Omaha Magazine - 2021 Adventure Issue - May 2021

SIXTY COUNTRIES AND COUNTING • WRITER RACHEL SHUKERT • STARGAZING IN OMAHA • EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE CAFE

2021 ADVENTURE ISSUE

Get Outdoors in Nebraska’s Parks

M AY 2021 | U.S. $4.95

TR ADITIONS BEGIN AT THE COT TONWOOD HOTEL JOIN US FOR AFTERNOON TEA The Cottonwood Hotel and Artemis Teas bring back the art of tea service. Offered in the historic Orleans Room from 11:30AM-2PM each Saturday and Sunday.

To reserve a table, please call 531-721-2191 or visit www.resy.com.

E AT + D R I N K | M E E T I N G S & E V E N T S | W E D D I N G S | C AT E R I N G | T E A S E R V I C E S

T H E C O T T O N W O O D H O T E L . C O M | 3 0 2 S . 3 6 TH S T R E E T | 4 0 2 . 8 1 0 . 9 5 0 0

— thank you for voting us —

#1 BEST AXE THROWING IN OMAHA & OMAHA'S CHOICE FOR BEST DATE NIGHT FLYING TIMBER IS OMAHA’S ORIGINAL AXE THROWING VENUE. BOOK A LANE, INVITE SOME FRIENDS, HAVE A DRINK, GRAB AN AXE, THROW IT AT THE WALL FOR FUN!

GROUP RATES AVAILABLE PERFECT FOR CORPORATE EVENTS & HOLIDAY PARTIES

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ENJOY THE OUTDOORS. BE ENTERTAINED. SHOP, EAT, DRINK. WELCOME TO SARPY COUNTY! Renaissance Festival, Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch

Walnut Creek Recreation Area t, Bellevue

Fontenelle Fores

Werner Park, Papillion

UPCOMING EVENTS

Werner Park, Papillion

Wildlife Safari

MAY 1-2 AND 8-9 Renaissance Festival Bellevue Berry &

Pint NIne Brewing Co.

Pumpkin Ranch, Bellevue MAY 4-9 AND MAY 25-30 Omaha Stormchasers HOME Werner Park, Papillion Platteview Country Club

Sarpy County will be awaiting with a wonderful mix of fun things to see and do. Catch an Omaha Storm Chasers game. Drop your canoe in the Platte at Schramm State Park. Spend

Nebraska Crossing Outlets, Gretna

Springfield Drug Old

Fashioned Soda Fou

the day at Fontenelle Forest or the evening at one of our many local breweries, disilleries and winery. We’ll have outdoor recreation, historical sites and seasonal fun you can only find here in Sarpy County. For the area’s most complete and up-to-date listing of restaurants, hotels, events and more, be sure to visit us online at GoSarpy.com!

BELLEVUE • GRETNA • LA VISTA • PAPILLION • SPRINGFIELD • OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE • OMAHA METRO

ntain

FROM THE EDITOR // LETTER BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN, MANAGING EDITOR

JOURNEY TO THE EDGE OF NEBRASKA, OR THE WORLD M ay I s s u e B r i n g s N e w A dv e n t u r e s

T

he past year was an adventure for most people—whether that means they stayed indoors and baked, or juggled work and school, or they took the time to try new things. Many people, myself included, forwent planned vacations. Others altered plans.

Whatever happened, most people want this year’s summer plans to include favorite vacation spots and outings.

This May issue brings adventure to our readers in time to start arranging trips. I know my husband and I will be thinking about going camping in the warmer months, hopefully with some close friends. The main feature takes readers through Nebraska’s state parks, from nearby Mahoney State Park to parks in western Nebraska. The article profiles several people who, like my husband and me, spend weekends and weeks in nature.

Talking to a friend of mine one day, I learned about the subjects of our Sixty-Plus profile, David Harding and his wife, Sarah Newman.

That cliche ice-breaker about taking three things with you on a deserted island practically came true for them in March 2020, when they arrived in New Zealand days before the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their story is fascinating, from how few people were on the island to what they were and were not able to do during their extended vacation. I did not have enough space to discuss the entire adventure.

Also in Sixty-Plus is an article about motels, a topic that raises memories for many people. It certainly does for me. I have stayed at motels in a couple of places I clearly remember. When I was 13, my family and I went to the south, specifically New Orleans, for a conference at which my dad spoke. On the way there, we drove through Jackson, Mississippi, and south to a minute town, most likely Florence, Mississippi. We pulled into the motel, spent the night, and, the next morning ate breakfast in the town’s cafe. Right away, the pastor at one of the few churches in town recognized that we were strangers and came over to say hello. On one of our annual trips to Colorado, my family and I drove through the Sandhills and landed in Mullen, Nebraska, for the night.

The second feature spotlights a young woman whose passion is traveling. Jamie Thomas flew to South Korea on a one-way ticket, and has since visited more than 60 countries. Thomas became so passionate about traveling she has founded a group in Omaha for fellow jet-setters to meet each other and talk.

Taking a local adventure can mean trying island-inspired food, hiking a new path, kayaking or fishing on the lake, perusing macabre artifacts, and more. Our Obviously Omaha feature takes people beyond Nebraska into the night skies for stargazing, and one dining feature takes people to the Edge of the Universe. Reading this magazine could be considered an adventure, as it can take viewers in many different directions. * 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.

MAY

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2021

TAB L E of CON T E N T S THE USUAL SUSPECTS 003 From the Editor

Journey to the Edge of Nebraska, or the World

006 Between the Lines 008 Calendar of Events 040 History

WASPS of Nebraska

065 Obviously Omaha Stargazing Spots

085 Instagram 086 Explore!

088 Not Funny

Music to My Ears (Where Else?)

A R T S + C U LT U R E 014 Music

Liz Gre

018 Visual

Joe Horacek

020 Entertainment Rachel Shukert

022 Photography Alex Hopes

028

F E AT U R E S

026 028 JAMIE’S JOURNEY 032 GETTING OUTDOORS AND AWAY FROM IT ALL SORORITY ROW

Eppley Shores Kayak Chics

One Nebraska Woman’s Adventures

Tired of Being at Home? Start Packing

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MAY 2021

PE O P L E 038 Profile

Nate and Kaleigh Raterman

042 Sports

Husker Bass Anglers

GIVING 044 Feature

Jami Biodrowski

046 Calendar SPECIAL SECTION 048 Sponsored Content From Bully to Bestie

153 trees have been reforested

due to the printing of our last round of publications.

Learn more at

.com

SIXTY COUNTRIES AND COUNTING • WRITER RACHEL SHUKERT • STARGAZING IN OMAHA • EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE CAFE

2021 ADVENTURE ISSUE

Get Outdoors in Nebraska’s Parks

M AY 2021 | U.S. $4.95

60PLUS IN OMAHA

018

A B O U T T HE COV ER Michael Hennings bikes the trails through Nebraska regularly each summer.

055 Active Living

Kirk Brumbaugh

058 Profile

David Harding and Sarah Newman

060 Nostalgia Motels

062 Active Living Jim Arbuckle

064 Prime Time Paul Prentiss

DINING 066 Profile

Justin Halbert

068 Review

Isla Del Mar

074 Feature

Edge of the Universe Cafe

078 Dining Guide

068

read online at omahamagazine.com

Between

THE LINES A LOOK AT FOUR OMAHA MAGAZINE TEAM MEMBERS MADY BESCH—Graphic Designer II Despite the circumstances, Besch had a lot to be thankful for in 2020. In March, she celebrated the addition of a Whoodle (Wheaten terrier/poodle mix) puppy named Ahsoka; in August, she got engaged to the love of her life, Ryan, on top of a mountain in Colorado; in November, a stray kitten, Ember, walked onto their doorstep and into their hearts; and at the end of the year, she celebrated four creative and fun-filled years at Omaha Magazine. Even though she sees magazines before they go to press, she says it’s still like Christmas morning when they arrive in her mailbox. She loves spending time with her furry family (including Ryan), thrifting, and with her loved ones. She hopes this year she can attend concerts and see family members who were affected and isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

KYLE FISHER—Accounting/Operations Manager Fisher’s career has taken him on a full-circle adventure. More than 30 years ago, his sports management career started with the Omaha Royals. His wife, Phyllis, is a former military brat, so it was relatively easy for her to travel with Kyle on eight different sports gigs in eight years, the eighth being the Omaha Stormchasers. Their son, Travis, grew up in the area and started college at Nebraska Wesleyan in fall 2020. Memorable moments at the ballpark include a stadium bomb threat, an exploding field sprinkler that provided the teams with a pregame shower before the first pitch, and a dinner with Hall of Fame player George Brett and Warren Buffett.

KIM REINER—Freelance Writer Reiner is known to get up at 5 a.m. to write and actually enjoy it. By day, she’s the director of marketing and public relations at Omaha Children’s Museum; by night, she writes her hyperlocal family travel blog, ohmyomaha.com. She’s the author of Lost Restaurants of Omaha.

Reiner is an Omaha native married to the funniest guy she knows, and has a son and daughter who share his sense of humor. She has two rescue dogs that make the worst home office mates, so it’s a good thing they’re cute.

MIKE WHYE—Freelance Writer Whye is a freelance photographer and writer whose works appear in newspapers and magazines. He is the author of books, including most recently, Off the Beaten Path: The Dakotas and Iowa’s Historic Places. Photo books by him include Omaha Impressions and Nebraska Simply Beautiful. He has photographed for the tourism departments of Nebraska and Iowa. A native Texan, Whye is an adjunct instructor teaching photojournalism at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He lives in Council Bluffs with his wife, Dorie Stone.

Their children are in Portland; Madison, Wisconsin; and Chicago.

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MAY 2021

MAY 2021 VOLUME 39 // ISSUE 2

On Sale Now!

On Sale Now!

On Sale Now!

EDITORIAL Managing Editor

DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN Senior Editor

TARA SPENCER Associate Editor

LINDA PERSIGEHL Contributing Writers

KAMRIN BAKER · TAMSEN BUTLER · JENNA GABRIAL GALLAGHER VIRGINIA KATHRYN GALLNER · DAWN GONZALES · CHRIS HATCH SARA LOCKE · JOSEFINA LOZA · LISA LUKECART · KATRINA MARKEL SEAN MCCARTHY · PATRICK MCGEE · NICHOLAS MOORE NIZ PROSKOCIL · KIM REINER · SEAN ROBINSON · JOEL STEVENS DOUGLAS “OTIS TWELVE” WESSELMANN · MIKE WHYE

April 30–May 23

May 21–June 20

Howard Drew Theatre

Hawk Mainstage Theatre

June 4–27

Howard Drew Theatre

CREATIVE Creative Director

MATT WIECZOREK Senior Graphic Designer

DEREK JOY Graphic Designer II

MADY BESCH Contributing Photographers

JUSTIN BARNES · KEITH BINDER · COLIN CONCES SCOTT DRICKEY · JOSHUA FOO · WILLIAM HESS · SARAH LEMKE

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PAUL BASHUS · DAWN DENNIS · GEORGE IDELMAN Contributing Branding Specialists

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OPERATIONS Accounting/Operations Manager

KYLE FISHER Ad Traffic Manager

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Distribution Manager

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EXECUTIVE Executive Publisher

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GREG BRUNS Associate Publisher

BILL SITZMANN For Advertising & Subscription Information:

402.884.2000 Omaha Magazine Vol 39 Issue II, publishes monthly except February, April, August, November, December, totaling 8 issues by Omaha Magazine, LTD, 5921 S. 118 Circle, Omaha, NE 68137. Periodical postage at Omaha, NE, and additional offices and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Omaha Magazine, 5921 S. 118 Circle, Omaha, NE 68137

Joslyn Art Museum features works from antiquity to the present. Whether inside or out, the galleries offer a safe, relaxing, and artful destination for all.

explore

NOW

For current visitor guidelines, special exhibitions, and hours, visit www.joslyn.org

AT

MEGAN BARTHOLOMEW

2200 Dodge St. | Omaha, NE | (402) 342-3300 | www.joslyn.org MAY 2021

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EVENTS

» Museums « AMPLIFY ARTS

Located at 1419 S. 13th St., Suite 103 . Amplify

Arts promotes unity, innovation, and progress in the arts to build strong and vibrant communities.

They support works by local artists and span ideas from political to progressive. Admission: Free. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 402.996.1092.

–amplifyarts.org

ANDERSON O’BRIEN FINE ART

Located at 3201 Farnam St., Suite 6109. New

works (sculptures, paintings, pottery, blown glass, jewelry, etc.) from Midwest regional artists are continuously on display. Admission: Free. Monday-Saturday:10 a.m-5.30 p.m. 402.884.0911.

–aobfineart.com

ARTISTS’ COOPERATIVE GALLERY LTD.

Located at 405 S 11th St. Omaha’s original fine

art cooperative gallery, part of Omaha’s historic Old Market since 1975. Everything in the gallery is changed at the beginning of each month with a special rotating display in the “featured exhibit” area that highlights new or experimental work by the artists. Admission:Free. 7 to 9 p.m.

402.342.9617.

–artistscoopomaha.com

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MAY 2021

GARDEN OF THE ZODIAC

Located at 1024 Howard St. An art gallery and

sculpture garden containing the 22 bronze sculptures representing the signs of the zodiac and planets. The center of the small pool in the garden, which is filled with many flowers and plants in the summer, is the theoretical position of the earth in relation to the other celestial bodies. The Garden is maintained and made available to the public by the Old Omaha Association. Admission: Free.

402.341.1877.

–gardenofthezodiac.com

GERALD R. FORD BIRTHSITE AND GARDENS

Located at 3202 Woolworth Ave. The ornate

Victorian home was one of the finest in Omaha.

The three-story, 14 room house reflects the wealth of its occupants, the King family. Admission: Free.

7.30 a.m.-9 p.m. 402.444.5940.

–nebraskahistory.org

HOT SHOPS ART CENTER

Located at 1301 Nicholas St. A 92,000-square-

foot art center with four hot shops featuring working artists in glass blowing, pottery, bronze casting and blacksmithing. See the 50 individual studios and two art galleries, the artwork and the creative process.

Artwork includes watercolors, oils, acrylics, fiber art, photography, pastels, jewelry, printmaking, stained glass, fused glass, metal and wood sculpture, furniture restoration, lampworking, ceramics, mixed media and more. Admission: Free. 9 a.m -6 p.m. Weekends: 11a.m.-5 p.m. 402.342.6452.

–hotshopsartcenter.org

JOSLYN ART MUSEUM

Located at 2200 Dodge St. Joslyn Art Museum

has a vast array of exhibits and sculptures to explore including Claude Monet’s The Meadow (1879), The Maximilian Journals, the beautiful sculptures of Peter Kiewit Foundation Sculpture Garden, the interactive outdoor Discovery garden and other outdoor sculptures. Admission: Free.

Wednesday through Sunday: 10 a.m.- 4p.m. 402.

342.3300.

–joslyn.org

MAPLE ST. CONSTRUCT

Located at 5912 Maple St. Th is Benson area

gallery looks to bridge the discourse between artists from Los Angeles and the Midwest through local and West Coast exhibitions. Admission: 402.525.0330.

–maplestconstruct.com

MALCOLM X BIRTHSITE

Located at 3448 Evans St. The birthsite of one of

the most important figures in Civil Rights history.

The site includes stunning gardens and a greenhouse. Admission: Free. Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Summer Hours: Open Saturdays 10 a.m.

- 4 p.m. and Sunday. 1-4 p.m. Monday-Friday: by appointment. 800.645.9287.

–malcolmxfoundation.org

MODERN ARTS MIDTOWN

Located at 3615 Dodge St. Modern Arts Mid-

town has evolved from a tradition of museum style presentation to a studio-like mix of hanging and stacked art of inbound and outbound projects by artists: a “behind the scenes” approach to seeing more in an informal setting. Viewing is available by appointment. 402.502.8737 –modernartsmidtown.com

LANDLOCK GALLERY

Located at 4011 Farnam St. A new art gal-

lery and shop in the Blackstone District that focuses on supporting Nebraska creatives, and features artwork that encourages interaction by new and emerging local artists. Admission: free.

Wednesday-Saturday: 2-7p.m. Sunday: 12-5 p.m.

402.658.1332.

–landlockgallery.com

MUSEUM OF SHADOWS.

Located at 3615 Dodge St. Recently voted one

of the most haunted museums in the world, this museum hosts as many as 3000 different haunted artifacts, from the US and multiple countries around the world. Admission: $15. Wednesday-Friday: 5-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 2-10 p.m. 402.885.7557.

–museumofshadows.com

Five venues, five unique celebration experiences. Hosting events for 100 - 1,000 guests, Omaha Event Group boasts 15 years of experience with over 300 events each year, including Omaha Fashion Week. Schedule a consultation with our team of experts today. hello@omahaeventgroup.com | 402.819.8792 | omahaeventgroup.com Omaha Design Center | The Downtown Club | Empire Room | Omaha Palazzo | Anderson O'Brien Fine Art Gallery

MAY 2021

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OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

PASSAGEWAY GALLERY

Located at 417 S. 11th St. A cooperative arts

gallery established in 1981, featuring the works of 21 local artists. Oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, drawings, pottery, fused glass, blown glass, jewelry, photography, woodcarving and more.

First Friday openings occur each month at the gallery featuring one of their artists. Admission: Free.Monday-Tuesday: 11a.m.-5 p.m.; Wednesday-Saturday: 11a.m.-9p.m., Sunday 12-5 p.m.

402.341.1910.

–passagewaygallery.com

PROJECT PROJECT

Located at 1818 Vinton St. Project Project is an

experimental space that focuses on promoting and enhancing the experience of art, music, and lectures in the Omaha community. 402.680.6737.

–projectprojectomaha.com

UNDESIGN THE REDLINE - COMMUNITY CONVERSATION | VIRTUAL TOUR

May 11 hosted online by The Union for Contemporary Art The interactive Undesign the Redline

RBRG

exhibit goes in depth into the foundations of structural racism and the lingering effects of Redlining in Omaha and across the country. Attendees are encouraged to first view the pre-recorded tour of the exhibit on the website and then engage in a community dialogue about the importance of this history and how it may be overcome. Admission: Free. 11 a.m-1 p.m. 402.933.3161.

–u-ca.org

Located at 1806 Vinton St. RBRG places an

emphasis on fine art prints, and aims to encourage and support the growth and understanding of fine art prints and fine crafts as vital contemporary art forms. Admission: free. Wednesday - Saturday 10 a.m. -6 p.m.402.496.4797.

–rbrg.org

SPRINGFIELD ARTWORKS.

Located at 183 Main St., Springfield. A con-

JAMES CAMERON CHALLENGING THE DEEP

May temporary boutique, studio and gallery that aims to appeal to collectors, designers and Starting May 22 at Durham Museum, 801 students of glass, fiber art and millinery. The S. 10th St. The exhibition follows explorer and filmmaker James Cameron’s achievements gallery specializes in glass art, fascinators, Derby in deep-ocean science, engineering, and explorahats and accessories. All artworks are available tion and features his record-breaking dive to the for purchase. Admission: Free. Tuesday-Friday: 10 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.. bottom of the earth in his Deepsea Challenger Sunday-Monday: By appointment. 402.301.9162. submersible. Admission: $11 adults, $8 seniors –springfieldartworks.com (62+), $7 children ages 3-12, and free for members and children ages 2 and under. Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-4p.m., Sundays: 12-4 p.m. 402.444.5071. » Exhibitions « –durhammuseum.org

22

JUAN DE DIOS SÁNCHEZ

Through May to July 1 at K ANEKO, 1111 Jones St. The first American exhibit by Mexican ceram-

icist Juan de Dios Sánchez, featuring images and stories that live “in the blood of all Mexicans.”

This collection represents the evolution of a Raku fire technique. Admission: Free. 11 a.m-7 p.m.

402-341-3800.

–thekaneko.org

FANTASTICAL FOLKLORE

Through May 1 to May 9 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. A recurring exclusive exhibit,

set in the garden’s plant kingdom, highlighting legends from around the world and celebrating the link between the natural and mythical worlds.

The exhibit features stories of dragons, mermaids, fairies, trolls, and a range of other extraordinary creatures, created by garden staff and local artists.

Admission: $10 adults, $5 children ages 3-12, and free for members and children ages 2 and under.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. 402.346.4002.

–lauritzengardens.org

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MAY 2021

GAME ON!

May 29-Dec 31 at Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S 20th St. This interactive children’s exhibit

brings well-known board games and popular video games to real life adventures. Admission: $14 nonmembers, adults, and children ages 2-17, $13 seniors (60+), and free for members and children under 24 months. 9 a.m.-3p.m. 402.342.6164.

–ocm.org

VIRTUAL TOUR

Ongoing online, created by Boys Town Hall of History, 14100 Crawford St. Anyone can view

the sights of the iconic Boystown from the comfort of their own home. The Hall of History virtual tour includes stops such as Relics of the Past, Art and Symbolism, and The Dream Continues.

Admission: free. 531-355-1111.

–boystown.org

» Concerts « CANAAN COX

May 1 at Barnato, 225 N 170th St. Country singer

and songwriter Canaan Cox performs at Barnato, in an event presented by JSP productions. 21+ event. Tickets: $15-$250. 8:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.

402.964.2021.

–barnatolounge.com

OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

ADELITA’S WAY

May 8 at Barnato 225 N 170th St. A performance

ANDY WILLIAM & THE NEBRASKA ALL STARS

May 8 at The Jewell, 1030 Capitol Ave. Andy

William and The Nebraska All Stars perform Latin music celebrating “El Dia Del Son Cuban.” Tickets: $15. 6.30 p.m. and 9.30 May p.m shows. 917.748.4337.

–Jewellomaha.com

15

May 8- 9 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. The orchestra group Pink Mar-

tini will perform an exciting around-the-world musical celebration that is part big band, part classical ensemble, and part salsa troupe. Admission: $20-$89. Saturday: 7:30 p.m. Sunday: 2 p.m. 402.345.0202.

–o-pa.org

BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL

Jazz Album of the Year, Bria Skonberg will perform live at the Holland Performing Arts Centre.

A pre show curtain warmer session will be held in the theatre lobby one hour prior to the show, with one of the UNO Jazz Festival combos, led

by Darren Pettit. The group will showcase their talent and talk about the creative process. 7.30. p.m. 402.345.0202.

–o-pa.org

man” by The New York Times, two-time Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will perform in Omaha as part of his tour. Tickets:$20-$89.

7:30 p.m. 402.345.0202.

–o-pa.org

May 12 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. 2017 JUNO Winner for Vocal

by the independent alternative rock band from Las Vegas, presented by JSP productions. 21+ event. Tickets: $20-$400.8:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.

402.964.2021.

–barnatolounge.com

OMAHA SYMPHONY: PINK MARTINI

BRIA SKONBERG

JACKAL

May 15 at at Barnato 225 N 170th St. An EDM set displayed by DJ Jackal and presented by JSP Productions. 21+event. Tickets: $20-$350. 10 p.m.-2 a.m. 402.964.2021.

–barnatolounge.com

DAVID ARCHULETA

May 21-22 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Dubbed “the last leading

KARI JOBE

May 22 at Orpheum Theatre, 409 S. 16th St.

Musician Kari Jobe will make an appearance to perform. Jobe is a well-respected worship leader, using her gifts to lead people into the presence of God for nearly two decades, She began leading worship at age 13 and since then has been nominated for a GRAMMY®, won multiple Dove Awards, had a RIAA Gold Certified single and been praised by the New York Times. Admission: $32.50-194.50 . 7.30 p.m. 402.661.850.

–o-pa.org

May 17 at Slowdown, 729 N.14 St. The sing-

er-songwriter and American Idol star will be bringing his OK, All Right tour to Slowdown.

Tickets: $25 advance, $30 day of the show, $40 reserved pit-side seats, and $140 VIP add-ons. 8 p.m. 402.345.7569.

–theslowdown.com

» Performances « JEFF DYE

April 30-May 1 at Omaha Funny Bone, 17305 Davenport St. Jeff rey Dye, comedian and actor

of NBC’s new series Better Late Than Never, will present his routine at Omaha’s premier comedy club.Tickets $17-$68. 7.30 p.m. (402) 493-8036.

–omaha.funnybone.com

HAL SPARKS OMAHA

May 1 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Actor and comedian Hal Sparks, known for

his role as inventive scientist Donald Davenport in Disney XD’s “Lab Rats,” and star of the Showtime comedy special, “Charmageddon,” will present his comedy routine. Admission: $20. 8 p.m.

402.884.5353 –waitingroomlounge.com

VITALY: AN EVENING OF WONDERS

May 8 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St.

Vitaly Beckman, referred to as “one of the most unique and innovative illusionists in the world” by the Chicago Tribune, displays his signature illusions. Admission: Tickets start at $20. 7.30 p.m. 402.661.8501 –o-pa.org

» Family & More « YOGA FOR BEGINNERS

Through May 19 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Lauritzen Gardens invites all those

interested to engage in calming yoga exercises to slow down, reconnect with their bodies, and be one with nature. Perfect for both beginners and regular Yoga practitioners. Attendees are requested to bring their own mat or towel. Admission:$15 Non-members, and $10 Members. 6-7:30 p.m.

402.346.4002.

–lauritzengardens.org

MAY 2021

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OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

JOSLYN CASTLE PUBLIC TOUR

MAIFEST

LEASHES AT LAURITZEN

mansion in the heart of Midtown Omaha, first opened to visitors in 1903. Visitors get a tour of the mansion, which was once the home of Nebraska’s first millionaires George and Sarah Joslyn. The tour includes a 10 minute video and a 45 minute walking tour of the three levels of the Castle.

An elevator is available for guests with mobility issues. Masks are required to enter and there is a guest limit of 10 guests. Admission: $10 Adult, $8 Student, Senior (60+) & military personnel with ID. Thursday at 2 p.m. 402.595.2199.

–joslyncastle.com

brating the local cultures within Germany, as well as the arrival of warmer weather, and Bock Beer.

Attendees will be regaled with musical and dance performances, live bands, and German food.

Admission: free. 11 a.m.-11p.m. 402.333.6615.

–germanamericansociety.org

to walk their dogs and explore 100 acres and miles of trails with their families and their dogs. Two dogs are permitted per adult, and the dogs must be leashed, up-to-date on their vaccinations, and have a current rabies tag attached. Water and treats will be provided. Tickets may be purchased on-site or reserved online. Admission: $10 + tax and free to members. 5-8 p.m. 402.346.4002.

–lauritzengardens.org

Thursdays through May at Joslyn Castle, 3902 Davenport St. Joslyn Castle is a Scottish Baronial

May 1 at German American Society, 3717 S. 120th St. The annual German spring festival cele-

OMAHA RED DEVILS VS. AUSTIN SOUND

May 1 at Ralston Arena, 7300 Q St. Football

icon Mike Ditka kicks off his new league, the X League nationally and in Omaha at the Ralston Arena. Watch a live 7-on-7 full-contact tackle football game featuring prominent female athletes.

Admission: $19-$54. 7 p.m. 402.934.9966.

–ralstonarena.com

MIDWEST COLLECTIBLE TOY SHOW

Starting April 25 at Omaha Firefighters Union, Local 385, 6005 Grover St. Pop culture collect-

ibles showcased by local vendors. Includes Star Wars, Star Trek, LEGO and Marvel superhero comics, posters, action figures, vintage toys, books, games and more. Free parking is provided with the event. Admission: free. 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 402.650.6129.

–scifiomaha.com

JUNKSTOCK, SPRING EDITION

April 30-May 2 & May 7-9 at Sycamore Farms, 1150 River Rd. Dr. Omaha’s own vintage festival

featuring vintage, antique and junk vendors, along with makers, bands and food trucks. Admission: $30 Early Bird, $20 Three Day Pass, $10 General Admissions and $105 Season Pass. Early Bird: 9 a.m.-11 p.m. General: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (Friday), 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. (Saturday) and 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

(Sunday). 402.765-8651.

–junkstock.com

May

1-2

THE RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL OF NEBRASKA

May 1-May 2 & May 8-May 9 at Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch, 11001 S. 48th St.

This event features full contact equestrian jousting, six unique performance stages with local, regional, and national talent, more than 100 costumed characters, and many one-of-a-kind artisans. Two different themes over two weekends.

May 1-2—Dragons and Myth; May 8-9—Celts ‘n’ Kilts. Admission: $14 adults, $8 children (ages 3-12), and $10 groups (10 and more). 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 402.331.5500.

–bellevueberryfarm.com

May 3 and May 10 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Lauritzen Gardens invites attendees

CINCO DE MAYO

May 5 at Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S 20 St. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the OCM with

festive stories, music and activities. Activities are included with regular museum admission and free for members. $14 Non-Members and Adults and Children ages 2-59, $13 Seniors 60+, and free for Members and Children under 2. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

402.342.6164.

–ocm.org

CINCO DE MAYO VIRTUAL EXPO

May 5 hosted by Mundo Latin Network and Cinco De Mayo Omaha. A virtual half-day expo-

sition showcasing 15 prominent guest speakers talking about various aspects of Latino community & culture in Omaha will mark this Cinco De Mayo. The exhibition features four tracks in Community, Business, Health/Education & Culture, and has David L. Coronado, Senior Communications Officer at Smithsonian Latino Center delivering the keynote speech on “Making Latino History at the Smithsonian.” 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

–Cincodemayoomaha.com

LIL’ SPROUTS: INSECT SAFARI

May 5 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St.

Lil’ Sprouts encourages children ages 3-5 and accompanying adults to come together to learn about nature through a safari to find insects that build their home throughout the garden. Admission: $18. 10-11:30 a.m. 402.346.4002.

–lauritzengardens.org

BENSON FIRST FRIDAY

May 7 at Benson, Military Ave. & 60th St. A

once a month gathering of the Benson neighborhood, community, artists and businesses. Features hand maps, posters maps, and chalkboard signs to help visitors navigate the area as well as live performances, art shows, and food and drink specials.

Admission: free. 5 p.m.-2 a.m.

–bffomaha.org

FIRST FRIDAY AT THE BAR

May 7 at Brownie Bar Omaha, 1217 Leavenworth St. Enjoy Katrina Swanson’s open art

exhibit while digging into $2 Naked Brownies.

Admission: Free. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. 402.506.4337.

–browniebaromaha.com

// 12 //

MAY 2021

OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

MOTHER’S DAY MIMOSAS!

SPRING POP UP WEDDING

(or non-alcoholic beverage) while painting on a 16” x 20” canvas, paint, tools, and step by step instructions that will be provided as part of a painting party! Admission: $32.50. 2-4 p.m. 712.259.4188.

Joslyn Castle’s spring elopement wedding package that includes planning, photography, flowers, officiant, music, venue and much more. Admission: $2500. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 402.300.3112.

–joslyncastle.com

SUPERHERO FAMILY FUN WEEKEND

2021 DRIVE-THRU OMAHA FUNFEST

May 9 at Poppin’ Bottles n’ Brushes, 1551 Indian Hills Dr. Celebrate mother’s day with a free mimosa

May 15 at Joslyn Castle, 3902 Davenport St.

May 15 at Baxter Arena, 2425 S 67 St. A drive-

May 14-May 16 at Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S. 20 St. Enjoy meeting your favorite super-

through carnival and parade featuring characheroes while taking part in superhero science ters, mascots, car-games, food trucks, and event sponsors. Only one registration per car required. with the OCM’s Steam cart and create your own Admission: $15. 11 a.m.-1p.m. 402.554.2001. superhero identity. Admission: $14 Non-Mem–baxterarena.com bers Adults and Children ages 2-59, $13 Seniors 60+, and free for members and children under 2.

402.342.6164.

LEARN TO: ARCHERY –ocm.org May 21 at Narrows River Park, 2500 N. May

FAMILY ADVENTURE DAYS AT NEALE WOODS

May 15 at Fontanelle Forests, 1111 Bellevue Blvd N. Spring styled-games and a hike for fam-

ilies to partake in. After the competition, join a naturalist and explore Neale Woods on a guided hike for an hour and a half, during which you will learn basic hiking, camping and survival tips.

Maximum of 18 participants allowed and social distancing guidelines will be enforced. Admission: $15. 1-4 p.m. 402.731.3140 –fontenelleforest.org

21

25th St.

A beginner archery lesson offered to participants aged 8 and over. Guidance, bows and targets will be provided. Admission fee also includes equipment rental fee. The event is not petfriendly. Admission: $5. 6.30 p.m. 712.545.3283 –pottconservation.com

OMAHA BURGER BATTLE

May 22 at Stinson Park, 2285 S. 67th St. Top

burger makers will face off in a burger battle at Stinson Park in Aksarben Village. Each competitor provides a 2 oz. burger with up to 5 toppings for you to judge. The event will have burgers, music, games and beer. Limited to 21+ visitors. Admission:$20. 12-3 p.m. 402.496.1616.

–omahaburgerbattle.com

MUD FACTOR SERIOUSLY FUN, 5K OBSTACLE RUN

May 23 at Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch, 11001 S. 48th St. A 5K obstacle mud run. Spec-

tators invited to watch. All participants must print and sign a waiver of liability and bring a photo ID to the event. Admission: $35 select adult waves, $29 kidz family waves (ages 4-13), spectators $10, parking $15. KIDZ Family Waves: 10 through 10:30 a.m. Adult waves: 11:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. 402.331.5500.

–mudfactor.com/omaha

FULL MOON HIKE

May 28 at Fontenelle Forests, 1111 Bellevue Blvd N. A hike around Fontenelle Forest after

it gets dark, including a bonfire, s’mores and a discussion of nocturnal animals found around the forest. Social distancing guidelines will be enforced, and hikers will be required to wear masks when they are not maintaining the 6-foot distance. A maximum of 30 people are allowed and pre-registration is required. Admission: $10 members and $20 non-members. 7.30 p.m.

402.731.3140 –fontenelleforest.org

OMAHA FANTASY FAIRE

May 30 at Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Omaha Downtown, 1616 Dodge Street. Presented by

Magical Moments Entertainment, this event features fairies, queens and superheroes. Enjoy multiple events with up to 15 different beloved characters such as Cinderella or the Snow Queen.

Admission: $20 adult, $30 child, $40 VIP . 12.303 p.m. 402.346.7600.

–hilton.com/en/hotels/ omah-dt-doubletree-omaha-downtown

FARMERS MARKET

Gardening season is open in Omaha, and those desiring fresh produce will find plenty of options in the area, along with artisan cheeses, farm-raised meats, freshly baked breads, assorted treats, and craft items.

Council Bluffs (Bayliss Park) 4:30-7:30 p.m. Thursdays starting May 6.

Old Market (11th and Jackson streets) 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays starting May 1.

Village Pointe (168th and Dodge streets) 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays starting May 1.

Aksarben Village (67th and Center streets) 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays starting May 2.

Event times and details are correct as of presstime, but are subject to change. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many events are canceling and/or changing dates/time/places as needed.

Omaha Magazine encourages readers to visit venues' websites and/or calling ahead before attending an event or visiting a museum.

MAY 2021

// 13 //

A+C MUSIC STORY BY VIRGINIA KATHRYN GALLNER PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM MEDWELL DESIGN BY DEREK JOY

“SOMEONE TOLD ME ONCE YOU START LIVING IN YOUR PURPOSE, YOU LITERALLY CAN’T STOP. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED.”

Liz Gre

WORK IS ThE SPARK Purpose Lights the Way MAY 2021

// 15 //

“EVERY TIME I PLAYED WITH LIZ WAS EXCITING BECAUSE WE WOULD LET THE ENERGY TAKE US SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT EVERY TIME.”

Mitch Towne

A

// A+C MUSIC //

rtist Liz Gre found moving to London has meant asking a lot of questions, doing a lot of work, and taking a lot of risks. Through a cycle of lockdowns and lifts, she has felt a slow-moving appreciation of the newness.

“A lot of people expect to jump in and get lost every day,” Gre said. “I’m moving to Europe, expecting to be in Paris one weekend, Italy the next. Instead, my everyday adventure is figuring out what it’s like to go to the convenience store, the local coffeeshop, local parks.”

Her biggest adventures have been through the work she has made. When she moved across the pond in February 2020, she didn’t expect to have shows at the Tate [Gallery] and the Marian Goodman Gallery, or to connect with people from all over the world through virtual performances.

“Work is the spark.”

Gre is pursuing a doctoral degree in composition at City University of London.

Drawing on her background in sociology from Creighton University, Gre uses ethnographic research as a compositional style. She sees herself as ethnographer and artist, researcher and composer.

The child of a pastor, Gre started singing in church choir at age 3. She brings the transformative power of spiritual music to her compositions, remembering the feeling of being transported to another world by the musical cadence of the ministers, and the improvisational style of Black church services.

Th at love of improvisation brought her to jazz. Gre saw Omaha’s jazz club The Jewell as a place of refuge holding her down during a very exploratory time in her musical life.

Mitch Towne, keyboardist and longtime staple of the Omaha music scene, collaborated with Gre in the past. “Every time I played with Liz was exciting because we would let the energy take us somewhere different every time. She brings such a strong vibe and presence to the stage.”

In 2018, Gre fi nished her master’s degree in arts and culture management at St. Mary’s University in Minneapolis with hopes to turn towards the arts professionally. When she returned to Omaha, she thought she would focus on arts administration and do some singing around town.

But she felt a burning desire to go deeper into her own practice.

“When I applied for the fellowship [at the Union for Contemporary Art], I wrote that I wanted to be a full-time artist within two years. A year to the day after fi nishing that fellowship, I moved to London to pursue art full time as an academic. It wasn’t even on my original timeline,” she said with a laugh.

“Someone told me once you start living in your purpose, you literally can’t stop,” Gre said. “Th at is exactly what has happened. [I] started peeling away what I was supposed to do, and I bet on myself.”

At one point, working in fundraising and development was her dream job. The fellowship challenged her to use research to drive creation and to encourage people to engage critically with her art.

“When I entered that fellowship, the idea of exploring a global lineage through music was not something I thought attainable for me,” Gre said.

“I came to that idea because I wanted to explore my own lineage, and speak with my family members about their lives, and make music about my family.

I realized I wanted to take on a more universal approach.”

During the summer of her fellowship year, Gre performed at Omaha Under the Radar, a local presenter of experimental performance and workshops. Gre considered this a full-circle moment.

When Kate Soper performed at OUTR 2018, it was the fi rst time she saw a woman onstage as a featured composer.

“I don’t know what got into me, but I stood up and asked how someone gets started composing if they have a background in music but no conservatory experience,” she said. “A year later, not only had I gotten started, but I was performing. To go from asking the question to performing [at OUTR] a year later speaks to the encouragement of organizers like Amanda [DeBoer Bartlett, director].”

The culmination of her UCA fellowship was “Whispered Like the Wind,” an experimental composition performed in collaboration with the Omaha Symphony at Holy Family Church in December 2019. It was her fi rst experiment uniting ethnography and music.

In March 2020, she drew from “Glory, Glory” in her contribution to the Time Now for Ghosts exhibit at the Center for Afrofuturist Studies in Iowa City.

Reflecting on that piece led to the creation of “The Future Smells Like Mo’dear’s House” composition. Gre’s aunts, uncles, and cousins called their grandmother Mo’dear as a combination of Mother and Dear. Gre was the youngest grandchild and grew up in the Midwest, while most of her family was in the South. None of her friends called their grandparents Mo’dear, so she called her Grandma. The piece was written as an ode to her family’s view of Mo’dear.

She wanted to depict the past, present, and future in the same place, evoking the senses: mothballs, warmth, the humidity of the deep South, the scents of dryer sheets and potpourri. She overlaid these images with elements of the imaginary, “thinking about our past as Black people.”

Around the time this piece was created, everything changed.

“When the pandemic [started], in lockstep with state-sanctioned violence of Black bodies, making music the way that I knew how was a very tall ask,” she said.

It was at that time she started doing experiments with graphic notation. In the same way a painter stares at a blank canvas and paints how they feel, she started to interpret her own scores intuitively. The process opened up a creative door.

Gre continues to feed the musical spark with many upcoming works. She was recently commissioned to write a piece for the Washington National Opera, as well as a composition for a short fi lm celebrating women in activism. She currently resides in London with her wife, artist Alexandria Smith.

Visit lizgre.com for more information.

“Whispered” was made through collaboration with Black women of all ages, contemplating their life histories in North Omaha. These conversations were an essential part of the music-making process. One of the pieces in that work was an arrangement of the spiritual “Glory, Glory,” an interpretation of their spiritual experiences.

MAY 2021

// 17 //

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

BORN AND RAISED IN LINCOLN, HORACEK IS PROUD OF HIS MIDWEST ROOTS AND KEEPS HIS LOVE OF HIS HOME STATE CLOSE TO HIS HEART.

A+C VISUAL // STORY BY NIZ PROSKOCIL

JOE HORACEK

Li

, ain

o M u nt e tt l

has been into ice hockey and art for as long he can remember. In middle school, he would sketch designs for hockey jerseys instead of paying attention in class. Two decades later, Horacek is an artist, screen printer, designer, illustrator, and successful creative entrepreneur who owns and operates Little Mountain Print Shoppe in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Horacek often finds inspiration for his art while traveling and spending time outdoors. He loves taking creative trips to help fuel new ideas. Whether hiking in the Rocky Mountains, road tripping through the Black Hills of South Dakota, or exploring Washington’s Olympic National Park, his adventures combine an appreciation for the outdoors with his passion for art.

“I always bring a sketchbook, something with me just in case I have that kind of creative inspiration that might spark something,” Horacek said.

B

ig D r e a m

s

You may have seen one of his creations around town. Horacek produces handcrafted, individually screenprinted hoodies, hats, T-shirts, and other apparel that showcase his artistic talents and affinity for adventure. Some items feature hand-lettered phrases such as “Middle USA,” “Great Plains,” and “Roam”; others depict outdoor imagery—mountains, cabins, kerosene lanterns, arrowheads, animals, trees, and the moon.

In addition to his brick-and-mortar shop and online store, his products can be found at retailers such as Scheels in Lincoln and Made in Omaha, which has locations in the Old Market and Countryside Village. Working on custom orders for businesses and other clients also keeps him busy.

Fortunately, he has some great help.

Alena Kinsey is his one employee, and he said she is “a rock-star screenprinter and a huge asset.”

The Great Plains and the Great Outdoors Inspire

Inspiration also comes from adventures closer to home. He appreciates the simple, subtle beauty of the Great Plains. One of his favorite quotes sums up his appreciation for the vast region: “Anybody can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.”

Born and raised in Lincoln, Horacek is proud of his Midwest roots and keeps his love of his home state close to his heart. One of his popular T-shirts features the word “Nebraska” printed across the front. It’s simple, yet catches the eye. Another Nebraska-inspired item is a cozy hooded sweatshirt featuring an outline of the state, filled in with a brilliant blue sky and golden fields.

After buying a small screenprinting press and teaching himself how to use it, Horacek started Little Mountain Print Shoppe in his basement 11 years ago. In late 2012, he opened a storefront at 33rd and B streets in Lincoln, where he designs, prints, and sells his work.

He likes using materials such as graphite, watercolors, charcoal, markers, and various brush-tip sizes. His products pair nature-inspired illustrations with classic typography for a look that’s simple and straightforward. He prides himself on his craftsmanship, attention to detail, and quality products. “I always choose the most premium, softest shirt that I feel will represent my artwork best,” Horacek said.

MAY

Lincoln photographer Ron Orman said he appreciates the made-by-hand quality and authentic feel of Horacek’s work. Orman has a closet full of Little Mountain apparel, including a favorite sweatshirt screenprinted with an A-frame cabin. “It’s a cool way to support local,” Orman said, “and you’re also supporting someone doing what they love.”

Last year, when Orman launched his outdoor adventure blog called The Rewards of Roaming, he enlisted Horacek’s help in designing a logo and creating branded shirts and other items. “He is extremely talented at what he does and also very helpful on the creative side as well,” said Orman. “He’s an artist first and a screenprinter second.”

In addition to working on his art and running a business, Horacek enjoys helping others, locally and abroad.

He’s been to Africa twice in recent years, including a trip to Zimbabwe with a volunteer group to help build

schools. And in 2019, he traveled to Kenya with The Hope Venture, a Lincoln-based nonprofit organization that helps people in Africa and India through a variety of health and education projects.

Social media has had a positive impact on his business and helped him reach a wider audience. Little Mountain Print Shoppe has a vibrant Instagram account, with more than 11,600 followers and counting. Horacek said he enjoys interacting with people online, giving them a peek at new prints and products, as well as a glimpse of the screenprinting process. “It’s fun to be able to share how things work,” he said.

Moving forward, his plan is to continue creating new art and evolving his brand. Despite the challenges many small businesses have faced amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Little Mountain has seen growth. Horacek printed more than 10,000 shirts last year, he said, and his sales were up 30% in 2020 compared to the previous year. He has customers around the world, including Japan, Italy, Canada, and Dubai.

“It just blows my mind,” he said. “I’m just so grateful and thankful for every order that comes in.”

Visit littlemountainprint.com for more information.

// 19 //

2021

A+C Entertainment

story by Katrina Markel // photography provided // design by Derek Joy

“I remember the first time I saw one of my plays done and I wasn’t in it and I was—it was completely revelatory.”

-Rachel Shukert

A WOMAN’S WIT AND WISDOM How Rachel Shukert Made it as a Hollywood Writer

T

he redevelopment of Jobbers Canyon in 1980s Omaha was nearly a subplot in the award-winning Netflix series GLOW. If only COVID-19 had not stopped production on the fourth season.

Thanks to Rachel Shukert, a writer on the show and 1998 graduate of Central High School, the series already contained mentions of the city. One principal character named Ruth was from Omaha. She talks of her familiarity with good steak and about performing at the Blue Barn Theatre—not actually around in the '80s, but “worth it,” according to Rachel.

Rachel was friends with show creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch before they interviewed her for the writing gig. Rachel was not the person who decided Ruth was from Omaha.

“I do think they may have had it in their head like ‘Oh, we have a friend from Omaha. That’s a funny place for someone to be from,’” Rachel said. “I went in and I sat down with them...I was like, ‘Look, you will probably meet with people who are as good of, or better, writers than I am.

But I guarantee you will not meet with anybody who has deeper knowledge of the 1980s Omaha community theater scene than I do.’”

Rachel dissolved into laughter telling that story. She laughs easily and often.

“Rachel was always funny. She was always witty. She always had a crazy memory that she could recall any line or lyric or story or weird fact,” said Ariel Shukert, her younger sister who is a vice president creative director at RPA, a Los Angeles ad agency.

The Shukert girls both performed in Omaha theater growing up, but Ariel said it was a bigger passion for her older sister.

Their dad, Marty Shukert, is a former Omaha planning director and architect.

Their mom, Dr. Aveva Shukert, is a clinical psychologist. The sisters said their parents encouraged artistic and cultural pursuits without being “stage parents.”

“They were very good about encouraging interests. It would be like, ‘Oh, you’re interested in this. Here we bought you all these [books of] plays for your birthday.’ That kind of thing,” Rachel said.

She first honed her storytelling skills performing in theater throughout the metro area. Rachel said a moment that always stuck with her took place backstage at the Emmy Gifford Children’s Theatre (later The Rose).

Rachel, 9, was in a play with Jon Jackson, a well-known local actor and casting director who also worked in Hollywood.

“It was very dark and there was just, like, a ghost light on. And Jon was sitting on this stool and all these kids were kind of sitting in a circle around him and he was talking about women being in the theater and in entertainment. He was like, ‘You know, where we really, really need women... people need to be behind the camera,’” said Rachel, remembering Jackson with his lanky frame and sharp features, backlit like some sort of oracle. “…[A]nd he was dressed as Mother Goose at the time.”

Rachel went on to study theater at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and gradually realized that her destiny was as a writer rather than as an actor.

“I remember the first time I saw one of my plays done and I wasn’t in it and I was—it was completely revelatory. The woman who was playing the part that I would have played was just so much better than I would have been, or just different,” Rachel said. “And the idea that I could write something, that somebody else could find something that I didn’t think of, was just like, so exciting to me.”

To make money, she wrote blogs and personal essays. Rachel had two memoirs published while she was still living in New York and the second production, Everything is Going to be Great, got enough attention that she took some meetings in Hollywood. She realized that she felt at home in that world.

“It was pretty cool to go into a couple of Barnes & Nobles and see her book on the shelf,” Ariel said. “That’s a big deal.”

In 2013, Rachel and her husband, Ben Abramowitz, who is not in the entertainment industry, moved to LA. Within six months, she’d landed on the writing staff of the short-lived series The Red Band Society. She followed that with a year on Supergirl and then GLOW happened—it was her dream job.

“It was a bummer that we kinda don’t get to finish it because of COVID,” she said.

Rachel wasn’t sure who on the writing staff originally thought Jobbers Canyon should be in the fourth season, but she does think it’s hilarious that writers wouldn’t believe that she had inside knowledge of the ’80s controversy. Her dad, Marty was the city planner at the time.

“Then I got my dad on the phone and they realized they were talking with the person

who was actually there when it all happened,” said Rachel, laughing. “I was like, I told you. It’s not bullshit.”

In between the third and (now-cancelled) fourth seasons of GLOW, Rachel started working as the showrunner and creator on the acclaimed Netflix series, The Babysitter’s Club. Her job is to oversee nearly every aspect of production. She literally runs the show.

The opportunity was presented to her only three months after giving birth to her son, Theo, who will turn 4 this summer. She was back to work on GLOW with a new baby at home and not sleeping a whole lot.

Rachel said she completely forgot about a phone interview where she was expected to pitch her vision for The Babysitter’s Club— and it was a job she dearly wanted, having loved the books as a preteen.

Sitting in a tiny closet on the GLOW set that she normally used to pump breast milk for her infant, she winged it.

“I had not had this experience very often where you just feel like something else has taken over creatively, but that happened on the phone call,” Rachel said. “I remembered every detail of the books...it was just there, kind of in my hard drive.”

“Rachel’s brain is pretty incredible,” said Ariel. “You wouldn’t necessarily think a GLOW writer would then have The Babysitter’s Club. They’re quite different.”

Ariel said that in LA she realized how many people have a foot in the door in the entertainment industry simply because they grew up there. Coming from Omaha, neither she nor her sister had the advantage of being second or third generation showbiz people.

“We don’t have any connections or any special treatment in Hollywood whatsoever, and she kept grinding, and was very talented, and kept putting her head down, and she did it, which is super cool,” Ariel said.

“I feel very privileged to get to do what I do and, you know, it’s cool to come from, kind of outside of the coasts...and it feels cool to bring like a different perspective to things sometimes,” Rachel said.

GLOW might be over, but here’s hoping she’ll find another outlet for jokes about her hometown.

She laughed again.“There’s not enough Westroads in pop culture,” she said.

Follow Rachel on Twitter @RachelShukert.

MAY 2021

// 21 //

Puparazzi on Your Tail Alex Hopes Puts the Spotlight on Dogs

A+C PHOTOGRAPHY // STORY BY KAMRIN BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNA KRACKENBERGER DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

Every dog deserves to be famous.

That’s what Alex Hopes, pho-dog-rapher extraordinaire, believes.

Hopes is a former Omahan turned Austinite who photographs dogs for a living in the city’s popular Zilker Park. The story begins with Hopes’ own dog, Sid, who is known to more than 103,000 Instagram followers and 52,000 Facebook fans as ‘pizza dog,’ aka myregalbeagle. Sid quickly rose to Instastardom for his unique look: a handsome Labrador-beagle-corgi mix with an affinity for posing with pizza. (He’s even been featured in a Domino’s commercial.)

Hopes rescued Sid in 2009, when he was a student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Between the internet virality and unconditional companionship, the quirky canine turned into the catalyst for Hopes’ photography career.

The plan after he graduated in 2010 was to travel the world. He started by moving to Austin, and eventually planned to make his way to Croatia, where he would be a wedding photographer. A month before they were going to leave, Sid was hit by a car. He fully recovered, and his loving social media fans even paid his vet bills. However, Europe was no longer an option.

Instead, they drove around the U.S. for eight months, from Austin to LA, up the coast, into Canada and the northern part of America. From there, they made their way back to Omaha for a few months before landing in Austin.

After finding their favorite park in the city, the rest fell into place.

MAY 2021

// 23 //

A+C PHOTOGRAPHY //

“S

ID AND I WERE REGULARS AT ZILKER PARK, AND ONE DAY I JUST STARTED BRINGING MY CAMER A,” HOPES SAID. “THAT WAS 2015.”

THE PROJECT BECAME ZILKERBARK IN FALL 2016, AND HOPES SAID THEY’VE PHOTOGR APHED CLOSE TO 40,000 DOGS, R AISING NEARLY $200,000 FOR LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTERS.

That fundraising didn’t just take place in Austin; Hopes and Sid hit the road once again in 2017 in a pull-behind camper, stopping in cities to take portraits to benefit local shelters. Eventually, this venture was funded by CB2, Crate & Barrel’s sister store.

“We raised close to $50,000 during the trip,” Hopes said. “The most rewarding part was seeing how happy the experience made dog owners across the country, all while helping out pets in need.”

At first, Hopes’ style mirrored that of The Dogist or Humans of New York, taking man-on-the-street (or pup-inthe-park) portraits. When he wasn’t on the road, Hopes said on any given weekend, he’d find a thousand people playing frisbee with their pooches in Zilker Park. After gaining traction for creating bright, crisp photos of park-goer’s favorite children, the demand for portraits went up, and now Hopes sticks mainly to scheduled sessions in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio with his team of photographers.

The shoots typically last about 30 minutes, with four sessions back-to-back.

“Dogs burn out pretty fast, and you have to be clever with treats and squeakers,” he said. “I’ve been pretty successful by making a duck noise of my own. That gets them really excited.”

Hopes doesn't find much to complain about, given that his full-time job is rolling around in the grass with puppies.

“I can tell you that when you’re photographing dogs, they’ll never give you that big, fake, camera smile. They always give you their real face, their real personality, and they’ll always show us what they’re feeling,” he said.

Hopes has learned a lot about photography that he never anticipated when he focused on humans. “After photographing people for a while, I realized humans always have something to complain about…But dogs can be making the dumbest face ever, and it’s still the perfect photo.”

Hopes is also colorblind, making human photography more of a challenge, as he would often have trouble perfecting skin tones or editing details in traditional portraits. Now, he has the creative liberty of the ZilkerBark brand, rooted in timeless joy, grabbing the true essence of each animal in real time.

“Sometimes I’ll get dogs that are really well-behaved, or I’ll get some that are tougher and I just need to let them be who they are,” Hopes said. One demographic he can always count on is three or four-month-old puppies. “The minute I get on the ground, they’ll crawl into my arms, lay on their backs, and lick my face. It happens every time.” He said the only downside is when the owner tries to get them to stop.

After years of puppy bellies and perfectly timed boops, ZilkerBark has become an organized, dog-lover-run operation with a pack of photography associates. They schedule events (or did in the pre-pandemic times), work on brand campaigns, and ensure regular community engagement by donating to and collaborating with local shelters.

His newest endeavor is Casa Chicoma, an Airbnb in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It has five rental units, two greenhouses, and a flurry of micro-forests. The property is obviously dog-friendly (with some rules; no bed-sharing here!) and has become a bed-and-breakfast heaven for Hopes, his fiancée, Michele Abbaticchio, and their crew of mutts: Sid, Polly, and Zeva.

“The most rewarding part was seeing how happy the experience made dog owners across the country, all while helping out pets in need.” // 24 //

MAY 2021

“It can get so hot in Austin, and my fiancée and I both love to travel, so we decided it would be awesome to split our time with this new property,” Hopes said.

“It’s become a place to land.”

Abbaticchio, who is also Hopes’ graphic design and branding partner, said that while she might be biased, she’s observed that it’s easy for folks to develop a connection to the ZilkerBark brand.

“I knew Alex before he started ZilkerBark, but his ambitious spirit and passion for dogs and the dog community is what draws people to follow the brand,” Abbaticchio said. “Alex takes risks and puts himself out there, but behind it all he wants to be a benefit to the community. All of that shines through by the way he is able to connect with all different kinds of people and dogs, and also come up with ways to raise money for local shelters while creating a sustainable business model.”

Hopes and Abbaticchio hope to incorporate a foster/adopt program at Casa Chicoma in the future, bringing dogs and families together in human’s-bestfriend bliss.

“I can’t imagine life without a dog by my side,” Abbaticchio said. “They consistently provide love and happiness to you, 24/7, no matter what mood you’re in.

They’re just happy you’re alive.”

Hopes said people are always thrilled to see their dogs in the light in which they capture them. “Being able to showcase these dogs as the beloved companions—and celebrities—they are, it provides everlasting memories that we don’t get otherwise.”

Visit zilkerbark.com or casachicoma.com for more information.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

+ IT ALL BEGAN AS AN “IF YOU ROW IT, THEY WILL COME,” TYPE OF VENTURE. “I bought a kayak, and needed someone to kayak with,” recalled Jackie Wahl of the thriving Carter Lake kayaking club she launched with neighbor, Joni Piper, and another friend a few years ago. “The three of us started going out on the canals, and people would watch us from their back porches and want to join.”

“We were just going out on the water to have fun and get a little exercise,” Piper said. “On the lake, most of us have motorboats where we meet and tie up in large groups. With kayaking, I found myself being able to have a more intimate exchange every week. Even when I just kayak on my own, I really appreciate the serenity.”

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MAY 2021

By July 4, 2017,

with an ever-growing f leet on the water each week and a real bond forming between rowers, the ad hoc group decided to make it official by naming themselves the Eppley Shores Kayak Chics and creating a Facebook page to share information. They even have their own swag, including insulated mugs, visors, and hats, all graced with a logo designed by Piper.

But official doesn’t mean formal. The group requires no prior kayaking experience (first-timers are welcome and encouraged), no club dues, and members don’t have to live on Carter Lake. They don’t even have to own a kayak. “If someone doesn’t have one, we just try to pair them up with someone who does,” Wahl, who often loans out some of her own gear, said.

“The only barrier to entry is that, well, we are called the Kayak Chics,” added Piper, noting that the number of kayaks on the lake can range from between five or six to 27 (and counting). “It’s a great release for all ages. Some mothers bring their daughters.”

She said the group has celebrated birthdays and new grandchildren together, as well as supported each other through more difficult life events. “I know some older gals who are retired and taking care of a parent or a spouse. This gives them the chance to get out and share in some camaraderie.”

As a group, they decide how far they will row on any given night. “We start in different canals and meet in the middle. If it’s too windy, maybe we’ll just stay in the canals. If we’re going to go a little longer than usual, we will try to let everyone know ahead of time,” Wahl said. “But the goal really isn’t to go as far as we can, it’s more of a social group.”

Weather permitting, the Kayak Chics meet on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. from April through September. This year, in particular, opening night couldn’t come soon enough.

“Between working from home and everything else, this year is

going to be nuts! I’m ready to grab my kayak and go f lying across the ice right now,” said member Lisa Bockman, ref lecting on the frigid temperature on the winter day she was interviewed.

During the off-season, and often before and after kayaking, members try to get together at local (non-lake) watering holes—Jonesys Taco House in Carter Lake is a perennial favorite—or gather around a member’s dock or firepit. It’s generally BYOB, but someone can almost always be counted on to bring the Jell-O shots.

The women also enjoy mobilizing their loyal membership to do good in the community. “We’re always looking for ways to get more involved,” Wahl, who is on the Carter Lake City Council, said. Since the city had to cancel their planned Independence Day festivities last summer (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the Eppley Shores Kayak Chics participated in socially distanced activities such as golf cart and yard decorating competitions to mark the occasion. They annually take part in holiday gift-wrapping and distribution for local children in need (this past year was a drive-up event).

The pandemic may have necessitated a few tweaks to the way the group goes about their community outreach, but when it comes to being on the water, COVID-19 hasn’t slowed their row. In fact, for many of the women, the weekly ritual has offered some welcome normalcy during a chaotic time. “You just look forward to that Tuesday night,” Bockman said, pointing out that being outdoors in a kayak creates its own social distance. “We are careful.”

Bockman, who had never kayaked before moving to Carter Lake about a year ago, said she is pleasantly surprised at how much the group has come to mean to her. “I never expected to love kayaking as much as I do,” she said. “This group of women is so beautiful, genuine, and loving. I’ve never felt part of anything like it in my entire life.”

The group can be found on Facebook by searching Eppley Shores Kayak Chics.

+ I FOUND MYSELF BEING ABLE TO HAVE A MORE INTIMATE EXCHANGE EVERY WEEK. EVEN WHEN I JUST KAYAK ON MY OWN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE SERENITY. -JACKIE WAHL MAY 2021

// 27 //

FEATURE STORY BY SEAN ROBINSON

Jamie’s Journey One

Nebraska Woman’s

Adventure Across 60 countries and Counting

MAY

// 28 //

2021

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

FEATURE JAMIE'S JOURNEY

It’s January, and Jamie Thomas has fended off another mosquito.

Sitting outside a Costa Rica café 2,000 miles away from Omaha’s snow-packed streets, she’s more concerned about bloodsucking insects than teeth-chattering temperatures.

However, no matter how strong a repellent she sprays or how speedy her swatting hand, she’s already been bitten—but not by the mosquitos who hungrily swarm.

The travel bug struck years prior.

Now Thomas has an incurable case of wanderlust.

“Travel is my identity,” Thomas said.

“I discovered life when I started traveling. It influenced me not just to explore but to have gratitude for the smallest things in life.”

In the span of 15 years, Thomas has gone from Nebraska girl to nomad.

Omaha is home, but she’s visited 60 countries, many of them more than once, and done much of it solo. Move over, Carmen Sandiego. The real question is…where in the world is Jamie Thomas? Or, better yet, where is she going next?

Sometimes not even she knows.

“When I’m faced with the complete unknown or entering a brand-new place I’ve never been, that feels right.

I’m home when I’m adventuring,” Thomas said.

Her odyssey to seemingly every corner of the globe started in the least likely of places—among a maze of cubicles and white collars. At 21 years old, Thomas was thriving in Omaha’s corporate world. Young, talented, and on a fast rise from starting as a temp worker three years prior, she served as an accountant for Bank of the West.

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MAY 2021

She knew, however, there was more to see of the world than her view of Dodge Street from headquarters’ windows. She wanted to work to live, not live to work. That’s when she decided it was time to escape the eight-to-five grind and trade paperwork for plane rides.

Thomas rarely traveled as a child, making her choice to quit accounting and then promptly buy a one-way ticket to South Korea even more jarring. Her only other major travel experience occurred when she moved with family from Hawaii at age 9 and said “aloha” to life in Nebraska.

“I had no idea what to expect when I landed in South Korea,” Thomas said. “But when I arrived, I was astonished at how advanced South Korea was with technology compared to the U.S. Plus, it was so safe, with beautiful cultures and traditions.”

This was the trip that started it all. The place where the travel bug sunk in its teeth.

It wasn’t all play and no work. Thomas signed a contract with a private school in the city of Wonju to teach English for a year and a half. There, she instructed up to a dozen children at a time, six classes a day.

Teaching is one of the reasons she selected South Korea as her first destination. English tutors there receive monetary compensation along with coverage of cell phone and apartment expenses. This allowed her to save $3,000 throughout the duration of the contract. With newly found freedom from the shackles of office life and hard-earned cash burning a hole in her pocket, there was no way she was going home.

“Instead of going back to Omaha, I went to Japan, telling myself I’d spend a week or two there. But then I went to Guam.

Then the Philippines. Then Thailand,” Thomas said. “Every time I arrived, I was taken [aback] at how kind, friendly, and safe each place was. And by traveling on a budget, my $3,000 lasted half a year. Then I was hooked.”

Once back, she didn’t stay long in the Cornhusker State. Winter hit, and Thomas decided it was time to fly south. This time Mexico was beckoning her to visit.

“San Luis Potosi, Mexico, is one of my favorite destinations in the world,” Thomas said.

“It’s a land with contradicting landscapes, so your time here is filled with wild experiences that push the borders of adventure.”

Most U.S. travelers to Mexico spend their time sipping tequila beachside. Thomas isn’t like most travelers. During her time in San Luis Potosi, she rappelled 1,000 feet into a cave, hiked through the Wirikuta desert, and canoed to the Tamul Waterfall.

Of course, one country wasn’t enough.

Following Mexico, the then-20-something spent six months backpacking through Central America and missed another Nebraska winter.

From that point, Thomas has lived her life on the go—jet-setting from Omaha to some of the most well-liked (as well as unlikely) places for tourists across the globe. She’s explored royal palaces in Japan, learned to scuba dive in the Caribbean, swam with a whale shark in Honduras—coming back to Omaha for a few weeks or months between trips to work as a travel counselor or expert.

“My passion has been to help people grow and to influence others to follow their travel dreams,” Thomas said.

One way she fulfills this passion is through Travel & Culture Group in Omaha, a club she founded in 2013 that meets twice a month. Prior to COVID-19, each meeting

“San Luis Potosi, Mexico, is one of my favorite destinations in the world, It’s a land with contradicting landscapes, so your time here is filled with wild experiences that push the borders of adventure.” -Jamie Thomas

was held at a coffeehouse or local ethnic restaurant. Someone would talk about a particular country and give tips on visiting there.

Thomas takes it to the next level by organizing group trips for members. It’s all about introducing more of the world to more people.

“She’s coordinating for 10 or 15 people at a time, so it’s impressive to see her wealth of travel knowledge,” said Melissa White, a member of the group and avid traveler herself. “Jamie has done safety talks, how to pack, budget…you name it. If you’re new to travel, she’ll guide you. If you’re an old pro, there’s an enthusiasm you can share with her.”

Even for a travel veteran such as Thomas, not every trip goes as planned—but that’s the way she likes it.

“One of the biggest pieces of advice I have is to just go in with an open mind,” Thomas said. “Things will go wrong, but there’s no great story in a vacation that went perfectly. It’s the unexpected that leads to the best memories.”

One memory Thomas recalled was the time she was almost eaten alive by a lion while glamping in Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania. Late at night, alone in a cloth tent, she heard a large animal huffing on the side of camp. As the minutes went by, it got closer and closer.

The grass crunched beneath the beast’s feet.

Thomas' heart pounded in her chest.

Just outside her tent, she then heard the ripping of grass. She thought, surely, it’s an elephant and not a reigning king of the jungle. Excited, Thomas grabbed a flashlight, zipped open the tent, and pointed a ray of light into the blackness. Everything went silent until a loud snarl echoed a few feet away from her.

“It’s not grass ripping. It’s a carcass. A lion is outside my tent ripping into an animal’s body,” Thomas said. “I hid under my blanket and didn’t sleep a wink that night.”

After visiting almost a third of the world’s countries, Thomas has countless stories— from getting stuck in the Guam airport with the Harlem Globetrotters to befriending a Buddhist monk in India. She’s been around the world and back, then around again and again.

“She’s the closest Nebraska will get to Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown,” said Jay Robinson, another member of Travel & Culture Group in Omaha. “I’ve been to the U.K., Serengeti [National Park in Tanzania], Italy, and she’s been the ringleader. My wife and I wouldn’t have made it otherwise.”

Traveling doesn’t have to be scary, either. Thomas thinks of it as starting a conversation with a somewhere instead of a someone.

“If there’s one message I could share, it would be this: Travel isn’t meant to be about a point of interest. It’s not only about a famous museum or a UNESCO world heritage site,” Thomas said. “A destination is meant to be experienced and the best way to do that is by connecting. Get lost and explore something that a guidebook can’t explain. Find culture that can’t be photographed. Open yourself up.”

Traveling is simple as that—connecting. Take it from the woman who’s buzzed around just about any and everywhere.

More information about the group Thomas founded can be found at @TravelAndCultureGroupInOmaha on Facebook.

Thomas and those who’ve followed in her footsteps are proof that travel doesn’t have to be complicated. She said getting started can be as easy as deciding where and when to travel. Then just book the ticket. Don’t let the stress of planning every detail and budgeting every penny get in the way of going. Those things happen over time.

MAY 2021

// 31 //

AND AWAY FROM IT ALL

FEATURE // STORY BY MIKE WHYE PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

Tired of Being at Home? Start Packing!

Summer in Nebraska beckons everyone to enjoy the outdoors in many ways. Hikers pass through shadowed woods and cross sun-drenched prairies. Bicyclists pedal on more than 500 miles of trails, including one that spans 195 miles of northern Nebraska. Backpackers seek perfect places to set up camp in rugged lands that are nearly a mile high into the sky. Tents open like colorful mushrooms on a campground near one of the country’s best rivers for canoeing, kayaking, and floating in converted livestock cattle tanks. Visitors to the outdoors toast marshmallows over evening fires to create ooey-gooey s’mores with graham crackers and chocolate bars.

Every spring, Jayne and Joe O’Connell of Bellevue prepare to have a summer outdoors with sons Dawson, 12, and Lucas, 10.

While their parents pack tents, cooking gear, and food into their RV, the boys pack what they want to take with them into their backpacks. “We started them camping right away,” said Jayne, noting that even though they have an RV, they sometimes sleep in a tent. “Dawson went camping when he was three months old.

We have good times, hiking, camping, and anything to do with the outdoors.”

Years ago, Jayne and Joe started a tradition of making the family’s first trip of the summer to Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, about 35 miles south of their home. “The boys love the paddleboats,” Jayne said. She added that the family enjoyed visiting the park in the past during a star party, where amateur and professional astronomers set up their telescopes. “They had these huge telescopes and invited everyone to look through them. It was wonderful,” she said.

Jayne began appreciating the outdoors as she grew up when her father took the family to a cabin on the Missouri River.

“It wasn’t much. It had a well and an outhouse, but we spent our summers there fishing and

swimming,” she recalled. Her husband also grew up in the outdoors, spending summers boating on the Missouri. Now, when they commence each summer’s trips at Mahoney, they’re usually in the company of friends and their families who park their RVs nearby. The kids explore the park, sneaking up on turtles in paddleboats and climbing the 70-foot-high observation tower that looks over the Platte River Valley.

After kicking off their summers at Mahoney, the O’Connells make seven to eight trips across the state each season. Ponca is their favorite state park because of the swimming and fishing there, and the boys love the water. “I just get lost hiking in those woods,” Jayne said. Next on their lists of favorites is Fort Robinson State Park. “Its history is amazing,” Jayne said.

“The boys love the wagon rides.”

At Louisville State Recreation Area, the family rents paddleboards and kayaks on one of the park’s four lakes. They like climbing up, down, and across a water playground of inflatable towers, slides, domes, and rafts.

The O’Connells pitch their tent and park their RV in places other than state parks and recreation areas. When camping near Neligh one time, they rode

their bikes into town and later watched a movie at the Starlite Drive-In Theater, a rare find nowadays. “The people there are so friendly,” Jayne said of those she and her family met in town on that trip. “That’s true of anywhere we have gone.”

opened some cabins Thursdays through Sundays, enabling staff time to deep-clean those quarters during the week. The commission hopes this summer the cabins will be open seven days a week. However, Wagner said many things are in a holding pattern. “We’re taking a waitand-see approach.”

Mike Ford, a retiree in Lincoln, is an avid camper who likes to car camp and backpack. Sometimes he’s alone, sometimes his wife, Kathy, is with him and, in the past, their son and two daughters came on campouts.

His earliest recollections of camping are of when he was about 9 years old. “I’d go with my parents and my younger brother,” he said. “Dad had the old heavy canvas tent, the type that would leak if you touched a part of it when it was raining.”

When COVID-19 arrived in Depending if anyone is with spring 2020, Nebraska Game him when he camps now, Ford and Parks Commission closed its takes a two-person, four-person, lodges, cabins, activity centers, or six-person tent. The smallest and park events—because people weighs four pounds, which is could cluster in those. That’s not easy to carry with one of his what Game and Parks wanted to two backpacks. do since it would be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2021, A lot of his early adventures but it had little choice. Still, the came when he and a friend commission kept open its eight explored the wooded bluffs close state parks, nine state historical to where the Missouri and Platte parks, and 57 state recreation rivers meet near Plattsmouth. areas—just the thing needed “That type of terrain is near by people wanting to get away and dear to my heart,” he said, from being cooped up. “People noting that is why he also likes were clamoring to get outside. the rugged area near Gavins COVID-19 was a silver lining Point Dam. Cooking out has for us,” explained Greg Wagner, come quite a ways from when public information officer for his father cooked over a campGame and Parks. “Attendance ing stove. “Some of my favorite went up. So did the sales of park memories are of Mom cookpermits. People were wanting to ing on a Coleman stove,” said hike, picnic, and fish. I’ve never Ford, who has always camped in seen so many [people] wanting tents. “There’s just something to buy fish permits in my 42 about bacon, eggs, and potatoes years with the commission.” cooked in a skillet. These are good memories.”

Attendance was also higher at state recreation areas, which Ford uses a two-burner, propane are usually smaller than state stove when car camping, and he parks. As reactions to the dis- loves using cast-iron skillets. ease changed, the commission

MAY 2021

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FEATURE // GETTING OUTDOORS

When alone, he carries a tiny stove.

“That’s for when I’m backpacking or kayaking,” he said. “I make cowboy coffee—throw some grounds in water and just boil them up, let them settle.

That’s kind of a camping favorite.”

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Ford has visited every state park in Nebraska bar one—Chadron, which he hopes to check off this summer. Although he has yet to visit there, he has camped further west, in Fort Robinson State Park and Toadstool Geologic Park, where strange rock formations resemble a moonscape rather than a part of Nebraska.

Despite Ford’s travels across Nebraska, his preferred state park is almost out his back door—Platte River State Park, the first state park he remembers visiting. Other favorites are Indian Cave State Park where he likes to go on his own into its forest to find a good campsite. Fort Robinson State Park is Nebraska’s only other park to offer backpack camping. He also loves to camp at Smith Falls State Park where only tent camping is permitted. A short walk leads across a bridge over the Niobrara River to the state’s highest waterfall, where waters tumble over the edge of a cliff to splash on rocks 70 feet below.

Although Ford doesn’t set out to view wildlife, he sees plenty. While walking through woods at Indian Cave State Park, he and a friend heard a loud rustling in the trees overhead and when they looked up, they realized they had accidentally spooked a pair of bald eagles. “All wildlife is fun to see,” he said, noting that he has seen a fox on every trip, along wth other mammals and numerous birds. One time he watched a large groundhog duck into a hole in the bottom of a big tree and then stuck its head out to watch Ford.

Ford said he has not camped in the winter. About the closest he has come to that was when he camped at Ponca State Park one unseasonably warm mid November day. He went to one of the park’s three campgrounds, which was on a hill overlooking the Missouri, and he had no trouble finding a place to pitch his tent. It was all empty. The same happened when he went to a lower campground the next day. No one was there either.

“Wow, I had the whole place to myself,” Ford exclaimed.

// 34 //

MAY 2021

Ford has done more than camp his way across Nebraska. Sometimes he carries his bicycle with him and pedals various trails, including the Cowboy Trail. At present, it stretches from Norfolk to Valentine, 175 miles away. When complete, its western terminus will be Chadron, making the crushed limestone-surface trail 321 miles long. Along the way, bicyclists cross 221 bridges, including the 595-foot-long bridge over Long Pine Creek, and the 148-foot-high bridge over the Niobrara River. Also near the trail are private and municipal campgrounds, and Long Pine and Atkinson State recreation areas, that bicyclists use.

Nebraska’s state recreation areas have fewer amenities than those offered at the state parks. “I think of them as gems,” Wagner said. Numbering nearly 60, they range from the very basic, like North Loup SRA—with 13 acres, seven water acres, picnic tables, grills, and a pit toilet, but no pad campsites, water, or river access—to the loaded Branched Oak Lake SRA with 5,595 acres that includes a 1,800-acre lake; 338 pad sites; primitive camping; equestrian camping; modern restrooms and showers; drinking water; dump stations; hiking, biking, and horse trails; boat ramps; fish cleaning stations; a horse corral; rentable pontoons, kayaks, and paddleboats; two swimming beaches; and a private concession and marina.

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Omaha filmmaker Michael Hennings is another cyclist who’s been on the Cowboy Trail. “It’s best to use tubeless tires there,” he advised. “Lots of sand burs.” While not an avid camper, he occasionally likes to pedal to a campsite with friends for an overnight stay. “I like Steamboat Trace, which runs from Nebraska City to Indian Cave State Park,” he said. Sometimes he rides his bicycle while people in vehicles carry his gear to his destinations. He also bikes carrying his own gear. “It’s lightweight,” he said. “A tent, sleeping pad, sheet and, if it’s a multi-day trip, a change of clothing. Food, I buy along the way.” opractor Chir

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Hennings has visited Toadstool Park, too, and the Nebraska National Forest, Bessey Unit, at Halsey, both operated by the U.S. Forest Service. Located between the Middle Loup and Dismal rivers, the Bessey Unit is unique in that, although it’s in the middle of the Sandhills, it contains the world’s largest hand-planted forest.

Consisting mostly of evergreens, it’s an oasis in the middle of the prairie. Its main campsite is at the main entrance, which is about 1 and 1/2 miles west of Halsey on Nebraska Highway 2. Pads for tents and RVs lie among the pines are available, along with picnic tables, drinking water, showers, and flush toilets that are open seasonally. While some visitors snag fish in a small pond stocked with bluegill, catfish, trout, and bass, others wade in the shallow Middle Loup River. They can also hike, bike, or drive to Scott Lookout Tower, Nebraska’s only fire tower. The 50-foot-high structure looks across the forest and adjacent parts of the Sandhills.

The tower’s interior is no longer in use and can be toured by checking with the main office near the entrance.

Two other campgrounds in the Bessey Unit have fewer amenities, but both have potable water and can be used by equestrians. The Forest Service also hosts what is called dispersed camping, meaning campers can walk, bike, or ride horses into these areas that have no designated campgrounds. People can go camping where they want. These areas have no amenities, and whatever campers carry in, they must carry out. One area is about 30 miles southwest of Valentine. Two more are located near Chadron.

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More than 200 camping spots spread across Nebraska cater to the RV crowd.

Like the range of amenities at the state recreation areas, these RV parks have a spread of features. North of Henderson at Exit 342 on I-80, Prairie Oasis Campground and Cabins is an RV park with space for 31 RVs and seven tents, and it offers furnished cabins. Its services include electrical hookups and a dump station for the RVs. On the grounds are a laundry room, paddleboat, recreation hall, storm shelter, and outdoor games.

BMW Rentals Starting at $799/month Near Waco, about 45 miles west of Lincoln, Double Nickel Campground and Resort offers full hookup sites with water, sewer, and electricity. The 47 pullthrough sites accommodate rigs up to 120 feet long. Each space includes a porch swing, fire ring, and picnic table, and the whole resort has something that virtually everyone wants—Wi-Fi. Double Nickel has modern restrooms, a sandlot playground, recreation room, storm shelter, offers movies on Saturday nights, and sells ice and firewood. If its miniature golf course isn’t challenging enough, the nine-hole par-36 Sandy Meadows Golf Course is across the property line.

Adriane and Stephen Matthews of Bennington are among those who camp in RVs. They started their camping experiences when they received a tent as a wedding gift. Then, they acquired a pop-up camper. Now, they ride in a 32-foot-long RV when they head out to camp somewhere. “We have camped in Louisville, Platte River, and Mahoney,” Adriane said. They and daughters Ericka, 13, and Clara, 7, have enjoyed going on hikes and walks at Mahoney and taking in one of its major attractions for them, its water park. The park has offered summer melodramas in its park theater for years and it may again, depending on COVID-19.

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The Matthews family also favors camping in Indian Cave State Park in October when the various trees decorate the park with their fall colors. “We love cooking hot dogs over a fire,” said Adriane. “And s’mores.”

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Visit outdoornebraska.gov, campgroundreviews.com/regions/ nebraska, or fs.usda.gov/recmain/ nebraska/recreation for more information.

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402.397.8050 • 2thdoc.org • 15751 West Dodge Road MAY 2021

// 37 //

PROFILE // STORY BY SEAN McCARTHY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

TRUTH IN THE SHADOWS

Museum Celebrates Macabre T

he gaping chasm that is now Gene Leahy Mall will, in a couple of years, be filled with glowing storefronts, lush green spaces, and brightly lit walkways. Now, after sunset, the area around 11th and Douglas streets is surrounded by darkness. It’s a perfect place for the home of one of the largest collections of haunted artifacts in the world.

The Museum of Shadows, located at 1110 Douglas St., is the product of Nate Raterman, a demonologist, and his wife, Kaleigh, a psychic medium. They moved into their latest location, the historic Christian Specht Building, in June 2020. The building itself is the only remaining building in Nebraska with a cast-iron façade.

Some 3,000 haunted artifacts are kept within the walls of the museum. Nate and Kaleigh have documented their paranormal adventures in an Amazon Prime series, also titled Museum of Shadows, that is in its second season. In addition, the museum has been featured on Travel Channel as well as the Discovery+ series Fright Club, hosted by Jack Osbourne (Ozzy’s son).

Kaleigh’s interest in the paranormal began at an early age. She said she oftentimes dreamt of events that later happened. The more she heard about the supernatural, the more it intrigued her.

“For me, it’s all I ever knew,” she said.

In the early 2000s, Nate considered himself a skeptic of the paranormal, but that changed after he moved into a house in Grand Island in 2006. There, he saw a full-figure aberration (the technical term for anomalies like ghosts). He also saw things like doors opening unexpectedly and chairs sliding on their own.

Nate began documenting his experiences on his website as well as in YouTube videos.

His work eventually caught the attention of A&E and the Travel Channel. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, he began collecting haunted artifacts. While sitting on their deck, Kaleigh and Nate thought they had amassed a large enough collection to have a museum. In 2016, they opened the Museum of Shadows in Elmwood, Nebraska, moving to Plattsmouth nine months later.

The items on display run from the whimsical (lots of dolls), to the macabre (several Ouija boards) to the genuinely disturbing (animal carcasses used in rituals, the chest X-ray of a shooting victim). Kaleigh and Nate now receive donations daily from around the world. // 38 //

MAY 2021

In order for an item to be displayed in the Museum of Shadows, it must be haunted.

To determine if an item is indeed haunted, Kaleigh and Nate investigate the artifact.

The process includes general research, such as looking up crime records if the item was part of a murder. The two also use paranormal equipment that can detect electromagnetic disruptions (a few tools look like handheld radios of old, another looks like something used to find a stud in a wall). The two will also turn the cameras on the artifacts and determine if they moved on their own.

Some artifacts haven’t passed Kaleigh and Nate’s scrutiny and have been mailed back to the sender. One recent item they sent back was a coffee mug. The sender claimed to have seen it move on its own, and said it belonged to a deceased grandmother.

Kaleigh and Nate weren’t able to verify the story behind the mug.

“This particular one…unfortunately, we hadn’t caught anything with it,” Nate said.

“Grandma’s not attached to the coffee cup.”

Most artifacts are mailed to the museum.

Kaleigh and Nate, however, have traveled the country to pick up certain haunted relics.

One memorable trip happened last year when they traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, to pick up a doll with human hair. When

they arrived at the house, they saw a police cruiser. In an unrelated incident, a person had broken into the same house (containing the doll) and killed themselves.

“We were walking through blood,” Nate said. “It was basically a crime scene.”

Visitors can pay $15 to look through the two floors of items that Nate and Kaleigh have amassed. Brave souls can also pay an additional $10 to take the “sit challenge.” A person is brought into the basement, which is home to some of the more sinister relics.

One of the staff members gives the person a light (in case they want to ‘tap out’) and they are given three different spots to sit.

The lights are then cut, and for 10 minutes, they sit in darkness.

From left: Kaleigh and Nate Raterman

A f ter 10 p.m. Nate and K a leigh will ta ke visitors on a t wo-hour ghost hunt (for a $40 fee). T here, people c a n rent or bring t heir own pa ra norma l equipment and investigate the artifacts as a group.

T he ow ners have posted v ideos of t he museum t hat have shown doors suddenly open a s well a s items t hat have moved of f the shelves. K a leigh said one person reported to have been scratched by a n aberration during a visit. In one visit, a sma ll group saw t wo full-f igure aberrations.

“It freaked them out. Half the group left.

The other half said ‘I need about 10 minutes to calm down,’ and then [they said] ‘I’m ready to continue,’” Nate said.

“The energy here is unreal,” she said.

Visit museumofshadows.com for more information.

There have been weddings at the museum’s previous Plattsmouth location as well as the current downtown Omaha home. One cold Thursday evening in February, Grace Martis and a man who identified himself as Derek Schutt looked through the museum for the first time. Martis’ belief in spirits and psychic energies made her want to check the museum out.

One person reported to have been scratched by an aberration during a visit. In one visit, a small group saw two full-figure aberrations.

MAY 2021

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h i st o r y // ST O R Y B Y Ta m s e n B u t l e r // p h o t o g ra p h y C o n t r i b u t e d // d e s i g n b y m at t w i e c z o r e k

WASPS OF NEBRASKA Unsung Heroes of the Wild Blue Yonder in World War II Many monuments are displayed in Lincoln’s Memorial Garden, but the monument dedicated to Nebraska’s Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) is likely to give visitors pause, as many realize there is a piece of history from World War II they may have never heard.

Lois Bristol of Bayard joined seven fellow WASPs in the 2014 Rose Parade to ride a float honoring the brave group of women pilots.

The women listed on the monument were pilots during a time when so many men off at war created opportunities for women to take on roles that were typically considered to be for men.

Eileen Kealy of Omaha was honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2005. During World War II, she flew out of Maxwell Field in Alabama and Greenville Army Air Base in Mississippi.

Margaret Nispel of Lincoln trained at Avenger Field in Texas and piloted both the PT-17 and the BT-13.

The WASP program was birthed from another military program: the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, a program for female pilots whose primary responsibility was to fly planes from factories to military bases. The WAFS—along with the Women’s Flying Training Detachment—became the WASPs in 1943. More than 1,000 women served as WASPs, yet none of them were considered military veterans until legislation in the 1970s granted them veteran status. Until then, they were considered civilian employees.

Esther Mueller of Thayer piloted an impressive eight types of aircrafts as a WASP and was Nebraska’s first female licensed parachute rigger. Mueller was inducted into Kentucky’s Aviation Hall of Fame in 2003.

Mark Strehle, education director of Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, knows the WASP pilots were special because his aunt Katy was one.

“Aunt Katy was confident and self-assured,” Strehle said. “Highly intelligent, and a businesswoman in her own right, she knew herself well and interacted with her environment accordingly...both in the air (so I was told—because I only flew with her once) and on the ground.”

Nebraska boasts 19 WASPs from throughout the state.

Alice Riss of Omaha was one of 49 graduates in WASP class 44-1 in February 1944.

She piloted the PT-19, BT-13, AT-6, C-45 and the UC-78.

Dorothy Bancroft of Lincoln piloted an impressive roster of aircraft: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6, B-24, and the UC-78. She, along with her fellow Nebraskan WASPs, was inducted into the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame.

Evelyn Sharp of Ord died while in service to the WASPs when her P-38 crashed, making her the sole Nebraska WASP to die while serving the country as a pilot and one of 38 WASPs who died while in service.

Mary Beecham of Omaha was one of 49 graduates in WASP class 44-1 in February 1944 and piloted the PT-19, BT-13, AT-6, AT-11, C-45, and the UC-78.

Mary Jershin of Omaha was honored by the 175th Wing of the Maryland Air National Guard, along with eight other WASPs, in 1997.

Mary Williamson of Omaha was still in WASP training when the unit was disbanded so she never actually flew a mission.

She eventually joined the faculty at UNO.

Dr. Grace “Betty” Clements of Elmwood was inducted into the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame in 2019. After the war, she enrolled in Red Cross training and eventually became a physician.

Marybelle Lyall of Hastings was a test pilot for the BT-13 but also piloted the PT-17.

She was among those honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010.

Helen Turner of Cairo piloted “pursuit” planes, which are now designated as fighter planes. The Air Force’s first female fighter pilot didn’t serve until 1993.

Millicent Peterson of Chappell initially took pilot training in Ogalalla and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010 for her WASP service.

Isabel Tynon of Peru logged more than 14,000 flying hours as a WASP pilot and has a bench and a plaque dedicated to her at the Aurora Airport in Oregon.

Roberta Mundt of Berea piloted a variety of planes as a WASP: AT-10, AT-6, B-17, B-24, B-25, C-47, and the PT-19.

Jane Waite of Scottsbluff was one of 112 graduates of the WASP class 43-W-4 and was assigned to Love Field in Texas.

Kristin Swan Lent Gos of Minden once said in an interview that the bombing of Pearl Harbor is what prompted her to get involved in civil service.

Lois Boien of Omaha took a job with the Department of Defense after the war and joined the Air Force Reserve. She eventually had a career with the Internal Revenue Service.

Papillion La Vista South High School social studies teacher JD Davis said the story of the WASPs isn’t one that’s commonly taught to history students. “The history of WASPs is an example of a part of history that wasn't taught in school, just like the Tuskegee Airmen, the 442nd Infantry Regiment, and the Navajo Code Talkers.

The fact that there is not much information readily available shows there is much more work to do in finding out and telling history the way it actually happened as opposed to the way it was told (or not told) in the past.”

41

Hu n t e

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MAY 2021

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angling for extracurriculars SPORTS // STORY BY PATRICK McGEE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

Husker Bass Anglers Throw Lines, Not Footballs

n

ebraska isn’t known for bass fishing, but the Cornhusker state has plenty of bass and those who fish for them. In fact, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln supports a bass fishing team that hooks an increasingly impressive number of new members every year—the Husker Bass Anglers. This group fuses the college experience with competition fishing. The draw is obvious for adventurous undergrads who want to wind down on remote lakes and reel in living trophies.

The Husker Bass Anglers provide many opportunities for adventure. Tournaments take team members to Table Rock, Arkansas; the Lake of the Ozarks; and Toledo Bend in Texas. Hunter Suchsland, the team’s president, said that travel to competitions is not only fun but is paying off for the team’s reputation. He said that in one division, the Bass Anglers ranked in the top five earlier in 2020. Unfortunately, the coronavirus travel ban made it impossible to finish the season, and the Bass Anglers’ collegiate ranking slipped due to reasons beyond their control. Still, the early season was a huge success, and not just due to successful competitions. Most years, these Huskers compete in about four tournaments nationwide.

Husker Bass Angler faculty sponsor Eric Einspahr, who is also an academic adviser, said travel to tournaments is one of the perks for the four-to-six anglers the Husker Bass Anglers sponsors to compete in collegiate fishing events. In Einspahr’s mind, competition results are great, but a meaningful college experience is the greater perk. He is more than happy to assist with navigating expense reports and reimbursement to make the trips possible for student anglers.

The adventures provided by this group helps students stay engaged. “We know that students who are engaged, connected to the university, have a higher instance of graduating,” Einspahr said. “Even if it’s not related to their major. That’s why I sponsor the club.”

Einspahr emphasized the importance of providing such an experience to college-aged young adults. He said that college is the ideal time to introduce people to the sport. Students are reaping the benefits of newfound independence and learning how they want to spend their time. He emphasized the importance of getting young adults involved in the outdoors to create the next generation of conservationists, aside from the cathartic benefit the sport provides students.

Einspahr’s guidance has proven true in Suchsland’s case as well.

Suchsland’s collegiate fishing experience has provided him with a curriculum focus. Since his time in the Husker Bass Anglers, Suchsland has declared a major in nature-based entrepreneurship.

“Basically, outdoor business,” he said. “I love working with fishing-related stuff,” he said. He and a close friend have even devised a business plan around bass angling. “We make custom baits,” he said, referring to various types of lures.

Suchsland’s time in the Bass Anglers provided some inspiration for his business plan and a valuable support network. He has also contributed to the growth of the team, which consisted of five-to-10 consistent members when he joined. He boasts that the Husker Bass Angler T-shirt and access to the team’s discounts on select gear are draws for college students; however, travel time with friends is among the greatest perks for the now 25-to-30 consistent members.

Many of Suchland’s favorite stories about the Bass Anglers aren’t about fishing, but about the relationships he’s made on the road. He delights in meeting other collegiate fishermen in tournaments and on social media—splitting hotel rooms and costs, sleeping in trucks and boats, eating canned ravioli and hot dogs, generally roughing it, and most importantly, finding common ground in shared experiences. In a sense, collegiate bass fishing is the catalyst for a greater college experience and an excuse to participate in the cherished road trips many Americans think back on with nostalgia. There’s more to the Bass Anglers than travel, however.

Select Husker Bass Anglers, Suchsland included, represent the university. They do it professionally and competitively. Their skills should not be downplayed. Historically, they have competed in two major collegiate bass fishing circuits, Bass Masters and Major League Fishing. Suchsland said the tournament teams put in work on each body of water for days leading up to an event. “We hit spots and find patterns,” he said. “those (practice and preparation) days can be 12 to 14 hours on the boat.” he said. “We had two teams qualify for nationals this year.”

Unfortunately, the season did not reach an ideal end due to the pandemic. COVID-19 may have impeded the Husker Bass Anglers’ late-season travel plans in 2020, but it hasn’t stopped the team from fishing local waters. In fact, in spite of the virus, bass fishing is more popular than ever.

“Fishing is one area that has really exploded,” Einspahr said, adding that fishing is kind of a naturally socially distanced activity. In fact, due to the effect the pandemic has had on the Bass Anglers, Einspahr said they’re not hurting for numbers. The unfortunate circumstances of 2020 demonstrated the resilience and adaptability of the Husker Bass Anglers.

Visit the Husker Bass Anglers on their Facebook page for more information

>>>> ——> A Happy Camper Answers Her Calling Jami Biodrowski Creates an Inclusive, Adaptive, and Exciting Experience

GIVING FEATURE // Story by Sara Locke Photography by Bill Sitzmann // Design by Matt Wieczorek

Some people don’t know their calling until they hear it.

Jami Biodrowski found creating accessible and inclusive experiences was more than the call of the wild, but a calling to do amazing things for children.

Between a Rock and the Right Place “I got my degree in geology, so it’s funny that this is the career I chose.” Biodrowski laughed, “I did that for a couple of years, but I was just out in the field with only a couple of other people. I missed interaction, and feeling like my work was helping others.

My husband and I decided to pick up and move to Korea. I taught English there for a couple of years, then headed back and started looking for ‘grownup’ jobs.”

Biodrowski found a position at the 4-H center in Gretna. “It was the camp I went to as a kid, so I thought I’d go back because I had all of these wonderful memories there.

I figured it would be a nice transition until I could find a real job. But the director I worked with there, Jared Parker, taught me that it was a real, and very valuable job.

It was what he had wanted to do since he was a kid, and working and learning with him inspired me to become a professional camp director.”

Biodrowski spent four years at Eastern Nebraska 4-H, growing in her position as program director, before she took on a position at Boys Town. “Working at Boys Town was something my husband and I had always wanted to do, so we did that for about a year,” she said. Biodrowski, however, had found the work that meant the most to her, and soon began looking for a new camp to call home.

Most camps are focused on packing every moment of your experience with activities, from sun up to long past dark. Easterseals takes a different approach, and that’s where Biodrowski sees potential blossoming in her campers.

“Our campers have access to all of the activities other camps offer, just with consideration to everyone’s level of ability. But regardless of their ability, if they want to try an activity, we’re going to find a way to make it happen. We still pack the day with adapted horseback riding, swimming, climbing, crafting, but with these gentle transitions between each. The magic of camp is really happening in those moments where we are waiting for one another, connecting, and truly experiencing the day.”

Easterseals accepts the fact that while every mind and body are of value to the world, there are some things that can only be understood and appreciated by those experiencing similar challenges. That’s why the mission to build an environment where campers can connect, create, and help one another is so close to the staff ’s heart.

“I started looking for a permanent camp position and Easterseals was looking for a camp director. I jumped at the opportunity, and I’m never going to give it up,” Biodrowski said. Six years later, she’s flourishing in the position.

Biodrowski reflects on the experience of a camper who requires crutches to walk, recalling “So much of his life was built around the people he needed nearby to help him, the things he couldn’t do since he needed crutches. He had been reminded of his own limitations every day of his life. He took our leadership training and suddenly he could see all of the ways he was able to help others. All of the things that didn’t disqualify him from being helpful and needed by those around him. He hadn’t known how to be that person before. Knowing how much we all bring to the table makes life better for all of us!”

Fun for Everyone

Team Works

Biodrowski wants to create opportunities for campers of all ages and abilities, saying “My time at camp was so important to me, and I think everyone should have the opportunity. But most of Nebraska’s camps existed before Accessibility Acts were implemented, meaning they aren’t fun or even safe for those with physical, developmental, or behavioral restrictions.”

Biodrowski knows what she brings to the table, but she also knows she’s not creating this camp alone. She credits her entire staff for the joy they bring to each day, and the flexibility their work requires of them.

working long hours in the heat, never complaining, truly happy to do it. They’re not there for themselves. The campers teach my staff how to be more giving and selfless.

It gives them grit that they will be able to take with them in their careers, with their own children, as a caregiver for their own parents. This first hand empathy I hope everyone seeks and finds at some point in their lives.”

Happy Campers

Tony Bisignano and his son Ryan discovered camp isn’t an escape from reality, but an exercise in being one’s authentic, best self.

“2011 was Ryan’s first year at camp. He was 8, and we finally felt he was ready. We weren’t, but he was!” Tony remembered the trepidation as he said goodbye to his son for the first time. “But it’s not about us. You spend your life as a parent advocating for and nurturing your child, and at some point, you have to accept that they are ready to practice what you’ve been preparing them for.”

Since first learning that his son carries an extra chromosome, Tony has made it his business to create and adapt stepping stones to give his son the fullest, most independent life possible. A week at camp was an opportunity for Tony to let Ryan show how much he was capable of accomplishing.

“We had heard nothing but incredible things about Easterseals, and we knew so many families who had loved their experiences there. Whatever doubts we had about Ryan’s abilities to get by without us holding his hand were gone the moment we picked him up that Friday. He was already ready to go back. He had grown so much in that one week, so much confidence and independence.” Tony beamed.

Tony’s advice to other parents considering sending their children to Easterseals is an ego check. “As a parent, we’re here to support. I don’t ever want to be the one to tell Ryan what he can and can’t do. I want to present him with options, and teach him to look for opportunities. These activities are fun for the campers, but they’re also teaching them to seek their own strengths.” continued on pg.51

“The staff are truly the most selfless people I know. They spend their whole summer

MAY 2021

// 45 //

GIVING CALENDAR MAY 2 0 2 1

March

FEATURED EVENT Auction @ 5 p.m. | Dinner @ 6:30 p.m.

13

Every Piece Matters

This in-person gala takes place at Scott Conference Center on May 13, starting at 5 p.m. with a silent auction, and a dinner at 6:30 p.m. A virtual component will also be offered.

The guest speaker will be Ron Brown, a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Champions and a former Nebraska FCA Director. Ron is Director of Player Development for the University of Nebraska football team.

He spent 24 seasons as an assistant coach at Nebraska while they won three national championships.

—releaseinc.org

May 1 FOR THE KIDS BENEFIT 2021 (VIRTUAL) Benefiting: Omaha Children’s Museum Location: Online —ocm.org

May 7-8 MASQUERADE GALA WEEKEND Benefitting: Brownell-Talbot Location: various —brownell.edu/giving/gala

May 13 RELEASE GALA: EVERY PIECE MATTERS Benefitting: Release Inc. Location: Scott Conference Center —releaseinc.org

May 1 CHAMPAGNE AND DIAMONDS Benefiting: Micah House Location: TBA —themicahhouse.org

May 8 (Virtual) TREK UP THE TOWER KICKOFF Benefitting: The Wellbeing Partners Location: Online —trekupthetower.org

May 13 FEEL THE FREEDOM Benefiting: Chariots4Hope Location: American Muscle Car Museum —chariots4hope.org

May 2 WALK AND RALLY FOR HOPE Benefitting: ALS in the Heartland Location: Baxter Arena —alsintheheartland.org May 5 CINCO DE MAYO FIESTA (VIRTUAL) Benefiting: Memories for Kids Location: Online —memoriesforkids.org May 7 (11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m.)

D.J.’S HEROES AWARDS LUNCHEON Benefiting: Salvation Army Location: CHI Health Center —salarmyomaha.org

// 46 //

MAY 2021

May 8 BARSTOOOL OPEN Benefitting: United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska March Location: Old Market Omaha —ucpnebraska.org

08

May 14 ALL CARE HEALTH CENTER BLOOD DRIVE WITH RED CROSS Benefitting: Red Cross Location: All Care Health Center —redcrossblood.org

May 8 CABARET 2021 Benefiting: The Child Saving Institute Location: Embassy Suites-La Vista —childsaving.org/newsevents/cabaret

May 14 FORE THE CLUBS GOLF OUTING Benefiting: Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands Location: Fox Run Golf Course —bgcomaha.org

May 12 GO BEYOND GOLF CHALLENGE Benefitting: Go Beyond Location: Quarry Oaks Golf Course —gobeyondne.org/golf

May 15 (Virtual) GREAT STRIDES Benefiting: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Location: Online —fightcf.cff.org

May 15-16 BARGAIN BASH Benefiting: Junior League of Omaha Location: Hope Center for Children —jlomaha.org May 16 (Virtual) CANTOR’S CONCERT Benefiting: Beth El Synagogue’s Seth Rich Memorial Camp Scholarship Fund Location: Online —bethel-omaha.org May 16 (Virtual) WALK TO CURE ARTHRITIS Benefitting: Arthritis Foundation Location: Online —walktocurearthritis.org/nebraska

COUNSELING CONNECTIONS & ASSOCIATES

OFFERING BOTH IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL SESSIONS

May 18 (Virtual) WALK MS Benefiting: National MS Society Location: Online —nationalmssociety.org May 21 NSAA UNIFIED STATE TRACK & FIELD Benefitting: NSAA Unified Location: Burke High School —sone.org May 22 (Virtual) NAMI WALKS YOUR WAY Benefitting: NAMI Nebraska Location: Online —NAMIWALKS.org/Nebraska May 22-23 MAY FOR MOVEMENT MONTH CELEBRATION Benefiting: Muscular Dystrophy Association Location: Participant’s Choice —mdadonordrive.com May 25 DO GOOD WITH BURRITOS Benefitting: Junior League of Nebraska Location: Chipotle, 808 N. 102nd St. location —chipotle.com May 27 THE OSCA’S Benefitting: Omaha Sports Commission Location: Holland Center —omahasports.org/oscas May 29-31 (Virtual) MEMORIAL DAY RUN Benefiting: Boys Town Location: Online —memorialdayrun.com

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MAY 2021

// 47 //

FROM BULLY TO BESTIE

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARLA AUSTIN

Jacqelle Lane Turns Heartache Into Inspiration

SPONSORED PROFILE

J

acqelle Lane is at an age where people ask her, do you have children? While she could get offended or defensive, she doesn’t.

Instead, she replies: “I certainly do. I have 136 of them I teach every day. And, I love them like they are my own.”

But her parents said, “absolutely not. You are not quitting. You are not giving up.”

Lane is a sixth-grade teacher at Alfonza W. Davis Middle School in Omaha. During her 11 years as a teacher, she has developed a platform that she believes can change the world, because it can change the world of our children.

The statement resonated. In the second half of seventh grade, Lane found her tribe, girls who were good to her.

Everyone knows a bully. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Education released the first federal uniform definition of bullying as “unwanted aggressive behavior(s)…that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress…physical, psychological, social, or educational.”

Lane’s experience with bullying demonstrates how damaging the effect can be if not intervened. She attended a Christian school as one of a tight-knit class of 13 students from kindergarten through fifth grade.

Then, the group crossed over to middle school—a time when girls become socially aware that they should or shouldn’t do be doing certain things. It’s a tough time, and they’re trying to make other people approve of them.

Lane remembers being excited for sixth grade.

She liked her teachers and loved mingling and being with the kids because public school was so polar-opposite of her Christian school.

“I’m a talker and a social butterfly, and there were so many more personalities and more people to meet,” Lane said. “I just loved it.”

That summer, things changed. Lane had a difficult time making choices about friends.

She felt alone. She wanted to fit in, and get people to like her. Lane also discovered the people she thought were her friends weren’t.

She didn’t understand why they did not like her and thought something was wrong with her. A voice in her head played a continuous negative loop, obsessing over what others were saying about her. She started to believe these negative statements, creating a detrimental effect on her self-esteem. She began hunching her shoulders and became conscientious about her body. She wanted to drop out of all her favorite activities.

Lane remembers her parents saying, “you know, these people you are trying to get approval from are probably not going to be in your path.”

// STORY BY MARY PIERCE

Lane can cite three examples of students who benefitted from her kindness and teaching methods.

“Nate” was a student at the alternative school, B.E.S.T. Education in Lincoln, where Lane worked as an intervention specialist. He was then 14 and had been expelled many times from the regular classroom. He was also in trouble with the juvenile justice system.

This bullying could have been a defining moment of Lane’s life. What helped was she had her parents support and a loving household. This enabled Lane to move beyond her experience of being bullied.

Others don’t have that support, and the effect of that can be tragic.

Nate did not grow up with positive role models in his home. Gang members substituted for a family and offered him a sense of protection. This persona as a tough guy and the support of his gang family gave him a sense of confidence. Nate, and his 16-year-old brother, wanted a sense of belonging. Then, Nate’s brother was shot seven times while on the front porch of the family’s home.

“

This violence was not shocking to Nate. He came from a family of cyclical violence, with multiple generations of incarceration.

I don’t know how I’m going to keep my eyes open today.

I slept in my car.

We’re homeless.

” ” “Shelly

These days, Lane watches students closely during lunch. She is aware bullying occurs during these times because she herself often wouldn’t eat lunch, or she would ask her mom to pick her up because she didn’t know if she would have anyone to sit with at lunch.

She also works with kids who deal with bigger issues—those of economic status, race, gender identity, and more. Issues that break Lane’s heart.

This is why Lane tries to prepare her students with the social skills necessary for them to be successful in life as well as academics. She tries to teach them to celebrate uniqueness. She wants them to be content with themselves, and kind to others. She wants to empower students to stand up for themselves and others if they see or experience bullying, whether emotional, physical, or verbal.

People must start caring about bullying.

Those who have been bullied will either end up in our prison systems or be contributing members to society. It all depends on how people are treated as children.

When he came to Lane, it took him awhile before the tough-guy shell faded. Although he had a lot of life experiences and had seen things at 14 that many adults have never seen or experienced, he did not have a lot of love and understanding from people who were on his side. He did not have people who asked him what he was interested in and what he wanted to do with his life.

Lane talked to Nate about Walt Disney, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison—about their failures before success. She helped him stop glamorizing gang life. Lane and Nate built a relationship on trust and respect.

“He is one of many reasons I am proud to be an educator,” Lane said.

In another example, “Brooke” had been abused her entire life. She had attempted suicide, and everything she had overcome fueled a fire in Lane, who said, “I’d think back about my own experiences going to school and I wondered if I would have had the grit and the heart. Would I have been able to stand there?” particularly heartbreaking example, “Shelly” once pulled Lane aside while she was going through instructions for an assessment test.

The student courageously said, “I don’t know how I’m going to keep my eyes open today.

I slept in my car. We’re homeless.”

Lane was shocked. She felt bad for being focused on assessment, when she didn’t know Shelly, her mom, and her little sister were sleeping in their car.

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he was glad that Shelly knew Lane was a safe person, and Lane thinks those are working with youth need to establish themselves as safe people.

These experiences caused Lane to recall a conversation she once had with her dad, a defense attorney. She asked him, “why do you defend the bad guys?”

Her father said, “They weren’t always bad guys. The difference between the men and women I defend and you is that they didn’t have people like your mom and I, who told you you’re worthy, and motivated you. I think they deserve a second chance.”

Those words resonated with Lane. She became a teacher because she wanted to help struggling children before they lost control of their lives. She thought it would be good if she could do or say something before it got to that point. Like her dad, she believes people deserve a second chance.

She went back to college and entered the transition to teaching program, earning a teaching certificate with an endorsement in English, grades 7-12. She then earned master’s degrees in education administration and English as a Second Language, and is earning a master’s degree in school counseling.

Lane has worked at a group home and an alternative school. She spent three years as a high school English teacher in Lincoln and has taught English Language Arts to middle school students in Omaha for three years.

She has worked with students from gang members to cheerleaders. She’s gotten to know all kinds of kids with struggles. While seeing the challenges of these students, Lane continues to learn from them.

The most important lesson is that she never knows what someone’s life is like. Looking

back, one can easily see the importance of building trust and being a safe adult for children. Lane stated that this needs to begin with the youngest children.

Failure to do so creates what is known as the prison pipeline.

A person can follow a child from one’s early years to the penitentiary. If the child experiences trauma, particularly at a young age, their brain chemistry is different. These children don’t want to be in class with the other kids—they don’t want to be made fun of. They press buttons in order to be removed from the class and sent to the principal’s office. Then they’re labeled as troublemakers.

One can trace a student’s education career, with its expulsions, and indiscretions, all the way until he’s in the state penitentiary, where room and board are provided by taxpayers.

The 1,300 inmates in the Nebraska State Penitentiary cost more than $41,600,000 annually, according to the Nebraska Department of Corrections.

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platform “Every Child Matters: Preventing Teen Suicide and Reducing Bullying.” She has also written a book, From Bully to Bestie, and she wants it to be a tool to help children cope with stress.

From Bully to Bestie is a set of guidelines that focuses on positive versus negative measures.

It provides open discussion about the uncomfortable topic of bullying. Bullying is not just an uncomfortable topic for children.

Parents don’t want to be labeled as the parent of a student who is not nice, or is a bully.

Other parents want to blame the victim.

Lane wrote the book she as a counselor wants available to her students. It focuses on strategies children can use when they feel like lashing out at others; positive strategies to help children cope when they are sad, or angry, and they feel like they want to hurt someone’s feelings. The book encourages relieving stress by writing, creating art, caring for a pet, or exercising.

The solution needs to start through a change of heart, theory, and understanding. Teachers have the ability to can help.

While From Bully to Bestie may help address bullying, Lane’s platform, “Every Child Matters: Preventing Teen Suicide and Reducing Bullying,” aims to raise awareness to the even greater threat of teen suicide.

While teaching education classes at Metro Community College, Lane asked these future educators, “have you ever gone to an event in some of your students’ communities so you could see what’s really important to your students?”

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, one person dies from suicide every 36 hours in Nebraska. The National Institute of Health reports that, nationwide, suicide is the second leading cause of death in people ages 15-24.

She remember the first time she attended Salem Baptist Church. The service was vastly different from any service she had attended.

But she watched her students perform in a program that was important to them.

Lane’s goal is to drastically decrease this statistic by working with communities, schools, parents, and local governments. She aims to educate stakeholders on bullying prevention, and the effect of bullying in regard to suicide.

The African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child” remains true today. Because of Lane’s experience with being bullied and helping those who have been bullied, she created the

Her platform helps others know the risk factors for suicide—including bullying. She believes it is a responsibility of adults to get to know young people and to form a bond of trust with them. Together, Lane thinks we can teach the next generation “That Every Child Matters.”

Stories like those of Nate, Brooke, and Shelly are the stories that fuel Lane’s passion and desire to help children, whether saving them from the effects of bullying, exclusion, or suicide. She has known students who died from suicide. She wished she could have told them it could get better—and now she can.

From Bully to Bestie can be bought for $16.75 as a Kindle edition from amazon.com, or through Lane’s website, jacqellelane.com.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOSH FOO

// 50

GIVING FEATURE //

Celebrating 20 Years in Business!

continued from pg.45

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome Biodrowski reflected on the heartache of having to cancel in-person activities last year, and the hope staff felt that by this summer, COVID-19 would be a thing of the past. Instead, she’s preparing for the worst while wishing for the best, saying, “Hopefully the staff will be able to fully vaccinate before camp, as we serve a high-risk population. However, not all of our campers will be eligible or have access before camp starts. We are still problemsolving how to safely offer our in-person programming this summer. We’re looking at smaller groups, planning more family outings and events, and more day-camp programming, and fewer overnights. All able campers will wear masks or face shields, we take safety very seriously.”

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In order to successfully offer day camps, Easterseals will partner with other area day camps and deliver services as teams. This will allow the events to be more inclusive for both camps, while increasing the capacity they’re capable of serving. A fun virtual option will also be available to the highest risk campers.

Biodrowski and her team at Easterseals believe there is no setback that can’t be overcome. Their unique skill set enables them to see every challenge as an opportunity to create a safer, stronger, and more inclusive community, come rain, shine, or global pandemic.

To learn more about Biodrowski and Easterseals, or to read camper testimonials, visit easterseals.com/ne.

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MAY 2021

60 OMAHA s u l p

May 2021

˝Initially there were only 14 of the 1879 Gatling Guns built for the U.S. Army,˝ Kirk Brumbaugh

60+ FEATURE // STORY BY CHRIS HATCH // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY DEREK JOY

History in the Present Day Kirk Brumbaugh’s Collection of Historical Weapons

irk Brumbaugh knows how to time travel.

He’ll take anyone along for the ride, too, if they listen.

No DeLorean screaming up to 88 miles per hour, no hyper-spinning sci-fi contraption that catapults people back into a wormhole somewhere out near the moons of Jupiter. Just tangible, real-world history. A human compass, pointing people in the direction you need to go.

Those talking to Brumbaugh find themselves transported, lifted from this moment, and this place and taken over whole continents and centuries, delivered to, then through, the cracks in the decades that others might not know were there.

Brumbaugh’s knowledge will lift listeners, like an updraft of expertise that has one suddenly cruising at altitude, looking at the big picture below. Although seated, when he takes listeners up to view the history he will lay down below, they suddenly see battles in South America and Naval skirmishes in the choppy waters of the Atlantic.

When he begins to tell listeners about his award-winning gun collection, the one full of so much backstory and detail it could fill a library, it becomes clear that this timeline of a man has a few stops he wants to make sure people hit on their way to the present day. ►

MAY 2021 • 60 PLUS

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// 60+ FEATURE //

t’s a story not only of the cold precision of automatic weaponry, but the human hands that toiled to find the automation that would make them so powerful.

One of the stars in this particular historical constellation is Brumbaugh’s meticulously restored 1879 U.S. Army Gatling gun, delivered to the Army in 1880.

Like many of the guns in his collection, there was a process in pulling it back from the brink of being lost to the ages; fading away in a location so far from the spotlight that it was nearly too dark to find.

“This gun: it sat from, as best I can tell, the early 1900s until 1967 in a rural community in Missouri. Where generations of school children had carved their names into the brass receiver and wooden carriage,” he said, detailing his search and rescue mission of this artifact from small-town America’s forgotten shadows.

“The gun had been unprotected, left to rust and decay in a public square in a small town in Missouri,” Brumbaugh said. “The individual that I purchased it from, when he bought it, it had been rusted solid. The carriage had rotted away, so the only things left were a pile of rotted wood and rusted iron.”

This is what Brumbaugh does, finds above-ground buried treasure.

He relishes in relics.

Items so rare and so unique they could be lost, if not for his pinpoint studies and encyclopedic memory, his determination to restore the guns both physically and in the consciousness of the people they once protected.

“Initially there were only 14 of the 1879 Gatling guns built for the U.S. Army,” Brumbaugh said.

Once he locates an item he determines to be historically significant, he moves in—using a team of like-minded, highly skilled restoration experts—and attempts to bring these weapons to their former glory.

For Brumbaugh and his team, people as far away as Boston, the U.K., and Australia that he knows and trusts with such delicate work, this is a full and honest recreation. This is no mere spitshine or quick coat of paint.

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60 PLUS • MAY 2021

“The Gatling gun I have is highly specialized, so if you have an item of historical significance—then you have to research and find the best people to work on it.”

Brumbaugh truly cherishes the historical accuracy of his restoration projects.

“I wanted it to be a historically accurate restoration. So, when I got it, I sent it back to the guy that had done the initial reconstruction: Barry Anderson in Ohio. I contacted Hansens (a world renowned wagon and carriage restoration company in South Dakota) and got blueprints from Cullity & Son Co. in Boston, to rebuild the carriage from a pile of scrap and do a final restoration of the metal parts. They made it possible to build a historically accurate carriage for an 1879 gun.”

With so few of these types of weapons still in existence, this was no paint-bynumbers job. It was custom and required creative work and lots of digging through the archives to make sure that it was as close to accurate as could be.

The Gatling gun from 1879 is one of the primary pieces, but it isn’t the whole show for a collector like Brumbaugh, who has been interested in collecting guns ever since he was 18 years old.

“My father was a World War II combat vet and he fought in North Africa and Sicily in the 7th U.S. Army under General Patton. He came back from World War II with a Luger that he had captured from a German officer in Sicily.

He also had a law enforcement career for a number of years, and so firearms, and particularly handguns, were a part of my childhood and young adulthood.”

While his father’s profession and history introduced guns to Brumbaugh, it was his own fascination with the British Empire that led him down the rows of library books.

“The collection I more or less developed on my own. I was fascinated with Winston Churchill and the Victorian era. I started by reading as much as I could about Churchill, the British Empire, and the two world wars from the British perspective” It was this fascination with Great Britain, how a country with a population of 50 million came to rule a landmass that ultimately accounted for approximately 25% of the world, which enabled him to study and become an expert on the type of weaponry that would give Great Britain its world supremacy during the late 1800s.

That fascination with the British, and the weapons of the Victorian era, gave him the knowledge to obtain an 1887 Nordenfelt battery gun .450/577 Martini-Henry Caliber as used by the Royal Navy.

“The Nordenfelt was much lighter than the average Gatling gun. A five-barreled Navy Nordenfelt weighed in at about 70 pounds,” Brumbaugh said. “The primary purpose of machine guns in naval use at the time was to sweep the deck of ships during combat. Firing down on gun crews, because exposed gun crews were still a common feature, as was ramming a ship,” he said, explaining the rare guns’ usage and how it was a devastating weapon in naval battles of the era.

“You would want Marines in the crow’snest shooting at exposed men on the deck,” he continued. “The Nordenfelt was just better for it. I think I have the only British Navy Nordenfelt in the U.S. The only other two I’ve been able to find in the U.S. were used in Spain.”

Also featured prominently in his collection: an 1889 (made in 1895) Maxim Nordenfelt.

This weapon represented the inevitable, perpetual motion of progress to Brumbaugh. A weapon so effective that it essentially rendered many of the other machine guns at the time obsolete. One of many inventions created by Hiram Maxim, a man so adept at making dreams reality that he held patents on curling irons, mouse traps, a flying machine, and many claim he actually invented the light bulb that Thomas Edison would later be credited for.

The Maxim gun, capable of firing over 700 rounds a minute, was so fearsome and advanced technologically that it remained relatively unchanged until after the second World War. When Brumbaugh takes people through time, he speaks of poetry and history, of technology, and of the ever-present, always-ticking clock that connects us all.

He talks about weapons and guns, to be sure, but more than that, he talks of the people behind them. The ones aiming them and the people pouring the liquid metal and casting the barrels in their Victorian era laboratories.

To someone like Brumbaugh—what matters is finding the ability to run his hands over the cool metal of history, to feel the alchemy that comes from the past meeting the present and know that you’re at the crossroads of the two converging.

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“It was completely empty when we were there. It was like being in northern California without the people.”

Sarah Newman

STORY BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN DESIGN BY DEREK JOY

avid Harding and his wife, Sarah Newman, traveled to New Zealand last March. They flew into the country’s largest city—Auckland, population 1.67 million—and then went to Nelson, population 52,000, to stay with the two people they knew in New Zealand.

After driving for a couple of days with their friends, Harding and Newman began their own adventure, driving around the south island. They drove to Te Anau, and went to Doubtful Sound, where they took an overnight tour of this area. They noted, however, that the boat was only about half full, and March is in the back end of the tourist season for New Zealand.

The couple drove back to Te Anau in mid-March 2020 to discover Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared the borders of the country shut. COVID-19 was making its way across the world, and New Zealand had an aggressive plan of attack that included closing their borders. This border closure remains in place to date.

According to government statistics, New Zealand welcomes more than 240,000 tourists in a normal March.

The government declared Alert Level 3 on April 27, which allowed people to move outside their cities. Harding and Newman traveled about an hour and a half from Christchurch to Akaroa on Banks Peninsula, as they wanted to get out in nature.

The couple still found themselves two of the few people there, but that suited them. They stayed there for two weeks in May. Akaroa was the only French settlement in New Zealand, and thus is a huge tourist destination, with French colonial architecture and fine food.

“The whole place was deserted, like ghost town,” Harding said. “We were close to the downtown area, and there are buildings downtown that have a lot of rubble… they had an earthquake about 10 years ago there. It added to the atmosphere of ghost town.”

“Some of the regular tourist things were shut,” Harding said. “We wish we could have seen more of the north island. There was one place—Stewart Island—that we didn’t get to.”

“It was the most enchanting place,” Newman said. “It was a family-owned sheep farm. The [film crew] rented the place and built Hobbiton out of styrofoam.

A couple of years after the movie came out, the farmer called the director and said ‘people are showing up wanting to see Hobbiton.’” A business opportunity was born.

Their flight was about two weeks away on April 2, and they, like everyone else, were unsure how the disease would affect people from day to day, let alone from one week to the next.

Thus began 33 days in Christchurch. In between cooking meals, drinking New Zealand wine, and relaxing in the hot tub, the couple took walks.

Harding and Newman were encouraged by family to stay in New Zealand, where, by June 8, the ministry of health reported no more active cases of COVID19 in the country. New Zealand went to alert level one at that time, which meant they could fly home. Their adult children, however, strongly suggested their parents stay in the country.

Harding and Newman saw New Zealand in a way they never will again. On the advice of friends from home, they went to Hobbiton in Matamata.

The couple were somewhat lukewarm on this site, thinking they were walking into Disneyland, but decided to enjoy the adventure. They were two of about 20 tourists that day.

On a normal day, Hobbiton welcomes about four busloads of people each hour.

They returned to their rooms at Te Anau Lodge, and the owner told the couple that within the last hour or two, he had lost all his reservations. Harding and Newman watched the news closely, wondering whether to fly home to the U.S. or stay in New Zealand.

They chose to stay instead of trying to get a flight out. The couple drove to the south end of the south island and found their motel. The manager said “something big was coming down.” Rather than stay in the small town where they had just arrived, Harding and Newman dashed to Christchurch and rented an Airbnb on March 24, the day before Ardern announced a lockdown of the country.

“There’s this placid water in Caldera, and when we went onto the ocean, the boat was swarmed with Hector’s Dolphins!”

Newman said, referring to the smallest, rarest marine dolphin in the world. They had not seen any boat activity for eight weeks, and they were curious where all the people had gone.

“It was completely empty when we were there,” Newman said. “It was like being in northern California without the people.”

During that time, New Zealand declared no new cases of COVID-19, and on May 13, New Zealand shifted to Alert Level 2, effectively reopening businesses. People could gather in groups of 100 or fewer with masks and remaining at least 2 metres (6.5 feet) apart.

They also encountered stretches of empty beaches with seal colonies on them and birds that were so unafraid of people they almost walked beside the couple.

Their visa was up in September. So, in August, the pair returned to their home.

Harding and Newman have returned to their normal lives, as much as anyone’s life is normal these days. Their time in New Zealand is still a topic of conversation with friends, and it’s a topic they’ll gladly share with people.

The couple were two of about a dozen people who took the first nature boat tour that day. The boat normally holds about 25 people.

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ARE FEET DANGLED

from the rear window of the 1958 white station wagon. The father wadded a used cigarette pack, laughed at his two daughters, and tossed the pack out the window. An empty Orange Crush bottle followed, shattering against the side of the highway. The parents puffed on cigarettes while their girls played games. Who could hold the Life Saver the longest without it breaking? The wind ruffled its hot fingers through the girls’ blonde hair as each sucked diligently on the cool mint of their candies. His wife, in a casual skirt and blue blouse, exhaled cigarette smoke.

While her husband enjoyed the ride with their children, she drove the entire trip from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Scottsdale, Arizona.

The girls looked forward to stopping for chocolate ice cream at the Howard Johnson motel, with its iconic orange roof. Karen Palmer, now 69 and a retired teacher from Millard Public Schools, recalled the rules of the road were different back in the 1960s.

Palmer, a frequent traveler who has visited 20 countries and too many states to count, believes the bygone days of family adventures have been left by the roadside.

“I think people have a Bluetooth on or are playing on their iPads,” Palmer said.

“You don’t have that unique family opportunity anymore.”

A motel along the highway became an oasis after a lengthy drive. Roadside motels peaked at 61,000 in 1964, wrote Mark Okrant in his book No Vacancy: The Rise, Demise, and Reprise of America’s Motels. Bright neon “No Vacancy” signs faded when interstates paved paths across America. The industry seemed checked out, diminishing to a mere 16,000 operating motels by 2012.

Many of those motels were locally owned, but the brand that inspires the most nostalgia is the one with the signature orange roof—Howard Johnsons.

According to the website hojoland.com, by the late 1970s, Howard Johnson’s had more than 1,000 restaurants and over 500 motor lodges, including two in Nebraska—one on 72nd Street in Omaha, the other at 3201 S. Jeffers St. in North Platte.

There are still old-school motels around, but they are not always on the beaten path. Situated on the old Lincoln Highway, off I-80 to the west, is the Lazy K Motel in Ogallala, a classic motel that has been maintained since 1956. It has colors of pink and blue with a midcentury sign bearing an askew “K,” and offers rooms at $35-$65 per night, with an additional fee of $5 per pet, if needed.

The rooms come with a refrigerator and microwave, but no swimming pool.

Those who head north through the sandhills can stay in Valentine at the Raine Motel, which has been in existence since 1963. This brick building boasts 1960s architecture, notably a low-hipped roof with extended section at the front to protect arrivees from inclement weather.

Rates range from $60-$90, and the motel has an attached bar and grill called the Neon, featuring classic steakhouse fare.

During the heyday of back-road travel, most small towns in Nebraska had motels. Mullen, Nebraska, population 320 as of 2019, offers The Sandhills Motel. It has 19 recently renovated rooms and includes RV hookups and a trailer to be rented by visitors during deer hunting season.

Many motel owners and managers are making design changes to lure in travelers, adding modern twists with oldfashioned décor. The North Platte Inn & Suites had a $2 million facelift after breaking its former Howard Johnson chain link. Only the bright orange walls remain. The motel now caters to longerstaying travelers, offering amenities such as full-sized fridges, microwaves, and two-burner stovetops. Instead of eating the well-known clam strips and double-butterfat ice cream, people can head to the grocery store for the basics to stay in. Christy Kackmeister, the general manager at the North Platte Inn & Suites, mentioned traffic increased at the motel in April during the height of the pandemic, up 234 rooms from the previous year.

Kackmeister, though, wasn’t sure if the North Platte Inn & Suites would be considered a motel or hotel. The line is often blurred and somewhere in between.

Hotels, typically centered in urban areas, had been around the states since the late 1700s. Even before author John Steinbeck named Route 66 the “Mother Road,” people cruised for convenient places to rest. Some camped, stayed at cottage courts, or slept in cars. Architect

ALTHOUGH SOME MIGHT HAVE A SWIMMING POOL OR PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, MOTELS LACKED THE LUXURY SERVICES A HOTEL WOULD OFFER. Arthur Heineman filled the gap, designing a “motor hotel” specifically for drivers, the Milestone Mo-Tel Inn. The “mo-tel,” as he later coined it, cost $1.25 per night. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid-Highway Act, motels increased in popularity in the 1960s and ’70s. Bright signs beckoned in all their cheesy glory next to plain one- or two-story buildings made from regional construction.

Although some might have a swimming pool or playground equipment, motels lacked the luxury services a hotel would offer. People parked cars right in front of rooms, providing easy access. Guests could walk out into exterior corridors for a smoke rather than navigate endless interior hallways.

These mom-and-pop lodgings offered affordability and anonymity. But the latter earned motels a sinister edge.

Anyone who watched Alfred Hitchcock’s slasher film Psycho still remembers the infamous blazing vacancy light on the Bates Motel Sign, luring in Janet Leigh’s character Marion Crane off the dark rainy highway to her death. Even the famed Rosebud motel from Schitt’s Creek, located in Orangeville, Ontario, served as a backdrop for the thriller A History of Violence.

Motels still have a long way to travel to reclaim the neon glow of their glory days.

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“Since most of the cats and dogs that are transported are pulled from death row, their only chance for any sort of a good life is through the pilots that get them safely out.”

Jill Longshaw

MISSIONS OF MERCY FORMER USAF NAVIGATOR FINDS PURPOSE IN FLYING 60+ ACTIVE LIVING // story by Joel Stevens // photography by Bill Sitzmann // design by Derek Joy

im Arbuckle is descending to 3,000 feet; the low altitude turbulence and gusty Midwest winds whipping his single engine Beechcraft around like a kite—and his passengers are barking.

Arbuckle, 78, is a decorated former U.S. Air Force navigator who flew reconnaissance missions during the Cold War, yet on this day he is somewhere between Wichita and Nebraska City with a cargo of rescue dogs ear-marked for adoption.

Since last fall, Arbuckle has been volunteering his plane and plethora of pilot experience to fly dogs (and some cats) from animal shelters all over the Midwest and deliver them for adoption.

The pandemic has been a boon for pet adoptions—more time working from home gives pet owners more time with their four-legged companions—but there are gaps regionally. Funding is short and, while the network of shelters and the work they do is strong, transportation is always an issue.

These flights are often the difference between life or death for some animals.

It’s a supply-and-demand math problem and the flights widen the field of where adoptions can take place.

The mission, a word Arbuckle likes to use, works like this: dogs facing euthanasia are loaded on planes and flown to locations with shortages of adoptable pets.

Groups such as California-based Wings of Rescue and Pilots ‘N’ Paws, based in Landrum, South Carolina, lead the effort, recruiting volunteer pilots such as Arbuckle who, at their own expense, ferry dogs to new homes, shelters, and rescues all over the country. PNP has a roster of more than 6,000 registered pilots scattered all over the U.S.

He and his wife retired to Omaha for good in 1993. The RC-135 was the workhorse of Cold War operations for decades with missions flown all around the world, typically in 22 hour sorties.

But it was not a spy plane, Arbuckle insists. “We did not ever use the word ‘spy,’” he said. “We used ‘reconnaissance.’

Spying implies illegal actions. We stayed over international waters at all times. We did not penetrate enemy territory.”

Arbuckle was a pilot long before beginning active duty. He starting flying at age 19, while studying at Penn State, where he would go on to receive his commission and meet his wife, Pam. They’ll celebrate their 53rd anniversary this spring and have two grown children and three grandchildren.

The Arbuckles have spent the majority of their retirement traveling, but a new hobby beckoned.

Arbuckle first heard about the Pilots ‘N’ Paws group on a blog he follows for Beechcraft owners. They were looking for pilots to assist with transportation.

“We’d come in at about 7,500 feet, high out of the turbulence, and we come down to about 3,000 feet, and it’d get bumpy. It’s a short time but they don’t tend to like that.”

Most trips, though, his passengers are fairly calm. Most dogs curl up and sleep for the duration of the flight.

Arbuckle’s wife, Pam, is a reluctant flyer but usually accompanies him on his missions. She loves flying with the dogs. Far more than she does flying with just her husband, he said.

“I wouldn’t mind flying three hours but my wife…” he said, trailing off.

They don’t own a dog. “With all our travels it really wasn’t fair to a dog,” he said—but he and his wife grow attached to the rescues they transport.

Through PNP, Arbuckle has flown mostly for Hearts United for Animals, a no-kill shelter and sanctuary based in Auburn, Nebraska.

“My eyes had sort of glazed over during COVID,” he said. “So I was looking for an excuse to fly.”

Jill Longshaw, public relations manager with HUA, agrees with Arbuckle’s nomenclature. The work their web of pilots do are indeed “missions”—missions of mercy.

His first mission, should he choose to accept it: fly to Wichita, pick up two rescue dogs that were in danger of being euthanized, and fly them back to Nebraska City.

“Since most of the cats and dogs that are transported are pulled from death row, their only chance for any sort of a good life is through the pilots that get them safely out,” Longshaw said.

It wasn’t high-altitude reconnaissance of USSR military operations, but it was exactly what he was looking for.

Rescues like HUA are part of a network attempting to mitigate the problem of unwanted pets, especially in the South.

Where a shelter animal in Georgia or Texas might never find a home locally, if that animal is flown to New Jersey or Nebraska, it could find a home within a matter of days.

“They asked me if I was interested, and I gulped,” he said. “But I said yes.”

Arbuckle signed on with PNP in October. He’s flown nine missions so far, mostly in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas— the farthest being Dodge City, Kansas, and the closest Red Oak, Iowa. The missions typically take 90 minutes to two hours, round trip.

The animals fly in kennels, usually two to four per trip. Arbuckle admits rescue dogs are probably the strangest cargo he’s flown in his more than 50 years of flying.

The work is entirely volunteer, from the flight time to the maintenance and fuel.

Arbuckle covers all costs for the singleengine, Beechcraft Bonanza B35 he’s owned since 2015.

That’s about 20 hours less than the missions he undertook as a navigator on the RC-135 reconnaissance plane during active duty.

“They take to it a lot better than I do,” Arbuckle said of flying with a planeload of dogs. “Except when we land. They get a little excited.”

Arbuckle served with the 55th Wing at Strategic Air Command at Offutt Air Force Base for nearly three decades.

And, as it turns out, in the autumn in the Midwest, in that high wind and low altitude turbulence. Thus, the barking.

HUA’s website features dozens of stories of pets surrendered by or rescued from owners, their journey to shelters, and their many happy endings.

The stories of what many of the pets have gone through before Arbuckle transports them are heartbreaking. The whole experience has been eye-opening.

“I really hadn’t paid much attention to [rescuing animals],” he said.

“It’s rewarding.”

Visit pilotsnpaws.org for more information.

MAY 2021 • 60 PLUS

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60+ e Prim e T im PAUL PRENTISS // 64 STORY BY NICHOLAS MOORE PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

Like most in the past year, Paul Prentiss has made some adjustments, and, at 64, that can be a daunting task.

Fortunately for Prentiss, some constants remain, like the love of his two daughters, Rachel and Eva, and a great head of hair.

Before a successful law career in workers compensation defense, Prentiss earned a master’s in agronomy. Now nearing retirement, he enjoys living in the midcentury bachelor pad designed by his eldest daughter, Rachel.

“I don’t really have a bucket list,” he said, “except for travel.” Having recently met a woman online who’s also into travel and bicycling, he now has a companion with whom to visit the old country of the British Isles and experience the natural wonders of every state in the Union.

Prentiss continues to work from home and occasionally dons suit and tie to go into the office.

“You do better work when you’re dressed up,” he said.

Prentiss favors putting together business-casual looks from his assortment of sport coats and vests.

“Suit and tie is almost too easy—I like the challenge of working with patterns and fabrics…and at my age, vests keep me warm!”

Prentiss’ innate sense of style will transport him into new adventures, while his vintage record collection will allow him travel back in time every now and again.

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OBVIOUSLY OMAHA // STORY BY KIM REINER // PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED

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SEEING STARS

PLACES TO ENJOY STARRY NIGHTS AROUND OMAHA

When people are inside Omaha’s city limits, stargazing isn’t as simple as stepping into one’s backyard and looking up. Viewers need to go somewhere with minimal light pollution, and preferably, to a place where the view of the horizon is not blocked.

Those who are new to stargazing should know there’s a bit more to selecting a spot. A good tip is to consider the direction before selecting a stargazing destination. To view southern skies, it is important to choose the best southern spot in Omaha. Here are local stargazers’ favorite nighttime viewing spots:

01. ZORINSKY LAKE PARK

3808 S. 154th St. (south entrance) There’s a good reason the Omaha Astronomical Society holds public events at Zorinsky Park. Within the park setting, the street lights aren’t glaring, which creates as good of viewing conditions as possible within the city. The preferred spot for viewing is at the soccer fields.

02. FLANAGAN LAKE

168th and Fort streets

Similar to Zorinsky Lake Park, Flanagan Lake benefits from the park setting away from too many street lights. As one of the newer parks built in Omaha, it’s another stargazing spot that’s popular with the OAS though parking can be a bit of a nuisance. Society members opt for a spot in the park near the playground located on the north side of the lake, just west of 168th and Ida streets.

03. GLENN CUNNINGHAM LAKE PARK

8305 Rainwood Road

The city-managed park sits on an expanse of 1,050 acres in northwestern Omaha. It’s a known site for stargazing, according to a member of OAS. However, the park has been under renovations for more than a year, including draining the lake, with no end date known.

04. TWO RIVERS STATE RECREATION AREA

27702 F St., Waterloo, NE

Off-the-beaten path, Two Rivers SRA is a smaller camping spot home to seven areas and several sandpit lakes. The remoteness of the park makes it a good option for looking at the night sky. Nebraska State Park daily admission or an annual park pass is required to enter the area.

05. PLATTE RIVER STATE PARK

14421 346th St., Louisville, NE

It’s a bit of a drive from Omaha, but Platte River State Park is an outdoor lover’s destination. Venture away from cabins to get the best views of the sky at night. The park has an observation tower to put people above the treeline, too. Nebraska State Park daily admission or an annual park pass is required to enter.

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06. MAHONEY STATE PARK

28500 W. Park Highway, Ashland, NE Omaha Astronomical Society has singled out Mahoney State Park for its warm-weather monthly public viewing events. Cosponsored with Nebraska Star Party, the OAS events are typically held on a Friday night from May through September. The events are held at the park’s golf driving range. Organizers coordinate with park staff to ensure lights are shut off to ensure optimum viewing conditions. Nebraska State Park daily admission or an annual park pass is required to enter the area.

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THE JOURNEY THAT BROUGHT JUSTIN HALBERT HOME

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

When considering the thoughtful, daring, complex touches at Herbe Sainte, one would assume that the mind behind the popular restaurant knows what makes life truly delicious.

Everything from the sourcing to the plating has a purpose, and intention can be found in the smallest details. The architect of these experiences, Justin Halbert, sees his work as an opportunity to share what he loves most about life, and to bring a little of the great big world to the city he loves.

While Omaha is where Halbert was born, and where he applies his knowledge of restaurants and recipes, his story takes a more nomadic theme. It crosses oceans, and proves that home is wherever compassion drives you.

THE LEGACY

Halbert reflected on his upbringing and the example his parents set for him. “From a very young age, they included us in activities like feeding the hungry, and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. The focus was always on giving back as much as we could from ourselves. These were truly some of my most loved childhood memories, just finding a way to be of service. My parents showed us every day how easily we could make a difference.”

They also set the precedent that wherever you were, and wherever you were needed, you were home. They raised their children to believe that one doesn’t need deep roots to grow strong, and had moved seven times before Halbert graduated high school.

EDUCATION BEYOND ACADEMICS Tragically losing his mother as a teenager forced Halbert to consider what kind of life he wanted, and what would have made her proud. “I was 17 when I lost my mom, and that became a catalyst.”

Halbert attended the University of Florida, but found himself directionless. “I was good at math and certain subjects, but couldn’t pinpoint what I wanted from college. Nothing was sticking. My sophomore year I decided to leave school,” he said.

Not knowing where his path would lead, Halbert began to reflect on the times he felt he was in the right place. “Falling back on the things I had loved about my life, the two things that formed who I was as a person were travel and service.”

Halbert joined the Peace Corps, traveling overseas to put everything his parents taught him into practice.

PLANTING SEEDS

“So much of how I manage has to do with what I learned and how I was treated in the Peace Corps,” he said. “The way they communicate and assess your skills allows each person to flourish, and to offer exactly what they’re best at for the best outcome.”

Halbert has no regrets from his college experience. “You’re funneled into occupations or missions based on your degree. I’d gone to school with the goal of becoming a teacher,” he said. “My mom was a teacher, so I had an affinity for the work. Because of that education, I was assigned a language mission.”

That assignment resulted in a profound encounter for Halbert, which only fueled his belief that he was exactly where he needed to be.

“In Romania, one of my host family’s neighbors invited me to come see the kindergarten where she taught. The shock of seeing the facility with no working heater, broken windows, a door that doesn’t close…these kids are in this really untenable situation in coats and gloves trying to learn. I let her guide me to the triage of need, what was most important to help her teach effectively.”

Halbert immediately began a fundraising campaign, enlisting his father’s help. “The generosity of people back home, collecting donations...my father’s religious group held a fundraiser," he said. "We raised around $7,000. That’s doing five to 10 times the work in Romania.”

Soon they were using the money to hire local workers to make repairs and improve the safety, functionality, and accessibility of the school.

THE WAY BACK

Halbert took the scenic route back to Nebraska, spending time in San Diego working with

This echoing of his experience in the Peace Corps galvanized Halbert’s belief...That everyone deserved an environment that prepared, encouraged, and allowed them to succeed.

foster youth. “When I got home, I wanted to continue that work.” He interviewed at Boys Town, but Nebraska doesn’t recognize Peace Corps credits. “I would have had to go back to a master’s program to be able to teach,” he said. “I already knew college wasn’t for me, and I started to feel a little dejected. I called my Uncle Ron and told him I wanted advice about owning my own restaurant, and he told me to get a job at a national chain bussing tables.”

Halbert’s “Uncle Ron” is Ron Samuelson, former M’s Pub partner and local restaurateur.

The two would later start SamFam Restaurant Group, along with Halbert’s brother, Aaron.

“It’s true, I told him to start at the very bottom, and not a mom-and-pop place,” Samuelson said. “Of course the goal was to own his own place, but to start with an established chain means learning from all of the processes they put into place that are universally working.

Once you learn why the rules are there, you can learn which ones are OK to break in your own place.”

Halbert applied to bus tables at a nearby P.F. Chang’s.

“I learned every position at that restaurant,” he said. When he realized he was getting passed over for promotions, he left to work at Kona Grill.

“Sally Stoakes was my manager…She wanted to get the absolute most out of everyone, to see them succeed.”

This echoing of his experience in the Peace Corps galvanized Halbert’s belief that this was a universally adaptable behavior. That everyone deserved an environment that prepared, encouraged, and allowed them to succeed.

Samuelson credits this approach with Halbert’s ability to attract and maintain great people for their business. “With his youth and his energy, his ability to learn and apply knowledge quickly, there was no way he wasn’t going to be a great business owner. He has such a big heart, and such a brain for business acumen and numbers," he said. "I feel very lucky to have him in my life not only professionally, but personally. He’s a great businessman, but he’s also just a great man.”

Diners can judge the results of Halbert’s work for themselves with a visit to Herbe Sainte.

The attention to atmosphere ensures a familial, festive experience among a staff who truly seem enthusiastic to be providing it. The exceptional menu is focused, but adventurous, and the cocktails are as inventive as they are generous.

Prepare for a New Orleans-style night.

Visit herbesainteomaha.com for more information.

MAY 2021

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DINING REVIEW // STORY BY JOSEFINA LOZA

SINALOA TO SUSHI ISLA DEL MAR SERVES UP MARISCOS FRESCOS AND MARITIME VIBES

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Tacos de Marlin are three salted smoked marlin tacos served with rice.

SINALOAN CUISINE IS KNOWN FOR ITS DIVERSITY OF FLAVORS, COLORS, AND TEXTURES.

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After record-breaking Nebraska cold temperatures, and amid a pandemic, the closest my family could get to oceanfront views was from the tall wooden booth at Isla del Mar Seafood Restaurant.

The Sinaloan cuisine eatery, sandwiched in a popular area at 36th and Leavenworth streets, is one we’ve passed a dozen of times. Nearly every time, the car park was full, which is a good indication that the dishes Ismara Gonzalez serves inside are desirable. On a sunshine-filled Friday, we stopped in just after the lunch rush.

Gonzalez opened the restaurant nearly four years ago on south 20th Street, later relocating to its current location. Isla del Mar, which translated means Sea Island, boasts 10,000 square feet of space and facades of island life that this tropical dreamer so desperately sought.

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// DINING REVIEW

DINING REVIEW //

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Let’s be honest, this light-skinned Latina writer is no stranger to Caribbean views, escaping twice a year to the Florida Keys and elsewhere. The beautiful nautical murals and beach décor of oars, small buoys, and deep-sea life instantly set an oceanic mood that whets the appetite.

An extensive menu offering heartier fare for the colder months was on deck, but the fresh seafood and exceptional sushi bar are the highlights for locals and regular patrons.

Sinaloan cuisine is known for its diversity of flavors, colors, and textures. Aguachile is the Mexican state of Sinaloa’s spicy signature dish, consisting of fresh shrimp, cucumber, and red onion bathed in a chili-and-lime infused sauce, giving the dish its name.

With all the service woes restaurateurs have faced during this COVID-19 crisis, we could not have felt safer eating here. The staff was attentive and polite. Glasses were never empty; tables are wiped between patrons, and clean silverware is swapped out.

For entrées, one special that caught my eye was El Molcajete Frío, an aguachile shrimp stew of sorts, cooked in lime juices with octopus, cucumbers, red onions, and special house sauce. In case you are not familiar, a molcajete is a granite mortar and pestle.

Sometimes in local Mexican restaurants they are used to serve guacamole or queso fundido.

Although the Molcajete Frío portion size was enough to feed two people, my special request to make the dish extra spicy—eyeballs-boiling-in-their-sockets hot—was not honored. However, the overall flavor was a delight, as the citrus and red onions made the oversized shrimp pop.

My tweens were elated to see their California sushi rolls arrive in bento boxes. Not only were the portions large, the sides they ordered from the kid’s menu were divine: jalapeño poppers, onion and shrimp tempura, edamame, fried asparagus, and crispy mango.

While a California roll is pretty basic (sushi crab, avocado, cucumber), it was a tasty treat for the kiddos. Isla del Mar’s sushi was flavorful and the pieces seemed to hold together as my littles straddled the sushi with their chopsticks.

After speaking with regular patrons, who scoffed at our basic sushi selection, we realized we should have tried one or two of the specialty rolls. For instance, the Hulk is made of sushi crab, cream cheese, avocado, eel sauce, and spicy mayonnaise, and the Aztec roll consists of sushi crab, cream cheese, jalapeño, and rice, fried in the house special breading and served with eel sauce.

Torre Imperial (The Imperial Tower) is ceviche, cooked shrimp, raw shrimp cooked in lime, and cooked octopus with special house sauce.

Omaha diner Crystal Murillo is a fan of the restaurant’s shrimp ceviche and both the Hulk and Aztec specialty sushi rolls. She frequents the eatery twice a month with her mother and sisters.

“I think their [offerings are] really delicious overall,” she said. “The sushi they have is unique.”

The beverage program is just as strong, with cocktail classics such as mojitos and bloody Marys and Mexican classics micheladas and cantaritos.

OVERALL, THE FOOD PRESENTATION IS SPECTACULAR, THE SEAFOOD IS FRESH, AND PORTIONS ARE GENEROUS

73 Patron Reyna Moreno made special note of the cocktail menu.

“Their drinks are unique, too.”

Take the following showstopping alcoholic “beverages” that could make any foodie salivate, from their Super Michelada—think bloody Mary with beer instead of vodka—to their grander specialties, including El Torito, a Michelada with two beers served with shrimp ceviche, fish ceviche, cooked shrimp, and a shrimp-and-octopus aguachile.

Then there’s the El Trio, which includes three beers served with shrimp, dried shrimp, beef jerky, and clams.

These wild twists are sure to set typical beer lovers’ taste buds dancing.

“I might not be the best person to ask on their dishes, as the only thing I will eat there is their ceviche de camarón [shrimp],” Moreno said. “I don’t like seafood of any kind, but surprisingly…I love it. So, that’s what I eat every time I go there.”

My friend who dined with us was impressed with his entree, the Tacos de Marlin. They caught his taste buds with an unfamiliar flavor combination—smoked marlin with pico de gallo, serrano pepper, and cheese served with rice, lettuce, onions, cucumber, tomato, and avocado. There’s a sense of satisfaction when, after one bite, you know you ordered the right thing.

The restaurant has lots of space, from the bar to the dining room—definitely a plus during these socially distanced days. “I like that it’s so spacious,” Lucia Marquez, a regular patron said.

“The distance makes it easier to enjoy your meal and outing.”

Overall, the food presentation is spectacular, the seafood is fresh, and portions are generous, so my advice is to arrive hungry. And next time, I’ll take Queen Bey’s advice and keep hot sauce in my bag.

Visit facebook.com/islamarrestaurante for more information.

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ISLA DEL MAR

5101 S 36TH ST. - 402.213.5723 FOOD SERVICE AMBIANCE PRICE OVERALL

$$ 5 STARS POSSIBLE

From left: Adam Van Osdel and Rachel Evans // 74 //

MAY 2021

Dining Feature // Story by Kim Reiner // Photography by Bill Sitzmann // Design by Matt Wieczorek

A Fairy Tale at the Edge of the Universe Dreams Come True Despite Challenges

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achel Evans started 2020 believing she would achieve her longtime dream that year. She was going to open an ethereal cafe where if one felt like dressing up like a princess, they could.

with painting and building the immersive environment of the cafe. Evans wrangled contractor schedules and sought city inspections and permits. Their business hadn’t opened yet, but the bills and rent arrived.

The plan was for a 2020 summer opening in the Benson neighborhood for her cafe, Edge of the Universe. At her side, her boyfriend, Adam Van Osdel, helped prepare the space. In early March, they shared photos of the beginning stage of renovations.

At long last, the delayed opening was set for October, and the couple was ready and excited. Well, almost ready. Evans nearly broke her ankle in September, but remained undeterred, and the doors opened on an autumn Friday morning.

She expected challenges, being a first-time business owner. She hadn’t expected a global pandemic.

On Saturday morning, Van Osdel proposed.

She accepted.

These days, watching Evans work behind the bar, her mask cannot hide the smile in her eyes as she greets each customer. It’s been almost a year since this small-business adventure started for her and Van Osdel. Evans thrives on the interaction with patrons.

The following Monday, a large tumor was found on Evans’ left breast. It turned out to be a benign type of tumor common among her particular Jewish lineage.

“God, 2020 sucked,” she said with a laugh.

“Let’s be best friends,” she says as she claps her hands together.

There is no hint of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into opening Edge of the Universe.

When Evans and Van Osdel started renovations, they were hopeful, expecting to open three months later.

“When the pandemic hit, everything came to a crashing halt,” she said.

Van Osdel balanced his job as program and gallery director at Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment

MAY

One Friday evening, a couple chats quietly over cocktails while, a few steps away, a trio of young girls celebrating a birthday prance around in tiaras. It’s movie night at Edge of the Universe, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is on the screen.

The cafe, and its menu, reflects its current theme, “Happily Ever After.” The drink names allude to fairy tales, with some being served in playful mugs.

“Who doesn’t love a great mug?” Evans asked, referencing the princess mugs she recently added to the fleet.

They’re gold and covered in rhinestones and roses.

“Not only are you getting a great drink, it just adds to the experience.”

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Nat Orgura usually photographs beautiful pictures of food at the restaurants she visits to share with her Yum Omaha fans. But she wanted to tell them about the atmosphere as much as she wanted to point out the glowing ice cube in her Stay Out Of The Forest drink.

“My initial reaction was ‘Where in [the] world am I?,” Ogura said. “This place got some magic for me to forget the real world that I came from.”

Hillary Horner, a former museum colleague, helped start their trivia night.

Horner described the evenings as having a “fun, relaxed vibe,” attracting a mix of families and bar hoppers.

Evans and Van Osdel intentionally put the focus on their business being a cafe and not a bar. They have nieces and nephews, and they didn’t want to own a place where those little ones couldn’t visit.

That’s exactly what Evans and Van Osdel planned. “We wanted it to feel like you’re coming out of the world and into something magical,” Evans said.

“I worked at a children’s museum for so long, I love kids,” Evans said. “I love other people’s kids. I don’t mind if they’re here making a mess.”

Lit by chandeliers and soft lights that reflect off the tin ceiling made in 1910, there is a whimsical feel to the place.

She’s developed a reputation for her welcoming spirit. In February, when the forecast dipped to dangerously low temperatures, Evans felt bad for the people waiting for the bus outside the cafe’s entrance, so she invited them in. The cafe made news when Evans placed a sign out in front of her business stating: “Welcome! It’s too cold. All are welcome to warm up here.”

By design, Edge of the Universe will change its look, its menu—everything— every few months. Van Osdel and Evans both worked at Omaha Children’s Museum in recent years, so they know how to transform a space completely.

Evans worked as the special events coordinator at the museum, creating memorable characters such as Princess Poppy and launching popular events like the Fairytale Ball.

She explained to WOWT-Channel 6 at the time, “I kept telling them over the weekend ‘Just come in, come in! And they were like ‘I don’t have any money’ and I was like ‘I don’t care, it’s freezing out here!’”

“This would not have happened without Adam. He helped build all of this,” Evans reflected, adding that he’s been the emotional, financial, and creative support behind the venture.

“There is an endless supply of amazing artists in this area,” Evans said.

“Everything you love in here, Adam built.

I just added flowers to it.”

She loves a good event, so she has several themed nights each week, from music bingo on Wednesdays to game nights on Sundays.

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The frequency of theme changes in the cafe will pick up after 2021, but for now Evans anticipates one more for this year: Starry Starry Night. They intend to feature a local artist to help with the development of the theme, as well as display and sell the artist’s work.

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It’s easy to see how Evans plays a starring role in this story—a chatty small business owner with a penchant for Disney-themed masks and fuzzy pens. But, she credits the success of opening a new business during a pandemic and sustaining it to Van Osdel.

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Van Osdel built exhibit pieces for the museum, once using a chainsaw to carve giant animal sculptures out of styrofoam.

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The true magic of Edge of the Universe is that no matter the time of day or theme, the crowd is mixed.

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he unexpected touches don’t go unnoticed.

w r ved . e s o a rd e a t s rie b, and m e t u rc se Cha es, chee v i l o

Visit edgeoftheuniversebff.com for more information.

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MAY 2021

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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.com

LISA’S RADIAL CAFE - $ 817 N. 40th St. - 402-551-2176 American. Cafe. Diner. Vegetarianfriendly. Gluten-free options. This oldschool diner serves hearty portions of American comfort classics for breakfast and lunch. Family-owned and operated.

This business is a must if you’re in the area. People rave about our chicken-fried steak, stuffed French toast, coffee, and friendly staff. Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+

// 78 //

MAY 2021

OLD MATTRESS FACTORY - $ 501 N 13th St. - 402.346.9116 Keepin’ it real in a renovated mattress factory built in 1883, remodeled in 2007 within walking distance to Omaha’s major entertainment venues.

Three private dining rooms for your own events, or stop in before or after any downtown Omaha event. Open daily at 11am-1am.

—themattomaha.co.

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

TED AND WALLY’S - $ 1120 Jackson St. - 402.341.5827 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

xican Dining Me

ichanga Chim

5 METRO Locations!

3 90th & Blondo 402.391.8870 3 146th & Center 402.330.4160 3 96th & L 402.331.5656 3 Galvin & Avery 402.292.2028 3 29th & Farnam 402.346.1110

www.romeosOMAHA.com

Omaha

DINING GUIDE

Get a Little Get Saucy.

a Little Saucy. CHANGE Appetizers

ntic Restaura ma nt Ro

yH Happ our

an Dining Itali

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 specialty 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

SPEZIA SPECIALTIES

FRESH SEAFOOD • ANGUS BEEF INNOVATIVE PASTA • RISOTTO SPEZIA SPECIALTIES

WOOD FIRE•STEAKS & SEAFOOD GNOCCHI FRESH SALMON DAILY INNOVATIVE PASTA—RISOTTO—GNOCCHI FRESH SALMON DAILY

SATURDAY LUNCH [11am–4 pm]

Open 7 Days a Week for Lunch & Dinner

$10

OFF ANY TICKET OVER $25 NO CASH VALUE. EXPIRES 12/31/2011 NO CASH VALUE. EXPIRES 5/31/2021 Not Valid with Happy Hour or Any Other Promotions.

One Per Check.

COCKTAIL HOUR Take Out &

MONDAY – SATURDAY Pickup 4 Curbside – 6 PM ALL COCK TAILS, GL ASS WINE Available!

AND BEERS ARE HALF PRICE

CALL FOR Party RESERVATIONS Catering . Private Rooms•.402-391-2950 Walk-Ins Welcome

3125 South 72

Street

CENTRAL LOCATION • 3125 SOUTH 72ND STREET • nd EASY ACCESS OFF I-80 • 72ND STREET EXIT

(Easy access off I-80, take 72nd Street Exit)

402.391.2950 . Call today to make your reservation

Hamburger

VARSITY SPORTS CAFE - $$ Ralston - 9735 Q St. - 402.339.1944 Bellevue - 3504 Samson Way - 402.932.1944 Millard - 14529 F St. - 402.505.6660 Dundee - 4900 Dodge St. - 402.934.9439

I TA L I A N LA CASA PIZZARIA - $$ 45th and Leavenworth streets - 402.556.6464 La Casa Pizzaria has been serving Omaha its legendary Neapolitan-style pizza and pasta for 60 years. We offer dine-in, carry-out, party facilities, catering, and now pizza shipments to the 48 contiguous states. Open Tuesday-Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

—lacasapizzaria.ne

thanks to our customers for voting us the “BEST BURGER

IN OMAHA “Serving World Famous Hamburgers Since 1936”

106 GALVIN RD., BELLEVUE, NE • 402-291-6088 • OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY, 11 AM - 9 PM

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+

MAY 2021

// 79 //

Bakery

Rotella’s Italian Bakery, Inc., is a locally owned and operated family business that has been serving Omaha and it’s metropolitan areas for 100 years!

Rotella Bakery is a recognized leader in the following seven bread categories:

Bread Rolls Hoagies Buns Specialty Ciabatta Gluten-Free

Celebrating 100 Years

of Baking Excellence!

rotellasbakery.com

Omaha

DINING GUIDE

Breakfast

LO SOLE MIO RISTORANTE ITALIANO - $$ 3001 S. 32nd Ave. - 402.345.5656

156th & Dodge • 408-1728 177th & Center • 934-9914 120th & Blondo • 991-8222 69th & Pacific • 933-2776

Thanks for Voting Us # BREAKFAST YEARS in a Row!

13

1

Drive-Thru Open (Center St. Only) Open Daily 6:30am-2:00pm Serving Breakfast & Lunch All Day!

LEPEEPOMAHA.COM | @LEPEEPOMAHA

The restaurant is located in a residential neighborhood, surrounded by charming homes. Everyone is greeted with homemade bread, a bowl of fresh tomatoes and basil, a bowl of oven-roasted garlic cloves, specially seasoned olive oil, and (at night) a jug of Chianti! The menu includes a large variety of pasta, chicken, veal, seafood, and even a delicious New York steak. Traditional dishes such as lasagna, tortellini, and eggplant parmigiana are also available. Lunch of ferings include panini, salads, and one of the best pizzas in town. Patio seating, full bar, and a great wine list complete the atmosphere. No reservations, except for private rooms.

—losolemio.com

n Sandwi ube ch Re

PASTA AMORE - $$ 11027 Prairie Brook Road - 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.com

Try Omaha’s Favorite Reuben!

Omaha’s largest selection of craft beers.

3578 Farnam St • 402-345-1708 www.beercornerusa.com

STEAKS • CHOPS • SEAFOOD ITALIAN SPECIALTIES 7 private party rooms Seating up to 400 Lots of parking

1620 S. 10th Street

402-345-8313

www.casciossteakhouse.com

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+

MAY 2021

// 81 //

Omaha

DINING GUIDE

2021 Best of B2B & 2022 Best of Omaha

Soirée Celebration

SPEZIA - $$$ 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 wood-fired 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

MEXICAN 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.

—fernandosomaha.com

LA MESA - $$ 158th St. and W. Maple Road 402.557.6130 156th and Q streets - 402.763.2555 110th St. and W. Maple Road 402.496.1101 Fort Crook Road and Hwy 370 402.733.8754 84th Street and Tara Plaza 402.593.0983 Lake Manawa Exit - 712.256.2762 Enjoy awesome enchiladas, fabulous fajitas, seafood specialties, mouthwatering margaritas, and more at La Mesa. Come see why La Mesa has been voted Omaha’s No. 1 Mexican restaurant 18 years in a row. SundayThursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

—lamesaomaha.com

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+

// 82 //

MAY 2021

ROMEO’S MEXICAN FOOD AND PIZZA - $ 90th and Blondo streets - 402.391.8870 146th St. and W. Center Road - 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

SPECIAL DINING 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: MondayWednesday 11 a.m.-1 p.m., ThursdaySaturday 11 a.m.-midnight. Closed Sunday. —beercornerusa.com

FIRST WATCH - $ 1222 S. 71st St. - 402.932.5691 2855 S. 168th St. - 402.330.3444 3605 N. 147th St. - 402.965.3444 304 Olson Drive - 402.965.3444 18101 Chicago St. - 402.916.4109 2015 Pratt Ave., Bellevue - 402.991.3448 We begin each morning at the crack of dawn, slicing fresh fruits and vegetables, baking muffins, and whipping up our French toast batter from scratch.

Everything is made to-order here at First Watch. We use only the finest ingredients possible for the freshest taste around. —firstwatch.com

21+ FEATURING

ONLY

music, performances, & networking hors d’oeuvres & beverages provided business chic attire requested

SAVE THE DATE THURSDAY, OCT. 28, 2021 purchase tickets at localstubs.com/events/soiree2021

Omaha

DINING GUIDE

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.com

STEAKHOUSES CASCIO’S - $$ 1620 S. 10th St. - 402-345-8313 Cascio’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.com

Take Out & Delivery Available Online Ordering Available at Bellevue, Millard & Dundee Locations

402.339.1944

402.505.6660

Sports Bar

Please Check Website for Hours of Operation

402.932.1944

402.934.9439

THE DROVER RESTAURANT & LOUNGE - $$$ 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. Lunch Monday­- Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m., cocktail hour 3-6 p.m., dinner nightly 5 p.m.

—droverrestaurant.com

varsityromancoinpizza.com h Steak ouse

@The Drover Restaurant & Lounge | Gift Cards Available 2121 S. 73 St. | (402) 391-7440 | DroverRestaurant.com Open Monday - Friday 11am - 2pm | Dinner nightly from 5pm

ek Dining Gre

Family Owned Since 1983 CATERING / PARTY ROOM AVAILABLE HOMEMADE, FRESH FOOD, ALWAYS.

3821 Center St. / 402.346.1528 GreekIslandsOmaha.com MAY 2021

// 83 //

OMAHA MAGAZINE – it’s about all of us.

Omaha Magazine publishes stories about interesting people who live next door and fascinating former Omahans. It is the place to read stories about the arts, the food, the music, and the events that are making Omaha the cultural epicenter of the Midwest.

OmahaMagazine.com/Subscribe // 84 //

MAY 2021

#OMAHAMAGAZINE SHARE YOUR PHOTOS OF OMAHA TO BE FEATURED HERE.

@alderimages

@huskertiara

@j.hudsonphotos

@juno_106

@kdkader

@rockhoppingpenguin

@roncoconstruction

@sixhexsix

instagram.com/omahamagazine

facebook.com/omahamagazine

@wanderrockphotography

twitter.com/omahamagazine

MAY 2021

// 85 //

NEBRASK A

NEBRASKA CITY’S 150TH ANNUAL ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION April 30 to May 2 in

Nebraska City. Originally proposed in 1872 as a day to focus on tree planting, Arbor Day is now celebrated in all 50 states and in many countries around the world. While this celebration kicks off the 150th Arbor Day, festivities of 150 years of Arbor Day will continue until April 2022. 402.873.6654. —gonebraskacity.com

COMMUNITY APPRECIATION DAY May 2 in Grand Island. Event goers can enjoy full day of events, free, at the Stuhr Museum.

308-385-5316. —stuhrmuseum.org LINCOLN MARATHON AND HALF MARATHON May 2 in Lincoln. This event

ANNUAL BROWNVILLE SPRING FLEA MARKET May 29-31 in Brownville.

FLIGHT NIGHT May 8 at Strategic

Air Command and Aerospace Museum in Ashland. This after-hours event at the museum includes free simulator rides, guided aircraft tours, planetarium shows, and stargazing with the Omaha Astronomical Society.

402.944.3100. —sacmuseum.org

Hundreds of vendors bring their wares to this annual tradition, including recycled and up-cycled products, food, and antiques. 402-825-6001. — brownvillehistoricalsociety.org

IOWA

ART WALK May 1 at Kohlmann Park

TOAST NEBRASKA WINE FESTIVAL

// 86 //

MAY 2021

MIGRATORY BIRD DAY CELEBRATION

May 28-30 at the Lewis & Clark SRA in Crofton. This all day event includes a glow in the dark egg hunt, guided bird walks, and more. 402-3884169 —outdoornebraska.gov

NEBRASKA JUNKATHON May 28-30 in Sargent. Vendors come together for a festival of antiques, food, and more. 308-750-9435. —facebook. com/junkathonfleamarket

includes three different races. Runners can participate in the full marathon, half marathon, or 1-mile race. Races start at 7 a.m. and end at Memorial Stadium. —lincolnmarathon.org

May 14-15 at Stinson Park in Aksarben. Celebrate the distinct flavors of the good life with Nebraska wines. This event includes interactive sessions, live music, and vendors.

402.405.1291. —toastwinefest.com

HELICOPTER DAY May 22 at Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum in Ashland. Spectators will be able to watch in wonder as commercial and private helicopters fly over the horizon and land right in front them This familyfun event includes a drone workshop, free balloon animals, a make-andtake project, and hands-on activities.

402-944-3100. —sacmuseum.org

MAY

01

in Waverly. This fine arts walk includes over 40 artists for goers to look at. Open to the public. 319352-4526 —waverlychamber.com

MAIFEST May 1-2 at Amana Colonies.

Normally held the first of May, this event is being held in late May this year due to the coronavirus. Dancers, food trucks, and a parade will bring German traditions to this celebration of Spring. 319-622-7622. Email info@ amanacolnies.com for more information.

GIRLS NIGHT OUT May 6-8, 2021 in Cedar Falls. Enjoy a fun evening of shopping, dining and making memories the first Thursday in May and MAY October from 5-9 pm. 319-2770213. —cedarfallstourism.org

6-8

SPRING GARDEN FESTIVAL May 7-10 at Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden in Des Moines. This event celebrates everything garden, activities, workshops, and much more. 515-3236290. —dmbotanicalgarden.com ANNUAL SQUARE FAIR & ARTS FESTIVAL May 11 the Downtown Square

in Garnett. An annual event, this free family fun affair brings many craft vendors for visitors to peruse. Live entertainment, food, and more. 785448-6767. —garnettbpw.com

80TH ANNUAL ORANGE CITY TULIP FESTIVAL May 14-16 in Orange City.

This event, which began in 1936, celebrates Dutch heritage and consists of beautiful tulips, dances performed in traditional Dutch clothing, daily parades, old-country foods, and more.

712-707-4510. —octulipfestival.com

// EXPLORE CALENDAR //

82ND ANNUAL NORTH IOWA BAND FESTIVAL May 27-31 in Mason City.

BIG KANSAS ROAD TRIP May 6-9 in Brown, Doniphan, and Nemaha Counties. The Big Kansas Road Trip was created as a fun, interactive way to bring people together and make an economic and social difference in these counties. Go at your own pace, in your own vehicle trying out the local cafes, shopping local, seeing the attractions and attending events. 785.296.2009. —travelks.com

Seventy-six trombones (or more) will parade through the streets of this Iowa town, where Music Man composer Meredith Wilson lived.

Along with marching bands, this festival includes a carnival, food, games, and live entertainment. 641423-5724. —nibandfest.com

CELEBRASIAN May, TBD at

the Western Gateway Park in Des Moines. In its 18th year, Celebrasian will be a celebration and appreciation of Asian culture, uniting the Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander communities in Des Moines.

Guests can enjoy live performances, authentic food, and educational activities.

515-770-1026. —iowaasianalliance.com

ANNUAL TIVOLI FEST May 28-May 29 in Elk Horn. Celebrate all things Danish at this annual spring festival, which includes Danish food, dances, live entertainment, fireworks, and more.

712-764-7001. —danishmuseum. org/visit/events/tivoli-fest BOONE RIVER VALLEY FESTIVAL

May 28-30 at the Boone Valley Brewery in Boone. Festival attendees can enjoy a weekend filled with music, crafts, and fun for the whole family. — boonerivervalleyfestival.com

K ANSAS

LINWOOD BLUEGRASS Festival May 1 at Linwood Elementary School in Linwood. This festival has great live music, featuring one of America’s most sought-after young artists, Mo Pitney, along with Bluegrass awardwinner Greg Blake, Chosen Road, and Po’ Anna. There will also be barbecue and food trucks, as well as a fundraising and awareness walk to combat human trafficking. —linwoodbluegrass.com SECUREWORLD Kansas City 2021 May 6 at Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park. Attend the 8th annual SecureWorld Kansas City cybersecurity conference. Join InfoSec professionals for high-quality, affordable training and collaboration and learn from nationally recognized industry leaders. Attend featured keynotes, panel discussions, breakout sessions, and solution vendor displays—all while networking with local peers.

913.439.5382. —opconventioncenter.com

MAY

08

58TH ANNUAL HUTCHINSON ART FAIR May 8 at the Kansas State

Fairgrounds in Hutchinson. This event will include fine art for sale by local and regional artists, a kids crafts station, live music, and more.

620.663.1081. —hutchinsonartcenter.net

PEONY FESTIVAL May 15 at Stockton

Area Chamber of Commerce in Stockton.

The annual Peony Festival will feature peony displays around the city. The event includes a parade, craft vendors, and more. 785-425-6703. —stocktonks.com

MAY

22

US WEAPONS COLLECTORS GUN & KNIFE SHOW May 22

ARTFEST ON WALNUT May 2-3 in Springfield. Over 100 artists will be on display at this celebration of art, with performances, food, and activities for the whole family. 417831-6200. —springfieldarts.org OZARK SPRINGFEST 2021 May 8 at Ozark Community Center in Ozark. This annual community event, features a business expo, live music, and food trucks. There’s also free admission and activities for the whole family, with great prizes and giveaways.

415.581.6139. —ozarkempirefair.com 12TH ANNUAL SIKESTON JAYCEE CRAWFISH BOIL & MUSIC FESTIVAL May

22 at the Sikeston Rodeo Grounds in St. Joseph. Event goers can can enjoy music and family entertainment. This event includes a grand feast of fish Louisiana crawfish. 573-471-2498. —sikeston.net

Event times and details may change.

Visit omahamagazine.com for complete listings.

Check with venue or event organizer to confirm.

at Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park. If you are a gun collector or are a hunting enthusiast, this gun show is a great place to spend some time. All federal, state and local firearm ordinances and laws must be obeyed.

913.439.5382. —opconventioncenter.com

MISSOURI

2021 APPLE BLOSSOM PARADE FESTIVAL

May 1 in St. Joseph. The parade has been in existence for over 90 years, and it has expanded into a festival with a Kansas City BBQ Society-sanctioned barbecue contest. The event runs in conjunction with Discover Downtown, which features live music, food vendors, and kids activities. The pageant will not be taking place this round. This year’s theme is “Telling Our Stories.” 816261-0422. —appleblossomparade.com

GATSBY DAYS May 1 in Excelsior Springs.

Break out the beads, fringe, and zoot suits for this homage to the roaring ‘20s. Events include a fashion stroll, antique car parade, a Gin & Jazz party, vaudeville performances, and more.

816-630-6161. —esculturalguild.com

MAY 2021

// 87 //

NOT FUNNY // COLUMN BY OTIS TWELVE // PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL SITZMANN

MUSIC TO MY EARS (Where

else?)

I

f you’re like me, you love music. It’s a huge influence on our lives. Music brings us sweet memories, needed comfort, excitement, and inspiration.

It does indeed hath the power to soothe the savage beast—or so says William Congreve.

Note: If you find yourself in a situation where you are threatened by a “savage beast”—let’s say a famished mountain lion corners you when you are out on your morning jog—don’t actually expect that to be true. Though the faint sound of Prince leaking from your earbuds while the big cat sups on your innards might offer your executioner a bit of enjoyable dinner music, that hardly constitutes a calm “savage beast,” does it? My guess is that it was your delicious liver, not the tune, that gave comfort to the wily predator. It’s just another way music misleads us.

Many of us make the mistake of seeking and unfortunately finding guidance in songs. This has resulted in a lot of sad consequences for the polyphonically obsessed.

For instance, there is absolutely no reason to “Climb Every Mountain.” Why on earth would that ever be a good idea? First of all, most of us humans are not mountain climbers, nor should we be. Second, just “because something is there” as a motivation for doing anything is beyond foolish. Third, many of us have poor balance, and quite a few of us are afraid of heights. And fourth, it goes without saying that if we all would climb every mountain we’d never get anything else done. Fifth, it is a well-known fact that we were born to run and tramps like us aren’t properly dressed for snowy mountaintops.

Another tune tells us as” you walk through a storm, hold your head up high.”

Now that’s real idiocy. In fact, it’s like chapter one in a book titled, “How To Get Struck By Lightning.” If a storm hits, stay in the clubhouse and “Let It Be.” Take it from me; a “Spoonful of Sugar” does not help the medicine go down.

But, a shot of bourbon with a spoonful of sugar does, “Sweet Child of Mine.”

We need to remember that, “Put On A Happy Face” does not work as advice to an upset woman. Try saying that at the wrong time and it’s “Bye, Bye, Love.”

Mansplaining is spelled “M”…I say “A” etc.

“You’ll Never Walk Alone?” That’s a load of rot. On the cold, rainy evening before trash day, you think someone will volunteer to help you schlepp the cans to the curb. Hah! Waiting for help? Dream on, friend. You will walk alone, I guarantee it.

And do not be such a cockeyed optimist that you expect that the “Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow.” That’s just not happening here in Omaha. We are in for another week of gray clouds. I heard that through the grapevine.

Finally, you absolutely do not need to “Fight for Your Right to Party,” Garth.

You just don’t.

Otis Twelve hosts the radio program Early Morning Classics with Otis Twelve on 90.7 KVNO, weekday mornings from 6-10 a.m. Visit kvno.org for more information.

MAY

// 88 //

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