THE READER - EL PERICO OMAHA MAY 2021

M AY 2021 | VOLU M E 28 | IS S UE 3

‘21 Om ah INSI a H DE: ea lth Ex po

Omaha Has Issues PAUL B. ALLEN, CHRIS BOWLING, LEAH CATES, MARK MCGAUGH AND KARLHA VELÁSQUEZ RIVAS | ILLUSTRATION BY FRANK OKAY

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JOBS: AMERICAN JOBS PLAN DISH: (SPRING) CLEANING JUICE ART: EL MUSEO LATINO -SALVADOR DALI HOODOO: GETTING OUT, GETTING BACK NEWS: DISCOVER SOUTH O! FILM: MY YEAR WITHOUT MOVIE THEATERS FILM REVIEW: NOBODY IN MEMORIAM: GEORGE WALKER HEARTLAND HEALING: PRESCRIPTIONS IN THE PANTRY OVER THE EDGE: I HAVEN’T GIVEN UP PLUS: PICKS, COMICS, CROSSWORD EL PERICO: OMAHA TIENE PROBLEMAS | EL MUSEO LATINO – SALVADOR DALI | ¡DESCUBRE EL SUR DE O! | FOTOS SOCIALES // SOCIAL PHOTOS

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JOBS: Biden Administration Proposes ‘American Jobs Plan’

COVER: Omaha Has Issues: Six Perspectives

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DISH: (Spring) Clean Juice

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ART: El Museo Latino – Salvador Dali Exhibit Review

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IN MEMORIAM: Gone But Not Forgotten

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OVER THE EDGE: I Haven’t Given Up. We’re All Waiting to Get Back to the Clubs, Right?

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Mike Machian instagram: @shoottofill email: shoottofill@gmail.com March 26, 2021 — Kate Voka of Develop Model Management wears an avant-garde design by Dan Richters at a small gathering promoting Omaha Fashion Week. The event also launched the new Garden Room at 15th and Capitol and previewed a new crossshaped runway.

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O M A H A

J O B S

Biden Administration Proposes

American Jobs Plan

The President’s “Top Legislative Priority” Aims to Create Jobs and Restore Infrastructure

by Alex Preston

O

n March 31, President Joe Biden announced the most ambitious plan of his presidency to date. During a speech at the Carpenters Pittsburgh Training Center, he laid out a two-part legislative package that makes up the “Build Back Better” portion of his 2020 platform.

If passed into law, the American Jobs Plan will use a multifaceted approach to strengthening the U.S. economy. The plan calls for spending $650 billion on “infrastructure at home,” which includes clean drinking water, universal broadband, affordable and sustainable housing and electrical infrastructure.

The first half of the “Build Back Better” legislative package, called the American Jobs Plan, is a $2 trillion plan to restore the country’s deteriorating infrastructure, which would create millions of well-paying jobs in the process.

The other biggest area of spending in the plan is $621 billion to revive the country’s transportation infrastructure. Damaged bridges, highways and roads will be restored.

There will be multi-billion dollar investments in public transit, passenger and freight rails, electric vehicles and more.

“It’s the largest American jobs investment since World War Two,” Biden said during his remarks in Pittsburgh. “It will create millions of jobs, good-paying jobs. It will grow the economy, make us more competitive around the world, promote our national security interests, and put us in a position to win the global competition with China in the upcoming years.”

The new proposal closely follows Biden’s first major legislative accomplishment, the American Rescue Plan, which pumped $1.9 trillion of stimulus into the U.S. economy to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill also sent $1,400 checks to most Americans and extended unemployment benefits.

But while the American Rescue Plan aimed to alleviate economic strain, the American Jobs Plan seeks to fortify the U.S. economy, making it more robust and equitable. With this legislation, Biden hopes to address several underlying problems in the economy, such as crumbling roads and bridges and climate change. The administration is pitching the plan as an investment in a brighter future.

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Additionally, the plan allocates $580 billion for research and workforce development, as well as another $400 billion for home-based care for elderly and disabled people.

The Biden administration says it plans to pay for these projects by reversing parts of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, and imposing a series of tax increases on corporations.

The other half of Biden’s “Build Back Better” package is called the American Families Plan. This legislation will address the need for childcare and paid leave, adding another $1 trillion in spending.

On April 19, as part of the Biden administration’s all-out effort to push the American Jobs Plan, Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first extensive economic speech since taking office. Addressing an audience at Guilford Technical Community College in North Carolina, she said the plan “is not just about fixing what has been. It is about building what can be,” according to a CNN report.

The Biden administration has laid out a state-by-state breakdown of

May 2021

what the American Jobs Plan aims to accomplish.

A document titled “The Need for Action in Nebraska” lists a variety of infrastructure projects in the state that require investment, restoration and improvement. Projects listed include roads and bridges, public transportation, drinking water, affordable housing and broadband, among others.

But even with the potential enhancements to Nebraska’s infrastructure, the state faces a problem: a shortage of manual labor. Back in

March 2015, the Omaha World-Herald reported a shortage of ironworkers, steamfitters, sheet metal workers, plumbers, electricians and other skilled labor in Omaha. Another report in 2019 told the same story, calling the problem a “workforce crisis.”

If Biden’s American Jobs Plan comes to pass, this will be a serious issue for Nebraska to contend with.

As much as the state needs improvements to its infrastructure, it also needs workers to complete those projects.

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ProKarma, Inc. has mult. openings for Systems Analyst in Omaha, NE; travel and/or reloc to various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S. is required. Responsible for collecting information to analyze and evaluate existing or developed applications/systems. Analyze the feasibility of, and develop requirements for, new systems and enhancements to existing systems. Req. a Master’s degree in Comp Sci, Engineering (any), or any technical/analytical field that is closely related to the specialty, plus 2 years of exp in an IT/Comp-related position.

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ProKarma, Inc. has mult. openings for Software Development Engineer in Test in Omaha, NE; travel and/or reloc to various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S. is required. Responsible for developing and writing computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents, data, and information. Create, modify, and test the code, forms, and script that allow computer applications to run. Req. a Bachelor’s degree in Comp Sci, Engineering (any), or any technical/analytical field that is closely related to the specialty, plus 5 years of exp in an IT/Comp-related position.

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postings@prokarma.com

with Job Ref#844278 in subject line.

with Job Ref#824849 in subject line.

May 2021

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C O V E R

S T O R Y

Omaha Has Issues

O

maha has issues. In the May 11 general election, residents will decide what to do about them. Some are ubiquitous, others gained notoriety following social upheaval in 2020. Regardless, the way we talk about all of them feels abstract, disconnected from the people they affect.

ILlustration by FRANK OKAY

In this issue, The Reader and El Perico wanted to find people who live with these issues every day and give them a chance to talk.

We hope the result centers the voices people need to hear and, combined with our other coverage, informs people on where Omaha is and the options that lie ahead...

Omaha Speeds Up with Rapid Transit, but the City Has a Long Way to Go

by Karlha Velásquez Rivas

BL PU IC

ORBT is the city’s new rapid bus transit system.

PhotoS by Karlha Velásquez Rivas

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n a recent Sunday, Jeff S., who did not want to provide his last name, sat on a bench at the Westroads Mall bus terminal waiting an hour for the bus home. He got rid of his car five years ago because he couldn’t afford maintenance costs, forcing him to leave his job

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in Council Bluffs because it took an hour and a half to get there from Omaha by bus.

Ever since Omaha created its transportation system in 1972, uniting a patchwork of private systems, routes multiplied as the city

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and a half if you’re lucky. Also, the West area is completely unattended, so one has to walk and wait a long time for the bus to arrive.”

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There are currently three types of public transportation available in Omaha: the metro bus system, MOBY, a transportation service for disabled residents, and ORBT, the city’s new rapid bus transit system, which runs along Dodge Street.

However, the system remains cumbersome for some who have to transfer up to three times in order to reach their destinations.

The bus schedule is available online at ometro.com, but not everyone has access to the internet.

p o rtat

“Going to Council Bluffs and Bellevue is terrible,” Jeff said.

“Transportation runs every hour

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grew. However, inconvenient schedules and the public’s preference for purchasing automobiles led to fewer passengers and reduced service.

“Before, you could have the schedule on paper,” Jeff said. “I think that because of the whole COVID-19 thing they no longer hand them out. I already know the schedules, but with that and the whole system’s route changes, and how sometimes the buses don’t run on time, if you don’t have a cell phone, you don’t know what happened.”

C O V E R Thomas Hennessy came to Omaha for college, lured by the promise of “the good life.” He said job opportunities are better than his home in Minnesota, and public transportation helps him get to and from work.

“I like the transportation system, but it should improve the schedule on traditional buses,” he said. “I work nights and end my

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shift at 2:30 a.m. and have to take Uber, which is expensive.”

While Hennessy plans to stay in Omaha for a while, he says the city could attract more young people if it had a better transportation system.

The city plans to expand the ORBT routes but has not announced a timeline.

Racism Drives Some BIPOC To Flee State

BRAIN

by Leah Cates

W

hen she opened the email, Aixa Flores-Dominguez was taking a break from performing with her dance team at an Omaha South High Magnet School basketball game in December 2019. The school’s WiFi wouldn’t load the message from Columbia University –– just digital confetti cascading down her phone screen.

“I think I just got into Columbia!” she exclaimed at the time, prompting screams from her teammates.

The Columbia first-year, who has a full-ride scholarship, joins droves of young people leaving Nebraska. The state’s “brain drain,” ranked 12th worst in the nation, cost the state about $3.7 billion between 2010 and 2019 as about 2,000 college-educated Nebraskans aged 25 and younger left the state per year.

Brain drain largely measures outmigration of white Nebraskans, since 89% of degree-holders in the

state are white. But Flores-Dominguez represents another group of Nebraskans that wants out: High school grads from marginalized communities.

She’s a first-generation college student who didn’t even have someone to proofread her application essays. Flores-Dominguez’s mother, a housekeeper and single parent, who immigrated from Mexico with her children 16 years ago, always supported her daughter’s education, even when finances were tight for the family of five, like when Flores-Dominguez’s brother had leukemia.

Although she’s close with her Nebraska-based family, Flores-Dominguez said she was thrilled to “escape.”

Nebraska Nice is superficial, she said. White Nebraskans are friendly to strangers, but don’t help marginalized communities, giving leadership positions and lu-

Aixa Flores-Dominguez.

Photo by Chris Bowling.

crative jobs to already welloff white people, she said.

counselor, Flores-Dominguez said outside opportunities –– such as a Yale summer program she independently applied to –– got her into Columbia.

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“You always hear in Omaha, ‘We’re taking care of our fellow Nebraskans,’ but who exactly do you define as fellow Nebraskans?” asked Flores-Dominguez. “It’s a very specific category of [white] people, not Omaha as a whole.”

When she was accepted to Columbia, it surprised some people.

“They’re letting you go there?” they asked. But in New York City, Flores-Dominguez has found respect and support –– plus health insurance, which she’s never had before, and networking connections for post-grad opportunities.

Flores-Dominguez said her Omaha classmates of color, as well as LGBTQ+ peers scared to come out in a conservative state, are also desperate to ditch Nebraska.

“You have no idea how many kids are like, ‘I need to get out of Nebraska right now!’ They hate it [in] Nebraska ... [and] don’t see the life they envision for themselves,” she said.

But many of these individuals are stuck. Flores-Dominguez knows brilliant young people who are floundering, unable to leave due to limited financial resources or help from high schools that don’t expect students to venture out of the state for better opportunities, she said.

Besides some dedicated teachers, including her guidance

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According to the 18-year-old, the state’s top leaders, who are mostly white, make the brain drain worse. They leave social justice to overworked and underfunded nonprofits, said Flores-Dominguez, who’s worked with organizations like Culxr House, Heartland Workers Center and What YOUth Can Do, which she co-founded.

And between white Nebraskans’ refusal to see BIPOC as viable candidates and well-off constituents who vote to keep taxes low, she doesn’t expect things to change any time soon, pointing to the 2021 Omaha primary results as evidence.

Flores-Dominguez said she’s determined to make Nebraska a more inclusive place. She wants to return to Nebraska years down the road as the socially conscious political leader she never saw growing up. “[I’ll come back] when I have enough experience ... under my belt for [white Nebraskans] to have no choice but to take me seriously,” Flores-Dominguez said.

“In ... Nebraska, sometimes your potential is not enough when you look like me ... [Right now, Nebraska] will not give me space to grow.”

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C O V E R

S T O R Y

“Revolution Over Peaceful IN Bondage in Chains” RIM AL C

by Mark McGaugh

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needs to be replaced. Without examining what causes individuals to commit crime, he said, reform will never work.

hen are we going to start thinking of other alternatives?

When are we going to start investing in our communities?” asked “Bear” Alexander Matthews, community activist and co-founder of the Revolutionary Action Party, an Omaha-based group advocating for the abolition of prisons and police.

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Millions like Matthews turned out to protest last summer following the death of George Floyd.

Then the world watched a jury convict Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for murdering Floyd, sending a signal that maybe reform is possible.

However, some are skeptical.

“I feel nothing. My communities are still vacant, I still see vacant lots everywhere. My communities are still impoverished. I just heard 20 gunshots last night or two nights ago,” said Matthews. “So...

I see no improvements, I see a sacrificial lamb that they fed to the masses to attempt to satiate our dying hunger for liberation, but we will not be satisfied.”

Bear Alexander Matthews. Photo by Chris Bowling.

In Omaha, the call to defund and hold police accountable yielded an increased police budget and police union contract-extension.

With fire and police taking up more than 60% of the city’s budget, community leaders see a clear disdain for neighborhood investment.

According to Matthews, who canvasses with the Revolutionary Action Party, the people of North Omaha take notice.

“We’re asking the community members what they feel like is the biggest problem in the community right now,” said Matthews. “The community is begging for help.

And what does our city council say? And what does our mayor say?

Oh, we just need more policing!”

At the state level, legislators are working to advance police reform by creating a police use-of-force database as well as adding de-escalation training and mental health requirements to the hiring process.

But many like Matthews say that’s not enough. According to a 2020 New York Times article, “How Do the Police Actually Spend Their Time?”, only about 4% of police calls are violent in nature.

Matthews said the current policing system is dehumanizing and

“In order to abolish the police, we need to defund them, and after defunding them, invest in the communities. By investing in the communities, we will see the lack of need to commit these crimes,” he said. “So what we need to stress about abolition is one, abolition does not stop at destruction, it starts at restriction, and it starts at restoration.”

The Revolutionary Action Party website describes programs like CAHOOTS in Eugene, Oregon, and STAR in Denver as “models of beginning [the] process of abolition.” These programs, and others such as MACRO in Oakland, California, use a community-service-centric philosophy to send non-violent calls that would be otherwise answered by police to mental health and family service professionals.

Although the conversation will not end with one election, Omahans will get to see where the city stands on the issue on May 11.

What You Can Learn from Omaha’s Trash

by CHRIS BOWLING

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o one wants to think about trash. Getting rid of it is just something citizens expect cities to do well. That’s not the case in Omaha, said David Holtzclaw, the owner of a small engineering firm he runs from his home in Dundee.

Disorganized pickup, recycling changes and composting issues have frustrated him for years, pushing him to contact his representative in the Omaha City Council, Pete Festersen, and Mayor Jean Stothert dozens of times. In response, radio silence, he said.

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“Here we’re just like 20 years behind in everything,” said Holtzclaw, who moved to Omaha 12 years ago from Houston, Texas, with his wife and kids. “And trying to change something, it’s just so much effort. And it’s been disappointing [to see problems persist].”

It started when garbage trucks, run by Waste Management, started coming off schedule and leaving trash along his curb. Then they stopped picking up his grass clippings, raked leaves and other yard

May 2021

waste. As the problem made headlines, he watched the city approve a new contract with new 96-gallon bins and no long-term plan for recycling.

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While bigger recycling bins picked up once every two weeks works better for some, it’s a cut back for Holtzclaw. He fills more green bins than he does garbage cans. Now he drives recyclables to drop-off

spots, of which there’s only one inside the Interstate 680 loop.

With less yard waste pickup, he also drives carloads of compostables down to Oma-Gro in Bellevue.

Now and in the past Holtzclaw begs the city to figure this out.

“I would call or email my City Councilperson Pete Festersen, and he didn’t do anything,” he said.

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C O V E R “I would call the mayor’s hotline.

They wouldn’t even record the call.

They would forward me to public works, occasionally somebody would call you back. And it was like, ‘Yeah, it’s not working great.

Sorry.’ Nothing changed.”

Holtzclaw doesn’t even want to get worked up about trash.

He composts, recycles and has a solar-heated water system in his house, but garbage isn’t his top priority.

His problem is that a city that fumbles trash can’t be trusted with larger issues.

“If you can’t handle potholes, snow removal and waste management, how are you going to handle police relations, race relations? That gets complicated,” he said. “How are you gonna handle economic growth and development? How are you going to keep Conagra? How are you going to

S T O R Y

improve your schools? I mean, those are hard.”

Waning markets for recyclables and limited composting opportunities have also made waste reduction a huge issue. Cities like Minneapolis, New York and Lincoln have plans. Omaha doesn’t.

Many have worked to push Omaha toward green solutions.

Verdis Group, housed in Omaha, helps companies and cities, like Lincoln, come up with sustainability plans.

Holtzclaw doesn’t expect many of these issues to change after the general election on May 11.

Though he has a sign for Omaha City Council District 1 candidate Sarah Johnson in his yard, he expects Festersen will keep his job.

Likewise for Stothert and most people in city government.

David Holtzclaw stands in front of his composting bins and garden in his Dundee backyard. Photo by Chris Bowling.

It’s just what he’s come to expect living in Omaha: Things don’t change.

In fact as his three kids, who he says are all high-achieving, STEMoriented students, get old enough to look at colleges, he tells them this is not where they want to be.

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single mother with an autistic son, Anissa, who did not want to provide her last name, was looking for a place to live. She checked websites, newspapers and asked friends. While numerous ads promised apartments around $500 per month, most were duplicates owned by the same companies.

Anissa wanted to stay away from

them, saying she had experienced their “slumlord” behavior in the past.

Many affordable places were also in neighborhoods police consider high-crime. More than fearing the crime, Anissa worried about living in a heavily patrolled area for the sake of her son, a Black teenager

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by Paul B. Allen

who may not respond to an officer the way they want.

Anissa started looking at other neighborhoods. She wanted simple amenities: a couple of bedrooms, access to laundry, decent parking and a neighborhood without constant policing. She found one-bedroom units averaging $1,200 and two-bedrooms up to $1,800 in places like Downtown, Midtown and the Blackstone district. These newer units would sometimes require an extra $200 for parking plus monthly fees.

Anissa said people told her to buy a house instead. Interest rates are low, and it could be cheaper than renting. But Anissa didn’t want to commit to buying a property, so she decided she had to pay the higher rents. That was managable, she had the cash flow, but then came another issue: the application process.

Anissa. PHOTO by Terrence Tryon/T. Tryon’s Photography.

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May 2021

Applying for an apartment can cost $30 to $50 and be rigorous in scope. Management companies’ standards are specific and differ by company. Criteria can include

RDAB L FO

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ISO Suitable Shelter

“I’m telling them, like, ‘Go away,’” he said. “‘Run hard and run fast.’ My wife gets mad at me, but it’s like, there’s nothing here for you. There’s no future for you. This is a good old boys network. And it just doesn’t seem to want to change.”

requiring deposits of three times the rent, a credit score of 650 or higher and a history of no bankruptcies, evictions or criminal convictions, qualifications that can disproportionately impact marginalized communities. While Anissa was able to meet all the requirements, she still spent hundreds of dollars in application fees just to get turned down, even after offering to pay a year’s rent up front. She learned to start asking blunt questions about the criteria before paying an application fee for a rejection letter.

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O U SI N G

After months of searching, Anissa finally found a suitable house that worked for her. But she got lucky. A friend of a friend owned a property.

They had a face-to-face conversation, and he rented to her. Anissa said her experience matched that of friends and family members looking for decent housing, and her story is echoed by many people in Omaha in the same situation.

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Justice in the Streets

by CHRIS BOWLING Walking around North Omaha, it’s not hard to find potholes that take up more area than pavement, uneven sidewalks that stick out like crooked teeth and narrow bike lanes with giant grates in the middle.

car, which can cost about $9,000 a year with insurance, gas and repairs, according to AAA. That’s a big chunk of people’s annual income, which in North Omaha can be as low as $16,885.

REETS T S

More thought goes into making sure roads are optimized for the fastest possible travel, Cook said. For many Omahans that’s fine.

But for others, especially those who don’t have a car, it poses real dangers.

Manne Cook stands over Highway 75 in North Omaha on April 19, 2021. Photo by Chris Bowling.

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he sun is shining as morning chill wanes into a warm, cloudless spring day. In other neighborhoods birds might chirp while kids ride bikes and adults mow lawns.

But all Manne Cook sees is concrete. All he hears is the roar of cars 20 feet below.

“They destroyed a community and a neighborhood,” said Cook as he stood above Highway 75 in North Omaha. “So when you talk about streets and roads, this is the most prolific and destructive road, probably in the city.”

How Omahans talk about the city’s thoroughfares differs depending on where you live. For some it’s all about potholes.

But Cook, a former city planner and lifelong North Omaha resident, said we need to see the bigger picture.

Highway 75 began construction in the ‘70s and though alternative routes were proposed, the City of Omaha de-

cided to raze homes, churches and businesses in Omaha’s Black neighborhoods to build a faster route.

The result was displacement, a near death sentence to the North Omaha business district and a scar that persits to this day.

“It’s one of the reasons why the community doesn’t trust city officials,” he said. “You want to tell me about a good idea? Right. You said that was a good idea.”

“People aren’t valuing the people who exist in a place, you know,” he said. “It’s my movement over your right to be. That’s the mindset.”

Cook wants to see political candidates who understand streets are public spaces. It’s about fixing potholes in a more sustainable way, but it’s also about making Omaha more walkable, bikable and safe.

The problem, Cook said, is not that we don’t know how to do that.

The appetite isn’t there.

As a result, many have no choice but to buy and maintain a

A n d that’s not including the cost of a hefty repair, like what you might need after hitting a deep pothole.

“When something like that goes bad, you’re talking about maybe up to half your income per year to keep that car to get to other jobs to continue [this cycle],” Cook said.

While a few candidates Cook likes advanced to the general election, he puts his hope in nonprofits and engaged citizens, not government.

Cook, and all his like-minded city planning colleagues, left government to join nonprofits. It’s nonprofits and citizens that push for progressive policy, Cook said.

If they sell the deal just right, they can persuade the city to sign on. In lieu of a total overhaul in leadership, Cook said that’s what needs to happen to fix the issues he cares about.

Manne Cook stands in front of potholes near 28th and SPRAGUE streets, and in a narrow bike lane on 30th and Manderson streets. “Why would anyone want to use this?” Cook asked. PhotoS by Chris Bowling.

May 2021

“[Politicians] could do more, but you know they politic their way out of doing stuff. Right?” he said. “I think that at least in this city, [the public] is what really moves things forward.”

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D I S H

(Spring) Clean Juice

by Sara Locke

S Clean Juice owners Angela Moran-Manzitto and Sarah Peter take a clean approach to a healthy lifestyle.

pring is an excellent opportunity to examine our habits, assess our fresh food intake and consider our impact on the environment. This year, Clean Juice has a delicious answer to your spring eating clean-up.

You’ll find a go-to juice whether you’re showing up to improve your immunity, pack more nutrients into your day or to kick the COVID-19. That is, the 19 pounds we’ve each gained binge watching crime docs and eating feta pasta straight from the casserole. I am not projecting; we both know your sodium intake has been abysmal since last spring.

This month, The Reader had the chance to chat with Angela Moran-Manzitto, franchise partner of the two Clean Juice locations in Nebraska, to talk about what makes CJ different from your standard juice joint.

Simply delicious, everything on the menu is mindfully made. Photo by Sara Locke

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May 2021

“My business partner (Sarah Peter) and I have always been in family health,” Moran-Manzitto said. “We had discussed starting a business together, and this issue of wanting to find something I could really celebrate and enjoy with my young children kept driving me toward organics, toward finding a health-minded concept to get behind. We had looked at a number of franchises, but Clean Juice was just – cleaner.

There was a lot of honesty behind the product and how it was produced. What you see is what you

get, made in-store from the top to the bottom.”

The product in question is a full menu of fresh, cold-pressed juices, the recipes for which are designed to aid in your body’s natural processes.

“Most of the juices you’ll find in the grocery store or even other juice spots are high-pressure pasteurized,” Moran-Manzitto said. “It extends the shelf life, but it also removes most of the nutrients. We cold-press in-house every day. It means a very short shelf life, but it also means you’re getting as much benefit from every drop as possible.”

But there’s more to this sweet little shop than fresh, organic, expertly formulated juices. You’ll find a full menu of wraps, salads, smoothies, avocado toast, and in colder months, hot and hearty organic soups.

“Ideas like organic living, having a plant-based diet and healthier living are becoming very popular in the Midwest. I don’t know that everyone saw that coming, since Nebraska is such a red-meat and potatoes place, but there are so many health-conscious people here. Clean Juice has given us a platform to offer an education and a delicious, healthy meal.”

Since opening their first location in Lincoln in 2019, the women have seen just how hungry Nebraska is for this kind of a shift.

D I S H

LOCALLY OWNED DELIVERY CO-OP

A bouquet of fresh bottles. Photo by Sara Locke

Comparing Apples to Apple Juice A nutrition analysis on a Clean Juice smoothie versus your standard fruit shake shack shows a stark contrast in both the nutrient value and the potential setback one could experience from making it part of your daily diet. Even when considering one of Clean Juice’s richer options, the difference is dramatic.

Clean Juice “The Chocolate One” (with Whey Protein) Calories..................320 Sodium............... 260g Carbs......................46g Sugar......................25g Protein....................23g Jamba Juice “Chocolate Moo’d” Calories..................430 Sodium............ 270mg Carbs......................86g Sugar......................77g Protein....................11g You’ll find yourself enjoying a great deal more bang for your buck, without shelling out the extra bucks for an upsize in jeans.

Try Something New If you are already a high-anxiety diner who spends hours perusing menus and practicing placing your order before head-

USE CODE

GoLoCo

ing into a restaurant, visiting a new concept like Clean Juice may not be high on your priority list.

The team’s approach to customer service is ready to make a believer out of you.

“We know that we do things very differently, and we want people to feel comfortable coming in and excited about coming back,” Moran-Manzitto said. “Our staff works hard to make people comfortable, to be very approachable and informative, and to help each person find exactly what they want. Our job is to welcome everyone, walk them through the menu and be patient while they build confidence in what we’re doing here. We understand people’s hesitance in coming into a new place like ours, and we want to be sure we’re giving them a rewarding experience with each visit.”

The future is already looking bright for Clean Juice, with a location at 1308 Jackson and another at 7811 Pioneers Blvd in Lincoln. A third location with a drive-through option is currently in talks, with an app on the table to make grab-and-go ordering a breeze. For now, you can call ahead and place your orders for quick pick-up at 402-403-9084 for the Omaha location or 402417-0788 for the Lincoln location.

For a look at the menu, hours and directions, visit cleanjuice.com.

O MAHA

G et Ready O ma ha LoCo is owned and operated by local independent restaurants. The ultimate goal of LoCo is to offer delivery from the best local restaurants in town, provide great service, and enhance the local dining scene. Support local and download our app today.

May 2021

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W PICKS W sus’ meeting and subsequent exorcism of the daemons at Gerasene. From his artist’s statement: “These demons have always existed, and they can often appear ascendant over our better angels. But as in Gerasene their multitude has been exposed and cast into a doomed vessel.”

Ondina’s style has also been greatly influenced by Cuban art and culture. “The primacy of emotion over intellect, the power of less, and the importance of nuance are just some of the traits Cuban art has impressed upon me,” he wrote in a 2017 guest post for University of Southern Florida’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

May 1 - October 10

feature fresh, healthy produce, high-quality herbs, prepackaged foods, prepared foods and crafts.

For COVID-19 safety measures, the first hour of the market is reserved for seniors, people with underlying health conditions and expectant mothers, and the use of face masks is encouraged.

Omaha Farmers Market

The Old Market Aksarben Village

—Alex Preston

May 7

Legionaire Petshop Over the years, the Omaha Farmers Market in the Old Market has become an important tradition and economic fixture in the city. On 11th Street, between Jackson and Howard Streets, vendors sell their goods at the same site where growers sold their fruit, vegetables, herbs, plants and all sorts of fresh produce almost a century ago. This year’s farmers market season opens on Saturday, May 1, and continues each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., until Oct. 9. The Sunday market will run at Baxter Arena in Aksarben Village 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 10. As always, the farmers market will

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This May, Benson’s Petshop presents Legionnaire, paintings

by Eric Ondina of Tampa, Florida.

Ondina’s egg tempera paintings, spanning 2019 through 2021, are described by the gallery, as “observ(ing) the American Myth as it experiences the American Crisis.”

Artist and teacher Ondina cites the biblical account of Je-

May 2021

The opening reception for Legionnaire is Friday, May 7, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The reception coincides with other First Friday events in the area. The show runs from through June 25. Petshop is located at 2725 North 62nd St. Visit bffomaha.org/petshop. html.

—Kent Behrens

May 7

This year, five regional jurors have quite a challenge narrowing nearly 1,000 stylistically unique submissions into a group of fewer than 100 selected exhibiting works. The temporarily anonymous jury is composed of artists, art historians or season curators from Kearney, Lincoln and Omaha.

The biennial will travel to the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney later in the year.

The 2021 Nebraska Artist Biennial opens on May 7 and will run to August 1 at Gallery 1516.

Located on 1516 Leavenworth St., gallery hours range from Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment. Visitors need to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines. For more information, visit gallery1516.org.

—Jonathan Orozco

May 8

Weird Therapy The Little Gallery

Shared ‘Biennial’ Gallery 1516

Less than five years ago, Gallery 1516 decided to revive a largely forgotten institution: the Nebraska Artist Biennial. The original had a lofty run from 1932-1988 at the Joslyn Art Museum, and though it disappeared for whatever reason, it had the mission to unite the best art made in, or by artists with a connection to, Nebraska.

|Blackstone Recent media exposure about pandemic-related anxiety and depression has triggered crucial conversations about mental health and related antidotes — the conventional, unconventional, outright dangerous and, sometimes, the just plain weird.

The Little Gallery | Blackstone presents for this year’s May-June

W PICKS W fare Weird Therapies, featuring the work of Brion Poloncic. The selftaught visual artist (and author and songwriter) is known for using cryptic iconography, humor and a unique style that might be described as “stream-of-consciousness hieroglyphics,” as palliative exercises toward a better understanding of his own mental health challenges.

“Madness is not something to be sought after,” he wrote in his show statement. “Schizophrenia is a mess one can only escape by constructing a philosophy around the pain of an experience denied me by my science, my religion and my culture. And this is from where the art stems.”

The opening reception for Weird Therapy is Saturday, May 8, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The show runs through June 30. The Little Gallery|Blackstone is located inside the Mansion at Blackstone, 144 S. 39th St., Suite 1b. Visit thelittlegalleryblackstone.com.

at the Holland Center. During Charles’ performance, presented by the Blues Society of Omaha, he will explore his Creole Soul and Afro-Caribbean musical roots to his calypso and Haitian voodoo influences. The New York Times once hailed this Trinidad-born artist as “an auteur,” so you certainly won’t want to miss this opportunity to see him live in concert. The show begins at 7:30 p.m., and COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place, including required face masks and limited, socially distanced seating. Visit ticketomaha.com to see ticket pricing and to reserve your seat today.

—Alex Preston

May 14

The Zooeys

their offering of familiar and vintage rock and roll.

May 28-29

These three young bands with sounds influenced from past decades are on the rise. This is the perfect opportunity to see them all under one roof.

The Stars

The all-ages show costs $8 a ticket and will be played in the venue’s main room due to COVID-19 restrictions. The show starts at 8 p.m. and is expected to end at 11.

May 27

Leftover Salmon

Soaring arias! Magical duets!

Music lovers who have been deprived of experiencing live, in-person music can return for a new outdoor concert by Opera Omaha. The alfresco performance features beloved classics performed by some of opera’s favorite stars, accompanied by Omaha Symphony musicians.

Falconwood Park

Slowdown

May 12

The Holland Center

The Lincoln rock scene will invade downtown Omaha when The Zooeys with The Credentials and A Band Called Hemingway play at Slowdown on May 14.

Starting off the night will be A Band Called Hemingway and their infectious 2000s pop punk sound. In addition to a pair of EPs, the group’s most recent release, a cover of “Jingle Bell Rock,” might make an appearance.

Blues fans, listen up. This is a show you won’t want to miss. On May 12, trumpeter, percussionist and composer extraordinaire Etienne Charles takes the stage

Next in the batting order are The Credentials, who have grown as a local favorite in the past few years. Bringing a grittier sound, the four-piece is ready to play songs off their 2020 debut album Natural.

Headlining and closing out the night are The Zooeys with

Holland Center Outdoors 1200 Douglas St.

—Efren Cortez

—Kent Behrens

Etienne Charles & Creole Soul

Opera Under

It would be quite difficult to find another jam band out there that is having more fun than Leftover Salmon, who are bringing their good times to Bellevue’s Falconwood Park. This group was founded more than 30 years ago by Vince Herman and Drew Emmitt as a progressive bluegrass band, and they are widely considered to be pioneers of the modern jam-band movement.

Their style of music has been described as combustible and constantly evolving. You can never be certain what to expect at a Leftover Salmon show, but the one thing you can count on is that you will have as much fun watching them as they have performing. Visit leftoversalomn. com to learn more about the band and to reserve your tickets for this outdoor concert.

This concert medley features soloists from past Opera Omaha productions and new artists who will star in the upcoming 2021/2022 season. Led by conductor Steven White and director Dean Anthony, guest artists include baritone Michael Adams, lyric tenor Barry Banks, mezzo soprano Kristen Choi (Suzuki, Madama Butterfly, 2019), soprano Mary Feminear and the debut performance of soprano Lauren Michelle. The evening will include selections composed by Tchaikovsky, Mozart and more.

Socially distanced chair seating will be provided, and concessions are available for purchase on site. Mask protocols remain in place, and patrons are required to wear masks when not eating or drinking.

Tickets are $20 and may be purchased through Ticket Omaha at ticketomaha.com.

—Lynn Sanchez

—Alex Preston

May 2021

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A

Hello, Dalí!

El Museo Latino welcomes the Spanish master Salvador Dalí with large “Stairway to Heaven” print show

by Janet L. Farber

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sked to name Spain’s most famous artists, one might come up with a quick but succinct list primarily from the early 20th century: Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí.

Considering their achievements in becoming household names, it may be no surprise that El Museo Latino would find ways to bring them to their broad audience as well. Last year, it featured ceramics

by Picasso; on April 2, it opened Stairway to Heaven, a large exhibition of prints by Dalí.

The show consists of two different bodies of the artist’s work, the earlier of which is a cycle of blackand-white prints from squarely within the middle of his famous 1930s Surrealist period. Surrealism was an international artistic and literary movement, based largely in Paris, whose practitioners rejected rationalism and promoted the unleashing of the imagination through unconscious thought, dreams and fantasy.

Dalí in particular practiced what he called a “paranoiac-critical method” of producing images by inducing extreme states of delusion, in which objects and scenes were liberated from their normal descriptive functions. Hence, the melting clocks, elongated skulls and disembodied organs that come to mind in his most famous paintings of the time.

For those seeking this version of Dalí, his illustrations for Les Chants de Maldoror provide immense satisfaction. A poetic novel penned in 186869 by the Comte de Lautréamont (aka Isidore Lucien Ducasse), it featured an evil, misanthropic character and was run through with violence, perversion and depravity. The macabre text was rediscovered by the Surrealists and became Dalí’s first significant effort in book illustration.

The 43 intaglio prints he completed by 1934 are part of this show, appearing as single images as well as illustrations within the text. Although we are not told so, the artist was not entirely interested in trying to visualize the writer’s prose, but used it as a springboard for exploring his own hallucinatory visions. His dancing, calligraphic style is well at play in the etched lines forming an array of curious, often disturbing, characters.

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and trading on his influence, Dalí found a willing publisher in France, Les Heures Claires. The watercolors were translated into wood engravings, and the publication appeared at last in 1965.

Dante’s great epic is divided into three sections: Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise, and so follow Dalí’s images.

Dante is his own protagonist, and the text follows his journey from sin, through hell and purgatory under the wing of classical poet Virgil, to the penitent life and heaven with the guidance of his female ideal, Beatrice.

Dante’s odyssey is a complex and engaging mix of history, Medieval Christian theology and Greco-Roman mythology, and his descriptive language has lent itself well to illustration over the centuries. Inasmuch as Dalí’s surrealist phantasms made him well-suited to bringing the Inferno and Purgatory to life, so too did his reconciliation with Catholicism by 1948 make him recognized for a newfound religious expression in his art.

The exhibition, arranged in the order of the illustrations, begins with Inferno, in which Dante, the redcloaked protagonist, is introduced as a small but central figure in the center of a great open plain rendered in a long, raking perspective.

This recurring landscape motif, it is explained, is the artist’s shorthand for the terrain of his youth in Spain, thus representing the beginning of a journey for both the portrayed and the portrayer.

Along the way, Dante confronts Cerberus, the three-headed dog that is the guardian of hell’s gates. Dalí’s

“Cerberus” is a great, rearing steed, whose fearsome power and muscular energy is masterfully displayed through the whirling and concentric inky lines defining the beast.

Most reminiscent of the artist’s surrealist work are prints such as “Falsifiers,” one of his most violent illustrations of Dante’s most despicable sinners. It depicts the half-flayed torso of a human nailed to a board, pierced with a lance, grabbing its own entrails. Nothing is spared in this vision of a “justly” tortured soul, one that seemingly could only emerge from Dalí’s excursions into paranoiac-critical methodology.

Similarly, the Purgatory cycle investigates the nature of sin and the road toward redemption, as Dante is guided up the mountain of Purgatory toward heaven. The Seven Deadly Sins make their appearance here, including the cacophonous “Rising to the Seventh Level: Lustful.” The scene, rendered in washy tones of sepia and ochre, is filled with naked, tormented figures fleeing flames of fire, which Dalí has reconceived as linear shooting rays. Depictions such as this also display his knowledge of Renaissance and Baroque religious painting, calling to mind apocalyptic scenes of the Last Judgment.

Proving that Purgatory is not all doom and gloom for our hero, glimpses of redemption are envisioned. In particular, “Dante Purified” is a simple image of devotion.

Dante is seen through the hollowed center of a brilliant blue angel, its large wings the colors of the rainbow. Dante stands again on the Spanish plain, with the viewer understanding that he will leave terra firma on the next leg of his quest.

The main event of the exhibition, however, is Dalí’s 100 color-print suite illustrating the Medieval poet Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, which at 701 years old remains an unparalleled work of literature. Explanatory labels, which are abundant and quite helpful, outline how the project came to be and how it unfolded.

“Cerberus” from The Divine Comedy, Inferno, 1960, wood engraving in color on Rives paper after a watercolor, 10 x 7 in.

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In a nutshell, Dalí was commissioned in 1950 by the Italian government, which was promoting a new edition to mark the 500th anniversary of Dante’s birth, and after many years of work creating 100 watercolors, found his project rejected.

Fueled by his passion for the project

May 2021

LEFT: “Rising to the Seventh Level: Lustful,” from The Divine Comedy, Purgatory, 1960, wood engraving in color on Rives paper after a watercolor, 10 x 7 1/4 in. RIGHT: “The Divine Foreknowledge” from The Divine Comedy, Paradise, 1960, wood engraving in color on Rives paper after a watercolor, 9 1/2 x 6 7/8 in.

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T FRIENDS AND FAMILY SALE

LEFT: “Dante’s Ecstasy,” from The Divine Comedy, Paradise, 1960, wood engraving in color on Rives paper after a watercolor, 9 3/4 x 7 3/8 in. RIGHT: “Falsifiers,” from The Divine Comedy, Inferno, 1960, wood engraving in color on Rives paper after a watercolor, 10 x 6 7/8 in.

Consider “Dante’s Ecstasy” in the Paradise section. In the text, it represents the poet’s celestial reunion with his forefathers, and Dalí has recast this particularly divine moment in the recognizable visual language of ascension to heaven. It is also a beautiful example of Dalí’s broader and washy watercolor style and brighter palette that characterizes the later illustrations. Whether this loosening of imagery is a kind of stylistic symbolism attached to Dante’s travel from hell to heaven or indicates Dalí’s fatigue with the enormity of the project is unclear; it could certainly be read either way, but it is enormously effective for this heightened emotional moment in the poem.

Finally, the show’s introductory materials comment on Dalí’s “nuclear mysticism,” which by this time in his career encompassed themes including religion and the scientific process, particularly nuclear fission/ fusion. Though the religious aspects of the Divine Comedy illustrations are

clear, the scientific interests are less apparent. In Paradise’s “The Divine Foreknowledge,” Dalí depicts the poet learning of his fate to exile with clasped hands, and with a seemingly atomic fracturing of his being into small energized shards.

All in all, the exhibition offers much to take in. It is rich with literary connections and considerations of how a visual artist might interpret an author’s text. It is also a visual history of Salvador Dalí’s art, taking the viewer through his many stylistic phases and recognizable images. Given the time it should take to thoroughly digest this large show, it proves worth the journey.

Salvador Dalí’s “Stairway to Heaven” runs through Aug. 14 at El Museo Latino, 4701 S. 25th St. Current museum hours are Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; reservations are required by calling 402-731-1137 or going online to www.elmuseolatino.org.

SCHEDULE YOUR E Y E E X A M T O DAY !

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Malbar.com/good *Requires purchase of a complete prescription pair, including frame and lenses. Does not include sunglass frames, Oakley, RayBan, Maui Jim, Chanel, Oliver Peoples, Michael Kors, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Tom Ford, Cutler and Gross, accessories, contact lenses, or medical procedures. Cannot be combined with any other discounts, promotions, or insurance plans. Not valid on previous orders. Other restrictions may apply. See practice for full details.

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May 2021

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N E W S

Discover

South O!

by Karlha VelÁsquez Rivas

O

ne of Omaha’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods is South Omaha, which has long been a hub for immigrants. Once known as “The Magic City,” South Omaha drew thousands of hardworking immigrants from Europe in the early 1900s to work in the stockyards. Today South Omaha retains its diverse cultural heritage as home to much of the city’s Latino community.

Beyond its many attractions, such as parks, restaurants, tourist locations, golf courses and one of the most well-regarded zoos in the United States, South Omaha is a lively neighborhood that hosts numerous cultural events, concerts and dances. Here’s a guide to help you discover more about South O.

South O! Art & Culture

dances to showcase cultural pride. Due to COVID-19, this year the celebration will take place June 11-13.

Guaca Maya - Dancing If you wish to enjoy some great live Mexican music to dance to, the Guaca Maya restaurant is the right place to be, not only for its ambiance but also for its delicious Mexican dishes. For more information, visit guaca-maya.com.

South High Soccer States. It offers many events and exhibits that aim to connect communities. On top of being a fascinating meeting place, it’s also an educational center that offers programs for kids, adolescents and adults.

cy, you’ll find the Threads of Life mural, and a few feet from there you’ll see Del Futuro al Pasado, where cultural Mexican themes are on full display.

To learn more, visit southomahamuralproject.com.

El Museo Latino is open Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. General admission is $5. For more information, visit elmuseolatino.org.

The Tree of Life

Mural (N street, parking Plaza de la Raza)

El Museo Latino Located on 25th Street in South O, El Museo Latino opened its doors on May 5, 1993. It’s one of about 20 Latino museums in the United

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Exploring the concept of a Magic City, the murals project will delight those who visit South Omaha. Vibrant colors, figures and typical representation of Latino and indigenous immigration, along with social justice themes grace the parking lots and façades in the area.

Right next to Kubat Pharma-

May 2021

The Tree of Life gives everyone a warm welcome to the historic area of South Omaha.

It’s a symbol that represents the mixing and bonding of ethnic groups and cultures associated with the area, such as the Czech, Polish, Croatian and Mexican communities.

Definitely take a picture there!

For soccer fans, spring brings the start of intercollegiate tournaments in which the best (male and female) teams of each school take to the field in the tournament organized

by Omaha South High Magnet School. To check out the calendar, visit southpackerspride. com/events.

South O! History

Cinco de Mayo Fest In honor of the extensive Mexican heritage in the area, the South Omaha community celebrates the Cinco de Mayo Festival, along with more events held during May that include live music, parades and

Post Office For people who love architecture, the post office building in South Omaha is one of the main attractions in the

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area. The building was constructed in 1899 and features a Classical Revival front with giant columns and Roman Corinthian capitals. Inside, the lead glass windows are beautifully maintained.

Jalapeños – Mexican

Don’t miss it!

La Choza – Salvadorian

South O! Tasty

El Dorado – Mexican Isla del Mar – Mexican

Howard’s Charro Café – Mexican

Plaza de la Raza

Laos Thai – Thai

Located in the middle of 24th Street in South Omaha, the Plaza de la Raza is an emblematic location that is popular among Latinos. It also has a station where visitors can rent a bicycle.

El Ranchito – Mexican

South Omaha City Hall The City Hall building is one of the most important architectural works in the area. It was constructed in 1906 and designed by renowned architect John Latenser Sr. It was used as a county government building until 1999 and is now a commercial office building that retains much of its original Classical Revival style construction.

Livestock Exchange Building Ballrooms Considered one of the most romantic locations in the city thanks to the many weddings that take place there, this building is located at 4920 S. 30th St. Constructed in 1926, it was once the center of the livestock industry in Omaha, catering to stockyard workers with apartments, restaurants and other services. In 1999 it was designated an Omaha Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has two magnificent dance halls on the 10th floor with an astonishing 22 ft. roof that offers an amazing view.

Birriería el Chalán – Mexican

ural ingredients and no preservatives. Plus, if you’re lucky, you can get some of the freshest tortillas in the area, but you better be quick because they run out fast! Be sure to bring cash to pay for your purchases.

South O! Shops & Souvenirs

Chiltepes – Mexican

International Bakery

Food Trucks

If you want to savor the best bread and Mexican sweets, then visit International Bakery on 24th Street. It offers a wide range of bread types to delight your palate. This location is one of the most renowned Latino-owned bakeries in the city. It’s located at 5106 S. 24th St.

24th Street offers a wide variety of food trucks, including El Dos de Oro and El de Juan located on 24th and Calestar Street.

Rico Pan Bakery Since we love bread and sweets, here’s another option for you, with a South American twist. Rico Pan Bakery is located on 4030 S. 24th St. and offers a nice variety of South American bread and sweets thanks to its Cochabamba, Bolivia roots. It also has a big Peruvian influence, which makes for an exquisite combination.

Restaurants There are so many wonderful restaurants offering a wide range of delicious dishes in South Omaha that it’s hard to fit them all on a single page.

But let’s try to name a few of them! Some of these locations also offer alcoholic beverages.

El Alamo – Mexican

Ice Cream Shop Nothing helps to beat the hot weather like some good ice cream. La Michoacana is known for its ice cream variety. There are two locations on 24th Street. You can also visit Santa Fe Ice Cream to taste some favorite local flavors.

Carne Asada Latino convenience stores sell some of the best meat at great prices. For those who love a good Sunday carne asada, La Güera, Las Nenas, El Pueblito and Los Mexicanos 6 are some of the locations you should visit. They’re all on 24th Street.

Salsa Take-Out (Jacobo’s) And then, there’s Jacobo’s supermarket. If you visit South Omaha, you should try their authentic salsa Mexicana and salsa casera, all made with nat-

Mexican Wear If you want to buy a souvenir of Mexican or Latino cultures, you can visit La Esmeralda, which sells authentic Mexican clothing on Q Street, as well as Los Vaqueros, which sells some of the best leather boots.

If you want even more variety, you can visit Plaza Latina on 24th and O streets where you can even find a travel agency in case you want to comfortably travel to a Latino country.

Don’t miss the market on Saturdays and Sundays, which is an excellent chance to get some souvenirs.

There are mosaics all over the place in South Omaha, so don’t forget to check them out, too. If you want to learn more about South Omaha, be sure to visit The Reader and El Perico websites.

May 2021

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H O O D O O

Getting Out, Getting Back Live Music is Happening Again with Music Bookings from Clubs to Festivals

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by B.J. Huchtemann

or live music fans, there are increasing opportunities to get out and enjoy live music while continuing to observe COVID-19 safety guidelines as those may evolve. I attended my first in-person live music show in more than a year, staking out my favorite corner by the stage at the historic Zoo Bar for Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal’s CD release event in mid-April. I wasn’t prepared for how much emotion welled up being able to be back in my favorite soulful venue with such soulful sounds. So, wear your mask when you come out, get vaccinated when you can, and let’s get the music scene back on track with purpose and care.

BSO Presents The Blues Society of Omaha’s BSO Presents series continues in May with bookings that include a special show Thursday, May 27, at Falconwood Park. The BSO is a sponsor of Leftover Salmon with Aaron Kamm & The One Drops at Falconwood Park. It is a socially distanced outdoor event with pod seating for groups of four, six or eight people. Gate opens at 6 p.m. and show time is at 7 p.m. Find additional event rules and details along with ticket info at falconwoodpark.com and omahablues. com.

The rest of the BSO Presents schedule for Thursdays is happening at Stocks n Bonds. They kick off the month of May with an all-star show Thursday, May 6, at 6 p.m.

Mike Zito & His Big Blues Band features special guests Albert Castiglia and Joanna Connor, who will definitely bring extra blues guitar power to the stage. Castiglia spent many years as the guitarist for the great Junior Wells before stepping out on his own. Connor is a Chicago-based guitar star who has been a force on the blues scene for decades. Advance tickets are available at eventbrite.com.

Thursday, May 13, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal take the stage at Stocks n Bonds, 6 p.m., with a show

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featuring music from their new Color Red label CD release, Natural Born Hustler. This is a rising local band with tours of Spain and Japan on the horizon, so don’t miss out.

Hoyer was recently recognized for his work with an invitation to join the “Hammond Family of Artists” by the maker of the classic Hammond Organ. Look up the details at hammondorganco.com/artists under The Hammond Family tab.

Thursday, May 20, 6 p.m., the BSO hosts a showcase of Omaha and K.C. guitarists with Kris Lager from Omaha and Nick Schnebelen and Brandon Hudspeth from Kansas City performing. Other special guests are expected to perform.

Watch for more details on this show at facebook.com/bluessocietyofomaha.

Thursday, June 3, Gerard Delafose & the Zydeco Gators are scheduled.

Sunday, May 30, 3-10 p.m., the BSO hosts their annual Memorial Day Eve event at the Dam Grill & Bar on the landing at the River City Star. Dynamite Grammy nominee Danielle Nicole and her band will take the stage along with the Rex Granite Band featuring Sarah Benck plus special performances by the new BluesEd program students.

Zoo Bar Blues Lincoln’s historic Zoo Bar is getting back to the live blues business with shows being added to the schedule, including the return of Chicago’s Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8 at 5 p.m. Watch zoobar.com and facebook.com/zoobarblues for late-breaking shows and schedule updates. The club also hosts a very special show with Rev. Horton Heat and Dale Watson Tuesday, June 8, 6 p.m. Advance tickets are recommended and available at etix. com.

Buck’s in Venice If you aren’t already aware of this real-deal honky-tonk on the scene,

May 2021

Buck’s in nearby Venice, 27849 West Center Road, has been building its own tradition of presenting high-quality music. Buck’s survived the flood of 2019. The club then had to weather the pandemic, first by focusing on their carryout food, then with a slow return to dining in and great music bookings. Buck Bennett has the right talent radar and connections to make Buck’s the sort of place where you’ll find up-and-coming country and occasional blues artists who are stars in the making, on their way to big stages. Texas singer-songwriter Paul Cauthen, who was hitting major festivals before the pandemic, plays a series of shows Thursday, May 6, through Sunday, May 9. Texas Monthly has said Cauthen “sound[s] like the Highwaymen all rolled into one: he’s got Willie’s phrasing, Johnny’s haggard quiver, Kristofferson’s knack for storytelling, and Waylon’s baritone.” The shows are selling out fast. Popular Austin singer-songwriter Sunny Sweeney is no stranger to Buck’s and returns Sunday, June 6, at 7 p.m. Buck’s has a new website to keep you up-todate on what’s going on, check it out at bucksbarandgrill.com.

8 p.m. featuring a rising guitarist on Benoit’s Whiskey Bayou label, Alastair Greene.

Rocky Athas plugs in Friday, May 7, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the B. Bar. Athas is an eight-year veteran of John Mayall’s band. Blues lovers know Mayall is a bandleader known for launching great guitarists from Eric Clapton and Walter Trout to Coco Montoya.

Watch Falconwood Park’s website for other concert announcements for 2021 at falconwoodpark. com.

Playing With Fire is back this summer with annual free concert events at The Capitol District plus another new free series called Music for the City. Find all the details at playingwithfireomaha.net.

In the Market for Blues is also returning Saturday, August 7. Watch for event updates on the Blues Society of Omaha’s website and Facebook page.

Stir Concert Cove is back for summer of 2021 and adding more shows. Check out the events at facebook.com/stircove.

Hot Notes I’m finally in the happy position again of having more shows to talk about than I have space. Great shows are coming back to The Waiting Room, Slowdown and other rooms around the metro. Barnato in Village Pointe is also starting to book some interesting touring acts with a focus on country.

Cajun blues-rocker Tab Benoit makes a long-overdue visit to the metro with a show at Slowdown Thursday, June 10, at

Grammy nominee Danielle Nicole headlines the Blues Society of Omaha’s annual Memorial Day weekend show at The Dam Grill & Bar at the River City Star, Sunday, May 30.

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H H EE A AR R TT LL A AN ND D

H H EE A A LL II N NG G

Prescriptions in the Pantry

by Michael Braunstein

I

t’s not like Bill Gates and Tony Fauci started it. Big Pharma hit the ground running around 150 years ago. Oh, certainly, healers have used medicines for thousands of years, but the medicines were largely unadulterated natural substances. Prehistoric Plains Indians used coneflower and cottonwood poultices for healing. The other Indians, the ones on the subcontinent of India, have been using natural botanicals for thousands of years, and the ancient Chinese even documented the use in the Yellow Emperor’s scriptures dating to 300 B.C. The bastardization of natural elements reached a new level in the 1800s when companies like Merck, Bayer and Sandoz began wholesaling their laboratory concoctions. At first, commercial drugs were derivatives and reductions of natural plants, but no longer. Pharmaceutical drugs are more likely to be synthetic now and, along with genetic modification, are unnatural.

Conventional medicine has left nature far behind, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Natural healing is as close as your kitchen if you want it to be. Common foods, seasonings, spices and herbs with healing potential can be found in your kitchen cabinet. Of course, that assumes you actually do any kind of cooking at all. Take a look at what you might find in such a person’s kitchen.

Honey. Natural, locally sourced

honey from a trusted supplier is a mainstay. I get mine from a Columbus, Nebraska, third-generation beekeeper. It’s raw, meaning it’s not been heated above 100 degrees. Heat destroys enzymes in the honey. It’s relatively unfiltered, meaning that a certain amount of the bee pollen remains. (I re-

26

ries by Chinese medicine. It has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. It makes a fine addition to tea or alone in hot water. It can regulate blood sugar for Type 2 diabetics, modulate blood pressure and address digestive issues.

It is filled with tasty antioxidants.

member the joy of finding a tiny bee wing in my honey once. Now, that’s certification.)

Honey is a powerful antibacterial. You’ll not find a spoiled jar of pure honey. I use it on cuts and minor wounds. Internally, honey seems to boost the immune system, too. It’s been long touted as a preventative for spring allergies.

Remember, the secret is local, trusted sourcing. Need to find local honey? Do not trust what you see on the label in the local stores.

There is no regulation of that term, and one supplier admitted to me that their “local” honey comes from as far as North Dakota and California. Not my “local.” Best idea is to visit a farmers market. Meet and get to know a real beekeeper.

Apple Cider Vinegar. Some

folks consider apple cider vinegar the panacea in the pantry. I hesitate to use that term, but it does seem to have great healing potential. Folks have been using vinegar for centuries as an antimicrobial.

The cloudy part in the bottle of organic apple cider vinegar is called the “mother.” It’s full of enzymes, proteins and other healthful properties. There are some studies that indicate apple cider vinegar helps modulate insulin and blood sugar levels for people with Type 2 dia-

May 2021

betes. Other research suggests it lowers heart disease risk factors.

Best thing going for it in my mind is that it’s natural. Check it out.

Spices. Pungent, sweet, savory, strong — a plethora of potent antioxidants accompany the spices.

There is a reason entire nations and cultures thrived by importing spices. Their value spans the spectrum of life experience, from the kitchen to the constitution.

Here are just three.

Cayenne is a particular pepper

that has been studied extensively.

I believe most botanicals should be used holistically, but contemporary reductionist science insists on tearing things apart, thinking humans can improve on nature.

Thus, a potent ingredient of cayenne pepper, capsaicin, has been identified as a specific agent. Capsaicin is used in a number of different conventional medicines. It’s been found to be a pain reliever, a cancer cell inhibitor, effective in lowering blood pressure, a digestion aid and much more. And you can get a good dose of capsaicin from the cayenne in your kitchen.

Cinnamon is a taste treat in everything from baked sweets to the secret dash in pasta sauce. And it is a healing spice, used for centu-

Oregano qualifies as a super-herb, in my opinion. Delectable fragrance and flavor but for our medicinal purposes, it’s a monster.

Antiviral and antibacterial, it’s been shown to kill nasty staph bacteria.

Plus, oregano has a broad spectrum of vitamins, including hard-toget vitamin K. Folk medicine cites oregano for lung and respiratory problems, headaches, body pains and infections. It is used to treat skin conditions and boost the immune system. Oil of oregano is a common antibacterial and considered extremely potent.

There are dozens of other kitchen culinary cures that have a place in the pantry. There are two very important considerations. As with most botanicals, fresh is best.

Fortunately, many of the herbs are easy to grow. And secondly, Generation WhateverYouAre needs to reclaim the kitchen, learn to cook and delete GrubHub, UberEats or whatever from your phone list. The choice is yours.

Be well.

Heartland Healing is a metaphysically based polemic describing alternatives to conventional methods of healing the body, mind and planet. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. Important to remember and pass on to others: for a weekly dose of Heartland Healing, visit heartlandhealing.com.

F I L M

Midlife Murder Crisis

Nobody adds dead bodies to the body of escapist fatherly violence

by Ryan Syrek

L

ike Liam Neeson who was Taken before him, Bob Odenkirk has surprisingly joined the list of violent cinema daddies who would rather catch a body than buy a boat to assuage their quiet discontentment with life. From John Wick to Nobody, both of which share writer Derek Kolstad, there is a growing genre of movies about seemingly happily married older dudes who are secretly very cool and very good at killin’, hyper-targeted at actual patriarchs.

They are, by and large, fun and dumb. The films, not your dad. Still, in a country where “average white dude snapped and started copiously murdering” is a nightly news segment, the implications can be kinda ooky. This isn’t to suggest movies like this inspire or cause gross tragedies. They just feel like a reflection of the simmering toxicity beneath the clenched teeth of the guy at the office who says things like “living the dream” when you ask him how things are going.

These movies always start with the premise that the unassuming pops one cubicle over is actually a bad-ass death dealer.

In Nobody, that’s Hutch (Odenkirk), a sullen jogger who always seems to miss trash day. When burglars plunder his house, he uses it as an excuse to revisit the part of himself that he hid in his mental basement in order to play house with his wife (Connie Nielsen). Soon, he’s pissed off a shiny suit-wearing Russian mobster (Aleksey Serebryakov) who is willing to blow up the entire city of ... wherever this is set Director Ilya Naishuller ’s paunch-punching papa-centered parable deploys NPRfriendly jazz and oldies over many of its fight sequences. Just to remind you how cool your father used to be before he had to settle down and leave his wild days behind him, Hutch is even friends with a Wu-Tang Clan member (RZA)! The violence is mostly wildly cartoony, which is a compliment, as the more realistic things get, the less it feels like absurdist fantasy and the more it feels like CNN. Odenkirk plays Nobody straight, but there’s a hint of playfulness that feels like a missed opportunity. The film doesn’t actually have anything self-aware or clever to say about

Other Critical Voices to Consider Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics says Nobody is “a fun-but-forgettable shot of adrenaline that never aspires to be more than that.”

Max Weiss of Baltimore Magazine, who is fast becoming one of my favorite reads, says “Nobody is the Axe Body Spray of movies.

Nobody is a reminder that spending a ludicrous amount of money on a sportscar is a much healthier alternative than dads turning into killing machines.

Photo credit: Universal Pictures.

the repeating pattern of murder-daddy cinema, although it could/should have. Casting Christopher Lloyd as Hutch’s father sure seems like a missed opportunity to reflect on the cross-generational angst felt by men “of a certain age.”

Unto itself, Nobody is a quickn-dirty ditty that does its job.

And so long as you don’t think too much about what that job is, you’ll be fine. Because what

seems to be clear is that there’s a sizeable appetite for imaginary suburban warfare growing out of a foundational and fundamental frustration many white men have with the modern construct of domestic life.

But, you know, so long as you sit back and just enjoy the guy from Mr. Show doing murder stuff, it’s “fun.”

Grade = B

It’s pseudo cool, it leaves a lingering bad odor, and just because it’ll find an appreciative audience of hormonal teenage boys doesn’t mean it’s actually any good.”

Michelle Kisner at The Movie Sleuth says “Despite the unoriginal premise, Nobody is a briskly directed action film that’s worth a watch just for Odenkirk’s performance.”

May 2021

27

F I L M

My Year Without Movie Theaters

Is it safe to go back, and what happens next?

by Ryan Syrek

T

he pandemic has stolen big-ticket items, like, you know, people’s lives. It has also been a quiet little sneakthief, a pickpocket pilfering those tiny things that kept us sane without our even realizing it.

Until late March of 2020, you could argue that I was a human movie ticket stub or lukewarm, salty, buttered popcorn. Over the past year, that dead Greek philosopher dude might say that I’ve become the remote control that you can’t find when the TV volume changes without warning. Metaphors are fun, right?

The point is that, unexpectedly and unwelcomed, an unheralded pillar of my identity blipped out of existence once going to see a movie was no longer a safe option.

Any communal space shared by like-minded folks is a secular kind of holy. The ritual and routine of simple acts like going to a movie theater serve a far grander purpose than many realize. I know the absence certainly left a far bigger void in my sense of self than I thought it could or would.

COVID has introduced new, ugly kinds of loneliness that can be as obviously grotesque as death in a quarantined ICU room or as ordinary as forgetting what the laughter of strangers sounds like.

From the literal second the nurse’s thumb left the plunged syringe that contained my second vaccine dose, I began a countdown to my theatrical return. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still nervous. Hygiene theater, the practice of showily and obsessively cleaning surfaces that has no actual bearing on infection rates, may finally be coming to an end.

28

But the hygiene in theaters is another issue entirely.

Entering a largely ventless box with people you do not know — some of whom will inevitably cough and many of whom will absolutely be maskless while wolfing down popped corn — will never be on the CDC’s “happy good ideas” list. But we need movie theaters, and movie theaters need us (not just me). I mean, even the friggin’ ArcLight is closing.

The two things I get asked the most during this plague year are “When is it safe to go see a movie again?” and “What’s going to happen to theaters now?” I am neither a doctor-scientist nor a studio or theater exec. But here are my best answers, along with what I’ve learned over my theater-less year.

Olly Olly Oxygen Free?

Watching local theaters grapple with the “Sophie’s choice” of closing their doors or powering through a pandemic has been super-hella upsetting. Differences in business structures allowed Film Streams to pivot and offer streaming options but forced most local cineplexes to keep limping along like “normal.”

I will forever and for always find it unconscionable that a bigger, targeted bailout of this and other related entertainment industries never happened. During whatever crisis is on deck, all theaters should change their legal name to “Literally Any Billionaire’s Bank Account” and watch the government aid flow.

May 2021

Now that vaccination is in full force, is it time to put butts back in movie theater seats?

“Ryan’s choice,” not reviewing movies that were theatrical release only, was nowhere near as hard a call. It still sucked though.

It felt like turning my back on friends who needed me. I do not doubt our local movieplexes all followed every guideline to the absolute letter. It’s just that there is no real safe way to approach certain things, like a gunpowder enema or putting strangers in a windowless room during an airborne disease outbreak. We’ve got vaccines now though, baby!

Those sweet, sweet chemically induced antibodies are a-flowin!

So it’s gotta be safe now. It’s safe now, right? We can all go back to the theater now? Please?

Like the message in a surprising number of lullabies, I can only tell you that nothing in this world is ever really safe. I promise you, someone somewhere has died in a marshmallow-related tragedy.

Everything we do is just different degrees of dangerous. When it comes to watching movies in theaters, I can only tell you this: Now that our region has opened

up COVID vaccinations to anyone who wants one, I feel it is no longer morally irresponsible to review theatrical films. That’s what you’ve been waiting to hear, right?! You’ve finally got the green(ish) light?

I’m pretty sure that “movie critic” is the exact opposite of “medical doctor.” That being said, it is my personal belief that being vaccinated and still wearing a mask will make the experience of moviegoing no more dangerous for me than driving literally anywhere in Omaha. All of this is to say, my answer when asked if it’s “safe” to go see films in the theater can only be “I’ve decided to start going again.”

I mean, for the love of Pete, there’s an entire brand new theater in town with seats that haven’t had my butt in them. The ACX Cinema 12+ opened in the middle of germ-a-palooza, and I am beyond excited to inhale that “new theater” smell.

It is an intensely personal choice as to what makes you feel

F I L M comfortable, like how some people swear by boxer briefs, but others find them to be oppressive to their business. I can only say that my reluctant theatrical fast is about to be broken. Join me if you wish! But, you know, keep your distance and get vaccinated first.

Don’t Believe Theaters Are Dead, Even if TMZ Reports It The fact that Godzilla vs Kong was a kaiju-sized box office hit, despite being simultaneously released on streaming, is a reminder of the “Keith Richards” rule: You don’t shovel dirt on something that looks like a corpse until you know it’s actually dead. I have not and will not ever believe that theaters are collectively doomed.

Like everyone but rabid anti-vaxxers, they just need our love and support.

If you’re going to circle one date on your calendar, it should probably be your partner’s birthday. If you circle a second, that should probably be your mom’s birthday. But if you circle three, I would suggest adding May 28.

That’s the day that both Cruella and A Quiet Place Part II hit. The former is also going to be on Disney+ Premium, which is somehow not called Disney+ Plus; however, the latter is only in theaters, y’all.

The retreat of John Krasinski’s first sequel from March of last year marked the moment many theater owners likely first choked down some bile, realizing what was ahead. With its (maybe) triumphant return to cinemas, many are looking to it as a bellwether of what’s to come for the box office.

Did you know that “bellwether” is a term used to describe a castrated ram with a bell on its neck that leads a flock of sheep? May you never think of John Krasinski without remembering that fact again!

What is shocking to me, beyond that fun fact, is that studios refused to use the time that theaters were shuttered to figure out a longer-term solution for dwindling audience attendance. What

were all those executives doing?

Cocaine. They were probably doing cocaine. Personally, I would have tried to renegotiate opening weekend revenue sharing and abandon an outdated release strategy that often leaves huge gaps on the calendar in too many months. But then again, I do not use cocaine.

Answering a question like “What will happen to theaters now?” is like answering “Where do babies come from?” There’s a simple, family-friendly answer, and there’s also a much stickier, grosser set of explanations that can be provided. The former is “They will struggle for a bit but be fine, so long as there’s no big COVID surge and shutdown again.” The latter is “We need to stop talking abstractly about ‘making going to the movies an event again’ and start rationally assessing the size, scope and revenue brought in by likely theater attendees.”

If you care about the longterm health of this industry, when you feel safe enough, go see a movie. That’s really it. What I’ve learned most over these 400+ days outside of a movie theater is that I care. I care so much. I care an almost inappropriate amount.

People love to make jokes about theatrical inconveniences, from the noisy audience members to the overpriced concessions. After a year without them, they not only don’t seem that bad, they seem like a small cost for any shared human experience.

Doing things with other people in a capitalist society means both enduring inherent annoyances and coughing up some cash. I can confirm now that is absolutely worth it.

I’m ready to hear someone awkwardly laugh at a scary scene.

I’m ready for surround sound so loud it jiggles all my jiggly bits.

I’m ready to whisper “Oh, I want to see that one” after a trailer.

I’m ready for a B+ film to jump to an A- based on how the crowd felt.

I’m ready to go back to the movies again.

May 2021

29

I N

M E M O R I A M

George Winston Walker

by incorporating science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAMs) into his music lessons to show the many ways music affects the brain.

February 4, 1943 April 16, 2021

During his semi-retirement, Walker built his own guitar, did some traveling and painted many portraits over the last few years. One of his works is featured on the cover of the latest edition of his book How to Play Today’s Guitar Music Today finished earlier this year, which will be published and available for purchase soon.

George Walker began playing the guitar at age 16 in Everett, Massachusetts. He attended Berklee College of Music, earning a diploma in music arranging, harmony, theory and jazz improvisation. His passion and drive to become a jazz musician were realized early, and he continued to play after relocating to California in the 1970s. In Omaha, George was an extraordinary performer, instructor and Omaha treasure whose musical style merged jazz, funk and rhythm and blues, but he could skillfully play any musical genre.

George Walker passed away on April 13, 2021, at the young age of 78 after battling pancreatic cancer for more than two months.

He will be missed by many. His daughter, Andrea Walker, hopes to continue his legacy by featuring his work at the Great Plains Black History Museum in August for Native Omaha Days and establishing a scholarship fund in his honor.

— Mars Booth

As a true Jamaican, Walker had many jobs and delivered payroll, was an apartment manager, salesman, real estate agent and worked for the post office for 18 years.

During his music career George Walker performed live or recorded with Lou Rawls, Barry White, George Benson, Paul Humphrey, Jerry Lewis, Freda Payne, Tommy Tucker, Freddie Scott and many others. He also made an appearance performing in the movie Uncle Joe Shannon.

Walker performed at major theatres, including the Apollo, Regal, Howard and Royal theatres. His stadium appearances included White Riverfront Stadium, Atlanta Stadium and Yankee Stadium and major hotels and casinos. He performed live in Germany, on boats, on a plane and for television shows, such as The Merv Griffin Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and Saturday Night Live.

George Walker was enthusiastic about sharing African American musical history and was a contributor for James Conyers Jr.’s book African American Jazz and Rap. He was also a “Year of the Blues” honoree. His solo recordings included One Way or Another—The Blues.

In 2001, Walker played for thousands in Omaha at the Joslyn’s Jazz on the Green. In 2006, he performed at the Omaha Summer Arts Festival. That year, he won two first-place honors and a second-place award for composing music for three of Omaha’s Hot Shops Film Festival contestants.

George Walker’s contributions to music in Omaha were not limited to his performances. He taught guitar theory at Metropolitan Community College, Iowa Western Community College and Norris Middle School, and he conducted workshops at the Durham Museum and local schools through The Omaha Blues Society. Other teaching programs he worked with were Love’s Jazz & Art Center, The Omaha School of Music and El Museo Latino. Hundreds of Omahans learned guitar theory from Walker.

Walker’s teaching philosophy was simple — motivate students by meeting them at their skill level and teach them something new they could use immediately. He encapsulated his teaching philosophy into a guitar instruction book: How to Play Today’s Guitar Music Today. Walker added dimension to his instruction

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May 2021

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M E M O R I A M

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c r o s s w o r d AnswerS in next month’s issue or online at TheReader.com

Knowing the Angles — when it’s all right.

by Matt Jones

Across 1. Hummus scooper 5. Snarls, like traffic 11. Pistachio, e.g.

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16. “Suits” airer 17. Item of Mario Bros. lore where you can see the angle in the NW corner 19. Dose, informally 20. Covered with grime 21. Hummus brand 23. Liam Neeson film franchise 26. ___ folklórico (traditional Mexican dances) 28. Pol. entity that lasted from 962 to 1806 29. “That was my best effort” 33. Country singer Paisley

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43. Just had a sense 44. Ab ___ (from the beginning) 46. ___ deferens 47. Level-headed

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31. Mara of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” 32. Late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve

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45. “Hamlet” courtier who oversees a duel 51. Push away

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53. Pole on a battery 54. 1993 hitmaker with “No Ordinary Love”

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67. Ferret’s cousin 50. In the wee small hours of the morning 68. Word before ringer or tired 52. Nattered away 69. Music with 54. Slash on a bowling confessional lyrics scoresheet 70. “Interview With the 56. Dispatched, as the Vampire” vampire Jabberwock 71. Birds with dark 59. Sculpture, paintings, green eggs etc.

Down 60. Intro to a certain 1. Dog’s foot cipher that resembles the angle 2. William McKinley’s in the SE corner First Lady

55. Dance with a lot of rentals

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66. Homer Simpson outburst

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61. Vexation 62. Ball club VIPs

13. Exclamation after a big finish

5. Like most restaurant orders, lately 18. Region conquered by Alexander the Great 6. “Put a sock ___!”

22. “The Five People 7. Website for craftwork You Meet in Heaven” author Mitch 8. Word usually put in brackets 23. Speculates 9. Actress Thurman

57. “Girls” creator Dunham 58. Perform without ___

3. “Que ___?” (“How’s 12. Manufacturer’s it going?”) target 4. Cause laughter

35. Ted of “Mr. Mayor” 40. Pinky ___

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27. Antarctic penguin 30. Adrenaline rush

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42. Lo ___ (Chinese noodles)

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41. Sharp-toothed spur wheel

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48. Optician’s wares

39. Apprehends

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14. Counting Crows singer Duritz 15. Prompt

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10. Drink with a red, 25. Where to find the white, and blue logo letter that looks like the angle in the SW 11. On a calculator, it corner looks like the angle in the NE corner 26. Surrounds

May 2021

63. On the left, for short 64. It might be free at a French restaurant 65. Mobile game interruptions © 2021 Matt Jones

AnsweR to last month’s “REPORT CARD” F R O M

L A L A

A N D E D I G H

A V E R A G E J O E

W I G G L E R O O M

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U N P U T B R L I E S N D C H H E G O D O K D E D I U M M P S

P O O R R I C H A R D

U N D E R C H A R G E

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C A C A L O E S S B A D I N T A G S N A

E P S O M S A L T S

G R E A T S C O T T

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C O M I C S Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau

which deaths matter? by Jen Sorensen

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May 2021

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I Haven’t Given Up We’re all waiting to get back to the clubs, aren’t we?

by Tim McMahan

With COVID-19’s eventual retreat, bands are getting ready to return to stages.

Photo credit: John-Matychuk - Unsplash

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haven’t updated my daily local music blog, Lazy-i.com, in over two weeks, which is long enough for people to question whether it’s still “alive.” I’ve been writing the blog for (my god!) 23 years. I haven’t given up. There’s just so little to write about music-wise right now.

Omaha’s two major clubs for indie music — The Waiting Room and The Slowdown — reopened.

But with few bands bands touring yet, their offerings are (how to put this) somewhat lacking: cover bands, live professional wrestling, comedians, local productions of bad musicals. There are a few exceptions, but nothing on the indie music radar or that piques my interest.

It’s the way it’s going to be for a while. All the quality local bands simply haven’t played together in a year out of caution and responsibility, and musicians are just now getting vaccinated. It could be a month or two until they start practicing again, and who knows what has changed in these musicians’ lives over the past year of crippling isolation?

Staying in touch with one another via Facebook is a far cry from the up-close-and-personal relationships one forges by living in a pot-smoke-filled van for two months on the road. “Jamming together” by recording tracks alone on an iPhone and then send-

ing them around to bandmates to add their parts just isn’t the same as having to breathe in each other’s vicious BO during a hot, cramped band practice in the bass player’s basement.

When these bands finally do reunite for the first time since spring 2020, there could be camaraderie and rejoicing, or picking up right where they left off, or the worst case scenario — a new realization of just how much they actually hated each other and how they should never have played together in the first place.

And then there are those bands that won’t get back together at all because one of the musicians had to figure out a way to make money after losing his or her job and now is stuck in a new career they never had to deal with before all this happened.

Some will have new relationships, maybe new family members, certainly new responsibilities; and suddenly the idea of making music will seem frivolous.

And a sad few may finally have convinced themselves they’re too old for this rock and roll lifestyle, which is something that even in my 50s has never crossed my mind.

Sometimes it’s the little things that keep you going.

I was pushing my shopping cart through the crowded parking lot of the Saddle Creek Baker’s after my usual Sunday-morning grocery haul, dodging dirty SUVs across the bumpy tarmac, still wearing my mask.

As I approached my VW, I looked up across the lot and there

was a guy I recognized from one of the local rock bands — a tall dude in his 30s with long brown hair who plays a mean guitar and has been a staple in the Nebraska underground music scene for the past decade or more. He had just stepped out of his car with his wife or girlfriend or whomever.

Also wearing a mask, he looked up across the lot and saw me loading my car and did a little head nod and wave. I did the same in return.

As I returned my cart to the corral I thought, “Huh, he remembers me,” as if I was a prisoner who that morning had been released after 20 years in the state penitentiary. I hadn’t been forgotten … by someone I’d never formally met and who likely was mistaking me for someone’s dad.

tent from their home theaters or on their iPads they might balk at paying $10 to sit in an auditorium with a bunch of filthy patrons to watch the same thing they can watch in their underwear on Disney+.

And then there are music venues. Rock and roll or whatever you want to call popular music continues to reinvent itself from generation to generation. Kids will continue to go to clubs to see their favorite bands just like people are returning to sports facilities as quickly as the local ordinances will let them.

Still, there are those few who are getting a little older, those who were always looking for an excuse to stay home on a Friday or Saturday (or weekday) night. They’ll be the last to return if they do at all.

One of the biggest questions about life after the real passing of the Pandemic of 2020 (because that’s what they’ll call it 100 years from now after we’re all long dead) is whether people will go back to the same lives they lived before.

It has to be a question gnawing on the minds of owners of movie theaters, restaurants and music venues.

I used to see bands three or four nights a week when the scene was more “indie-music friendly.”

Five hours of sleep was plenty. But right before the pandemic struck, I’d limited myself to weekends or “can’t miss” shows. Now I wonder if I’ll be able to once again stand elbow-to-elbow at, say, O’Leaver’s, next to people young enough to be my grandchildren.

Restaurants I’m not so worried about. People already are returning to their favorite places, even if they have to wear a mask to go to the bathroom. If we never questioned the food we bought as take out during the pandemic (and why we didn’t, I still don’t understand — what made us think the cooks back in the kitchen were wearing masks and diligently washing their hands like surgeons?), we’re sure not going to question it afterward.

Fact is, I can’t wait. I miss my extended family — the club owners, the bartenders, the punk rock regulars and that guy in the Baker’s parking lot who I don’t really know. And besides, I’m going to need something to blog about.

Movie theaters are another matter. People have become so used to watching streamed con-

Over The Edge is a monthly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on culture, society, music, the media and the arts.

Email Tim at tim.mcmahan@ gmail.com.

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n a c e w ! t I o d The community goal is to get everyone who’s eligible immunized. Until then, keep wearing a mask, giving space, and avoiding crowds, even if you’ve had your vaccine. Together, we can keep each other safe and get back to normal.

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Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines at DoRightRightNow.org