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TAB L E of CON T E N T S THE USUAL SUSPECTS 006 From the Editor 008 Between the Lines 010 Calendar of Events 020 Adventure
Embarking on a #Vagabond #VanLife #Instagram #Lifestyle
040 History
Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte’s Hospital
105 Obviously Omaha
Omaha Flower Shops’ Wacky Requests
129 Explore! 133 Instagram 134 Not Funny
My Bucket List
A R T S + C U LT U R E 022 Music
Brenton Gomez
024 Multimedia
Chikadibia Ebirim
028 Author
Dr. Lydia Kang
F E AT U R E S
038 044 070 // 2 //
044
N E B R A S K A M E D I C A L ORC H E S T R A UNMC and UNO in Concert
GIFTS OF LIFE
Stories of Organ Donors, Recipients, and Their Families
ART AFTER LIFE An Organ Donor’s Legacy in Art
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
030 Art
Julia Mason
GIVING 080 Feature
Grief ’s Journey in Spanish
082 Giving Calendar PE O P L E 034 Sports
Creighton Basketball’s Jade Owens
042 Sex
Dr. Sofia Jawed-Wessel
074 Gen O
Hoodoo with Shaun Laveau
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EARLY BIRD BRUNCH // BEST DOCTORS // CONNY FRANKO'S RAP // NURSE OF THE YEAR // CHILI & CINNAMON ROLLS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
087 60Plus Opener
Watch videos and view photo galleries of select stories from this issue of Omaha Magazine for FREE.
088 Feature
Prime Time
DINING 106 Review
Early Bird
110 Profile
Chili and Cinnamon Rolls
114 Feature
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Chef Patrick Micheels of Monarch Prime
A B O U T T HE COV E R
118 Dining Guide
The cover of this special health edition of Omaha Magazine features local celebrity Houston Alexander displaying the scar from his organ donation. Before Alexander was a radio personality on Omaha’s Power 106.9 or an accomplished MMA fighter, he donated a kidney to his eldest daughter. The image does not show his face to make his sacrifice more emblematic of the organ donors discussed in the issue’s cover story. After all, anyone can sign up to be an organ donor. The image was conceived as an homage to Richard Avedon’s portrait of Andy Warhol showing scars from a gunshot wound.
SPECIAL SECTIONS 049 Best Doctors 060 Nurse of the Year Awards
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FROM THE EDITOR // LETTER BY DOUG MEIGS, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
SAVING A LIFE, CHASING THE DREAM HOUSTON ALEXANDER KNEW that his first-born child would be a fighter from the moment he laid eyes on her. Elan, his daughter, was born with kidney disease.
“We knew that one day she would need a kidney, and the day finally came where her kidney functions were so low that she needed a donor,” says Alexander, an MMA fighter and a radio personality on Omaha’s Power 106.9. She was only 10 years old when that day came. Alexander already knew that he was a perfect match to be an organ donor. “No questions asked,” he says. “There are things that you don’t think about; giving your child a kidney—or any type of vital organ—is something you don’t think about.” Her life-saving transplant took place in 2000, a few years before Alexander’s own professional fighting debut. At the time, he was working in asphalt maintenance while pursuing his passion for hip-hop on the side. Health and fitness continued to be a major cornerstone of Alexander’s lifestyle, which he says is essential for any organ donor or transplant recipient following a surgical operation. In 2003, a few years after donating his kidney —around the same time he started working in local radio—Alexander began fighting professionally. His Ultimate Fighting Championship debut followed in 2007 with a huge upset, a knockout of UFC celebrity Keith Jardine within 48 seconds. Elan was not a fighter in the same sense as her father (aka “The Assassin” in the ring). But she has been fighting health-related battles since her birth.
After more than a decade with one of her father’s kidneys, her body rejected the organ. Unfortunately, the body’s rejection of a donated organ remains a common reality for organ donor recipients. Elan is now living in New York with her name on the national transplant waiting list. Meanwhile, Alexander often speaks about organ donation in Omaha. It’s one of many community outreach efforts with his nonprofit, the Houston Alexander Foundation (visit houstonalexander.org for more information). Alexander will also speak at the launch party for the January/February 2019 issue of Omaha Magazine. The issue* carries a special health focus with articles on medicine and wellness topics. One of the main feature articles (available to subscribers and those picking up the magazine from a newsstand) is an in-depth look at the stories of organ donors, their families, and the organ recipients who received the gift of life.
Join Omaha Magazine’s launch party for the January/February 2019 issue. Admission:
Free
Date:
Thursday, Jan. 3 Time:
5-8 p.m. Location:
Sol’s Jewelry & Loan 14207 U St. Omaha, NE 68137 Featuring:
Houston Alexander, the Nebraska Medical Orchestra, Dr. Alan Langnas (a surgeon with Nebraska Medicine), and community leaders who modeled for the special “Prime Time” feature of 60Plus in Omaha Magazine. Hors d’oeuvres and other refreshments will be available.
The subject of organ donation carries special personal significance for me. My twin brother, Connor, was an organ donor. As a teenager getting his first driver’s license, he checked a box designating that his vital organs should be donated in the event of his death. That check mark took on real meaning after a tragic car accident in 2004. While my brother’s life was cut short, the Connor Meigs Art Award offers other young artists help in pursuing their own artistic dreams. And, of course, the organs that he donated gave others a second chance at life.
“My daughter is probably the toughest young lady I’ve known,” Alexander says. “I’ve never seen somebody so strong. My daughter is tougher than I am in a lot of ways.”
* Note: the hotel edition of Omaha Magazine has a different cover, and it does not include all of the editorial content included in the magazine’s full city edition.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
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2019
JANUARY // FEBRUARY 2019 VOLUME 36 // ISSUE 6
EDITORIAL Executive Editor
DOUG MEIGS
Managing Editor
DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN Senior Editor
ELEGANCE
REIMAGINED
TARA SPENCER Editorial Interns
MEGAN FABRY · DYLAN LONGWELL · JUSTINE YOUNG Contributing Writers
KAMRIN BAKER · LEO ADAM BIGA · TAMSEN BUTLER ANTHONY FLOTT · GREG JERRETT · JARED KENNEDY JENNIFER LITTON · LISA LUKECART · PATRICK MAINELLI LINDA PERSIGEHL · NIZ PROSKOCIL · KIM REINER KARA SCHWEISS · OTIS TWELVE · LINDSAY WILSON
CREATIVE Creative Director
MATT WIECZOREK Senior Graphic Designer
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Graphic Designer II
MADY BESCH
Contributing Photographers
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Omaha Magazine Vol 36 Issue 6, publishes monthly except February, April, August, November, December, totaling 8 issues by Omaha Magazine, LTD, 5921 S. 118 Circle, Omaha, NE 68137. Periodical postage at Omaha, NE, and additional offices and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Omaha Magazine, 5921 S. 118 Circle, Omaha, NE 68137
Joslyn Art Museum features works from antiquity to the present with an emphasis on 19th- and 20th-century European and American art. A fun, relaxing, and artful destination for the whole family. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 am–4 pm. Just west of downtown Omaha. Café, Museum shop, and free parking. 2200 Dodge St. | Omaha, NE | (402) 342-3300 | www.joslyn.org JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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Between A LOOK AT FOUR OMAHA MAGAZINE TEAM MEMBERS ALICIA HOLLINS —Senior Sales Coordinator Alicia has worked at Omaha Magazine for 11 years as Gil Cohen’s assistant. She is currently the senior sales coordinator, helping Gil with customer service, ad work, and sales. She loves the creative and collaborative atmosphere of magazine work. She also enjoys collaborating on house projects with her husband, Trevor. She is the president-elect of the Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart Alumnae Board and an active volunteer at Loveland Elementary. She enjoys researching her family tree, and has even received a certificate from Boston University in genealogical research. All of this happens while she is fielding an array of constant questions from her amazing 8-year-old, Logan.
ANTHONY FLOTT—Contributing Writer Anthony fell in love with magazines in grade school when his carpenter father gave him a large box of old Sports Illustrated magazines found on a job site. Later, Anthony also worked in construction, laid asphalt, and cut trees for various family-owned enterprises. Eventually, he decided on a career where he could avoid physical exertion and workplaces equipped only with outhouses. He earned communication degrees from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and worked three years for the Papillion Times Newspaper Group. For 25 years since then, he’s been editor of the award-winning UNO Magazine. He’s also a widely published magazine freelance writer and has taught magazine editing and writing classes at UNO. He is married with four children.
JUSTINE YOUNG—Editorial Intern Justine is a senior at UNO studying English, with a focus on creative nonfiction writing and absolutely no intention of becoming a teacher. Armed with a limited attention span, a fleeting passion for almost any subject, and a deep appreciation of ice cream, she hopes to one day write a great novel, or at the very least, a plethora of mediocre books. When she is not studying or visiting her family in rural Iowa, you can find her swing dancing, recruiting friends for a good old-fashioned game of bingo, or reading anything by Ann Patchett. Despite her Iowa roots, she considers Omaha home, and she works hard to convince locals that the word “bag” should be pronounced “beg.”
MEGAN FABRY—Editorial Intern Megan is pursuing degrees in journalism and English at UNO. Born and raised in Omaha, this one-third of triplets spent much of her childhood hanging out with her other two-thirds, and their older brother. Megan graduated in 2014 from Millard West High School, where she was a copy editor for the yearbook. She is the arts and entertainment editor for UNO’s newspaper, The Gateway, and she hopes to continue contributing to the student-run publication until she graduates. In her spare time, Megan enjoys reading anything she can get her hands on, watching historical documentaries, and spending time with family.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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The Nebraska Snow Sculpting Competition is the sole sanctioned snow competition in Nebraska. With multiple amateur and professional teams from across the country proudly carving and displaying beautiful 8-foot-tall snow sculptures in Olde Towne Elkhorn. Come join this completely FREE event for the public with our exhibits, amateur competition, people’s choice award, and limited time ice bar.
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HOLIDAY CULTURAL TREES EXHIBIT
Through Jan. 6 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. This holiday fixture showcases how cultures around the world celebrate the Christmas season. Admission: $11 adults, $8 seniors (62+), $7 children ages 3-12, free for children under 3 and members. 402-444-5071. —durhammuseum.org
BART VARGAS: AMALGAMATIONS
Through Jan. 25 at Fred Simon Gallery, 1004 Farnam St. Inspired by pop culture, Vargas’ works stand out as playful and entertaining ceramic figures. Admission: free. 402-595-2122. —artscouncil.nebraska.gov
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LOCAL AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY
Through Jan. 26 at Great Plains Black History Museum, 2221 N. 24th St. This exhibit features local individuals who have served in the military, including the Tuskegee Airmen who called Nebraska home. Admission: free. 402-932-7077. —gpblackhistorymuseum.org
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TESTIGO/WITNESS
Through Jan. 26 at El Museo Latino, 4701 S. 25th St. Contemporary interdisciplinary photography is on display at this exhibition, which incorporates both words and images. Admission: $5 adults, $4 college students, $3.50 seniors (55+) and students K-12, free for members and children under 5. 402-731-1137. —elmuseolatino.org
EVENTS
art & museum exhibits PATTERN AND PURPOSE: AMERICAN QUILTS FROM THE SHELBURNE MUSEUM
Through Jan. 6 at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. Quilting is an art form that bridges the gap between domestic life and public display. This exhibit showcases 35 quilts that range from complex geometric designs to delicate patterns inspired by nature. Tickets: $10 ($5 on Thursdays, 4-8 p.m.), $5 college students, free for members and ages 17 and younger. 402-342-3300. —joslyn.org
THOMAS D. MANGELSEN: A LIFE IN THE WILD
Through Jan. 6 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. Durham Museum hosts the world premiere of 40 of this acclaimed nature photographer’s works. Admission: $11 adults, $8 seniors (62+), $7 children (3-12), free for children under 3 and members. 402-444-5071. —durhammuseum.org
FIGHTING FOR THE GOOD LIFE: NEBRASKAN MEMORIES OF WORLD WAR I
HOLIDAY POINSETTIA SHOW
Through Jan. 27 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th Through Jan . 6 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 St. Using objects obtained from a community crowdBancrof t St . This annual exhibition displays sourcing campaign, this exhibition focuses on a variety thousands of plants surrounded by model trains of Omaha communities that contributed to World War and miniature Omaha-area landmarks. AdmisI. Admission: $11 adults, $8 seniors (62+), $7 children sion: $10 adults, $5 children ages 6-12, free for ages 3-12, free for children under 3 and members. children under 6 and members. 402-346-4002. 402-444-5071. —lauritzengardens.org Jan. —durhammuseum.org
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QLI
Through January at HotShops, 1301 Nicholas St. This exhibition features artwork by QLI residents who were mentored by artists Paula Wallace and Dar Vande Voort. Admission: free. 402-342-6452. —hotshopsartcenter.com
I LET THEM IN. CONDITIONAL HOSPITALITY AND THE STRANGER
Through Feb. 23 at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th St. Amidst the current “migrant crisis,” these artworks interrogate who is afforded the right to speak or the ability to be understood (considering dominant representational narratives and the political, socio-psychological, and technological systems that shape our understandings of self and the communal). Admission: free. 402-341-7130. —bemiscenter.org
MARY ZICAFOOSE: ALCHEMY OF COLOR AND CLOTH
Through April 6 at Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, 505 S. 45th St. This exhibit showcases Mary Zicafoose’s woven tapestries and collographic monoprints, largely curated from two of her recent bodies of work: Fault Lines and Mountain for the Buddha. Admission: free. 402-559-5600. —maryzicafoose.com
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
SUPER SPORTS: BUILDING STRENGTH, SPORTSMANSHIP, AND SMARTS
Through April 14 at Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S. 20th St. Children can test their skills by throwing footballs and baseballs; take aim on the mini soccer, hockey, and basketball courts; attempt a CrossFit course; or bump, set, and spike on multi-level volleyball nets. Admission: $13 children and adults, $12 seniors (60+), free for children under 2 and members. 402-342-6164. —ocm.org
SALUTE TO BLACK MEN AND WOMEN
Jan. 4-March 2 at Great Plains Black History Museum, 2221 N. 24th St. This exhibit features pencil drawings by Artist Terry Diel in this tribute to historic women and distinguished men, including Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and many more. Admission: free. 402-932-7077. —gpblackhistorymuseum.org
MARTHA HORVAY
Jan. 4-Feb. 22 at Modern Arts Midtown, 3615 Dodge St. This exhibit features new work by artist Martha Horvay, as well as pieces from the Modern Arts Midtown Collection. Admission: free. 402-502-8737. —modernartsmidtown.com
Jan. 20-March 25 at Gallery 1516, 1516 Leavenworth St. Over 65 pieces of artwork by Nebraskan artists aged 65 and over are on display at this exhibit. Admission: free. 402-305-1510. —gallery1516.org
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EFFECTS OF PTSD
THEO VON
JEREMY CANIGLIA: INTO PURER LIGHT
RUSSIAN, FRENCH, AND AMERICAN TALES: A FESTIVAL
Feb. 1-March 30 at Fred Simon Gallery, 1004 Farnam St. This exhibit features works by artist Elizabeth Boutin that explore the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. Admission: free. 402-595-2122. —artscouncil.nebraska.gov
Jan. 17-May 12 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. This exhibit features 20 life-sized dinosaur installations positioned throughout the garden, where massive creations by Guy Darrough will appear right at home nestled among jungle-like landscapes and plant fossils. Admission: $10 adults, $5 children ages 6-12, free for children under 6 and members. 402-346-4002. —lauritzengardens.org
Jan. 4 & 5 at Funnybone, 17305 Davenport St., No. 201. Von can be seen in his very own Netflix Originals comedy special, No Offense. His podcast, This Past Weekend, is one of the fastest growing comedy podcasts. Tickets: $40-$70. 402-493-8036. —omaha.funnybone.com
Jan. 11 & 19 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. A festival of mystical and romantic tales from Russian folklore, French exoticism, and American adventure. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $19-$72. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
WINDBORNE’S MUSIC OF MICHAEL JACKSON
Jan. 12 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Windborne returns to the Symphony Rocks series with a high-energy homage to the King of Pop. The band and vocalists will deliver hits from The Jackson 5 and his solo work, including songs such as “Thriller,” “Man in the Mirror,” and many more. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $19-$89. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
FACES OF ISRAEL
DINOSAUR UPROAR
MENDELSSOHN’S “ITALIAN” SYMPHONY
Jan. 6 at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. Lukas Foss describes his concerto as “an homage to something I love, a handshake across the centuries.” Jan. Principal flute Maria Harding showcases her talent DRAWING FROM LIFE in this tribute to composers of the Renaissance. 2 February (date TBA) at HotShops, 1301 p.m. Tickets: $33, $27 Joslyn Art Museum memNicholas St. Selected pieces amassed from 2018’s Drawing from Life studio sessions. Admission: free. bers. 402-345-0606. 402-342-6452. —ticketomaha.com —hotshopsartcenter.com
Jan. 4-Feb. 11 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. This collection of macrophotography takes viewers into a smaller universe of vibrant colors, exquisite details, and extraordinary patterns found in nature. Admission: $10 adults, $5 (6-12), free for children under 6 and members. 402-346-4002. —lauritzengardens.org
Jan. 11-Feb. 15 at UNO Art Gallery, 6505 University Drive S. Works by Mayer Kirshenblatt and Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett are on display at the UNO Art Gallery. Admission: free. 402-554-2796. —unomaha.edu
Jan. 4 & 5 at Funnybone, 17305 Davenport St., No. 201. Koy has appeared on over 100 episodes of Chelsea Lately and Comedy Central specials, Don’t Make Him Angry and Lights Out. His infectious, explosive energy onstage, insightful jokes, and family inspired humor cross all boundaries. 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tickets: $40-$70. 402-493-8036. —omaha.funnybone.com
Jan. 25-March 2 at the Union for Contemporary Art, 2423 N. 24th St. This exhibit features works by sculpture artist Santiago Cal. Born in Belize, Cal has had exhibitions in Barcelona, Taipei, Havana, Auckland, and New York, as well as other cities. Admission: free. 402-933-3161. —u-ca.org
ALBERT RHEA: NEBRASKA HABITAT
BEFORE THE HOLOCAUST: MEMORIES OF A JEWISH CHILDHOOD IN POLAND
JO KOY
SANTIAGO CAL
Feb. 1-March 8 at Lied Art Gallery, 2500 California Plaza. Figurative paintings and illustrations by artist Jeremy Caniglia will emphasize the human condition through imaginative realism, portraiture, and concept art. Admission: free. 402-280-2509. —creighton.edu
Jan. 11-March 29 at Criss Gallery, 6401 University Drive N. This exhibit features the intimate portraiture artwork of artist Ophir Palmon. Admission: free. 402-554-3122. —unomaha.edu
Stage Performances
NEBRASKA SIXTY FIVE PLUS
DISNEY’S ALADDIN
30 AMERICANS
Feb. 2-May 5 at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. Over 60 works by contemporary African-American artists focus on important issues of racial, gender, and sexual identity; ongoing narratives of racial inequality in the United States; poverty; racial stereotyping; and the power of protest. Admission: $10 adults, $5 college students, free for members and ages 17 or younger. 402-342-3300. —joslyn.org
BANANA SPLIT
Feb. 22-24 at Split Gallery, 2561 Leavenworth St. One of Omaha’s newest galleries invites guests to view this erotic art show. Admission: free. 402-415-7095. —split.gallery
Jan. 16-27 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. From the producer of The Lion King comes the timeless story of Aladdin, a thrilling new production filled with unforgettable beauty, magic, comedy, and breathtaking spectacle. Showtimes vary. Tickets: $35-$95. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
Jan. 18-Feb. 10 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Winner of five Tony Awards (including best play) and based on the best-selling mystery novel, this play tells the emotional story of a 15-year-old boy with autism who sets out to solve the mysterious death of a neighbor’s dog. Showtimes vary. Tickets: $24-$36. 402-553-0800. —omahaplayhouse.com
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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OMAHA MAGAZINE MAGAZINE || CALENDAR CALENDAR OMAHA
DAVID KOECHNER
Jan. 25-27 at Funnybone, 17305 Davenport St., No. 201. Actor, writer, and producer David Koechner stars as Tush on CBS’s Superior Donuts. He’s also well-known for his roles as Todd Packer on The Office and Champ Kind from Anchorman and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Tickets: $20-$50. 402-493-8036. —omaha.funnybone.com
RETURN TO NIOBRARA
Jan. 25-Feb. 10 at The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. The world premiere of this historic Omaha story follows Chief Standing Bear’s great-great-grandson as he speaks out against those trying to erase his identity. This play invites the audience to see the past emerging in the present, and ultimately what it means to truly stand for who they are. Showtimes vary. Tickets: $20. 402-345-4849. —rosetheater.org
RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S SOUTH PACIFIC
Jan. 26-27 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Stars from Music Theatre Wichita’s acclaimed production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific take the stage with the Omaha Symphony, delivering the magnificent music and moving story of this beloved classic in a dynamic concert performance. 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26, 2 p.m. Jan. 27. Tickets: $19-$89. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
ROMEO & JULIET AND CARMEN
Jan. 30 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. The Russian National Ballet performs two of the world’s greatest ballets, Romeo & Juliet and Carmen, on the Orpheum Theater stage. The company enchants all ages with masterpieces set to symphonic favorites and featuring more than 50 dancers in resplendent costumes. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20-$45. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
I AND YOU
ALADDIN, CINDERELLA, AND
Jan. 31-Feb. 24 at Bluebarn Theatre, 1106 S. MORE MAGICAL TALES 10th St. When Anthony arrives unexpectedly at Feb.10 at Holland Performing Arts Center, Caroline’s door bearing a beat-up copy of Walt 1200 Douglas St. The Omaha Symphony celFeb. Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, these two classmates ebrates magical music that tells timeless tales, begin an adventure to unlock a much deeper including songs from Aladdin and Beauty and mystery that has brought them together. I and the Beast, and selections from Prokofiev’s CinYou is an ode to youth, life, love, and the strange derella. 2 p.m. Tickets: $15. 402-345-0606. beauty of human connectedness. Showtimes vary. —ticketomaha.com Tickets: $35, Seniors (65+) $30, educators and military $28. 402-345-1576. —bluebarn.org
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SHEN YUN
Feb. 2-3 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. Through the universal language of dance and music, classical dance company Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of celestial paradises, ancient legends, modern heroic tales, and a journey through 5,000 years of authentic Chinese culture. Showtimes vary. Tickets: $85-$155. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
GUSTER
Feb. 8 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. This renowned alternative rock band, known for their driving rhythms, gorgeous melodies, and fun concerts, will perform fan favorites accompanied by the Omaha Symphony. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $29-$99. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
THUMBELINA
Feb. 9-Mar. 3 at The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. Thumbelina is a flower-sized girl determined to discover the true meaning of friendship. Her magical, thumb-sized adventure will find any child swimming with fish and flying with sparrows with the use of inventive puppetry and innovative design. Showtimes vary. Tickets: $12, $10 for members. 402-345-4849. —rosetheater.org
DAMIEN SNEED’S CELEBRATION OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Feb. 14 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Inspired by the words and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this production ties together a living lineage of music and culture that includes traditional gospel, modern gospel, classical, jazz, Broadway, and spirituals. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20-$40. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
THE ELIXIR OF LOVE (L’ELISIR D’AMORE)
Feb. 15 & 17 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. Hapless and hopelessly in love, Nemorino idolizes the beautiful and popular Adina. To win her heart, he spends everything he has to buy a “love potion” from the dubious Dulcamara. Director Rosetta Cucchi’s Opera Omaha production updates this light-hearted romantic comedy to an American high school circa 1980. Showtimes vary. Tickets: $19-$99. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
OF MICE AND MEN
Feb 15-Mar. 17 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Based on the critically-acclaimed novel by John Steinbeck, this play follows George and Lennie as they dream of making enough money to buy their own land. When a crime is accidentally committed, the two men are faced with a moral predicament in one of the most powerful and devastating stories of the 20th century. Showtimes vary. Tickets: $40. 402-533-0800. —omahaplayhouse.com
WOMEN ROCK
Feb. 16 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. The Omaha Symphony celebrates some of the greatest women in rock ’n’ roll. Hits from Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Tina Turner, and Pat Benatar will be performed. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $19-$89. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
OMAHA MAGAZINE | CALENDAR
BACH’S “BRANDENBURG 4”
ON YOUR FEET!
Feb. 24 at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. Concertmaster Susanna Perry Gilmore and her colleagues perform the brilliant solo lines in Bach’s tuneful and exhilarating concerto. Thomas Wilkins explores American composer Harold Shapero’s rarely performed symphony, a neo-classical masterpiece championed by Shapero’s friend, Leonard Bernstein. 2 p.m. Tickets: $33, $27 for members. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
Feb. 26-28 & Mar. 1-3 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. The captivating story of Latina star Gloria Estefan’s rise to fame will be loaded with Estefan’s pop classics. Showtimes vary. Tickets: $35-$92. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
Jan. 24 at Mid-America Center, 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs. This large Christian-music tour comes to Omaha with uplifting music. Artists on the tour include Newsboys United, Danny Gokey, Mandisa, Rend Collective, Ledger, Newsong, and Hollyn. Speaker Greg Stier is also on the tour. 7 p.m. Admission: $15 at the door. 712.323.0536 —caesars.com/mid-america-center
Feb. 19 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Biologist-turned-photographer Ronan Donovan talks about his work in documenting animals and what can be learned from them. Donovan will share his love of the natural world at this National Geographic Live event. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $11-$27. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
SIDEWALK CHALK CONCERTS
Feb. 20-23, 27-28 & Mar. 1-2 at Weber Fine Arts Building, 6505 University Drive S. Demi wanders into a Colonel’s Chicken restaurant looking for easy comfort after being dumped by her boyfriend. But when invited to step beyond the “Employees Only” door, she finds another thing entirely. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $16-$20, free for UNO students. 402-554-7529. —etix.com
Jan.
08
ETIENNE CHARLES: CREOLE SOUL
Feb. 22 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Trumpeter and bandleader Etienne Charles explores his musical roots in Creole Soul. He buoyantly taps into a myriad of styles from his Afro-Caribbean background, including calypso and Haitian voodoo music. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $35. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
Jan. 22 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. High-energy percussion, mandolin, guitar, bass, banjo and fiddle weave seamlessly together to create an experience that has sold out shows across the U.K. and the U.S. 8 p.m. $13 advanced, $15 day of show. 402-884-5707. —reverblounge.com
WINTER JAM
SOCIAL BY NATURE WITH PHOTOGRAPHER RONAN DONOVAN
THE CONNECTIONS SERIES: COLONEL’S CHICKEN
THE WAY DOWN WANDERERS
REMEMBER SPORTS
Jan. 8 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. Remember Sports will be playing their third album, Slow Buzz, which focuses intently on all of the nuances and production that they have fine-tuned over five years of playing together. 8 p.m. Tickets: $10. 402-884-5707. —reverblounge.com
Jan. 25 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Chicago-based band Sidewalk Chalk transcends genre with a wholly original sound that combines jazz, funk, hip-hop, and R&B. The group is comprised of an emcee, vocalist, drummer, bassist, keys player, trombonist, and trumpeter. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $30. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
KATE CAMPBELL
Jan. 13 at Presbyterian Church of the Cross, 1517 S. 114th St. Hailed as a brilliant pianist, Kate Campbell performs as a soloist and chamber musician specializing in 20th and 21st century music. 3 p.m. Admission: free. 402-333-7466. —vesperconcerts.org
ERIC CHURCH
Jan. 18 & 19 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. Eric Church is bringing his “Double Down” tour to Omaha. Designed to treat fans with dynamic marathon sets, Church will perform six albums worth of material across two very different nights of music. 8 p.m. Tickets: $36+. 402-341-1500. —chihealthcenteromaha.com
NONAME
THE DOLL MAKER’S GIFT
Feb. 22-24, Mar. 1-3, & 8-10 at The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. This performance showcases the journey of Nora, an imaginative Russian-Jewish girl who is left behind as her family flees to safety in America. While her family gathers funds to reunite them, Nora stays with a kind doll maker who shows her that all obstacles can be overcome with the help of good friends and community. Showtimes vary. Tickets: $20. 402-345-4849. —rosetheater.org
Jan. 24 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Born in Chicago, Noname (Fatima Warner) blurs the lines of poetry and rap through the music she creates. 8 p.m. Tickets: $25 402-884-5353. —waitingroomlounge.com
DAVE STRYKER
Jan. 26 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Omaha-native and celebrated jazz guitarist Dave Stryker brings his signature style to the Holland Center’s 1200 Club. Dubbed “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years,” he is among the top jazz guitarists today. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $30. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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OMAHA MAGAZINE MAGAZINE || CALENDAR CALENDAR OMAHA
PANIC! AT THE DISCO
Feb. 1 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. This Las Vegas emo-punk troupe will perform pop-influenced songs with theatrical touches, quirky techno beats, and perceptive lyrics. 7 p.m. Tickets: $33.75-$73.75. 402-341-1500. —chihealthcenteromaha.com
OKILLY DOKILLY AND PLAYBOY MANBABY
Feb. 25 at Lookout Lounge, 320 S. 72nd St. The Ned Flanders-themed metalcore band Okilly Dokilly teams up with punk band Playboy Manbaby for an explosive performance. 8 p.m. Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 day of show. 402-391-2554. —lookoutomaha.com
THE FUNK HUNTERS: TYPECAST TOUR 2019
Jan. 4 and Feb. 1 in Benson (Maple St. and 59th to 63rd streets). Art galleries, bars, music venues, and cultural institutions of Benson collaborate on the first Friday of every month with a showcase of local arts and culture. Cost: free. —bensonfirstfriday.com
WINTERTAINMENT!
KANPAI! CON
Feb. 8-10 at Ramada Plaza, 3321 S. 72nd St. Kanpai! Con is an annual cultural appreciation convention that focuses on anime, manga, and Japanese video gaming. Come dressed as a favorite character and enjoy the family-friendly convention setting. Times vary. Admission: $30 weekend pass or $20 one-day pass. 402-393-3950. —kanpaicon.com
REVERSO
Feb. 10 at Presbyterian Church of the Cross, 1517 S. 114th St. This new chamber jazz ensemble will present their original works in concert. Their album Suite Ravel looks to bridge the divide between jazz and chamber music with the help of the unique quartet. 3 p.m. Admission: free. 402-333-7466. —vesperconcerts.org
KURT VILE AND THE VIOLATORS
Feb. 26 at Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Kurt Vile and his backing band, The Violators, will be performing songs from countless albums, including numbers from his brand new album, Bottle It In. 8 p.m. Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 day of show. 402-345-7569. —theslowdown.com
Family & More MIRACLE ON FARNAM
Through Jan. 1 in Midtown Crossing, 30th and Farnam streets. During this holiday season, visitors can stroll Farnam Street and browse window displays created by local artists and organizations, presented by The Afternoon. Times vary. Cost: free. 402-557-6006. Jan. —midtowncrossing.com
01
Feb. 12 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. Elton John will take his fans on a musical and visual journey spanning his 50-year career of hits. 8 p.m. Tickets: $49.50-$224.50. 402-341-1500. —chihealthcenteromaha.com
POSTMODERN JUKEBOX
Feb. 13 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. This concert will include music that ranges from the 1980s hard rock of Guns N’ Roses to hits like Justin Bieber’s “Sorry.” Songs are performed by a rotating cast of musicians and singers. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $39.50-$59.50. 402-345-0606. —ticketomaha.com
THE CAPITOL DISTRICT ICE RINK
Through Jan. 21 at the Capitol District, 10th and Capitol Ave. This Holiday Lights Festival tradition is alive and well in a new location. The rink is available well after the lights turn off for the season, so folks can skate during those dull days of January. Times vary. Admission: $10, which benefits Food Bank for the Heartland and includes skate rental (if needed). 402-345-5401. —holidaylightsfestival.org
TOAST THE YEAR 5K
Jan. 1 at Anytime Fitness, 20231 Manderson St. No. 105. Anytime Fitness will kick off the new year with a 5K, mimosas, snacks, and a commitment to a healthy 2019 at this indoor treadmill event. Participants will sign up for 30- or 60-minute time slots. Open to members and non-members. 8 a.m. Cost: $35. 402-939-7444. —anytimefitness.com
COMMITMENT DAY 5K
Jan. 1 at Life Time Fitness, 17007 Elm St. This family-friendly event is a fun, healthy way to celebrate the new year. Ticket includes a T-shirt, race bib, medal, and brunch social after the run. 10 a.m. Cost: $25-$40, free for kids 12 and under. 402-334-3000. —commitmentday.com
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
Jan. 4 and Feb. 1 at the Old Market. Old Market art galleries will be open, and this event will feature live music, free Ollie the Trolley rides between venues, and lots of art (recurring the first Friday of each month). Cost: free —firstfridayoldmarket.com
BENSON FIRST FRIDAY
Feb. 8 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Borrowing inspiration from classic funk and hiphop, The Funk Hunters are putting soul back into electronic dance music. The DJ duo’s show is a technical display of creative collaboration between four turntables. 9 p.m. Tickets: $15. 402-884-5353. —waitingroomlounge.com
ELTON JOHN: FAREWELL YELLOW BRICK ROAD
FIRST FRIDAY OLD MARKET
Jan. 2-4 at Hummel Park Nature Center, 3033 Hummel Road. Winter fun comes to Hummel Day Camp for first through seventh graders. Participants can cook lunch over the fire, learn archery and wilderness skills, compete in the Snowbowl, and other fun winter games. Must pre-register online. 8:30 a.m. Cost: $25/session. 402-444-4760. —parks.cityofomaha.org
BEE-SMART
Jan. 4 and Feb. 11 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Tony Sandoval of Bee Smart Education will teach classes all about bees. Each class covers basic identification, specific habitat information, and fun trivia about particular bees. Pre-registration required. 6 p.m. Cost: $20 members, $30 non-members. 402-346-4002. —lauritzengardens.org
SENIORS UNDERSTANDING NATURE
Jan. 8 and Feb. 12 at Fontenelle Forest, 1111 Bellevue Blvd. N. The SUN (Seniors Understanding Nature) program occurs on the second Tuesday of every month, and includes refreshments, an indoor program, and an optional nature walk. 9:45 a.m. Cost: $10 per senior (62+), free for members. 402-731-3140. —fontenelleforest.org
LIL’ SPROUTS—GARDEN EXPLORATION
Jan. 9-10 and Feb. 6-7 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Adults and children work together to learn about nature through story time, crafts, garden exploration, and more. January and February classes will focus on the Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory. Registration required. Hours vary. Cost: $14. 402-346-4002. —lauritzengardens.org
THE OMAHA SYMPHONY VISITS STORYTIME
Jan. 9 at Willa Cather Branch, 1905 S. 44th St. Children can celebrate music and act out the story of Cinderella through ballet and movement with an Omaha Symphony artist. This storytime will explore the literacy skills of singing, playing, talking, and reading. Seating is limited to 30 children. 10:30 a.m. Cost: free. 402-444-4851. —omahalibrary.org
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OMAHA’S PREMIER BUSINESS to BUSINESS Magazine
St. Frances Cabrini The spiritual home of the Little Italy and Old Market neighborhoods since 1857.
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10th and Williams Street JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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Winner of 5 Tony Awards Including Best Play.
OMAHA MAGAZINE | CALENDAR
Based on the Classic Novel by John Steinbeck.
OMAHA MAGAZINE | CALENDAR
MISS NEBRASKA LATINA 2019 GRAND FINALE
Jan. 11 at The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. As the largest state beauty contest for Latinas, this event provides a platform for aspiring models to propel their careers. 7 p.m. Tickets: $15-$25. 402-212-5763. —missnebraskalatina.com
Jan. 18 – Feb. 10
Feb. 15 – March 17
On sale now!
On sale now!
6915 Cass St. | (402) 553-0800 OmahaPlayhouse.com
RIVER CITY HUNTING, FISHING, BOAT & RV EXPO
Jan. 18-20 at Mid-America Center, One Arena Way, Council Bluffs. View more than 100 exhibitors; attend seminars on topics such as ultimate fishing in Canada, mushroom hunting, fly fishing, and dog training; and try out the indoor BB gun and archery ranges, interactive games, and turkey call-in teepee. Times vary. Tickets: $9 adults, $3 kids ages 4-15, and free for ages 3 and under. 712-326-2295. —rivercityexpo.com Jan.
WWE LIVE
20
Jan. 20 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. Wrestler A.J. Styles will face W WE champion Daniel Bryan in a championship match. The event will also feature Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, New Day, and other wrestlers. 5 p.m. Tickets: $20-$110. 402-593-2729. —chihealthcenteromaha.com
2019 MIDLANDS INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW
Jan. 24-27 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. This show features the newest cars, trucks, and SUVs, including the automotive industry’s latest and greatest from around the world. 11 a.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m. Sunday. Tickets: $9 ages 13+; $7 ages 7-12, seniors (65+), and military members with current ID; free for children under 7. 402-444-1263. —omahaautoshow.com
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
OMAHA MAGAZINE | CALENDAR
OMAHA GLOBAL GAME JAM 2019
ADULT TRIVIA NIGHT AT
Jan. 25-27 at Mammel Hall, 6708 Pine St. In KNOLLS GOLF COURSE this world-wide event, participants build a video Jan. 31 at Knolls Golf Course, 11630 Sahler St. or board game in 48 hours alongside development Teams of four can test their knowledge in categories teams in other nations. All skill levels welcome, with such as pop culture, movies and TV, and current brainstorming and team building activities on Friday events. This event will feature snacks, giveaways, and night. 18+ only. 5:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-9:45 prizes. Must be 21+. Registration required. 7-9 p.m. p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. Cost: free. Admission: $40 per team. 402-444-5440. 402-979-6894. —parks.cityofomaha.org Feb. —globalgamejam.org
MAC AND CHEESE BINGE
Jan. 26 at participating Midtown Crossing restaurants. Guests can celebrate one of food’s greatest marriages: mac and cheese. Participating restaurants will offer mac and cheese samplers, and beer/cocktail pairings are also available. Cost: $3 for pasta samples, drinks extra. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 402-351-5954. —midtowncrossing.com
02
108th & Center rockbrookvillage.com
SUPER BOWL PARTY
Feb. 2 at Montclair Community Center and Pool, 2304 S. 135th Ave. Participants can try out the obstacle course, jump in the bounce house, and make a healthy snack before the Super Bowl game on Sunday. Admission: free. Noon. 402-444-4956. —parks.cityofomaha.org
HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
Feb. 2 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. Guests will witness ball-handling wizardry and basketball artistry, and one-of-a-kind family entertainment for fans of all ages. Globetrotter stars will stay after the game for an autograph, photograph, and high-five session for fans. 2 p.m. Tickets: $21-$111. 402-341-1500. —chihealthcenteromaha.com
Why Helix is Better Most machines work front-to-back. Why Helix Is Better Why Helix Istradition Better The Helix turns on its side—
literally. With lateral side-to-side) Most machines work(or front-toMost machines front-tomovement, youwork use more muscles, back. The Helix turns tradition on which back. The Helix turns more tradition means you burn fat on than during its side— literally. With lateral its side— literally. With lateral the same a traditional workout—in ( or side-to-side) movement, you ( or side-to-side) movement, you amount of time. use more muscles, which means use more muscles, which means you burn more fat than during a you burn more fat than during THANK YOU a traditional workout– in the same traditional workout– in the same OMAHA! amount of time. amount of time.
NEBRASKA SANCTIONED SNOW COMPETITION
CATHEDRAL FLOWER FESTIVAL
Jan. 26-27 at St. Cecelia’s Cathedral, 701 N. 40th St. Forty of Omaha’s finest floral designers join the Cathedral Flower Guild in this celebration of the coming spring season. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Admission: free. 402-551-2313. —cathedralartsproject.org
DINOSAUR YOGA FOR FAMILIES
Jan. 26 & Feb. 16 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Yoga is going prehistoric in these dinosaur-themed classes taught by Megan Roth among dinosaur sculptures. Classes encourage playful movement for all ages and abilities. Pre-registration required. One registration per family (up to four people, including at least one adult). 8-9 a.m. Admission: $15. 402-346-4002. —lauritzengardens.org
Feb. 7-10 in Olde Town Elkhorn. This first-time event is the only sanctioned snow competiton in Nebraska. Multiple amateur and professional teams from across the country will carve and display 8-foottall snow sculptures. The event also includes a people’s choice award and an ice bar. 9 a.m. Admission: free. 402-216-7812. —mainstreetstudios2610.com
OMAHA HOME & GARDEN EXPO
Feb. 7-10 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. This four-day multi-event extravaganza will feature the latest innovations, products, and experts in the home and garden industry. Hours vary. Tickets: $9 adults, $4.50 children 5-12, free for children under 5. 402-346-8003. —showofficeonline.com
402.991.2300
Full Service
13TH ANNUAL OMAHA ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS AWARDS
Jan. 27 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Omaha celebrates some of the most talented artists and entertainers in the Omaha area at this annual event. With all-star talent and red carpet prestige, the OEA A offers a memorable evening that thanks the artists who keep Omaha culture alive. 6-9 p.m. Tickets: $30. —oea-awards.org
in Rockbrook Village in Rockbrook Village 10923 prairie brooke rd, omaha, ne 68144 10923 prairie brooke rd, omaha, ne 68144 402.991.2300
Ha i r, Na i l s a nd S ki n Call today to schedule your appointment
11025 Elm St. / 402.397.7383 / reveomaha.com
I <3 HUMMEL
Feb. 9 at Hummel Park Nature Center, 3033 Hummel Road. Hummel Park will celebrate Valentine’s Day with crafts, a winter hike, and archery. 9:30 a.m-noon. Admission: free. 402-444-4760. —parks.cityofomaha.org
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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OMAHA MAGAZINE MAGAZINE || CALENDAR CALENDAR OMAHA
TEEN POETRY WORKSHOP
Feb. 9 at Bess Johnson Elkhorn Branch, 2100 Reading Plz. Teens can join Nebraska Writers Collective’s Louder Than a Bomb coaches and visiting artists to learn slam poetry from the experts. These workshops will build to a friendly competition in December with original pieces performed for a live audience. Recommended for grades 8-12. 1:30 p.m. Admission: free. 402-289-4367. —omahalibrary.org
OMAHA BEER WEEK 2019
VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER
Feb. 15-24 at various locations. This annual event Feb. 14 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. celebrates local businesses and Omaha’s long hisGuests can enjoy a romantic dinner at Lauritzen tory of craft beer culture. Featuring more than Gardens. Tickets include a choice of five main Feb. 100 events at dozens of bars, breweries, and courses, a complimentary glass of wine, and restaurants, there is something for everyone. all service charges. Reservations required. 6 Hours and costs vary. 402-670-0390. p.m. Admission: $55 per person. 402-346-4002. —omahabeerweek.com —lauritzengardens.org
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TEDXUNO 2019: RESILIENCE
Feb. 16 at UNO Strauss Performing Arts Center, 6305 University Drive N. Video and live speakers will combine to spark discussion and connection around the theme of “resilience.” 2-6 p.m. Tickets: $15 UNO/UNMC faculty, staff, and students; $30 general admission. 402-554-4859. —tedxuno.unomaha.edu
HIBERNATE & CREATE RETREAT SACRED STYLES AND MATERIALS: THE CATHEDRALS OF FRENCH COLONIAL TUNISIA
LOVE AT THE ZOO
Feb. 13 and 14 at Henry Doorly Zoo. This lighthearted presentation about dating and mating in the animal kingdom includes a champagne welcome, dinner, two free drink tickets, dessert, and special animal encounters in the aquarium building. 6:30 p.m. Admission: $75 per person. 402-773-8401. —omahazoo.com
Feb.
10
Feb. 10 at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. The Omaha-Lincoln Society of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), in partnership with Art History at Creighton University, is pleased to present the annual McCormick Lecture in Art History. 2 p.m. Admission: free. 402-342-3300. —joslyn.org
KIDS RULE FEBRUARY 17
Feb. 16-17 at Hot Shops Art Center, 1301 Nicholas St. Guests can participate in this two-day event of fun and creativity, featuring optional classes, meals, and a dedicated space to create in any medium of their choosing. Registration required. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $240+. 402-342-6452. —hibernateandcreate.com
KIDS RULE! FASHION SHOW
Feb. 17 at Omaha Design Center, 1502 Cuming St. Kids Rule is a fun, creative, confidence-building fashion show for kids ages 5-12. Registration covers a child’s spot in the show, instruction in runway modeling from Develop Model Management, and a $50 voucher toward the child’s garment. 2 p.m. Registration: $80, Tickets: $40-$80. 402-819-8792. —kidsruleomaha.com
13TH ANNUAL EXTREME
Feb. 23 at Ralston Arena, 7300 Q St. Extreme is a beer event featuring over 300 brews, including rare, new release, and seasonal flavors. 21+. 2-7 p.m. Tickets: $38 advanced, $43 day of event for general admission; $60 advanced or $65 day of event for VIP. 402-345-1708. —beercornerusa.com
OMAHA FASHION WEEK
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! OMAHAFASHIONWEEK.COM
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
OMAHA WEDDING SALON FEBRUARY 25
OMAHA WEDDING SALON
OMAHA FASHION WEEK FEBRUARY 25-MARCH 2
OMAHA FASHION WEEK
Feb. 25 at Omaha Design Center, 1502 Cuming St. Brides can plan the big day the fashionable way. Glasses of bubbly will be on hand during this glamorous bridal-themed showcase. Every category on the wedding-planning to-do list will be covered, from the high-end runway show, to the vendor market showcasing hors d’oeuvres, tablescapes, and floral arrangements. 6 p.m. Tickets: $30-$45. 402-819-8792. —omahaweddingsalon.com
Feb. 25-March 2 at Omaha Design Center, 1502 Cuming St. The nation’s fifth largest fashion event supports more independent fashion designers than any other organization in the region. The spring 2019 season features Omaha Wedding Salon, Student Night, UNL Student Showcase, Methodist Survivor Show, Adorn Emerging Designer Showcase, and Gilded Featured Designer Showcase. 6 p.m. nightly. Tickets: $40-$85. 402-819-8792. —omahafashionweek.com
OMAHA MAGAZINE | CALENDAR
TRIUMPH OF AGRICULTURE EXPO: FARM & RANCH MACHINERY SHOW
Feb. 27-28 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. This event will feature farm products and equipment, local businesses, antique farm tractors, and special craft exhibits. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday. Admission: free. 402-346-8003. —showofficeonline.com
A WARRIOR OF THE PEOPLE: THE STORY OF DR. SUSAN LA FLESCHE
Four Old Market
Unique holiday décor, ornaments, collectibles and gifts for every season.
Chocolates and fudge made in our own kitchen, plus many other sweet temptations.
oTannenbaum.com • 402-345-9627
OldMarketCandy.com • 402-344-8846
Travel essentials plus downtown’s largest selection of souvenirs and Nebraska-made gifts.
Authentic Italian desserts, coffee, and FlavorBurst TM soft serve ice cream.
OldMarketSundries.com • 402-345-7646
DolciOldMarket.com • 402-345-8198
Feb. 28 at Countryside Community Church, 8787 Pacific St. Dr. Joe Starita, a professor at the University of Nebraska, shares the story of a historical doctor who fought enormous racial and gender barriers to become the nation’s first Native American doctor. 7-9 p.m. Tickets: $10. 402-391-0350. —countrysideucc.org
All located at 10th & Howard FROM SEED TO CUP
Feb. 28 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Visitors can learn about the process of coffee-making from the head roaster of A Hill of Beans and hear about different methods of brewing while visiting the garden’s coffee tree in the Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory. Participants will receive a sample pack of coffee. 6 p.m. Admission: $15, $10 for members. 402-346-4002. —lauritzengardens.org
OMAHA MAGAZ INE’S
FamilyGuide
Event times and details may change.
Check with venue or event organizer to confirm.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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ADVENTURE // STORY & PHOTOGRAPY BY JARED KENNEDY // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
#VanLife
Embarking on a #Vagabond #Instagram #Lifestyle
I N M Y DA I LY, M I N D L E S S SCROLLING OF SOCIAL M E D I A , “# VA N LI FE ” P O S T S BEGAN CREEPING INTO MY INSTAGR AM FEED. The wanderlust-inspiring images of people not giving a crap about anything carried a strong allure; however, I couldn’t help but be turned off by the stereotypically beautiful bohemians dominating the movement. This throwback hippie lifestyle seemed to reek of privilege for people who don’t have to work for a living. I had no idea that—within a year of discovering the hashtag—I would become part of this movement, a lifestyle far more sincere than I had realized at first glance.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
W H AT I S VA N L I F E ? While popularized via social media, vandwelling, van-camping, or van-lifing isn’t a new thing. The most obvious precursor to van life now can be found in the 1970s. Think f loor-to-ceiling carpeted Ford Econoline vans, Volkswagen buses, etc. On the whole, these build-outs were simpler than their modern counterparts. Van life today includes vans of all shapes and sizes, ranging from super-technical to very basic. A lion’s share of these van dwellings are colloquially referred to as “Sprinters.” This type of van is taller, often providing more living space than normal, low-roof vans. Sprinters dominate the fleets of commercial businesses, and they are produced by brands such as MercedesBenz, Ford, Dodge, and Nissan.
L O O K S C R A Z Y. S U R E , I ’ L L T R Y I T. Erin and I hadn’t been together for very long— maybe two weeks—when she mentioned in conversation she wanted to live in a van with her dog and travel the United States. I feigned interest and support in my initial reaction, but having a person bring this up in “real life” somehow made the idea far more tangible than before. I started looking at the popular hashtags on Instagram; I stalked the accounts of notable van-lifers; I even looked at vans and how people built them out. Soon enough, I caught the bug. I began running the numbers in my head: “How long would I have to save to take a year off and do this? What would my monthly budget look like?” I found that saving ahead of time for a whole year of expenses was probably off the table if I wanted to go on this adventure sometime this decade. Maybe if I would’ve gone to school for economics and not communications I would have the cash flow necessary, but no, I knew I would need to find remote work and take a job on the road.
W E B U I LT I T. The van was a bare cargo van, so we were truly starting at square one. The first three steps were: install a plywood subfloor, install a roof vent fan, and insulate the interior of the van. We logged over 50 hours on those three projects alone—mainly on insulation. We had to make sure the van was insulated to retain heat in the winter, and ventilated to repel heat in the summer. Once the insulation was complete, we installed wood paneling on the walls and ceiling and began building the living space. It took at least another 40 grueling hours to install a bed, cabinets, solar panels, and other essentials. Finally, the van was coming together. We were feeling pretty good.
MISCONCEPTIONS. What I learned when I actually looked into van life is that the glamorization of the movement isn’t really the fault of the people in it. Social media just has that effect. The reality of van life is that the aforementioned privileged, bohemian beauties are living in a dirty, tiny, cramped, often-uncomfortable living space. (I am writing this paragraph at night, sitting in a lawn chair at the front of our van with a massive head cold. My feet are buried in the dog’s bed for warmth, and I am thinking about throwing on some gloves because my fingers are getting numb.) Even if your van has all the amenities, there is still a unique set of challenges associated with occupying such a small, off-the-grid space—especially if you are doing so with another person.
I was sold on the idea, and once I am sold on an idea there is little that can get me off it. Erin and I were in a fairly new relationship, so I had to figure out how to say: “Let’s go halfsies on a $35,000 project and make this massive commitment to each other even though we just met” without the part where I sound like a naive nutcase. I think it ended up coming out something like “Wow, I just ran the numbers on what it would cost to save up for van life, and it’s way more doable than I thought…” What happened next was pretty simple. We agreed to go for it.
W E W E N T F O R I T. After about a month and a half of deal-surfing online and test-driving a couple of vans, we found ours. It was at the top end of our price range, had low mileage, and was a “high roof, extended-length” model, which are hard to find and sought after by van-lifers. On April 27 (neither of us will forget that date), we drove up to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and picked it up. That’s when the hard work began.
Megan and Matt McMonagle—widely known in #vanlife circles as @dirtydarlings— are a married couple who have lived in their Mercedes Sprinter van for 14 months and say their nomadic stint may be coming to a close. Megan is an accountant and took her full-time job on the road. Matt quit his job and does photography and other freelance work now. Megan eventually decided to quit her job also, but she wants to continue doing remote work of some kind. “I worked at this job for a year on the road, doing everything from 10 to 40 hours a week trying to find the right balance between work and our traveling lifestyle,” Megan says. “For now I’m living the, ‘I saved up money for a long time to enjoy a few months of unemployment’ life.” So work is a thing, and van-lifers must work (unless they are fabulously wealthy, which I am not). Another challenge to the social media phenomenon is personal. The lifestyle will test your relationship. It is not always rainbows and butterflies.
“Let me just tell you,” Megan says. “No matter how much you love another person, spending 24/7 with one other person in a very tiny space is hard. Another challenge has been the lack of independence in our relationship. Our days and schedules are so closely tied together that we sometimes forget we need to take time for ourselves and spend time apart.” Erin has a dog, Yadi, that she definitely loves more than anything on the planet, and she has jokingly shared her fear that one of us would get so tired of hearing the other speak that we would drive the van straight off a cliff. She claims she wouldn’t do such a thing because she has Yadi to live for—which means I better come up with something, too, or I will never get to drive.
S E E M S L I K E I T I S N ’ T W H AT IT’S CR ACK E D UP TO BE , S O W H AT G I V E S ? Things that go viral on the internet seem to exist on one side of a digital dichotomy, like representations of “real life” that only exist in social media: Are there really kids who eat Tide Pods? Do people really do yoga with goats? Do Instagrammers really live in vans? (The answer to all those questions is “yes,” but representative individuals add up to statistical outliers from the general population.) Being an outlier is OK with me, and we are evidence that #vanlife isn’t just for hipsters (I’ll admit that I tend to wear my long hair in a so-called “man-bun” on occasion, but don’t call me a hipster!). Van life is real, and we have the receipts and debt to prove it. After hundreds of hours—and tens of thousands of dollars—my girlfriend and I are embarking on this lifestyle. We don’t know how long the open road will be our domicile, and we don’t have an exact timeline for our journey—but we know it’s happening. Van-dwelling, van-living, van-camping, whatever it’s called this decade, is not easy. It stands in direct opposition to some major American ideals—particularly the ones that have to do with collecting lots of things, living in a big house, being well-established financially, etc. It may not impress your grandpa’s golf buddies, but who cares? America is also rooted in the ideals of individual liberty and personal freedom. In a way, van life is as American as it gets. So, excuse me while I take a selfie…before my fingers freeze and my phone battery runs out of juice. Follow the author on Instagram at @runnerbikersprinter for updates from his #vanlife experience. Bon Voyage! The May 2019 issue of Omaha Magazine will feature a special focus on travel and adventure stories. Subscribe today at omahamagazine.com/subscribe. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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A+C MUSIC // STORY BY GREG JERRETT // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN & TYPOGRAPHY BY DEREK JOY
“If you don’t have something to say, you’re just pissing in the wind.” // 22 //
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
The BehindFace the
Na me s
LOCAL RAPPER BRENTON GOMEZ—aka
Conny Franko, Conchance, The Wooz, Daddy Woozbuckz, Conny Chrondracula, Chronny, or Econnyome depending on time, place, and project—is a wiry and reflective man of letters with deep roots in South O. Gomez needs many names to represent the many aspects of his artistic identity. A 31-yearold with world-weary eyes, he carries himself with the quiet energy of stillness before the storm, like a flyweight boxer prior to a fight. Gomez’s best punches are thrown conversationally, philosophically, and intellectually. He can lay down a freestyle critique of commodified American culture and the individual’s role in it that would make C. Wright Mills glad he didn’t go into insurance. His first real job came at age 10, shining shoes after prom for $5.25 an hour (off-the-books in a tuxedo shop). This character-building experience informed his worldview, education, and artistic messages by awakening his sense of working-class consciousness. The Millard West and Metropolitan Community College alumnus graduated with honors from UNO with a bachelor’s degree in international studies and a focus on Latin America and business. While business now seems a less-than-perfect fit given his ideology, his side excursions into
the social sciences and philosophy seem to have paid off in wise dividends. Art, after all, requires experience, knowledge, culture, and community to thrive. “If you don’t have something to say, you’re just pissing in the wind,” says Gomez about what makes art meaningful. “If you don’t have a historical context for how things developed and how things were colonized or industrialized then you really don’t have a f***ing clue about what’s going on now.” A skilled rapper whose heart lies with the DIY community, Gomez thinks of himself principally as a writer with multiple projects going at any one time: zines, chapbooks, poetry, and essays as well as rap. Music has provided an outlet for his American experience since 2000. In 2007, he played the Slowdown. “The first rap artist to play there was Redman, and then it was me. It just shows that I’ve been kicking rocks around in this city for a long time,” he says of his ascension in the Omaha music scene. “Sometimes people identify with what you’re doing—and sometimes you get stepped on—but I do art because I need to be doing it, not to get some kind of social capital from it, you know what I’m saying? The portfolio of your lifetime is your work.” Gomez is glad to play any stage, as M34N STR33T (his group with Adam Robert Haug, aka Haunted Gauntlet) or rapping solo alongside local producers Keith “DJ Kethro” Rodger or Juan Manuel Chaparro, aka “DJ Dojorok.” Getting paid is its own reward, of course, but it is not the only reward, especially for a grounded artist like Gomez and his passel of identities. For the sake of his art, he returns to the DIY
community to recharge on the culture that motivates his work. Making art and speaking for his community as best he can are personal as well as professional priorities. “I’m glad to see people be successful, but I also like to see communities respected,” says Gomez of the changing face of neighborhoods like Benson and Blackstone. “It’s always nice to get a check. Money is a variable. I need to get it because I’m in a capitalistic society, so I might as well. But at the same time, there are other things that are important, too.” For the most part, Gomez says he would rather play the DIY circuit. It is by and for the community (and the kids who consume the music), which in turn fosters the local music scene. “You do it for the culture rather than for looks and likes and analytics. A lot of times, I just want to make noise about my community and about myself and do it with integrity to art rather than, you know, with some hype,” Gomez says. “I’d rather have something that makes people just listen to it and gain something from it. Sometimes that’s movement, sometimes that’s knowledge and perspective. It’s where I’m seeing my music career going.” Gomez’s albums with M34N STR33T are available on digital platforms and sold locally at Homer’s and Almost Music. The group’s third and latest album, Don Quixote’s Lance, was released in April 2018. Visit m34nstr33t.com and soundcloud.com/ connyfranko for more information.
A+C MULTIMEDIA // STORY BY KAMRIN BAKER // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
conscientious
T H E
consciousness OF chikadibia ebirim
For expanded content, return to the table of contents page and scan with your layAR app. JANUARY/FEBRUARY
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2019
// A+C MULTIMEDIA //
CHIKADIBIA EBIRIM GREETS me with
a hug in the lobby of the Union for Contemporary Art. “Peace to you, queen,” he says, and we travel into his studio—one of the perks of being named to the Union’s 2018 Inside/Outside Fellowship Program. His space is eclectic and decorated with a variety of records, art show f liers, equipment, and “CHI” cut in large blocky cardboard letters above his desk. CHI refers to his name and his start-up fashion label. His multidisciplinary resume jumps from passion project to passion project: music recording, video production, photography, modeling, clothing design, art curating, and more.
“We have these hotspots of compacted and condensed culture. My theory about Omaha is that we’re so unknown and want to be known that we have such big dreams and shoot higher than artists in mainstream cities.” -Chikadibia Ebirim
“[Omaha] is a hidden pocket that contains a special something you pull out real sly to give to someone,” Ebirim says. “We have these hot spots of compacted and condensed culture. My theory about Omaha is that we’re so unknown and want to be known that we have such big dreams and shoot higher than artists in mainstream cities. There are precious jewels here.” Some precious jewels he names include Watie White, Jun Kaneko, Lady Scientist, and Jocelyn. The 24-year-old’s first foray into the arts came at nine months old, when he played baby Jesus in a church play. During his time at Buffett Middle School, he began exploring the potential of digital art while playing on his mom’s laptop. Art is a welcome part of his family. His grandfather, Thomas Palmerton, crafted the gorilla sculptures zoo visitors often pose with on trips to the Henry Doorly Zoo. Until his death in 2015, Palmerton was a steadfast supporter of his grandson’s artistic endeavors. The up-and-coming multimedia artist never enrolled in college, though Ebirim has sat in a variety of college classes throughout the years. In turn, he believes his work is based on his personal consciousness rather than predictable academic themes. “Everything I perceive in this world comes through my mind,” Ebirim says. “Whatever my mind observes my body going through [is what] inspires me to create. And my body, being identified as a black man, goes through different things in this society. My identity has to do with the development and history of this world, and tapping into that moves me in different ways.” A few of Ebirim’s music videos—including his “Black Lives Matter”—won top honors from the 2017 Elkhorn Valley BEA D7 Film & Media Conference at Metropolitan Community College. However, his inspirations are not all social and political. He says his artwork is an examination of the beauty surrounding him, a craft he calls “tapping into my feminine energy.”
“Anything that is a minority sticks out to me,” Ebirim says. “Flowers in a big-ass field of grass, you know? Feminine energy and the black experience are always made smaller in this world, and I’m inspired to expand that.” Ebirim says he hopes to bridge the gap between identities through music, aiming to appreciate the dualities of his experience as an African-American with recent lineage from Nigeria, born and raised in North Omaha with diverse European-American heritage from his mother’s side of the family. “Being multiracial, I’m more understanding to the racial divides and racial ignorance that each of my ethnicities seem to face,” he says, adding that he still encounters racism on a daily basis. He vividly recalls an early childhood experience with racism. It occurred when he was 6 years old and living in Auburn, Nebraska. “I was beat up with a branch by a teenager in the middle of my street on a summer day,” he says. The teen shouted racial profanities and death threats while beating the young Ebirim. His cultural experiences inform his worldview and develop a signature approach to every piece of art he makes. He says his individuality is present in many different techniques: sound textures in recording, “multiplexes” in video production, and call-and-response in performance. Most importantly, though, his swagger says it all. “People might know me for my walk,” Ebirim says, easily towering over most of his peers. “I put a bounce in my walk. It’s a mixture of my pain as a black man—my gangsta lean—but also my grooviness, my happiness, and my beauty of life.” He t hrows up t wo f ingers in a peace sign a nd pats his hea rt. “Black lives m a t t e r,” h e s a y s . “ I t ’s m o r e t h a n a h a s h t a g .” Visit chikadibiaebirim.com for more information, including details about his new EP (COMPOS MENTIS?), which debuted at a Union for Contemporary Art listening party Nov. 17.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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A+C AUTHOR // STORY BY LISA LUKECART // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
DR. Lydia kang glanced at her ringing phone. It was her literary agent (who typically emailed). The unexpected phone call delivered some shocking news. “We have a preemptive offer from Penguin,” the agent said. Kang jumped up and down, silently screaming. “Yes, I’ll take the deal,” the physician recalls answering. Her writing career launched that day, Sept. 7, 2011, from her office at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Wittson Hall. Her first young adult science fiction novel, Control, landed on bookstore shelves nearly two years after that pivotal phone call. The sequel, Catalyst, followed two years later. Then…nothing. A three-year drought between book contracts. Kang tracked her queries, near misses, and request rates. Her diagnosis after dissecting the evidence? Wow. That’s a lot of rejection. It was not the first setback in Kang’s literary career. She had sent other manuscripts to agents that were never picked up. She knew the harsh realities of the business. Like the title of her first book, authors can’t control what pitch will work. “I don’t do well with sitting and doing nothing,” says Kang, a mother of three who writes in between her parenting obligations and her jobs as an internal medicine specialist and assistant professor at UNMC. Luckily, Kang is a prolific researcher and fast writer. It wasn’t long before her author bylines continued to grow. Her next book was A Beautiful Poison (published in August 2017).
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
Kang also paired up with freelance journalist Nate Pedersen to try her hand at nonfiction with Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything. The book, released in October 2017, plunges into the darker history of medicine. Need a cure for drowning? A smoke enema will do the trick to save someone from the brink of death. Ever hear the phrase, “blowing smoke up your ass?” Now you know it came from 18th-century medicine. Human blood was used for all sorts of ailments, such as fevers or hair loss. Readers can find a yummy blood jam recipe from 1679. Have achy joints? How about a little human fat harvested from a corpse? Evident in many of Kang’s books, her medical background comes in handy when characters are injured or near death. “My writing life can take these characters to an exciting critical level because no lives are at stake,” she says. She steered away from the macabre with November Girl, a work of literary fantasy, published a month after Quackery. It won the 2018 Nebraska Book Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. Many of her ideas spring from falling down a Wiki rabbit hole searching for random information, sometimes on morbid topics like grave robbing. Medical schools needed fresh corpses to perform autopsies in the 1800s. Body snatchers, known as “resurrectionists,” received lucrative sums of money to dig up the remains of the recently departed. Kang’s next book resurrected these gruesome fascinations in print. The work of historical fiction, The Impossible Girl, was published in fall 2018. Protagonist Cora Lee sneaks into funerals during the day while stealing bodies of those with peculiar anomalies at night. The young lady has her own secret. She was born with two hearts and must keep one step ahead of those who want to murder her. The medical parts in the book, including Cora’s birth, are described as only a doctor could pen. Grisly details
such as “the pool of bloody birth water staining the sheets” and “ignoring the black, muddy stool already staining the fabric” are realistic and vivid. “You have to have a strong stomach for some things,” Kang admits. She returned to her science fiction roots in Toxic, which came out in November. The protagonist, Hana, was secretly genetically engineered on a sentient biological spaceship. When the entire crew disappears, and as the ship dies, Hana must confront a team of mercenaries and her own blossoming romance. Although busy with so many books, Kang has learned to balance her time. She still loves seeing patients at the Durham Outpatient Center. And writing is an artistic complement to the medical side of her life. “[It] brings me so much incandescent happiness when I bring books to life. There is nothing like that,” she says. Kang, 47, is currently piecing together a large map of 1899 Manhattan as research for her next book. Having attended Columbia University and the New York School of Medicine, she sets many of her stories in the city. Her uncredited writing partner in all these projects is a black and white shihpoo named Piper, who loves laying down on her research materials. Kang hopes the dog doesn’t discover the maps. This next book project was born from her research from Quackery. It is a dark tale about a drug-addicted heiress who unearths some vampire-like corpses. Tentatively titled Opium and Absinthe, the book is slated for 2020 publication. Visit lydiakang.com for more information.
Dr. Lydia Kang
A+C ART // STORY BY JENNIFER LITTON & DOUG MEIGS // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY DEREK JOY
Sketches of Omaha
Julia Mason’s Neighborhood Nostalgia
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
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2019
// A+C ART //
When traveling, Mason always carries a travel journal with her to draw and paint from observation. “I think of it like a souvenir,” she says.
A WATERCOLOR PRINT featuring Joslyn Castle is the centerpiece of a young couple’s remodeled living room in the Dundee neighborhood. The image is a reminder of their wedding day and the location where they married. The artist responsible, Julia Mason, doesn’t know the couple. But she’s happy her work can evoke this sentimental feeling. “It makes me feel proud and happy that I can create nostalgia for someone else,” she says. It’s not the first time that a sighting of Mason’s artwork has come back to her with a personal anecdote attached. Mason’s friends often snap photos of her art in the wild and send evidence back to her. Sometimes they notice a print hanging in someone’s home; other times they notify her of a print gifted to some dislocated Omahan longing for familiar scenery. “It’s exciting, and it makes me feel happy to see my work popping up someplace I wasn’t intending,” Mason says. The daughter of mixed media and metal artist Vicki Mason of Plattsmouth, she appreciates the beautiful masonry patterns found around Omaha as she walks to the farmers market downtown, and she is fascinated by details in older architecture. “Just by walking, you can observe a lot more character from a building than you would driving,” she says. Although best known for her sketches of local neighborhoods, Mason says world travel has inspired her Omaha-centric work.
While studying secondary education with an emphasis in art at the University of NebraskaOmaha, a two-week summer study abroad experience took her to the British Museum, the National Gallery in London, Scotland National Gallery, and traipsing through Britain’s many beautiful cathedrals. In Edinburgh, Scotland, she discovered the work of Glasgow artist Libby Walker. She bought a print—a detailed pen drawing of a local scene—to remind her of the city, and she has since purchased more of Walker’s work for display in her home. Mason kept a journal to document the trip, and the journal inspired her first solo art show at Paperdoll in Benson. “I started with showing at Benson First Friday, and that gave me the confidence to start making art for other people,” she says. The travel bug bit again, and she went to Costa Rica for four months to study at Veritas University. At the end of the trip, she organized an art show at a local cafe. She presented observational drawings of her neighborhood and images of fruit and flowers from her host family’s residence. She titled the show, Costa Rica Through My Eyes. “I like to remember the places I have been through my art collection,” she says. “I wanted to bring that kind of nostalgic experience to our community.”
After Costa Rica, she decided to try her hand at depicting Omaha’s beloved local scenes. Her first print consisted of a montage of Dundee scenes. She now has prints for many of Omaha’s older neighborhoods, which are available for sale at Hutch in Midtown Crossing, at local pop-up markets throughout town, and her website.
“It’s exciting, and it makes me feel happy to see my work popping up someplace I wasn’t intending,” Mason says. // 32 //
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
Travel remains a major source of inspiration for Mason. She recently returned from a leisure trip to Hawaii where she gravitated toward local illustrators that represent the community in their work. When traveling, Mason always carries a travel journal with her to draw and paint from observation. “I think of it like a souvenir,” she says. “Drawing and painting the waves of North Shore was a new experience for me, so it was a bit of a challenge with the moving waves. I always feel like a better person after painting than I do before sitting down. It recharges me.” Three years into her teaching career as a traveling art teacher at Beals and Indian Hill elementary schools, Mason decided to go full-time as an artist. “If I fail, I always have a career to fall back on. Now I get to work in my yoga pants and listen to podcasts as I paint. It’s the dream,” she says, adding that she continues to substitute teach for Omaha Public Schools. She says that life is too short to be unhappy in your career and has this advice for others seeking to start their own business: “Build your small business with your full-time job, and when you are ready, find a way to supplement your business part-time until it thrives on its own.” Since making the entrepreneurial leap of faith, demand for work has filled her calendar. “Inventory is something I am always trying to keep up with,” she says, adding that prices are intentionally reasonable. She wants her work to be accessible to all, and she receives orders from Oregon, New York, South Dakota, and across the country. “It’s reaching a bigger audience than I ever anticipated,” she says. “I am happy that so many are connecting with it. Omahans are everywhere!” Visit juliamasonart.com for more information.
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SPORTS // STORY BY LEO ADAM BIGA // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
JADE OWENS’ FINAL YEAR AS A BLUEJAY
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
// 35 //
2019
// SPORTS //
but Creighton University point guard Jade Owens has weathered more than her fair share. After two years spent recapturing the health and athleticism she once took for granted, she’s returned to play for her senior season. Owens earned a supporting role as a freshman before working her way into the starting rotation her sophomore year (2015-16). She averaged 7 points, 3.5 assists, and 1 steal per game and won admiration for her scrap and hustle. Things were panning out just as expected for the former all-state basketball player from the Chicago suburb of Fenwick. Then, the summer before her junior campaign, just as she was coming into her own as a Division I player, she suffered the first in a series of major injuries requiring surgery. She was forced to sit out the 2016-17 season. Setbacks caused her to miss 2017-18 as well. The promise of what might have been lingers. Her father, Ron Owens (who first taught her the game), says the persistent injuries have been “heartbreaking.” After three separate six-month-long rehab sessions, she put the heartbreak and physical aches behind her to play in the Bluejays’ preseason exhibition (a closed scrimmage). She returned to the court for Creighton’s regular season home opener versus South Dakota on Nov. 7. The game was her first since March 2016. “It’s been a road,” Owens says of her journey to recovery. “Everyone always tells you, ‘You’re going to lose basketball one day,’ but you never think that’s going to happen. I lost it, and I’ve had to re-identify how I was on the team, how I fit in with everyone,” she says. “You don’t know how much basketball shapes your life until you lose it. All aspects of my life—different relationships, friendships, school—were affected by it. Just learning to adapt and to come back from things has been a huge life lesson for me.”
Coach Jim Flanery witnessed Owens fighting for 24 months to reclaim the sport that once defined her. “That’s a long time,” he says. Twice she got close to returning before being sidelined again. “It’s like you get to a point where you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and then it gets darker again,” Flanery says. He describes Owens’ ability to stay hungry and strong enough to withstand “the frustration and disappointment” as a case study in perseverance. “I just hope I can stay healthy—that’s No. 1—and contribute any way I can,” Owens says. “I know it’s not going to be the same as when I played before. I have to keep that realistic vision and take one day at a time.” She’s learned to lean on her teammates over the years. “They’ve definitely been my rocks,” she says. “They’ve been there for me through it all—through the tears and the laughter. I don’t know if I could have come back without them.” Her parents have been there, too. “They’ve been behind me the entire time,” she says. Her folks supported her when she considered quitting and when she decided to try coming back even after one failed attempt. Her father isn’t surprised by Owens’ grit and determination in enduring the grueling physical therapy necessary to recover her mobility and strength. “I take my hat off to her for sticking it out this long, but I’m not surprised she did the work,” he says. “She just puts her mind to something, and she makes it happen. She’s always been like that. She does whatever it takes to get whatever her goal is.” He saw her overcome an ankle injury her senior year in high school that resulted in surgery and rehab. That was hard enough, but nothing compared to the last two years. Owens herself still can’t believe she’s on the court again dishing, dancing, and driving after not being able to do much of anything.
“It’s really amazing to me after everything I’ve been through,” she says. “It’s just crazy for me to even think about.” Then there’s the way she has defied medical opinion. “Some doctors told me, ‘We don’t know if you can [play basketball] anymore.’ I’ve been hearing that for a long time,” she says. Her road to recovery began when she noticed pain in her upper thigh during a pickup game on the eve of her junior year. It was treated as a groin problem. Surgery in Omaha didn’t relieve the issue. Then she went home to be examined by a Chicago orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Benjamin Domb, who found the real problem—a right labrum tear. He repaired it. Following six months of recovery, she was no sooner cleared to suit up again when the labrum popped out and she suffered a fracture during her first practice back. Then, this past summer, she suffered a meniscus tear in her right knee that meant another procedure— her third surgery in less than two years—and another arduous recovery regimen. Fellow CU senior Audrey Faber and junior Olivia Elger marvel at what their teammate has endured. “I can’t even imagine the long months, days, hours she’s gone through,” Faber says. “Everyone’s excited to have her back. She knows the game, and we have a lot of trust in her.” Elger says the resilience and mindset Owens has shown “should be a lesson to anyone” dealing with adversity. That fortitude has not only impressed teammates and coaches, but also Owens’ twin sister, brother, and parents. “She’s been an inspiration to the family,” her father says. She is just glad to be back on the court; however, her experiences have done more than nurture athletic recovery. They have inspired a possible career interest. She is applying to medical school (at Creighton and other universities), and she hopes to study orthopedics. She’s even aiming for an internship with her orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Domb. “I’ve spent a lot of time in doctors’ offices, and I know the lingo,” Owens says. “I think I have some insight into sports medicine and what it’s like dealing with injuries.” Visit gocreighton.com for more information.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
“Everyone always tells you, ‘You’re going to lose basketball one day,’ but you never think that’s going to happen. I lost it, and I’ve had to re-identify how I was on the team, how I fit in with everyone, you don’t know how much basketball shapes your life until you lose it.” — Jade Owens
FEATURE // STORY BY KIM REINER // ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK JOY // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
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Nebraska Medical Orchestra UNMC and UNO in Concert
O
N A COLD night in November,
musicians in a new orchestra gather in a classroom at the Strauss Performing Arts Center. They are rehearsing the recognizable march from The Nutcracker. Only, in the song’s first few measures, they wait a few additional beats in silence due to the missing members of the woodwind section. It’s a medical orchestra, one where its performers have day jobs in hospitals or in front of classrooms. Many of the musicians are the medical students in those classrooms. No one passes judgment if an entire section skips rehearsal before a particularly stressful test. That’s not what this orchestra is about.
“They just come here and do the best they can…It’s a great experience. You don’t have to be Mozart,” he says. Rizzo was in a similar medical orchestra when he was at the University of Iowa; he was one of the key drivers of starting this orchestra in Omaha. Nebraska Medical Orchestra consists of about 50 dedicated amateur musicians, describes Dr. Steven Wengel, assistant vice chancellor for campus wellness at UNO and UNMC. They are medical students, professors, doctors, nurses, and other members of medical teams, including medical billers. For a few hours a week, they step outside of their demanding roles and pick up their instrument of choice.
This collaboration between University of Nebraska Medical Center and University of Nebraska-Omaha School of Music formed to increase exposure to the arts with the belief that the arts reduce stress and may improve performance in medical careers. This collaboration between University of Nebraska Medical Center and University of Nebraska-Omaha School of Music formed to increase exposure to the arts with the belief that the arts reduce stress and may improve performance in medical careers. Part of the ongoing program has placed student performers in hospital lobbies, and small ensembles have performed in a Thursday concert series at the Buffett Cancer Center. Known as the Nebraska Medical Orchestra, the collaboration began in April 2018. Similar programs exist in medical universities around the country. “This is fun,” explains one of the cellists, Dr. Matthew Rizzo, chair of the UNMC Department of Neurological Sciences and director of the Mind & Brain Health Initiative. He acknowledges that many musicians in the group are tired by the time they get to rehearsal, and they may not have even practiced during the week. And it still works out for the orchestra.
As conductor, Matthew Brooks (a doctor of musical arts), the director of orchestras at UNO, chooses the repertoire they perform and handles the artistic questions that pop up with running an orchestra. He keeps rehearsals light-hearted while fine-tuning musicians’ abilities. “This has been a great opportunity for them to make their way back into music,” says Brooks, speaking a month prior to their first performance at the Buffett Cancer Research Center on Dec. 5. Maddie Olson, a second-year Ph.D. student in the cancer research doctoral program, was among about 130 people to apply for a chair in the orchestra. She began playing cello in an orchestra at 9 years old, and continued it for a year in college while she pursued her interest in science. She says she feels lucky to have the opportunity to play again. “I always wanted to keep cello in my life,” Olson says.
The medical orchestra is one part of a multipronged mission, describes Washington Garcia, director of the UNO School of Music (and doctor of musical arts). The first part is to bring more music into the medical community in Omaha, which is the stage the universities are in now. Eventually, university officials hope to begin the research phase of the orchestra, measuring how it impacts the musicians and what its impact on the medical community may be. Wengel says the medical humanities is a relatively new field of study, but a popular one. Already at UNO there is a minor in it. Thus far, Wengel and colleagues know one thing for certain: When members of a healthcare team are interested and involved in the arts, they are happier. The question is: Does it make them better clinicians? “Anecdotally, it’s been a very positive experience,” Wengel says. “They’re exercising a different part of their mind, heart, and soul.” A 2018 article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine attempted to measure the humanities’ impact on medical students. It didn’t seem to matter if it was passive exposure, like going to a concert, or more active involvement, such as playing an instrument. The finding was the same: The more exposure the students had to the humanities, the higher they rated on different tests in areas like empathy, problem-solving, 3D spatial reasoning, and tolerance for ambiguity. “Basically, the more exposure to humanities, the higher they scored,” Wengel says. Besides the research this orchestra could contribute to, there are artistic possibilities to consider. Brooks said the program may grow to have guest artists, they may tour, or there could be exchanges with other medical orchestras. None of those possibilities are on the minds of the performers, though. For now, they are content fine-tuning those staccato rhythms in The Nutcracker. And, more pressing, they’re thinking about acing that exam next week. Visit unmc.edu and unomaha.edu for more information about the partnering universities.
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HISTORY // STORY BY PATRICK MAINELLI // PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK MAINELLI AND THE NEBRASKA HISTORICAL SOCIETY // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
PRE SER VIN G TH
HEA LING HIST ORY E LE GAC Y OF
DR. SUS AN
LA F LES CHE PICO TTE
AS IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF THE UNBOUND PRAIRIE, SO IT REMAINS IN THE AGE OF ENDLESS CORN: THE PLEASURES OF PLACE ARE GIVEN TO THOSE WITH A KEEN EYE FOR THE SUBTLE AND OVERLOOKED. This fact of Nebraska life is especially true on the Omaha Indian Reservation, 80 miles north of the city named after the tribe. There, in the village of Walthill (population 780), sits a building that quietly embodies a uniquely Omaha story. It has persevered for over a century with little fanfare. The reservation’s old hospital, known for years simply as “the old white building,” opened its doors in 1913. The building—one-and-a-half stories built in the American Craftsman tradition—once contained an operating studio, two general wards, a maternity ward, kitchen, office, and five private rooms on the top level. Today, the weather-worn and increasingly dilapidated 105-year-old structure maintains a tangible link to the remarkable life of the country’s first Native American physician— Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte. While some paint may be peeling, and every floorboard creaks, the old hospital offers testament to La Flesche’s dedication to the wellbeing of her people. Born in a teepee in 1865, (just a few months after a treaty ratified the boundaries of the Omaha Reservation) La Flesche would go on to find success in settings far removed from her Nebraska roots. In 1889, La Flesche graduated as valedictorian from the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, a remarkable feat at any time, but especially so in an era when women were not even admitted to most of the county’s medical schools, and Native peoples were still actively being pushed into ever-diminishing corners—geographically, politically, culturally—of American life. With high-profile academic credentials and friendships with heavyweights in the East Coast intellectual scene (such as anthropologist Alice Fletcher), La Flesche could have chosen to make a life in any one of the burgeoning metropolises of the late 19th century. Instead, she came home. For years, her medical practice consisted primarily of traveling the open landscape of northeast Nebraska by horse and buggy, providing care to both Native and EuroAmerican communities across a 450-squaremile area. La Flesche established the original hospital on the reservation in her sister Marguerite’s garage in Walthill, performing operations and fighting the persistent scourge of the day, tuberculosis.
After returning to Nebraska, she had, in short order, met, married, and buried a FrenchSioux man named Henry Picotte. After her husband’s death, La Flesche diligently continued her medical work while raising two sons and funds to build a proper hospital. Joe Starita, a journalism professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is the author of A Warrior of the People: How Susan La Flesche Overcame Racial and Gender Inequality to Become America’s First Indian Doctor (published in 2016). Starita explains that the development of a hospital on the reservation was La Flesche’s long-held dream, and it was her unyielding work and fundraising that brought it to fruition. “She single-handedly raised all of the money to build her dream hospital in the middle of a remote reservation—the first in American history to have been built without a single tax dollar. That is a remarkable achievement—then or now, or at any time in U.S. history.” Meg Johnson, great-grandniece of Susan La Flesche, remembers that the legacy of her ancestor’s work has “always been a part of my family’s narrative. As a young child, I would hear my mother, aunt, and grandmother speak of Dr. Susan, and her older sisters, Susette “Bright Eyes,” and Marguerite, my great-grandmother. I knew of their lives and a bit about their contributions to the world as Native women, but didn’t understand or appreciate the context of the times in which they lived…the absolute injustices experienced by Native people, as well as the efforts to destroy culture, values, and existence.” Since the mid-1980s, a small group of Walthill residents has worked to maintain the old hospital and establish a monument to the memory of La Flesche. While the Susan La Flesche Picotte Memorial Center has curated an impressive collection of medical artifacts and informative material, the building is now in need of serious repairs. Rain has eaten through the roof in a few places, and water damage has marred the walls and floors of multiple rooms. Thankfully, the last two years have seen renewed enthusiasm for the unique history of the hospital. While the site was registered as a National Historic Landmark in 1993 and was recognized as one of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2018 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, if its storied history is to be maintained into the future, a serious investment of resources is still needed. Judi gaiashkibos (who does not capitalize her last name), the executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs, has been involved with the restoration project since fall 2017. She explains, “We hope that
Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte Dr. Susan’s hospital, when it is reopened, will be a source of hope and pride in the community. That it will lift spirits. We want people to stop and say there is something of value here.” The project gained much-needed momentum from a Nebraska Public Television documentary on La Flesche (Medicine Woman, which first aired in 2016), a $100,000 planning grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2018, and the expressed support of Nebraska’s first lady, Susanne Shore. Grant funds have gone toward conducting a full assessment of the building’s structural needs and gathering community input on future use. “We’re trying to let the spirit of Dr. Susan inspire us to keep us on the right road,” gaiashkibos says, explaining the planning process. Community outreach efforts have included numerous town hall meetings, conversations with tribal elders, and online surveys. “We’re casting as wide a net as possible to gather the input of anyone who feels invested in Dr. Susan and this community.” At the moment, tentative plans for the restoration include an expanded museum on the hospital’s main floor. The remainder of the building will be suited to meet the reservation’s needs, with a likely focus on community and individual health. Some ideas currently floated include a language lab (working to help preserve the Omaha language), a resource office for new and expecting mothers, and legal support services for victims of domestic violence. continued on pg. 66
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SEXUAL JUSTICE WARRIOR Dr. Sofia Jawed-Wessel
SEX // STORY BY LINDA PERSIGEHL // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
SEX VIDEOS ARE popular on the inter-
net. Even academic ones. Just ask Dr. Sofia Jawed-Wessel, an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s School of Health & Re: From Gil Kinesiology. Her 2016 TEDx talk has been viewed more than 2.5 million times online. In the lecture, Jawed-Wessel discusses society’s objectification of women as tools of men’s sexual pleasure (with little value placed on their own satisfaction), and how this view dramatically changes during pregnancy to one of non-sexual beings whose sole purpose is reproduction. She has become an internationally recognized expert in her field of research. In November 2018, Jawed-Wessel traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan, to present the keynote address at the country’s National Institute of Psychology annual conference. “My niche area of research focuses on understanding the sexual health of women and couples as they transition into parenthood by documenting sexual behaviors, sexual function, relationship adjustment, and sexual changes during pregnancy and after childbirth,” she explains. On top of her professorship, Jawed-Wessel is the associate director of the Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative. She also holds a joint appointment with the Women and Gender Studies program at UNO and a courtesy appointment in the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Her teachings utilize a sex-positive and pleasure-inclusive approach to providing medically accurate, comprehensive sexuality education to her undergraduate students. Jawed-Wessel, 35, didn’t initially set her sights on becoming a sex researcher. The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she was born in the U.S. and raised with three siblings in a traditional family in Indiana. “My mom stayed at home and my father worked multiple jobs,” she says. “We were a working-class family.”
“
The specific focus on sex during and after pregnancy came to me as my relationship with feminism grew, I did not like how we divorce sexuality and motherhood...
”
Seeing her parents struggle likely prompted the inquisitive youngster to make education a priority. She went on to earn three bachelor’s degrees—in biology, psychology, and English—from Indiana University. She volunteered as an assistant in a few labs and says she “fell in love” with sex science. “The specific focus on sex during and after pregnancy came to me as my relationship with feminism grew,” she adds. “I did not like how we divorce sexuality and motherhood, and the more I worked with pregnant women, I saw how their psyche was impacted by this forced de-sexualization.”
She went on to earn a Master of Public Health and a Ph.D. in health behavior, also from Indiana University, home to the Kinsey Institute (named after its founder, the famous American biologist and sex researcher Alfred Kinsey). She joined the UNO faculty in 2012. Jawed-Wessel says her long-term research goal is to understand how women’s intimate relationships are impacted by sexual and maternal objectification. She also believes in “conducting research that will help promote women’s and LGBTQ rights and reproductive justice values, and, therefore, science that will support or push back against policy and systems-level change,” she says. With this public engagement in mind, she has provided expert testimony for the Nebraska Unicameral, the Nebraska Board of Education, and the Omaha Public School Board of Education. For her work, Jawed-Wessel was a 2017 recipient of the Women’s Center for Advancement’s Tribute to Women Award (and was the luncheon’s keynote speaker in 2018). She was also named among the 2017 Ten Outstanding Young Omahans by the Omaha Jaycees. In 2018, her Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative received one of the first Equality Fund grants ($40,000) from the Omaha Community Foundation to conduct work that will increase LGBTQ equality in Omaha. “Community engagement and my research go hand in hand; one without the other means lesser impact,” she says. “I want to see my science put into action.” When not teaching, conducting research, or traveling for speaking engagements, Jawed-Wessel says she enjoys hosting dinner parties for close friends. “If I cook you an elaborate Pakistani meal, that means I really love you,” she confides. She’s also the proud mom of two young boys, 9 and 3. Find more information about the Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative on Facebook at @unomshrc and Twitter at @1mshrc.
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Stories of Organ Donors, Recipients, and Their Families
Sue Venteicher, kidney donor
// COVER // STORY BY ANTHONY FLOTT PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
Currently, more than 114,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, 400-plus in Nebraska. This year, more than 7,000 of them will die.
T
o describe life with cystic fibrosis, Dan Gerdes starts by talking about a frog. Specifically, a frog put into a pot of water that’s slowly brought to a boil.
This life-saving exchange happens quite often. In the United States, 34,770 organ transplants were performed in 2017 (244 of those in Nebraska) according to Nebraska Organ Recovery.
“It creeps up on you,” Gerdes says. “You just get slowly and slowly sicker and sicker and you never realize how far you’ve come from point A.”
Dr. Alan Langnas, a transplant surgeon at Nebraska Medicine and director of the Center of Transplantation for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, has performed more than 1,000 liver transplants in his 30-plus-year career. With each operation, he is mindful of the deep sacrifice that made it possible.
For Gerdes, point A came when he was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a baby. Back then, his mother could dislodge the mucus collecting in his lungs by cupping her hand and patting his back. As the disease advanced, Gerdes had to use a long-handled percussor, then a vest that inflated to force loose the thick substance blocking his airways. The water grew warm, then hot. Gerdes had to use inhalants. The mucus collected in his stomach, requiring medicine to aid digestion. It attacked his pancreas, and Gerdes became diabetic at age 15. Infections that rooted in his lungs forced occasional hospital stays. By 2012, Gerdes was taking antibiotics intravenously every other week and enduring hour-and-a-half long treatments three to four times a day. He was coughing up more than a liter of mucus each day. The disease ravaged his body, then his spirit. “At first, I was pretty positive. I was involved in all kinds of sports and stuff. I wasn’t going to let it beat me,” Gerdes says. “But as it got worse and worse, it got darker and darker. Like to the point where I just felt worthless because I couldn’t contribute anything.” The water was nearing a boil. Gerdes was dying. The only way he could live, though, was if somebody else died. Gerdes needed that person’s lungs to replace his own diseased ones.
“At the end of the day, what makes this incredibly special is the deceased donor and families making difficult decisions at a difficult time,” Langnas says. “Or living donors making donations and willing to lay on an operating table and give people an organ for someone they don’t know.”
But during yet another hospital stay, Nebraska Medicine doctors convinced him to begin the long process of testing to see if he was a viable recipient candidate. On Aug. 4, 2016—Gerdes’ 27th birthday—he was put on a waiting list for a set of lungs. Just five days later, he was called to the hospital—new lungs were waiting for him. The transplant was successful. Today, Gerdes breathes easy. “It’s night and day,” Gerdes says. “There’s really no comparison. I don’t have to do those treatments, and I have more energy than I ever did since I was a child.” It was the loss of someone else’s child—Bryan Clauson—that gave him life. An IndyCar driver, Clauson died from injuries sustained during a national midget car dirt track race in Kansas. He died at Bryan Medical Centre in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was 27.
Currently, more than 114,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant—400-plus in Nebraska. This year, more than 7,000 of them will die.
Gerdes first heard of Clauson a few days after his transplant. A friend had learned of Clauson’s death and organ donation. He called Gerdes to ask if he now had “race car driver lungs.”
Gerdes is among the fortunate. His story, and others, illustrate the good that can come from grief, life from death.
“I thought he was kind of trolling me,” Gerdes says. “I hadn’t heard anything about Bryan Clauson.”
LUNGS FOR DAN GERDES
Soon thereafter, Clauson’s family wrote an introductory letter to Gerdes. But Gerdes’ mother, in the hecticness of the operation and a move to Bellevue to be closer to her son, misplaced the unopened letter. She found it about a year later. Gerdes read it on Dec. 24, 2017. The next day, Christmas morning, he sent a Facebook message to Clauson’s father, Tim. Four months later, Gerdes met the Clausons at a charity walk in Bellevue.
Gerdes was dying, but he kept telling himself that “I was not that bad.” So when doctors in 2014 told him he needed a lung transplant, “It kind of broadsided me.” His reaction after that might surprise some. “For a long time I told myself that I never wanted to get a transplant because of that really dark aspect of my life that I just thought…I wasn’t producing anything with my life,” Gerdes says. “That I didn’t deserve it.”
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“It was kind of nerve-wracking to an extent, because the event still I struggle with,” Gerdes says. “How do you tell somebody thank-you that has given you your entire life back but at the same time it was somebody they loved an extreme amount? It’s really hard to tell them thank-you enough.”
“I told Bryan’s dad, ‘Every breath I take, I try to honor Bryan for what he did.’ He did not leave me behind. He could have. He could have not checked that box. But he didn’t. He’s my hero.” -Dan Alexander He thanked them in part simply by breathing. A nurse who had been with Clauson at his death also was at the reunion. She brought the stethoscope used to listen to Clauson’s heart and lungs during his final moments. Clauson’s family used it to listen to Bryan’s lungs pumping strong and steady in Gerdes. “One of the first things I explained to them is how it sounded really clear,” Gerdes says. “Before that my cystic fibrosis lungs would have sounded like a lot of cracking and popping.” It was the sound of life.
BRYAN CLAUSON’S FAMILY Life changed irrevocably for Diana Clauson and her family the day her son, Bryan, died. “You just sit there and it’s stuck in your face a lot, death in general,” she says. “Especially when you’re not prepared.” That said, the Clausons have talked frequently about how different—in a worse way—their lives would be had Bryan had not been an organ donor. “As tragic and as devastated we were as a family, when we left that hospital knowing he was going to help five lives continue, that was this little light at the end of a very, very dark tunnel. I think what turned my corner was just knowing that he was able to help these people continue their life. Otherwise, I think I’d still be in a pretty dark place.”
“It was pretty overwhelming,” Diana Clauson says. “Hearing Brian’s heart beating again… that was probably the best part of it all.”
A HEART FOR DAN ALEXANDER A retired lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Army Signal Corps and a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, Dan Alexander has a particular fondness for the military credo, “Leave No Man Behind.” Bryan Clauson, Alexander says, did just that: “I told Bryan’s dad, ‘Every breath I take, I try to honor Bryan for what he did.’ He did not leave me behind. He could have. He could have not checked that box. But he didn’t. He’s my hero.” Alexander, who was physically fit, had needed a new heart since July 2013, when he suffered a massive heart attack. “What some people call a widow maker,” he says. The medical team fought four hours to keep him alive. Three times, his heart stopped. When he awoke from a coma 10 days later, he was told it was a miracle. Another miracle was to come. Alexander lived for nearly three years with his heart regulated by a left ventricular assist
The Clausons since have devoted themselves to turning Bryan’s selfless act into thousands of other selfless acts as they encourage others to become organ and tissue donors. His sister, Taylor, now works for the Indiana Donor Network and started the organization Driven2SaveLives, which promotes donations. His parents do the same, speaking often at races and other events. They’ve been wildly successful, too. In the two years since Bryan’s death they’ve had more than 8,000 people sign up to become donors—a huge number in the industry. Really, though, the Clausons only needed one life saved to have realized healing from the tragedy of Bryan’s death. That came with their first encounter with one of the five people who received one of Bryan’s organs, Dan Alexander of Papillion.
Dan Alexander, heart recipient JANUARY/FEBRUARY
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device. He also was put on the waiting list for a new heart. On Aug. 9, 2016, Alexander got the call—it was time to get a new heart. The surgery went well and his recovery has been “incredibly good.” He was out of the hospital in nine days and has not been back for a stay since. He’s also become a racing car fan. Clauson’s family first met Alexander in April 2017 at Alexander’s house. An ESPN film crew was on hand to document the moment. Diana Clauson listened to her son’s heartbeat inside what until then was a stranger. “Incredibly beautiful. Satisfying. Lots of tears of joy,” says Alexander, 65. “There were a lot of stories told that afternoon. What I took away from that day is we’re committed to each other.”
LIVING ORGAN DONORS & KIDNEY CHAINS Gerdes’ worry that he wasn’t worthy of a transplant echoes in what people asked Sue Venteicher when they learned she was giving up one of her kidneys—to a stranger. “I’ve had people ask me, ‘What if you found out it went to someone who was in prison?’” Venteicher says. “I said, ‘So they should be in
COVER // GIFTS OF LIFE
pain and their family should have to worry about them dying?’ One person is not more important than another person.” Venteicher sparked donations impacting not just one person, but 18. In February 2016, she was part of the largest living-donor kidney transplant chain in Nebraska history. A kidney chain matches donors with compatible recipients. Venteicher started the chain when she decided to donate her kidney in memory of a friend’s son who had died from kidney failure. Nine patients received kidneys from nine living donors over five days of surgeries at Nebraska Medicine.
Cindy Schabow, heart recipient Molfese already had written a letter to Venteicher. “He wrote that the hardest thing about being sick was to look into his wife’s eyes and see the pain and the worry and concern every single day. Now, since he had his kidney, he sees nothing but joy in his wife and excitement for the future.”
Venteicher, a wife, mother of seven, and grandmother, was home two days after the surgery and felt fully recovered within two months. “In some ways, I’m healthier than I was two years ago,” says Venteicher, who recently retired after a long nursing career. She hates water but drinks more of it than ever to make sure her one kidney filters efficiently. She’s lost 20 pounds. “I think I appreciate my body a little bit more.”
They’ve become friends. When Molfese received an award related to his work as a neuropsychologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he invited Venteicher to the ceremony. She sat with his family.
So does Dennis Molfese of Bennet, Nebraska—the man who received Venteicher’s kidney. Molfese had been on a kidney transplant waiting list for more than three years. But he was running out of time. Molfese’s kidney was functioning at 4 percent. His blood pressure was running 240/180. If he didn’t die from kidney failure, it could have come from a devastating stroke.
THE GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING
Molfese’s friend, David Hansen, offered his kidney, but was not a match. In stepped Venteicher. “She is my hero,” Molfese says. “An incredibly selfless individual who literally put her life on the line for someone else. In Susan’s case, I was a stranger, not even a name. Just someone in need of a special part of her body that she decided to give away, even at the risk of her own life.” Hansen’s kidney went to another recipient in the 18-person chain. The 18 donors/recipients met five months after the transplants. Molfese and Venteicher didn’t get to speak a lot that day, which included a press conference and perhaps 200 or more family members in attendance. “I was thrilled to see he looked so well,” Venteicher recalls.
“Without Susan, I definitely would not have been alive to be nominated or to receive such a once-in-a-lifetime honor,” Molfese says.
Cindy Schabow missed out on her cruise, but she would have missed out on a lot more had she not received a heart transplant in May 1987. Her own heart had been slowly dying since 1981 when it was weakened by a virus. The damage was discovered while she was pregnant. Schabow gave birth to a daughter and lived with relatively stable health for the next five years. “I continued to work and live life and take some medicine but really didn’t think much about it,” she says. But then her heart began to weaken, requiring a pacemaker. That went well for about a year before her heart became enlarged and sicker. Her cardiologist said she needed a new heart. “I said, ‘We’re going on a cruise this summer, and when I get back we’ll talk about it,’” Schabow recalls. “She said, ‘You will die by the end of the summer if you don’t get a new heart.’ “The idea of a heart transplant was so beyond anything I ever thought about. That got my attention.”
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
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2019
On Memorial Day 1987, Schabow flew to Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston to wait to have the procedure. But she grew sicker and sicker. She was put into ICU. “I could pretty much tell we were toward the end of the line,” she says. After eight weeks of waiting, Schabow was notified that a heart had been donated—and just in time. “They told me I wouldn’t have lived for 24 hours without the transplant,” she says. “It was immediate joy. I’m going to get to live to see my daughter grow up. At the same time, profound sadness since I knew the only reason this could happen was someone lost somebody very precious to them and had made this amazing, generous decision to let me have this heart.” The heart came from a 15-year-old Louisiana boy who had died in a swimming accident. “I didn’t find out much more than that,” Schabow says. She wrote the family on occasion but never heard back. When she reached 30 years with her heart, she decided to write again and let the donor’s family know the heart, amazingly, is still going strong. She did a bit of detective work and was able to connect with the donor’s sister. They talked on the phone, texted, and became Facebook friends. They’re planning to meet one day soon. “They were happy to hear a part of him still lives,” Schabow says. He was athletic and a talented football player, Schabow’s been told. He was friendly and outgoing. He would be a middle-aged man now. Had he not donated his heart, he’d only be remembered by his family. Maybe a few friends. Instead, after 31 years, he is still remembered as a hero across state lines in Nebraska. Schabow will never forget him. Neither will her daughter or grandchildren. “I’m just very, very privileged to carry on his heart,” she says. continued on pg. 69
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T These lists are excerpted from The Best Doctors in America® 2017-2018 database, which includes close to 40,000 U.S. doctors in more than 450 medical specialty/subspecialty combinations. The Best Doctors in America® database is compiled and maintained by Best Doctors, Inc. For more information, visit www. bestdoctors.com or contact Best Doctors by telephone at 800-675-1199 or by e-mail at research@bestdoctors. com. Please note that lists of doctors are not available on the Best Doctors Web site. Best Doctors, Inc., has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list, but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person or other party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. Copyright 2019, Best Doctors, Inc. Used under license, all rights reserved. This list, or any parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without written permission from Best Doctors, Inc. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without the permission of Best Doctors, Inc. No fees may be charged, directly or indirectly, for the use of the information in this list without permission. Best Doctors, Inc. is the only authorized source of the official Best Doctors in America® plaque and other recognition items. Best Doctors does not authorize, contract with or license any organization to sell recognition items
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Founded in 1989 by Harvard Medical School physicians, Best Doctors is a global benefits provider and medical information services company that connects individuals facing difficult medical treatment decisions with the best doctors, selected by impartial peer review in over 450 medical specialty/subspecialty combinations, to review their diagnosis and treatment plans. Best Doctors’ team of researchers conducts a biennial poll using the methodology that mimics the informal peer-to-peer process doctors themselves use to identify the right specialists for their patients. Using a polling method and proprietary balloting software, they gather the insight and experience of tens of thousands of leading specialists all over the country, while confirming their credentials and specific areas of expertise. The result is the Best Doctors in America® List, which includes the nation’s most respected specialists and outstanding primary care physicians in the nation. These are the doctors that other doctors recognize as the best in their fields. They cannot pay a fee and are not paid
As part of Teladoc Health, Best Doctors focuses on improving health outcomes for the most complex, critical and costly medical issues. More than a traditional second opinion, Best Doctors delivers a comprehensive evaluation of a patient’s medical condition – providing value to both patients and treating physicians. By utilizing Best Doctors, members have access to the brightest minds in medicine to ensure the right diagnosis and treatment plan. Through its global network of Best Doctors and other critical services, Teladoc Heatlh is expanding access to high quality healthcare, lowering costs and improving outcomes around the world. The company’s award winning, integrated clinical solutions are inclusive of telehealth, expert medical opinions, AI and analytics, and licensed platform services.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY
ANESTHESIOLOGY
JAINE BROWNELL
Methodist Hospital
MARK L. D’AGOSTINO
16945 Frances St. Omaha, NE 68130 402-397-7400
Department of Anesthesiology 8303 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-4000
LINDA FORD
CYNTHIA ANN FERRIS
Midwest Allergy and Asthma Clinic
The Asthma & Allergy Center
3503 Samson Way, Suite 108 Bellevue, NE 68123 402-592-2055
RUSSELL J. HOPP
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology 8200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4385
CHI Health Clinic— Allergy & Immunology
KENT HUTTON
KEVIN R. MURPHY
Department of Anesthesiology 8303 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-8888
2412 Cuming St., Suite 103 Omaha, NE 68131 402-280-4580
Boys Town Allergy, Asthma, Immunology & Pediatric Pulmonology
Methodist Hospital
JOHN C. PETERSON
SYED MAQDOOM MOHIUDDIN
CHI Health Clinic— Cardiology 7500 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0717
ARYAN N.V. MOOSS
CHI Health Clinic— Cardiology 7710 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0895
VINCENT POMPILI
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Cardiovascular Center Durham Outpatient Center, Suite 2310 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8888
THOMAS R. PORTER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Department of Anesthesiology 8303 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-8888
Cardiovascular Center Durham Outpatient Center, Suite 2310 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8888
JEFFREY S. NELSON
SASHA K. SHILLCUTT
MICHAEL D. WHITE
16945 Frances St. Omaha, NE 68130 402-397-7400
Department of Anesthesiology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4081
7500 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0717
Boys Town Medical Campus —Pacific Street Clinic 14080 Hospital Road Boys Town, NE 68010 402-778-6930
Midwest Allergy and Asthma Clinic
THOMAS C. NILSSON
Midwest Allergy and Asthma Clinic 16945 Frances St. Omaha, NE 68130 402-397-7400
JILL ADAIR POOLE
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
JAMES M. TRACY
Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Associates
2808 S. 80th Ave., Suite 210 Omaha, NE 68124 402-391-1800
MARK C. WILSON
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Pulmonary Medicine Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center, Second Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-6404
Methodist Hospital
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE VENKATA M. ALLA
CHI Health Clinic— Cardiology 7500 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0717
MICHAEL G. DEL CORE
CHI Health Clinic— Cardiology 7500 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0717
ARTHUR R. EASLEY
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Cardiovascular Center Durham Outpatient Center, Suite 2310 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8888
DENNIS J. ESTERBROOKS
CHI Health Clinic— Cardiology 7500 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-398-5880
CHI Health Clinic— Cardiology
JOHN WINDLE
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Cardiovascular Center Durham Outpatient Center, Suite 2310 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8888
COLON AND RECTAL SURGERY JENNIFER BEATY
Colon and Rectal Surgery, Inc.
9850 Nicholas St., Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 402-343-1122
GARNET J. BLATCHFORD Colon and Rectal Surgery, Inc.
9850 Nicholas St., Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 402-343-1122
MANIAMPARAMPIL SHASHIDHARAN
Colon and Rectal Surgery, Inc.
9850 Nicholas St., Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 402-343-1122
CHARLES A. TERNENT Colon and Rectal Surgery, Inc.
9850 Nicholas St., Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 402-343-1122
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
ALAN G. THORSON
CRAIG ARNOLD PIQUETTE
9850 Nicholas St., Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 402-343-1122
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
Colon and Rectal Surgery, Inc.
CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE KRISTINA L. BAILEY
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
BERNARD TIMOTHY BAXTER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Vascular Surgery Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Second Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7300
DARYL R. GRESS
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Neurological Sciences Clinic Clarkson Doctors Building N., Suite 650 4242 Farnam St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8600
DANIEL W. JOHNSON
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4081
STEVEN JAY LISCO
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4081
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
DEBRA J. ROMBERGER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
JOSEPH H. SISSON
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-6241
SUSANNA GERTRUDE VON ESSEN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
TAMMY OLESKEVICH WICHMAN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
DERMATOLOGY MARY TRICIA FINNEGAN 7911 W. Center Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-390-0333
LEE MORROW
KRISTIE DENISE HAYES
7710 Mercy Road, Suite 3000 Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-9600
10060 Regency Circle, Third Floor Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-1315
CHI Health Clinic— Pulmonary Medicine
Methodist Physicians Clinic—Regency
AMOL N. PATIL
JILL S. NELSON
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
909 N. 96th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-330-4555
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Dermatology Specialists of Omaha
EMERGENCY MEDICINE TIMOTHY J. LARSEN
Nebraska Medicine Emergency Services at Hixson-Lied Center 4345 Dewey Ave. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-6637
ROBERT MUELLEMAN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Department of Emergency Medicine 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4020
MICHAEL WADMAN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Department of Emergency Medicine 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-6948
RICHARD A. WALKER
Nebraska Medicine Emergency Services at Hixson-Lied Center 4345 Dewey Ave. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-6637
ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM ROBERT J. ANDERSON
CHI Health Clinic— Endocrinology 5002 Underwood Ave. Omaha, NE 68132 402-717-0785
CLAIRE BAKER
Diabetes and Endocrine Associates 7831 Chicago Court Omaha, NE 68114 402-561-2740
BRIAN BOERNER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Diabetes Center Specialty Services Pavilion First Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8700
CYRUS VICTOR DESOUZA
Omaha Division—VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System Red Clinic—Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism 4101 Woolworth Ave. Omaha, NE 68105 402-346-8800
ANDJELA T. DRINCIC
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Diabetes Center Specialty Services Pavilion First Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68131 402-559-8700
WHITNEY SEARS GOLDNER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Diabetes Center Specialty Services Pavilion First Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8700
SARAH B. KONIGSBERG Diabetes and Endocrine Associates 7831 Chicago Court Omaha, NE 68114 402-561-2740
JENNIFER L. LARSEN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Diabetes Center Specialty Services Pavilion, First Floor 4400 Emile St Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8700
LYNN R. MACK
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Diabetes Center Specialty Services Pavilion First Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8700
AMY S. NEUMEISTER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Diabetes Center Specialty Services Pavilion, First Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8700
ROBERT R. RECKER
CHI Health Clinic
Osteoporosis Research Center Professional Building 1, Suite 7500 6901 N. 72nd St. Omaha, NE 68122 402-280-4470
VIJAY SHIVASWAMY
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Diabetes Center Specialty Services Pavilion First Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8700
FAMILY MEDICINE GREG J. BABBE
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Family Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Third Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7200
J. RUSS BOWEN
CHI Health Clinic— Lakeside Family Medicine 16909 Lakeside Hills Court, Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68130 402-758-5400
JAMES DOUGLAS DUNNING
CHI Health Clinic MDVIP
Lakeside Medical Office Building 1, Suite 300 16909 Lakeside Hills Court Omaha, NE 68130 402-717-8338
WILLIAM P. FITZGIBBONS Skyline Medical Center
1908 N. 203rd St., Suite 2 Elkhorn, NE 68022 402-289-4031
DONALD R. FREY
CHI Health Clinic— Family Medicine
2412 Cuming St., Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68131 402-717-0380
MARK D. GOODMAN
CHI Health Clinic— Family Medicine
2412 Cuming St., Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68131 402-717-0380
WILLIAM ANTHONY LOWNDES
PAUL M. PAULMAN
CHI Health Clinic— Direct Primary Care 13315 W. Center Road Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68144 402-717-9404
MONTY S. MATHEWS
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Family Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Third Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7200
PAUL H. MEISSNER
Arbor Heights Family Medicine
8720 Frederick St., Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68124 402-397-0700
DEBRA E. MOSTEK
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Home Instead Center for Successful Aging 730 S. 38th Ave. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-9600
LAETH NASIR
CHI Health Clinic— Family Medicine
2412 Cuming St., Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68131 402-717-0380
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Family Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Third Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7200
MICHAEL A. SITORIUS
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Family Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Third Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7200
JOHN LLOYD SMITH
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Family Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Third Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7200
DOUGLAS H. WHEATLEY
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Family Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Third Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7200
GASTROENTEROLOGY GRANT HUTCHINS
CHI Health Clinic— Gastroenterology
7710 Mercy Road, Suite 2000 Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-9800
Midwest Gastrointestinal Associates
8901 Indian Hills Dr. Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68114 402-397-7057
MICHAEL SCHAFER Midwest Gastrointestinal Associates
MARK E. MAILLIARD
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
TIMOTHY M. MCCASHLAND
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
JOHN CHARLES MITCHELL II
SANDEEP MUKHERJEE
8901 Indian Hills Dr. Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68114 402-397-7057
RENEE L. YOUNG
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
GERIATRIC MEDICINE DONALD R. FREY
CHI Health Clinic— Family Medicine
2412 Cuming St., Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68131 402-717-0380
Midwest Gastrointestinal Associates
8901 Indian Hills Dr. Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68114 402-397-7057
Congratulations to Our
Best Doctors
DAVID HARNISCH
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Family Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Third Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7200
JEFFREY HARRISON
Nebraska Medicine— Bellevue
Dr. Mark Domet
Dr. Jane Emanuel
Dr. Richard Kang
Dr. Kevin Murphy
Pediatrics
Ear, Nose & Throat Institute
Ear, Nose & Throat Institute
Allergy, Asthma, Immunology & Pediatric Pulmonology
Family Medicine Clinic 2510 Bellevue Medical Dr., Suite 200 Bellevue, NE 68123 402-595-2275
KIMBERLY JEAN JARZYNKA
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Family Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Third Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7200
Dr. Robert Schwab
Dr. Jon Vanderhoof
Dr. Heather Zimmerman
Internal Medicine
Pediatric Gastroenterology
Pediatrics
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
// 51 //
BRENDA KELLER
Methodist Physicians Clinic—Regency 10060 Regency Circle Third Floor Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-1378
WILLIAM L. LYONS
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Home Instead Center for Successful Aging 730 S. 38th Ave. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-9600
TIMOTHY RAYMOND MALLOY
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Family Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Third Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7200
JAMES V. ORTMAN
SUSAN G. SCHOLER
ALISON GAIL FREIFELD
Home Instead Center for Successful Aging 730 S. 38th Ave. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-9600
7100 W. Center Road Fourth Floor Omaha, NE 68106 402-506-9115
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8650
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
REBECCA L. REILLY
Methodist Hospital
CHI Health Clinic— Internal Medicine 7823 Wakeley Plaza Omaha, NE 68114 402-397-7040
JANE F. POTTER
Geriatric Evaluation and Management Clinic North Tower, Third Floor 8303 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-3152
Think Whole Person Healthcare
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
HAND SURGERY RICHARD MURPHY
Omaha Orthopedic Clinic and Sports Medicine 11704 W. Center Road, Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68144 402-691-0500
JEFFREY TIEDEMAN MD West One
17030 Lakeside Hills Plaza, Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68130 402-390-4111
HEPATOLOGY MARK E. MAILLIARD
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
At Nebraska Cancer Specialists, our doctors have the experience, compassion and time to develop personalized treatment plans uniquely tailored to you. No matter where your cancer story begins, make sure it includes a visit to Nebraska Cancer Specialists. You deserve a great story.
// 52 //
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
ANGELA HEWLETT
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8650
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8650
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
SANDEEP MUKHERJEE
LAUREL C. PREHEIM
7710 Mercy Road, Suite 2000 Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-9800
7710 Mercy Road, Suite 3000 Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0759
CHI Health Clinic— Gastroenterology
INFECTIOUS DISEASE MARVIN J. BITTNER
Omaha Division—VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System Gold Clinic—Division of Infectious Disease 4101 Woolworth Ave Omaha, NE 68105 402-346-8800
BRADLEY EDWARD BRITIGAN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
NebraskaCancer.com
Gold Clinic—Division of Infectious Disease 4101 Woolworth Ave. Omaha, NE 68105 402-346-8800
ANDRE KALIL
DIANA F. FLORESCU
402-334-4773
Omaha Division—VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System
TIMOTHY M. MCCASHLAND
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Everyone’s cancer story is unique.
GARY L. GORBY
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8650
CHI Health Clinic— Infectious Disease
MARK E. RUPP
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
SUSAN SWINDELLS
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Care Center Division of Infectious Diseases 804 S. 52nd St. Omaha, NE 68106 402-559-2666
TREVOR C. VAN SCHOONEVELD
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8650
RENUGA VIVEKANANDAN
J. SCOTT NEUMEISTER
HENRY SAKOWSKI
EDWARD J. TAYLOR
PHILIP J. BIERMAN
7710 Mercy Road Suite 3000 Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0759
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
7710 Mercy Road Suite 3000 Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0800
8901 W. Dodge Road Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-8600
Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center 505 S. 45th St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-5600
INTERNAL MEDICINE
DAVID V. O’DELL
CHI Health Clinic— Infectious Disease
STEVEN T. BAILEY
Methodist Physicians Clinic—HealthWest 16120 W. Dodge Road Omaha, NE 68118 402-354-0550
JOEL BESSMER Members MD
105 S. 90th St., Suite 201 Omaha, NE 68114 402-779-8400
TERENCE MICHAEL COONEY
Methodist Physicians Clinic—Indian Hills 8901 W Dodge Road Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-8600
MICHAEL H. DAVIDIAN
CHI Health Clinic— Internal Medicine 5002 Underwood Ave. Omaha, NE 68132 402-717-0785
MICHAEL DOMALAKES
Methodist Physicians Clinic—Regency 10060 Regency Circle Third Floor Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-1378
DEVIN J. FOX
CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center Bergan Mercy Division of Hospital Medicine 7500 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-398-6060
BRUCE L. HOUGHTON
CHI Health Clinic— Internal Medicine 7800 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0800
ANNA MAIO
CHI Health Clinic— Internal Medicine 7710 Mercy Road Suite 3000 Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0800
KATHERINE I. MCLEESE Methodist Physicians Clinic—Regency 10060 Regency Circle Third Floor Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-1378
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
MARK E. OBERLIES
Internal Medicine and Family Physicians 17030 Lakeside Hills Plaza, Suite 102 Omaha, NE 68130 402-758-5800
MARK D. OMAR
Methodist Physicians Clinic—HealthWest 16120 W. Dodge Road Omaha, NE 68118 402-354-0550
JAMES V. ORTMAN
7823 Wakeley Plaza Omaha, NE 68114 402-397-7040
RICHARD K. OSTERHOLM
CHI Health Clinic— Internal Medicine
SUSAN G. SCHOLER
CHAD W. VOKOUN
7100 W. Center Road Fourth Floor Omaha, NE 68106 402-506-9115
Division of General Internal Medicine 139 S. 40th St. Omaha, NE 68131 402-595-3939
Think Whole Person Healthcare
ROBERT J. SCHWAB
Boys Town Internal Medicine Boys Town Medical Campus—Pacific Street Clinic 14080 Hospital Road Boys Town, NE 68010 402-392-7600
LYNN SCOTT
Methodist Physicians Clinic—Regency 10060 Regency Circle Third Floor Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-1378
JOSEPH F. SHEHAN
Think Whole Person Healthcare 7100 W. Center Road Fifth Floor Omaha, NE 68106 402-506-9118
Think Whole Person Healthcare
MATTHEW ALEXANDER SHEHAN
JENNIFER PARKER
7100 W. Center Road, Fourth Floor Omaha, NE 68106 402-506-9116
7100 W. Center Road Fifth Floor Omaha, NE 68106 402-506-9111
Nebraska Medicine— Fontenelle Clinic Division of General Internal Medicine 5050 Ames Ave. Omaha, NE 68104 402-595-2280
JOANN L. PORTER
Omaha Division—VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System Red Clinic - Department of Internal Medicine 4101 Woolworth Ave. Omaha, NE 68105 402-346-8800
CHAD READE
Methodist Physicians Clinic—HealthWest 16120 W. Dodge Road Omaha, NE 68118 402-354-0550
Methodist Physicians Clinic—Indian Hills
Think Whole Person Healthcare
WILLIAM A. SHIFFERMILLER
Methodist Physicians Clinic—HealthWest 16120 W. Dodge Road Omaha, NE 68118 402-354-0550
DAVID P. STEARNES
Methodist Physicians Clinic—HealthWest 16120 W. Dodge Road Omaha, NE 68118 402-354-0550
THOMAS GERALD TAPE
Nebraska Medicine— Midtown Clinic Division of General Internal Medicine 139 S. 40th St. Omaha, NE 68131 402-595-3939
7100 W. Center Road, Fourth Floor Omaha, NE 68106 402-506-9122
INTERNAL MEDICINE/ HOSPITAL MEDICINE ERIC C. RICE
CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center Bergan Mercy Division of Hospital Medicine 7500 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-398-5822
KENDRA E. SWANSON Methodist Hospital Department of Internal Medicine 8303 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-2360
CHAD W. VOKOUN
Nebraska Medicine— Midtown Clinic Division of General Internal Medicine 139 S. 40th St. Omaha, NE 68131 402-595-3939
PETER SILBERSTEIN MARGARET BLOCK
Nebraska Cancer Specialists
Midwest Cancer Center— Legacy 17201 Wright St. Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68130 402-334-4773
7100 W. Center Road Fourth Floor Omaha, NE 68106 402-506-9112
Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center 505 S. 45th St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-5600
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Henry Lynch Cancer Center 7500 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0950
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center 505 S. 45th St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-5600
APAR KISHOR P. GANTI
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Lied Transplant Center 4315 Emile St. Third Floor Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-5600
SARAH A. HOLSTEIN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center 505 S. 45th St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-5600
STEFANO R. TARANTOLO Nebraska Cancer Specialists
Midwest Cancer Center—Legacy 17201 Wright St., Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68130 402-334-4773
JULIE M. VOSE
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center 505 S. 45th St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-5600
NEPHROLOGY KHALID BASHIR
CHI Health Clinic— Nephrology
Medical Office Building 2 Suite 3000 7710 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-343-8650
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
JAMES O. ARMITAGE
CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center Bergan Mercy
KENNETH H. COWAN
JULIA A. BRIDGE
MEDICAL ONCOLOGY AND HEMATOLOGY
6901 N. 72nd St. Suite 2244 Omaha, NE 68122 402-572-3535
6901 N. 72nd St. Suite 2244 Omaha, NE 68122 402-572-3535
MEDICAL GENETICS
Department of Pathology and Microbiology Durham Outpatient Center 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4186
Hematology and Oncology Consultants
Hematology and Oncology Consultants
JOHN ARNOLD WOODRUFF Think Whole Person Healthcare
ABRAHAM PHILIP MATHEWS
INAGANTI MASTAN SHAH
Nebraska Medicine— Midtown Clinic
ROBERT L. RECKER
Think Whole Person Healthcare
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
ROBERT M. LANGDON, JR.
ROBERT W. DUNLAY
Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center 8303 Dodge St., Suite 250 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-8124
Division of Nephrology 7500 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-343-8650
Nebraska Cancer Specialists
CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center Bergan Mercy
RICHARD J. LUND
Omaha Nephrology 8901 W. Dodge Road Suite 250 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-2070
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
// 53 //
NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY
NEUROLOGY
KENNETH A. FOLLETT
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
JOHN M. BERTONI
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Neurological Sciences Clinic Clarkson Doctors Building N., Suite 650 4242 Farnam St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8600
DOUGLAS J. LONG MD West One
8005 Farnam Dr., Suite 305 Omaha, NE 68114 402-390-4111
DANIEL L. SURDELL
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
GEORGE GREENE
OrthoNebraska Clinics Oakview Medical Building, Suite 110 2725 S. 144th St. Omaha, NE 68144 402-637-0800
Neurological Sciences Clinic Clarkson Doctors Building N., Suite 650 4242 Farnam St Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8600
WILLIAM E. THORELL
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Neurological Sciences Clinic Clarkson Doctors Building N., Suite 650 4242 Farnam St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8600
Neurological Sciences Clinic Clarkson Doctors Building N., Suite 650 4242 Farnam St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8600
PIERRE B. FAYAD
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Neurological Sciences Clinic Clarkson Doctors Building N., Suite 650 4242 Farnam St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8600
HARRIS A. FRANKEL
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Neurological Sciences Clinic Clarkson Doctors Building N., Suite 650 4242 Farnam St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8600
SACHIN KEDAR
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute 3902 Leavenworth St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-2020
DANIEL LYNN MURMAN
PAIGE BERRYMAN
Neurological Sciences Clinic Clarkson Doctors Building N. Suite 650 4242 Farnam St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8600
Women’s Center Medical Office Building Suite 1300 717 N. 190th Plaza Omaha, NE 68022 402-815-1700
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
PAMELA MARIE SANTAMARIA
Neurology Consultants of Nebraska
Clarkson North Tower Suite 500 4242 Farnam St. Omaha, NE 68131 402-552-2650
SANJAY P. SINGH
CHI Health Immanuel Neurological Institute 6901 N. 72nd St., Suite 2400 Omaha, NE 68122 402-717-0070
OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY CRAIG ALAN BASSETT
Methodist Physicians Clinic—192Dodge Women’s Center Medical Office Building Suite 1100 717 N. 190th Plaza Omaha, NE 68002 402-815-1700
Methodist Physicians Clinic—192Dodge
DAVID CROTZER
Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center
Midwest GYN Oncology 8303 Dodge St., Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-5250
CAROLYN DOHERTY
Reproductive Health Specialists Medical Office Building Suite 2500 717 N. 190th Plaza Omaha, NE 68022 402-815-1915
// 54 //
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
7205 W. Center Road Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68124 402-397-6600
PETER C. MORRIS
Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center
Midwest GYN Oncology 8303 Dodge St., Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-5250
ANDREW ROBERTSON
Methodist Perinatal Center Medical Office Building, Suite 2400 717 N. 190th Plaza Omaha, NE 68022 402-815-1970
KERRY J. RODABAUGH
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Women’s Center 8901 W. Dodge Road Suite 200B Omaha, NE 68114 402-815-1700
KENT H. SIEMERS
Methodist Physicians Clinic—Indian Hills
CAROLEE JONES
Methodist Physicians Clinic—192Dodge Women’s Center Medical Office Building Suite 1300 717 N. 190th Plaza Omaha, NE 68022 402-815-1700
Hours of Operation Monday-Friday 8:00AM-9:00PM Saturday 10:00AM-2:00PM Sunday 10:00AM-2:00PM
Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital, LLC and OrthoWest, PC are each operating under the name OrthoNebraska. For more, visit OrthoNebraska.com/legal.
Mid-City OB-GYN
LANETTE M. GUTHMANN
Walk in for high-quality, affordable orthopaedic care on 144th & West Center Road!
OrthoNebraska.com
LONNY JOE LEGINO
Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center 505 S. 45th St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-5600
Mid-City OB-GYN 7205 W. Center Road Suite 200 Omaha, NE b68124 402-397-6600
ANN MEISSNER SJULIN Mid-City OB-GYN 7205 W. Center Road Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68124 402-397-6600
ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
TIFANY SOMER-SHELY
Methodist Physicians Clinic—192Dodge Women’s Center Medical Office Building Suite 1100 717 N. 190th Plaza Omaha, NE 68022 402-815-1700
SUSAN A. WESTCOTT
Methodist Physicians Clinic—192Dodge Women’s Center Medical Office Building Suite 1100 717 N. 190th Plaza Omaha, NE 68022 402-815-1700
OTOLARYNGOLOGY
PATHOLOGY
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation Lauritzen Outpatient Center 4014 Leavenworth St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-8000
ANN LOUISE EDMUNDS
JULIA A. BRIDGE
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
17410 Burke St. Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68118 402-758-5330
Department of Pathology and Microbiology Durham Outpatient Center 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4186
STANLEY J. RADIO
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
CARL V. SMITH
Olson Center for Women’s Health Durham Outpatient Center Fourth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-6150
SEAN V. MCGARRY
JANE EMANUEL
Boys Town Ear, Nose and Throat Institute Downtown Clinic 555 N. 30th St. Omaha, NE 68131 402-498-6540
DAVID E. BROWN
OrthoNebraska Clinics Oakview Medical Building, Suite 212 2725 S. 144th St. Omaha, NE 68144 402-637-0800
DANIEL D. LYDIATT SCOTT T. MCMULLEN
KEVIN L. GARVIN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation Lauritzen Outpatient Center 4014 Leavenworth St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-8000
MD West One
17030 Lakeside Hills Plaza, Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68130 402-390-4111
MATTHEW A. MORMINO
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation Lauritzen Outpatient Center 4014 Leavenworth St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8000
RICHARD H. LEGGE
Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute 3902 Leavenworth St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-2020
PETER J. WHITTED
Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center
Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Clinic 8303 Dodge St., Suite 304 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-5048
WILLIAM M. LYDIATT
Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center
Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Clinic 8303 Dodge St., Suite 304 Omaha, NE 68154 402-354-5048
MARK E. GOEBEL
OrthoNebraska Clinics Oakview Medical Building, Suite 110 2725 S. 144th St. Omaha, NE 68144 402-637-0800
Midwest Eye Care 4353 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68131 402-552-2020
Oakview Medical Building, Suite 212 2725 S. 144th St. Omaha, NE 68144 402-637-0800
24 surgeons. 18 locations.
ONE name to know for head-to-toe care.
Methodist Hospital Pathology Center 8303 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-4540
STEVEN H. HINRICHS
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Department of Pathology and Microbiology Durham Outpatient Center 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4186
SHANE K. KOHL
Methodist Hospital Pathology Center 8303 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-4540
Department of Pathology and Microbiology Durham Outpatient Center 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4186
9202 W. Dodge Road Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68114 402-933-3277
Department of Pathology and Microbiology Durham Outpatient Center 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4186
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Department of Pathology and Microbiology Durham Outpatient Center 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4186
PHYLLIS I. WARKENTIN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Departments of Pathology and Pediatrics Durham Outpatient Center 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-6781
WILLIAM W. WEST
CHI Health Lakeside Department of Pathology 16901 Lakeside Hills Court Omaha, NE 68130 402-717-8174
Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Clinic 8303 Dodge St., Suite 304 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-5048
Ear Specialists of Omaha OrthoNebraska Clinics
CHRISTINE P. HANS
AUDREY LAZENBY
BRITT A. THEDINGER MICHAEL C. THOMPSON
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
OLEG N. MILITSAKH
Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center
OPHTHALMOLOGY Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha Ear Nose and Throat
SAMUEL PIRRUCCELLO
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
RODNEY D. MCCOMB
JAMES L. WISECARVER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Department of Pathology and Microbiology Durham Outpatient Center 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4186
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Department of Pathology and Microbiology Durham Outpatient Center 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4186
Congratulations to our Best Doctors in America: Scott T. McMullen, M.D. Orthopaedic Surgery Jeffrey J. Tiedeman, M.D. Hand Surgery
Douglas J. Long, M.D. Neurological Surgery
(402) 390-4111
MDWestOne.com
Mark J. Puccioni, M.D. Pediatric Neurological Surgery
Hand & Wrist | Shoulder & Elbow | Hip & Knee | Foot & Ankle | Sports Medicine | Neurosurgery | Spine | Pediatric Neurosurgery JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
// 55 //
PEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY
PEDIATRIC CARDIAC SURGERY
CHRISTOPHER C. ERICKSON
PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE
PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY
JAINE BROWNELL
KIM F. DUNCAN
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Criss Heart Center Specialty Pediatric Center First Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4339
MOHAN R. MYSORE
RICHARD E. LUTZ
Division of Critical Care Medicine 8200 Dodge St. Second Floor Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4200
Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation 412 S. Saddle Creek Road Omaha, NE 68131 402-559-8638
Midwest Allergy and Asthma Clinic 16945 Frances St. Omaha, NE 68130 402-397-7400
RUSSELL J. HOPP
CHI Health Clinic— Allergy & Immunology 2412 Cuming St., Suite 103 Omaha, NE 68131 402-280-4580
PEDIATRIC ANESTHESIOLOGY DENISE MARIE DRVOL
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center First Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4360
JAMES MARTIN HAMMEL Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center, First Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4360
Department of Anesthesiology 8200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4385
PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY
JANE KUGLER
Criss Heart Center Specialty Pediatric Center First Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4339
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology 8200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4385
RACHEL A. SPITZNAGEL
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology 8200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4385
DAVID A. DANFORD
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
JEFFREY W. DELANEY
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Criss Heart Center Specialty Pediatric Center First Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4339
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
SCOTT FLETCHER
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY
JILL S. NELSON
DEAN L. ANTONSON
JOHN DALE KUGLER
909 N. 96th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-330-4555
Omaha, NE 68131 402-552-2100
Criss Heart Center Specialty Pediatric Center First Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4339
PEDIATRIC DEVELOPMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS
ROBERT L. SPICER
HOWARD W. NEEDELMAN
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Criss Heart Center Specialty Pediatric Center First Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4339
Dermatology Specialists of Omaha
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation 412 S. Saddle Creek Road Omaha, NE 68131 402-559-6418
4242 Farnam St., Suite 490
JON A. VANDERHOOF Boys Town Gastroenterology
Boys Town Medical Campus - Pacific Street Clinic 14080 Hospital Road Boys Town NE 68010 402-778-6820
PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGYONCOLOGY DON W. COULTER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
PEDIATRIC CLINICAL GENETICS
PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center 505 S. 45th St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-955-3950
ANN HASKINS OLNEY
DAVID M. TOLO
BRUCE GORDON
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation 412 S. Saddle Creek Road Omaha, NE 68131 402-559-6418
Board Certified Pediatric Neurosurgeon in the state, and he's been caring for the children of Nebraska and surrounding area for more than 17 years.
Mark J. Puccioni, M.D.
"Voted Best in Pediatric Neurological Surgery" (402) 390-4111 MDWestOne.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
PEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY
Criss Heart Center Specialty Pediatric Center First Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4339
There's only ONE
// 56 //
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Urgent Care Center 110 N. 175th St., Suite 1000 Omaha, NE 68118 402-955-8300
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center 505 S. 45th St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-7257
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE H. DELE DAVIES
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Infectious Diseases Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Fourth Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4005
SHIRLEY F. DELAIR
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Infectious Diseases Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Fourth Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4005
STEPHEN K. OBARO
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Infectious Diseases Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Fourth Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4005
KARI A. SIMONSEN
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Infectious Diseases Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Fourth Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4005
PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY
SUSAN A. SCHERL
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Orthopaedic Surgery Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center, Fourth Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-6300
PEDIATRIC OTOLARYNGOLOGY MARK J. PUCCIONI MD West One
8005 Farnam Dr., Suite 305 Omaha, NE 68114 402-390-4111
PEDIATRIC NUTRITION PATRICIA SEIVERT
Children’s Physicians—UNMC
Durham Outpatient Center First Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-955-8125
PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGY DONNY WON SUH
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Ophthalmology Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Third Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-5440
SEBASTIAN TROIA Pediatric Ophthalmology Associates
515 N. 98th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-399-9400
PEDIATRIC ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY
D. RICHARD KANG
Boys Town Ear, Nose and Throat Institute Downtown Clinic 555 N. 30th St. Omaha, NE 68131 402-498-6540
RYAN K. SEWELL
ENT Specialists 720 N. 129th St. Omaha, NE 68154 402-397-0670
PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY JOHN L. COLOMBO
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
JAMIE SNYDER
CHI Health Clinic Psychiatric Associates 7101 Newport Ave. Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68152 402-572-2916
PEDIATRIC SPECIALIST/ NEONATALPERINATAL MEDICINE ANN L. ANDERSONBERRY
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Division of Neonatology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-6750
LYNNE D. WILLETT
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Pulmonary Medicine Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center, Second Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-6404
MARK C. WILSON
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
BRIAN HASLEY
Orthopaedic Surgery Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Fourth Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-6300
ROBERT A. CUSICK
PAUL H. SAMMUT
PEDIATRIC SPECIALIST/ CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Department of Psychiatry Poynter Hall Building Third Floor 510 S. 42nd St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-552-6007
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
JOHN WESLEY SPARKS
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Orthopaedic Surgery Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Fourth Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-6300
PEDIATRIC SURGERY
Pulmonary Medicine Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center, Second Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-5570
Pulmonary Medicine Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center, Second Floor 111 N 84th St Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-6404
PAUL ESPOSITO
CHRISTOPHER J. KRATOCHVIL
SHASHI K. BHATIA
CHI Health Clinic Psychiatric Associates 7101 Newport Ave. Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68152 402-572-2916
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Division of Neonatology 8200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-955-8125
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Pediatric Surgery Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Fourth Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-7400
STEPHEN C. RAYNOR
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Pediatric Surgery Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Fourth Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-7400
PEDIATRIC UROLOGY FERNANDO FERRER
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Urology Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Third Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4002
JOHN H. MAKARI
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Urology Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center, Third Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4002
Division of Neonatology 8200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-6140
PEDIATRICS/ GENERAL
ZAHI E. ZEIDAN
Dundee Pediatrics
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Division of Neonatology 8200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-6140
PEDIATRIC SPECIALIST/ PEDIATRIC METABOLIC DISEASES
JOHN ANDRESEN
5018 Underwood Ave. Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68132 402-991-5678
KATHERINE ANGLIM
Children’s Physicians—Eagle Run
13808 W. Maple Road Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68164 402-955-3000
WILLIAM BRADLEY RIZZO
ALKA DESAI
Metabolic Management Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Second Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4199
13808 W. Maple Road Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68164 402-955-3000
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Children’s Physicians—Eagle Run
MARK J. DOMET
Boys Town Pediatrics Boys Town Medical Campus —Pacific Street Clinic 14080 Hospital Road Boys Town, NE 68010 402-778-6900
DAVID FINKEN
JOHN C. MOORE
Durham Outpatient Center, First Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-955-8125
110 N. 175th St. Suite 1000 Omaha, NE 68118 402-955-5437
Children’s Physicians—UNMC
Children’s Physicians—West Village Point
DAWN GARY
MICHAEL J. MOORE
9202 W. Dodge Road Suite 101 Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-7500
4825 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68132 402-955-7676
Children’s Physicians —Embassy Park
FRANCIS J. HARRISON
Children’s Physicians—Val Verde 9801 Giles Road, Suite 1 La Vista, NE 68128 402-955-8400
DAVID KAUFMAN
Children’s Physicians —Eagle Run 13808 W. Maple Road Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68164 402-955-3000
JILLYN KRATOCHVIL
Children’s Physicians—Dundee
LAURA NIELSEN
Children’s Physicians—West Village Point 110 N. 175th St. Suite 1000 Omaha, NE 68118 402-955-5437
JENNIFER PARKER
Nebraska Medicine— Fontenelle Clinic Division of General Internal Medicine 5050 Ames Ave. Omaha, NE 68104 402-595-2280
Children’s Physicians—Dundee
SHERYL L. PITNER
KARI A. KRENZER
Durham Outpatient Center, First Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-955-8125
4825 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68132 402-955-7676
Children’s Physicians—West Village Point 110 N. 175th St. Suite 1000 Omaha, NE 68118 402-955-5437
Children’s Physicians—UNMC
CHANDRIKA RIZAL
Children’s Physicians—Mission Village
KENT KRONBERG
Children’s Physicians —Eagle Run
16909 Q St. Omaha, NE 68135 402-955-7575
13808 W. Maple Road Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68164 402-955-3000
TINA SCOTTMORDHORST
GARY STEPHEN LERNER
1938 E. Highway 34 Plattsmouth, NE 68048 402-955-7150
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Children’s Developmental Clinic Specialty Pediatric Center Second Floor 111 N. 84th St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-4160
ERIN A. LOUCKS
Children’s Physicians— Plattsmouth
PATRICIA SEIVERT
Children’s Physicians—UNMC Durham Outpatient Center, First Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-955-8125
Children’s Physicians—Dundee
GREGORY C. SEVERSON
MARY JANE FITZGIBBONS MIKULS
17675 Welch Plaza Omaha, NE 68135 402-354-7630
4825 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68132 402-955-7676
Methodist Physicians Clinic—Hawthorne Court
Children’s Physicians—West Village Point 110 N. 175th St. Suite 1000 Omaha, NE 68118 402-955-5437
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
// 57 //
BETSY STEPHENSON
Children’s Physicians—Mission Village 16909 Q St. Omaha, NE 68135 402-955-7575
JOSEPH STRALEY
Children’s Physicians —Eagle Run 13808 W. Maple Road, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68164 402-955-3000
JOHN N. WALBURN
Children’s Physicians —UNMC Durham Outpatient Center, First Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-955-8125
ELIZABETH A. WALENZ
Methodist Physicians Clinic—Regency 10060 Regency Circle Second Floor Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-1325
ROBERT D. WOODFORD Methodist Physicians Clinic—Regency 10060 Regency Circle Second Floor Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-1325
HEATHER L. ZIMMERMAN
Boys Town Pediatrics Boys Town Medical Campus— Pacific Street Clinic 14080 Hospital Road Boys Town, NE 68010 402-778-6900
PEDIATRICS/ HOSPITAL MEDICINE JOSEPH T. SNOW
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Hospital Medicine & Inpatient Care 8200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-5400
SHEILAH J. SNYDER
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Hospital Medicine & Inpatient Care 8200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-5400
SHARON R. STOOLMAN
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Hospital Medicine & Inpatient Care 8200 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-955-5400
// 58 //
PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION SAMUEL M. BIERNER Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital
17500 Burke St. Omaha, NE 68118 402-401-3100
PLASTIC SURGERY STEVEN M. DENENBERG Facial Plastic Surgery 7640 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-391-7640
JOHN J. EDNEY
Aesthetic Surgical Images
8900 W. Dodge Road Omaha, NE 68114 402-390-0100
RONALD R. HOLLINS Village Pointe Aesthetic Surgery 17617 Burke St. Omaha, NE 68118 402-596-4000
PERRY JOHNSON
Village Pointe Aesthetic Surgery 17617 Burke St. Omaha, NE 68118 402-596-4000
PAULAJO MALIN
CHI Health Clinic
Psychiatric Associates Last Hope Recovery Center 415 S. 25th Ave. Omaha, NE 68131 402-717-5550
WILLIAM A. MARCIL
CHI Health Clinic— Psychiatry
Last Hope Recovery Center 415 S. 25th Ave. Omaha, NE 68131 402-717-5300
ASHISH SHARMA
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Department of Psychiatry Poynter Hall Building Fifth Floor 510 S. 42nd St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-552-6007
STEVEN WENGEL
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Department of Psychiatry Poynter Hall Building Fifth Floor 510 S. 42nd St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-552-6007
PULMONARY MEDICINE KRISTINA L. BAILEY
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
17617 Burke St. Omaha, NE 68118 402-596-4000
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
R. COLEEN STICE
ZACK S. DEPEW
JASON J. MILLER
Village Pointe Aesthetic Surgery
Metropolitan Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 17030 Lakeside Hills Plaza, Suite 214 Omaha, NE 68130 402-758-5500
PSYCHIATRY SHASHI K. BHATIA
CHI Health Clinic Psychiatric Associates 7101 Newport Ave. Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68152 402-572-2916
MARK H. FLEISHER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Department of Psychiatry Poynter Hall Building Third Floor 510 S. 42nd St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-552-6007
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
CHI Health Clinic— Pulmonary Medicine 7710 Mercy Road Suite 3000 Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-9600
BRYAN J. KRAJICEK
CHI Health Clinic— Pulmonary Medicine 7710 Mercy Road Suite 3000 Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-9600
LEE MORROW
CHI Health Clinic— Pulmonary Medicine 7710 Mercy Road Suite 3000 Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-9600
PETER JAMES MURPHY
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
CRAIG ARNOLD PIQUETTE
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
DEBRA J. ROMBERGER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center FifthFloor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
JOSEPH H. SISSON
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center FifthFloor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-6241
RADIOLOGY JOSEPH C. ANDERSON
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Department of Radiology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-1010
KIMBERLY ANN APKER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Department of Radiology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-1010
BRUCE BARON
CHI Health Immanuel Radiology Consultants of the Midwest 6901 N. 72nd St. Omaha, NE 68122 402-717-2222
KEVIN L. NELSON
Methodist Hospital
Department of Radiology 8303 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-4344
CRAIG W. WALKER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Department of Radiology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-1010
MATTHEW L. WHITE
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Division of Neuroradiology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-1010
RHEUMATOLOGY
AUSTIN B. THOMPSON
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
SUSANNA GERTRUDE VON ESSEN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
TAMMY OLESKEVICH WICHMAN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
RADIATION ONCOLOGY CHARLES A. ENKE
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Department of Radiation Oncology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-552-3844
WEINING (KEN) ZHEN
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Department of Radiation Oncology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-552-3844
DEREK BURDENY
OrthoNebraska Clinics Oakview Medical Building, Suite 118 2725 S. 144th St. Omaha, NE 68144 402-609-1800
MATT J. DEVRIES
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Department of Radiology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-1010
SUZANNE H. HRUZA
CHI Health Immanuel Radiology Consultants of the Midwest 6901 N. 72nd St. Omaha, NE 68122 402-572-2324
MARK D. KEIPER
DEBORAH K. DOUD OrthoNebraska Clinics
Oakview Medical Building, Suite 240 2727 S. 144th St. Omaha, NE 68144 402-609-1200
ALAN R. ERICKSON
Nebraska Medicine— Brentwood Village
Division of Rheumatology 8604 Giles Road La Vista, NE 68128 402-559-0000
JOHN HURLEY
CHI Health Clinic— Rheumatology 7710 Mercy Road Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0750
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
LYNELL W. KLASSEN
RICHARD A. KUTILEK
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
Department of Radiology 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-1010
Methodist Hospital
Department of Radiology 8303 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-7306
ANGEL MIRONOV
CHI Health Immanuel Neurological Institute 6901 N. 72nd St. Suite 5300 Omaha, NE 68122 402-717-0070
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
TED MIKULS
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center, Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
JAMES R. O’DELL
ROBERT H. LINDAU III
Internal Medicine Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Fifth Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4015
Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Clinic 8303 Dodge St., Suite 304 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-5048
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
WILLIAM R. PALMER Westroads Rheumatology Associates
10170 Nicholas St. Omaha, NE 68114 402-391-3800
SURGERY GARY J. ANTHONE
10506 Burt Circle Omaha, NE 68114 402-991-3393
BERNARD TIMOTHY BAXTER
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Vascular Surgery Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Second Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7300
Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center
BRIAN W. LOGGIE
CHI Health Clinic— Surgical Oncology 7710 Mercy Road Suite 2000 Omaha, NE 68124 402-717-0090
JAMES A. REILLY
Breast Care Center 8303 Dodge St., Suite 302 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-3090
9850 Nicholas St., Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 402-343-1122
THORACIC SURGERY RUDY PAUL LACKNER
MICHAEL J. MOULTON
Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Clinic 8303 Dodge St., Suite 304 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-5048
JON S. THOMPSON
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center General Surgery Clinic Lauritzen Outpatient Center 4014 Leavenworth St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-4075
Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center 505 S. 45th St. Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-4389
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Cardiovascular Center Durham Outpatient Center Suite 2310 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-8888
VASCULAR SURGERY BERNARD TIMOTHY BAXTER
SURGICAL ONCOLOGY CHANDRAKANTH ARE
NITIN GARG
Lied Transplant Center 4315 Emile St. Third Floor Omaha, NE 68105 402-559-5600
Vascular Surgery Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Second Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7300
GEORGE W. DITTRICK
Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center
Surgical Oncology Clinic 8303 Dodge St., Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68114 402-354-5150
THANK YOU
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center Vascular Surgery Clinic Durham Outpatient Center Second Floor 4400 Emile St. Omaha, NE 68198 402-559-7300
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
FamilyGuide
Colon and Rectal Surgery
Lied Transplant Center 4315 Emile St. Second Floor Omaha, NE68105 402-559-4988
Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center
OMAHA MAGAZ INE’S
ALAN G. THORSON
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
ROBERT H. LINDAU III
13706 “C” Street 68144 402.933.4007 • barkavenueomaha.com
Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center
ALAN N. LANGNAS
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
Boarding • Daycare Grooming
Nebraska Medicine— Nebraska Medical Center
for voting us 1 st place 14 straight years!
Set ting a Standard in Collis ion Repair 402.558.3500 Corner of 50th & South Saddlecreek
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MECHANICAL REPAIR 402.991.2848 / Southwest Corner of 120th & Maple
“We’d Rather Be The Best Than Apologize for Anything Less.” w w w. d i n g m a n s . c o m
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
// 59 //
NURSE OF THE YEAR COMMITTEE Nicole Caswell CHI Health Immanuel Teresa Hultquist UNMC College of Nursing Cindy Mirfield Methodist Women’s Hospital Wendy Muir Bryan Health
®
Christine Murphy Nebraska Medicine Sue Nuss Nebraska Medicine Melissa Schmaderer Madonna Rehabilitation Center Kris Stapp VNA Lisa Strasheim CHI Health Judy Thomas Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Judy Timmons Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Susie Ward Methodist College Chrissy Wilber Boys Town National Research Hospital
MARCH OF DIMES STAFF Mackenzie Hawkins Development Specialist Kristin Schemahorn Development Manager Kristina Debus Development Manager
STORY BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN
Nursing is the largest profession in health care, and one of the most recognizable. Professionals from psychiatrists to surgeons use nurses each day to help care for patients with tasks from administering medicines to handing them tools of their trade. Nurses labor tirelessly, often for 12 or more hours at a time. On Nov. 15, 2018, the March of Dimes took an evening to thank those vital professionals taking vital signs, and Omaha Magazine was in attendance as an event partner. Nominations are blinded, then scored by the volunteer committee. Scores were based on credentials, certifications, their proudest outcomes, leadership, professional associations, and achievements. The Nurse of the Year is determined by the nurse with the highest overall score. We again thank the nurses nominated for the March of Dimes awards, for taking care of us, each and every day.
NURSE OF THE YEAR WINNERS NURSE OF THE YEAR Jean Armstrong
Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital, Family Resource Center and Shaken Baby Task Force Jean Armstrong has been devoted to creating and implementing a Shaken Baby Task Force. She has developed an educational curriculum, organized a conference, and created multiple educational videos. Her efforts were first recognized on a national level in 2000 when First Lady Laura Bush made a stop at her hospital. Armstrong has helped Iowa Senator Amanda Regan support Senate Bill 349 to establish a Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program through the Iowa Department of Health. This Nurse of the Year was also instrumental in creating the only national 24-hour Crying Baby Helpline in the U.S.
RISING STAR
EXCELLENCE IN ADVOCACY Betsy Miller Methodist Hospital, Cardiac Care
FAMILY CHOICE AWARD Miriah Jansonius Methodist Women’s Hospital, Labor & Delivery
EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS Judi Dunn Clarkson College, Continuing Education
EXCELLENCE IN ADVANCED PRACTICE Judy Placek Nebraska Medicine, Plastic Surgery/ Burn Surgery
Maria Lander Nebraska Medicine, Solid Organ Transplant Unit
EXCELLENCE IN CLINICAL EXCELLENCE Sylvia Hanousek CHI Health, Labor & Delivery, Post Partum and Mother Baby
EXCELLENCE IN INFORMATICS Ryan Zulkoski Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Nursing Education/ Nursing Informatics
EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP & MENTORING Anne Thallas Methodist Hospital, Medical Surgical
EXCELLENCE IN PEDIATRICS Megan B. Sorensen Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Transport
EXCELLENCE IN PEDIATRICS IN SCHOOL HEALTH Twlya Kleen Storm Lake Community Schools, Elementary School Nurse
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH & EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE Bernadette Vacha Nebraska Medicine, Lung Transplant
EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE TO VETERANS Lisa Crouch Veterans Health Administration, Ambulatory Care
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
// 61 //
SPIRIT OF NURSING AWARDS Lindsey Ayles Nebraska Medicine, Cardiothoracic Surgery
Kimberly Marsh Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Taira Anderson University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, Northern Division
Joan Blum Clarkson College, Oncology Nursing
Barbara Petersen Great Plains Health, Quality
Dania Cervantes Ayala College of Saint Mary
Michelle Brester Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Pediatric Surgery
Kimberly Peterson Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Performance Improvement
Racheal Dawn Daigger UNMC College of Nursing, Kearney Division
Cathrin Carithers UNMC College of Nursing, Kearney Division
Julie Sundermeier Nebraska Medicine, NICU
Katherine Glaser Creighton University College of Nursing
Tiffany Keller CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center, Post Partum— Lactation RN
Danielle Treska CHI Health Lakeside Hospital, ICU
Sara Glaser Bryan College of Health Sciences
Jaki Kenney Nebraska Medicine, Werner Special Care Unit
Anne Wilber UNMC College of Nursing, Northern Division (Norfolk)
Sarah Henry Purdue University Global School of Nursing
Jennifer Lantis Great Plains Health, Infection Prevention
// 62 //
STUDENT NURSING AWARDS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
Kathryn Noble Nebraska Wesleyan University
STUDENT NURSING AWARDS Tiffany Pardew Clarkson College
NURSE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES BOYS TOWN CLINICS Sara Pfeifer, Pediatric Clinic
BOYS TOWN NATIONAL RESEARCH HOSPITAL Kayla Gentrup, Pediatric Gastroenterology Stephanie Hernandez, Surgical Floor Nerissa Imada, Surgery Center Autumn Rowe, Surgery Center June Root, Pediatrics - Inpatient Megan Reiten Nebraska Methodist College
BRYAN HEALTH Christie Bartelt, Rehabilitation Julie Bratt, Care Management
CHI HEALTH
Jiosajandy Garcia Reyna University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing
Stephanie Shoning College of Saint Mary
Breanna Swanson Bryan College of Health Sciences College of Nursing
Ashley Tagart College of Saint Mary
Sarah Barker, Family Birth Center Susan Brill, Intensive Care Unit Rebecca Gardner, Good Samaritan Surgery Department Sylvia Hanousek, LDRP: L&D, Post Partum, and Mother Baby Katelyn Henriksen, Orthopedics Jennifer Lemmons, Hospital Debra Saldi, Behavioral Serivces Rebecca Seier, Infection Prevention Lowellyn Steinkraus, Plainview Hospital Specialty Clinic Heidi Gall, Rural Health clinic
CHI HEALTH CUMC – BERGAN MERCY Aaron Allen, ICU Kara Aldana, NICU Alicia Buechler, HVI - Cardiac Universal Unit Kara Johnson, Obstetrics Tara Kiichler, NICU Sarah Kumm, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Rhonda Meyer, Heart and Vascular Tracy Meyers, NICU Donna Myers, NICU Emily Oppel, Intensive Care Unit Elena Oquendo, NICU Erin McQuinn, House Operations Guylah, Med/Surg/Ortho/Intermediate/Dialysis Heather Reese, ER
CHI HEALTH CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Tiffany Keller, Post Partum-Lactation
CHI HEALTH GOOD SAMARITAN Kelsey Daake, Leadership Del Miller, Orthopedics/Oncology
CHI HEALTH IMMANUEL Hannah Baldwin, PCCU Crisann Hannum, Critical Care Mandy Iverson, Labor and Delivery Mandy Iverson, Obstetrics Mandolyn Klinkhammer, Labor and Delivery Cynthia Lesch-Busse, Nursing Administration Kay Maguire, Medical Surgical Carrie Meyer, Labor and Delivery Jaclyn Seiboldt, Medical Surgical Oncology
Elizabeth Steadman, Critical Care Christy Todd, Labor and Delivery Lisa, Labor and Delivery
CHI HEALTH LAKESIDE HOSPITAL Christine Enterline, Surgery Emily Mass, Med/Surg/Oncology Jordan Novak, Med-Surg/Oncology Katie Swanson, Med-Surg/Ortho Danielle Treska, ICU Jill Yosten, Ambulatory Infusion Center Hanah Zehnder, Float Pool Aysha Classen, ED
CHI HEALTH MERCY CORNING Chimene Cobb, Outpatient Specialty Clinic
CHI HEALTH MERCY COUNCIL BLUFFS Marie Baker, Critical Care Unit Ranita Hiller, Post Critical Care Lori Woodrow, Psychiatric Nurse
CHI HEALTH MIDLANDS Vicki Gall, Medical/Surgical Julie Nichols, Surgical Services
CHI HEALTH MISSOURI VALLEY Jodi Potts, Rural Health clinic
CHI HEALTH ST. ELIZABETH Emily Bachman, Ortho/PEDS Lori Birdzell, Observation Nicole Ragon, Critical Care Unit Tricia Topolski, Emergency Christine Vogt, OBGYN GayAnn Wagner, NICU Kelly Watton, Primary Care
CHI HEALTH ST. FRANCIS Darla Cleveland, Medical Oncology Lacey Pavlovsky, Quality Management Infection Control
CHI HEALTH ST. MARY’S Loree Mort, Labor and Delivery
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL & MEDICAL CENTER Carol Beare, Med-Surg 6 - Nursing Informatics Alicia Bremer, Performance Improvement Michelle Brester, Pediatric Surgery Erin Hartman, Emergency Chase Hinzmann, Critical Care Transport Jill Jensen, Performance Improvement Vanessa Le, NICU, Nursing Informatics Kimberly Marsh, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Katherine McCollough, Dialysis Kimberly Peterson, Performance Improvement Kathy Powers, CARES/PACU Katherine “Kitty” Rasmussen, 5 Med-Surg Megan B. Sorensen, Transport Ryan Zulkoski, Nursing Education/ Nursing Informatics
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
// 63 //
NURSE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES CHILDREN’S PHYSICIANS— BELLEVUE Nicole Wallin, Lactation
CHILDREN’S PHYSICIANS— PLATTSMOUTH Rebecca Robbins, Pediatrics
CHILDREN’S PHYSICIANS— GRETNA Amy Wortmann, Pediatrics
CLARKSON COLLEGE Joan Blum, Oncology Nursing Judi Dunn, Continuing Education
CRAIG HOMECARE Amy Lauby, Pediatric Home Health Care
FREMONT HEALTH Desa Clark, Nursing Terese Moore, Labor and Delivery
GREAT PLAINS HEALTH Jennifer Lantis, Infection Prevention Jill Stevenson, Joint Replacement Orthopaedics Wendy Ward, Quality-Risk Management Barbara Petersen, Quality
MADONNA REHABILITATION HOSPITAL Jane Bilau, Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Mari Ramsey, Acute Rehab
METHODIST HOSPITAL Jean Beumler, Palliative Care Ashley Colburn, Rehabilitation Rachael Coufal, Progressive Care Unit Carrie Kelseth, Cardiac Care Kelly Menousek, Emergency Department Betsy Miller, Cardiac Care Tiffany Pettit, Ortho-Neuro Mandy Stockdale, Rehabilitation Anne Thallas, Medical Surgical Catherine Wolpert, Medical Surgical
METHODIST JENNIE EDMUNDSON HOSPITAL Jean Armstrong, Family Resource Center and Shaken Baby Task Force
METHODIST WOMEN’S HOSPITAL Miriah Jansonius, Labor & Delivery Sheri Kimmey, NICU/Outreach Shonda Knop, High Risk Obstetrics Amy Rapp, GYN, Postpartum
NEBRASKA MEDICINE Megan Armbrust, Women’s and Infant’s Services Lindsey Ayles, Cardiothoracic Surgery Claire Baweja, Emergency Department - BMC Lindsie Buchholz, Enterprise Practice Support Ashley Carne, Medical ICU
Barabara Cowden, Werner Intensive Care Unit Lyndie Farr, Critical Care Anesthesia Stephanie Floth, UNL Student Health Center Caitlin Hagen, Cardiology-Progressive Care Terri Heineman, Oncology Treatment Center at Werner Cancer Center Samantha Jordan-Schaulis, Pediatric ICU Jaki Kenney, Werner Special Care Unit Teresa Kerkman, Medical ICU Susan Knutson, NICU Margee Langer, Oncology Maria Lander, Solid Organ Transplant Unit Riley Lyons, Werner Progressive Care Unit Courtney Marshall, Nursing Development Specialist Megan Myers, Medical ICU Denise McGrath, Women and Infant Services Sarah Newman, NICU Sara Neumann, Cardiology LeaAyn Norton, Clarkson Family Medicine Clinic Megan Pierce, Women’s Services Judy Placek, Plastic Surgery/Burn Surgery Lori Schmida, Kidney/pancreas transplant Michael Schrage, Emergency Department Danielle Schulz, Emergency Department Carmen Shannon, SICU Amy Steinauer, Community & Corporate Relations Angie Strain, Heart and Vascular Julie Sundermeier, NICU Gisele Tlusty, Specialty Care Unit Tina Twymon, Clarkson Family Medicine Clinic Bernadette Vacha, Lung Transplant Lisa Wulf, Emergency
NEBRASKA METHODIST COLLEGE
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
Jennifer Dannen, Maternal Child
WEST HOLT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Jessica Thomassen, Med/Surg, ER, Surgery
WEST CENTRAL DISTRICT HEALTH DEPARTMENT Brandi Lemon, Outreach Director
TO CSM STUDENT NURSES OF THE YEAR!
Dania Cervantes Ayala
Stephanie Shoning
Ashley Tagart
Alice Kindschuh, DNP
OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS Sharon Wade, School Health
SAUNDERS MEDICAL CENTER Patricia Kucera, Long Term Care
SKINNER MAGNET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CSM.edu
Shannon Cunningham, Health Office
STORM LAKE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Twlya Kleen, Elementary School Nurse
UNITYPOINT HEALTH ST. LUKE’S Christi-Ann Bullock, NICU Brenda Crank, Mother Baby
UNMC COLLEGE OF NURSING Cathrin Carithers, Kearney Division Anne Wilber, Northern Division (Norfolk)
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HEALTH CARE Lisa Crouch, Ambulatory Care
// 64 //
VNA OF THE MIDLANDS
congratulates congratulates congratulates Jennifer JenniferDannen Dannenfor forbeing being Jennifer Dannenfor for being nominated nominated for The March nominated for The Marchof ofDimes Dimes Nurse the Nurse theyear year Awards! Theofof March ofAwards! Dimes
Nurse of the year Awards!
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Every Eye Deserves Extraordinary Care!
// HISTORY //
continued from pg. 41 Scott Shafer, administrative assistant to the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs, explains that the success of the National Willa Cather Center in Red Cloud, Nebraska, has inspired the hospital restoration efforts to think on both a local and national scale: “We want it to be a place of daily use, but also to be a place where people can talk about contemporary issues in society and the community. We want to have a broader footprint, certainly impacting northeast Nebraska but also being a part of the conversation on public health and native sovereignty on the national level.” Although she worked tirelessly for the health of so many, La Flesche suffered from various illnesses for much of her life. Chronic pain followed her through college and career, and a fall from a horse left her with multiple internal injuries. In her final years, the pain of bone cancer became a constant drag on La Flesche, even as construction on her hospital was being finalized. She died in September 1915, less than three years after the Walthill hospital opened. Starita remarks: “What Susan La Flesche has to teach us is the transformative power of kindness. Despite a life filled with a great deal of illness, pain, and tragedy, Susan never let it get her down. She never gave into it. She always saw the bigger purpose. She understood that life is not about trying to avoid pain and suffering because that was impossible. Instead, she believed that life was about finding a purpose and then spending the rest of your life devoted to that purpose—no matter how many obstacles, disappointments, and heartbreaks are put in the way.”
YEARS IN A ROW! THANK YOU OMAHA! Dr. Corey Langford
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Today, Walthill’s “old white building” amounts to much more than the sum of its aging parts. While restoration efforts will certainly attend to the holes in the roof and the crumbling plaster, it’s the less-material details of history that are at the heart of this preservation project. “We can learn so much from Dr. Susan,” Johnson says. “She led an incredible life of service; she knew early on her passion for healing and public health and had the courage to recognize it and take this incredible leap to unknown worlds to pursue it. She realized what she was put here to do, and she did it.” Visit drsusancenter.org to learn more about the Walthill hospital restoration project, complete a survey on potential uses of the building, and contribute to the restoration campaign.
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FEATURE // GIFTS OF LIFE
SPONSORED COVER // GIFTS OF LIFE
continued from pg. 47
ORG A N DONOR R E A SONS O ne
dece a se d orga n donor ca n sav e u p to e igh t l i v es . O ne t issu e donor ca n i m prov e t h e qua l i t y of l i f e or sav e a n a ddi t iona l 100 peopl e . N e br a sk a ns a ppr eci at e t h is . R e se a rch con duc t e d by Ne br a sk a O rga n R ecov e ry in fa l l 2016 indicat e d t h at 98 pe rce n t of N e br a sk a ns su pport orga n a nd t issu e donat ion , bu t only a bou t 56 percen t of el igibl e Nebr a sk a ns a r e r egister ed . Wh y a r en ’ t mor e indi v idua ls r egist e r e d ? H e r e a r e a nsw e r s to some misu nde r sta nd ings / misconce p t ions ( prov ide d by N e br a sk a O rga n R ecov e ry ).
1
I’m too old to register/donate. Anyone 16 or older can register for deceased organ donation. There are no upper age restrictions. I have a health issue that prevents me from registering/donating. There are no medical conditions that restrict someone from registering as a donor.
2
I’ve used illegal drugs and/or I smoke and drink alcohol regularly. Use of illegal drugs and excessive smoking or drinking does not disqualify someone from donating. Drinking and drug use can impact specific organs, but oftentimes other organs and tissues are still viable.
3
4
I can’t give blood, so I can’t donate. The majority of individuals who are restricted from giving blood can still donate organs and tissues.
5
I can’t afford donation. There is no cost to the donor’s family for donation. I can’t have an open-casket funeral if I’m a donor. A viewing or open-casket funeral is almost always possible following donation. Surgical incisions are covered by clothing and great care is taken to ensure the donor’s appearance is as normal as possible.
6
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LIVING DONATIONS In 2017, 6,187 people in the United States were living donors. In Nebraska, a living donor must be at least 19 years old. There is no fee for an individual to be screened for living donation. To be screened for living donation in Nebraska, contact Nebraska Medicine at 800-401-4444 or 402-559-5000. Below is a list of organs that can be donated, and the number of patients waiting for them in the United States and Nebraska (in parentheses). Kidney: 102,701 (204) Liver: 14,034 (152) Pancreas: 903 (14) Kidney/Pancreas: 1,669 (6) Heart: 3,900 (58) Lung: 1,458 (1) Intestine: 248 (19) Visit nedonation.org for more information.
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I can only register at the DMV. Although the majority of individuals register while obtaining their driver’s license, anyone can register (or update their registry) online anytime at nedonation.org.
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FEATURE // STORY BY DOUG MEIGS // ARTWORK BY CONNOR MEIGS // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
an organ donor’s legacy in art
THE MORNING OF the funeral, I woke early to write my identical twin brother’s eulogy. It began: “On the cover of a notebook, Connor spelled out his definition of art in boldface type: ‘Art is not communication. It is dialogue.’”
Robert Connor Meigs suffered severe brain trauma in a car accident three blocks from our childhood home on Dec. 20, 2004, in Omaha. I was driving and regained consciousness in a hospital bed. He died four days later.
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A self-portrait (ink) by Connor Meigs during his junior year at Central High School, 2001 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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FEATURE // ART AFTER LIFE
“Communication Tower,” 2004
The principal from our elementary school, Mrs. Krause, read Connor’s eulogy on behalf of my family during the service. I sat in the front church pew with my older brother, sister, and parents. As Mrs. Krause spoke, I remembered saying goodbye to Connor in the hospital on Christmas Eve. Looking at his face, it was like looking into a mirror, but my eyes were closed. Tubes protruded from his scalp. IVs chained his limp body to beeping machines. A miniature Christmas tree sat in the corner, turned off. His lungs still heaved via breathing machine. But because of a blood clot, his brain hadn’t received any oxygen for hours. He seemed to be sleeping when I walked away. She continued reading: “Connor was taken from us just as he was finding his artistic voice. His dialogue had just begun to take shape. He died too young. But his voice lives on. He lives in our memories.” Shadows fill my memory of the accident. I remember the Jeep sliding on an icy road. I remember arguing with my brother, then darkness. A police report explained the events: I lost control on black ice. We spun onto the opposite side of the road. The oncoming truck couldn’t stop. It plowed into Connor’s door, slamming our Jeep into a parked van. The following day, I regained consciousness. Connor did not. His eulogy continued: “The anecdotes from Connor’s life trail back 19 years. We all have them, and each of ours is different. The most consistent anecdote remembered by his close friends and family is his dedication to art.” Mrs. Krause spoke about Connor’s unexpected arrival for Thanksgiving break: He pulled into the driveway, barged into the house with a stack of canvases, disappeared again, and returned with more artwork. My mother, a local artist, promised to help him organize his first exhibit at the ArtLoft Gallery at Florence Mill after he graduated. He died halfway through his sophomore year at the University of Kansas.
While Mrs. Krause spoke, I remembered Connor’s phone calls from the School of Fine Arts at KU or his summer job at a bronze foundry in Prescott, Arizona. Like most siblings, we argued often. Connor especially liked to argue about art. He said things like, “Art is not communication,” then welded a 6-foot tall, foldable, portable communication tower out of iron. I thought he’d spent too much time in the studio, too much time with paint thinner, too much time distinguishing squares from rectangles. In the eulogy, I explained my brother’s concept of art, as he sat atop his communication tower during his final sculpture critique: “Through the communication tower, Connor was trying to articulate the unique power of an artist as he wobbled to and fro in the center of the class’ attention.” By itself, any expression can be a form of communication. But not all communication is art. When communication is interpreted, when a viewer comprehends the message, a two-way bridge is formed, a dialogue. Mrs. Krause finished reading. Mom had arranged an art exhibit in the church’s fellowship hall to follow his service. I stood by one of the entrances and thanked the well-wishers who followed. A tiny woman approached. She said her name was Mrs. Maher, our kindergarten teacher. Two misshapen, miniature clay books dangled from dental floss necklaces around her neck. She cupped the ornaments and held them forward. We had given her the necklaces in kindergarten. “Connor was the shy one,” she recalled. At the time we had given her the gifts, Connor had hidden behind me.
After the funeral, I went home, closed the door to my bedroom, and I cried. I had driven my twin brother, and all his gifts, to the grave. But life, like art, does not fit clear-cut definitions. My brother’s voice lives on in his artwork. His memory will live on through helping other young artists. My mother, Linda Meigs, initiated the Connor Meigs Art Award in the summer of 2007. The goal was to help young artists achieve what Connor could not—the beginning of a career. A posthumous art exhibit, titled Connor Meigs: Retrospective Dialogue, ran during the summers of 2005 and 2006 at the Florence Mill’s ArtLoft Gallery. In October, his show moved to the Beatrice Public Library in Beatrice, Nebraska. Now, his artwork rests in family members’ homes.
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Postscript: The first recipient of the Connor Meigs Art Award exhibited in the summer of 2007. Seven artists have received the award: Nicholas Shindell (2007), Sariah Ha (2008), Stephanie Olesh (2009), Matthew Farley (2010), Woohyun Shim, (2011), Christine Fredendall (2012), Kathy Irwin (2013). The Connor Meigs Art Award was temporarily postponed in 2014 as my father, John Meigs, fought a terminal cancer diagnosis. But the award will continue. The 2019 recipient is Mary Heldridge, a recent graduate from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. The Connor Meigs Art Award provides an honorarium of $1,000, studio visits to the working spaces of Omaha artists, and a solo exhibition with artist reception. The Fort Omaha campus of Metropolitan Community College sponsors lodging for out-of-town recipients. Connor’s legacy, however, does not end with art. His driver’s license noted that he was an organ donor. Doctors removed his liver, kidneys, heart valves, corneas, and some leg bone for the ultimate Christmas gifts to complete strangers. I met one of those strangers during the summer of 2005. A Norfolk, Nebraska, resident named Maggie Steele visited Connor’s exhibition at the Florence Mill to thank our family. A genetic disorder—alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency—had destroyed her liver, she explained.
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She received his liver on Christmas Day in 2004.
PEDI • MANI • SHELLAC • DIPPING POWDER ARTIFICIAL NAILS • WAXING • EYEBROW EXTENSIONS MASSAGE • VERSAPRO SUNLESS TANNING
Visit connormeigsartaward.com for more information. A version of this essay was originally published in the Columbia Missourian’s Vox Magazine on March 15, 2007.
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HOW TO APPLY FOR THE CONNOR MEIGS AWARD The award is restricted to recent graduates— or those soon to graduate—with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree. Applicants should submit a resume, artist statement, and 10 images by mail to the Florence Mill ArtLoft (9102 N. 30th St., Omaha, NE 68112) or by email to florencemill@gmail.com. The application deadline is Oct. 1, 2019, for a 2020 exhibit.
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GEN O // STORY BY LINDSAY WILSON // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY DEREK JOY
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The superstitions he took lightly as a child tell more than a story of his own upbringing— they are in many ways echoes of American imperialism. “Whenever we talk about [African traditional spiritual systems], we always have to remember that their root is African, but they’re about Africa in the New World,” Laveau explains. He describes how enslaved people had to develop new, subtle ways to continue their spiritual protection practices. “When we get down to the root of it, a lot of it was protection from a slave master, protection while fleeing north, protection from families being separated and sold,” he says. One powerful example of the dynamic nature of African traditional spiritual systems is the prominent superstition warning against “splitting poles” when walking with loved ones. The idea is that the streetlight or telephone pole could split the positive connection between two friends or family members who fail to walk on the same side of it together.
SITTING DOWN FOR a tarot reading across
from Shaun Laveau, the 21-year-old spiritual worker conveys the presence of someone more ancient. A conversation begins with cards sliding out of his favorite deck. Once he begins to read, it is clear that Laveau has more than a gift for empathy and intuition. “I’m true to this, I’m not new to this,” he says, claiming lineage descent from a line of Christian prophets. Although raised Christian, Laveau says that African traditional spiritual systems have always been an important part of his daily life. Many of these practices took the form of strict family superstitions: “You know, we don’t split poles when we go to the grocery store. We don’t sweep over each other’s feet. We won’t eat peanuts inside of the house. Every New Year, everybody has to have a spoon of black-eyed peas,” he explains. His ambitious final-year project at Westside High School—an encyclopedia of spiritual practices rooted in West African heritage— spurred his exploration of these family traditions. The project expanded Laveau’s understanding of Hoodoo and its amalgamation of West African spiritual practices passed on by African slaves in the Americas. Many vestiges of Hoodoo, he learned, have remained in the daily lives of many African-Americans without their tacit acknowledgment of the traditions’ root origins.
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Laveau recalls being a child scolded for splitting poles while playing in the grocery store, but later learned that this tradition comes from a very meaningful place: “You’re not wanting to lose somebody in your life— especially keeping that mentality of slavery, families would be cut up and divided every day, for no reason. Just for the matter of gain and profit. So if I didn’t want to lose my family member, of course, I wouldn’t cross a tree. We would have to walk on the same side of the tree together.” Laveau and his family have always known he was spiritually gifted. He describes leading his first demonic exorcism at just 14 years old. With support from family and guidance from his spiritual godmother, he was able to turn his gift into a profession to serve his community. He now offers a wide variety of Hoodoo, rootwork, divination, cleansing, and other spiritual services to clients from across the country. His business has been steadily growing in the four years he has been practicing professionally. Though Laveau says there is no “typical” appointment, he attributes his popularity simply to “the realness” of his gift. This includes a consistent format for appointments—only after a consultation about the nature of the concern and discussion of resolutions does Laveau begin his spiritual work. He says many clients come to him when it’s already too late. “When they have nowhere else to turn, when they have nobody else to get answers from, that’s when they usually turn to a rootworker or a spiritual worker.”
The best time to turn to him is the moment a concern or an inkling becomes prevalent, rather than after the fact. “A pinch of prevention is better than a pound of resolution,” he says. He adds that people are becoming more open to traditional African spiritual practices, largely because of the influence of pop culture. Shows such as Charmed and American Horror Story inspired people to embrace magic and African traditional spiritual systems. Overall this new exploration is positive, but Laveau warns against equating his lifestyle with a character on television. “There’s a difference between me fasting for seven days, abstaining from sex for 21 days, me waiting until the moon is in the perfect sign for me to make a manifestation...there’s a difference between these things and the things you saw on TV.” Laveau also sees the increase in New Age shops popping up around town as a positive development, but he is critical of the lack of diversity in the popular magical community. He says most shops don’t cater to the needs of spiritual practitioners of color and finds that they tend to encourage people to practice European Wicca instead of traditional Hoodoo, Santeria, and other non-European religions. Hispanic and Gypsy practitioners also tend to experience prejudice in some magical communities. He sees Omaha as a special place for magical communities to thrive. “Omaha has the ability to be a Salem or a New Orleans of the Midwest.” This is due to our city’s uncommon position on three major ley-lines, or magnetic lines that run across the Earth and connect to the South and North poles. Laveau reports that Omaha’s magical energy is also affected by the deep history of trauma and violence against Native Americans and AfricanAmericans in the area, of which spiritual practitioners should be mindful. “I don’t do it to be politically correct and for people to see me and say, ‘Wow, he’s really embracing his heritage,’” Laveau says. “I just do it because I embrace my heritage, and it’s a major part of who I am.” Ultimately, he feels called to develop opportunities for spiritual practitioners from all backgrounds. “The end goal for my practice is to have a store, so people can come in, sit down, and be heard authentically and openly.” Visit @shaunlaveaupsychic on Facebook for more information.
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On Nov. 8, 2018, Omaha Magazine presented its first Best of Omaha Soiree. The event was held at the Omaha Design Center and attended by 300 VIPs and 250 general admission guests. The Best of Omaha winners were recognized digitally on big-screen TVs. Large wall posters with the winners’ lists were also set up for those wanting to find their name without waiting for it to scroll across the TV. The mayor of Omaha and the Greater Omaha Chamber president gave short welcome speeches. The event started with an hour-long VIP reception that included valet parking, signature drinks, and hors d’oeuvres. The main event included also included complimentary hors d’oeuvres and special tokens that could be exchanged for two drinks. Special entertainment for the evening was provided by circus performers, who roamed among the guests as well as performed on a stage throughout the night. DJ Shor-T also added to the atmosphere with her music.
GIVING FEATURE // STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
Bilingual Outreach of Grief ’s Journey GRIEF IS INCREDIBLY complicated, says Gabriela Martinez.
Expressions of grief vary widely depending on the individual, family, and cultural context. Grief can be immediate or delayed. It may affect children and adults in different ways. And many things can trigger it, like the death of a loved one, the diagnosis of a serious illness, a life-changing injury, or separation through life circumstances like immigration challenges or incarceration. But there is one universal constant. “Nobody ever wants to become a part of this club,” says Martinez, the bilingual (Spanish/ English) outreach and inclusion coordinator for Grief ’s Journey, formerly Ted E. Bear Hollow. “Any of these losses can be such an isolating experience. We want to make sure no one has to go through their grief journey alone.” After earning a bachelor’s degree in social work from Creighton University, Martinez’s career has focused on equity and inclusion, an area of special interest for her, she says. Martinez herself is a first-generation American whose parents came to the United States from El Salvador in the early 1990s. “I was raised in a very social justice-oriented family. My dad worked a lot in New York with the [El Salvador] Consulate, so I was raised around a lot of politics. One of his big motivators was the death of Óscar Romero (an archbishop and outspoken social activist assassinated in 1980), who just became a saint under Pope Francis,” she says. She spent her early years in New York City surrounded by other families from Central America, so when her father took a job opportunity that brought the family to Omaha in the early 2000s, Martinez experienced some culture shock.
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“When I first came here, everyone would say, ‘Oh, you’re Mexican.’ But there are people who speak Spanish from other countries,” she says. “There are a lot of differences between Latino cultures.” Martinez says human services agencies and nonprofits must find ways to increase awareness and reach individuals who need their specific programs and services, especially underserved and vulnerable populations. The challenge is compounded two-fold when individuals and families are overwhelmed in a time of crisis and language is a barrier to communication. “The outreach and inclusion role is to make sure we are reducing barriers for all individuals in our community who are currently experiencing a loss, whether that be through immigration challenges, illness, or a death,” Martinez says. For instance, people often don’t realize that Grief ’s Journey support programs are free, open to both youth and adults, and available with Spanish-speaking facilitators. “I’m outreaching to those individuals that don’t necessarily know we’re a resource for them.” Martinez’s responsibilities at Grief ’s Journey reflect an organizational commitment to expand its services to a broader span of the population, CEO Rebecca Turner says. “Grief ’s Journey employs outreach coordinators charged with developing relationships and solutions for people who encounter obstacles to accessing support,” she says. “The agency addresses language and cultural barriers through paid and volunteer interpreters; provides snacks or meals at all of its programs; produces programs at a variety of locations, including partner schools and agencies; and frequently provides travel vouchers for program participants.”
Staff and volunteers are also trained to recognize potential need for other services beyond Grief ’s Journey’s grief support programs (from individual or family counseling to food pantry access), and they collaborate with other providers to help guide families to the resources they need. “A lot of it is referrals to, and interacting with, different agencies,” Martinez explains. “A death may just be one level of what this family is going through; they may need help putting food on the table or need other services as well. Grief support is important because it can have far-reaching effects beyond the initial loss, Turner says. “Research indicates that unaddressed grief correlates to issues such as poor school performance, poor work attendance, and lingering emotional and behavioral concerns; whereas healthy coping leads to long-term successes for children, families, and communities,” she says. “We believe everyone has a right to excellent and compassionate grief support and that our community is stronger with it.” “It’s about creating that community where we’re empathetic to these individuals and their journeys,” Martinez says. Visit griefsjourney.org for more information.
Gabriela Martinez
GIVING
CALENDAR JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2 0 1 9
Jan. 1 (10 a.m.-noon)
Jan. 21 (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
Jan. 27 (5 p.m.)
Benefiting: Omaha Running Club Location: 17007 Elm St.
Benefiting: Disrupting Traffick Location: The Pella at Blackstone
Benefiting: Essential Pregnancy Services Location: Embassy Suites La Vista
LIFE TIME COMMITMENT DAY 5K —omaharun.org
SECOND ANNUAL LIBERATION SUMMIT —disruptingtraffick.org
Jan. 5 (6:30 p.m.)
Jan. 25 (6 p.m.)
Benefiting: Munroe-Meyer Institute & WhyArts? Location: Scottish Rite Masonic Center
Benefiting: Nebraskans Embracing Life Location: DC Centre Banquet Facility
WINTER THEATER CAMP
—unmc.edu
Jan. 9 (7 p.m.)
OUTLAND TROPHY AWARD DINNER
Benefiting: National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Location: Double Tree Hotel by Hilton
Feb. 9 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.)
ANNUAL BENEFIT DINNER
OMAHA RINGS! HANDBELL FESTIVAL & WORSHIP
Benefiting: Nebraska Synod Location: St. Thomas Lutheran Church
—friendsofeps.org
—nebraskasynod.org
CELEBRATION OF LIFE BANQUET —nebraskansunitedforlife.org
Jan. 26 (6-9 p.m.)
NEBRASKA SCOTTISH SOCIETY’S ROBERT BURNS DINNER
Benefiting: Scottish Society of Nebraska Location: Scottish Rite Masonic Center —scottishriteomaha.org
—nfid.org
Feb. 2 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.)
Feb. 9 (11 a.m.-1 p.m.)
ULTRA CHIC BOUTIQUE AND THE DRESS FLIP
OMAHA POLAR PLUNGE
Benefiting: Special Olympics Nebraska Location: TBD
Benefiting: The Alzheimer’s Association Location: A View on State
—sone.org
—maxiwalker.com/ucb
Feb. 8 (6-9:30 p.m.)
CARNIVAL OF LOVE GALA
Benefiting: Heartland Family Service Location: Hilton Omaha —heartlandfamilyservice.org
Feb.
09
Feb. 9 (5 p.m.)
OMAHA HEART & STROKE BALL
Benefiting: American Heart Association Location: CHI Health Center Omaha —heart.org
Feb. 9 (6-11 p.m.)
SWING UNDER THE WINGS Jan. 19 (6 p.m.)
Jan. 26 & 27 (2 p.m.)
Benefiting: Midlands Community Foundation Location: Embassy Suites La Vista
Benefiting: Parkinson’s Nebraska Location: UNMC Ice Rink
MIDLANDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION REFLECTION BALL
—midlandscommunity.org
Benefiting: Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum Location: Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum
UNMC SKATE-A-THON FOR PARKINSON’S
—sacmuseum.org
Feb. 10 (2-4 p.m.)
THANKFUL HEARTS
—parkinsonsnebraska.org
Feb. 8 (5:30-10:30 p.m.)
MARIANFEST 2019: THE BIG SHINDIG
Benefiting: Omaha Marian High School Location: Omaha Marriott Downtown —marianhighschool.net
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Benefiting: Nebraska Children’s Home Society Location: Nebraskaland National Bank —nchs.org
BIG EVENT // SPONSORED
Dig into the newest focus areas to see how our community is faring: MISSION STATEMENT
TheLandscapeOmaha.org
To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.
FEATURED EVENT
ARTS & CULTURE
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
2019 Omaha Heart & Stroke Ball, with presenting sponsor Renaissance Financial.
DATE Feb. 9, 2019
The Landscape is a community-driven research project that incorporates publicly-available data, policy review, and insight gathered from engagement with local residents. It provides a platform for knowing our community and understanding how to invest in its future.
EVENT DESCRIPTION/THEME A heartbeat—we are one.
LOCATION
OmahaFoundation.org
CHI Health Center Omaha
EVENT PROGRAM —5:00 p.m., VIP Patron Party hosted by Aetna —6:00 p.m., Cocktail Reception and Mini-Live Auctions —7:30 p.m., Dinner, Live Auction and Pulse Party
TICKET PRICING $300 per ticket
ATTIRE Black tie
CONTACT INFO
Savor the experience
heart.org/omahaheartball
Voted Best of Omaha EIGHT Years in a Row 402.558.3202 cateringcreations.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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// GIVING CALENDAR //
Feb. 16 (TBD)
Feb. 16 (noon-4 p.m.)
Benefiting: Restoration Exchange Omaha Location: TBA
Benefiting: United Cerebral Palsy Location: The Old Market
HEART BOMBING
—restorationexchange.org
BARSTOOL OPEN —ucpnebraska.org
Feb. 16 (6:30-10 p.m.)
WINGS OF HOPE WINTER FUNDRAISER Benefiting: Wings of Hope Location: Mid-America Center —wingsofhope.org
Feb. 16 (7 p.m.)
CONCORDIA STRING TRIO
Benefiting: Omaha Conservatory of Music Location: Omaha Conservatory of Music
Feb. 23 (6 p.m.)
Feb. 28 (6 p.m.)
Feb. 16 (4:30 p.m.)
FIESTA 2019
Benefiting: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Location: CHI Health Center Omaha
Benefiting: Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska Location: Embassy Suites Downtown Omaha
—mercyhigh.org
Feb. 24 (1-5 p.m.)
—omahacm.org
Benefiting: Mercy High School Location: Omaha Marriott Downtown
22ND ANNUAL JDRF PROMISE GALA
—jdrf.org/omaha
RALLY FOR KIDS 2019
—lfsneb.org
ART & SOUP
Benefiting: Visiting Nurse Association Location: Embassy Suites La Vista —vnatoday.org
Feb. 16 (7 a.m.)
TREK UP THE TOWER
Benefiting: WELLCOM Location: First National Bank Tower
Event times and details may change. Check with venue or event organizer to confirm.
—trekupthetower.org
Help more families
build a strong foundation with an affordable home.
Please make a gift today at habitatomaha.org // 84 //
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
Spring is Coming to Two Traditions Unite
53RD
ANNUAL
omahahomeandgarden.com Don’t Miss the Home & Garden Event of the Year! Browse over 200,000 square feet of displays showcasing everything for the home—Inside & Out! Featuring fresh design ideas, waterfalls, blooming flowers & the smells of Springtime!
Meet Experts throughout the Show including Kevin O'Connor of This Old House
Thursday through Sunday, February 7-10
Produced by Mid-America Expositions, Inc. Contact Mike Mancuso, Show Director 402·346·8003 | Producing Quality Shows Since 1964
A
ago, I saw a book featuring older people from California and New York dressed to the hilt, telling stories of their life experiences. COUPLE OF YEARS
I thought, “Omahans have many stories to tell, too!” The January/February 2018 issue of Omaha Magazine was our first “Prime Time” story with unforgettable people. It was wellreceived, and here we are again. The models were chosen by talking to people, getting recommendations for men and women who are 60-plus. Model candidates had to be active in the community, live interesting lives, and had to be sharp, upbeat, and youthful. The questions asked of each person were challenging, and their answers and advice are amazing.
We asked them their age, what has been most important to them in their lives, and about their careers and challenges. We also asked what accomplishments they are most proud of and what brings them happiness. Finally, we asked them for advice about living life, aging gracefully, and looking good at any age. There were some surprises. Marian Anderson, 90, is always going somewhere—every time I talked with her she was just getting home and was on her way out the door. This busy lady is still driving. Tom Tomoser, 79, has a 3-year-old daughter and a 61-year-old son. All of the subjects are very busy living life.
Everyone was great to talk to and open to suggestions on attire and locations for photos. We wanted to depict their personalities and styles. Many thanks to photographers Heather and Jameson Hooton for their beautiful photography. Thank you to all who participated. You have such interesting lives. You show us that you can look good at every age and to live every day anew.
Contributing Editor
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 • 60PLUS
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FEATURE // PRIME TIME Camille Metoyer Moten
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Charlie Rossi
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Cyndee Heedum
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FEATURE // PRIME TIME Iris J. Moore, M.D., FACS and Gary F. Moore, M.D., FACS
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FEATURE // PRIME TIME Ann Dunn and Michael J Dunn, M.D.
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Greg S. Cutchall
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John Mangiameli
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FEATURE // PRIME TIME Marian Andersen
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FEATURE // PRIME TIME Myriel “My” Böes
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Norma Jene (Hill) Baker
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Roger W. Sayers
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FEATURE // PRIME TIME Tom Tomoser
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FEATURE // STORIES CONTRIBUTED // PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE HOOTENS // DESIGN BY DEREK JOY
Charlie Rossi, 74 Page 89 Camille Metoyer Moten, 64 Page 88 “A life well lived” is the phrase I hope will fall from the lips of anyone describing me long after I’m gone. My parents instilled in me a love of people and sensitivity to what is important in this life. That, along with the strength that comes from my relationship with Jesus Christ, has allowed me to be grateful for all of my triumphs and challenges. Our home was filled with music, love, and activism; my parents were involved in fighting for civil rights. This gave us the opportunity to learn that fighting for what is right is important, and it often means educating others. I have learned to balance marriage, children, and a singing career, and have made giving back a priority in my life. My husband and I worked at Boys Town for 16 years as family teachers, giving love and structure to over 100 children. My career outside of singing included coordinating programs at the YWCA [now known in Omaha as the Women’s Center for Advancement], management at CommScope, and writing grants at Youth Care and Beyond. I have performed at the Omaha Community Playhouse, served on several boards at the YWCA, am the board president of Arts for All, and am presidentelect of the downtown Rotary Club. In 2013, I discovered I had breast cancer, but with my faith and the support of family and friends, I sailed through that episode of my life without a hitch. I am most proud of my two grown children, my grandson, and of being married for 42 years. I am so blessed. Happiness is such a fleeting emotion; I focus on the underlying joy within my soul that comes from my relationship with Christ. I am happy when I am singing, and hopefully I impart happiness to my audiences. My advice for living life is exactly that—live life. I continue to live, set new goals, and focus on doing good in the world. I have released my third CD; all were recorded from age 54 to 64. If someone told me I was too old to do that, I didn’t hear them. It’s too late to go back now. // 100 //
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Growing up in St. Louis during the 1950s and early 1960s, I lived in a neighborhood with friends whose major interests were sports and clothes. The area was barely middle-class, yet my friends and I aspired to own clothes with upscale labels, such as shirts from Gant and Hathaway, sweaters from Pringle of Scotland, and Weejuns (penny loafers) from G.H. Bass & Co. Little did I know my affinity for designername clothes would have such a profound impact on my life. My first significant retail position was on the sales staff of the St. Louis Neiman Marcus store, which opened in 1974. Some salient advice I received while working there was, “If you own a store, it should have a focus and not try to be all things to all people.” This philosophy has guided me during my entire career. I have always been a big fan of the old movie stars of the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s, such as Gary Cooper, Fred Astaire, and Clark Gable. They each had a personal yet timeless style. When Ralph Lauren reinterpreted this manner of dress for the modern man, I was inspired to adopt a classic aesthetic for my store. Marriage brought me to Omaha in 1977. I resumed my retail career here at Ben Simons at Westroads after seeking out stores that carried Polo by Ralph Lauren and discovering this was the only local store carrying the brand at that time. Not long after starting there, I was introduced to the gentleman who represented Polo Clothing Co. in this area. He suggested to the men’s clothing buyer that he take me to New York to assist in the selection of Polo merchandise for Ben Simons. I left Ben Simons in March 1978 to help open Suttons in Regency Fashion Court, placing primary emphasis on the Polo label. My association there lasted 12 ½ years. My dream of owning my own store came to fruition when I opened Rossi Clothiers in July 1991. I have no intention of retiring. As my son once said to a friend, “My pop has never had a job in his life, because he goes to his hobby every day.” I have been fortunate to have good health, which I mostly attribute to genetics, but doing something you have a passion for sure helps. Family and friends also give meaning to your life. I have close friends I have known for over 50 years. My customers are not just my customers, they are also my friends. After all, I have known some of them for close to 40 years. Finally, I am so proud of my three children and selfishly hope to live a long time so I can spend it with my five phenomenal grandchildren.
Cyndee Heedum, 66 Page 90 I grew up in Scotia, Nebraska, a town of 350 people. I attended the University of Nebraska and attained a degree in interior design; however, I had fallen in love with retail working in a family business growing up. That took me on my first retail management journey at Kmart. After working there for 10 years, I decided to use my degree and worked for several years in the commercial design industry. I then went back to retail and have worked for 19 years in the corporate office of J.C. Penney. I am a single professional who loves my job. I am proud of the friends who have helped me along the way, and my brother, who is my best friend. I am a positive person and enjoy what every day offers. I have been successful in my career and would not change a thing. My favorite accomplishment was traveling to Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany and working on all their military dorms. Germany had great wine. I enjoy being involved with the arts in Omaha, visiting wineries, and watching Husker football. My advice to others is to have a couple glasses of white wine every evening and toast to your friends. You need to keep moving, think young, and remove your makeup every night. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up, and never give up.
Gary F. Moore, M.D., FACS, 67 Page 91 I thought I had everything figured out...until I met Iris. I was valedictorian, a National Merit Scholar, and top of my dental school class. I knew exactly where I was going. She had been my organic chemistry lab partner, and because Mama didn’t raise no fool, I asked her to be my partner forever. When her green eyes and priceless tenacity left to pursue medical school in Omaha, I could not follow her fast enough. I switched from dentistry to medicine and let the cards fall where they may. That is why, for 45 years, I’ve introduced myself as “Iris’ husband.” I thought there was no greater title.
Until we had children. Being called “Papa” usurped any letters that might follow my name. As a father and a physician, I’ve learned people are willing to go much further when they feel they are being led and not pushed. I have trained 100-plus surgeons and raised three children, and I have tried to impress upon them two things: be your own boss, and first impressions matter. Which is why investing in yourself—not just in education and business, but in your appearance—is tantamount to success. In today’s culture of anything-means-business-casual, it is easy for performance to mirror attire. Dress like you give a damn. As I have aged, I have discovered I enjoy the simple things in life. I want to spend as much time as possible with my family, drink good red wine, and be the best-dressed guy in the room. Because moderation is a wonderful thing…as long as you don’t overdo it.
Iris J. Moore, M.D., FACS, 67 Page 91 I grew up on a cattle ranch in Colorado, then moved a world away to spend my teenage years helping my parents run an orphanage in equatorial Brazil. The last place I thought I’d end up was Omaha. But it’s worked out pretty well. Before medical school, I didn’t even know what an ear, nose, and throat surgeon did—I just wanted to find solutions to problems. Not only was I the first person in my family to graduate college, I earned six degrees from the University of Nebraska and have made Omaha my home for nearly 40 years. I fought gender politics in medicine while building a practice, raised three wonderful children despite working 80-hour weeks, and stayed married to my best friend and partner when it would have been easier to quit. I just don’t quit. That’s probably the best advice I can give—whether someone’s starting out or barely hanging on. Even though no one thinks I will ever retire, I am actually looking forward to it. I’ll spend more time mentoring prospective physicians through the Nebraska Women’s Leadership Network, care for those the world has forgotten, and ride my horses at sunset. Maybe I will even slow down enough to enjoy some “coffee with my cream,” as friends say. I will probably be late to my own funeral, but until that day, I am going to embrace my age, my wrinkles, and my failures. Because all of them tell the story of who I am and whom I have yet to become.
Ann Dunn, 77 Page 92 I grew up in Omaha and was a student at Creighton University when I met and married Mike. We recently celebrated our 55th anniversary. In the early 1980s, I returned to school at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with honors, and a specialty in business information systems. With this degree, I worked at Mutual of Omaha for 20 years in information technology. The one great sorrow in our lives was the loss of our son, Timothy, in 1988 in an automobile accident. Our other three children have blessed us with 11 wonderful grandchildren. We love seeing them frequently and being a part of each of their lives. Through the years, I have enjoyed many different pursuits including tennis, skiing, running (now walking), golf (which I took up at the age of 70 and have achieved a hole-in-one), gardening, exercising, cooking, entertaining family and friends, reading, playing cards, mahjong, and travel. I treasure long-term friendships and therefore monthly outings are planned with my high school classmates, work friends, and siblings. My advice for a long life is to exercise daily, eat and drink wisely, and never stop learning. We have been blessed with a great family, good health, and wonderful friends. Life is good.
Michael J Dunn, M.D., 79 Page 92 I grew up in Lead, South Dakota, in the northern Black Hills. I came to Omaha in 1957 to attend Creighton University for premed studies and then attended the Creighton University School of Medicine. After graduation in 1964, I completed four years of internal medicine residency training and entered private practice in 1968. I became board-certified in internal medicine and, subsequently, became a fellow of the American College of Medicine and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. After retiring from private practice in 2004, I became a principal investigator at Quality Clinical Research, where I have worked part time for the past 12 years.
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The greatest joys and loves in my life have been my wife, Ann, our four children, and 11 grandchildren. I have enjoyed skiing since the age of 10, upland bird hunting, salmon fishing in Alaska, scuba diving, running (I have completed one marathon), and now stretching exercises and walking. I have enjoyed refinishing old furniture, some stone masonry work, gardening, and swimming pool maintenance (I’m the cabana boy for our backyard pool). Through the years I’ve kept up with reading current medical literature, and I enjoy reading mystery novels as well. I attribute my success and happiness to my wife, Ann. One must choose their lifelong partner very carefully. I did that for sure.
Greg S. Cutchall, 66 Page 93
Love, support, faith, and family are the cornerstones to hiring an employee and helping them develop a successful career. As for my personal life, I find great joy in my eldest daughter, who is a mechanical engineer, and my younger daughter who is a manager in my business. I love to go racing with my son and watch him drive a race car with precision and passion. He most recently placed second in the National Auto Sport Association Championships in Austin, Texas, at the world-famous Formula One track— Circuit of the Americas. Being married to my beautiful wife and business partner for 39 years has brought me constant support and happiness. I stay young at heart by exercising on a regular basis, and I eat and drink everything in moderation. I also love to go skiing in Colorado every year.
Marian Andersen, 90 I am the president and CEO of Cutchall Management Co. I have also been husband to Molly Cutchall for 19 years, and we have three children and four grandchildren.
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When I think back on my accomplishments, I am most proud of my family, and of not only surviving, but flourishing in a tough business (restaurants) for 36 years.
I grew up in Lincoln, and met and married Harold “Andy” Andersen there. We moved to Omaha in 1958, and I enjoyed a career as a homemaker and community volunteer.
My family brings me happiness, as do my friends, and I also enjoy helping my employees grow and succeed within my company.
I raised two children. My son David lives in Omaha with his wife, Leslie, and their three children; my daughter Nancy lives in Denver with her three sons.
My advice for living life is to enjoy every day, look for the positive, and don’t sweat the small stuff. As for aging gracefully, I think I’m lucky to have good genes, but I also think people should stay active and engaged in both work and life.
John Mangiameli, 63 Page 94 I started my business (Creative Hair Design Salon & Spa) with three employees and have grown to over 95 employees. We just expanded and remodeled the whole company, which cost more than $500,000. We have over 850 years of combined experience within our staff, with some employees celebrating 30 years of employment. I find happiness in being able to hire a young employee and help them develop into a successful designer. By doing so, the employee is able to buy a home and invest in the company’s 401K, often creating a sizeable fund. // 102 //
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I served on many local and national boards, including the Red Cross and PBS. Harold and I co-chaired the first Shakespeare on the Green Festival, and we served as chairs of that event for 20 years. We were also the first chairmen of the Tocqueville Society of the United Way and the University of Nebraska Campaign for Excellence. I derive great pleasure being with family and friends, and I love sports. I’ve been to every Major League stadium for baseball in the U.S. and have been attending Nebraska football games for 87 years. I was 3 years old when I went to my first game. I like to travel—I’ve been to all 50 states and 60 countries. Two of my favorite pieces of advice are: “A professional plans her vacations around her work; a volunteer plans her work around her vacations,” and “carpe diem; seize the day!”
Myriel “My” Böes, 73 Page 96 My bio in “Who’s Who” of Interior Designers reads: “Both an artist and an interior designer, My brings variety and drama to her design projects. Beginning her education with a B.A. in fine art and continuing with extensive study in art, art history, architecture, design, ancient history, and feng shui, she combines all with a common thread—creativity. She owns her own firms: My Designs, Art Böes/Boes Art, Celestial Properties & Management, and Parallel Properties. As designer of residential, commercial, and art projects around the country, she has traveled extensively, been published, quoted, and lectured on design and art.” Being the youngest of five girls and raised by renaissance parents, I was never told that I couldn’t do something because I was a girl— the comparison just wasn’t there. This has served me well all my life. I graduated from college right before my 21st birthday. After college, I worked for Bozell & Jacobs advertising in the art department (where I was also asked to model for print and TV commercials), Smith Kaplan as copywriter/media buyer, and Renstrom Advertising as creative director. I then went on to freelance work, and have been self-employed since. The evolving Old Market drew me to open an art, antiques, and gift shop called “The Small Pink Orange” (1968-1973). Over the years, I have overlapped my businesses. Someone asking me to design their home became the start of My Design. An artist telling me I was selling more art than any museum or gallery and asking if I would represent them became the start of Art Böes/ Boes Art. In 1990, I started buying rental property in Dundee, which has helped to support my creative habit. My current passion is developing 46 acres in the Loess Hills into a sustainable creative camp/art residency, sculpture gardens, and a camp to help build self-esteem in young girls. If you combine art and nature, that happens. I plan to spend time there and get back to painting, writing, and increased traveling. I have traveled extensively (45 countries to date) and find that expanding my knowledge of other people and cultures continues my desire to be open and aware. As with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it is important to me to be well on my way to self-actualization. In other words, to be happy and fulfilled. I’m a healthy, happy person who loves to learn, grow, and give back some of the great talents and assets that I have been lucky to possess.
FEATURE // PRIME TIME
My family of two children and five grandchildren brings me happiness, as does nature and intellectual curiosity. I am a voracious reader. As for aging gracefully, I am fortunate to have good genes, but I encourage anyone to stay active and passionate, and to see the humor in all things. To quote a sign in my office, “Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like heaven is on earth.”
Norma Jene (Hill) Baker, 85 Page 97
I opened Nebraska’s first sun-tanning salon. It became the largest tanning salon in the state, and we operated it for 20 years before selling it in 1999. In 1987, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer. I endured a year of surgeries, chemotherapy treatments, and 61 radiation treatments, but the cancer left. It returned in 1998. I received several more treatments and was under the care of fantastic doctors. I have been cancer-free now for nearly 20 years. These days, we continue to travel between our residences in Omaha and Hilton Head, South Carolina, which is good for our physical and mental well-being.
Roger W. Sayers, 76 I am originally a Texan. I was born in Texas, although my family moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, just before my sixth birthday. I paid my own way through business school, earning an executive secretarial certificate in 1951. My first job was as a secretary to two orthopedic surgeons. I was later hired as secretary to the assistant chief engineer at United Gas Pipeline Co. I met Billy Baker in 1956, and we were married the following December. Billy was working toward his doctorate in agriculture at LSU. Because of a United Gas policy on marriage, I was required to resign. In 1966, we were transferred to Hong Kong, where Billy worked all of Southeast Asia for Eli Lily and Co. We lived in Hong Kong for three years. I raised three young children and attended Hong Kong University to study Spanish. (Yes, that’s right. There was no way I could tackle trying to speak Mandarin.) As a member of the International Women’s Association, I also learned to type in Braille, and translated books written in English into Braille. Living in Hong Kong was a fantastic experience. We had full-time live-in help, which spoiled me for life. We returned to the U.S. in 1969, settling in Indianapolis, where I soon met a neighbor who taught art classes in her home. She invited me to join the group, which was the beginning of a nine-year friendship and artlearning experience. I preferred painting African animals and my versions of antique Asian paintings on silk—although I painted in watercolor. In 1979 we moved to Omaha, where Billy worked for Elanco. At this time our kids were a college freshman, a high school senior, and an eighth-grade student.
Page 98 I consider myself a true product of the Omaha community. I attended Howard Kennedy and Lothrop elementary schools, and Central High School. I received my bachelor’s degree from Omaha University and an MBA from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. I spent many years as a volunteer or board member at numerous Omaha community and civic organizations. My entire working life has been in Omaha. I retired from Union Pacific Railroad after 26 years. It goes without saying that I am very proud of my accomplishments in the field of athletics, especially being proclaimed the 33rd-greatest athlete in Nebraska history by the Omaha World-Herald, and as the most decorated amateur athlete of my generation. These accomplishments have culminated in being the recipient of eight hall of fame awards for track, football, and overall athletics. My current focus and pride is my family. My two daughters, three sons, and 12 grandchildren are making a difference and contributing to society. My wife and I thoroughly enjoy their presence. I frequently get asked about aging and living life. I believe it is very important that you stay active mentally and physically. If possible, volunteer your time and talents. One thing is for certain, you must be able to handle the stress that life will bring. The root of my comfort is the strength and joy that comes from my spirituality and faith.
Because of my athletic career, and as the older brother of Chicago Bears Hall of Fame great Gale Sayers, sports have always been a source of interest. I am an avid golfer and I am in my element when spending time on the golf course with my companions.
Tom Tomoser, 79 Page 99 I’m a father of five, ranging in age from 3 to 61. The oldest four kids are all college grads and doing well. The oldest is an RN and has a bachelor’s degree; our second child has a CPA/ MBA and is director of auditing at Creighton; our third child is a professor of economics and has a master’s degree from Sinclair University; and the fourth is GM of HVAC Co. and has a bachelor’s degree in zoology. Our baby is the light of our life, being supercute, talented, and very intelligent. I am an entrepreneur. I started in meat packing and built a $2.4-million-a-year business from a throwaway beef byproduct, and was the largest supplier of the raw material for Jewish Torah scrolls. Eighty percent of the Torahs at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem were made from leather materials I supplied. At one time I had 92 percent of that business. My biggest challenge today is building another million-dollar business to provide for my 37-year-old wife and our 3-year-old daughter. My wife was an on-air radio personality in the Dominican Republic and is an excellent photographer and cinematographer. Lone Eagle Records is our independent record label. To get national attention, I’m working up a pitch in order to get on the TV show Shark Tank. Rosmery T. Videos is our video arm. “Ros” has a channel on YouTube and over 15,000 views. We also have a sales company, selling memberships in a large buying co-op. I am proud of many events in my life, such as being able to continue living a full, productive life at age 79 and providing for my wife and daughter. As a high school dropout, I am proud of having built a $1 million business. I also placed fifth in “Amateur Night at The Apollo in NYC.” I have become a successful karaoke performer. The Omaha World-Herald printed a big spread on me in December 2010, and CMT ran my videos on-air in 1986.
I have been married to Annette Scott for 33 years. We are compatible on so many levels. We just enjoy being with each other. We love to travel, especially taking cruises and family vacations. Annette is truly my best friend.
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I always wanted to be a “snappy dresser,” as we said in the 1950s. My mother had six brothers who all stood 5’2” to 5’6.” I stood 5” when I was 10, so I received many expensive hand-me-down dress shirts and ties from them. From age 10 on I was a snappy dresser, as I always wore a shirt, tie, and sweater to school. When I went into the Navy, I bought tailor-made dress blues.
Walnut Grove
I tell everyone who will listen that I am the happiest man on Earth. I turned my life around when I found God and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Like the Jewish people keep kosher, which means fit, we of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints obey a health law called “The Word Of Wisdom.” Obeying the Word Of Wisdom has contributed to my excellent health, which allows me to work 60-70 hours a week and still have energy to enjoy angels. Most important to health is a positive, can-do attitude. I adopted the attitude of Bobby Layne, who played quarterback in the NFL. Layne once said, “I never really lost a game in my career, sometimes I just ran out of time.”
Celebrate Life! Thank you for voting Walnut Grove one of Omaha’s Best in Retirement Living! At Walnut Grove, we offer more than just a community - we offer a worry-free lifestyle. Our all-inclusive retirement living concept makes life for our residents more comfortable, secure, and fun.
Call today to schedule a private tour and be our guest for lunch:
402-609-7373
4901 S. 153rd St. Omaha, NE 68137 WalnutGroveRetirement.com
Proud members of Vetter Senior Living
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ELKHORN 600 Brookestone Meadows Plz. brookestonemeadows.com (402) 289-2696
OBVIOUSLY OMAHA // STORY BY JUSTINE YOUNG // PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
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Every Rose Has Its (Wacky) Thorn OMAHA FLORAL SHOPS have deep roots, with dozens planted throughout the metro. The annual
sequence of holidays, weddings, and romantic flings keep local florists busy. Their busiest time of the year, by far, is Valentine’s Day. Although every good florist knows to stock up in time for Feb. 14, even the most seasoned pros can be caught off guard by the occasional strange request. The following local florists shared some of their most memorable—sometimes wacky—requests from customers. 01. CORUM’S FLOWERS & GIFTS Florist: Pam Cyboron Address: 639 Fifth Ave., Council Bluffs Phone: 712-322-7355 Website: corumsflowers.com Pam Cyboron distinctly recalls one particular customer’s unusual order— a request for a bouquet of dead flowers tied together neatly with a ribbon. The customer wanted a theaterthemed gift for her husband, who was acting in a stage performance of the play Oklahoma! Cyboron signed the card “Poor Jud Fry” just in time for opening night. 02. TAYLOR’S FLOWER SHOP &
GREENHOUSE
Florist: Tracy Taylor Address: 12310 K Plaza, Suite 108 Phone: 402-733-2322 Website: taylorsflowers24hours.com Tracy Taylor’s typical day often involves answering the phone and hearing a familiar voice: Mr. Secret Admirer. This person makes regular orders at Taylor’s Flower Shop & Greenhouse, and he always keeps his identity anonymous. After a year and a half of deliveries with unsigned cards, Tracy is still wondering the identity of this most loyal of customers. 03. BLOOMS Florist: Brandy Schreiner Address: 10923 Prairie Brook Road Phone: 402-991-2300 Website: omahablooms.com
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04. THE PURPLE ORCHID Florist: Rachael Sjn Address: 1503 Galvin Road S., Suite 2 Phone: 402-609-0900 Website: purpleorchidflowers.com This shop gets it fair share of weird requests (including a bride who brought in used shotgun shells and asked for boutonnieres to be made with them). But the sweetest order Sjn has ever received? After an Air Force member was relocated from Omaha to a base in San Antonio, he contacted The Purple Orchid with a special request: one teddy bear dressed in Air Force garb holding a bouquet of flowers for his sweetheart back home in Nebraska. 05. ALL SEASONS FLORAL & GIFTS Florist: Dana Bean Address: 16939 Wright Plaza Phone: 402-991-9300 Website: everbloomfloral.net Dana Bean knows that when Valentine’s Day is coming up, she can expect to see all kinds of customers in her shop. From those composing poems and ordering traditional bouquets of red roses, to guys quoting lines from The Bachelor (“Will you accept this rose?”), and even last-minute customers in need of one-of-a-kind arrangements. The weirdest order Bean gets every year? The guy who requests a gorgeous bouquet delivery for his wife…and another for his girlfriend.
After nearly 20 years in the floral industry, Schreiner has really seen and heard it all. Especially since she received the most memorable and emotional order of her career just last year—a beautiful arrangement for a couple’s upcoming wedding day. The catch? Schreiner was the mother of the bride.
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DINING REVIEW // STORY BY NIZ PROSKOCIL // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
LET’S DO BRUNCH LOCAL BRUNCH FANS FLOCK TO EARLY BIRD IN OMAHA’S BLACKSTONE DISTRICT
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A fanciful flight of three pancakes
HOURLONG WAITS ARE COMMON, ESPECIALLY ON WEEKEND MORNINGS. BRIGMAN ATTRIBUTES THE POPULARITY TO THE BROAD BRUNCHFOCUSED MENU AND THE PRIME LOCATION IN BLACKSTONE.
A doughnut kabob, aka "Ka-Bob's"
// DINING REVIEW //
Eggs Benedict variation: Shrimp Grit Benny"
OVE WEEKEND BRUNCH?
A better question is: who doesn’t? For many, it’s the most important, and most fun, meal of the week—a sweet, salty, savory, often boozy feast where it’s equally appropriate to enjoy eggs Benedict or a BLT and wash it all down with mimosas and bloody marys. Across Omaha, there are plenty of places to indulge in omelets, waff les, avocado toast, and other breakfast and brunch favorites. Since opening in November 2017 in midtown's Blackstone District, Early Bird has become a go-to spot for many local brunchgoers, and not just on weekends. A modern take on the classic diner, the restaurant aims to give guests “an elevated brunch experience,” according to Ben Brigman, general manager. “We thought we could bring that whole diner feel and elevate it.” Open daily, Early Bird offers a handful of breakfast staples and brunch favorites, along with sandwiches, salads, and other dishes. Pancakes are available in f lavors ranging from chocolate chip, to blueberry, to cinnamon roll, to pineapple (and more). I opted for a pancake f light, three kinds of cakes on one plate. They were light and f luffy with golden exteriors. Mine were plenty sweet and didn’t need syrup.
The menu also includes a few types of eggs Benedict. My dining partner ordered a meatless version with spinach and asparagus. Toasted English muffin halves each held a poached egg draped with a luscious blanket of hollandaise. The sauce had just the right silky consistency, not too thin or thick. She asked for the eggs poached hard, and they arrived as specified with a firm yolk. Grated potatoes used for hash browns are formed into a tiny cylindrical tower instead of a thin, f lat layer. Although the presentation is nice, less surface area means less of the crispy, golden-brown crust that makes hash browns so good. Diners can satisfy their doughnut cravings with doughnut holes served on a skewer or a giant doughnut the size of a plate. The sweet treats are from Bob’s Donuts next door, which shares the same building and owners as Early Bird. Fried chicken strips are paired with a maple doughnut for a sweet-savory dish that was a hit with the youngest at our table, my friend’s 8-year-old son. He also tackled an order of tots that were hot, crispy, and just salty enough. The chicken, served with a side of turkey sausage gravy for dipping, was crunchy, golden brown, and well-seasoned.
Bright and colorful, the dining room features comfortable round booths, wood and brick accents with pops of yellow and pale blue, plus a bar with counter seating. A focal point is a mural with birds hand-painted by a local artist, a perfect complement to the relaxed, casual atmosphere. “Fun is very much a theme here,” Brigman says. From day one, business has been brisk, he says. Hourlong waits are common, especially on weekend mornings. Brigman attributes the popularity to the broad brunch-focused menu and the prime location in Blackstone. “It’s such an up-andcoming area of town. The neighborhood is outstanding,” he says. “There’s a real sense of camaraderie.” Visit earlybirdbrunch.com for more information. EARLY BIRD 3824 FARNAM ST. | 402-934-5535 FOOD SERVICE AMBIANCE PRICE OVERALL
$$ 5 STARS POSSIBLE
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DINING FEATURE // STORY BY MEGAN FABRY // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
Chili & Cinnamon
Rolls
A LEGENDARY MIDWESTERN COMBO
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Chili and cinnamon rolls from Panera, styled by Bill Sitzmann
// DINING FEATURE //
AIRING CHILI AND CINNAMON ROLLS IS A MIDWEST POINT OF PRIDE THAT MAY PERPLEX VISITORS FROM LESS-CENTERED STATES. WHEN THE COLD WEATHER HITS, WARM CHILI AND GOOEY CINNAMON ROLLS ARE A FAMILIAR COMBINATION THAT COMFORTS MIDWESTERN BELLIES. “The Midwest is about comfort foods,” says Brent Ganey, co-owner of Garden Café in Rockbrook Village. “Warm, hearty chili topped off with a sweet sticky roll is just what we need to get through the winter.” Garden Café has a chili and cinnamon roll recipe that originated from school lunch ladies in Dow City, Iowa. Garden Café founder Ron Popp had an aunt who worked in the kitchen and wanted to share her recipe with the world. “I love a big bowl of chili on a cold, wintry day, wrapped in a blanket with my family on the couch, a good football game on the set, and the good old feeling of love,” says Ganey, who had his first experience of chili and cinnamon rolls when his grandmother took him to Garden Café as a child. The origins of this unique meal are unknown, but Mix 97-3, a Sioux Falls radio station, speculated that it began in logging camps of the Great Lakes region, where cooks poured leftover chili on top of cinnamon rolls. The heartiness of the meat in the chili and the sugar in the frosting supposedly gave loggers the boost they needed to complete their workday. Other accounts suggest that cinnamon—a common ingredient in chili—led to this delicious discovery. People are eating chili and cinnamon rolls all over the Midwest, and each cook says theirs is the best—even at fast-food franchises. Chili and cinnamon rolls appear on the menus of Runza restaurants every winter, making the Lincolnheadquartered company a power player when it comes to public perception. The Midwestern fast-food restaurant began selling chili and cinnamon rolls in 2007 after the success of their partnership with Miller & Paine, who provided cinnamon rolls at Runza’s fast casual concept Braeda Fresh Express Café, says Donald Everett Jr., the president of Runza.
Everett has worked at Runza since he was 12. His grandmother started the restaurant in 1940, and his father expanded the family food empire with additional locations. Runza has served chili for over 40 years, and Everett says the recipe has remained the same: “Until you’ve really dipped a chunk of cinnamon roll in that chili, you have no idea. It’s kind of like chocolate and peanut butter. Once you’ve tried it, it’s actually pretty tasty.” Everett says his elementary school, Ruth Hill Elementary, served the combo when he was a kid. He often hears from fellow Nebraskans who first tasted the gooey-sweet combo in their own school cafeterias. “It’s a common combination here, and that’s why we don’t think it’s weird,” he says. "But it’s like our state slogan: It’s not for everyone.” Many Omaha-area restaurants offer chili and cinnamon rolls separately on their menu, which can be ordered together. Wheatfields Eatery & Bakery is also acclaimed for their cinnamon rolls. If they seem familiar, it is probably because the recipe comes from founder Ron Popp’s hometown of Dow City, Iowa. (Yes, the same Popp who founded Garden Café.)
“I love chili and cinnamon rolls together. It’s one of my top-10 meals,” Popp says. As with speculation on the origin of chili and cinnamon rolls, there is not a clear consensus on how to eat them. Some prefer dipping the roll into chili, others prefer eating them separately, and a particular few scoop the chili directly on top of the roll. This is what makes the dish so special—everyone can pick their own way to dig in. “I think chili was a staple item in the days of people being a lot less available to cook, either because of availability or expense,” Popp says. “Our rolls are soft and pillowy and large. And chili is reasonable cost-wise, and everyone could be a little creative with how they make it.” Local varieties of chili abound, though not every restaurant offers cinnamon rolls. “Cinnamon rolls are a nod to hearty school lunches. The sweet frosting makes a perfect complement to the savory soup.” says Molly Skold, a marketing executive at Mutual of Omaha who helped organize the Midtown Chili Crawl & Cookoff on Nov. 4. The cookoff showcased eight of Omaha’s top chili chefs representing area restaurants. Vendors competed for the vote of Best Chili in Town. Culprit Cafe and Bakery, which offers chili and cinnamon rolls at their restaurant, offered discounted cinnamon rolls at their booth to add to the experience. Chili and cinnamon roll pairings also can be at found Vidlak’s Brookside Café, Panera Bread, 11-Worth Cafe, LeadBelly, and other locations around town.
SOME PREFER DIPPING THE ROLL INTO CHILI, OTHERS PREFER EATING THEM SEPARATELY, AND A PARTICULAR FEW SCOOP THE CHILI DIRECTLY ON TOP OF THE ROLL. THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE DISH SO SPECIAL—EVERYONE CAN PICK THEIR OWN WAY TO DIG IN.
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DINING PROFILE // STORY BY TAMSEN BUTLER // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK
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DRY-AGED INNOVAT ION AT MONARCH PR IME
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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LOCALLY SOURCED MEATS COME FROM FARMS THAT MICHEELS HIMSELF SPENT HOURS VISITING TO ENSURE THE ANIMALS ARE WELL TAKEN CARE OF. “THESE ARE SMALL FARMS TRYING TO MAKE IT FOR THEIR FAMILIES,” HE SAYS.
// DINING PROFILE //
IT’S NOT EASY to stay humble when every-
one keeps talking about how great you are. But Patrick Micheels manages to steer nearly every compliment right back to other people. “I have a team in the kitchen that crushes it every day,” Micheels says when asked about the success of Monarch Prime & Bar. “I am so lucky.” Actually, Omaha is lucky to have Micheels. Anyone who has dined at Monarch Prime knows as much. “I want to let the rest of the country know that Omaha’s not messing around,” he says. Nebraskan by birth, Micheels hails from Scottsbluff. He grew up unusually curious about food, partially thanks to a mother who was willing to run to the store to buy the ingredients Micheels requested after watching cooking shows. “I wanted more,” he says. “I was never really satisfied. I had a real love of cooking.” Hunting trips with his father and brother also had a profound effect on his burgeoning curiosity about food preparation. “I learned to appreciate the whole animal. Killing a large animal is a big deal. It’s sad but rewarding. A lot of chefs don’t know about that.” In 2005, he moved to Omaha to attend Metropolitan Community College’s Institute for the Culinary Arts. He was a chef
at Dario’s Brasserie before taking on executive chef duties for Hotel Deco, the home of Monarch Prime. The meat served at the sumptuous restaurant (on the lower level of the renovated hotel at 316 S. 15th St., built in 1930 and listed on the National Record of Historic Places) is only there because Micheels spent a great deal of time deciding if it’s worthy. Locally sourced meats come from farms that Micheels himself spent hours visiting to ensure the animals are well taken care of. “These are small farms trying to make it for their families,” he says. The meat must be fresh, he says, and then aged to perfection on-site at the restaurant. He’s spent a great deal of time figuring out the ideal aging for each type of meat. Locally, he’s considered a pioneer in dryaging meats on-site at Monarch Prime—if one can be a pioneer of an age-old practice. As Micheels explains, “It’s one of the oldest processes. To dry-age meat is super old school. People used to hang meat at the base of the mountain; it’s the way meat should be eaten.” “Society is so impatient,” he says. Dry-aging takes time, but the benefit is enormous. When meat ages, Micheels explains, “it’s losing water. Think about it like sauce reducing on a stove. The water evaporating out of the meat condenses the flavor.” “It has to be the freshest product possible— never frozen. The humidity has to be right, the wind speed has to be right, and the temperature has to be right. After that, it’s easy. Just wait.” Wait for what? “Bacteria and enzymes break down the meat and make it more tender,” Micheels says. He’s echoing what he studied extensively and learned through trial and error. “We have an approachable dry-aging program,” he says. “We’re taking meat, putting it in coolers, and making it taste better.”
His star is rising, though he doesn’t seem to have allowed his growing fame to inflate his ego much. Recently praised and quoted in a New York Times article titled “An Omaha Restaurant Redefining the Steakhouse Experience,” he also appeared in a commercial for MCC. He is involved with community projects, such as the Big Muddy Urban Farm Gala and the popular Pinot, Pigs & Poets annual event. “Giving back is one of the foundations of being a chef—it’s so important,” he says. He occasionally returns to the high school he graduated from in Scottsbluff to do demos for students. Though he likes returning home occasionally, he’s developed a real fondness for Omaha. “I love the Omaha dining scene,” he says. “It’s so aggressive. We’re always looking for what we can do next.” Micheels speaks about other Omaha chefs with admiration and a sense of camaraderie. He says he has often called upon chef buddies from The Boiler Room or V. Mertz for an assist preparing a special event (like a birthday or wedding), and they’re always eager to help. “All the chefs in Omaha make me want to work hard,” he says, crediting his network of fellow chefs for helping him advance his skills and knowledge. Beyond enthusiastically praising his kitchen team at Monarch Prime, Micheels is quick to express gratitude to his parents for encouraging him to pursue cooking—and for not growing tired of his tireless culinary curiosity as a kid. He’s also quick to point to his motivation nowadays: his wife and son. “The reason I work so hard is because of them,” he says. And in case you’re wondering, his 2-year-old son hasn’t yet started demanding exotic cuisine. Dad will be ready when he does. Visit monarchprimeandbar.com for more information.
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- Sponsored Content DINING GUIDE LEGEND
$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+
Get a Little Saucy.
AMERICAN CHARLESTON’S - $$$
140th and Dodge streets (402-431-0023) 76th and Dodge streets (402-991-0055)
Charleston’s is a casual, upbeat restaurant with a menu filled with dishes prepared from scratch daily. We focus on providing our guests with excellent prices and selecting the highest quality ingredients. Whether you are new to Charleston’s or a long-standing guest, we look forward to seeing you soon! —charlestons.com/locations
SPEZIA SPECIALS
DJ’S DUGOUT - $
FRESH SEAFOOD . ANGUS INNOVATIVE PASTA . RISOTTO GNOCCHI . FRESH SALMON DAILY
636 N. 114th St. (402-498-8855) 1003 Capitol Ave. (402-763-9974) 10308 S. 23rd St. (402-292-9096) 2102 S. 67th St. (402-933-3533) 180th and Q streets (402-292-9096) Highway 75 and Oak Hill Road (402-298-4166)
SATURDAY LUNCH [ 11 am - 4 pm ]
1/2 Price Cocktails Daily 4 - 6 pm NO CASH VALUE. EXPIRES 2/28/2019 Not Valid With Happy Hour or Any Other Promotions. One Per Check.
Catering
Sunday Brunch 11 am - 2 pm Bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys
. Private Party Rooms . Walk-Ins Welcome 3125 South 72 nd Street
(Easy access off I-80, take 72nd Street Exit)
402.391.2950 . Call today to make your reservation
Lunch Specials
With Free Glass of House Wine HAPPY HOUR M-F / SAT & SUN BRUNCH
BEER • COCKTAILS • WINE SANDWICHES • SAUSAGES • PRETZELS 402.502.9902 6209 MAPLE ST. • BENSON BARCHEN BEER.COM
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BEER GARDEN & BEER HALL
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED 16920 Wright Plz, #118 / Omaha, NE 68130 On the corner of 168th & West Center St.
402.884.8966
Catch all of the action at six Omaha-area locations. DJ's Dugout features burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, appetizers, and an impressive drink menu along with HD TVs and projectors. Home to Blazin’ Pianos, Omaha’s only dueling piano concept. —djsdugout.com
JAMS- $$
7814 Dodge St. (402-399-8300) 1101 Harney St. in the Old Market (402-614-9333)
Jams is an Omaha restaurant legacy, an "American Grill" that offers a melting pot of different styles and varieties. The dishes are made with high-quality ingredients that pair well with award-winning wines or creative cocktails. —jamseats.com
KITH & KIN - $$
402-991-1552 5018 Underwood Ave.
Kith & Kin comes from a southern term that means "friends and family." We offer a family-friendly restaurant in a beautiful space with scratch-made food at a reasonable price. Southern hospitality is our main objective. Located in the heart of Dundee. Welcome to the family. —kith-kin.us
LE PEEP - $
69th & Pacific (402-933-2776) 177th and Center streets (402-934-9914) 156th Street and W. Dodge Road (402-408-1728) 120th and Blondo streets (402-991-8222)
Le Peep puts a wholesome perspective on your favorite neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot. Fresh. Simple. Elegant. Inviting. We put the emphasis on people, both patrons and staff. We focus on providing each of our guests the fresh food and friendly service that they have come to expect. Open daily 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. —lepeepomaha.com
d i a t r i o T n y l i m a F A ince 1921 S
rotellasbakery.com
Bringing Italy to Omaha Since 1919
Take a Taste of Italy Home Today! Tues-Thurs: 8:30am-8pm Friday: 8:30am-8:30pm Saturday: 7:30am-8pm Sunday: 7:30am-6pm
402.345.3438 621 Pacific St, Omaha NE orsibakery.com
An Omaha favorite for over 100 years (1919-2019)
LISA'S RADIAL CAFE - $ 402-551-2176 817 N. 40th St.
American. Cafe. Diner. Vegetarian-friendly. Gluten-free options. This old-school diner serves hearty portions of American comfort classics for breakfast and lunch. Family-owned and operated. This business is a must if you’re in the area. People rave about our chicken-fried steak, stuffed French toast, coffee, and friendly staff. Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
STELLA’S - $
402-291-6088 106 S. Galvin Road, Bellevue
Since 1936, we’ve been making our world-famous Stella’s hamburgers the same way. The family secrets have been handed down to each owner, ensuring that your burger is the same as the one you fell in love with the first time you tried Stella’s. And if it’s your first time, we know you’ll be back! Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Sunday. —stellasbarandgrill.com
UPSTREAM BREWING COMPANY - $$ 402-344-0200 514 S. 11th St.
THANK YOU FOR VOTING OUR PASTA
Rockbrook Village (108th & Center) 402.391.2585 www.pastaamore.com
NUMBER #1
We can accommodate parties of 30 or more, by reservation only
Upstream features an extensive menu of new American pub fare including appetizers, thin-crust pizzas, superb cuts of meat (featuring Omaha Steaks), fresh fish, pasta, salads, sandwiches, and a great children’s menu. Fresh, handcrafted beer and root beer on tap. Extensive wine list. Call ahead for group reservations or to be placed on our waiting list. Visit our classic, upscale poolroom located on the second level. —upstreambrewing.com
ICE CREAM
Catering Available
DINNER HOURS // Mon-Thur: 4:30-9PM, Fri & Sat: 4:30-10PM
Omaha’s
Authentic German Restaurant
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Omaha’s most unique I TA L I A N D I N I NG E X P E R I E N C E
Locally Owned Since 1976
Gerda’s Family is carrying on her traditions and recipes,
gerdasgermanrestaurant.com
402-341-5827 1120 Jackson St.
Come experience the true taste of homemade ice cream in the Old Market. Since 1986, we’ve created gourmet ice cream flavors in small batches using rock salt and ice. We offer your favorites, plus unique flavors like margarita, green tea, Guinness, and French toast. Special orders available. —tedandwallys.com
ITALIAN LA CASA PIZZARIA - $$
402-556-6464 45th and Leavenworth streets
stop in for fresh bakery items and classic German dishes.
10 mins from Downtown Omaha 5180 Leavenworth | 402.553.6774
TED AND WALLY’S - $
402.884.9800 13110 BIRCH DR, OMAHA, NE | LOMBARDOSOMAHA.COM
La Casa Pizzaria has been serving Omaha its legendary Neapolitan-style pizza and pasta for 60 years. We offer dine-in, carry-out, party facilities, catering, and now pizza shipments to the 48 contiguous states. Open Tuesday-Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. —lacasapizzaria.net
LOMBARDO'S BISTRO & BAR - $$ 402-884-9800 13110 Birch Drive
Try Omaha’s Favorite Reuben!
We are a locally owned and operated neighborhood eatery with an Italian flare. We offer a full, made-from-scratch menu along with extensive wine, craft cocktail, and craft beer lists. Casual is the best way to describe the warm and friendly service you will come to enjoy when choosing us. We offer dine-in, carryout, catering, a daily happy hour (3-6:30 p.m. and all-day Sundays), live music Tuesdays and Sundays, and half-price bottles of wine on Wine Down Wednesdays. —lombardosomaha.com
Thank You, Thank You,
Thank You
For Continually Voting For Us!
Serving Lunch & Dinner Mon-Sat 3001 S. 32nd Ave / Omaha, NE 402.345.5656
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Omaha’s largest selection of craft beers.
3578 Farnam St • 402-345-1708 www.beercornerusa.com
DINING GUIDE LEGEND
$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+
LO SOLE MIO RISTORANTE ITALIANO - $$ 402-345-5656 3001 S. 32nd Ave.
The restaurant is located in a residential neighborhood, surrounded by charming homes. Everyone is greeted with homemade bread, a bowl of fresh tomatoes and basil, a bowl of oven-roasted garlic cloves, specially seasoned olive oil, and (at night) a jug of Chianti! The menu includes a large variety of pasta, chicken, veal, seafood, and even a delicious New York steak. Traditional dishes such as lasagna, tortellini, and eggplant parmigiana are also available. Lunch offerings include panini, salads, and one of the best pizzas in town. Patio seating, full bar, and a great wine list complete the atmosphere. No reservations, except for private rooms. —losolemio.com
PASTA AMORE - $$
402-391-2585 11027 Prairie Brook Road
Pastas are made fresh daily, including tortellini, fettuccine, and capellini. Daily specials and menu items include a variety of fresh seafood and regional Italian dishes, such as linguini amore and calamari steak, penne Florentine, gnocchi, spaghetti puttanesca, and osso buco. Filet mignon is also offered for those who appreciate nationally renowned Nebraska beef. To complement your dining experience, the restaurant offers a full bar and extensive wine list. Be sure to leave room for homemade desserts, like the tiramisu and cannoli. Lunch is 11 a.m.-2 p.m., dinner starts at 4:30 p.m. Reservations recommended. —pastaamore.com
7984-2017 UpstreamAd-OmahaMagHH-2.375x2.375_FNL.pdf
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PITCH - $$
402-590-2625 5021 Underwood Ave.
An OpenTable's Diners' Choice for 2014 HotSpot Restaurant in America. Keeping up with the traditional way the first pizzas in Italy were made, our pizzas are cooked in a coal-fired oven. The menu also features seafood, hand-cut steak, housemade pastas, and burgers full of flavor. Our goal is to provide you with local, housemade, and imported ingredients. We offer a happy hour menu through the week. Our bar provides an array of in-house concoctions as well as your traditional libations. Our wine selection is wellthought-out and most impressive. You will enjoy Pitch. Monday 3 p.m.-10 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 3-10 p.m. —pitchpizzeria.com
One of Omaha’s Best Happy Hours!
Mon. – Fri. 3—6 PM Fri. & Sat. After 9 PM julios.com/cateringmenu 123rd & Center | 402-330-2110
the backline
SPEZIA - $$$
comedy theatre
402-391-2950 3125 S. 72nd St.
Choose Spezia for lunch or dinner, where you'll find a casual elegance that's perfect for business guests, get-togethers, or any special occasion. Exceptional food, wine, and service, with a delectable menu: fresh seafood, certified Angus steaks, innovative pasta, risotto, gnocchi, cioppino, lamb, entrée salads, Mediterranean chicken, flatbreads, and fresh salmon daily. Enjoy a full bar, Italian and California wines, Anniversary/Lovers' Booth (call to reserve), private dining rooms, and woodfired grill. Open Monday-Sunday. Cocktail hour 4-6 p.m., when all cocktails, glasses of wine, and beers are half price. Evening reservations recommended. —speziarestaurant.com
Walking Distance to CenturyLink Center & TD Ameritrade Park, CLEAR BAG POLICY IS IN EFFECT.
402.346.9116 | 501 N. 13 Street | theMattOmaha.com th
/the old mattress factory omaha
@Matt_factory
HAPPY HOUR TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS
(10-11PM)
($1 OFF ALL BEERS) www.backlinecomedy.com
DINING GUIDE LEGEND
$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+ JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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MEXICAN FERNANDO’S - $
7555 Pacific St. (402-339-8006) 380 N. 114th St. (402-330-5707)
Featuring Sonoran-style cooking made fresh daily. Catering and party rooms also available. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 4-9 p.m. —fernandosomaha.com
JULIO’S - $
402-330-2110 2820 S. 123rd Court
Locally owned since 1977, Julio’s prides themselves on serving the finest Tex-Mex cuisine and offering top-notch customer service. Our loyal customers are the reason we have been around for nearly 40 years. We have an extensive menu that has both classic and innovative dishes—giving everyone the opportunity to find something they love. Salivating for Southwestern fare? We have tacos, tostadas, a dozen different enchiladas, and classic fajitas. And, of course, nachos!
—julios.com
LA MESA - $$
158th Street and W. Maple Road (402-557-6130) 156th and Q streets (402-763-2555) 110th St. and W. Maple Road (402-496-1101) Fort Crook Road and Hwy 370, Bellevue (402-733-8754) 84th Street and Tara Plaza, Papillion (402-593-0983) Lake Manawa Exit, Council Bluffs (712-256-2762)
Pitchpizzeria.com @pitchpizzeria
5021 Underwood Ave. Omaha, NE 402-590-2625
17808 Burke St. Omaha, NE 402-289-4096
6350 E. Thomas RD. Scottsdale, AZ 480-272-7500
Enjoy awesome enchiladas, fabulous fajitas, seafood specialties, mouth-watering margaritas, and more at La Mesa. Come see why La Mesa has been voted Omaha’s No. 1 Mexican restaurant 13 years in a row. Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. —lamesaomaha.com
MARGARITA'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT - $ 402-393-7515 4915 S. 72nd St.
Margarita's is a business with more than seven years in the food world. We offer authentic Mexican food where you can enjoy a nice moment with your family. —margaritasmenu.com
ROMEO'S MEXICAN FOOD AND PIZZA - $
90th and Blondo streets (402-391-8870) 146th Street and W. Center Road (402-330-4160) 96th and L streets (402-331-5656) Galvin and Avery roads, Bellevue (402-292-2028) 29th and Farnam streets (402-346-1110)
Romeo's is your friendly, family Mexican food and pizza restaurant.We take real pride in serving our guests generous portions of the freshest, most flavorful dishes made with the finest ingredients available. Zesty seasonings and the freshest ingredients combine to ensure the ultimate in flavor. Our savory taco meat is prepared every morning at each location. Make sure to try our chimichangas; they're the best in town. —romeosomaha.com
ICE CREAM ● EST 1986 ●
Home -Made in Omaha
Thanks for Voting Us # BREAKFAST YEARS in a Row!
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NOW OPEN 69th & Pacific • 993-2776 177th & Center • 934-9914 156th & Dodge • 408-1728 120th & Blondo • 991-8222 Drive-Thru Open (Center St. Only) | Open Daily 6:30am-2:00pm Serving Breakfast & Lunch All Day!
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DINING GUIDE LEGEND
$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+
SPECIAL DINING BÄRCHEN BEER GARDEN - $ 402-502-9902 6209 Maple St.
Located in Benson, Bärchen is a modern American beer garden and beer hall influenced by German communal drinking culture. Indoor seating for approximately 125 people and outdoor seating in our beer garden for approximately 125-150 people. The laid-back atmosphere pairs well with our 30 rotating taps, international beer list, unique sausage & sandwich menu, and locally made pretzels. We are family and dog friendly—all are welcome. Hours: Tues-Thurs 3 p.m.-11 p.m.; Fri & Sat 11 a.m.-1 a.m.; Sun 11 a.m.-10 p.m. For more information or to host an event, please email gm@barchenbeer.com —barchenbeer.com
BRUSHI EUROPEAN AMERICAN CUISINE - $$ 402-884-6878 721 North 132nd Street
Swiss trained Chef, Paul Braunschweiler, combines the best of Europe’s epicurean delights with an American flair. Brushi’s casual and open atmosphere combine to create a true bistro experience. Fresh ingredients highlight the menu. Happy Hours and nightly specials. Private dining available. Patio seating weather permitting. —brushiomaha.com
CRESCENT MOON ALE HOUSE - $ 402-345-1708 3578 Farnam St.
Founded in 1996, we’ve grown into Beer Corner USA with the additions of The Huber Haus German Beer Hall, Max and Joe’s Belgian Beer Tavern, and Beertopia—Omaha’s Ultimate Beer Store. With more than 60 beers on tap and Omaha’s best Reuben sandwich, we are a midtown beer lover’s destination. Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Kitchen hours: Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-midnight. Closed Sunday. —beercornerusa.com
FIRST WATCH - $
1222 S. 71st St. (402-932-5691) 2855 S. 168th St. (402-330-3444) 3605 N. 147th St. (402-965-3444) 304 Olson Drive., Papillion (402-965-3444) 2015 Pratt Ave., Bellevue (402-991-3448)
We begin each morning at the crack of dawn, slicing fresh fruits and vegetables, baking muffins, and whipping up our French toast batter from scratch. Everything is made to-order here at First Watch. We use only the finest ingredients possible for the freshest taste around. —firstwatch.com
GERDA’S GERMAN RESTAURANT & BAKERY - $ 402-553-6774 5180 Leavenworth St.
Omaha’s only authentic German restaurant, a little piece of Germany in the metro. Inspired by Gerda's recipes for homemade spaetzle, schnitzels, and rouladen. Fresh-made soups, red cabbage, sauerkraut, and dumplings are a few other treats. Stay for a dessert of Black Forest cake or grab a fresh bakery item for breakfast on your way out. Check hours online. —gerdasgermanrestaurant.com
DINING GUIDE LEGEND
$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+
WALKING DISTANCE
TO CENTURYLINK CENTER & TD AMERITRADE PARK Please be aware of the clear bag policy at TD Ameritrade Park and CenturyLink Center
YOUR PRE-GAME HE AD QUARTE RS FOR LUNCH, DINNE R OR YOUR NE XT EVE NT!
501 N. 13 TH ST • 402.346.9116 • THEMATTOMAHA.COM / theoldmattresfactoryomaha
@Matt_factory JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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GREEK ISLANDS - $ 402-346-1528 3821 Center St.
Greek cuisine with specials every day at reasonable prices. We are well-known for our gyro sandwiches and salads. We cater and can accommodate a party for 65 guests. Carryout and delivery available. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. —greekislandsomaha.com
Our food combines the best of Europe’s epicurean delights with an American flair.
J.COCO - $$$
402-884-2626 5203 Leavenworth St.
The building that once housed a beloved neighborhood grocery has a new future. Built as a grocery back in 1925, it is now home to J. Coco. Our seasonal menus, rooted in tradition, showcase our natural ingredients. Local, organic, and sustainable when available. We feature craft bartending, housemade desserts, and pastas. We celebrate the traditional with a modern twist. Lunch: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner: Monday-Saturday 5 p.m.-close. —jcocoomaha.com
721 North 132nd Street Omaha, NE 68154 402.884.6878 | BrushiOmaha.com
KOREA GARDEN AUTHENTIC ASIAN CUISINE AND SUSHI - $$ 402-505-4089 5352 S. 72nd St.
Lunch specials served Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m., featuring signature Korean dishes like bulgogi, doenjang jjigae, and grilled mackerel. Menu includes appetizers, traditional specialties, rice, noodles, soup, and beverages. —koreangardenomaha.com
PARADISE BAKERY - $
17305 Davenport St. (402-934-5757) 120 Regency Parkway (402-991-3000)
Paradise Bakery offers freshly prepared baked goods made from scratch every morning with the finest ingredients available. Offering a variety of meals including soups, salads, and sandwiches. Our associates are extremely proud of the reputation Paradise has earned for providing exceptional service and producing the finest-quality products. —paradisebakery.com
TAJ KABOB AND CURRY - $ 402-933-1445/402-238-4317 654 N. 114th St.
jamseats.com
Taj of Omaha shares its love of traditional Indian cuisine with friends and family in the Omaha area. The owners invite you to come enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and new menu. Taj offers both lunch and dinner specials, delivery and catering services, and a free party room. —tajofomaha.com
DINING GUIDE LEGEND
$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+
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// SPONSORED //
VOTED OMAHA’S #1 SPORTS BAR
DOWNTOWN - 10th & Capitol MIRACLE HILLS - 114th & Dodge MILLARD - 180th & Q AKSARBEN VILLAGE - 67th & Center BELLEVUE - 23rd & Cornhusker PLATTSMOUTH - Hwy 75 & Oak Hill
DJSDUGOUT.COM | Best Greek
Family Owned Since 1983 Family Owned Since 1983 Catering ~ Party Room Available CATERING / PARTY ROOM AVAILABLE Homemade, Fresh Food ~ Always HOMEMADE, FRESH FOOD, ALWAYS. 3821 Center St. 402/346-1528
3821 Center St / 402.346.1528
GreekIslandsOmaha.com GreekIslandsOmaha.com
Stella’s Bar and Grill Thanks to our customers for voting us the “Best Burger in Omaha”
FLEMING'S
PRIME STEAKHOUSE Locally Inspired Dishes & WINE BAR by Chef Doug Case
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD STEAKHOUSE
A
warm welcome, a delicious dinner, lifelong memories—some things customers can always expect at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Omaha. Whether someone is searching for the perfect US ONwith family, atmosphereJOIN to celebrate a holiday stoppingMONDAY’S in for a casual happy FOR hour drink with a friend, or treating a spouse to an elegant $50 FILET & LOBSTER anniversary dinner from the Chef ’s Table, people cannot go wrong when the choice is thisPrivate local neighborhood steakhouse. Need a dining space available meeting space that will impress clients and for parties up to 200 guests for leave them with a dining experience they will breakfast, lunch and dinner. remember? It’s here. Fleming’s is a part of the community. That is why they frequently host unique events like wine dinners, pairing meals, or featured JOSH menu nights. PrivateORSINI party? Fleming’s is the Partner best choice Operating for those who want a memorable experience from a premier steakhouse. Guests will402.393.0811 delight in Fleming’s thoughtful service and delectable 140 REGENCY PKWY /menu. OMAHA, NE 68114 FLEMINGSSTEAKHOUSE.COM
140 Regency Parkway Omaha, NE 68114 402-393-0811 flemingssteakhouse.com/locations/ne/omaha
“Serving World Famous Hamburgers since 1936” 106 Galvin Rd • Bellevue, NE • 402-291-6088 • Open Monday-Saturday, 11:00 am - 9:00 pm JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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STEAKHOUSES CASCIO'S - $$ 402-345-8313 1620 S. 10th St.
Cascio's is Omaha's No. 1 steakhouse. We have been serving Omaha for 69 years. We feature steaks, chops, seafood, and Italian specialties. We have seven private party rooms, seating for up to 400 people, and plenty of parking. —casciossteakhouse.com
THE DROVER RESTAURANT & LOUNGE - $$$ 402-391-7440 2121 S. 73rd St.
Famous for the original Whiskey Steak. Truly a one-of-akind Midwestern experience. Excellent food, wine, service, and value. Rare...and very well done. Lunch Monday- Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m., cocktail hour 3-6 p.m., dinner nightly 5 p.m. —droverrestaurant.com
FLEMING'S PRIME STEAKHOUSE - $$$$ 402-393-0811 140 Regency Parkway
At Fleming’s, a steak is never just a steak. It’s the culmination of a meticulous process of selection, preparation, and service that ensures it reaches your table at its very best. We obsess over every detail so that you’ll savor every bite. This is why we offer the finest USDA Prime beef, available both wet- and dry-aged and broiled at 1,600 degrees or iron-crusted. You can elevate your selection even more with our indulgent steak companions, including trufflepoached lobster, diablo shrimp, and lump crabmeat. Each dish is crafted from scratch by our culinary team and served by our skillful staff. Reservations recommended. —flemingssteakhouse.com
JOHNNY'S CAFÉ - $$$ 402-731-4774 4702 S. 27th St.
Years of quality dining and hospitality make Johnny's Café a restaurant to remember. We serve only the finest beef the Midwest has to offer. Aged steaks and prime rib are the specialties, with homemade bread and pies to complete a meal. An excellent wine list adds to the enjoyment at one of Omaha's original restaurants. Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. —johnnyscafe.com
STEAK & GRAPES - $
402-884-8966 16920 Wright Plaza, Suite No. 118
Food Features • Restaurant Reviews Chef Profiles • Dining Guides • In Every Issue
We are obsessed with really, really good grapes; creative, gourmet comfort food; and a funky, fun atmosphere in which to share them. We search all over the world to find you great wines. Many wines come from our relationships with smaller, undiscovered vineyards, which offer a great value to our guests. Wine is supposed to be fun. We pour heavy and will open any bottle for our guests to try by the glass. When you taste a new varietal at Steak & Grapes, let us know how it changed your concept of what wine is supposed to be. Our gourmet comfort food is made fresh, using eco-friendly and local ingredients. As for the fun, we instigate it, but count on you to see it to fruition (literally through the fruit). Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (Join us for Saturday and Sunday brunch.) —steakandgrapesomaha.com
DINING GUIDE LEGEND
$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+
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STEAKS • CHOPS • SEAFOOD ITALIAN SPECIALTIES 7 private party rooms Seating up to 400 Lots of parking
1620 S. 10th Street
402-345-8313
www.casciossteakhouse.com
OMAHA’S ORIGINAL STEAKHOUSE
• Proudly serving visitor & locals for 90 years. • Featured on CNN.com Best Meat Cities in America • Serving hand cut steaks, aged on premise and slow roasted prime rib with pride.
www.romeosOMAHA.com
402.731.4774 johnnyscafe.com 27th & ‘L’ St., Kennedy Frwy, ‘L’ St. Exit 8 Minutes from Downtown Omaha.
Best Of Omaha 13 Years Running
WHERE WHERE GOOD GOOD FOOD FOOD AND AND GOOD GOOD SERVICE SERVICE NEVER NEVER GO GO OUT OUT OF OF STYLE. STYLE.
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STAY & PLAY IN SARPY COUNTY! Courtyard by Marriott
Located just a few minutes south of Omaha, Sarpy County awaits with a wonderful mix of fun things to see and do this winter. Get out of the cold and stay in one of our premier hotels. Dine in an elegant restaurant. Spend the day at a family fun center. From brewpubs and malls to specialty shops and hotels, Sarpy County is the perfect destination for your next getaway! For a full list of shopping, restaurants and area events, visit us at
GoSarpy.com.
BELLEVUE • GRETNA • LA VISTA • PAPILLION • SPRINGFIELD • OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE • OMAHA METRO Fontenelle Forest
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Papio Fun Center
Chocolaterie Stam
Nebraska Brewing Company
// EXPLORE CALENDAR //
NEBRASKA
MY ÁNTONIA Feb. 7-9 at the Johnny Carson School
PAUL SHAFFER & THE NEBRASKA JAZZ ORCHESTRA Jan. 10 at Lied Center for Performing Arts, Lincoln. Paul Shaffer has worked as a musical director for David Letterman, John Belushi, and Dan Akyroyd. 402-472-4747. —liedcenter.org
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR Jan. 17 at
Lied Center for Performing Arts, Lincoln. Amazing puppetry, innovative black-light staging, and an original score bring new life to Eric Carle’s classic for kids of all ages. 402-472-4747. —liedcenter.org
DISTURBED WITH THREE DAYS GRACE Jan. 22 at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln. Multi-platinumselling rock band Disturbed headlines with classic hits and new music with Three Days Grace supporting. 402-904-4444. —pinnaclebankarena.com
of Theatre and Film, Lincoln. Willa Cather’s novel, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, is presented in this new theatrical adaptation. The story is told through the memories of narrator Jim Burden. 402-472-2072. —liedcenter.org
DUTCHMAN Feb. 15-23 at the Nebraska Repertory
Jan. 25 at Rococo Theatre, Lincoln. Werner returns to Lincoln after sold-out shows across the country to perform music from her latest album, An American in Havana, inspired by Werner’s recent travels to Cuba. 402-472-4747. —liedcenter.org
Feb. 1 at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln. These athletes are known for performing “amazing feats of basketball.” This year, everything they do will bring fans closer to the action than ever before. 402-904-4444. —pinnaclebankarena.com
THE OK FACTOR Feb. 17 at the Kearney Concert
35TH ANNUAL BALD EAGLE APPRECIATION DAYS
Association, Kearney. This self-described alternative folk duo will perform original music as well as familiar folk favorites. 308-627-2717. —kearneyconcerts.org
JAMES TAYLOR AND HIS ALL-STAR BAND WITH SPECIAL GUEST BONNIE RAITT
Feb. 20 at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln. Legendary singer-songwriter James Taylor and his All-Star Band perform with special guest Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bonnie Raitt and her band. 402-904-4444. —pinnaclebankarena.com
ONE-HAM MANLET Feb. 23-24 at the Elder Memorial
Theatre Center, Lincoln. Watch one actor play 20 characters in this comedic adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. 402-465-2384. —nebrwesleyan.edu
IOWA
THE KING AND I
Feb. 1-2 at Lied Center for Performing Arts, Lincoln. Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and British schoolteacher Anna Leonowens. 402-472-4747. —liedcenter.org
TRIPLE ESPRESSO—A HIGHLY CAFFEINATED COMEDY
CHRIS BOTTI Feb. 7 at
PETER AND THE WOLF IN HOLLYWOOD Jan.
Lied Center for Performing Arts, Lincoln. Featuring jazz standards, famous masterpieces, and pop music classics, the Grammywinning trumpeter will perform along with his band. 402-472-4747. —liedcenter.org
CHEROKEE JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL Jan. 18-19
in downtown Cherokee. The weekend includes pub crawls on Friday and Saturday nights, a jam session on Saturday afternoon, and a big band dance on Saturday night. A music clinic is offered for high school students on Friday. 712-225-6414. —cherokeejazzbluesfestival.com
20
HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
Moines. Audience members will see Brazil’s awardwinning contemporary vocal group make their U.S. debut. Their current show focuses on the songs of Carmen Miranda. 515-246-2300. —desmoinesperformingarts.org
Theatre, Lincoln. A conversation on a subway turns vicious as Dutchman’s two passengers, a white woman and a young black man, flirt with race and rage. 402-472-4747. —liedcenter.org
Feb.
SUSAN WERNER
ORDINARIUS Jan. 15 at The Temple Theater, Des
through Jan. 13 at The Temple for Performing Arts, Des Moines. Viewers will get to see the story of three guys whose bid for showbiz fame and fortune ended in four minutes of magnificent failure on national television. 515-246-2368. —desmoinesperformingarts.org 12 at Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines. This invigorating new perspective on Prokofiev’s muchloved classic explores themes of family and friendship, courage and heroism. 515-246-2300. —desmoinesperformingarts.org
Jan. 19-20 at the River City Mall, Keokuk. View bald eagles in their natural habitat at the Mississippi Riverfront and Victory Park & Southside Boat Club on Saturday and Sunday. 319-524-5599. —keokukiowatourism.org
JESSE COOK Jan. 20 at Hoyt Sherman Place, Des
Moines. On his albums and in concert, Cook explores the roots of flamenco and its many offshoots, from India to Spain, and on to Cuba and Latin America. Along the way, he developed his signature synthesis of world music. 515-244-0507. —hoytsherman.org
39TH ANNUAL UNIVERSITY OF OKOBOJI WINTER GAMES Jan. 24-27 at Lake Okoboji. Iowa’s fictional
university comes together for a spectacular weekend of sporting events to shake off cabin fever. 712-332-2107. —uofowintergames.com
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS IN CONCERT Jan. 25-26 at Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines. This concert features the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in highdefinition (on a giant screen) while the Des Moines Symphony performs John Williams’ unforgettable score. 515-246-2300. —desmoinesperformingarts.org
THE CHOIR OF MAN Jan. 31 at Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines. It’s a party. It’s a concert. It’s a pint-filled good time. This multi-talented cast of nine handsome blokes sings everything—pub tunes, folk, Broadway, classic rock—all to roof-raising heights. 515-246-2300. —desmoinesperformigarts.org
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CHARLOTTE’S WEB Feb. 5 at Stephens Auditorium,
TREK TO THE TOWER Jan. 13 at the C.L. Hoover Opera
DEAR EVAN HANSEN
STOMP
Ames. This treasured tale—featuring mad-cap and endearing farm animals—explores bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship. 515-294-7389. —center.iastate.edu Feb. 5-10 at Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines. Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical and the 2018 Grammy Award, Dear Evan Hansen is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. 515-246-2300. —desmoinesperformingarts.com
DES MOINES HOME AND GARDEN SHOW
Feb. 7-10 at Iowa Events Center, Des Moines. This show is the largest and most successful home show in central Iowa, featuring over 400 exhibitors, 1,000 experts, and amazing feature gardens. 515-244-5456. —desmoineshomeandgardenshow.com
12TH ANNUAL BLUE RIBBON BACON FESTIVAL
Feb. 16 at Iowa Events Center, Des Moines. Bacon lovers unite at this bacon-centric event that promotes international bacon fellowship. 515-564-8000. —iowaeventscenter.com
MALPASO DANCE COMPANY Feb. 19 at Des Moines
Civic Center, Des Moines. Since its establishment in 2012, Malpaso Dance Company has become one of the most acclaimed Cuban dance companies. 515-246-2300. —desmoinesperformingarts.com
CLOSE TO YOU: THE MUSIC OF THE CARPENTERS Feb. 23 at Temple Theater, Des Moines. Singer and playwright Lisa Rock has compiled a moving tribute to the music and life of Karen Carpenter. She brings it to the stage with her six-piece backing band. 515-246-2300. —desmoinesperformingarts.com
KANSAS
House, Junction City. Get a full tour of the Opera House and the chance to see inside history. Requires reservations. 785-532-6428. —jcoperahouse.org Jan. 15 at the McCain Auditorium, Manhattan. This international percussion sensation has garnered awards, rave reviews, and appeared on numerous television shows. 785-532-6428. —k-state.edu/mccain
LAWRENCE CODY KO AND NOEL MILLER: TINY MEAT GANG LIVE Jan. 23 at The Granada, Lawrence. Cody & Noel are achieving the American dream, setting out on a self-financed comedy tour and entertaining tens of hundreds of people around the ninth smartest nation in the world. 785-842-1390. —unmistakablylawrence.com
TCHAIKOVSKY’S SWAN LAKE Jan. 25 at Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center, Wichita. The Russian National Ballet Theatre combines artistic mastery and technical perfection, all set to Tchaikovsky’s immortal music. 316-303-8000. —century2.org
ACOUSTIC JUNCTION Jan. 26 at the C.L. Hoover Opera
House, Manhattan. Audiences will get the chance to view the best talent in the region. Each show offers a wide variety of music, including country, folk, and bluegrass. 785-238-3906. —jcoperahouse.org
EAGLE DAY AT MILFORD LAKE Jan. 26 at the Milford
Nature Center, Junction City. Take a guided bus tour and view live eagles as they soar above Milford Lake. There will also be various programs on raptors of Kansas and a tent with activities for the kids. 785- 238-5323. —ksoutdoors.com
LEGALLY BLONDE—THE MUSICAL Feb. 2 at the
McCain Auditorium, Manhattan. The story follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes, sexism, snobbery, and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. 785-532-6428. —k-state.edu
Feb.
7
LUKE COMBS: "BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART TOUR" Feb. 7 at INTRUST Bank
Arena, Wichita. This artist, with his gritty, grizzled vocals and brazen songwriting talent takes his arena tour to Kansas, featuring special guests LANCO and Jameson Rodgers. 855-755-7328. —intrustbankarena.com
JEFF DUNHAM: "PASSIVELY AGGRESSIVE TOUR"
Feb. 9 at INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita. Recordbreaking global comedy superstar Jeff Dunham will bring his cast of characters to Wichita for a night of riotous laughter and comedy. 855-755-7328. —intrustbankarena.com
POTTED POTTER Feb. 10 at the McCain Auditorium,
Manhattan. This parody takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books, and a real-life game of Quidditch, into 70 hilarious minutes. 785-532-6428. —k-state.edu/mccain
POPS — WILL YOU BE MY VALENTINE
Feb. 16 at the Topeka Symphony, Topeka. Steve Lippia performs with the Topeka Symphony in a concert of the sweet, romantic, and fun songs that made Frank Sinatra famous. 785-232-2032. —topekasymphony.org
JERSEY BOYS
Feb.19-20 at Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center, Wichita. They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. Go behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons in the Tony Award-winning, true-life musical phenomenon. 316-303-8000. —century2.org
AMERICAN AQUARIUM
IMPERFECT DANCERS: ANNE FRANK—WORDS FROM THE SHADOWS Jan. 29 at the McCain
WHO AM I, AND WHERE AM I GOING? Jan.
CELEBRATING WOMEN Feb. 1 at The 1900 Building,
TACO TOPIA Feb. 22 at Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas
JUNK’N’DONUTS SWAP MEET Jan. 12 at the Louisburg
HIDDEN ART LOCKED AWAY
CHOCOLATE AFTER DARK Feb. 23 at Dillion House
Jan. 3 at The Granada, Lawrence. This alt-country band’s songs are filled with biographical lyrics about last calls, lost love, and long horizons. For every drunken night at the bar, there's a hangover in the morning. For every new relationship, there's the chance of a broken heart. 785-842-1390. —unmistakablylawrence.com 19 at Topeka Symphony, Topeka. Giant philosophical questions will be posed and artists will respond through poetry and prose, nostalgia, and naivete. 785-232-2032. —topekasymphony.org Cider Mill, Louisburg. Discover antiques, new items, food, and live music. Grab a friend and peruse the 50-plus vendors, or stop by the country store for some root beer and cider doughnuts. 913-837-5202. —louisburgcidermill.com
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Auditorium, Manhattan. This inspirational tribute is a work of extraordinary beauty and grace, The Diary of Anne Frank, inviting attendees to think about this dark period of history through the eyes of an adolescent. 785-532-6428. —k-state.edu/mccain Mission Woods. Bach Aria Soloists honors celebrated women composers throughout history, from the Middle Ages to today’s living composers, who are making vital contributions to chamber music. 913-449-6995. —bachariasoloists.com Feb. 1-2 at the Riverfront Convention and Community Center, Leavenworth. This exhibit features artwork produced by inmates of the United States Penitentiary and the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth,and an art sale on Saturday. 913-682-4459. —lvks.org
30TH ANNUAL WINTER BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Feb.
22-23 at Wichita Marriott Hotel. The Kansas Bluegrass Association will be throwing the 30th annual festival, which will include Grammy Award-winning singer Tim O’Brien, a songwriting workshop, and an instrument petting zoo. 316-777-1091. —kansasbluegrass.org City. This one-day festival features a variety of Mexican food. This taco-inspired event will include local music acts, giant yard games, unique drinks, and interactive activities. 913-321-5800. —tacotopiaevent.com Events, Topeka. This event features chocolate samplings, music, and the chance to consult with world-renowned chocolatiers throughout the evening. 785-290-0073 —visittopeka.com
// EXPLORE CALENDAR //
MISSOURI RUSSIAN ROMANTICS: TCHAIKOVSKY AND GLAZUNOV
Jan. 11-13 at the Kauffman Center, Kansas City. Presumed lost for more than a century, the recent rediscovery of "Chant funèbre" allows audiences to hear a young Stravinsky’s rise to prominence before he wrote his famed "Firebird." Glazunov’s passionate "Violin Concerto" blends colorful, freewheeling melodies with impressive technical feats. Tchaikovsky’s triumphant "Third Suite" culminates in a powerful finale. 816-471-0400. —kcsymphony.org
STRAY CAT LEE ROCKER Jan. 18 at the Missouri
Theatre, St. Joseph. Lee Rocker made his mark singing and playing his giant upright bass in the legendary music group The Stray Cats. 816-279-1225. —saintjosephperformingarts.org
SECRET SOLDIERS: HEROINES IN DISGUISE Jan.
22-Feb. 10 at The Coterie, Kansas City. Watch these true accounts of four women who, for different reasons, served as men in the Civil War. 816-474-6552. —thecoterie.org
ALON GOLDSTEIN Jan. 24 at the Kauffman Center,
Kansas City. Musicians and music fans can sit in on a fascinating encounter as virtuoso pianist Alon Goldstein shares musical insights with two area piano students on stage in Helzberg Hall. 816-471-0400. —kauffmancenter.org
844.271.6909 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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7TH ANNUAL BEER, WINE, CHEESE, AND CHOCOLATE
Feb. 1-2 at Ozark Empire Fairgrounds & Event Center, Springfield. A unique tasting and shopping experience for guests 21 and older, this event includes live music, educational seminars, and live cooking demonstrations from top local chefs. 417-833-2660. —ozarkempirefair.com
ANITA JACKSON Feb. 2 at the Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Gallery, St Louis. One of St. Louis’ premier ladies of song, Anita Jackson, makes her Sheldon series debut, paying tribute to jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald. 800-916-8938. —thesheldon.org
10TH ANNUAL HUNT & FISH OUTDOOR SHOW Feb.
9-10 at Springfield Expo Center, Springfield. Listen to experts discuss deer and mushroom hunting, watch demonstrations, and shop local and regional vendors. 417-881-2231. —springfieldmo.org
PONY EXPRESS FAMILY DAY Feb. 18 at the Pony Express National Museum, St. Joseph. Family Day gives the kids a chance to step back into the 1860s job of a Pony Express Rider. You can experience the lifestyle through educational, hands-on exhibits and activities during this family fun day. 816-279-5059. —ponyexpress.org
LIFT EVERY VOICE: BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION Feb. 23 at Powell Symphony Hall,
St Louis. This annual concert celebrates AfricanAmerican culture and community traditions that have influenced the history of St. Louis, as well as cities around the world. 314-534-1700. —slso.org
NORTHLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT Feb.
23 at Pine Ridge Presbyterian, Kansas City. In their third concert of the season, the Northland Symphony Orchestra will feature pieces from Mendelssohn, Copland, Britten, and Dvorak. 816-945-2436. —northlandsymphony.org
TRIO VIRADO Feb. 24 at the Ethical Society of St. Louis, St. Louis. Trio Virado is a fresh new collaboration of three of the most distinguished artists on their instruments of flute, viola, and guitar—Amy Porter, Juan-Miguel Hernandez, and João Luiz. 314-991-0955. —stlclassicalguitar.org
SPRING WILL BE here before you
know it and there is no better way to explore Lincoln than a leisurely bike ride. BikeLNK, Lincoln’s bike share system has 19 stations across downtown and the university. Hop on a bike and explore Lincoln’s 133 miles of trails. Learn more at www.lincoln.org.
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Event times and details may change. Check with venue or event organizer to confirm.
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NOT FUNNY // COLUMN BY OTIS TWELVE // PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL SITZMANN
MY BUCKET LIST
L
OTS OF PEOPLE have what they call a “bucket list.”
That, of course, is a list of things you want to do before you die. Because, obviously, there are not a lot of things you can do after you die. At least, so far as I know. Before we go any further, it’s important to note that there are all sorts of buckets. Livestock buckets, ice buckets, mop buckets, ash buckets, sand buckets, etc. None of these buckets are to be confused with milk pails. All pails are buckets, but not all buckets are pails. And it’s also important to understand that, in my mind, nothing made out of plastic should be considered a bucket. Plastic things with handles are an abomination. It says so in the Bible. Trust me. Just search Leviticus, you’ll see. True buckets must be made from wood or some type of durable metal, preferably galvanized aluminum or steel. Plastic buckets are…well, they are… plastic. There’s too much plastic in the world. We should put all of it in a super large bucket and seal it in a mountain in Nevada. Our grandchildren and the planet would thank us.
But back to “bucket lists.” Where did that phrase come from anyway? I know it’s a reference to “kick the bucket,” like Jimmy Durante did at the beginning of It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. But what does “kicking” a bucket (not a pail) have to do with dying? Some say it’s a reference to knocking the bucket out from under your own feet while you are trying to hang yourself in the barn. That’s a cheery thought. There’s an even less cheery explanation that involves slaughtering pigs…I will spare you that origin story. There is another, less gruesome claim to the genesis of the saying. Back in the old days, the dearly departed would be laid out for the wake and a bucket of holy water would be placed at their feet. Mourners would then file by and sprinkle the corpse. Now, though no kicking the bucket would be expected at that point, I suppose if a clumsy friend knocked the pail to the f loor, he might suddenly blurt out, “It wasn’t me! He did it!” pointing an accusing finger at the motionless honoree. Wherever the term came from, like I said, lots of people have bucket lists. I’ve noticed that most of these lists are heavy on travel. Like, “I want to visit the Alhambra at sunset.” Or…“I want to go to Bora Bora with Jennifer Aniston.” Well, leave me out of that. I love being in cool places. But I hate getting there. I’m 6’5” and not fond of security checkpoints, sitting in coach, or deep-vein thrombosis.
For expanded content, return to the table of contents page and scan with your layAR app. JANUARY/FEBRUARY
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2019
I have my own bucket list. So, before I die…. 1. Please let me never be on a Perillo Tour of Italy. 2. Spare me food poisoning and/or a Caribbean cruise. 3. I don’t want to ever watch the television news while in the dentist’s chair. 4. Give me a cellphone with the ringer permanently set on “off.” 5. Please let me never hear the words, “You might feel some pressure.” 6. Three weeks alone at the Merritt Reservoir would be nice. 7. I’d like to have a personal assistant. Might be fun. 8. I’d like to have a TV that responds to me when I yell at it. 9. Keep me alive until the Cornhuskers, 76ers, Cubs, and Chiefs win it all in the same year. 10. I want to attend my grandchild’s retirement party. Don’t get me wrong. I also want to see the Alhambra at sunset. But until there’s a train to get me there, I’ll just sit here with my steel bucket and dream. Otis Twelve hosts the radio program Early Morning Classics with Otis Twelve on 90.7 KVNO, weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. Visit kvno.org for more information.
Participate in the city you love. Engage with the people you know. Subscribe to the magazine that champions us all.
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WOODWORKING CLASSES
JANUARY/FEBRUARY Bench
1441 N. 11th St.
PARKER GISPERT FEB. 24
O'Leaver’s Pub 1322 Saddle Creek Road
9 p.m.
NEBRASKA GREATS FOUNDATION CELEBRITY SPORTS BANQUET with Bill Moos, Bruce Rasmussen & Trev Alberts
FEB. 28
La Vista Conference Center
12520 Westport Parkway 6-8 p.m. (5-6 p.m. VIP)
HAUNTICON MARCH 23
Sokol Auditorium 2234 S. 13th St. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
5K RUN / WALK Saturday, March 2 - 9AM Stinson Park in Aksarben Village 1920 South 67th St., Omaha
To register, visit: bit.ly/heatomaha2019 For information on sponsorship opportunities, visit: heatthestreetsomaha.org
Funds provide utility assistance to those in need in the Omaha metro area - including seniors and veterans.
Proud sponsor of the 2019 event:
mudomaha.com
/mudomahane
@mudomahane
For a More Beautiful You!
Look natural and enhance your natural beauty with injectable fillers, lasers and wrinkle relaxers from Dr. Schlessinger and the experts at Skin Specialists. These targeted treatments can be used to diminish wrinkles, expression lines and more—without surgery or significant downtime.
New Patient Offer!
Free $25 Gift Card to LovelySkin Retail Store
with any cosmetic treatment over $350*
Maximize your in-office treatment with our cosmeceutical-grade beauty products available at the LovelySkin Retail Store. *Offer valid for new patients only. Mention this ad when booking appointment to receive your free gift. Limit one per customer. Offer expires 02/28/2019.
Board-certified dermatologist & cosmetic surgeon Dr. Joel Schlessinger has the experience & expertise to help find the best treatment for you.
Stop by or call for a consultation. 402-334-7546 | 2802 Oak View Drive www.LovelySkin.com/Cosmetics
Best of Omaha Winner 2019 Six Different Categories
RETAIL STORE & SPA Skin Specialists and LovelySkin Spa are under the direction of Joel Schlessinger, M.D., Board-Certified Dermatologist and Cosmetic Surgeon. Copyright Š 2019, Skin Specialists, P.C.