. We have tried in a variety of ways to have young people come at a variety of times to the club. But we just need young people, if they’re inter ested at all, they should really join in and see what they’re like.”
With that statement still hanging in the wood-scented air, Miller stepped across the floor of his shop, burl shavings littering the floor like a sawdust Jackson Pollock. He gazed knowingly at his library of uncut canvasses. It’s clear, any young artists would be wise to heed Mille r’s advice.
He certainly has a knack for finding the hidden beauty in things that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Visit asthewindmillturns.com for more information.
“WE JUST DON’T HAVE ENOUGH YOUNGER PEOPLE... WE HAVE TRIED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS TO HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE COME AT A VARIETY OF TIMES TO THE CLUB... AND SEE WHAT THEY’RE LIKE.”
-ELMER MILLER
For most, especially in the United States, the Balkans is a region of Europe glazed over in the public consciousness. Known for internal conflicts and the bickering states of Yugoslavia before its dissolution in 1992, it spans a huge area from the Austrian border down to Greece. Inside those borders is one of the most culturally diverse areas of Europe. The 3,000 kilometers spanning Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina encompass a huge range of distinct lands, peoples, and politics unlike anywhere else in the world .
One doesn't travel to the Balkans for deca dent cuisine or fancy living; rather to see a culture and people that, through hardship and internecine conflict, are finally seeing hope, growth, and maybe, a la sting peace.
While abroad, it's important (and I encour age travelers to try) to form relationships with everyone you meet. This became even more evident while in the Balkans: the knowledge and experiences one gains from engaging strangers, even those who barely share a language, can be profound.
My journey began in Zagreb, Croatia, arriv ing in the new airport built specifically to welcome tourism to the capital city. Zagreb is a city that distinctly illustrates western influences on the Balkans. Its architecture and streets reminded me of other European cities like Paris and Vienna, though less overwhelmin g in scale.
It’s a city that welcomes those who love to walk aimlessly, like myself. On the first day, I walked about 17 miles exploring and taking photos. Street photography was easy because, whether asphalt or cob blestone, the streets were constantly filled with people, while two huge cathedrals framed the skyline from atop the town, surrounded by shopping areas and even a few op en markets.
After my soles had worn down enough, my father and I met the group that would be making the 3,000-kilometer trip with us: two guides, Axel and Franz, and a couple from Brazil. Axel may have been one of the most interesting people I met along the way. Born in East Germany and a veteran of the German armed forces, he has stories from everywhere and, from what I gathered, a thousand more that I didn’t get to hear. Our other guide, Franz, was an Austrian forester who collected Ducati motorcycles; quite the balancing act to equally love nature and machine in such a way.
The Brazilian couple was Carlos, a phy sician, and his wife, Suely, an extremely warm and friendly woman who snapped photos every step of the way.
Finally, we were introduced to the motor cycles we’d be riding on the trip. For me, a Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, white with large saddlebags for all the gear. I miss it dearly now that I’m no longer riding it. The next morning, we set off to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The change is drastic upon crossing the southern border of Croatia. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a bit more isolated from the European Union compared to Croatia. Medieval castles dot the landscape, along side scars from the wars of decades past. Small, collapsed, single-man bunkers line many of the roads and border crossings, the concrete still marred by errant bullets .
One doesn’t travel to the Balkans for decadent cuisine or fancy living; rather it’s to see a culture and people that through hardship and internecine conflict, are finally seeing hope, growth, and maybe, a la sting peace.
Using its own currency, the Mark, rather than the Euro, and much less eager to join the European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a headstrong nation that values independence. Sarajevo, the capital city, is the clearest example of the state’s impactful history. Sarajevo suffered a siege for 1,425 days just 30 years ago. And it was the tinder box that saw the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the resulting spark that raged into the fires of Wor ld War I.
Farther south along the Balkans, a transi tion from Christianity to Islam developed over the years, pinning Sarajevo in the middle. A combination of churches and mosques sing throughout the city. Five times a day, the minarets of the mosques call out for prayer while the church bells ring with regularity in the background.
The countryside of Montenegro is among the most gorgeous places I’ve ever been. River valleys split high cliffs, and narrow, darting roads follow stomach-churning falls. In the mountains, dry high plains stretch out between the peaks. Sheep gather beneath isolated trees, and scattered rural homes are the only perceptible signs of humanity. For motorcyclists, it’s heaven; roads smoothly carving through the mountains the entire way. Unfortunately, we didn’t stay long, blazing through the country at high speeds and leaning around breathtak ing corners.
Something that illustrated how out of place I was in the Balkans was that I’m vegetarian. I’m not super picky about it but I generally try to avoid meat. There, it became something of a struggle. Most places might have one dish that doesn’t include meat, and it was almost always cheese pizza. When I couldn’t even find that, I stuck to shopska salad: a cucum ber, tomato, and feta cheese combination served in nearly every corner of the region. I’m pretty sure I ate it almost every meal for the two weeks. Though I didn’t much mind...it’s a tasty salad.
While at a petting zoo/restaurant in rural Kosovo, we ran into–or rather passed by–hundreds of Albanian kids. During our day in Kosovo, the children were enamored by the bike Carlos was riding, a BMW R1250GS. They also seemed to mistake him for a popular soccer star. Many of the children had genuinely amazing English skills and were able to speak with us much more easily than those who hadn’t grown up with access to American television. The language divide between generations is often evident: a young worldly generation contrasted against a older rural one, that due to regional conflicts, didn’t have the stability to attend school and as such, weren't afforded the same educational op portunities.
At some point in Serbia, we made a quick stop to wait for a member of the group who’d taken a wrong turn. Outside a stretch of run-down building stoops sat a few older men, none of whom spoke a word of English. After lining up the bikes, we sat down at a table outdoors. One man brought out a huge pot of soup and set it on a fire next to us and laid out tableware. He spoke absolutely no English nor would he accept any payment. I was a bit shocked but nonetheless grateful; all he saw were some foreigners in need of a little generosity. Within our limited ability to communicate, he brought out bread, water, and hot pork fat soup. A culture of welcoming strangers and providing for them is something you don’t often see in the United States.
Unfortunately, we had to stick to the sched ule and move on before he was able to bring more. Nevertheless, the memory of this man's hospitality stuck with me all the way home. He may not have spoken our language, but he was certainly able to communicate kindness. It was a small gesture, but it has inspired me to give what I can to strangers, espe cially soup.
The border crossings are some of the more delicate positions to navigate in the Balkans. Restless guards with full authority over your movements aren’t the type to tolerate disor ganized foreigners. At one of these border crossings into Kosovo, I had, unfortunately, left a small necklace purchased in Sarajevo in plain sight in my bag. It’s not against the law to bring personal items through but the guards may consider them undeclared goods. As Axel told us, it’s best to stash any thing shiny in a pair of dirty socks. It took a couple of Edelweiss (the motorcycle tour company) t-shirts and some smooth talking from Axel for them to waive us through. Had he not greased the wheel, we would have been directed to the next border crossing 200 kilometers away, or worse, had items confiscated with no recourse.
Most people in our vast world share much more in common than you might expect. So talk to the beggars, the shopkeepers, even the scraggliest mustached man next to you on the bench, princes and paupers alike. The cultural barriers don’t matter; we’re all on the same planet sharing the same struggles. Please, next time you’re traveling where you feel uncomfortable, talk to the stranger. They might just give you comfort or wisdom, or some nugget of their experience to guide you along the way. Or, at least some soup.
Visit edelweissbike.com for more information.
The cultural barriers don’t matter; we’re all on the same planet sharing the same struggles. Please, next time you’re traveling where you feel uncomfortable, talk to t he stranger.
Photography B ill Sitzmann
Design Matt Wieczorek
Kristen Husen (Left) and Chelsea Ewart (Right) have both successfully navigated the murky waters of teaching–finding any port in the storm–while always putting the student’s best interests befor e their own.
And it’s not money that’s driving teachers out of the profession.
The list of reasons why resignations, retirements, and resentment are staggeringly high in education currently is as long as it is complex. Failures in administrative support. A culture that seemingly encourages burnout. Dangerous understaffing. Overcrowded classrooms. An unhealthy work-li fe balance.
But the consistent reminder among those who entered the profession less as career than calling is a changing dynamic between a classroom of hungry minds, the educators, and administration tasked to feed it, as well as a student and parent population changing faster than all of the above.
Teachers aren’t leaving the job because of the money.
They’re leaving because of the job
Jenna Workman’s first day as a teacher felt like a drea m come true.
She was 22, fresh out of college, and teach ing language arts at Nathan Hale Magnet Middle School in the Omaha Public Schools. Her curriculum was broad–gram mar, close reading skills, individual and small group speech–and her classes full, but she lov ed the work.
“I had been wanting to be a teacher for so long, and when I was finally there with the students in the seats, it felt like everything was coming together and I was re ally happy.”
Nine years later, Workman was burned out, both professionally and mentally. Leaving the only job she ever wanted was the most difficult decision of her life.
“Over time, I started to feel demoralized,” she said. “It increased as the years went on. I value education so much, so as I was constantly working so hard to give my best to my students, [but] it was always at the expense of my own life and my ow n wellness.”
After a brief hiatus, Workman is back in teaching, sort of. She’s an academic man ager in an after-school program.
Chelsea Ewart lasted five years in the class room. She was an elementary teacher in Nebraska and Missouri before resigning at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Fleeting attempts to find a healthy worklife balance and a lack of administrative support became too much for her.
“As a teacher, you can work 12-hour days and there’s still something to do,” Ewart said. “For me, it was about learning to set boundaries. And it’s difficult to feel supported in setting boundaries when you know you’re a good teacher and have kids learning without working too many hours outside your contract. It just felt more and more as if I wasn’t doing that, I wasn’t put ting enough into my job. It’s overwhelming.”
Workman and Ewart’s struggles–and their decision to leave teaching–are just two of the stories that has education at an existen tial crossroads. Their stories are certainly not isolated.
Teachers are leaving the profession at unprecedented numbers, and enrollment of undergrad teaching majors across all paths is shrinking. Sara Tiedeman, Associate Vice President of Online Development at Midland University and the school’s former head of the College of Education, said the number of students entering teacher education programs has dropped by onethird since 2010.
There were 10.6 million teachers in the U.S. in January 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Today, that number has dipped below 10 million. Among the Omaha metro’s 12 public school districts, resignations and retirements are up 50 to 70 percent.
Teacher morale has also taken a hit. The National Education Association’s annual survey showed more than half of all teach ers polled said they are considering leaving the profession earlier than planned. The same data suggested half of new teachers will leave the profession within five years.
The Nebraska State Education Association, which represents nearly 30,000 public school teachers, recently published its own survey showing more than 60 percent of the respondents cited higher stress and mental health concerns than the pr evious year.
The range of existential–and otherwise–threats to education suggest a complex paradigm-shifting narrative. An inciting incident. Like a pandemic. However, teach ers, and much of the data, contradict that assumption. Of the half dozen current and former teachers interviewed for this story, most concede the pandemic didn’t help an already difficult job, nor their ability to do it. But most of these issues, they all said, were manifest long before March 2020.
“It feels like it was like this before COVID, but the stress of COVID did show us how much was wrong,” said Kristen Husen, who taught for nine years at the Alpha School, a Level III alternative school in Omaha, before accepting a position in the Bellevue Public Schools this year.
The stress of online teaching and the educa tional gap brought on by the shutdowns, in addition to the chronic absenteeism of both staff and students, did factor, she admits, but it was just a tipping point.
“When we came back (to the classroom), I think we just noticed how much more prev alent it was. We are a lot of kid s’ parents.”
Working conditions that aren’t getting any better, a lack of emphasis on personal wellness, overflowing class sizes, student behavior, staff absences, and fractured rela tionships with administrators were all cited as issues they faced as teachers. Low pay was not a m ajor factor.
Husen pulled no punches. It was the lack of administrative support that led directly to her resignation. She can only recall an administrator visiting her classroom “once or twice” the entirety of the last school year.
“It was always for an evaluation or just watching you teach,” she said. “I don’t need that. I just needed them to come in and see what I do every day, or if there was a student struggling, come in and observe and come up with ideas how to best serve th at student.”
She said she often felt ignored when she presented her issues or made policy sugges tions. Both Workman and Ewart shared similar fr ustrations.
All three described the daily grind of teaching in the current climate in terms of survival mode. Long hours coupled with pressure to fill in for missing staff or unfilled positions added to workloads and fundamentally changed the job. Staving off burnout was a constant challenge.
Ewart didn’t feel heard outside her classroom. When a student’s needs exceeded what she could provide in her classroom, despite her knowing what would best serve that student, she was often cut out of a vital educ ation loop.
“The moment I sent a kid out of my class room (for behavioral needs), I no longer had control over that behavior, or discipline or consequence. I had no control over any of that. The student was just out of my room.”
A breaking point for her was realizing not every administrator had the capacity to fully support students’ behavior needs in or out of the classroom.
“I’m with them eight hours a day,” Ewart went on. “I know them. I’m better off talking to them and working with them and figuring out a plan than sending them off and them coming back with a piece of candy or whatever.”
Ewart has since found her way back into education and what she called a “better fit.” She’s an instructor at the Uta Halee Academy, providing education and voca tional training to 14- to 18-year-old girls impacted by abuse, neglect, trauma, sub stance abuse, mental illness, a nd violence.
“What I have now, that I don’t feel I had before, was trust,” she said. “You’re hired as a professional. Here’s the job description you are expected to do, and I personally prefer to go beyond those expectations, but they don’t care what time I leave at the end of the day.”
People don’t leave bad jobs; they leave b ad managers.
That adage has always stuck with Dr. Andrea Haynes, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and District Operations at the Westside Community Scho ol District.
“We need to stop normalizing the burnout,” Haynes said. “We need to start supporting tea chers more.”
For Haynes, that support starts with heal ing the divide felt by teachers and their administrative teams and with the parents who send their children to their classroom every day. It continues with targeted efforts to improve self-care and the novel concept of allowing teacher s to teach.
When Westside began asking the questions of how the district could better support its teachers, the answers they most often heard, according to Haynes, revolved arou nd wellness.
“During the pandemic we saw a lot of #SelfCare, but no one really provided any additional self-care, we just talked about it,” she said. “So, what does it look like to provide better wellness for staff?”
At Westside, it will look like is financial reimbursement plan covering the cost of wellness and self-care efforts. The district is also considering a “years of service” pay recognition scale for long-servi ng teachers.
“It goes to loyalty,” Haynes said. “They want to feel valued and connected to the district. When we talk about retention, it’s that. How can we create a culture where individuals feel seen, heard, valued and connected? In Westside, our superintendent, Dr. (Mike) Lucas calls that ‘Belonging.’ If all of our staff feel like they belong–seen, heard and valued–they’ll stay. That’s what we lead with. We need to enhance belonging.”
Retaining staff is one side of that coin. Recruiting new staff i s the other.
Nearly every school district locally and nationally has stepped up its hiring and retention pipelines, many offering hiring bonuses or incentives. In June, OPS announced it would be offering new and current full-time staff a stipend of $4,500.
But the funds for the stipends backed by Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relied (ESSER) and American Rescue Plan Act are short-term fixes. The money evaporates with the fe deral funds.
Westside isn’t waiting for the teacher pipeline to re-load itself. The district’s “Growing Our Own” initiative was launched in May as a collaboration with Millard Public Schools, Papillion Public Schools, the Nelson Mandela School, and higher education partner, Midland University. The pilot program offers paraprofessionals or education assistants a pathway to being teachers–on their home distr ict’s dime.
Growing Our Own’s first cohort of 16 par ticipants began classes in May. Most took nine to 12 credit hours over the summer toward their teaching degrees. Since each participant comes to the program with varying levels of college experience, just how long each will take to complete their degre e will vary.
“That will enable us to have individuals graduating within 24 months,” Haynes said. “That’s the goal. We’ll really need teachers in two years for sure. But do you know when we really need teachers ? Tomorrow.”
The program is free of charge to the partic ipants with the understanding when they graduate, they will apply first with their partner district.
Haynes said Westside is already looking at ways to develop programming for edu cational assistants that do not have any college credit to give them a s imilar path.
“We want to diversify the pipeline of teach ers in Westside and in Omaha,” she said. “We don’t want the criteria that you have to have some college credit keep out diverse individuals from multiple diverse back grounds to serve as a barrier for individuals to join t he program.”
continued on pg.60
The National Education Association’s annual survey showed more than half of all teachers polled said they are considering leaving the profession earlier than planned. The same data suggested half of new teachers will leave the profession within five years.
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Aquartet of D notes, followed by C, a B-flat, and two more D’s dips into an F, up to an A, and down for a pair of G’s. This sequence fills the opening moments of video recorded in the lobby of Omaha’s Majestic Theater on November 3, 2018. Awestruck moviegoers were filmed slowly entering the theater, their numbers swelling with the music. Transcribed into verse, the notes read: “Mama…life had ju st begun…”
Behind the purling keys of a grand piano sits Luke Eckles. His skill, focus, and showman ship are on full display as thousands more will see after the video’s upload to viral media outlet, NowThis News. As the rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” waxes and wanes over widening eyes, the video frame reveals a puzzling vacancy: the shelf.
Queen’s progressive, six-part suite intro, ballad, solo, opera, interlude, and coda is being performed, con brio, sans sheet music. Guided by memory alone, Eckles reaches the final, lingering keys; their plaintive toll quickly devoured by roaring applause. The then 14-year-old takes a bow.
“I got Luke when he was probably in first grade, 6-years-old, little bitty thing,” recalled Cindy Wrenn, who’s offered private piano lessons for 18 of the 25 years she’s performed secre tarial duties at Grace Abbott Elementary. “He had already taught himself to play with one finger, and he would peck out the ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ or ‘There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly.’ He really loved that one!”
“I thought to myself, ‘boy, do we have a lot of work to do with that fingering,’ but it was an easy switch-over for him,” she said. “He was just driven, you know? He was always self-motivated.”
Under Wrenn’s weekly tutelage, Eckles made tickling the ivories the cornerstone of his life’s ambition, one he’s continued building upon with tireless enthusiasm. While the burgeoning pianist possesses the foresight and the towering ability to peak over the horizon, his gratitude for Wrenn’s seven years of support remains down-to-earth.
“Cindy helped me scope the meaning behind the music I was playing,” Eckles affirmed. “We would go in-depth about, not just what I was playing, but why? Why this note was here instead of here, why this chord resolved to this chord she really helped me understand these musical patterns that’ve built up to the music I’m playing now.”
“I could tell he had the gift,” Wrenn said, “and then after a point, it became obvious, he became better than the teacher.”
“He plays everything by memory. Everything. It’s amazing, he doesn’t use sheet music,” she replied when pressed on the quality of his talent. “His [memorized] repertoire is immense, just fabulous…I would consider him a prodigy.”
Wrenn, and Eckles’ mother, Tracy, initially encouraged him to pursue more advanced private tutorship through middle and high school. But the preteen decided to shelve the strict legacy of classical training, if only temporarily, for something more flexible or, at the very least, more colorful.
“Between the ages of 12 and 17 I was com pletely on my own,” Eckles said. “So I started learning covers of popular classic rock songs and pop songs, which started getting me these corporate gigs a round town.”
After his breakout performance at the Majestic, Eckles began playing the lobby regularly. Tips, and more lucrative still, business cards, filled a bowl set out by bartenders working the theater’s Take Five Lounge.
“Champion’s Run hired me to play a lot, their Christmas events,” he continued, “and another notable one, Berkshire Hathaway, has a corporate party for Christmas and they’d usually book me for that. The American Heart Association, their Heart Ball, I was one of the main musicians for that, too.”
“Really, it just kind of spanned out from the theater [performances],” he said.
Viral fame, high-profile events, not having to buy denim pre-ripped because the money’s already burnt holes in his pockets (having a bit of fun there), and all by virtue of free wheeling musical talent. Throw in a drop-top Camaro or maybe it’s a Playstation 5 these days and the teenage fever dream is realized in glorious technicolor.
Yet, as Eckles’ senior year at Millard North High School drew to a close, college beck oned, and so too the old, familiar notes of Bach, Beethoven, and Dubois.
“Yeah, the college admission process, that’s pretty much exclusively classical music,” Eckles said. “I had to take the time basi cally my whole senior year to learn the classical style, and I did that pretty all from sheet music books. By May or so, I had a full 45-minute classical recital, and I had it memorized.”
Now, in his freshman year at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, double majoring in piano performance and mathematics, he embodies a synaptic crossfire that’s peppered history with musical triumph time and again.
“If your brain has the ability to instantly rec ognize patterns, the correlations between different things, that will benefit you, both in the spheres of music and math,” he noted. “But the people I’m going to be learning from, just going to college, it’s going to open up a whole new lens.”
For now, the college freshman maintains a grounded perspective toward his career after graduation.
“Overall, I’m just going to be happy if I’m playing piano somewhere and making a stable income, though I would love to play in a Broadway pit orchestr a,” he said.
Despite his open-ended ambitions, Eckles doesn’t intend to go “anywhere the wind blows.” Rather, it’s anywhere his pa ssion grows.
“You really, just, got to give it your all if you’re passionate about it. Don’t let society tell you, ‘oh you have to do this,’” he urged. “Everybody says it’s a cliche at this point, but it’s a true one…”
“Find what you like, a nd do it.”
Visit YouTube to watch Eckles' "Bohemian Rhapsody" performance.
“Overall, I’m just going to be happy if I’m playing piano somewhere and making a stable income, though I would love to play in a Broadway pit orchestra.”
-Luke Eckles
sk Chancellor Dr. Joanne Li about her plans to lead the University of Nebraska at Omaha into the future and she’s a tour de force, rattling off ambitious goals and the strategies needed to reach them. Ask her how the University must change to meet the demands of the modern-day college student and she’s equally at the ready, detailing opportunities and challenges w ith ease.
Ask her what it feels like to make history and you’re met with a brief, awkward silence. It’s not that she’s unaware that she’s the first Asian American executive and the first woman of color to serve as chan cellor at UNO, she just doesn’t see why it’s such a big deal.
Or at least, she didn’t before a chance encounter on campus following her confirmation as chancellor l ast spring.
“Honestly, I don’t feel any different. On a given day, work has to be done and I just feel very fortunate to be able to serve alongside a lot of great people in this community,” she said. “But I remember one encounter I had when I first came here last June. I met this young lady, and if I remember correctly, she was of Vietnamese descent. She was so overwhelmed with joy, she just choked up in tears to see an Asian woman in t his role.”
Li continued, “I think through her eyes I understood. And I now have a profound appreciation of how, even though I don’t think of myself as a big deal making history, I understand the significance to many constituencies. If it just happened that I represent that, I am proud t o be that.”
Whatever significance Li’s gender or ethnicity may carry, it’s merely icing on a multi-layered professional cake, having served with distinction in leadership roles over 15 years in higher education. She started as an associate professor in the Sellinger School of Business at Loyola University of Maryland, then chaired the Department of Finance at Towson University.
From there, she served as dean and professor of finance at Wright State University in Ohio before taking over as dean of the College of Business at Florida International University, where she boosted graduation rates and vastly improved faculty diversity. None of which is lost on University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter.
“We went out on a national search and had an incredible response,” he said. “A lot of people saw the value of a metropolitan campus. We had well over 60 qualified candi dates and it was very difficult to narrow that search down.
“When we came out with one priority candidate, I was personally involved in the interviews and had not met Dr. Li prior to the interview process. I was blown away. She’s got just the right energy, the right talent, the right life story. I immediately saw her as a natural leader in the acade mic space.”
Given all that, it doesn’t take much to see why UNO was eager to hire Li. But with her lack of connection to the area, it begs the question: what stood out to Li about UNO?
“What really caught my attention was, being a finance professor, I know Omaha is a very special place,” she said. “It has Fortune 500 companies, it has Fortune 1000 companies, it has Berkshire Hathaway. It’s Warren Buffett’s town, it’s Walter Scott’s town. That’s number one. I’m a fina nce person.
“But what really caught my eye about UNO is, I really do believe higher education is and will be defined by urbanization. An urban university is a fountain of knowledge, and in close proximity to a bigger population we’re able to create a fountain of new discoveries and innovations. Going forward as an urban university, we can create pedagogy and learning modalities that can influence other parts of the state or out-of-state or even intern ationally.”
Li comes to the role at a time when the higher education landscape is shifting underfoot. Changing student demands and wider online learning options are completely redefining the so-called “tradi tional college student.” Students are also expecting more for their tuit ion dollar.
“More university students are not following the traditional route,” she said. “They have family obligations. They’re just taking classes part time, they cannot take full time, but they still expect to optimize the experience not in five years, not in six years, but maybe four and a half years.
“So, learning through higher ed institutions is changing. Our job is no longer, as an urban university, just to prepare people pursuing a degree, but to get into the marketplace. It’s what I call stackable knowledge, and the stackable degree is one space where UNO is going to g o forward.”
Li’s vision for such learning is revolutionary in its hyperfocus and short classroom time. Curriculums that used to span 16 weeks have been condensed into three or four by targeting very specific elements to meet very specif ic demands.
“It may not be the whole curriculum within the school; maybe just two elements or maybe an element very specific to an employer or very specific for the candidate to re-skill and up-skill,” Li said. “Going forward, UNO cannot just think we’re going to produce a degree candidate. We should think about how we can retain the current workforce that’s already in Omaha, who intend to stay in Nebraska. What can we do to continue to provide a sustainable career path for these people?
“OUR GOAL FOR THE FUTURE IS TO EXPLORE CREDENTIALING, MICRO-CREDENTIALING, CERTIFICATION, AND AREAS WE THINK CAN BE STACKABLE KNOWLEDGE FOR CANDIDATES. THAT IS REALLY VERY ATTRACTIVE.” -Chancellor Dr. Joanne Li
“Our goal for the future is to explore cre dentialing, micro-credentialing, certifica tion, and areas we think can be stackable knowledge for candidates. That is really very a ttractive.”
Above all, Li relates to the potential an urban campus such as UNO has for pro moting a diverse student body. At the same time, she recognizes the range of dispari ties that come with it. A native of Hong Kong, Li is a first-generation college stu dent who well remembers arriving in the United States and having to borrow $600 from a friend to pay for her first semester of communit y college.
Whatever formal education her subsequent coursework taught her from graduating summa cum laude with a finance degree in 1992 to earning her doctorate in 1997 (both from Florida State University) it’s these real-life lessons that stick with her the most.
“As a first-generation college student, as someone who relied all through my aca demic career on scholarships, I recognize the issues of underserved communities,” she said. “That’s one of the things that I relate to very much with UNO, because we do serve a high percentage of students who require a lot of help to finish thei r journey.
“When a university arrives at a certain thresh old, it has a responsibility to scale the reach of higher ed, meaning reaching into areas, communities, and populations that in the past may not have had easy access, whether because of affordability or geography or modality. I really think we will be able to reach into those communities by using tech nology or by thinking differently about ped agogy. I do believe UNO has the potential to do that for the community.”
She pause s a moment.
“I feel like someone gave that to me and I’d like to pass it forward to some other family. I see the impact UNO can have if we do thin gs right.”
Visit unomaha.edu/about-un o/chancellor
A202-acre park with a stairway to hell. High school halls that are never quite empty even when there are no students or teachers in sight. Bars with both booze and boos.
Omaha, with its idyllic Midwestern way of life, isn’t usually the first place that comes to mind when thinking of haunted America. This isn’t the home of American voodoo like New Orleans, and the Omaha metro doesn’t have a bewitching past like Salem. Yet, decades of supernatural stories haunt the city’s past.
“Omaha is pretty high on the list of most haunted Midwest cities,” said Brian J. Corey, host of the Necronomicast podcast, which discusses horror movies, true crime, and all things that go bump in the night. “We’re such a melting pot in a lot of ways. When you go through the cemeteries that date back to the 1800s, you’ll see a mixture of different heritages and stories. That history formu late s folklore.”
In anticipation of Halloween, here are Omaha tales for those looking for a scare. Readers, beware.
There can’t be a discussion of haunted Omaha without mention of Hummel Park. Located just 15 minutes north of downtown, this heav ily wooded area is known as more than just a place to catch a good hike. With its steep hills, winding dirt roads, and deep ravines, Hummel would make the perfect setting for the next Friday the 13th.
“The scariest places for me in Omaha are the outdoor haunts…places like Hummel,” Corey said.
For decades, urban legends have surrounded Hummel, including everything from appa ritions and animal sacrifices to satanic cults and the sounds of drums at night. Most of it can be likely credited to overactive imag inations but a dark history exists here, too.
Back in 2005, 12-year-old Amber Harris disappeared after getting off her school bus. Six months later, her remains were found inside the park. But crimes in Hummel date back to 1933, when a radio repairman was murdered there. Tragedy struck again in 1983, when sex worker’s body was found just outside the park, and again in 1992, when a high school student was kidnapped and murde red inside.
Then there’s the matter of the morphing stairs.
On one side of the park is a staircase roughly 200 steps long. However, many who count them will get a different number going up than they do down.
Visitors–both living and dead–watch your step.
As the oldest active high school in the city, downtown Central High’s history is both esteemed and eerie. The grand building standing today was built in 1900. Before it, at the same site, was the Nebraska territo ry capitol.
Today, Central’s halls are said to be haunted by a school custodian and former dean of students. A shadowy entity has been known to wave at the living through the dean of student’s office, and sounds of sweeping in the main hall have been heard by witnesses.
There have also been reports of unexplained cold spots and a disembodied voice that says, “I know you’re all here.” Both rumored apparitions are believed to be as friendly as Casper and just keeping an eye on the place from beyond the grave.
“One thing I try to impart is we don’t know what ghosts really are, so to automatically assume they are scary or evil is a stretch for me,” Corey said. “A spirit might just enjoy being around or be residual emotional energy from the past.”
Drunken 19-year-olds using fakes. Sticky, beer-soaked floors. Shots of Fireball.
There are plenty of scary sights at the bars around Omaha but none quite like the spec ters found at the Monster Club and Brother Sebastian’s Restaurant and Winery.
Located in the Old Market, the hor ror-themed Monster Club contains spook ier sights than the life-sized replicas of Pennywise and Frankenstein that greet visitors at the door. In October 2015, while the bar was still O’Connor’s Irish Pub, the paranormal group PRISM conducted an investigation after one of the owners wit nessed a 1920s-dressed apparition.
When the team asked for any spirit who was present to make themselves known, the bar lights mysteriously turned on.
While we don’t know if that means some ghosts are scared of the dark, the haunting of Brother Sebastian’s leaves little room for mystery. Everyone recognizes the ghost who calls this watering hole home it’s former regular Bill Wolcott, always appearing is his favorite tweed smoking jacket and ascot.
Staff and patrons both have reported seeing him, even after his death. The smell of cigars sometimes waf ts with him.
“Sights, smells, scares–maybe that’s how ghosts reach out and communicate with us,” Corey said. “One thing that unites us as humans is we’ve always wondered what the afterlife is. Sharing ghost stories is important because it’s part of our shared traditions.”
For more haunted tales, join Corey at the Benson Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 8, as he hosts Historic Haunted Heartland. He and three paranormal experts John E. L. Tenney, Johnny Houser, and Jamie Nestroyl will be celebrating and sharing true haunted tales in Omaha and the Midwest.
of
J. Corey
When Kris Karnes was elected to the Westside Community Schools’ board of education in 2016, she was enjoying a successful career with the Kutak Rock law firm. She had also recently been a visiting assistant professor at Creighton University School of Law, her alma mater. She and her husband, David Karnes, a fellow attorney and business executive who had also served Nebraska in the U.S. Senate, were raising two young daughters and active in the community.
In October 2020, Karnes lost her husband of 12 years to cancer. Heartbroken, she found refuge in her work lead ing to a new career in 2021 as senior director of business owner advisory services for First National Bank of Omaha. She describes her role as providing a unique service for clients “who want to plan for an eventual transition but are not quite sure where to start.”
“I have experienced how challenging it can be to navigate grief while also making difficult business decisions. I wanted to change my focus away from practicing law and use that experience in a way that I thought could help business owners and their families be prepared for either an anticipated or an unexpected exit from their busi ness , she said.
"I was fortunate that FNBO was form ing a group to help customers address those very issues. It gave me a unique opportunity to change from repre senting businesses in a legal capacity to now helping the families behind the businesses. So, while I’m no longer practicing law, I still get to use that knowledge in a nontraditional manner. It’s very rewarding. There’s a real need.”
Planning Board and Nebraska Humane Society board, and serving the Salvation Army Omaha’s advisory board and the Omaha Children’s Mus eum’s board.
She’s also involved with Kicks for the Cure, a fundraiser for a cancer research fund called Liz’s Legacy formed by David Karnes in honor of his first wife, Elizabeth, who died of cancer in 2003. Because David also died of cancer, the cause is especially important to the Karnes family, including David and Elizabeth Karnes’s four adult daughters, who remain close to Kris Karnes and their ha lf-sisters.
Creighton Law school brought Kris Karnes to Omaha, but she’s embraced the “fantastic community” ever since.
“It was important to me to be in an environment where I could get involved, Omaha was the best of both worlds: a city with the feeling of a small town,” she said.
Karnes approaches her board service with the same diligence she does her career. Omaha City Planning Department Director David Fanslau called her “honest, intelligent, respect ful and a good communicator.”
“I’ve known Kris for a long time and her commitment to the Omaha Planning Board is a microcosm of her overall dedication to our community,” he said, praising Karnes for her preparedness and attention to detail.
Her work also reflects Karnes’ deep roots in community ser vice beginning in her south-central Nebraska hometown of Hildreth. Her mother was a trust officer in a bank, and her father owned real estate and insurance businesses. He also served on the local school board and as county supervisor.
“They were really involved in the community,” Karnes said. “Having grown up in a small town, I saw everyone pitching in to make sure our schools and our community thrived. I feel like I have the responsibility to continue those effort s in Omaha.”
Karnes was recently elected to her second term on the Westside board of education, where she also serves as secre tary. She is chair of the Omaha Airport Authority board and a member of the Scottish Rite Foundation of Omaha board. Her past service includes leadership positions with the Omaha
Karnes said she strives to be “ethical, fair, and caring,” and that her commu nity service has “given me the opportu nity to learn more about my community and some of the chal lenges we face. It’s taught me how very successful organizations are run. Over the last couple of years, in particular, I’ve learned how to face tough criticism and work to find common ground.”
She said she also strives to be a positive role model for her two daughters, now 11 and 9 years old.
“My husband was a great dad who spent a lot of time with our daughters, and I’ve had to try to fill both of those parental roles for them," Karnes said. "As a sole parent, there are times I really need to be there for my kids, and that’s probably nonnegotiable for me. Luckily, I work for a company that shares my values and supports me.
"I’m glad my daughters get to see their mom work a job she loves and try to make the communit y better.”
Visit fnbo.com/commercial-team/karnes-kris for more information.
PROFILE // STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREKFrom boardroom to school board, Kris Karnes helps her fellow Omahans navigate the tough choices
“
It was important to me to be in an environment where I could get involved. Omaha was the best of both worlds: a city with the feeling of a small town.
”
Compared to the summer of 2013, when record crowds flocked to the first U.S. Senior Open golf championship at Omaha Country Club, the USGA tournament’s return in 2021 seemed rather subdued. Restricted numbers of attendees, volunteers, and social dis tancing due to the COVID pandemic all contributed to an atmosphere of quiet and restraint…even for golf.
But that didn’t stop Charlie Zielinski, a burgeoning Creighton University golfer, from absorbing the experience of a big-time, nationally televised golf championship as a caddy on his favorite golf course. A member of the OCC summer caddy program, Zielinski was “on the bag” for Buck Brittain, a district court judge who moonlights as an upper-tier ama teur golfer from the heart of scenic Appalachia in Tazewel l, Virginia.
Brittain missed the cut in the fourround championship for golfers age 50 and over, shooting a 12-over par 152 total (78 first round, 74 second round) on the par 70 course. Nevertheless, Zielinski was still thrilled to be in the presence of golfers he idolized.
“I saw every single famous golfer who was there. It was just unbelievable,” he said. “Before that, I had only seen them on TV. I was right next to them, so it was r eally cool.”
Now Zielinski is taking his own game to a diff erent level.
Capping his sophomore season in the spring of 2022 with the Creighton Bluejays, Zielinski finished third in the Big East Tournament on the Mountain View course at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mounta in, Georgia.
“That’s where he really started making a name for himself,” said Bluejays men’s golf coach Judd Cornell, who was hired before the 2019-20 season, just before Zielinski stepped on campus as a freshman from Skutt High School.
“He’s probably going to be the favor ite for the Big East Player of the Year,” C ornell said.
The following summer, Zielinski cap italized on that momentum, earning a spot in the field for the USGA’s U.S. Amateur Championship in Paramus, New Jersey. Even though he was runner-up to Elkhorn native Luke Gutschewski in a qualifying round at Beatrice Country Club, he was on his way to the big leagues. Later in July, Zielinski finish fourth in the Nebraska Amateur Championship, won by Shaun Campbell, a New Zealander, and fellow Bluejays teammate after his transfer from the Universit y of Kansas.
While preparing for the U.S. Amateur, Zielinski shot a course record 60 at The Players Club in Omaha, a course designed by golf legend, Arnold Palmer.
“He continues to improve as he understands the game better and as he gets more consistent with his fun damentals,” said Tom Sieckmann, Zielinski’s swing instructor at OCC since the summer between his soph omore and junior years at Skutt. “He’s been one of those guys that even this year, has seen a nice little jump in a lot of parts i n his game.”
Zielinski traces his love of the game to when he started hitting balls at Ashland Golf Club, where his parents were members in his early childhood.
“Every time I go out there, I would just love it,” he said. “Even though I didn’t know what I was doing, I would just go tee it up and hit a ball.”
As much as he loves to play the game, Zielinski’s performance as of late has exceeded even his own e xpectations.
“There’s always that doubt when you’re getting to go play at a college,” he said. “Will I ever get to play? Am I good enough compared to these other guys?”
Zielinski was better able to answer his own creeping doubts in the fall of 2020 his first semester at Creighton when he was only able to practice with his teammates because the fall competition schedule was wiped out that year by t he pandemic.
Once settled in, Zielinski remem bered thinking, “‘Okay, I got this. I’m going to be up there. I’m going to be playing.’ Sure enough, the next spring when we had a season, I played all six of our events.”
As an accounting major at Creighton, Zielinski said the balance between schoolwork and the demands of col lege competition has be en delicate.
“The travel can get long; eight-hour drives and flights where you change time zones twice,” he said. “The courses we play are usually a prac tice round on Sunday, 36 holes on Monday, 18 on Tuesday, then you fly back. It just happens so fast… and the 36 holes on Monday drag s you down.”
He added, “It’s hard to score well in college. It’s all about keeping your energy up, keeping your hopes up, and that’s where a lot of people tend t o struggle.”
By successfully walking the tight rope of a student-athlete, Zielinski has a chance to become the best men’s golfer in Creighton Bluejay history. And if he doesn’t make it as a pro golfer, he’ll always have that account ing degree to fal l back on!
Visit gocreighton.com/sports/mens-golf to follow the Creighton schedule an d golf news.
“It’s hard to score well in college. It’s all about keeping your energy up, keeping your hopes up, and that’s where a lot of people tend to struggle.” - Charlie Zielinski
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented change in the U.S. labor market. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, in November 2021, one in five working Americans quit their jobs – a 20 -year high.
According to a recent Pew Research Center study, of the people surveyed who quit their jobs last year and are now working with new employers, the majority found what they were looking for better pay and opportunities for upward mobility, better child care and insurance benefits or a more flexible work environment.
The time to pursue something new has never been better. Metropolitan Community College provides a full continuum of credit and noncredit programs and courses that meet the needs of students and workers of all ages and career stages, as well as employers of all types.
From our accredited degree, career training and certification courses to lifelong education and engagement opportunities offered through MCC Continuing Education programs and our signature College for Teens and College for Kids offerings, the College meets the needs of our community with relevant programs offered at incredible value ($68 per credit hour) along every step of the educational journey.
And more savings are available to all Nebraska students this fall. In collaboration with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and the Nebraska Career Scholarships Program, MCC will provide nearly $1 million in scholarships to students pursing degrees of study that lead to H3 jobs high-wage, high-skill and highdemand careers. Eligible MCC students may be awarded up $5,000 a year for up to t hree years.
MCC has also invested in growing its facilities in alignment with the local workforce and our neighbors. Over the past year, the College opened the Automotive Training Center and Center for Advanced Manufacturing on the South Omaha Campus; the Rapid IT Employment Academy at its new IT Express location in north downtown; and Digital Express, a digital library open to the public on the Fort Omaha Campus.
Whether your goal is to earn a certification, complete an associate degree or learn a new skill, MCC provides the resources and support to fuel your path forward to success.
For more information about our programs of study, course offerings or locations serving a four-county area, call 531-MCC-2400 or visit mccneb.edu.
Hoops are a common theme in Josh Turek's life. There are the two bolted to each end of the basketball court, and there are the two bolted to each side of the wheelchair he uses to move between them. There's also the pair draped around his neck: two Paralympic gold medals, each reflecting years of struggle, determination, and ultimately, glory. In life, as in sport, Josh has never hesitated to round the next corner–and for that, he’s emerged a champion.
Reflecting on his basketball career while taking in his pic turesque view of the Missouri River out the window of his Council Bluffs home, Josh said he feels immensely proud of what he's achieved. It was only last year when he retired from professional sports after having been part of the USA wheelchair basketball team that won back-to-back golds at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo (held in 2021).
He recalls saying to his teammates, “‘You know what? Such few athletes get to choose their finish line. This is definitely it for me. This is the perfect way to stop. I’ve got a gold medal around my neck. I’ve got USA across my chest. I’ve got the stars and stripes around my shoulders.’”
Diagnosed as a child with spina bifida, which affects nerves and the spinal cord, Josh faced major physical challenges; yet his love of basektball drove him to develop his skills and outwork the competition.
During his college days at Southwest Minnesota State University, he wanted to take his wheelchair basketball talents as far as possible, but no one foresaw a 20-year professional career in the sport. Not even his younger siblings, John Turek and Elisha Hartzell, who also played professional basketba ll overseas.
“Josh was the first to go play professionally and the last, so he beat everyone,” his sister Elisha said with a laugh.
Some of Josh’s most enjoyable years came when he played in close proximity to each of his siblings in separate seasons. While prepping for the 2016 Paralympics, Josh tuned up his game in France the same year John was there. Several years earlier, Elisha got a first-hand look at Josh’s lifestyle when both she and her brother played in Spain.
When reflecting on her brother’s 20-year career, she said, “To do that for so many years [being] so strict with his diet, his workouts, and all that, that’s what blows my mind, because mentally most people couldn’t do that.”
“I’ve always been kind of an extremist with everything,” Josh said. “If I’m going to do something, I’m all the way in or I’m all t he way out.”
continued on pg.59
Paralympian Josh Turek's passion for basketball gave him a life traveling the globe, repping the U.S.
“Such few athletes get to choose their finish line. This is definitely it for me. This is the perfect way to stop. I've got a gold medal around my neck. I've got USA across my chest. I've got the stars and stripes around my shoulders.” -Josh Turek
This list is excerpted from the 2022 topDentists™ list, a database which includes listings for over 110 dentists and specialists in the Omaha Metro Area. The Omaha list is based on thousands of detailed evaluations of dentists and professionals by their peers. The complete database is available at www.usatopdentists.com. For more information call 706-364-0853; write PO Box 970, Augusta, GA 30903 ; email help @usatopdentists.com or visit usatopd e ntists.com.
THOMAS J. BEESON Parra Family Dentistry
TOBIN N. DRAKE Endodontic Associates
JACOB L. FIMPLE Advanced Endodontic Therapy
PATRICK K. HAFFEY Nebraska Micro-Endodontics
MICHAEL S. HERMSEN Heartland Endodontic Specialists
JOSE L. IBARROLA Creighton University School of Dentistry
SUNG WOO KANG Advanced Endodontic Therapy
“If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer them to?”
This is the question we’ve asked thousands of dentists to help us determine who the topDentists should be. Dentists and specialists are asked to take into consideration years of experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies and of course physical results.
The nomination pool of dentists consists of dentists listed online with the American Dental Association, as well as all dentists listed online with their local dental societies, thus allowing virtually every dentist the opportunity to participate. Dentists are also given the opportunity to nominate other dentists that they feel should be included in our list. Respondents are asked to put aside any personal bias or political motivations and to use only their knowledge of their peer’s work when evaluating the other nominees.
Voters are asked to individually evaluate the practitioners on their ballot whose work they are familiar with. Once the balloting is completed, the scores are compiled and then averaged. The numerical average required for inclusion varies depending on the average for all the nominees within the specialty and the geographic area. Borderline cases are given careful consideration by the editors. Voting characteristics and comments are taken into consideration while making decisions. Past awards a dentist has received as well as status in various dental academies can factor into our decisions.
Once the decisions have been finalized, the included dentists are checked against state dental boards for disciplinary actions to make sure they have an active license and are in good standing with the board. Then letters of congratulations are sent to all the listed dentists.
Of course there are many fine dentists who are not included in this representative list. It is intended as a sampling of the great body of talent in the field of dentistry in the United States. A dentist’s inclusion on our list is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow dentists. While it is true that the lists may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, we remain confident that our polling methodology largely corrects for any biases and that these lists continue to represent the most reliable, accurate, and useful list of dentists available anywhere.
This list is excerpted from the 2022 topDentists™ list, which includes listings for more than 110 dentists and specialists in the Omaha Metropolitan area. For more information call: 706-364-0853 or email: help@usatopdentists.com or visit: www.usatopdentists.com topDentists has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. Copyright 2010-2022 by topDentists, LLC of Augusta, GA. All rights reserved. This list, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without permission of topDentists. No fees may be charged, directly or indirectly, for the use of the information in this list without permission.
COREY K. KARIMJEE Midwest Endodontics
CACI I. LIEBENTRITT New Wave Endodontics
DAVID A. MAIXNER Midwest Endodontics
STEPHEN P. PRYOR Endodontic Specialists
CHRISTOPHER J. REDD Heartland Endodontic Specialists
FRANK S. SLEDER, SR. Creighton University School of Dentistry
ANTHONY R. BOLAMPERTI Omaha Laser Dentistry
THEODORE J. BOLAMPERTI Omaha Dentistry
JARED D. BOLDING Bolding Dentistry
THOMAS J. BOLT TJ Bolt, DDS
T. PAT BURCHFIEL Burchfiel Dental
BRAD W. CARSON Pacific Village Dental
JEFFRY F. CHEREK
Cherek Family Dentistry
RALPH M. CORPUZ
Corpuz Family Dentistry
MICHAEL C. DANAHAY
Dental Innovations
KATHERINE L. DEFORD
DeFord Family Dental
J. R. DEMMAN
The Dentists at Dundee
JEFFREY D. DWORAK
Capehart Family Dentistry
CHRIS P. FOIX
Shadow Lake Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
MARK C. FRILL
Portal Ridge Dental
EUGENE M. GASPARD
Family Dentistry Bellevue
GREGORY A. HAVELKA Havelka & McClellan Dentistry
MICHAEL J. HOOVER Hoover Dental
MICAH JEPPESEN Your Family Dentist
TERRY F. LANPHIER Creighton University School of Dentistry
KIRSTIN T. MCCARVILLE Creighton University School of Dentistry
Village Pointe Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center is a privately run business, so not only are its patients supporting the local business community, they’re treated like family, said oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Michael Shnayder.
“We focus on quality, from the materials we use to everything else; as a local, non corporate business we have that personal approach,” he mentioned proudly.
The growing practice, which serves patients of all ages, provides a full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery, ranging from dental implant surgery and wisdom tooth removal to facial trauma and oral pathology. This includes techniques that rebuild bone struc ture with minimal surgical intervention and optimal patient comfort. Other state-of-theart technology and procedures include live navigation for implant placement.
“It’s an amazing technology that’s a huge advancement over how we used to do implants,” Dr. Shnayder said. “It’s very precise.” The prac tice was the first in nebraska to utilize live navigation technology. Village Pointe Oral Surgery also has the latest generation of CT machines, he added. “It gives us the ability to get detailed images for treatment planning and patient care. I like embracing new technology.”
17121 Marcy St., Ste. 102 Omaha, NE 68118 402.317.5657 vpoms.com
JAMES F. MCCASLIN
Evergreen Dental Group
STUART J. MCNALLY Millard Hills Dental Health Center
CAROL M. MURDOCK Creighton University School of Dentistry
WILLIAM T. NAUGHTON Creighton University School of Dentistry
MATTHEW C. NEUMANN Serenity Dental
JEFFREY R. NIELSEN Bel-Drive Dental
MARK J. PANNETON Panneton Dental Group
BRIAN S. PENDLEY
The Dentists at Village Pointe
SCOTT M. RADNIECKI Creighton University School of Dentistry
SARA REMM Summit Dental Health
AMY M. RUF
The Dentists at Ralston Square
JAY D. SAMUELSON
The Dentists at Hillsborough
MICHAEL R. SESEMANN Nebraska Institute of Comprehensive Dentistry
ALLAN M. SMITH Bellevue Family Practice Dentistry
RANDY E. STOUT
CAROLYN L. TAGGART-BURNS Millard Oaks Dental
BRETT H. TAYLOR Taylor Dentistry
BRETT S. THOMSEN Thomsen Dental Group
ANTHONY VONDRA
All Care Dental Steven D. Wegner
DEBRA S. WEST
KARRY K. WHITTEN Whitten Dentistry
COREY J. AUCH Oral Surgery Associates
STEPHEN A. COFFEY Oral Surgery Associates
VALMONT P. DESA Nebraska Medicine
JOHN D. ENGEL Oral Surgery Associates
JAMES O’BRIEN Omaha Oral Surgery
AFOLABI O. OGUNLEYE Premier Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
ROBERT M. PFEIFLE Oral Surgery Associates
BLAIR RACKER Omaha Oral Surgery
JAMES D. RUSKIN University of Nebraska Medical Center
MICHAEL I. SHNAYDER Village Pointe Oral Surgery
JEROME M. WEES Midwest Oral Surgery & Dental Implants
JOHN P. WEWEL Midwest Oral Surgery & Dental Implants
DAVID E. WILLIAMS Creighton University School of Dentistry
HARDEEP K. CHEHAL Creighton University School of Dentistry
MATTHEW J. BECKER Imagine Orthodontics
NEIL E. DUNLOW Dunlow Orthodontics
THOMAS J. HUERTER Huerter Orthodontics
KORT A. IGEL Igel Orthodontics
ANTONIA E. JONES Nia Jones Orthodontics
TAERA KIM Metro West Orthodontics & Periodontics
LAURA E. LOW Wees & Low Orthodontics
BRIAN MCINTYRE Omaha Orthodontics
MARK MENDLIK Mendlik Orthodontics
JULIE E. OLSON Olson Orthodontics
BARBARA J. RIES Ries Orthodontics
TIMOTHY J. SHEEHAN The Orthodontic Group
KIMBERLEY A. STAFFORD Stafford Orthodontics
THOMAS J. WEBER Weber Orthodontics
JULIE WEES Wees & Low Orthodontics
MICHELLE S. WULF Southwest Orthodontics
ANNE S. AIELLO Creighton University School of Dentistry
CARMEN L. DANA Pedodontics, P.C.
CADE B. HUNZEKER
Dr. Cade Pediatric Dentistry
DARIN L. KOTIL
Smile Academy
MATTHEW D. SCHIEBER
Smile Station Pediatric Dentistry
SCOTT D. SEILER
Children’s Dental Specialists
LISA F. STRUNK Pedodontics, P.C.
ANGELI J. THAKKER
Bellevue Pediatric Dentistry
BARRY W. WEBBER
Walnut Creek Pediatric Dentistry
GREG WEEDER
Weeder Pediatric Dentistry
NICHOLAS C. WOODWARD
Skyline Pediatric Dentistry
DENNIS M. ANDERSON
Gum Disease Specialists
NATALIE A. FROST Frost Periodontics & Dental Implants
JESSICA GRADOVILLE Western Iowa Periodontics & Implant Surgery
MATTHEW R. KELSEY Kelsey Periodontal Group
W. PATRICK KELSEY V Kelsey Periodontal Group
TIMOTHY P. MCVANEY
Specialty Dental Care
TAKANARI MIYAMOTO
Metro West Orthodontics & Periodontics
ANDREA L. HALL
HILLSBOROUGH
13808 W. Maple Rd. Omaha, NE 68164 402.445.4647
PAUL J. SHERIDAN
Millard Hills Dental Health Center
SELECTED
RALSTON SQUARE 5360 S. 72nd Street Omaha, NE 68127 402.733.4441
VILLAGE POINTE 302 N. 168th Circle Omaha, NE 68118 402.505.7474
DUNDEE 119 N. 51st Street Omaha, NE 68132 402.502.5593
Your smile has a big impact on
you look and feel.
Dentist continually helps patients transform their image and their lives by transforming their smile.
127th annual Aksarben Ball
BENEFITING: AKSARBEN FOUNDATION
Location: CHI Health Center Omaha Aksarben Foundation’s signature fundraising gala will return this fall—one of Nebraska’s best traditions. Spotlight on the Heartland is the theme for this year’s ball, which will honor Nebraska leaders in business and industry, community, and public service while continuing to pay homage to Aksarben’s proud history in the state.
Court of Honor Inductees include: Brad Ashford (posthumously), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Nebraska Unicameral; Candace Gregory, president/CEO of Open Door Mission; Paul & Alice Gutierrez, owners of Midwest Maintenance Company; Michael Morgan, former city manager with the City of Kearney; Ruth Patrick Thomas, owner of Thomas Funeral Home; and Bill Kubly, elite golf course designer. —aksarben.org
Oct 2
2022 CURE FOR THE COUSINS
Benefits: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Nebraska Chapter Location: Quarry Oaks —quarryoaks.com/scrambles/cousins
Oct 2
HEALS TO THE PAVEMENT
Benefits: HEALing Embrace Location: Lake Zorinsky —thecollectiveforhope.org
Oct 2
Benefits: Hydrocephalus Association
Location: Chalco Hills Recreation Area —walk@hydroassoc.org
Oct 6
Benefits: Chariots 4 Hope Location: Victory Lane —chariots4hope.org
Benefits: Angels Guardian INC Location: The Omar —angelguardians.org/
Oct 6
HEARTLAND HOPE MISSION — IMAGINE A WORLD FUNDRAISING DINNER
Benefits: Omaha Families in Need Location: Scotts Conference Center —heartlandhopemission.org/dinner
Oct 8
2022 KOMEN NEBRASKA MORE THAN PINK WALK
Benefits: Susan G. Komen Foundation
Location: Werner Park —komen.org
Oct 8
2ND ANNUAL WAG O WEEN BOO BASH
Benefits: Muddy Paws Dog Rescue Location: Therapy Bar & Grill
—muddypawssecondchancerescue. com/events
HAND UP FOR HOUSING WALK
FUNDRAISER AND BLOCK PARTY Benefits: Youth Emergency Services/ YES, inCOMMON, and Presbytery Disaster Relief Assistance
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Omaha —fpcomaha.org/matthew-25/ hand up for housing mission
Oct 9
Benefits: ALS in the Heartland INC Location: Skutt Catholic High School —nebraskaruns.com/
Oct 11
CLIMB HIGH LUNCHEON
Benefits: The Northstar Boys Location: CHI Health Center Omaha —northstar360.org
Oct 13
UN—FORE—GETTABLE GOLF EVENT
Benefits: Florence Home, Royale Oaks and House of Hope communities Location: TopGolf Omaha —omahaseniorcare.org
Oct 13
DANCE FOR A CHANCE
Oct. 13
Benefits: Youth Emergency Services (YES) Location: Omaha Design Center —yesomaha.org/news—events/dance/
Oct 14
AN EVENING AMONG ANGELS: CASINO NIGHT
Benefits: Pediatric Cancer Families Location: CHI Health Center Omaha —myangelsamongus.org/
Oct 14
REMIX
Benefits: Women’s Center for Advancement Location: Champions Run —wcaomaha.org
Oct 15
BAGS OF FUN OMAHA POKER NIGHT
Benefits: Bags of Fun Omaha Location: Modern Work Suites & Studios —bagsoffunomaha.org
Oct 15
NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS
Benefits: Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Location: Omaha Marriott Downtown —crohnscolitisfoundation.org
Oct 15
Benefits: Alzheimer’s Association Omaha Location: Stinson Park —act.alz.org/omaha
MartyBeth Farrell, LCSW, LIMHP
Chantel Bruha, LIMHP, LADC
Davin Dickerson, APRN
Dumayi Gutierrez, PhD, LMHP
Geraldine Alexis, LIMHP, PLADC
Greg Tvrdik, LIMHP, CPC
Kara Schneider, BA
KG Langdon, APRN
Kim Mueller, LIMHP, CPC
Korrie Conners, LMHP, CSAT
Kristi Tackett-Newburg, PhD, LIMHP
Lucy Hancock, MA
Marilyn Erickson, APRN
Marty Stoltenberg, APRN-BC
Mary Loftis, LMHP, CPC
Michele Yanney-Wehbi, LIMHP, CPC Nicole Obrecht, LIMHP
Peggy Deaver, LIMHP, CPC
Salina Anderson, APRN
Sarah Wenzl, LMHP, CPC
Oct 18
GO RED FOR WOMEN
Benefits: American Heart Association
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Oct 20
LEAD THE CHANGE WITH ANITA HILL!
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Location: 455 N. 10th St.
Oct 23
WEAR PINK SUNDAY
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Oct 28
FRIENDS OF RITECARE DINNER & AUCTION
Benefits: Scottish Rite Foundation of Omaha Location: Scottish Rite Masonic Center —scottishriteomaha.org
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AKSARBEN BALL
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Josh had his first tryout with the USA national team the same year he graduated from college.
“I knew the passion that I had for basket ball and I knew I was willing to sacrifice to achieve the highest level possible,” he said. “I had no idea that professional wheel chair basketball existed. I had no idea that I was going to ever be able to play for a Paralympic team, let alone four Paralympics and two gold medals.”
Ironically, SMSU men’s basketball coach, Tim Miles at the time, tried to recruit John to join his older brother at the NCAA Division II school. But the 6-foot-9 for ward ended up playing at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (2001-’05), where Miles would later coach from 2 012 to 2019.
“I started getting recruited at the Division I level in my junior year, so it didn’t work out,” said John, who lives in southern California since retirement from profes sional basketball in Europe. “I remember Tim Miles having numerous conversations with me about playing there [at SMSU].”
Unlike his defense-minded younger brother, Josh Turek was a shooter and holds the SMSU one-game scoring record wit h 62 points.
“I always said about international basketball, ‘You’ve got to be really good at everything, but you’ve got to have a world-class skill set at one thing.’” he said. “Without question, my skill set was shooting a nd scoring.”
Josh stays involved with the game as a member of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) High Performance Committee with input on the national team roster that will eventually represent the USA at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
He works full-time with a company called New Motion, which provides mobility devices for the disabled community. Also, with a degree in political science at SMSU, he was active this year as a candidate for the Iowa statehouse.
“It’s been an easy transition truthfully,” he said. “I think that’s because I had done the work on the front side to make sure that I was prepared for the b ack side.”
continue d from pg.33
Haynes admits she has a special connec tion to the program and the participants. Her career in education charts a similar course. She was a 20-year-old college stu dent majoring in child psychology and working as a para in the Omaha Public Schools when she pivoted to teaching.
“Can you imagine a better job preview than being a para? They know what the job is. They see it every day. They see the teachers. When you have someone who does that every day and wants to be a teacher and you know they know what it takes, you will see like we are, a high level of commitment a nd passion.”
Workman and Ewart both doubt they will ever return to teach in a traditional school setting. Both are still teaching, just more under their own terms. They do miss their students, if not the classroom job of teaching.
Husen is looking forward to the change in scenery after nearly a decade at her previous school. She’s hopeful. But it still eats at her that her previous school never made an attempt to retain her after years of mount ing frustration.
“There was no ‘What can I do to get you to stay?’ or ‘How can I help?’” Husen said. “And I handed in my resignation in early March. They had plenty of time to save me if they really wanted me. I put in nine years as a teacher, and they just let me go.”
“We will lose
of
in
once
needs
be.
Workman likes what she’s heard about schools’ giving attention to mental health–for teachers and students. She hopes it isn’t too litt le too late.
“There’s definitely more that can be done there, because I think nothing was being done there. I don’t think that’s anyone’s fault. I think everybody from the bottom up are so strained and time is so limited it’s not possible for anybody to take a break and focus on their mental health.”
Teaching is a care-based profession, Workman said, one that too often justi fies policy decisions by saying “just do it fo r the kids.”
“It makes the teachers who want to take a stand for their mental health look like bad people who don’t care about the kids, which couldn’t be further from the truth. There has to be a shift in how we treat that interaction wit h teachers.”
If the good news of the upheaval in edu cation is that school districts are finally shifting gears and gaining footing in a more wholistic approach that recognizes there are no healthy students without healthy teachers, then the bad news has to be there are no overn ight fixes.
Haynes, the Westside assistant superin tendent, is cautiously optimistic. But even she acknowledges the repair is a yearsl ong process.
“As school districts and communities grapple with some of these challenges, there’s a lot of hope in that if we can get back to ensuring teachers are seen, heard, and valued; we will build momentum for individuals who want to be teachers,” she said.
“We will lose less of our current teachers. We will elevate the profession of teaching in our community once again to where it needs to be and should be. And that, we hope, will keep teachers and attract new ones.”
Visit midlandsu.edu to learn more about the Grow Your Own program.
@OmahaMagazine
rayson Stanton is doing work that makes a d ifference.
Last year, Stanton, a computer engineer, was part of a team of three University of Nebraska at Omaha students who worked with University of Nebraska Medical Center faculty on an app that allowed them to monitor patients with COVID. He also devel oped app prototypes for UNO’s Maverick Food Pantry and the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. Currently, his computer company, NebDev, is working with UNMC to develop an app that helps rheumatoid arthritis patients track the severity of their pain, with the goal of testing the efficacy of setting goals for arthritis treatment over time.
He’s also taught courses on ionic and angular com puter programming frameworks.
Stanton is clearly academically gifted, and highly motivated: he scored a 34 on the ACT, and graduated first in his class at Papillion South High School. But this isn’t a story about Grayson Stanton: it is a story about the opportunity he, and many others, have been given by the Scott Scholars program, one of the most potent and (according to the UNO website) prestigious scholarships offered by the Nebraska University System. This scholarship, funded by the Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation, is comprehen sive, and includes not only tuition, room, and board, but a communal housing component (many of the Scott Scholars live together in Scott Hall in order to foster community and idea exchange), leadership development training, and individual attention to students’ personal and professional aspirations. Most importantly, the idea behind the Scott Scholars pro gram is to not simply reward academically gifted students, but to help them foster their humanity. One of the essential components of the program is the idea of encouraging students like Grayson to give back to the community.
Dr. Laura Miller, the director of education for the Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation, said that, from the program’s inception in the late 1990s, there has always been an emphasis on not only academic and professional accomplishment, but on responding to grace, with grace. “The energy and spirit of the program has always been true to the ideas of Walter Scott Jr. himself,” Dr. Miller explained (Scott Jr. passed away last year). “He obviously left a tremendous legacy, and he always challenged the Scott Scholars to give back. ‘I hope you are all tremendously successful,’ he’d urge them, ‘but be sure to give back in a meaningful way. You are part of a society you’ve all benefited from, and it is important to show thanks through actions.'”
Like Scott Jr. himself, the program also values prob lem solving. Four years ago, those in charge of the $2 million program revised its values. “There was a major shift to not have the scholarship be so transactional,” Dr. Miller explained. “We decided we needed more high-quality programming, and an emphasis on problem solving and cross-curricular learning. We also decided to focus on Nebraska students, and to expand the scholarship to include all STEM majors at that time. Before, we focused only on engineering and technology majors.” Currently, the program is open exclusively to Nebraska students, and welcomes those interested in any aspect of S TEM studies.
This flexibility and willingness to allow great students to follow their instincts has paid off for students like Grace Maline. Maline graduated from Oakland-Craig Jr.Sr. High School in 2017, and from UNO in 2021, with a degree in bioinformatics. Maline will attend medical school this fall. While the program gave her access to amazing opportunities (she spent a summer at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute in Frederick, Maryland), Maline said the opportunities of being in such an amazing community were the most valuable part of the program. “The biggest thing I received was knowing the other people in my class. I was paired up with another pre-med student, and we really made each other better. It was really nice having a community of people encouraging you.” Maline said that the scholar ship allowed her to volunteer with Nebraska Medicine during her undergraduate experie nce as well.
Harnoor Singh, director of student development Scott Scholars, couldn’t be more excited about the program. Singh described his job as a ‘once in a lifetime role.’
“It’s amazing when you bring together three critical ingredients like this: an important philanthropy; an open, flexible, innovative university; and high-achieving students who want to be whole people,” Singh explained. “These are the young people we’ve been waiting for community focused individuals. I am lucky to be in thei r presence.”
According to Dr. Jeff Gold, the chief academic officer of the University of Nebraska System, the Scott Scholars program provides an ‘endless amount of leadership devel opment,’ and is ‘a model for some of the very best learning’ the University system has to offer. Gold is especially grateful that the program is a tool in the fight for talent retention in Nebraska. “These are students that could continue education anywhere in the country or even the world,” Gold said. “This program provides some glue to keep them in Nebraska, and is a tremendous piece of economic development in that way. What the Scott Foundation adds is the critically important residential living experience and counseling.”
Gold isn’t just a fan. He has degree in engineering, is a trained surgeon, has decades of leadership experience in higher education, and recently taught a leadership course for the program a two-hour seminar where students explored questions about per sonal identity and leadership.
“It’s amazing when you bring together three critical ingredients like this: an important philanthropy, an open flexible innovative university, and high achieving students who want to be whole people.” - H arnoor Singh
Each year, 35 Scott Scholars are not only selected on the basis of academic acheivement, but for demonstable community and humanitarian efforts. Singh explained, “There have been outstanding students on paper who have been successful in the classroom, but we really want those who have a propensity toward improving the human condition. We look at demonstrated ability to serve others and work in teams.” The application process is rigorous. Students often spend the entire day interviewing, speaking to students, faculty, and program directors, in addition to filing the requisite paperwork and essays. Perhaps one of the application questions that most accurately reflects what the program is looking for is: “In the Scott Scholars program, we look for students who can work in interdisciplinary teams to solve the most pressing challenges facing humanity. Describe one way in which you have worked collaboratively to positively impact a community, initiative or org anization.”
The program also wants to listen. For example, just this last summer, a student in the program was asked about people who had been inspirational to them in high school, and the student gave a glowing recommendation about someone they held as an exemplary student and human being.
It was someone the Scott Scholar program had waitlisted.
“This person was next up,” Singh said. “We thought, oh man, we have to fix this. And based on that recommendation, we found support and funding for that one addition al student.”
The students interviewed couldn’t be more grateful for what the program has offered them. Stanton explained, “It opened up whole new ideas for me, and it also helped make college more obtainable, because I was the youngest of four kids.”
Visit unomaha.edu/scott-scholars for more information.
GIVING
“In the Scott Scholars program, we look for students who can work in interdisciplinary teams to solve the most pressing challenges facing humanity.”
-Harnoor Singh
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Those attending privately run drivers’ education academies today might not know that drivers’ ed class was part of the curriculum in junior and senior high schools years ago and they were free.
Deb Ketelsen, a retired nurse and reservations clerk, recalled drivers’ ed being fun, particularly when using a car simulator. That was prior to driving a real car when she was a junior in 1970 at Omaha’s Central High School.
The one-hour drivers’ ed class met three times a week to cover traffic laws, the risks of driving, drivers’ responsi bilities, and more. “We learned how to change a tire. That’s something every one should know, regardless of gender,” Kete lsen said.
Students drove an Oldsmobile Cutlass with an automatic transmission or a Volkswagen station wagon with manual drive. Ketelsen learned on the latter because her father had a 1953 Ford pickup she wanted to drive.
She remembered a student driving while fiddling with the radio, even though the instructor told him to leave it alone. “He went up over a curb and got close to a tree, and the instructor slammed on the brakes,” Ketelsen said, adding that the instructor kicked the boy out of the car. “We were only three blocks from school and the instructor made him walk b ack to it.”
Kevin Bessey attended drivers’ ed at Arbor Heights Junior High School (known today as Westide Middle School), partially to earn a discount on his car insurance. At times, he practiced with drivers’ ed cars in the parking lot of Christ the King Church. “A couple high
school seniors set out cones and directed the kids at 10 to 15 mph through a little course in the parking lot,” said Bessey, now retired from the Ft. Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant. “They also taught us to parallel park and park in slots.”
The parking lot exercises were solo, but two or three students would drive with an instructor on Pacific and Dodge Streets. After driving for around 20 minutes, the students would rotate. One time in the classroom, Bessey watched a don’t-do-this video. “They showed a ’67 Corvette driving through some rolling hills. I was supposed to be looking at it as ‘this is dangerous,’” he said. “But it was the coolest thing I ever saw.”
That video might have ignited Bessy’s passion to collect muscle cars, includ ing a Ford Mustang Mach 1, a Pontiac Trans-Am, and a Mercu ry Cougar.
Julie Powell, who grew up in the metro, took drivers’ ed at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs. At first, like the other students, she drove a simulator. “The simulator was a lot of fun where you sat in front of a screen and this was before I learned to drive a stick,” Powell said.
The simulator thrust students into dif ferent driving scenarios. “The one that everyone dreaded was a trip through Los Angeles,” Powell said. She remembered one teacher saying that everyone on the road is crazy, “so you have to anticipate the other guy; call it ‘defensive driv ing,’” she said.
Radio host and Omaha Magazine columnist Doug Wesselman said his grandfather taught him to drive at age 14, practicing on a farm and gravel roads and shuttling crops in rural Kansas. Once
enrolled in a drivers ed class, he had an instructor named Art. “He was a really nervous guy,” Wesselman remembered. “What we (Wesselman and another stu dent) would do sometimes, we’d go really fast toward a stop sign and not touch the brakes. It was like playing chicken with Art to see who would hit the brakes first… his eyes would get reall y round.”
Three days after Wesselman got his license, he earned his first speeding ticket while driving his brother-in-law’s Pontiac GTO convertible. “Its nickname was ‘Probable Cause,” he said with a smile.
Alex Czeranko also has memories of drivers’ ed, though from a teacher’s perspective, having taught the course for 17 years at Lincoln High School. On the first day of class, each student filled out a card listing his or her driving experi ence. “When I saw those who had driven six or more times already, I’d challenge them by going downtown and telling them to do lane changes,” Czeranko said. When he encountered a student with no or little experience, they would just drive through a quiet residential ne ighborhood.
“A lot of times, I had to talk them through a drive, to signal for a turn, to slow down,” Czeranko said, remembering with gratitude that his Chevy train ing vehicle had dual brakes, critical for avoiding hitting other vehicles or being hit. “I’d tell them if they could practice at home, then practice at home.”
Czeranko, who retired from teaching but still coaches track, said about 500 to 600 students took the course every year. And yes, there were a few close calls, but he survived.
-Deb Ketelsenry smithing.
And it wasn’t gold or silver.
“I wanted to buy a Jaguar XKE and I didn’t have any mone y,” he said.
Ferguson did eventually get his Jaguar, a bright white 1961 coupe, but not before an infatuation with jewelry smithing sparked an unlikely career pivot. He took over Goldsmith Silversmith in Omaha’s Old Market in 1974. Today, Ferguson is known far and wide for his fine and custom jewelry and restoration, draw ing happy customers from all over the city and even the occasional celebrity to his little Howard Street r etail shop.
“I bought into the store, and I had about $4,000 in inventory, and that first year I made $30,000 dollars,” Ferguson said. “Which isn’t a lot of money, but to me at the time, it was a lot. The second year I doubled that. And at some point, I set myself a goal that I wanted to do a million dollars in a year. I haven’t done that yet. But I’m wor king at it.”
Ferguson’s path to the trade was a circu itous one. Growing up in tiny Brewster, Nebraska, he was always good with his hands and had an eye for line, detail, and architecture. It wasn’t until after he was discharged from the U.S. Navy in San Francisco in 1968 that those skills began to coalesce. As he walked the city, he saw artists hawking handmade jewelry and trinkets, and thought, “I c an do that.”
A few months later, Ferguson hit the road in his MG Midget convertible headed for Nebraska to kickstart a career in architec ture. But he couldn’t stifle his creative juices.
He started by making, then selling metal sculptures out of a cart he’d lug around to art fairs. Then Ferguson sat next to a jeweler and it all clicked.
“All he had was a folding table, a chair, and a suitcase,” he said. “I knew I cou ld do that.”
Ferguson sought out mentorship in jewelry smithing at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He learned the form and eventu ally grew skilled enough to each his own classes. Jewelry smithing is as much science as it is art. The process requires a chemist’s understanding of the malleable states of gold and silver with an artisan’s touch for ornamentation and decoration.
“It was something I could do with my hands, and growing up on a ranch, I knew how to use tools, so I wasn’t walking into it blind,” he said. “I enjoyed it. It was fun working with the public. I think that’s the big reason why we’re still here. It’s our customer ser vice. I want my customer to walk out happy and with a piece of jewelry they can enjoy for many years. That’s always been our goal, and I think we do a pretty good job of it.”
Ferguson purchased the Goldsmith Silversmith shop from its previous owners for $15,000. On his first day, the former owners told the then 29-year-old to bring in $100 in change and they pledged to stick around a week to show him the ropes.
“They handed me the keys that night, and I never saw them again,” he said. “I went back to work the next day and I’m like
‘I’m a store owner and I’m selling jewelry and I have no idea what I’m doing,’ and here I am 48 years later, and I still think I don’t know what I’m doing. But I must have done something right along the way.”
What Ferguson did along the way was develop a sterling reputation for qual ity work and a hands-on approach with both customers and their precious, often valuable jewelry. For many years it was Ferguson who greeted customers, handled their jewelry, discussed settings and designs, and did the work in his bac kroom shop.
“When you enjoy what you do, it’s more fun,” he said. “You’re more absorbed in it. I still work six days a week and I still enjoy coming to work.”
Ferguson’s little shop has seen its share of celeb rity clients walk through the doors. Monty Python’s John Cleese. ZZ Top bass player Dusty Hill. Liberace. And then there’s Mick Fleetwood. Ferguson fixed a ring and a neck lace for the Fleetwood Mac co-founder and drummer but didn’t score any backstage passes.
“He told me he lives in Maui and there are probably jewelers there, but he didn’t know if he could trust them,” Ferguson said. “That was pretty cool.”
Ferguson presumes most clients, celebri ties or not, stumble upon his shop. He doesn’t advertise much, and word of mouth seems to be his best promotion.
“Trust is a big deal in the jewelry world because there’s thousands of dollars in jew elry around,” Ferguson said. “Customers want to trust you’ll take care of [their jewelry]... it’s part of why they come here.”
60 + Profile story by joel steVens
PhotograPhy by bill sitZmann design by renee ludWick
Omahan Pat Purkhiser has two passions in his life: teaching and the ocean. He has shared his love of deep water with students in the Midwest for decades. With over 45 years of experience, Pat is a level 10 diver completing more than 5,440 dives. He also holds a master’s degree in educa tion and two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Nebrask a at Omaha.
Purkhiser discovered his love of diving when he left Omaha for college in the 1970s. Those first scuba experiences were on the Gulf side of Florida. “There’s a place there called Venice Beach and you can find fossilized sharks’ teeth. I went like probably once a week just to collect sharks’ teeth. Up by Charlotte, there’s Cooper River. That’s where you find the big ones. I went up there a couple of times and got some of the large mega lodon teeth.The biggest is probably six inches. Imagine the shark behind it,” he said. That early interest in sharks turned into a lifetime affinity. Purkhiser still keeps a jar full of shark teeth.
“That turned into one of my passions, to work with them. We tag them, we get skin sam ples. I’m on the board with an organization called Fins Attached. We’ve done a lot of work with the great whites and then whale s harks also.”
-Pat Purkhiser
He has devoted his life to protecting sharks and their ecosystem.“That turned into one of my passions, to work with them. We tag them, we get skin sam ples. I’m on the board with an organiza tion called Fins Attached,” Purkhiser said. “We’ve done a lot of work with the great whites and then whale sharks also.” According to their website, Fins Attached’s mission is to conduct research, promote conservation, and provide edu cation for the protection of marine eco systems.This includes a focus on sharks, since the health of an ecosystem is deter mined by its ape x predators.
Despite conservation efforts by groups like Fins Attached, the ocean environ ment has changed over the years.“People, they won’t go out of their box, they really know nothing about the water. 71% of our earth is water. Most of our oxygen comes from the ocean, the ocean
produces about 80%, maybe 75%. And algae is a plant. We just gotta educate people,” Purkhise r explained.
Purkhiser spent about 35 years in education. “I taught for Papillion for over 20 years and I was instrumental in creat ing, first of all the alternative school for Papillon, and then the Zoo Academy,” he said. In 2009, Papillion-LaVista Schools partnered with Omaha Public Schools and the Henry Doorly Zoo to offer students the chance to attend the newly developed Zoo Academy. To complement Zoo Academy programming, Purkhiser offered students an opportunity to learn about the ocean first hand, helping them prepare for a summer excursion to Cozu mel, Mexico.
Several former Zoo Academy students credited Purkhiser with giving them the support they needed to pursue higher edu cation and meaningful career paths. His balance of tough love and enthusiasm for learning inspired many students to realize t heir goals.
“After high school, I went to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and I got a bach elor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife,” said 2014 graduate McKenzie Jensby. “Then I went up to Canada and studied there for two years and got a master’s degree in biological sciences. Now I’m back and working in a lab in Omaha.” Jensby feels the most important lesson she learned from Purkhiser was persistence. “Never give up. If you’re willing to fight for something, just keep going. Keep chugging along and you’ll get there eventually,” she said.
Former student Karlee Qualheim explained, “Without [Purkhiser], I don’t honestly know where I would be. He helped me get my grades up. He helped me learn things in a real world capacity. It’s not just sitting there with a text book and learning and taking notes. For him it was having his students be hands-on and learn life experiences. It was an excellent part of my life.”
Purkhiser’s lessons weren’t just about sci ence and scuba. Qualheim believes the life lessons were even more important. “Life is really hard. It’s not what you think it is when you’re going through high school. Pat shared his whole life with us. He shared his love for scuba with us. He shared his love for traveling with us. He shared his love for the ocean and conservation, and his love for sharks. All of these things also interested us, so it wasn’t hard when you were in college struggling, or even when you weren’t struggling, and you wanted to
share that you had a great day it wasn’t hard to call him because you knew he was going to be happy for you. And you knew that he was going to listen and that you were important to him,” Qu alheim said.
“He actually wrote all of my recommenda tions to get into vet school,” said former student Lauren Cooper. “Any job I ever had he recommended me as well, so he’s actually played a very large role in my life. As an instructor he’s hard. He doesn’t take any grief from his students. He wants you to show your full potential. He wants to make you the best person you can be. He just always told us kids when you want to do something, you just have to go for it. Go 100%, all your effort if you really want it. And I think that’s kind of the main reason that I ended up going to vet school. He’s just really good at general life advice as well. He’s also very good at vacationing, so he taught me that,” Cooper said.
In 2009, Purkhiser helped develop the concept for the innovative Diventures scuba school in Omaha, which now has 12 locations nationwide. As founder Dean Hollis explained, the idea emerged from a scuba trip that Purkhiser orga nized for a bunch of friends. “A whole bunch of people from Omaha went down to Cozumel and dove down there with the whale sharks and just had a great time. Everybody was somewhat com miserating about the lack of a good dive shop in Omaha. So, Pat and I just started kicking around the idea, and the rest is history. I kind of took it and ran with it and got some good input from Pat along the way. Next thing you know, here we are,” Holli s explained.
Retirement for Purkhiser means continu ing something he loves working as an independent instructor with Diventures. In addition to diving, the scuba center offers classes in skills like swimming and marine ecology. Purkhiser does a little bit of everything. “I do a lot of work on the gear, I teach scuba, I teach the envi ronmental classes, I teach the first-aid classes.They keep me as busy as I want to b e,“ he said.
In recent years Purkhiser has faced a number of serious medical issues. “Once I was healed, the first thing I wanted to do was get in the water. Kinda breathe some air under water. Float around, be relaxed. It’s always been there,” he said. His love for diving and the ocean bring him a sense of peace. “Being in the water, you can’t believe how peaceful it is. I mean, I’ve been through a lot medically and my body, you know I’m a 60-yearold guy that had cancer three times, a couple of hip replacements, a quadruple bypass. But all that pain is gone if I’m in the water neutral, and it’s quiet. And then visually, all your senses are just in a happy place. You’ll hear things like a parrot fish crunching on some coral. You might see eagle rays or a shark swim by, but you know, it’s lik e flying or floatin g,“ he said.
He’s still deciding where to go next. “I don’t know, it just hasn’t hit me yet. I do plan on probably going over to Iceland or Switzerland to check out the environ ment there. Polar bears are around there somewhere, orcas...things like that. When I go on these trips I really don’t go to see people. I go to learn and see about the animals that are there. Usually, the apex
predators, but pretty amazing stuff,” he said. “Looking back, I look at things, I was pretty lucky in the way things turned out. They’re pretty crappy sometimes, but then they get really good. I’m not going to die lying on my bed saying ‘I wish I would have.’ I’m going to enjo y life.”
“Once I was healed, the first thing I wanted to do was get in the water. Kinda breathe some air under water. Float around, be relaxed. It’s always been there.” -Pat Purkhiser
he art scene in Omaha offers a rich variety of exhibits for viewers to explore. With works ranging from traditional paintings to contemporary creations, Omaha’s art venues reflect the talents of local, regional, national, and international artists. Even though one of the city’s major attractions, the Joslyn Art Museum, will be closed for renovations until 2024, art lovers can check out these local sites offering an array of creative works.
724 S. 12th St. | 402.341.7130 | bemiscenter.org
This nonprofit offers educational programs and free exhibits, giving the community access to contemporary works by a variety of artists. Bemis Center supports artists through its international residency program, providing participants with studios, financial support, and more. The nonprofit will present its annual “Benefit Art Auction Exhibition” Oct. 1428, allowing visitors to view nearly 300 works by artists across the local area, region, and country. Bidding begins Oct. 28 at 5:30 p.m. Proceeds will go toward participating artists and Bemis Center.
1301 Nicholas St. | 402.342.6452 | hotshopsartcenter.org
This art center gives visitors a chance to watch artists at work and explore a vast array of artwork. The Hot Shops' south building contains four main studios where viewers can watch artists work with clay, glass, iron, and other metals. The north building includes two art galleries and 50 individual studios. Hot Shops provides a number of community educational programs, including art classes covering topics such as glass blowing and acrylics. Hot Shops will show an exhibit this month featuring art made by a lamp worker, an artist who heats and shapes glass over a flame.
1111 Jones St. | 402.341.3800 | thekaneko.org
Japanese ceramics artist Jun Kaneko and his wife founded this contemporary museum in 1998. Since then, it has become a space dedicated to promoting creativity through innovative artwork. Starting Oct. 7, the museum will show the “Richard Hunt: Monumental” exhibition, featuring works by two nationally recognized and two local artists. Each artist draws from a different background and personal narrative to give a historical perspective of his or her culture and the way it is connected to the land.
4701 S. 25th St. | 402.731.1137 | elmuseolatino.org
This museum showcases Latin American culture and tradition through the visual and performing arts. El Museo Latino opened in 1993 and has since grown to host art classes, gallery talks, programs for students, and more. Art exhibits at the venue display works made by local, national, and international artists. Visitors can see the exhibit, “En Linea/In Line: Documentary Photography on the Mexican/U.S. Border,” featuring photographs by Francisco Mata Rosas, through Dec. 31.
3615 Dodge St. | 402.502.8737 | modernartsmidtown.com
This museum displays contemporary works by local and regional artists who use diverse mediums to address provocative topics. Modern Arts Midtown has a large collection of both traditional and abstract art, ranging from sculptures to paintings to textiles. This month, visitors can see the exhibit “Full Bloom,” which showcases works by over 40 artists, including Iggy Sumnik, Jennifer Homan, and Al Harris-Fernandez.
1516 Leavenworth St | 531.375.6643 | gallery1516.org
This venue supports Omaha arts and culture by collaborating with museums and other organizations to host traveling exhibitions, musical performances, and more. Exhibits at Gallery 1516 feature works by artists in the region and state. Through Oct. 16, the gallery will show a free UNO faculty exhibition to display works by members of the UNO art department.
s a teenager, Brian Reilly found himself preferring to be in the kitchen rather than a classroom. Growing up in rural northwest Missouri, in towns such as Hopkins and Pickering, Reilly appreciated the opportunity to spend half-days in school and half at local eateries during his final year of high school. An athlete who loved playing basketball, Reilly didn’t see being a college player in his future. But, he did think he could make a career being a cook. About 20 years after high school, not only is he a chef at a major restaurant, but he’s also co-owner of Spezia Italian R estaurant .
Caprese salad of summer tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, julienned basil, and tangy ba lsamic glaze
Had it not been for his father, perhaps Reilly would have taken a different path. It was the elder Reilly who suggested the duo hop in their pickup and head north to Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs to check out its culinary program. Reilly enrolled and was a student when he passed by Spezia one day, shortly after it had opened. Pulling into the parking lot off 72nd Street, Reilly decided to stop in and fill out an application (back in the day when paper applications wer e the norm).
A few weeks later, after not hearing from the restaurant’s management, he decided to stop in and check on a job in person.
Josh Krivanek, then the kitchen manager, met with Reilly. There was something about Reilly that convinced him he should hire the young man, Kri vanek said.
“I said to one of the other managers ‘that kid is back here. Let’s give him a try on the salad station,’” he said.
Within a few months, Reilly had worked his way on to other key stations, including pasta and prep, Kri vanek said.
After graduating culinary school in 2005, Reilly was offered an opportunity to open a new restaurant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Spezia’s owners, based in Sioux Falls,
decided to open Bracco World Cafe, a 500seat restaurant. Reilly was named the res taurant’s manager.
His time in Sioux Falls was memorable for more than opening an upscale Italian restaurant.
“When they offered me the position, I was like ‘I’m young. I’m not in a relationship, so why not? I’ll give Sioux Falls a try,’” he said. “It’s way cold. I couldn’t take it. I’d work until 11 and come outside and the windows were frosted over. I grew up in northwest Missouri, a couple hours south of Omaha, and I thought the climate changed a little between the two. Summers seem shorter. But, when I went to Sioux Falls, it was warm for a couple of weeks, and then it turned cold. The wind cut right through me.”
After a year there, he learned the chef at Spezia had left, so he requested to move back to Omaha and take over the kitchen. He’s been in Omaha ever since.
Besides gaining the experience of running his own restaurant, Reilly returned to Omaha with a signif icant other.
“My wife (Elizabeth), I actually hired her at Bracco,” Reilly said. “She used to tease me around the kitchen and stuff. And we got to kind of liking each other. When I returned here, she stayed there. We did the long distance thing f or a while.”
The couple married, and now she takes care of their two children, a 9-year-old daughter and a son who’s 4.
“You know, she’s such a big part of what I get to do here, giving me the opportunity to do what I do,” Reilly said. “She does so much, basically raising the kids on her own, since I am gone so much, putting in 50 to 55 ho urs a week.”
Grilled tenderloin filet with mushroom-stuffed ravioli with porcini sauce an d broccoliniAs executive chef, Reilly controls Spezia’s menu, creating dishes for a wood-fire oven. Being that most longtime diners don’t want to see many changes made, Reilly may tinker here and there, but, for the most part, the menu remains constant–Italian, seafood, and steaks.
While grilled salmon ranks among his favorite dishes, Reilly also enjoys creating pasta entrees, with Seafood Diavolo among his top picks. Preparing the dish, the chef uses shrimp, scal lops, and mussels in a tomato sauce, adding roasted garlic, lemon, and parsley over a bed of capellini pasta.
For Shannon Hall, it’s the Salmon Ala Rosa that’s kept her coming back for more than 10 years. The entrée features a fresh Scottish salmon with fresh basil and tomato crème rosa sauce tossed with farfalle (butterfly pasta).
“It’s super simple, but the salmon is amazing there,” Hall said. “The Gnocchi Alla Pollo is another great dish. With chicken and mush room, it’s delicious. All the flatbreads are great.”
Hall’s decade-long love affair with Spezia started over happy hour drinks with friend and co-worker Gina Rubek. The pair work at Corporate Travel Management, formerly known as Travel and Transport, a few blocks north of Spezia.
“So, we just started going there, and you know we’re sitting at the bar. We wouldn’t sit in the restaurant side,” Hall said. “Everyone was so nice. And, after we started going every other week, they knew what drink to make us; they didn’t need to ask. It just felt like you were at home with a bunch of friends. The atmosphere for me, alone, did it.”
As one of the owners decided to move on to new projects, including opening another Bracco location in Okoboji, Iowa, Reilly bought his portion of the restaurant company. He is now a partner with Dave Thompson, who lives in Sioux Falls.
In a bit of an ironic move, Reilly hired Krivanek to run the kitchen about 15 years after he had given Reilly his start at Spezia. Working as part of a clean-up crew during the changeover from the former La Strada 72 to Spezia in 2003, Krivanek applied for a position with the new restaurant. In less than a year, he was running the kitchen at the age of 22.
“I had a kid and needed a good job,” Krivanek said.
After hiring Reilly, Krivanek worked at Spezia for about a year-and-a-half before moving to Florida for a few years. Krivanek spent most of his 14 years away in construction.
Classic tiramisu: espresso-soaked ladyfingers, whipped cream, and mascarpone… what’s not to love?
While talking with a friend about looking for a weekend job for extra income, Krivanek learned Reilly was now Spezia’s co-owner and executive chef. After meeting with Reilly, the man he had hired years ago now offered him the kitchen manager’s position.
“That was four years ago,” Krivanek said. “My job is to make his job easier.”
Having been out of the restaurant industry for such a long time didn’t deter him from taking the job, Krivanek said. The father of five children, Krivanek took to the kitchen operation like a fish to water. It was like he’d never left.
The craziness that comes with kitchen work drives Krivanek.
“The only thing you can guarantee is that you can’t guarantee anything ,” he joked.
For Reilly, Krivanek is the right hand he’s needed to make the restaurant continue to oper ate on al l cylinders.
Teamwork became important during the early days of the COVID pandemic, Reilly said.
“We knew it was coming. You saw it on the news,” he said. “Within three days, we went from flying high with a full house to nothing.”
Shut down for two months, he had to furlough staff. Unable to even pay himself, Reilly sought to stay busy and find ways for the restaurant to reopen as quickly as possible. The staff worked on developing a takeout menu. Reilly redesigned the regular menu.
Once Spezia reopened, diners returned. They missed in-person dining, Reilly said. The restaurant practiced safe-distance procedures, keeping tables at about six feet apart; this limited occupancy, but provided a safer dining experience.
Reducing hours of operation over the past two years, such as closing an hour earlier each night, doesn’t seem to have impacted business, Reilly said. However, having a limited staff has been challenging.
“I have a handful of people who are potentially, though they’re not salaried, getting overtime wages,” Reilly said. “It’s taxing on them [...] But, they seem to be happy to do it. They’re working a lot, and the extra money is good for them and their families. Is it going to last forever? We’ll see. But, I try to take care of them.”
Visit speziarestaurant.com for more information.
Alow fire crackles to life through the application of ignition, oxygen, and plant-based fuel. That act, of almost complete combustion, produces smoke. Coaxed through the pitmaster’s chosen flue, the heat and smoke surround their target: protein. The preparation of that protein, as well as managing those hours of thermodynamic processes, are all elements that Blane Hunter of Porky Butts BBQ has mastered. While subdued temperatures and slow cooking are his fiery companion, Hunter is high speed.
Hunter’s spark for barbecue might be traced to his time growing up in Texas where, like most children, he would camp outside in his sleeping bag next to his dad’s smoker, tending the fire through the wee hours of the night. While he uses hickory in the restaurant for its stronger presence, his time in Texas created a love of smoking with pecan. It’s this more subtle flavor that he utilizes for his multi-award-winning competitio n barbecue.
The competition preceded the restaurant by six years, and the awards by three. Hunter started his competitive journey in 2013 at the prodding of friend and Porky Butts BBQ team originator, Rodney Nietfeldt. In that first outing, Hunter came in toward the bottom of the stack, and Nietfeldt wondered if Hunter’s defeat was too much of a discouragement to continue. According to Hunter, he asked, “‘You wanna do one ever again?’” Hunter simply quipped, “We’re doing one nex t weekend.”
“I’m very competitive,” Hunter said, and whether that was during his time playing football in the ’90s in Highland, Texas, bat tling for achievements with his brother, or competing in eight barbecue challenges that first year, he keeps racking up more accolades. Barbecue competitor, and brain behind Urban Slicer Pizza Worx, Matt Frampton said of his friend, “Blane’s rise up the ranks of barbecue, as quickly as he did, has been one of the most impressive feats in competitive cooking I have ever seen.”
That first year launched an effort that landed Hunter in Pension, Iowa, in 2015 where he won his first Grand Champion at the Tri City BBQ Fest. From there, Hunter longed for more and set his eyes toward the top 25 in the country. That competitive spirit, along with advice from his wife to “cut back on the par tying,” yielded results of $20,000 and guitar trophies from the 2016 National BBQ Cup and the title of 2016 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) National Grand Champion Team of the Year.
from Wisconsin’s Fox Valley Tech. But Hunter felt that he benefitted more from his time at the Greenbay Country Club as revered restaurateur Curt Fowler’s sous chef in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. While Fowler may have passed on, the knowledge of menu writ ing, catering, and scheduling he shared with Hunter stuck. “‘Never give up the scheduling,’” Hunter recalled Fowler saying, “‘[because] then [they] can schedule me [to be] off.’”
During his time at Werner Enterprises running the Corporate Hunting Lodge, Hunter learned how to lead with patience and manage human resources. He further expanded his repertoire by becoming the senior Werner’s private chef.
Opening Porky Butts, the restaurant, was an opportunity Hunter’s brother pushed him to jump on, and in 2019, it became a reality. Some things have changed since the early days, like the transition from one smoker located out in the back of the restaurant to the recently updated kitchen,which boasts two huge smokers with foot-operated doors, allowing the pitmaster to tend to the meaty parcels with ease. The improvements have allowed Hunter to keep up with his patron’s hunger as well.“The support we’ve had from the Omaha community has been just unreal,” Hunter relayed.
You don’t need a web search to know those awards are real because they’re on display at the home of Hunter’s smoker-to-table restaurant. The trophies, and even a cape, are testament to the investment and skill Hunter has applied to the pursuit of smoked meat success. But Hunter’s love of food and creative drive are not all about competitive barbecue.
Years before, he was a hardened oyster shucker in high school, as well as a line cook at Stingaree Restaurant in Texas. From there he became a trained chef, having graduated
Though he changed equipment and even suppliers early on, many of Hunter’s Porky Butts staff have been there since day one. He strives to involve his managers to foster com pany ownership and has forward-thinking ideas, like a survey for the staff to rate their shifts. Happy food and happy staff equal happy customers, he believes. “He has all the tools, drive, and personality…he is generous with his time and has always been helpful for other small business owners…including me,” Frampton said.
Hunter’s approach to his people and competitive nature, in addition to his pitmaster skills and chef know-how, keep him in the winner’s circle with those fortunate enough to take a bite.
Visit porkybuttsbbq.com for more information.
DINING BY DAVE ZORKO BY BILL SITZMANN BY MATT WIECZOREK“ Blane’s rise up the ranks of BBQ, as quickly as he did, has been one of the most impressive feats in competitive cooking I have ever seen.” -M att Frampton
Left: Grilled lamb chops over rice, served with seasoned red oni on and salad
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
Right: Marinated chicken kebab grilled over a n open flame
hen we visited Omaha Kebabs on a Saturday afternoon for lunch, there were no customers in the small dining room, so we enjoyed personalized attention from the server. We noticed signage stating that this restaurant opened in 2021, which seemed like a gutsy time to open a restaurant. If they could manage to succeed in opening a restaurant during a pandemic, we figured they must be doing some thing right.
We weren’t disappointed. All the food we tried at Omaha Kebabs had vibrant flavor and was delicious.
We started with the hummus plate, which featured a generous helping of hummus alongside soft, warm pita bread wedges. We tore into that hummus plate and didn’t stop until the pita bread was gone, at which point we started eating the hummus with spoons.
When our server came to collect our appetizer plates, he suggested we keep leftover hummus at the table because it’s good with the kebab meat. He was right, and the little hummus we had left was gone before the meal was done .
my daughter ordered a Greek salad and added the chicken kebab. The presenta tion was pretty the vibrant salad bordered by chicken kebab. The portion was too big for her to finish, but someone with a hearty appetite could probably rip through it entirely.
Her friend ordered the pork loin kebabs, which were served over a bed of rice with a green salad. He remarked how the kebab meat was evenly cooked and maintained juiciness even a t the ends.
My husband ordered the lamb chops, which he described as “juicy and succulent.” His lamb chops were also served over a bed of rice with a green salad on the side, which he liked, but he was most impressed wi th the lamb.
I ordered the falafel burger, which featured a falafel patty, pickles, onions, a generous slab of tomato, lettuce, and tahini sauce. The burger was served with a green salad with a heavy dose of lemon vinegar dressing. The heavy amount of dressing on my salad was the only thing I would change with all the food I encountered.
The falafel burger had a thick patty that was nicely complemented by the tahini sauce. When the server brought it over, he paused and asked if I knew the falafel burger didn’t
have meat. Apparently, some previous guests were upset that the falafel burger didn’t have a beef patty, whereas I would have been upset had there been a beef patty on my fala fel burger.
Our server was very welcoming. He brought us over a small plate of something I can only describe as a bulgur tabbouleh, which he urged us to try on our salads. The lemoninfused dish isn’t on the menu at least that’s what he told us when he brought it over so I’m not entirely sure of the dish’s name. Regardless, it was delicious and had a fresh and vib rant taste.
The server kept our water glasses full and when my husband ordered a coffee, he gave him a thorough tutorial on the sweetness levels he could request. My husband wound up ordering a coffee with a sweetness level of 5, which turned out to be sweet, but not too sweet. If you’ve never had Armenian coffee, you might think this coffee is too strong but if you’re a coffee connoisseur, you’ll probably enjoy the experience of slowly sipping a cup.
My husband paired the coffee with a serving of baklava, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I don’t typically like baklava because every time I’ve eaten it, I’ve found it too sweet, but this baklava I liked. The flavor was balanced and the sweetness didn’t over power. My daughter and her friend shared a serving of baklava and it was gone before I realized they’d even sta rted eating.
The vanilla ice cream had a naturally fresh flavor and featured a honey drizzle. The pair ing of baklava and vanilla ice cream made for a scrumptious ending to a sati sfying meal.
We felt welcomed and appreciated as guests. I don’t know if this place gets packed during peak hours, but I imagine it might. I can only guess that the service is still impressive when the tab les fill up.
We’ll absolutely return to Omaha Kebabs when we have a craving for some delicious Armenian food because Omaha Kebabs is doing someth ing right.
Visit omahakebabs.com for more information.
Baklava with vanilla ice cream and h oney drizzleBARREL & VINE- $$
1311 South 203rd St., Omaha, NE 68130 - 402.504.1777
Barrel and Vine’s restaurant is an elevated food experience that is made from scratch daily with love in our kitchen. Our menu combines a mixture of Chef driven creative dishes, crave-able comfort meals and premium Nebraska steaks. Barrel & Vine also doubles as a live music venue and offers a rooftop bar, outdoor patio with firepits, and dozens of high end bourbons, scotch, and over 100 wine selections. Come check out an experience that is like nothing else in Nebraska. Open 7 days a week. —bvomaha.com
Seven Metro Area Locations:
Bellevue - 10308 S. 23rd St. - 402.292.9096
Miracle Hills - 777 N. 114th St. - 402.498.8855
Downtown - 1003 Capitol Ave. - 402.763.9974
Aksarben - 2102 S. 67th St. - 402.933.3533
Millard - 17666 Welch Plaza - 402.933.8844
Elkhorn - 19020 Evans St. - 402.315.1985
Plattsmouth - 2405 Oak Hill Rd. - 402.298.4166
Voted Omaha’s #1 Sports Bar, DJ’s Dugout is locally and Vietnam Veteran owned. DJ’s Dugout features delicious burgers, wings, wraps, salads, sandwiches and an impressive drink menu. Plus, DJ’s has huge media walls full of HD TVs and projector screens. Catch all the action at DJ’s seven Omaha-area locations.
Dig In... At The Dugout! —djsdugout.com
JAMS- $$
7814 Dodge St. - 402.399.8300 17070 Wright Plz, Ste. 100 - 402.810.9600 1101 Harney St. in the OldMarket - 402.614.9333
Jams is an Omaha restaurant legacy, an “American Grill” that offers a melting pot of different styles and varieties. The dishes are made with high-quality ingredients that pair well with award-winning wines or creative cocktails. —jamseats.com
LE PEEP - $
69th & Pacific - 402.933.2776
177th and Center St. - 402.934.9914
156th St. & W. Dodge Rd. - 402.408.1728 120th and Blondo St. - 402.991.8222
Le Peep puts a wholesome perspective on your favorite neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot. Fresh. Simple. Elegant. Inviting. We put the emphasis on people, both patrons and staff. We focus on providing each of our guests the fresh food and friendly service that they have come to expect. Open daily 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. —lepeepomaha.co m
STELLA’S - $ 106 S. Galvin Road, Bellevue - 402.291.6088
Since 1936, we’ve been making our world-famous Stella’s hamburgers the same way. The family secrets have been handed down to each owner, ensuring that your burger is the same as the one you fell in love with the first time you tried Stella’s. And if it’s your first time, we know you’ll be back! Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Sunday. — stellasbarandgrill.com
Come experience the true taste of homemade ice cream in the Old Market. Since 1986, we’ve created gourmet ice cream flavors in small batches using rock salt and ice. We offer your favorites, plus unique flavors like margarita, green tea, Guinness, and French toast. Special orders available. Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.- Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday. Noon-10 p.m. —tedandwallys.com
VARSITY SPORTS CAFE - $$ Ralston - 9735 Q St. - 402.339.1944 Bellevue - 3504 Samson Way - 402.932.1944 Millard - 14529 F St. - 402.505.6660
Ralston, Bellevue, Millard and Dundee. We are truly grateful to have been welcomed into each of these communities and welcome you in for good food, a cold drink and a comfy seat to enjoy the sport of your choosing! Determined to bring only the freshest ingredients, homemade dough and our spe cialty sauces to the table, we have worked hard to perfect our craft for you. Our goal is to bring the best food service to the area and show the best sports events that you want to see. Pick up and Delivery availalble. Please check website for hours of operation.
—varsityromancoinpizza.com
PASTA AMORE - $$ 11027 Prairie Brook Rd. - 402.391.2585
Pastas are made fresh daily, including tortellini, fettuccine, and capellini. Daily specials and menu items include a variety of fresh seafood and regional Italian dishes, such as linguini amore and calamari steak, penne Florentine, gnocchi, spaghetti puttanesca, and osso buco. Filet mignon is also offered for those who appreciate nationally renowned Nebraska beef. To complement your dining experience, the restaurant offers a full bar and extensive wine list. Be sure to leave room for homemade desserts, like the tiramisu and cannoli. Monday-Thursday 9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10 p.m. Reservations recommended.
—pastaamore.co m
S PEZIA - $$$ 3125 S. 72nd St. - 402.391.2950
Choose Spezia for lunch or dinner, where you’ll find a casual elegance that’s perfect for business guests, get-togethers, or any special occasion.
Exceptional food, wine, and service, with a delectable menu: fresh seafood, certified Angus steaks, innovative pasta, risotto, gnocchi, cioppino, lamb, entrée salads, Mediterranean chicken, flatbreads, and fresh salmon daily. Enjoy a full bar, Italian and California wines, Anniversary/ Lovers’ Booth (call to reserve), private dining rooms, and woodfired grill. Open Monday-Sunday. Cocktail hour 4-6 p.m., when all cocktails, glasses of wine, and beers are half price. Evening reservations recommended. —speziarestaurant.com
FERNANDO’S - $ 7555 Pacific St. - 402.339.8006. 380 N. 114th St. - 402.330.5707
Featuring Sonoran-style cooking made fresh daily. Catering and party rooms also available.
Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.11 p.m., Sunday 4-9 p.m.
158th St. and W. Maple Rd.
- 402.557.6130
156th and Q streets
- 402.763.2555
110th St. and W. Maple Rd.
- 402.496.1101
Fort Crook Rd. and Hwy 370 - 402.733.8754
84th St. and Tara Plaza
- 402.593.0983
Lake Manawa Exit - 712.256.2762
Enjoy awesome appetizers, excellent enchilada’s, fabulous fajitas, seafood specialties, mouthwatering margaritas and much more at La Mesa! Come see why La Mesa has been voted Omaha’s # 1 Mexican Restaurant 19 Years in a Row!
Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. lamesaomaha.co m
90th and Blondo streets
- 402.391.8870
146th St. and W. Center Rd.
- 402.330.4160
96th and L streets
- 402.331.5656
Galvin and Avery roads
- 402.292.2028
29th and Farnam steets
- 402.346.1110
Romeo’s is your friendly, family Mexican food and pizza restaurant. We take real pride in serving our guests generous portions of the freshest, most flavorful dishes made with the finest ingredients available. Zesty seasonings and the freshest ingredients combine to ensure the ultimate in flavor. Our savory taco meat is prepared every morning at each location. Make sure to try our chimichangas; they’re the best in town. —romeosomaha.com
CRESCENT MOON ALE HOUSE - $ 3578 Farnam St. - 402.345.1708
Founded in 1996, we’ve grown into Beer Corner USA with the additions of The Huber Haus German Beer Hall, Max and Joe’s Belgian Beer Tavern, and Beertopia—Omaha’s Ultimate Beer Store. With more than 60 beers on tap and Omaha’s best Reuben sandwich, we are a Midtown beer-lover’s destination. Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Kitchen hours: Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.midnight. Closed Sunday. —beercornerusa.co m
GREEK ISLANDS - $ 3821 Center St. - 402.346.1528
Greek cuisine with specials every day at reasonable prices. We are well-known for our gyro sandwiches and salads. We cater and can accommodate a party for 65 guests. Carry-out and delivery available. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. —greekislandsomaha.co m
West - 132nd and Center
Downtown - 25th and Farnam
One Pacific Place
- Opening this Fall! Drive Thru Kiosk next to Trader Joes
Zen features over 50 popular drink options including Butter Beer, Honey Bee, Lavender Lady and Sunshine Daydream. Choose from hot or iced lattes, blenders, fruit smoothies and teas! Grab a flight or double cup to try the seasonal features! Delicious pastries and toasts made in house daily. —zencoffeecompany.com
1620 S. 10th St. - 402-345-8313
Fascio’s is Omaha’s No. 1 steakhouse. We have been serving Omaha for 69 years. We feature steaks, chops, seafood, and Italian specialties. We have seven private party rooms, seating for up to 400 people, and plenty of parking. —casciossteakhouse.co m
2121 S. 73rd St.
- 402-391-7440
Famous for the original Whiskey Steak. Truly a one-of-a-kind Midwestern experience. Excellent food, wine, service, and value. Rare...and very well done. Open Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Dinner nightly at 5 p.m. —droverrestaurant.com
HARVEST MOON FALL FESTIVAL Oct. 1 at Dawes County Fairgrounds in Chadron. Featuring a goat-roaming contest, haunted maze, archery shoot, home-brew beer contest, a 5K run/walk, and so much more, this festival offers something for everyone. 308.478.3562 —harvestmoonfallfestival.org
GREAT PUMPKIN FESTIVAL Oct. 2-3 at Perry Campus Center in Crete. From the pumpkin carving demo to carnival games, a food court to the Great Pumpkin Giveaway, it will be a day full of entertainment, food, games, and fun the whole family will enjoy. 402.826.2136 —cretepumpkinfest.com
JUNKSTOCK HARVEST EDITION Oct. 7-8 at Sycamore Farms in Waterloo. This one-of-a-kind festival returns to Waterloo’s Scycamore Farms to entice vintage, antique, and yes, ‘junk’ collectors not only state, but nationwide. Hundreds of vendors converge on the farm, showcasing attendees a motley of custom and handmade wares for purchase. The festival also includes live music by seven artists over the span of the three-day event, beginning with the Day Traders 11am on Friday, and capping off with Hector Anchondo 1pm Sunday. An array of food will be provided by area food trucks. One, two, and threeday passes available starting at $10. —junkstock.com
SIP NEBRASKA Oct. 7-8 at Haymarket Park in Lincoln. Wine enthusiasts rejoice, as Sip Nebraska returns to Lincoln’s Haymarket Park invites the community to enjoy unlimited tastings from some of Nebraska’s finest winemakers, brewers, and distillers. The event will also broadcast the Nebraska vs. Rutgers football game live on a 34’ jumbo television on Friday. Tickets start at $20 for non-tasting attendees and $45 for those seeking to sample libations. —blurparties.com/sip-fall
OLD TIME AUTUMN Oct. 8-9 in Brownville. Enjoy the Civil War reenactments, Brownville’s famous chicken and biscuit dinner, museums, and various demon strations and displays. 402.825.6001 —brownvillehistoricalsociety.org
BOO AT THE ZOO Oct. 26-30, at Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Lincoln. Nearly 40 trick-or-treat booths giving out candy, coupons, and more can be found at Lincoln’s largest trick-or-treat event. All proceeds directly support the zoo and care for animals. Reserve a ticket in order to attend. 402.475.6741. —lincolnzoo.org
ELECTRIC CALLBOY / ATTACK ATTACK! Oct. 28 at Royal Grove in Lincoln. Lincoln’s Royal Grove lounge and concert venue is marked to be blitzed by metalcore dynamos ATTACK ATTACK! and the newly outfitted Electric Callboy, known for blending comedy and electronicore mania to hilarious, pulse-pounding effect. The two groups have joined forces and aim to reach new heights during their co-headlined ‘The Level Up’ tour, inviting audiences across the nation to join in their frenetic dash toward the zenith of high-octane musicality. Tickets start at $20 and doors open at 6pm for this all ages performance. 402.413.6832
—theroyalgrove.com
MONSTER MASH Oct 30, Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland. Bring your best Halloween costume and trick or treat around the Museum! Walkthrough a “Not so Scary” Haunted House. Create an item to take with you at our Make and Take station, and more! 402.944.3100.
—sacmuseum.org
OKTOBERFEST Oct. 1-2 at Amana Festhalle Barn in Amana. Beginning with the official keg-tapping ceremony, this festival featuring special food, events, and music—all with a German flare—has been celebrated in the Amana Colonies since 1965. 319.622.7622.
—amanacolonies.com
HALLOWEENAPALOOZA Oct. 7-8 at Bridge View Center in Ottumwa. Currently, in its 12th year, Halloweenapalooza has become known for providing entertainment through its annual film festival which has received international recognition. The weekend will consist of costume contests, live music, and annual film festival which has received international recognition. There will also be appearances by several horror film celebrities. 641.799.9770. —halloweenapalooza.wixsite.com/home
PUMPKINFEST Oct 7. on Main St. in Anamosa. Enjoy a true Main Street Festival and be part of the festivities that have drawn thousands to Anamosa since 1989. Some activities include dozens of food and craft vendors, kids’ games, one of the largest parades in all of Iowa, and of course, giant pumpkins. 319-462-4879
—anamosachamber.org
MAC SABBATH Oct. 8 at Wooly’s in Des Moines. Mac Sabbath is an American parody heavy metal tribute band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2014. The self-appointed founders of "Drive
Thru Metal", the band is primarily a parody of English heavy metal group Black Sabbath, utilizing lyricism and imagery centered on fast food. —woolysdm.com
CALLAHAN PROMOTIONS ARTS AND CRAFT FAIR Oct. 8-9 at MidAmerica Center in Council Bluffs. Roughly 200 exhibitors will be showing and selling their unique products, including paintings and prints; ceramics; yard and garden art; coffee cakes; salsa; jams and jellies; and much more. Every product sold has been handmade by the exhibitor. 563.652.4529. —iowastatefairgrounds.org
MADISON COUNTY COVERED BRIDGE FESTIVAL Oct. 8-9 in Winterset. Priding itself on its uniqueness, this festival encourages visitors to participate in old-time entertainments such as square dancing and marble shooting. The festival also has other activities, including a farmers market, parade, a quilt show, cafe show, and the annual horseshoe tournament. 515.462.1185. —madisoncounty.com
SCENIC DRIVE FESTIVAL Oct. 14-16 in Van Buren County. Thousands will travel to southeastern Iowa for this three-day event. This festival is home to one of Iowa’s largest flea markets, and offers many different opportunities for food and activities. 319.293.7111. —villagesofvanburen.com
2022 ANNUAL GEM, JEWELRY, MINERAL & FOSSIL SHOW Oct.15-16 at Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The 2022 Annual Gem, Jewelry, Mineral & Fossil Show returns to the Iowa State Fairgrounds - Elwell Family Food Center, Sat. Oct. 15th 9am-5pm and Sun. Oct. 16th 10am-4pm. This event is family friendly, with children's activities, speakers, demonstrations, displays, and much more to see. 563.652.4529. —iowastatefairgrounds.org
SPIRIT IN THE GARDENS Oct 22-23 at Reiman Gardens in Ames. Reiman Gardens popular fall celebration is back with even more spooky fun! With 1,000+ intricately carved Jack-O-Lanterns, candy, chemistry experiments, jugglers, cosplay and so much more. Wear your favorite costume and join in the fun. 515.294.2710. —reimangardens.com
11TH ANNUAL WICKIUP FALL FEST Oct. 29 at Wickiup Hill Learning Center in Linn County. Kick off the fall season and enjoy a morning of family fun. Come out and experience our friendly trick or treat hike through the woods, pumpkin bowling, straw scramble, creepy critters, and more! Aimed at ages 3-10, but younger and older siblings welcome. Costumes encouraged! —mycountyparks.com
SCREAM ACRES Oct 1-29 at Bloomsbury Farm in Atkins. Three indoor haunts and haunted cornfield with original story lines, trained actors and talented make-up artists, scream acres creates a haunting experience that truly brings your nightmares to real life. it will be an unforgettable night that haunts you far beyond one night in October.
COLUMBUS DAY FESTIVAL AND HOT AIR BALLOON REGATTA Oct. 7-9 at Various Locations in Columbus. One of the fastest-growing festivals in southeast Kansas, the main attraction is hot air balloons, but the event also includes art
exhibits, a car show, and more. 620.429.1492. —columbusdayballoons.com
WOODSTOCK 2022 Oct 1. Sedgwick County Park in Wichita. Gather with thousands of fellow pet owners and animal enthusiasts for Kansas Humane Society’s fundraising event and festival “Woofstock”, which has become one of the largest events of its kind in the midwest. Participate in the Woof Walk & Breakfast, listen to live music from Dangie Music & Tequila Ridge, compete in stage contests, hang out at the beer garden, shop at vendor booths, and chow down at the food trucks. Check out activities like ruff races, doggy agility course, kid’s play clinic, photo booth, live demos from the WPD’s K-9 Unit, and more. —kshumane.org/woofstock
ICT BLOCKTOBERFEST Oct 7-8. at Wichita Union Station in Wichita. Wichita’s Union Station will be transformed into a Biergarten featuring live music, food, games, and of course –bier. The tap trucks will be loaded with an amazing selection of local, regional, and German beers. Kid and dog friendly. Free admission to the event.
OCT.
GREATER KANSAS CITY JAPAN FESTIVAL Oct 8. at Johnson County Community College in Kansas City. Look forward to traditional Japanese musical performances, Japanese candy artist, traditional Japanese food, traditional Japanese snacks and sweets, bazaar shopping extravaganza, exhibits, Japanese cultural village for kids, martial arts, anime & manga, workshops, demonstrations, and cultural presentations. —kcjapanfestival.org
KC RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL HAUNTED HUZZAH Oct. 15-16 in Bonner Springs. Trick or Treat around the grounds in your spookiest costume, join in some creepy contests & march in our Death Parade. But don’t worry –it’s still a family-friendly good time. —kcrenfest.com
01MAPLE LEAF FESTIVAL Oct. 15-16 in Baldwin City. This traditional weekend has over 300 craft exhibits, quilt shows and displays, performing arts, music, food, and more. The festival is the biggest fall family event in the area, and provides the opportunity for local, non-profit organizations to raise money. 785.594.7564. —mapleleaffestival.com
HAY, HOOVES, & HALLOWEEN Oct. 22-23 at Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita. There’s no place spookier than Cowtown during Halloween! A truly safe trick or treating family experience! The Headless Horseman rides the streets, zombie cowboys fight it out in an undead gunfight, ghosts haunt the historic houses, there's dancing, and of course, the kids can get lots of candy! 316.350.3323 —oldcowtown.org
ECHOS OF FEAR Oct 28-29. at Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita. Cowtown's ADULTS ONLY Halloween party! Check out our super scary haunted house attractions, plus drinks for sale from Shaken or Stirred Bartending and delicious food for sale from The Bomb BBQ! Pretend Friend will be playing awesome live music. Also, enjoy our spooky displays and photo ops with your friends. Come in costume! 18 to enter, 21 to drink. 316.350.3323 —oldcowtown.org
NIGHT OF THE LIVING FARM Oct. 21-22. and 28-29. at Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead in Overland Park. Attendees can experience the Farmstead after dark, if they dare. Enjoy traditional “spooktacular” fun such as scary and non-scary hayrides, a fortune teller, flashlight scavenger hunt, fairy princess party, rand a marshmallow roast. There will also be games, horse-drawn wagon rides, and more. 913.322.6467. —artsandrec-op.org
REPUBLIC PUMPKIN DAYS Sept. 30 through Oct. 1 at J.R. Martin Park in Republic. Since 1992, Republic, Missouri, has hosted its Pumpkin Daze festival on the first Saturday in October. In 2022, they are expanding to a twoday celebration, with even longer hours on Saturday. Make plans to join on Friday, October 30, and Sat urday, October 1.
There's no better place to experience the spirit of autumn in the Ozarks. Giant pumpkins draw participants from the entire region, and vendors gather to show off fall arts and crafts, and families from all over the Ozarks gather to celebrate the harvest season like so many generations before them.
WESTON APPLEFEST Oct. 1-2 at Downtown Weston in Weston. Join us for the 34th Annual Apple fest, kicking off with a parade down Main St. at 10am on Saturday. Crafts and artisans, food and drinks, kid’s games, apple dumplings, entertainment, and outdoor fun.
KC OKTOBERFEST Oct 7-8 Kansas City, MO. Modeled after the Munich Okto berfest in Germany, KC Oktoberfest is Kansas City’s largest traditional Okto berfest. Come enjoy the brewery’s authentic German-style bier, Lively entertainment, exceptional Bavarion and American cuisine, games and com petitions, and family-friendly activities.
—kcoktoberfest.com
KANSAS CITY BRIDAL & WEDDING EXPO Oct 30. at Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City. At the #1 bridal & wedding services expo, you’ll find everything you need to have the perfect wedding day! Whether you envision a formal black-tie affair or a casual bare foot ceremony on the beach, their care fully selected experts are ready to offer advice in creating timeless memories for your perfect wedding. Find the perfect gown, DJ, photographer, reception venue, band, honeymoon destination, and more.
—bridalshowsmo-kc.com
MISSOURI DAY FESTIVAL Oct. 14-15 at North Central Missouri Fairgrounds in Trenton. The Missouri Day Festival is the largest festival of the year for Trenton. This is a family-friendly event that hosts activities for persons of every age. Adults and children alike can shop with nearly 120 different vendors who come from all over the United States. Many vendors return year after year for this well-attended event. Come out to play, eat, and have fun. In con junction with the festival, there is also a marching band competition for high schools throughout Missouri.
—trentonmochamber.com
MISSOURI
The other day while I was planted in my Barcalounger, remote control clenched tightly in my left hand I’m ambidextrous when remote controlling wandering around YouTube videos of the world’s oddestlooking airplanes, cruise ships running into docks, and people who made unlucky choices around bemused wild animals, I overheard my wife say to her mother over the phone, “It’s just a stage he’s going through.”
As usual, she is most likely right. I am currently in my “Crazy YouTube Video” stage. We’ve been married for a few months of Sundays, and I have indeed been through more than a baker’s dozen stages. Some of which I actually remember clearly. Those stages that I do not remember clearly are defined by that very characteristic as my “foggy” stages. After all, in each life, some fog must fall.
But beyond those blank spots on the map of my life marked “Here Be Dragons,” there are a few stages in my life that I remember clearly.
1. My “Not Working Up To His Ability” Stage: This was when I was in elementary school. The nuns, especially Sister Rose Agnes, were fond of noting in exquisite Palmer penmanship on each of my report cards that I was, indeed, not reaching my potential as they defined it. My mother seemed to ignore their evaluation, and my father seemed more concerned about my lack of dedication to anything except working on improving my hitting breaking balls in Little League.
2. My second “Not Working Up To His Ability” Stage: This was, of course, my time in high school. In those years, Father Wilfred and Brother Norbert never actually wrote the accusation on an evaluation, but they certainly believed it to be true, else they would have never, in Wilfred’s case, made me editor-in-chief of the school paper a slot traditionally held by underachievers in secondary schools and the offices of our nation’s newspapers everywhere. Nor would Norbert have made me the eighth slot hitter on the baseball team if I could have handled even a mediocre curve ball.
3. My third “Not Working Up To His Ability” Stage: This was, obviously, my time at university. Though by then, no one really cared, and since I’d given up on my baseball career by that point, the entire concept of “ability” had become a bit foggy to me. I mean, if I wasn’t going to be a starter with the Cubs ala Hank Sauer, what’s the point? I did manage to set a record for the highest GPA while cutting over a hundred classes…so I had that going for me.
4. My next “Not Working Up To His Ability” Stage: This was in law school, when I quit after nine weeks to go on a tour with a rock & roll vaudeville band. In Show Biz, the term “ability” is replaced by the rather imprecise concept of “talent.” I didn’t have much of that, so I may have actually found my niche at long last.
5. Next, I entered my “Being a Parent” Stage: In this stage, you are guaranteed not to work up to your ability, but you do your best and they give you a “Best Dad” coffee mug.
6. Finally, here I am in my “Crazy YouTube Video” Stage: He'res where I found out that cruise ships are dangerous, scientists are always finding out scary stuff, and that they have made approximately 123,000,000 “Best Dad” coffee mugs in the last 18 months. So, maybe the award might not be as exclusive as I originally thought.
At any rate, here I am hoping this stage doesn’t last much longer; TV is such a bore. I’m desperately hoping that my next stage includes a beach to walk and lots of shrimp to eat. I’m good at both those things at long last, a couple of abilities I can “work up to.”
Otis Twelve hosts the radio program Morning Classics with Otis Twelve on 90.7 KVNO, weekday mornings from 6-10 a.m. Visit kvno.org for more information.
