Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame

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DON BELLINO

2017 SARPY COUNTY BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

Recognizing positive impact in community Previous Business Hall of Famers have set the bar high for a program that recognizes those who work to make Sarpy County grow and prosper.

Suburban Newsapapers Inc., in partnership with title sponsor Bellevue University and event sponsor Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), will officially recognize the 2017 honorees at a May 24 induction ceremony.

The ceremony will be at the John B. Muller Administration Services Building on the Bellevue University campus. Social hour begins at 4 p.m., with the ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Space is limited for the free event. RSVP to Echo Bronk at 402-505-3624 or echo@ bellevueleader.com.

Plaques saluting the inductees can be found inside the Durham Administration Building on the Bellevue University campus.

THE HONOREES Don Bellino A real estate broker and entrepreneur, his business ventures are numerous.

Keith Hentzen Springfield Drug and Soda Fountain is a mainstay in its community, just like its owner.

Doug Kindig Mayor of La Vista shares the credit for the city’s successes with the city council and staff.

Jack Koke From his family farm, he has had a hand in shaping the Gretna we know today.

Nebraska Medicine — Bellevue Opened in May 2010, filling a void in Bellevue’s health care needs.

The medical center employs more than 450 people.

Risk taker, philanthropist

By Eugene Curtin SUBURBAN NEWSPAPERS

Business developer and philanthropist Don Bellino says he bleeds Papillion maroon, and it shows.

Jerzes sports bar on Highway 370 near 84th Street?

Bellino.

The first 100 of 350 apartment units currently rising at 96th Street and Portal Road? Bellino.

The annual Papillion Days fireworks show? Bellino.

Former president of Papillion Spirit Football and Cheerleading? Bellino.

Supplier of fireworks to numerous nonprofits in Papillion and beyond? Bellino.

The list goes on and it includes the 2017 Reflection Award, conferred upon Bellino and his wife of 33 years, Valerie, in January. Given by the Midlands Community Foundation, Sarpy County’s largest philanthropic nonprofit, the annual award honors Sarpy County’s most prominent philanthropists.

See Bellino: Page 3

E U G E N E C U RT I N / S U B U R B A N N E W S PA P E R S

Don Bellino’s Jerzes sports bar in Papillion is one of many businesses the Papillion native has launched. This year, he enters the Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame.

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Bellino: Entrepreneur is a proud Papillion, Sarpy County champion Continued from Page 2 The list could mention his ownership of the 80-vehicle Cornhusker Cab Company, the fact that Bellino Fireworks has expanded from a single stand 35 years ago to about 150 locations today in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota, with Iowa waiting in the wings if it should, as Bellino anticipates, legalize the sale of fireworks.

There is Dval Enterprises, which supplies food to food service companies, headquartered of course in Papillion; there are warehouse and farmland interests, and the Nebraska Sluggers elite high school traveling baseball teams.

Bellino, 60, is a graduate of Papillion High School, a real estate broker and, obviously, an entrepreneur.

His mother was a housewife, his father a telephone repairman.

Bellino himself is, if anything, a risk taker.

“There is a lot of risk in business, but I’ve never been afraid to take a risk,” he said. “It gets easier with time because, hopefully, you get more financially solid, but at the same time you’re taking a risk every day and you can’t be afraid to do so. You’ve got to have confidence.”

Although the Bellino name is known in many branches of

business, Bellino said he did not start out intending to become a multi-faceted businessman.

“I just kind of got started in some things, and other opportunities came about, and so I just kept doing more stuff,” he said.

He started out working with an advertising agency, where he handled an account for a Missouri fireworks company, saw the potential, and partnered with a friend to open a single stand in Papillion.

He became a real estate broker, launched a taxi cab company after a long licensing battle that ended when the Nebraska Supreme Court awarded him a license, built residences, and opened a busy sports bar whose electronic sign abutting Highway 370 regularly promotes deals on steaks.

Some of Bellino’s business interests spill into Omaha, and other cities, even other states.

But Bellino, a graduate of maroon-themed Papillion High School, is nothing if not Papillion and Sarpy County.

“We love Sarpy County,” he said.

“I loved Papillion High School.

It was a great place. The schools here are tremendous, we have great police departments, you still get a bang for your buck. It’s my home. I bleed maroon.”

S U B U R B A N N E W S PA P E R S

Bellino Fireworks is just one of Don Bellino’s entrepreneurial ventures.

Congratulations

TO THE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Thank You For All You Do!

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KEITH HENTZEN

A Springfield mainstay for more than 40 years

By Michael Batchelder SUBURBAN NEWSPAPERS INC.

Stepping into Springfield Drug and Soda Fountain is like stepping into a bygone era. Located in the heart of quaint and charming downtown Springfield, Springfield Drug is reminiscent of a time when the pharmacy was a gathering place for the community, where a trip to pick up medication came with an ice cream soda. It’s a place grandparents can take their grandchildren to show them how life used to be when they were younger.

“I think we’re in love with nostalgia. Otherwise, why would we have the term good old days? Good old days evokes a simpler, carefree time,” owner Keith Hentzen said.

For 40 years, Hentzen has been serving up sundaes and shakes as well as filling prescriptions. To celebrate his success and service to the community, Hentzen will be be inducted

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WE ARE

into the Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame in May. One of Hentzen’s biggest accomplishments has been maintaining an independent pharmacy in a time when few others are able to compete against giant retailers such as Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy. Hentzen has been independent since the beginning.

“It’s just a little difficult to have your own pharmacy,” Hentzen said. “It’s not for everyone.”

The inspiration for Springfield Drug came partly from Hentzen’s childhood. Growing up, his father was always fascinated by history, whether he was buying antiques or taking the family to a museum.

That love of history was passed on to Hentzen.

He grew up in Seward, Nebraska, where there were two pharmacies. One had a soda fountain and the other had comic books. At the time, Hentzen preferred the pharmacy with comic books.

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“That comic book section was one of the great joys of my 6-year-old life, sitting on the floor and poring over old comics,” Hentzen said.

Hentzen graduated from pharmacy school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1975, and briefly worked in a pharmacy in La Vista. Soon afterward, he decided to open his own business somewhere convenient to Omaha but outside the city limits. Springfield fit the bill. The Springfield State Bank was for sale, and the small-town charm of downtown Springfield was perfect for a pharmacy.

Springfield Drug and Soda Fountain was established in 1977.

The comic books had lost their appeal, but Hentzen realized a soda fountain might be the perfect piece of nostalgia for his business. A friend had a connection to a soda fountain from the 1930s, and Hentzen realized this could help set See Hentzen: Page 6

M I C H A E L B AT C H E L D E R / S U B U R B A N N E W S PA P E R S

Keith Hentzen, owner of Springfield Drug and Soda Fountain, prepares an ice cream soda for a customer. Hentzen started this old-fashioned pharmacy nearly 40 years ago.

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Hentzen: Unofficial town ambassador his business apart. By the 1970s, very few pharmacies were still connected to soda fountains.

Although the fountain was free, repairs have been costly. Hentzen calls it his “free $30,000 fountain.”

“I don’t regret that in any way.

This is my pride and joy,” Hentzen said. “People have called my store a museum, and I think rightfully so.”

The soda fountain is just one of the many historical artifacts at Springfield Drug, from medical equipment dating back to the 1800s to advertisements of the health benefits of drinking soda from the 1950s.

“This is pretty hard to replicate.

It’s a wonderful collection of drug store antiques,” Hentzen said.

Unlike most soda fountains, five yellow, life-sized figures sit in a bench in front of the store as if to greet guests: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson. When “The Simpsons Movie” came out in 2007, the producers searched the nation for the real Springfield of Simpsons fame. Although the Nebraska location didn’t win, it did wind up with the Simpsons replicas, which have greeted customers at Springfield Drug ever since.

From the Simpsons to the nostalgic feel, Springfield Drug is a business unlike any other in town. The people coming through the door are a combination of regulars and people

La Vista Mayor shares credit

traveling from all over the metro area, whether they’re getting a green river soda or vanilla ice cream.

“That part amazes me, and it’s a compliment that someone in Omaha will get in their car and drive 20 to 30 miles one way to have an ice cream cone,” Hentzen said.

In many ways, Hentzen functions as somewhat of an ambassador for Springfield. Visitors might come just for his soda fountain, but he’s quick to point to other stores and attractions in town.

“I relish that role as a promoter and PR man for the town because I like it,” Hentzen said. “I have to like it to promote it.”

He’s also been involved with a number of organizations, such as the Midlands Community Foundation, where Hentzen served in different leadership positions over the years, to the Springfield Platteview Schools Foundation and the Springfield Days Committee.

As far as Hentzen sees it, giving back to Springfield is just a way to repay the community that has given him so much over the years.

“It’s been a really good run here,” Hentzen said. “I love the community and I love that people care about me.”

By Eric Taylor SUBURBAN NEWSPAPERS

Doug Kindig had a backup plan in case the mayoral job didn’t work out.

“I hadn’t been mayor very long and I remember I had to sign a check in a pretty large amount for the city,” Kindig said. “I called my mother that evening and was telling her about it. She said if it didn’t work out, I could always come back to my old room.”

Fortunately for Kindig, and his mother, everything seems to have worked out for himself and the City of La Vista.

Kindig is in his 12th year as mayor of La Vista and is overseeing some of the most dramatic changes in the city’s young history. His work as mayor has earned him a spot in the Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame.

Kindig grew up in the Sioux City area and moved to La Vista nearly 30 years ago. Following the lead of his mother, he immersed himself in the community upon his arrival.

“I learned from my mother how important volunteering is,” he said.

“She’s 85 and still helps as a volunteer twice a week.”

Running a local barbershop, Kindig got involved with the La Vista See Kindig: Page 7

E R I C TAY L O R / S U B U R B A N N E W S PA P E R S

La Vista Mayor Doug Kindig is seeing La Vista enter into major development over the next two years, including the City Centre 84th Street redevelopment project.

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Kindig: Patience is paying off, to community benefit Continued from Page 6 Chamber of Commerce. He eventually became president of the chamber, which led to him running for city council in 2000.

“I’ve always been involved and running for council seemed like the next logical step,” he said.

He was elected and served on the council for five years. When Harold “Andy” Anderson stepped down as mayor in 2005, Kindig, as president of the council, took over as mayor.

“I got involved and it seemed like in the blink of an eye, I was mayor,” Kindig said. “It wasn’t something that I really thought about or planned for.

“I was ready to take on the challenge.

Mayor Anderson had a lot to do with that because I listened and learned a lot from him.”

Re-elected three times, including most recently in November, Kindig relishes the role of guiding the community.

“Being re-elected three times tells me the citizens of La Vista are satisfied with the job I’m doing,” he said.

The city is entering a new chapter with two major developments on the horizon — the $235 million 84th Street redevelopment project and the $125 million Nebraska Multisport Complex at 120th Street and Giles Road.

Kindig said the 84th Street project has been on the city’s horizon since he took over as mayor.

“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “I think both city staff and the citizens grew impatient because it took a lot of years to get moving.

“But we always saw light at the end of the tunnel. I’ll admit there were slow times and potential dead ends that kept me up a night or two, but if a door closed, then another one opened. We just had to wait for the right developer to come along. We never quit, and now we’re being rewarded.”

Those longterm plans came to fruition in 2016 when a developer moved forward with the project. Demolition began in January and new buildings are expected to pop up some time this summer.

“That area has been an eyesore for many years for citizens and I think there was a great sense of accomplishment for city and staff members when demolition took place,” Kindig said.

“People can now drive by and see that things are actually happening. It’s going to be a focal point of 84th Street.”

The Nebraska Multisport Complex is expected to be completed in fall 2018.

The complex will feature multiple tennis courts and soccer fields as well as several pools, two of those Olympic-sized.

“It’s an exciting time for the city with a chance to set up a sound financial future and have amenities people can enjoy,” Kindig said. “In my first couple of years as mayor, we went through

a pretty big growth spurt. Then we went a few years without anything and people would say ‘why isn’t anything happening?’ I would just tell them to be patient.”

That patience has paid off as La Vista’s new entities figure to be a major draw for people across the metro area and state. It’s a source of pride for the mayor, who is quick to credit many others involved in the process.

“God has blessed me to allow me to be in this position and have a wonderful city council and staff,” he said. “The direction of the council and the implementation by the staff has been fantastic.

Without those two, none of this would be possible.”

“As the mayor am I the leader of that?

Yes. But my job has been to put our staff in the best opportunity they can have to fulfill that direction.”

Having just turned 60, Kindig isn’t ready to say if a possible fourth re-election in 2020 is in the cards. That bridge will be crossed in time.

“I’m still full of energy and I enjoy doing this every day,” he said.

“It’s an exciting time for the city with a chance to set up a sound financial future and have amenities people can enjoy. In my first couple of years as mayor, we went through a pretty big growth spurt. Then we went a few years without anything and people would say ‘why isn’t anything happening?’

I would just tell them to be patient.”

Doug Kindig, Mayor of La Vista

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Congratulations 2016 Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame Honorees!

Don Bellino Keith Hentzen Douglas Kindig Nebraska Medicine-Bellevue Jack Koke

On behalf of the Citizens, City Council and Staff,

Congratulations, Mayor!

Thank you for your contributions to La Vista and Sarpy County!

THANK YOU for always going above and beyond to do MORE for our community.

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JACK KOKE

‘Farm boy’ shaping the Gretna we know and love During his 45 years in the real-estate business, Jack Koke has watched the Gretna area grow, and through a lifetime of community involvement, he has had a hand in shaping the Gretna we know today.

Koke and his wife, Gloria, have owned Harney Realty since 1987 when they moved the business to Gretna after taking it over from original owner Mel Strong. Before that, the Kokes had worked together for 15 years at the real-estate firm, which takes its name from its first location on Harney Street in Omaha.

“Mel Strong talked me into real estate,” Koke said. “Gloria and I got our licenses 45 years ago and went to work for Harney Realty. When he retired, we took over the business.”

The business has grown and prospered in Gretna, first in offices in Village Square and then on the Koke family farm on Pflug Road. Three of Kokes’ sons and one daughter-in-law have followed them into the real-estate business. The office moved to the farm eight years ago, but, far from retirement, Jack said it has been business as usual. Harney Realty handles residential, commercial and agricultural transactions across Nebraska.

Through the years, Koke has seen a lot of change.

“When I made the Million Dollar Club, houses in North Park were $18,950,” Koke said. “Now one transaction may be a million dollars.”

A lifelong resident of Gretna, Koke has spent all of his 78 years on his family’s farm.

“You could say I’m Gretna green through and through,” Koke said.

His dedication to the Gretna community is reflected in his years of involvement in local organizations. Koke is a founding member and past president of the Gretna Area Chamber of Commerce, and was named the 2007 Business Leader of the Year by the organization. He has served on the Gretna Rural Fire District Board, Gretna Area Economic Development Corp. and Gretna Days committee, among others. He is also a founding member of the Gretna Neighbors program.

He’s active in the Knights of Columbus and was named 2013 Knight of the Year at St. Patrick Catholic Church, where he also has served as an ecumenical minister since 1978.

Today he continues to participate in many local groups, including the Gretna Optimist Club, and volunteers at Camp CoHoLo and Camp Quality. He and Gloria also can regularly be found helping with funeral dinners at St. Patrick’s.

See Koke: Page 9

S U S A N S K I N N E R / S U B U R B A N N E W S PA P E R S

Lifelong Gretna resident Jack Koke has owned Harney Realty since 1987.

Congratulations, Jack Koke!

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By Susan Skinner SUBURBAN NEWSPAPERS

Koke: First love was farming, real estate came later Continued from Page 8 “We just like to volunteer our time,” Koke said.

Starting out, real estate was not a career that Koke envisioned for himself. His first love has always been farming.

“You can take the boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy,” Koke said.

He grew up farming and, after graduating from Gretna High School in 1955 as part of a class of 16 people, continued to work with his father. Early on, he discovered a love of flying and served in

the Nebraska Civil Air Patrol as a second lieutenant. He earned his pilot’s license in 1957 and has many fond memories of flying friends and family around the area.

He spent 1959-1961 at Fort Davis in the Panama Canal Zone with the U.S. Army before returning to Gretna and farming.

He began to do some real-estate work during that time.

He and Gloria marred in 1961, and the couple today has five sons, 19 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

In 1972, the Kokes chose to focus on real estate full time.

“That was the hardest decision I ever

made,” Koke said “To give up farming.”

Looking back at his family’s history, he believes his real-estate career may be a family tradition as well. Koke notes that his grandfather and his brother, John and PJ Langdon, played a large role in Gretna early on. The brothers were involved in the incorporation of Gretna in 1889 and owned a general store at the corner of McKenna Avenue and Angus Street among many other ventures.

“You could say I’ve followed in my grandfather’s and his brother’s footsteps in the development of Gretna,” Koke said.

— Jack Koke

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations 2017 Inductees!

9719 Giles Road, La Vista 402-537-0300 14320 Arbor Street, Omaha 402-334-0300 Bank-Northwest.com

“You can take the boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.”

DON BELLINO KEITH HENTZEN DOUGLAS KINDIG NEBRASKA MEDICINE BELLEVUE JACK KOKE

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ANNIVERSARY A 1967 - 2017

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO SARPY COUNTY 2022818-01

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You work hard. You give a lot.

You deserve this recognition.

Thank You! Don Bellino Keith Hentzen Douglas Kindig Jack Koke Nebraska Medicine – Bellevue

Proud sponsor of the Sarpy County Business Hall of Fame

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NEBRASKA MEDICINE — BELLEVUE

Congratulations to the 2017 Hall of Fame Inductees!

• Nebraska Medicine-Bellevue

• Don Bellino • Keith Hentzen

• Douglas Kindig • Jack Koke

Filling a community healthcare need

By Hailey Stolze SUBURBAN NEWSPAPERS

In the early 2000s, Bellevue was the fastest-growing city in Nebraska when word came that Offutt Air Force was closing the inpatient portion of its hospital. Nebraska Medicine physicians and community leaders stepped in to fill the void, said Matt Pospisil, Nebraska Medicine — Bellevue vice president of operations.

Nebraska Medicine — Bellevue opened its doors on May 16, 2010. By January 2016, it employed 474 people, said Bill Citro, Nebraska Medicine — Bellevue senior marketing project coordinator.

He said about $90 million went into building the hospital, fronted primarily by physician stakeholders as well as Nebraska Medicine.

The environmental surroundings — including corn fields and a protected wetland — influenced building and design decisions, Citro said, including lighting, heating and cooling systems

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This environmental focus led Nebraska Medicine — Bellevue to become the first — and currently the only — hospital in the Greater Omaha area to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum status, Citro said.

The hospital was structured with future expansions in mind. And in January 2016, seven beds were added due to increased visits to the Emergency Room, Pospisil said.

On average, about 2,500 people per month receive care from the Nebraska Medicine — Bellevue ER team. From treating strokes and heart attacks to gunshot wounds and car accidents, it is one of the busiest ERs in the metro, See Nebraska Medicine: Page 11

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Nebraska Medicine: ‘Happy and proud’ to serve Bellevue Continued from Page 10 Citro said.

In order to care for stroke patients in a timely, effective manner, Pospisil said, the hospital uses a telestroke. Simply put, that’s a machine that allows stroke patients to video chat with a Nebraska Medicine neurologist. The doctor, located elsewhere, can check vital signs and view test results.

The hospital is a Primary Stroke Center certified by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.

Nebraska Medicine — Bellevue is also an Accredited Chest Pain Center designated by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care.

A busy ER translates into a busy inpatient department, Pospisil said.

Inpatient stays are on the rise. The hospital is forecasting about 4,400 discharges this year, Pospisil said in March.

When Nebraska Medicine — Bellevue first opened, there was no need for 72 beds, so they leased the fourth floor to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital.

Madonna has since vacated, and Nebraska Medicine — Bellevue is now making minor renovations to the floor, as well

as relicensing the beds. They plan to have patients staying on the fourth floor by June.

To keep all these patients satisfied, last year hospital staff created a Patient and Family Advisory Council, consisting of past and present patients and their families. Staff and the council meet quarterly for discussion.

“It’s really valuable feedback for us in terms of how we can improve the patient experience, really help create that healing environment down here at Bellevue in a different way,” Pospisil said.

Having a strong community connection is important, especially among service members in a military town, he said.

If visitors sit in the hospital lobby for a few minutes, they’ll likely see people coming and leaving in uniform. Many hospital staff members are former military themselves.

“We’re really happy and proud to be serving the community,” Pospisil said.

H A I L E Y S T O L Z E / S U B U R B A N N E W S PA P E R S

From left: Radiology technologist Lauren Stuva, clinical program coordinator Nicole Keil and medical staff president Toby Free.

Congratulations to all 2017 inductees!

R O F U O Y K N A TH !

P I H S R E D A YOUR LE Congratulations to all of the 2017 Hall of Fame Inductees!

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