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S OINTERPRETING MIDWESAVING THE TT DAY YOUR DREAMS YOU MAY BE SURPRISED FOREST BY WHAT THEY REVEAL FOR THE TREES HOW THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE IN PRAISE OF IS CUTTING DOWN OUR ANCIENT FAMILY FARMERS HOW SMALL FARMS CAN WOODLANDS TO SELL CHEAP REBUILD WHAT’S BEEN LUMBER TO TIMBER BARONS LOST IN RURAL AMERICA And It’s Costing Taxpayers Billions Plus: THE REAL THE PLEASURES OF AN ANNE BAXTER OLD-TIME FLOWER GARDEN; HER DAUGHTER MELISSA NEW EYE TEST CAN TALKS ABOUT THE FAMED PREDICT ALZHEIMER’S; FILM STAR FROM INDIANA THE LESSONS OF LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL

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La Crosse Queen 608-784-8523 For a FREE Travel Guide call or visit us Follow Us On Facebook at: on the web. http://www.facebook.com/explorelacrosse IN THIS ISSUE... YOU MAY BE CALLED A “TREE HUGGER,” A “WACKO Environmentalist” — or worse — by Rush Limbaugh and his ilk, but people of conscience are rightfully alarmed when they find out how our National Forests are being logged by timber barons — at taxpayers’ expense. We look at this disturbing topic in Saving the Forest For the Trees.  Indiana-born Anne Baxter was Frank Lloyd Wright’s granddaughter and one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Her daughter, Melissa, talks about her famous mom.  You might be surprised to learn that Strawberries can also be used in entrees and not only desserts.  Heartland native Dr. Oz aims to be the real-life version of TV’s fictional Marcus Welby, M.D., and judging from his popularity, he’s well on his way. We have a fascinating Q&A with this renowned cardiac surgeon.  Glenn Beck has been trying to rewrite the gospels so our religion editor, Matt Andrews, takes a look at Jesus and Compassion.  In our story In- terpreting Your Dreams, we examine the theories behind this nocturnal phenomenon which has intrigued humankind since the beginning of time.  In Country Chronicle we Praise Family Farmers.  In this age of video games, it may be hard to get the kids outside but we recommend you Go Fly A Kite.  Be sure to check out the Midwest Today Digital Edition at www.midtod.com — The Editors

NEWSFRONT: SAVING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES • 6 CURTAIN CALL: ANNE BAXTER • 16 For free information HOME COOKING: Colby Convention & STRAWBERRIES • 22 Visitors Bureau PERSON TO PERSON: Stop by our Visitors Center A CONVERSATION WITH DR. OZ • 24 KEEPING FAITH: 350 So.RangeAvenue JESUS AND COMPASSION • 27 785-460-7643 YOUR HEALTH: The Oasis On the Plains 1-800-611-8835 INTERPRETING YOUR DREAMS • 30 COUNTRY CHRONICLE: IN PRAISE OF FAMILY FARMERS • 36 FAMILY FUN: C

GO FLY A KITE • 37 O N G

DATELINES & DISPATCHES • 3 R A T

F.Y.I. • 5 U L

LARRY N. JORDAN, Publisher and Editor U

JULIE CAMPBELL-JORDAN, Assoc. Pub./Adv. R  NEAL LAWRENCE, Senior Writer D E

SALLY KNIGHT, Lifestyle Editor G R

BOB HALE, Travel Editor •Biggest Barn In Kansas E OLGA JORDAN, Counsel In Memoriam E ,

•Prairie Museum of Art &History Located in Writers: MATT ANDREWS, MARY BROOKS, S A

ZADE DUVAL, SARA JORDAN, •Historic Walking Tour Kansas on R NAOMI LENOX, JON MCINTOSH, A 

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email: [email protected] T www.midtod.com H Not responsible for unsolicited materials. MIDWEST TODAY 1 Barn Quilt Tour OPC Powerboat Nationals Bears Summer TraingBears Camp Summer Training Camp

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2 MIDWEST TODAY NEWS FROM AROUND THE MIDWEST AND BEYOND New Eye Test Could Predict Alzheimer’s 20 Years Ahead

TEST THAT CAN DETECT AL- accurate diagnosis. It exploits the zheimer’s up to 20 years fact that the light-sensitive cells in A before any symptoms ap- the retina at the back of the eye pear is being developed by scien- are a direct extension of the tists. The simple and inexpensive brain. test could be part of routine ex- Using eye drops which high- aminations by eye doctors in as light diseased cells, researchers little as three years, allowing showed for the first time in a liv- those in middle age to be ing eye that the amount of dam- screened. age to cells in the retina directly Dementia experts say it has the corresponds with brain cell power to revolutionize the treat- death. ment of Alzheimer’s by making it They have also pinpointed the possible for drugs to be given in pattern of retinal cell death char- the earliest stages. acteristic of Alzheimer’s. So far The technique, being pio- their diagnosis has been right e- neered at University College very time. London, could also speed up the development of medication With research showing that cells start to die ten to 20 years capable of stopping the disease in its tracks, preventing people before the symptoms of Alzheimer’s become evident, it could from ever showing symptoms. Rebecca Wood, of the Alz- allow people to be screened in middle age for signs of the dis- heimer’s Trust, said “These findings have the potential to trans- ease. However, some may not want to know their fate so far in form the way we diagnose Alzheimer’s, greatly enhancing ef- advance. There is also the fear that insurance companies could forts to develop new treatments.” increase premiums for those who test positive while still young. Current diagnosis is based on memory tests, and expensive Researcher Professor Francesca Cordeiro said “The equip- brain scans are also sometimes used. However, decisive proof of ment used for this research is essentially the same as is used in the disease usually comes only from examination of a patient’s clinics and hospitals worldwide.” Dr. Susanne Sorensen added brain after death. “If we can delay the onset of dementia by five years, we can The eye test would provide a quick, easy, cheap and highly halve the number of people who will die from the disease.”  SCHOOL SPIES ON STUDENTS AT HOME Dirty Shrimp Are SCHOOL IN PENNSYLVANIA THAT HAS ADMITTED ACCESSING STUDENTS’ LAPTOP A Risk To Health computers remotely and taking at least 56,000 images without their MERICANS LOVE THEIR SHRIMP. IT’S THE A knowledge has sent shockwaves nationwide, and raised privacy concerns. most popular seafood in the country. It is alleged that Harriton assistant principal Lynn Matski called in sophomore AWe’re eating 4.1 pounds of shrimp Blake Robbins and told him that he had “engaged in im- apiece each year. But unfortunately much proper activities in his home,” and cited as evidence a photo of the shrimp we eat are a cocktail of chem- from the school-issued computer. Sixteen year old Robbins icals, harvested at the expense of one of the was photographed 400 times over a 15-day period, some- world's productive ecosystems. Only 15% times as he slept in bed or was undressed. Matsko later told of our total shrimp consumption comes Robbins’ father that the district could remotely activate the from the U.S. (both farmed and wild webcam contained in a student’s personal laptop at any time sources). We have good regulations on it chose and to view and capture whatever images were in shrimp farming, so purchasing shrimp front of the computer, without the knowledge or approval of farmed in the U.S. is not a bad way to go. the laptop’s users. District staff enjoyed spying on students, But wild shrimp, with a few exceptions, is even once referring to it privately as a “soap opera.” This has typically obtained via trawling and should prompted concern from parents like Bill and Rachel Oliver of Chicago, IL who be avoided. Upon arrival in the U.S., few if worry that their daughter may have been spied on. Witold Walczak of the ACLU any, are inspected by the FDA, and when warns “School officials cannot, any more than police, enter into the home either researchers have examined imported electronically or physically without an invitation or a warrant.”  ready-to-eat shrimp, they found 162 sep- arate species of bacteria with resistance to ten different antibiotics.  MIDWEST TODAY 3 Little League Baseball Is A Metaphor For Life ORE THAN TWO MILLION CHILD- can get from baseball. They are as fol- you dwell on your past misstep, you’ll ren from around the world will lows: never get a foothold on future success.” M play on 7,000 Little League 1. Failure, injury, and defeat are as 3. Don’t let the hecklers get you baseball teams this year. These young- much a part of the game as success. As down. “In many games, some fan is sters, ages 13 and younger, are taking Liberthson points out in his poem shouting above the crowd for the bat- part in a tradition that spans 71 years. “The Mound,” about a pitcher yanked ter to miss, or the pitcher to throw bad- Parents enroll their kids in Little Lea- from the game, we can all blow it, but ly, or deriding the umpire’s calls. Tak- gue not just to enjoy the sport, but to we need to pick ourselves up and try ing such spiteful criticism to heart learn ethics and team spirit. again. will only ruin the player’s pleasure “What is on the field is an in the game and his chance of win- imitation of human life,” says ning. Everywhere in life you run Dan Liberthson, PhD and into people rooting for you to fail,” author of the book “The Pitch says Liberthson. “Look at these Is On the Way: Poems About professional athletes on the field Baseball and Life.” Liberthson and think about how the rival says taking part in baseball team is hoping they’ll fall flat on games and watching the profes- their faces. Still, these men often sionals on the field are fantastic manage to succeed. It’s a good ways to teach your children the lesson for life: ignore unhelpful basic morals and guidelines of criticism if you are giving the life. “No other sport is quite as A- game your best. You won’t have merican or inspirational,” he ob- a chance to win if you don’t stop serves. beating yourself and letting the The author says Little League, hecklers beat you.” Pony League, college, and profes- 4. You can’t win by yourself. sional baseball are great ways to “Baseball is a team sport. Sure, build the foundational skills kids some teams have high-paid need to become adults. In praise of ’hot shots,’ but without nine Liberthson’s book, Baseball Com- players on each team and missioner Bud Selig agrees: “The many support staff there is no game. great American pastime isn’t just a 2. Don’t relegate your- “The same is true of life: you can be sport — it’s a chance to learn skills that self to the Dugout. A player might miss the best at what you do, but if you’re guide Americans through all the pit- one opportunity and lose his focus for not surrounded by good, supportive falls the world can throw at us.” the rest of the game. He becomes ob- people whom you treat well, your Liberthson’s poems point out four sessed with that one early mistake and chances of enjoying the experience are life lessons both adults and children can’t recover. “It is the same with life: if zero.” 

researchers say, you can’t just consume a larger quantity of antioxidants and presume there will be some beneficial effect Study: Antioxidants to your health. In fact. you can make matters worse. Aging or disease like chronic heart failure can impair oxygen delivery to the muscles and increase fatigue during physical Both Good and Bad activity. There is a potential for antioxidants to help reverse ANY CONSUMERS, ESPECIALLY SENIORS, HAVE INCREASED aging, but it’s a delicate balance. More is not necessarily better. their intake of antioxidants because they’ve been told We’re learning that antioxidant therapy takes away hydro- M it helps to ward off disease and reverse aging. But a gen peroxide or other naturally occurring vasodilators, new study suggests that loading up on which are compounds that help open antioxidants can be doing as much harm as blood vessels. Thus you impair the body’s good. ability to deliver oxygen to the muscle so Researchers in Kansas State University’s it doesn’t work properly. In fact, researchers Cardiorespiratory Exercise Laboratory have are discovering that antioxidants can sup- been studying how to improve oxygen press key signaling mechanisms that are nec- delivery to the skeletal muscles during essary for muscles to function effectively. physical activity by using antioxidants, which The Kansas researchers say that before are nutrients in foods that can prevent or we start recommending people get more slow the oxidative damage to the body. Their antioxidants, we need to better understand findings show — surprisingly — that somehow they function in physiological systems times antioxidants can actually impair mus- and circumstances like exercise.  cle function. Sunsweet has a new product on the market “Antioxidant” is one of those buzz words called Antioxidant Blend which packages dried that’s being used a lot right now by marketers. cherries, plums, wild blueberries and cran- Just walking around the grocery store, you’ll berries into a resealable pouch. Don’t believe find foods that are advertised as being all the hype about the super-hero powers of loaded with antioxidants. But, the Kansas antioxidants to fight “free-radicals.”

4 MIDWEST TODAY I TAKE NOTE “SUMMER DOWN UNDER” Can you think of a better family activity this summer than a trip to the

Y zoo? Blank Park Zoo (Iowa’s only accredited zoo) in Des Moines, will have a definite Aussie feel. You’ll be hearing “G’day Mate” as the Zoo wel- comes you to view some Australian exhibits. Mark Vukovich, President and CEO, announces that the theme will be a “Summer Down Under.” One F highlight: you’ll be able to buy a food stick and feed some of the 250 spectacularly colored Australian parakeets and finches in free flight in the aviary. (The birds are very tame and even young children will thrill to the experience). Among the more than 1,000 furry, finned, and NEW MILLER MUSEUM feathered friends at this very fun and fascinating Zoo, new A new 5,600 square-foot this season will also be a pair of striped kudu, a flock of Glenn Miller Birthplace Mus- ostrich, a two-toed sloth, some red pandas, and Japanese eum will open at this year’s Macaques. At least six baby wallaby joeys have been spotted 35th annual Festival in Clarin- in pouches. Look for these to be bouncing around too! You da, IA on June 10, 2010. Con- can even feed a giraffe. Kids tributions for the $900,000 will love the Summer Safari museum have come from as Day Camps. Beyond the far away as Japan. This year’s wildlife, Blank Park Zoo also celebration will include Larry features an impressive O’Brien and the World Fam- botanical collection adults ous Glenn Miller Orchestra; will enjoy. Buy a season pass the United States Air Force and go to the zoo all year Notables from Offut AFB; the long. It’s a real bargain. Info: Ballyhoo Foxtrot Orchestra www.blankparkzoo.com or from Des Moines; Hunter 515-285-4722. Fuerste and His American Vintage Orchestra from Du- buque; Shinichi Yoneda and the Tamana Girls High School IN VOGUE AGAIN Band from Japan; Dai Kimoto As cool as a summer breeze, and as hot as the latest and the Swing Kids from fashion trend, straw hats for men are making a come- Switzerland; Adam Swanson, back. The one at left is made of Panama straw with a world champion Ragtime pinch front crown and grosgrain ribbon piano player from Shenan- doah; Evensong from Clarinda band. There’s also one of Bao straw and the Glenn Miller Birth- with a striped ribbon band with place Society Band. There will feather accent. They’re sold at be a parade, Big Band Break- fairs, hunting/fishing shows and fast, dances June 10-13. Info: country music fests, or order www.glennmiller.org. online at www.hatcountry.com

This ergonomic BEST COLLECTION OF MIDWEST RECIPES gardening stool is Debbie Moore from Carbondale, IL says “I love my family, designed to relieve love my job, enjoy doing everything I do...or I just don’t do pressure on your it! I enjoy cooking and entertaining. I’m enjoying publishing spine and prevent cookbooks filled with short stories and great recipes.” If you your muscles from are looking for fantastic cookbooks filled with old-fashioned knotting up. ways of doing things, or if you're a busy mom, and you are www.cleanairgar- looking for quick ways to prepare nutritious family meals, dening.com check out www.sliceofpie.biz (Debbie is simply the best! )

! A unique hydromagnetic rocket water coaster is debuting in June at Lost Island Waterpark H in Waterloo, IA. Wailua Kapua, which translates to “River Dragon” helps celebrate Lost S Island’s 10th anniversary. The park is planning fireworks, live music and other events A

L all season. Only ten such hydromagnetic water coasters exist in the world. Riders get

P in a boat that takes them down sharp drops like other water rides, but then four sec- S

tions work like a roller coaster, taking par-

A ticipants up hills. It works not by the

E weight or the speed of the boats, but through a series of linear induction

K motors that propel the boats up the hills at roughly the same speed they

A descended them. Instead of a series of stairs to get to the slide, riders take

M a conveyor to the top. Info: www.thelostisland.com

MIDWEST TODAY 5 ] T N O R F S W E N [

SAVING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES Our ancient woodlands have survived world wars, the gold rush and the industrial revolution. Yet now the U.S. Forest Service and Congress are their most deadly threat

MMAAGGIINNEETTHHEEMMAAGGNNIIFFIICCEENNTTNNAATTUURRAALLFFOORREESSTTSS TTHHAATT wolverine and powerful as the grizzly bear, birds as greeted the first visitors to the land we call North beautiful as the scarlet tanager and majestic as the bald America: Forests of giant maple, chestnut and oak eagle. stretched from the east coast to the Mississippi While 95% of our original forests were logged during Valley. Spruce and pine carpeted the Great the past 200 years, a few remnants of never-logged, Lakes region. Ancient redwood and Douglas fir virgin woodlands remain in pockets throughout towered over the Pacific Ocean. Nearly half of our America. It is here that the native species of trees, plants Icontinent was covered with woods. and animals can still be seen...for now. These pristine There were thousands of plants, animals, fungi and natural forests store a living library of forest life microorganisms living in dynamic balance — a fan- descended from times past. But they are in jeopardy. tastic interplay of the sun’s energy, the earth’s min- Our wooded areas began their evolution eons ago. erals and pure water creating a magic web of life. There Some of America’s forests are home to trees 1,000 or were trees as tall as skyscrapers, animals fierce as the more years old. But from about 1840, logging com-

6 MIDWEST TODAY Transforming a lush, green forest into a desolate, disfigured landscape, Congress and the U.S. Forest Service have used taxpayer money to subsidize sales of cheap wood to timber barons.

SAVING THE

panies recklessly cut all but the most re- promise idea to the people of Minnesota Even when the demand for wood slackened mote and steep slopes across the nation, to and, ultimately, the U.S. Congress. The final as steel became the construction material FOREST provide raw materials for houses and fac- blessing came from Gifford Pinchot, head of choice for the military and other indus- tories in a growing industrialized country. of the newly created Division of Forestry. tries, old growth forests continued to be Here in the Heartland, between 1850 In June 2002, President Theodore Roose- exploited. and 1900, citizens had witnessed the awe- velt signed a law creating what we now In 1995, the timber industry pressured FOR THE TREES some leveling of the great pine forests of know as the Chippewa National Forest. A Congress to pass a bill that suspended all Michigan and Wisconsin. The once boun- full 95% of the timber was made available environmental laws on the National Forests Our ancient woodlands have survived world wars, the tiful woodland resources of the upper for logging. Agricultural lands in the region for two-and-a-half years, and unleashed a Midwest had been drastically reduced, were opened to settlement. But at least a flurry of harmful logging of rare, previously gold rush and the industrial revolution. Yet now the U.S. and vast acres of cutover slash and stump- 225,000-acre forest reserve was set aside, protected Ancient Forests. President Clin- age stretched from Lake Huron to the Rum and that was a reason to celebrate. ton signed the measure into law — then Forest Service and Congress are their most deadly threat River in Minnesota. When a large tract of This was a pattern that was to repeat itself later apologized for it. These biologically forest land in north-central Minnesota, not over the ensuing decades, whereby local cit- critical forests were clearcut and degraded, far from the headwaters of the Mississippi izens had to fight tooth and nail against and the public could not stop this destruc- River, was about to be sold for logging, a powerful, rapacious interests wielding tion. It was enough timber to fill 49,000 log- Minnesota professor, Maria Sanford, con- untoward influence over Washington, who ging trucks. In Missouri’s Mark Twain vinced the Federation of Women’s Clubs were only too eager to exploit our ancient National Forest, two acres of fire-damaged to oppose the sale. The law, according to woodlands for profit. trees compelled the Forest Service to target Sanford, would allow “millionaire lum- Despite the fact that Teddy Roosevelt — an entire 240 acres for salvage sale. bermen” to “saw down, chop off, and an ardent conservationist — had set aside drive out every pine tree the region con- 150 million acres of wilderness for future *Clearcutting describes completely clearing tains.” The U.S. government had stolen the generations, and created the U.S. Forest an area of trees, regardless of their size and usabil- land from the Ojibwe (Chippewa) Indian Service, our timber continued to be plun- ity. Remaining scrub and brush are usually tribe, and business interests from Grand dered without reseeding. burned in large piles that can cast a smoky haze over the countryside for weeks. A clearcut area Rapids to Duluth were eager to see home- By 1920, Big Timber had co-opted the may be relatively small, or may span for miles, steaders and lumberjacks stream into the Forest Service, leading to industrial clear- and despoils the landscape — including the scars region. But Sanford’s colleague, Florence cuts* that “scalped” the land. The Forest of logging roads cut to access it. The abrupt Bramhall, who headed a forestry commit- Service became the fire service, protecting removal of trees can have a serious environ- tee, spent a year and a half selling a com- trees so industry could cut them down later. mental impact on the surrounding area.

By NEAL LAWRENCE • SENIOR WRITER MIDWEST TODAY 7 George W. Bush repealed protections for forests for private profit. amounts of carbon from our atmosphere 60 million acres of pristine National Forests Another problem is that, according to the (53 million tons per year). National Forests and appointed a former lobbyist for the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) based in also offer pest control and pollinating ser- timber industry, to head the Forest Service. Washington, D.C., which conducted an vices by providing habitat for species that Bush’s “Healthy Forest Act,” which was extensive study, “For years the [U.S. Forest prey on forest and agriculture pests and for passed under the guise of thinning woods Service] has been one of the most mis- wild pollinators that are instrumental in the near populated areas to reduce risks of wild- managed, poorly led, politically manipu- survival of certain crops. Forests also con- fires, was really an effort to weaken forest lated and corrupt agencies in the federal tain life-saving medicinal plants, including protection laws. government.” It said it is “an agency that two important cancer-fighting agents that More than any other human activity, log- is at war with itself and nature — one that have been found in trees growing on ging actually increases the risk and wors- mistreats and muzzles its own employees, undisturbed timberlands. ens the severity of forest fires. When routinely breaks the law, places its own Natural forests are home to thousands commercial logging crews remove the interests over its mission to care for the land of native plants and animals intercon- largest, most fire-resistant trees and leave and in general sleeps with the [timber] nected in a delicate web of life. Each organ- behind only small trees and brush, fires industry.” It also concluded that Congress’ ism is interdependent on the other. The ignite more easily, spread faster, and burn legislative agenda in regard to forests is spotted owl eats voles, a small rodent. hotter. “substantially set by timber industry inter- Voles eat fungi and disperse the fungi In the aftermath of these assaults, tor- ests.” spores in their waste which then grow in rential floods washed away the rich topsoil The U.S. government’s dumping of the ground on the roots of the giant trees. and gouged deep ravines, exposing rocks, cheap, subsidized public timber artificially The fungi are essential to helping the clay or sand. The bare earth was saturated lowers wood prices and devalues private trees take up vital nutrients through their with plant-killing chemicals, the land bull- timberland. Small, private woodlot owners roots from the soil. Each organism plays a dozed, the remaining branches and fallen can’t match subsidized government prices, role in the healthy functioning of the tree trunks soaked with gasoline and set on and are forced to overlog and clearcut to forest. The forest is teeming with life, from fire; every living thing above and below the compete in the marketplace. The U.S. common insects living in rotting logs on the ground is dead. Now, the entire scene is exports much of its timber overseas as raw forest floor to rare moss and lichens that crisscrossed with dirt roads leading to... logs and wood pulp for foreign corpora- only grow in the branches of trees, high in nowhere. tions. Meanwhile, we import timber from the forest canopy. And here are more scenes from our tropical rainforests, causing massive defor- The lifeblood of these pristine forests are National Forests: estation around the world and loss of jobs crystal clear streams which provide habi- •Bald Eagles flying in terror as their 400- here at home. tat for endangered salmon and trout. year-old nest trees crash to the ground. National Forest logging contributes only Because of massive forest destruction •Salmon and their eggs smothered 3% to the nation’s timber supply. It throws caused by clearcutting, the delicate web of under an avalanche of mud sliding off of people out of work by competing against life in our forests is unraveling. Scientists a clearcut mountainside. producers of recycled or non-wood fiber say that the earth is experiencing a wave •Bears fleeing as chainsaws and bull- and building materials. Clear-cutting proof extinction. The leading cause of extinc- dozers clearcut their forest sanctuaries. motes overuse of paper and wood, clogging tion is destruction of native habitat by such •It’s not just the big timber companies landfills and filling incinerators with waste. human activities as clearcutting and logging at fault. With a woodcutting permit in the The billions of dollars currently spent roads. Klamath National Forest, John Q. Public can subsidizing the logging of public lands could The deforestation which is occurring in go out in the woods with a chainsaw and instead employ tens of thousands of people our National Forests is so massive it is clearly cut down a 100-year-old oak tree, or cut all to restore forests rather than destroy them. visible from space. Satellite photos show that of them from a hillside for that matter, as the rate of clearcutting in places like the long as he has paid his $20 for four cords How It Used To Be Olympic National Forest of Washington of wood. MERICA WAS ONCE COVERED WITH state equals or exceeds the destruction in •Even the sanctity of the Giant Sequoia one billion acres of towering pri- the Brazilian rainforests. A World Resources National Monument, home to the world’s meval forests. These forests were Institute report concluded that the last of oldest and biggest trees, is being threatened teeming with plants and animals, a the original forests in this country will be by our own government. A treasure-trove of evolutionary diver- lost without immediate action. After the Forest Service clearcuts our sity and biological richness. Giant, centuries- Besides wasted tax dollars, the costs in National Forests, in their place it plants tiny, old trees had trunks more than 15 feet wide environmental damage are staggering. identical tree seedlings-tree farms. Tree and soared to the height of 30 story sky- Increased species extinction, flooding and farms contain only one species of tree scrapers. landslides are examples of the destruction planted by the thousands in row after row, In the past 500 years, aggressive logging resulting from clearcutting in fragile forest all the same age. Having none of the and development have destroyed most of watersheds. diversity and fertility of natural forests, tree these original forests. The last remnants of Natural forests act as giant sponges that farms are prey to destructive fires, drought America’s virgin and natural woodlands, regulate the flow of water into streams and and floods, and invasions of pests and dis- with their unique and irreplaceable life, rivers. During and after rain, the trees and eases. On millions of acres, tree farms have reside mostly in our National Forests. shrubs hold vast amounts of water in their failed to grow, leaving huge regions of our These 155 forests are dispersed over a large trunks and leaves, and their roots bind and National Forests permanently barren. portion of our country — an area about the stabilize the soil. These are not exceptions. For decades, size of California, Oregon and Washington Clearcut areas don’t absorb water. In- the U.S. Congress has directed the Forest combined, and stretch from Alaska to Flor- stead, when heavy rains come, they allow Service to clearcut millions of acres of ida. Most states have at least one National for rapid runoff, causing flooding and public woodlands, on behalf of wealthy and Forest. erosion. The floodwater transports tons of powerful timber and paper corporations, These timberlands provide important silt, clogging waterways. In steep areas, the and sell it to them at bargain-basement biological services that most of us take for earth can no longer resist the tug of grav- prices — a few cents on the dollar. These granted. Forest ecosystems recycle nutri- ity and pulls away in a landslide. Clear-cut- huge conglomerates have bought political ents, wastes and produce soil. They play a ting softens the banks of a river by enabling influence with Congress to pass laws that vital role in mitigating changes in our global erosion, which can cause them to collapse shamefully liquidate our priceless public climate by absorbing and storing vast into the water.

8 MIDWEST TODAY Downstream in the valleys, homes and lives are ruined by a wall of water and mud. Government subsidies are needed to help communities and individuals repair the damage. In recent years, major floods and landslides in California, Oregon, Wash-ington and Idaho have caused billions of dollars of damage to public and private property. Many people were injured and some were even killed. Some landslides were directly attributable to clearcut forest areas. Clearcutting may profoundly alter local rivers in other ways. If logging comes Hundreds of feet above the close to the banks of a river, as it often does, ground, the crowns of ancient red- it eliminates the shady shield of trees, woods shelter another forest. which can cause the temperature of the Thickets of berry bushes, ferns, river to elevate. Even a few degrees can and other conifers — some large make a huge difference to native plants, enough to bear cones — rise from fish, and amphibians, and can cause a sig- dense mats of soil on broad limbs nificant population decrease. Numerous or in trunk forks. The soil, as thick organizations monitor global rivers and as three feet, forms from decayed have warned that extensive clearcutting leatherleaf ferns and redwood could result in the extinction of some fish leaves and bark, nourishing an species, as they are driven out of their native aerial ecosystem unknown until habitats. the 1990s when scientists first climbed into the canopy. As water Trees Thousands of Years Old Are At Risk evaporates from leaves, more ILLIONS OF ACRES OF SPECTACULAR water is pulled up through vertical forests in the Pacific Northwest and capillaries to keep water rising the Sierra Nevada desperately against gravity to extreme need to be protected for future heights. Leaves also absorb water Mgenerations. These forests of thou- directly from rain and fog. sand-year-old trees are home to the endangered spotted owl, the marbled murrelet, (Clockwise from left) A hiker in fishers, martens, and other animals the Freeman Creek Grove of emblematic of America’s wildlife heritage. Giant Sequoia; some trees are The sequoias are among the largest, 26 feet in diameter; Coast red- longest living trees on earth. These ancient woods don’t get as wide as sentinels grow in a limited area of the Sierra their cousins, the giant sequoia, Nevada Mountains, confined to about 150 but are the tallest trees on the secluded groves. Although some of these planet — one measuring 379.1 groves are protected within National Park feet high (70 feet taller than boundaries, many of the groves lie in the the Statue of Liberty) National Forests — unprotected. Nanning Creek Grove, one mile east of the logging town of Scotia, is the largest unprotected stand of primeval redwood forest in the world. It contains old-growth trees up to 15 feet in diameter standing over 300 feet tall, likely to be thousands of years old. Of the two million acres of original Redwood forests that existed when Cali- fornia gained statehood in 1850, less than 3% remain today. The fight to protect the huge trees of California’s Sierra Nevada range began in the late 1800s, when Sierra Club founder John Muir won the establishment of Se- quoia National Park. A hundred years later, President Bill Clinton established the Giant Sequoia National Monument to protect nearly half the giant sequoias left in existence. The Bush administration attempted to log them, but a judge halted the practice. Yet these groves of towering trees are still threatened. The Forest Service has called for extensive logging of this natural cathe- dral, under the guise of fire protection. The Forest Service’s own scientists have found

MIDWEST TODAY 9 MYTHS ABOUT LOGGING that logging large, fire-resistant trees like reveals the unique quality of the area as an those in the Monument does little to pre- ecological interface zone and important Myth: Logging reduces fire hazard. vent catastrophic wildfire. wildlife corridor. The pass at Cochetopa is Truth: Logging leaves cut-over areas In a typically misguided policy, the U.S. low elevation, creating vital winter habitat open to the direct sun which dry out and Forest Service has riskily allowed logging and migration corridors for many animals increase fire hazard. all around these fragile groves. The sequoia such as black bear and elk. Distinctive inte- • grows naturally in stands of trees with many rior wetlands also attract wildlife to this Myth: Salvage logging is needed after other species, such as Ponderosa pine and semi-arid part of the Rockies. These rare forest fires to aid ecosystem recovery. Douglas fir. Logging within the sequoia wild forests are threatened with destructive Truth: No, it is not. Salvage, and the groves threatens the existence of the se- logging and roadbuilding. road building, cat skidding, and log removal quoia. It exposes the trees to the full force The Sipsey wilderness is located in the it involves increase erosion, reduce habitat of the wind and kills the intertwining root Bankhead National Forest in Alabama. The for wildlife, and fragment what wild lands systems that help keep the sequoia stand- Sipsey is a wonderland of diverse hardwood we have left. In fact, fire suppression (bull- ing. forests dissected by mysterious canyons har- dozed fire lanes and backburns) in combi- The Rocky Mountain region has the boring rare plants and secret waterfalls. nation with salvage are the greatest threat largest unroaded areas in the lower 48 Noted for its outstanding biological diver- to North America’s remaining wilderness. states. Many roadless forest areas in this sity, half of all fern species in Alabama are Forest fires are a natural part of our region remain mostly as they were before found in the Sipsey along with 147 species ecosystem and contribute to the health of Columbus set foot on this continent, wild of birds and 53 kinds of amphibians and our forests. Fires should be suppressed and untamed. This is the only region in lizards. Migrating songbirds find rare habi- lower 48 states where the grizzly still roam tat in the interior forests. only in tourist and rural interface areas. free. Massive new logging and roadbuild- Flowing through the wilderness is the • ing projects in these National Forests are Sipsey River. It is designated a Wild and Myth: Old growth rainforests are full of already degrading this region. With light Scenic River, and is home to an endangered diseased and decadent trees. A young rainfall, mountainous terrain, and fragile species of freshwater shellfish. forest is more healthy. soils, these forests are particularly vulner- The U.S. Forest Service has allowed Truth: Old growth rainforests are healthy able to clearcut logging. When timber destructive clearcutting throughout most ecosystems which have evolved over thou- companies clearcut these forests, they may of the Bankhead National Forest, degrad- sands of years to be more resistant to not grow back for centuries ing the entire ecosystem and threatening insects and disease. They are naturally Like the giant sequoia groves, the the survival of the Sipsey Wilderness area regenerating, with trees of all different Cochetopa Hills of Colorado are threatened itself. The Forest Service has been destroy- ages. Decaying wood retains water and by clearcutting and roadbuilding. The ing the diverse species of plants and ani- supports new life. The needles of big, old forests of the Cochetopa are spread mals throughout the Bankhead National throughout three national forests in the Forest, and replacing these beautiful nat- southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado — ural forests with sterile tree farms. the Gunnison, the Grand Mesa and the Umcompadre. The Cochetopa Hills are Midwest Forests Affected Too known for unusual mixed stands of conifers. OST PEOPLE PROBABLY DON’T THINK Ponderosa pine, Bristlecone pine, aspen of the North Woods of Wisconsin and Engleman spruce are found growing as holding significant plant and together. This is just one aspect of the animal species — but they do — Cochetopa Hills’ high biological diversity. M including the goblin fern, Amer- Cochetopa means ican ginseng, the goshawk and the pine (Below): Timber com- “pass of the buf- marten. These northern Wisconsin tim- panies want to harvest falo” in the Ute berlands also hold some of the only remain- trees filter water and their roots hold soils trees from some of language. This ing swaths of old-growth trees in the in place. A young, even-aged forest which Colorado’s most descriptive name Midwest and provide a connection to follows clear-cutting is much more prone picturesque areas. to fire, insects, disease and erosion. (Opposite page): • Logging imperils Myth: Logging is needed to create jobs Superior National and save the economy. Forest in Minnesota. Truth: Sustainable logging is required to truly create the economy that provides jobs long-term. Studies have shown that, acre- for-acre, ancient forest systems provide more economic benefit and jobs left standing than cut down. • Myth: Timber is needed to build homes. Truth: More timber is not needed to build homes. Homes can be built from many renewable materials which are available at a lower cost, with desirable building attributes and with less fire hazard.” • Myth: Logging our watersheds is only done to improve water quality. Truth: Logging increases erosion, runoff and silt in our reservoirs which inevitably degrades water quality. Logging is done for profits — pure and simple.  10 MIDWEST TODAY nature for thousands of people in the Obama’s Sec. of Agriculture, former region. For years the U.S. Forest Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (who over- Service has been proposing increased sees the U.S. Forest Service), had logging, timber sales and road build- promised he would personally review ing. But these North Woods are all timber sales in roadless areas of already the fifth most-heavily logged National Forests. But then he National Forest in the country and approved the Orion North timber the most-heavily logged in the east- sale of old growth trees in Alaska’s ern half of the United States. Tongass — the crown jewel of our Don Waller, University of Wiscon- National Forest system and the sin botany professor, says “This area largest temperate rainforest in the is gaining in biological value right world. The sale was halted by a now. We have gray wolves coming Federal Judge in December 2009, back down from the Upper Pen- after Earthjustice brought the issue insula [of Michigan]. We’re begin- to court. The project would have cost ning to hear of sightings of cougar. taxpayers close to $1.6 million while We’re seeing a recovery of bird only generating $140,635 from the species. Will this recovery be able to trees. continue?” mlAccording to the Wilderness Elsewhere in the Heartland, over Society, “American taxpayers have 133 years after the death of Crazy not only watched as the Tongass has Horse, most of the Black Hills’ forest, been picked apart by road building held sacred by the region’s Sioux, is and logging, they’ve paid for the scarred by clearcuts and logging privilege. The tab extends beyond roads. Although recreation provides $750 million over 20 years. In a almost three times more jobs locally single year alone, the Forest Service than logging, not even 1% of the spent $36 million on the Tongass forest is protected as wilderness. timber program and got back in rev- In Minnesota, the economic and enues only $1 million. Subsidies for ecological impacts of intensive log- logging roads account for nearly ging are obvious in Superior’s white-pine logging methods today are technological, half of timber program costs annually.” forests. Besides destroying habitat for black industrial marvels — highly productive and Studies have also shown incontrovertably bear and moose, clearcutting pollutes lakes cheap. For instance, Champion’s invest- that national forest lands are far more valu- and streams, endangering not just water- ment in East Tennessee land and the chip able to rural communities when trees are fowl but trout and walleye fisheries — and mill totals $13 million, and it takes only six left standing, and that the federal logging the families that depend upon them. men to run it. Much of the logging itself is program creates billions of dollars in unac- hired out to local contractors who must counted costs for communities, businesses, Paper Companies Also To Blame submit competitive bids. Champion em- and individuals. This expense comes in N ADDITION TO LUMBER COMPANIES, THE ploys a total of 12 people in Tennessee, addition to timber industry subsidies, which American paper industry continues to about one per $1.1 million investment. cost American taxpayers approximately whittle away some of the nation’s forests, Estimates place the average value of a saw $1.2 billion a year. shipping the trees down the railroad timber tree at $400. But when taken for For decades, citizens have attempted to Itracks and rivers for short-term profits. chips, the smaller, lower quality trees go for stop Forest Service destruction of our Many of the “chip millers” are selling the about $4, from land where property taxes public woodlands by using the timber sale South’s renewable forest resources down average only $1.50 to $2 an acre. It’s quick appeals process, lawsuits, and participation the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway to and easy to turn a forest into chips. The size in national forest planning. Despite all these Korean and Japanese companies to make of the log doesn’t matter, and the trans- efforts, the Forest Service continues to allow FAX, computer and high-quality magazine portation method is cheap. All of it amounts private timber companies to clearcut old paper to sell back in the U.S. market. to what environmentalists call a “quiet growth and roadless forests throughout our Several forest types of national and rape” of the Southeastern environment. National Forest system, destroying critical global significance are found in the 13 states Despite the existence of alternative fibers habitat, ruining important recreational that comprise the American Southeast, in for pulp, such as hemp and kenaf, about areas and violating the public trust. some of the richest temperate forests on half of the trees cut each year are turned The goal is still managing the forest for earth. Along with the streams that flow into paper products. 50% of the landfill the harvesting potential. The Forest Service through them, they are renowned for the waste in America is wood and paper fiber. includes “harvesting, processing and mar- diversity of native plants, fish, mussels, There are nearly 150 chip mills operat- keting of wood products” in the current job amphibians and migratory birds, including ing in the region, with more on the way. description for Foresters. some threatened and geographically re- Each high-capacity mill can go through Every year since 1996, a bill called the stricted species at risk of extinction. 10,000 acres per year at maximum pro- Act To Save America’s Forests has been re- In the old days, two-man teams cut duction. Clear-cutting to supply them con- introduced to Congress. It would end trees from sun up to sun down with giant sumes a total of 1.2 million acres a year. clear-cutting on federal lands, end road cross saws. Horses and mules drug the trees building through pristine wilderness, and on cables to sprawling train tracks, which Not Much Has Changed Under Obama restore 60 million acres to their original whisked the timber away. NVIRONMENTALISTS WERE IN HOPES native biodiversity through active and pas- This time around, the efficiency of the that Barack Obama would protect the sive measures. The proposal to protect these machinery for felling trees is unparalleled, National Forests, but he chose as his areas has been endorsed by over 600 emi- like something out of an Edward Abbey Interior Secretary Ken Salazar — a nent scientists and gained 140 House and novel. Mammoth bulldozers drag whole E friend of Big Oil, a defender of Senate co-sponsors. But still, powerful lob- trees on cables up the steepest of mountain Bush’s lawless Attorney General Alberto byists for the timber industry are able to slopes. It’s called cable logging, and you Gonzales, and an ally of Connecticut Sen. keep the bill bottle-necked by buying off cor- have to see it to believe it. On one hand, Joe Lieberman. That says it all right there. rupt members of Congress. 

MIDWEST TODAY 11 SUMMER FUN IN THE HEARTLAND

OU DON’T HAVE TO VISIT A BIG METROPOLIS TO HAVE FUN this summer. The Heartland’s small cities and towns have plenty to offer...and at affordable, family-friendly prices. YHere is a sampling of what you can enjoy.  Some people are surprised to find that the Midwest boasts some fantastic beaches, with ocean-like vistas that rival those along the coasts. The trademark of Headlands Beach State Park in Mentor, OH is its mile-long natural sand beach, the largest in the state. In addition to its popularity during the summer season with picnickers and swimmers, the area is home to many plant species typically found only along the Atlantic Coast. Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve, located at the east end of the park, is one of the last and finest remaining examples of Lake Erie beach and dune communities in Ohio. A federal breakwall is located at the east end of the park offering fishing opportunities for smallmouth, large- mouth and rock bass; yellow perch, bluegill, walleye, coho salmon and carp. In addition, crappie, steelhead trout, sucker, catfish and bullhead are common catches. • Carbondale, in Southern Illinois, has it all, from big-city sophistication to small-town charm. College kid hangouts add spice to the local dining/entertainment scene. The Town Square Market is the place to shop for fresh produce to antiques. The Boskydell Pony Club caters to the horsey set, with respected competitions amongst equestrians. Barton House Bed & Breakfast offers a “fancy farm” atmosphere, at the Kitehill Vineyard B&B you can enjoy of quaint European shops, lined with more than 70 themed superb accommodations as you begin your jaunt along the South- Christmas trees, collectibles, animated figures, and imported orna- ern Illinois Wine Trail. Nearby Shawnee National Forest beck- ments. Be sure to stop at Jim Baldauf Collector Cars, the Spirit ons you to explore its flora and fauna, including spectacular of Aviation, the Children’s Museum, and Historic Octagon House ] outcroppings and rock formations (in Garden of the Gods). & Costume Closet, at the head of Fond du Lac’s Historic Dis-

L • trict. (It once served the Underground Railroad). LaCrosse Queen E A classic steam paddlewheeler, the , still plies • the waters at LaCrosse, WI. There are also Mississippi Explorer Beloit, WI is home to the Angel Museum that showcases over V Cruises — just a part of this lovely city’s charm. La Crosse enjoys 12,900 angel figurines. Historic Auto Attractions has a “Day in

A a glorious natural setting. The city’s Main Street ends at Grandad Dallas” display about the Kennedy assassination. There’s the Bluff, which rises 590 feet above the city. The beautiful park atop Wright Museum of Fine Art, the Colored Sands Forest Preserve, R the bluff affords a stunning view of three states: Wisconsin, Min- and the Rotary Botanical Gardens (20 minutes from Beloit).

T nesota and Iowa. The antique and gift shops of Old Towne North •

T offer five blocks of treasures. Best place to stay: The Radisson. Enjoy the annual Herb Festival at Basu Natural Farms (May With 169 rooms, it has a fine restaurant, fitness center, spectac- 29 and 30) at Kankakee County, IL. The festival includes herb tours, S ular banquet facilities and great river views. nature walks, farmers market, guest speakers, children’s games,

E • and the opportunity to pick your own herbs. Drummers and At Larson’s Famous Clydesdales, in Fond du Lac, WI, you can African dancers provide a unique cultural experience and the

W see Famous Reggie, who won the Anheuser Busch Best Amer- on-site museum with over 4,000 artifacts is open to the public. ican Bred Gelding at the National Clydesdale Show. Get a chance With over 160 restaurants in the county, there is ample variety D

I to pet the baby Clydesdale, which is very rare. Visit the ranch where to please any taste or budget. Tour Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bradley the gentle giants live. Kristmas Kringle Shoppe, Ltd is a two-story House, view local art at the Gretchen Art Gallery, or canoe down

M Bavarian style complex featuring an interior that resembles streets the Kankakee River. There’s also a Barn Quilt Tour. [ 12 MIDWEST TODAY BySALLY KNIGHT and NAOMI LENOX Enjoy cruises on an old paddlewheeler EVERYBODY LOVES A PARADE called the Showboat when you visit Clinton, IA. The Comanche Depot and Railroad VERY GOOD PARADE TELLS A STORY. PAY ATTENTION, AND YOU’LL LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO Museum captures a bygone era, and kids know about a town. Take New Ulm, MI, a town of 14,000 at the confluence of the Minnesota will love the Felix Adler Children’s Dis- Eand Cottonwood rivers. covery Center. Take in a game played by You’ll see gold-painted gymnasts in gold-lamé wigs, representing the Turners who founded the Clinton LumberKings, a professional New Ulm. A horse-drawn wagon rolls by from Schell, the second-oldest family-owned brew- Class 1A, Midwest League affiliate of the ery in the nation. And here come the cannons of the New Ulm Battery, formed after the Dakota Seattle Mariners. Explore the Soaring nearly wiped out the town in 1862. Eagle Nature Center, the Wide River There are accordion players in lederhosen, princesses in dirndls and garden gnomes in con- Winery and Heritage Canyon — featuring ical red hats. There is a miniature Glockenspiel and a statue of Hermann on the City of Festivals restored buildings from the 1800s. And float. Mischievous Narren in hand-carved wood masks walk alongside it, trying not to frighten don’t miss the Fulton Windmill. children. Like New Ulm, the parade is as German as sauerkraut. Maybe more so. • “Parades are kind of communal storytelling,” says Chris Lutter-Gardella, whose giant pup- Plymouth, WI is the ultimate destination pets appear in parades all over the region. “They become a community’s way of expressing for antique lovers! There are six antique itself.” shops containing a large selection of vin- Trolls, fiddlers and Vikings march the streets of Decorah, IA. In Sault Ste. Marie, tugboats tage clothing, jewelry, furniture, glass, art, amass at the foot of the Soo Locks. On the Minnesota prairie in Luverne, you’ll see stuffed pottery, clocks, and collectibles. Nearby bison and gigantic combines. Kettle Moraine State Forest, provides vis- “You can tell what people in town itors with four seasons of great recreation- think is important based on what ends al opportunities, including biking, hiking, up in the parade,” says Robert Lavenda, and camping. Plymouth also boasts fine arts, professor of anthropology at St. Cloud golf, festivals and the original 1857 Franklin State University and author of “Corn Haus/Village Tavern & Hall that sells local Fests and Water Carnivals: Celebrating Wisconsin beers, wines, and snacks. Community in Minnesota.” “For some • towns, it’s the biggest, most powerful Colby describes itself as “an oasis on the farm equipment the town can deploy, prairie” and indeed it is a vital, progressive and for some towns, that isn’t impor- community in Northwest Kansas. A high- tant at all,” he says. “Once, I had an light this summer is Kansas/Nebraska organizer whisper to me, ‘I finally got Chautauqua “Bright Dreams, Hard Times: the last of the damn farm implements America in the Thirties” at the Prairie out of the parade.’” Museum of Art and History. View the extra- Big Top Chautauqua impresario and ordinary, international collection of rare songwriter Warren Nelson from Fair- dolls, quality glass and porcelain (includ- mont, MN says “I like parades for the ing Meissen and Tiffany), textiles and fur- same reason I like county fairs and state fairs; it’s just a big hubbub.” niture. Be sure to stop at the Cooper Barn Watching parades lets spectators read a town like a book. Over last Memorial Day in Chicago, and Museum Complex. I watched platoons of parading Hispanic reservists, followed by Korean dancers waving ban- • ners. Message? This city is a mosaic, proud of heritage as well as country. The Bull at Pinehurst Farms in She- It was the same in little Westby, WI, where the Syttende Mai parade includes a lot of roy- boygan Falls is home to the only Jack alty in Norwegian costume, local Civil War re-enactors, a pair of elflike Nisse and several big, Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in the ugly trolls. state of Wisconsin. Rolling meadows, steep Sometimes, however, I’m not exactly sure what a parade reveals about a town. During Chippewa ravines, dense woodlots and the ever-pre- Falls’ Pure Water Days parade in August, a Bible-camp float featured a recruiting poster for sent Onion River make this new course both the military: “THE U.S. ARMY WANTS YOU.” challenging and enjoyable for golfers of all And watching Winona’s Steamboat Days parade in June, I marveled at Shriners wearing skill levels. It’s been rated as among “Am- Chinese coolie hats and “Injun”-style painted faces and feathered headdresses. Their willful erica’s Best Public Courses You Can Play” cluelessness was breathtaking, especially in a town that had just hosted the annual Great Dakota from 2005 through 2010 by Golfweek mag- Gathering Homecoming, was built on the site of a Dakota village and is named for a Dakota azine. woman. Fifty years ago, nobody would have blinked. But today? What’s up with that? • Yet the crowd favorite at the Steamboat Days parade was the South Shore Drill Team, com- If golf is what you want, nearby Kohler posed entirely of black youths from Chicago who wore all-white gowns and suitcoats and waved is where you can find The American Club white flags as they marched and danced with dazzling precision. — the only AAA Five Diamond resort hotel Parades remind people of the days before life got so complicated, and they like that. When in the Midwest. It includes the Blackwolf the weather is fine, every parade is a top parade. Below are just a few of those being held in Run course complex (which has hosted the the Heartland over the next few months. U.S. Women’s Open and the World Cham- May: Whalan, MN, Stand Still Parade near the Root River State Trail near Lanesboro. Syttende pionship of Golf), and Whistling Straits (a Mai in Spring Grove, MN, and Westby and Stoughton, WI. Chicago, Memorial Day parade at throwback to the raw freshness of Ireland noon on State Street from Randolph to Van Buren. sculpted into the Wisconsin coastline along June: Luverne, MN, Buffalo Days. Winona, Steamboat Days. As part of Engineer's Day in two miles of Lake Michigan). Whistling Sault Ste. Marie, MI, it’s the only day the public can walk across the Soo Locks. The Great Straits has two courses which have hosted Tugboat Parade is held at dusk on the St. Mary's River. the PGA Championship, U.S. Senior Open July: Madeline Island, Fourth of July. It’s followed by patriotic speeches and music at the and the Palmer Cup. Madeline Island Museum. Minneapolis, Aquatennial. New Ulm, Bavarian Blast, with Her- • mann’s Musical Spectacular parade. Decorah, IA, Nordic Fest. Marshalltown, IA is the birthplace of August: Chippewa Falls, WI, Pure Water Days. famed actress Jean Seaburg. Within 30 September: Pepin, WI, Laura Ingalls Wilder Days. miles of Iowa Speedway, the city offers October: Bayfield, WI, Apple Festival. family fun, like Appleberry Farm, an If you’re a kid, here’s a rule of thumb: Parades in small towns will net you the most candy Aquatic Center, and a six-story Big Tree- (bring a bag for all of your loot). Norwegian towns seem to give out the most.  —By Beth Gauper, www.midwestweekends.com MIDWEST TODAY 13 EVERYBODY LOVES A PARADE house. Test your skill at the Challenge SPOTLIGHT: 3 FUN PLACES IN IOWA Course, or explore the Grimes Farm and Conservation Center. Each summer Mar- shalltown also holds the Mid-Iowa Antique Power show featuring hold fashioned trac- tors and hay baling. “Buggies and Tunes,” held June 25-26, is a huge barbecue com- petition. • Samuel Clements, a/k/a/ Mark Twain, spent his boyhood years in Hannibal, MO, and the town became the setting for his most famous works. This is the 175th anniversary of his birth, and 2010 has been declared “The Year of Twain. A festival on Memorial Day weekend will honor his lit- erary works, and include entertainment, arts and crafts, food and more. You can also tour his birthplace. There’ll be lots of other activities as the year unfolds in this bucolic small town that typifies middle America. • History comes alive on the Lakefront line of the North Shore Scenic Railroad near Duluth, MI. Each summer equipment from the museum makes the transition from static display to rolling stock on this working railroad. During the season several trains a day depart the historical Union Depot for a trip through downtown Duluth, Canal Park, along the shore of the Lake Superior and deep into the majestic North woods. Fully narrated tours tell the history of Duluth, the harbor, and the stories of the railroads that connected the people and transported the material that built the region. • Follow Lake Superior’s breathtaking South shore to Bayfield, WI. This “Best Little Town in the Midwest” is gateway to the Apostle Islands Lakeshore and a Cape Cod- like destination for travelers from around the world. Complete your adventure with a three-mile hop to Big Top Chautauqua. This 70-show seasonal lineup features original historical musicals, national tour- ing acts, concerts and variety shows, all presented in a picturesque setting under a giant 900-capacity all-canvas state-of-the-art tent theatre. It’s the performance home of the nationally broadcast Tent Show Radio program. Food, bar, gardens and gift shop. Suitable for the whole family. Open mid-June through early September. • The Amana Colonies have been a land- mark on the Iowa prairie for over 150 years — reminding us of a simpler time. This is not just another cookie-cutter getaway. The Old World German charm of these seven villages blossoms like the lillies on Lily Lake that sway gently in the summer breeze. Restaurants serve good old-fashioned cooking “family style,” there are antique stores, woolen mills, wineries, clock and furniture shops and vine-covered brick houses from a bygone era. There’s never a problem parking, even though the Amanas are a popular destination. Just stroll the streets and explore all you like! 

14 MIDWEST TODAY Accurate & Insightful Morning Dan! is a new internet radio show hosted by Dan Hurst, one of Kansas Citys favorite radio dudes for the last 25 years. In each episode, Dan simply chats with somebody about whatever is fun, interesting, inspiring, goofy, tasty, annoying, smelly, or memo- rable about their life. Its a great way to deal with the morning drive to work! Grab some coffee and enjoy the show. Were open 24hrs here. And morning to you too!

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MIDWEST TODAY 15 Anne BaCxurttaine Carll In an exclusive interview with Midwest Today’s Sara Jordan, Anne’s daughter, Melissa Galt, talks about her famous mother, who was born in Indiana, the granddaughter of Frank Lloyd Wright, and who made classic films like “All About Eve” and “The Ten Commandments” ] D N E G E L N E E R C S [ 16 MIDWEST TODAY ANNE BAXTER ADDED A TOUCH OF CLASS AND REFINE- his youth in Hamtramck, MI. He was nine years her senior. His ment to every movie she made. Profoundly witty and most notable film role was opposite Tallulah Bankhead in 1944’s “Lifeboat.” In 1948, husband and wife teamed up for the Clark humorous, on and off screen, she led her life with self- Gable/Lana Turner vehicle “Homecoming.” Baxter played Gab- effacing humor, treasuring her friends and family, and le’s wife, who witnesses an illicit affair between him and Turner. devoting herself to her career. Hodiak and Baxter welcomed their only child, Katrina, into the Anne is best remembered for her Academy Award-nominated world on July 9, 1951. role as the conniving Eve Harrington in the 1950 classic “All About However, the couple grew apart, and Anne blamed herself for Eve.” Baxter’s other noteworthy films include “Follow the Sun,” the failure of the marriage. They divorced when their child was “The Magnificent Ambersons,” “The Ten Commandments,” “The only 15 months old. A little over a year later, at the age of 41, Razor’s Edge,” (for which she won the Oscar), and nearly 50 other Hodiak suffered a fatal heart attack while shaving at his parents’ Anne Baxter movies. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. home. His film, “On The Threshold of Space,” was in post-pro- Curtain Call Anne was born on May 7, 1923 in Michigan City, IN into duction at the time. Anne was his first and only wife, and although American royalty. Her father, Kenneth Stuart Baxter, was an exec- they had divorced, she considered herself a widow. utive with Seagrams Distillery Co. while her mother Catherine Anne appeared in a string of films, but 1950 would bring her Wright was a teacher. Catherine was the daughter of famed archi- most well-known and iconic role as Eve Harrington, in writer/direc- tect Frank Lloyd Wright. In her 1976 autobiography, “Intermis- tor Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s, masterpiece “All About Eve.” Jeanne sion,” Anne wrote, “She (mother) was his favorite as a child and Crain was originally cast as Eve, but pregnancy prevented her he used to call her ‘Taffy.’ She was beautiful and saucy and thor- from appearing. Eve closely follows the career of her idol, aging oughly individualistic, all of which he loved. But when the family stage star Margo Channing. Margo’s best friend, Karen Richards, broke apart she’d understandably sided with her mother and there (played by Celeste Holm), pities Eve’s sob story and agrees to let had been many painful scenes.” She went on to say of her famous her meet Margo after a performance. Eve smoothly integrates grandfather, “He and I had no such ravines between us and had herself into Margo’s circle. She becomes her right-hand-woman, discovered deep affection easily.” a star-struck young girl who is a long way from the farm in Anne’s relatives were also inspired by Mr. Wright. Frank Lloyd Wisconsin. But Eve sets her sights on Karen’s husband, producer Wright, Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps, as did grandson Eric Lloyd Richards, played by Hugh Marlowe. She also flirts with Bill Lloyd Wright. John Lloyd Wright invented Lincoln Logs in 1916, Sampson, Margo’s director/boyfriend. John Garfield and Ronald stating that his creation was inspired by the construction of his Reagan were considered for the Sampson role, but Gary Merrill father’s recent project, the Imperial Hotel. Granddaughter Eliz- was cast instead. abeth Ingraham, is yet another architect. The family includes George Sanders played the role of cynical theatre critic Addison numerous interior designers as well, including Baxter’s own daugh- DeWitt, who sees through Eve’s facade. The movie speaks of ter Melissa Galt. Ms. Galt spoke candidly with this writer about broader human fears, desires, and behaviors, having been in-spired growing up in the shadow of her mother’s fame. She provided by a short story that ran in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1947 enti- personal insight, and an eye-opening view of her famous family. tled, “The Wisdom of Eve.” The Baxters moved to New York City when Anne was seven, Claudette Colbert was signed to portray Margo. Anne was and she was raised amidst luxury and sophistication. She had a favored to play Eve because Mankiewicz and producer Darryl younger brother named Toby who died tragically, at an early age, Zanuck felt Baxter bore a striking physical resemblance to Col- so Anne grew up as more of an only child. Her parents enrolled bert. But a debilitating back injury at the last minute prevented their daughter at the elite all-girl Brearley school. At age ten, Baxter Colbert from making the film, so Bette Davis was chosen as her attended a Broadway play starring Helen Hayes, and was so replacement. Marilyn Monroe also made one of her early film impressed that she declared to her family that she wanted to appearances, playing a young budding actress. This movie fea- become an actress. By the age of 13, Anne had appeared on tures the Davis character line, “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going Broadway. The aspiring young girl studied under actress Maria to be a bumpy night.” Ouspenskaya, founder of the School of Dramatic Art. There, Baxter The film was nominated for a stunning 14 Academy Awards. learned “method acting,” a technique that originated in Russia No other motion picture has surpassed this; however, the 1997 and in which actors do not manufacture emotions and expres- film, “Titanic” holds the tie. “All About sions, but rather, they draw upon personal experiences. Another In “All About Eve” Eve” is the only movie in history to student of Ouspenskaya formed his own acting school. His name with Bette Davis, garner four actress Oscar nomina- was Lee Strasberg. Marilyn Monroe and tions: BDeatvteis Dwaavsi sn woams inaotmedin afoterd b feosrt In her her teens, Baxter moved to Hollywood to try her hand George Sanders lbeeasdt inlega daicntgre sasc,tTrehsesl,m Tah Relimttear ,R (iwttehro, at movie acting. She tested for the role of Laurence Olivier’s wife p(wlahyoe pdl aMyeadr Mgoa’rsg om’sa mida)i,d )a, nandd CCeelleste in the film “Rebecca,” but director Alfred Hitchcock wanted a slightly older actress for the part. Joan Fontaine, six years Anne’s senior, won the role. Not long after, Baxter would make her first film entitled, “20 Mule Team.” Two years later, she would be cast in the critically acclaimed film, “The Magnificent Ambersons,” a book adapted for the screen by Orson Welles. He insisted that the young actress be cast in the film. The movie follows the lives and secret past of an Indiana family. Joseph Cotten and Agnes Moorehead costarred. Anne Baxter’s follow-up film was “Five Graves to Cairo,” directed and co-written by Billy Wilder. Tyrone Power played a British corporal with whom Anne’s character falls in love. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards. In 1946 Anne made another film with Power entitled “The Razor’s Edge.” Clifton Webb and Herbert Marshall also appeared. Baxter won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award as well as a Golden Globe. Some fans consider this edgy, tear-jerking role to be her finest, despite the legendary roles that were to follow. During this time, Anne married fellow actor John Hodiak on July 7, 1946. A man of Ukrainian and Polish descent, he spent By SARA JORDAN MIDWEST TODAY 17 Holm were acknowledged in the best supporting actress category. resists his forceful advances by striking him with a fireplace poker, Anne Baxter allegedly was first nominated in the supporting actress then flees, leaving behind the blue gardenia he bought her. The category, but lobbied to be nominated alongside Davis. Ultimately next morning, she awakens in her apartment with only a vague the two women from the same film were nominated in the lead memory of what happened. Then she discovers Prebble was killed, actress category, for the first time in film history. and assumes she committed the crime. The suspense thriller has Anne’s daughter, Melissa Galt, reflected, “My bet is that she didn’t a surprise ending that exonerates the young woman. do it with an ulterior motive, as much as she did it with a logic: In 1955 Anne appeared in the period picture “The Spoilers,” ‘Look at this. I’m in every scene here. I’m on the screen just as this version being the fifth run of the film. It starred Jeff much as Bette Davis is. I’m a lead actress in a title role’...That sort Chandler and Rory Calhoun. of thing. I don’t think it would have been out of maliciousness.” It seemed Baxter’s career had reached a climax with “Eve,” but She went on to say, “Mom was not a backstabber. Absolutely not. one more defining role was in the making. 1956 saw the release One of the people she admired, [was named] Anne Slater. Mom of Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments,” showcasing an used to stay with Anne when she would be in New York. And she all-star cast including Edward G. Robinson, Yul Brynner, Vincent told me that Anne had been to boarding school, and she had made Price, Yvonne De Carlo, and Charlton herself a promise that she would never say anything nasty or ugly Heston, as Moses. Baxter traded in her about anyone. Ever. And that’s how she got the standing in soci- usually lux accessories for the exotic ety that she did. She used to grace the pages of W and a lot of attire befitting an Egyptian queen, the society publications coming out of New York. But mom looked Nefertari. The film is the fifth-highest at her as a friend, and shared that story with me more than once grossing movie of all time in the U.S. and and said, ‘That’s the way to be.’ So mom wouldn’t have done that. Canada. It won the Academy Award for I don’t buy into it. If it happened and she was behind it, it would Best Visual Effects, having been nomi- have been... people pushing her to do it. Because mother was easily nated for six other Oscars. Long-time swayed.” friend and costume designer Edith The film won six Oscars, including best picture of the year. Davis Head worked with Anne for this movie. and Baxter were up against Gloria Swanson for “Sunset Boule- mlMs. Head was the foremost costume vard,” and 29-year-old starlet Judy Holliday for “Born Yesterday.” designer in the heyday of Hollywood. Holliday won — to everyone’s surprise. Swanson and Davis were She was nominated for 35 Academy devastated, both being women over 40 with few leading roles in Melissa Galt Awards, winning eight, which is more their futures. Fans and critics alike have blamed Baxter for the Oscars than any other woman has ever won. She dressed Mae upset. Melissa defended her mother, stating, “She was very ambi- West in “She Done Him Wrong,” Gloria Swanson in “Sunset tious, but...I don’t think my mother ever could have been an Eve Boulevard,” Bette Davis for “All About Eve,” the Hitchcock women, in real-life.” Natalie Wood numerous times, and was the godmother of Baxter’s “All About Eve” was adapted for Broadway and re-titled, “Ap- daughter Melissa, who observed of Edith, “She was working all plause,” starring Lauren Bacall. When Bacall left the show, Baxter the time. She was basically a workaholic. Loved her career! took over her part; not as Eve, but as Margo Channing. Baxter Absolutely. I think that is one of the reasons why mother and she rose to the occasion despite playing the opposite role. got along so famously. They both were completely devoted to their The film ranks 16th on the American Film Institute (AFI) list craft. And my mother would be the first to tell you that. Her career of the 100 greatest movies ever made. Eve Harrington was voted was way before her family. Aunt Edie didn’t have family beyond 23rd on the AFI list of the 50 greatest villains of all time. Uncle Bill...At the studio she had the persona. The bun in the NeverBoxoffice.com praised the film saying, “It is a classic of back of her head, and the bangs and the glasses, the little gray the American cinema — to this day the quintessential depiction suits. And very business-like. And the stars in front of her were of ruthless ambition in the entertainment industry, with legendary the stars there. At home, she relaxed, she cut up, she laughed. performances from Bette Davis, Anne Baxter and George San- She liked to [joke] that she dressed like a Spanish Omelet. She ders anchoring one of the very best films from one of Hollywood’s was very Bohemian in her dress at home. Nothing like what you very best Golden Era filmmakers: Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It is a saw at the studio.” film that belongs on every collector’s shelf.” In 1959 Anne filmed “Summer of the Seventeenth Doll” on Following the success of “Eve,” Baxter was cast in “Follow the location in Australia. While there, she stayed with friends Peter Sun,” which depicts the life of golf hero Ben Hogan, portrayed and Edwina Baillieu who who trying to set their widowed friend by Glenn Ford. Anne played his wife. In 1953, Baxter made the up on a blind date with rancher Randolph Galt. Baxter, on her thriller, “I Confess” with Montgomery Clift and Karl Malden. Anne way back to the States, declined to meet her mystery man. She appeared on Broadway in 1953 opposite Tyrone Power in Charles and her family were meeting up in Arizona to spend Easter with Laughton’s “John Brown’s Body.” Frank Lloyd Wright at his home “Taliesin West.” It was the last Anne Plays Another Classic Role In “The Blue Gardenia” time she would see her grand- HER NEXT FILM, “THE BLUE GARDENIA,” CENTERS AROUND BAXTER’S father. Wright passed away on character Norah Larkin, who awaits the return of her fiancé from April 9, 1959 at the age of 91. the Army, only to discover he has sent her a “Dear John” letter. Shortly after he died, Anne Distraught, she decides to go out with lothario Harry Prebble who appeared on a San Francisco has been courting her roommate, (Ann Sothern.) Prebble, played television show commemorating by Raymond Burr, wines and dines the lonely young woman with Wright. After the broadcast, plans to later take advantage of her. Nat King Cole serenades them Anne received a call at the sta- at the swanky dinner club with his latest song “Blue Gardenia.” tion from Peter Baillieu. But Arranged by Nelson Riddle, Nat sings: when she went to the phone it “I lived for an hour. was not her friend, but rather What more can I tell? her mystery man — Randolph Love bloomed like a flower, Galt. She agreed to meet him at Then the petals fell. the Clift Hotel. They hit it off Blue Gardenia -- immediately, even though Galt Thrown to a passing breeze, had to leave for Australia ten But pressed in my book of memories.” days later to look into buying a Back at Prebble’s apartment and in a drunken stupor, Norah cattle station in the bush.

18 MIDWEST TODAY The two would meet again in September, and Ran proposed named their child Melissa. A younger sister, Maginel, would be to Anne New Year’s Eve. However, she was concerned about the born March 11, 1964, on Anne’s parents’ 44th wedding anniver- age difference, being six-and-a-half years older. “I had become sary. The baby was named after a sibling of Frank Lloyd one of the billions of women who’d dropped their lives and fol- Wright’s. When the girls were young, their parents separated, lowed for love. Very old-fashioned, and very real,” she reflected. and ultimately divorced. Melissa speculated, “My guess is that it But before the two were married, a deranged male fan of Baxter’s, started to unravel when she took me back for the year and was distraught at the news of her engagement, threatened to sabo- pregnant again, with Maginel. There were four miscarriages in tage the wedding, by murdering her fiancé. He contacted colum- between, so it was a very scary pregnancy. And she really needed nists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper with his plans, which to be in the States, for a lot of different reasons. And so they came of course, exploded in the newspapers. The stalker got as far as back. I think they spent about six months in Hawaii, and then threatening Baxter’s agent at gunpoint. The wedding pro- they went to New Mexico for two or three years. And then they ceeded in Honolulu, amidst the press and with police protection. went up on the West Coast. And that’s when they split up” (in It was held at the Galt family church, St. Andrews Episcopal Cath- 1969). Melissa laughed about her home life in those days, “What edral. Anne, close to her parents, was saddened by the fact that the hell was [mother] doing in New Mexico for three years...where they declined to attend the services. “They did not dislike Ran. she’s out walking the wilds of the dry riverbeds, the aroyas, doing It was the idea of Australia they hated,” the actress later wrote. lines? How bizarre is that? Baxter agreed to move into Giro, sight-unseen. The broken “Ran — and yes, I do call [my father] Ran — didn’t remarry down farmhouse was 180 miles north of Sydney — and a million until his mother died, and my mother died. And they died in like miles from anything Anne had ever known or loved. Cattle brand- six months of each other. And he also became “Born Again”... ing, long muddy trips into the nearest town, limited electricity Ran was never really cut out for marriage. He just wasn’t. He could and resources, and frequent flights in small planes became the do anything he wanted, and pretty much did. And that’s what norm for this movie star. Ran adopted Anne’s daughter Katrina; tanked the marriage as far as I can see. He was not responsible, however, in her early 20s, she took her original last name back. he was not reliable. He was great as an escort...great as a boyfriend, Yet Katrina remains closer to Ran than do his own children. but sucked as a husband or a father. And I wouldn’t have any Anne’s next role came in the form of Dixie Lee in the Glenn problem telling that to his face. Near as I know, my younger sister Ford flick, “Cimarron.” The lavishly produced film failed to draw might speak to him once or twice a year. I haven’t spoken with large audiences, but it did receive two Oscar nods for Best Art him in probably 13 to 15 years. He was charming, and handsome, Direction and Best Sound. The world premier of the movie was and swept [my mother] off her feet, and somehow — what was held in Oklahoma City. Anne also appeared in “Dance Man” oppo- she thinking? — convinced her to run off to Australia! And she site Dean Stockwell, and then “Goodbye, My Love” directed by did. And then she found out that he was not all that.” Melissa Ida Lupino and costarring Ronald Reagan. Baxter reflected, observed, “My father’s one of those guys that wanted to keep her “Ronnie was sweet, although I hoped he wouldn’t bring his soap- away from everything. And it was manipulative, and it was not box. Conservative politics were his consuming passion. I was an smart. And it’s not how mother chose to live. Mother liked to live apolitical preservative.” what I call, ‘Engaged. Connected. Tuned in. And turned on. Each But there was trouble in paradise, or rather, the desolate bush and every day.’ That’s my mother. My father’s not. My father’s where a movie star was an oddity, and a woman who valued the the antithesis of that! They were like oil and water. It was a mess!” finer things in life, was all the more obscure. Anne documented After the divorce, Anne took her daughters to live in the States her stay in her memoir: “Loneliness was a prescription at Giro. full-time. Despite her movie star status, Melissa insists her moth- You took it every morning, like vitamins.” She also reflected in er was a down-to-earth woman. “There was no glamour, there her book that, “My love for Ran was enormous. But it was sui- was no glitz. There were no limousines. cide to live in his pocket. He had a right to his world. I just wished (Opposite page): I didn’t see the point in celebrity he’d share a bit more of it with me.” Anne compared her lifestyle Anne with Charlton status. To us it was an annoyance. to that of early pioneer women on the frontier. “Most people asked Heston and her Don’t misunderstand me, we didn’t about my Adjustment, that chimera. What could I say? Tell them grandfather, Frank lack for anything... But it’s not like it my plates were too big for the sink? Or never to wash sheets when Lloyd Wright; is today where a person makes one the river is up? Or that I missed being coddled like an egg (Below): Anne in the movie and they’re suddenly a multi- by American anything? Or that I was western “Cimarron” millionaire person. Mom wasn’t like horror-stricken at maggoty garbage? that. Mom was a celebrity in the days Or that I was singularly inept at floor when celebrities were real people. And she mopping? Or that I was often des- had me when she was 38 years old. She’d perate for a dial phone with a friend been out of Hollywood for about four years at the other end. That I wasn’t up for at that point. And they were none too keen much of any of it and secretly de- when she tried to come back. They basi- spaired at all my professional training cally said, ‘We’re sorry, you left at your going to waste.” height. You’re done.’ So she reinvented Anne suffered a miscarriage early on herself for television. But television does- in the marriage, which was an obvious n’t pay the way that movie stuff pays.” blow to her morale. However, soon after mlBaxter did make a comeback appear- she was pregnant again. She next ap- ing on TV. She went on the popular peared in the risque 1961 film, “Walk on game show “What’s My Line?” as a mys- the Wild Side,” featuring an early role for tery guest. She played villain “Zelda the Jane Fonda. Laurence Harvey, Capucine, Great” in two episodes of “Batman,” and Barbara Stanwyck were her costars. and “Olga, Queen of the Cossacks,” in Tensions were high on the set, egos three episodes, making her the only clashed, and Baxter tried desperately to actress to play two distinct characters hide her growing pregnancy. She wore full- on that show. Baxter teamed up with skirts and loose-fitting dresses and followed “Blue Gardenia” co-star Raymond a strict diet. Anne was seven months preg- Burr on his popular show “Ironside.” nant when filming wrapped up. The baby Anne appeared frequently as a guest arrived almost a month overdue, and was and stand-in host of “The Mike born on October 4, 1962. She and Ran Douglas Show,” and was featured in

MIDWEST TODAY 19 an episode of Columbo called “Requiem broker David Klee were a nice match, and for a Fallen Star.” Anne appeared on the Melissa observed that he treated Anne like hit television show, “Hotel,” replacing an a queen, the way her previous husbands ill Bette Davis. In her memoir, “This ‘n’ hadn’t. While working on renovations on That,” Davis wrote that the show should their Connecticut home, he died unex- have been called, “Brothel.” Baxter made pectedly in October of 1977, after only the TV films “Sherlock Holmes” and nine months of marriage. The house itself “The Masks of Death.” was architecturally reminiscent of Frank Anne valued her private life and tried Lloyd Wright’s flat-roofed structures. to keep herself and her children out of Baxter remodeled the living room fire- the Hollywood limelight. Melissa did place to resemble the fireplace in her not grow up with the impression that what grandfather’s masterpiece, Fallingwater. her family was involved with was anything mlMelissa and her mother grew apart for significant: “I didn’t think they were fa- several years as the girl entered adult- mous. We never had a swimming pool. hood. However, Ms. Galt warmly recalled We didn’t have a butler. We didn’t have a Christmas break in college when she a maid. Mother was into Jello before Bill went home to visit her mother and sisters. Cosby discovered it. If you wanted soft Anne had wanted a “Flexible Flyer” towels, you better do the laundry, because wooden sled, despite being a woman in if mom did it, she hung it out on the line her mid-50s. Melissa recalled that her in the backyard, thinking it smelled Anne with Maginel mother never lost her child-like sense good, and you got sandpaper for towels. (left) and Melissa. of wonderment, and was over the She was not big on modern conveniences. We had them, but she moon when her daughters finally got didn’t use the dishwasher. She believed in washing dishes by hand.” her what she had been asking for for Despite having a famous grandfather, Anne did not use that years. While the rifts between mother and daughters were on the as a way to propel her career. Melissa emphatically recalled, “I mend, Anne’s life was cut short. While hailing a cab in New York wasn’t raised with the idea that I had a famous great-grandfa- City, the actress collapsed after suffering a stroke. Eight days later ther. I honest to goodness did not know of his significance in on December 12, 1985, she passed away from a brain aneurysm, American culture until I went back to design school at age 30. at the age of 62. Baxter was cremated and interned in the family When he was showing up in my textbooks, I suddenly thought, plot at Wright’s beloved Taliesin, in Wisconsin. ‘Oh my! He was big.’ So understand, that’s how grounded my “Mom never lost her excitement for life,” Melissa reflects. “She mother was. We went to the family Thanksgivings at Taliesin, but had an enthusiasm that powered her out of bed in the morning, it was family. I didn’t view that as anything extraordinary.” and made her not want to go to sleep at night. And she had it Despite the iconic status Melissa’s mother, great-grandfather, about her work, she had it about travel, she had it about her writ- and godmother have to this day, Ms. Galt stated, “They were ing. She was definitely a perfectionist. She really struggled with human. They weren’t grand. Their legacy has become grand, and that. And we all three got that one from her. But that also came I think there’s a part of that they would each fight. Great-grand- from her mother, who told her she wasn’t good enough. And so father might not fight it as much because his ego was grand. But she told herself she wasn’t good enough. And then she told us I don’t think that as a person he was necessarily grand. He put we weren’t good enough. It all comes around full-circle... Mother on his pants one leg at a time. In other ways he was very lonely, decided at age seven she was going to become an actress... Great- which is why he always had a woman on his arm. From the way grandfather knew [what he wanted to do] at 17... Aunt [Edith I understand it, Mamah [Mamah Borthwick Cheney, Wright’s Head] knew at 30. But Aunt Edie came to it very late... She didn’t mistress,] was barely dead from the massacre* when he had some- even know how to draw when she dove into costume design!” body else there.That was quick! He didn’t like being alone. So These striking individuals were not statement makers; they he always had somebody there to cater to his needs.” embraced their creative passions, which in turn, created a statement. Today Melissa Galt is a successful interior designer out of Thought She Was Not Cut Out For Motherhood Atlanta, GA, as well as a motivational speaker and author of the WHILE MELISSA ACKNOWLEDGES THE DIFFICULTIES OF HER MOM book “Celebrate Your Life!” She remains estranged from her father being a single parent, she said with little hesitation, “Mother sat and older sister but says she speaks occasionally with her younger me down at 17 and said ‘I never should have been a mother.’ sister Maginel: “Mother was the glue that held this family togeth- And I didn’t take that to mean anything bad, but when I ran that er. She held the three of us girls together. And without my mother, by my aunt in the last couple of years she said, ‘Oh yes! She meant there is absolutely no glue. None. We each have intensely different that!’ But my aunt said, ‘Melissa, at the time she was at she took recollections in terms of our over-all emotional feeling about my an intermission, just like the name of her book. Everybody else mother, and I’m really great about where I am with it. I miss her was having babies, so your mom wanted to take that time out and like crazy. I think about her all the time. [Maginel] turned to reli- have babies, too.’ It was what you did back then. We were defi- gion and became Catholic. Near as I can figure out, became a nitely secondary to her. She never felt that she had been enough nun [who has lived in Vatican City for 12 years]. We just have of a mother. She really hadn’t been. She made a choice. Her career different values. And she made a huge change. And I think mother was first. It’s why we had such a bizarre series of caregivers.” would be extremely upset by this. She would be extremely unhappy Despite the hassles of fame, Anne enjoyed taking time out for that the three of us are so far apart, because she was an only child, fans. “Mother was always incredibly gracious with her fans. Even and she valued family a great deal. Not over her career, but she when they botched things up like when we were on the Circle valued family a great deal!” But Melissa says she is at peace with Line in New York in fifth grade. It’s a big boat and it was packed. Anne’s flaws as a parent. She cherishes the memories of her mother And they announced that Anne Bancroft was onboard and then who was an elegant, talented, and beautiful woman who left an they had to correct themselves,” Ms. Galt laughs. “Mom handled unmistakable mark on movie history. it all extremely well. She was an incredibly gracious person.” Anne Baxter had a saying she carried with her through the years, Anne married for a third and final time in 1977. She and stock- “See into life, don’t just look at it.” Melissa Galt stated with all cer- tainty, “It is just absolutely my mother. See it. Taste it. Touch it. *Julian Carlton, a hired hand, set a wing of Taliesin on fire on August 15, 1914. While the home was blazing, he killed seven people on the Feel it. [Life] is not to be gone through as a robot. This is not to grounds with an ax, including Mamah, her two children, three associ- be viewed from the perimeter. It’s not a game and you’re sitting ates, and a son of an associate, while Wright was away on business. in the stands. You’re on the field.”  Copyright 2010 by Midwest Today 20 MIDWEST TODAY [BOOKMARKS] SURVIVAL OF RURAL AMERICA; SMALL VICTORIES AND BITTER HARVESTS by INFORMATIVE, TIMELY, Richard Wood. Small farming communi- ENTERTAINING & UNIQUE! ties are the heart and soul of America, but it’s no secret that they’re under siege. Family farms are disappearing and manufacturing is outsourced. Schools close, jobs vanish, and local stores can’t sur- vive. Some communities even resort to giving away land just to get people to move there. i5IF.PTU'BNPVT)PNFUPXOJOUIF8PSMEw Wood traveled the backroads $PNFTFFXIFSF.BSL5XBJOHSFXVQ to gather stories and collect BOEXBMLJOIJTGPPUTUFQTBMPOHUIF photos from proud Kansans, CBOLTPGUIF.JHIUZ.JTTJTTJQQJ depicting their spirit, optimism and true :PVSGBNJMZWBDBUJPOEFTUJOBUJPOyFYQMPSFUIF grit. It’s an uplifting story of survival. DBWFTyUPVSUIFNVTFVNTySJEFUIFSJWFSCPBUy  DBUDIBDMBTTJDNPWJFBUUIF4UBS5ISFBUSF TFFXIFSF.PMMZ#SPXOHSFXVQ MY MEMORIES OF JIM REEVES AND OTHER CELEBRITIES by Joyce Gray 4UBZBUPOFPSPVSmOFIPUFMNPUFMTPS Jackson. The secretary to Jim Reeves, the XPSMESFOPXO##T greatest singer to ever come out of Nashville 'PSNPSFJOGPSNBUJPOBOEB Heard weekly on 52 AM and FM and an international superstar so popular GSFFWJTJUPSTHVJEFDBMM in his lifetime he went on to score 34 charted stations across the Heartland... hits in the 20 years after his death in a 1964 50."/%)6$,PS LISTEN ANYTIME AT plane crash, has written an insider’s account WJTJUIBOOJCBMDPN www.midwesttoday.podblaze.com of Music City that is spellbinding for its personal anecdotes. Among the 140 stars i#FTU"MM"NFSJDBO5PXOw Jackson writes about, aside from Reeves, are -JGF.BHB[JOF Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Roy Rogers, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jen- MIDWESTTODAY nings, Larry Gatlin, Charlie Pride, Steve Wariner, Brenda Lee, Grandpa Jones, Radio Edition Conway Twitty and many more. She also relates her encounters with Bob Hope, Marlon Brando and Oprah Winfrey. These up-close-and-personal looks at celebs are refreshingly honest, true to life, and most revealing. Scores of personal photos.  IN TRACE OF TR by Dan Aadland. As a student of American history, as a hunter, horseman, and former Marine, and as someone passionate about the West, Dan Aadland had long felt a kinship with Theodore Roosevelt. One day, on a single-footing horse, lever- action rifle under his knee, Aadland set out to become acquainted with TR as only those who shared his experiences could. He documents that quest, inviting readers to ride along and get to know Theodore Roosevelt through the western environment that so profoundly influenced him.  CUTTIN’ UP by Court Carney. This is a new look at the spread and acceptance of jazz in America in the 1920s and ’30s, going beyond the familiar accounts of music his- torians and documentarians to show how jazz paralleled and propelled the broader changes taking place in America’s economy, society, politics, and culture. Focus is on Chicago, New Orleans and Los Angeles as jazz centers.  MIDWEST TODAY 21 Strawberries!

Clockwise, from upper left: Grilled Mahi-Mahi Tacos with Strawberry Salsa; Strawberry Rhubarb Parfloat; Strawberry Chicken and Fennel Salad; Strawberry Shrimp Ceviche. Vinaigrette THIS DELICIOUS SEASONAL BERRY IS MORE 1/3 cup olive oil VERSATILE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK AND CAN BE 1/3 cup walnut oil USED IN ENTREES AS WELL AS DESSERTS 2Tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 Tablespoon roasted garlic purée TRAWBERRIES HAVE BEEN CULTI- 1/8 teaspoon salt vated in America since 1835, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper raised by many home gardeners. To make salad: In large bowl, toss California strawberries are avail- chicken, strawberries, fennel, radicchio, S able year-round. The berries are basil and walnuts with vinaigrette. Mound non-fat and low in calories, rich in vita- salad on 6 plates, dividing it equally. To min C, potassium, folic acid, fiber, and vit- make vinaigrette: in blender or food amin B6. Strawberries are so nutritious, processor, purée oils, vinegar, garlic pu- research is finding that they may reduce rée, salt and pepper until emulsified. the risk of heart disease and some can- Makes 6 servings. cers, and help memory. I’ve included a recipe where strawberries are combined until it offers no resistance to the point STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PARFLOAT with another Springtime favorite: rhu- of a small, sharp knife. Place 1 corn tor- Rhubarb Syrup: barb. Store strawberries loosely covered tilla on top of each flour tortilla. Top each 2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut into and unwashed in fridge. Enjoy! corn tortilla with 1/4 cup cabbage, 1 piece 5-inch pieces mahi-mahi and 1/4 cup Strawberry Salsa. 2 cups sugar GRILLED MAHI-MAHI TACOS Serve Avocado Sour Cream and Chipotle WITH STRAWBERRY SALSA Sour Cream on the side. Orange Milk: 1 cup diced fresh strawberries Makes 4 servings. 3 oranges 1/2 cup diced mango 3 cups milk 1/4 cup diced papaya STRAWBERRY SHRIMP CEVICHE 3 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cups diced pineapple Ceviche Dressing 2 Tablespoons diced red onion 1/4 cup chopped, stemmed strawber- Basil Syrup: 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime ries 1 cup sugar juice 1/4 cup chopped plum tomato ¾ teaspoon corn syrup 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro 2 Tablespoons olive oil ¼ teaspoon vitamin C powder 1-1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice ¾ cup basil leaves, loosely packed Salt and black pepper 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar Cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons chopped, seeded jalapeño 1/2 pound fresh strawberries, stemmed peppers and diced Avocado Sour Cream: 1 teaspoon sugar Sugar, as needed 1/4 cup diced avocado 1/2 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 pints vanilla bean ice cream 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1-1/2 cups seltzer 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon 6 basil sprigs juice Ceviche To make Rhubarb Syrup, in heavy-bot- 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime 3/4 pound cooked peeled shrimp tomed saucepan, heat rhubarb and sugar juice 1-1/2 cups peeled seeded diced cucum- with 2 Tablespoons water over low heat, ber covered, about 10 minutes or until Chipotle Sour Cream: 3/4 cup diced red onion rhubarb is soft, stirring occasionally. 1/2 cup sour cream 1-1/2 Tablespoons chopped, seeded Strain syrup through fine strainer or 1/2 chipotle in adobo jalapeño peppers colander lined with cheesecloth. Re- Salt and white pepper 1-1/2 cups (about 1/4 pound) quartered, frigerate. Granulated garlic stemmed strawberries To make Orange Milk, remove zest 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro (orange part of skin) from oranges with 1 pound mahi-mahi, cut into 2-ounce To make Ceviche dressing: in blender vegetable peeler. In saucepan, heat milk pieces or food processor, purée all ingredients and zest to just below boil; remove from Salt and black pepper until smooth. heat and steep, covered, 1 hour. Strain; Ground cumin, ground coriander and In large bowl, toss shrimp, cucumber, add sugar. Refrigerate. ancho chile powder onion and peppers with Ceviche dress- To make Basil Syrup, in saucepan, 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, heated ing. Refrigerate, covered, at least 30 simmer sugar, corn syrup and vitamin 8 (6-inch) flour tortillas, heated minutes but no more than 4 hours. Just C with 1/2 cup water until slightly thick- 2 cups shredded napa cabbage before serving, add strawberries and ened. Cool. In blender, purée syrup with To make Strawberry Salsa, gently mix cilantro; mix gently but thoroughly. basil and pinch of salt; strain through fine together all ingredients; season with Makes 6 appetizers. strainer. Refrigerate. salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. To Sweeten strawberries with sugar to make Avocado Sour Cream, blend all STRAWBERRY CHICKEN taste. For each serving, in chilled 16- ingredients in food processor or with stick AND FENNEL SALAD ounce glass, layer 1/4 cup Rhubarb blender. To make Chipotle Sour Cream, 1 pound grilled chicken breast strips Syrup, 2 tablespoons Diced Strawberries, blend sour cream and chipotle in food 3 cups (about 1 pound) fresh straw- two 1/4-cup scoops ice cream, 1/2 cup processor or with stick blender; season berries, stemmed and sliced Orange Milk, and 2 more Tablespoons with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. 3 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb Diced Strawberries. Add 1/4 cup seltzer; Season mahi-mahi with salt, pepper, 3 cups shredded radicchio drizzle with 2 tablespoons Basil Syrup. cumin, coriander and ancho chile pow- 3/4 cup shredded basil Garnish with 1 basil sprig. der. On gas or charcoal grill, cook fish 1-1/2 cups toasted walnut halves Makes 6 servings 

By SALLY KNIGHT • LIFESTYLE EDITOR MIDWEST TODAY 23 ] HHAANNGGIINNGGTTHHEEWWAAYYMMIILLLLIIOONNSSOOFFPPEEOOPPLLEEAACCTTIIVVEELLYYIINNCCOORRPPOORRAATTEE Rockefeller Center, in front of an audi- N preventive health into their lives has become a daily practice ence of 200. Oz earned the best debut for

O for Dr. Mehmet Oz. As one of the world’s most accomplished any syndicated daytime talk show since cardiac surgeons, Dr. Oz is taking life-saving medicine be- “Rachael Ray” premiered in 2006 S yond the operating room. Now, in an effort to reinvent med- lThough he’s become a media cele- R icine on a global level, he has applied his visionary medical brity, Dr. Oz is a deep thinker with a facile mind and spiritual bent. Reflective and E knowledge to every conceivable form of media to teach people how to refreshingly approachable, he still does P CCuse natural methods to live longer, reduce stress, and avoid the killers of 250 heart operations annually, yet says heart disease and cancer.

O he doesn’t plan to operate by himself any Dr. Oz was born in Cleve- more: “I always want one T land, OH and received his other surgeon...with me, be-

N undergraduate degree from cause I think it’s really impor- Harvard University in 1982. tant for someone to be in O A lifelong multi-tasker, he charge of that patient if I S obtained an MD in 1986 from have to go to the studio.”

R the University of Pennsyl- mlMehmet (who turns 50 vania at the same time he June 11th) and his wife, Lisa, E earned an MBA from the have four children — Daph-

P Wharton Business School. ne, Arabella, Zoe and Oliver. [ Dr. Oz currently serves as • Vice-Chair of the Depart- mlBefore you were Dr. Oz, ment of Surgery and Pro- what did people call you? fessor of Surgery at Co- mlA lot of wizard jokes. I lumbia University. He also played football in college [at directs the Cardiovascular Harvard], and my first week Institute and Complemen- there, one of the coaches tary Medicine Program at said, “You made Judy Gar- New York Presbyterian Hos- land famous, so we’re going pital. His research interests to call you Judy from now include heart replacement on.” I went the entire season surgery, minimally invasive with that name on my hel- cardiac surgery, comple- met. It ended up sticking for mentary medicine and health most of my college years. care policy. As a cardiotho- racic surgeon, he has in- mYou have written “Since I vented several medical de- was a child, the heart was the vices, including one that vital organ that riveted my enables damaged hearts to interest both in a physical pump blood. sense and as an image.” Is Oz has appeared 55 times that what compelled you to on “The Oprah Winfrey want to become a doctor? Show” for over five seasons, mlPart of my allure to med- while co-authoring five New icine was a religious one. It York Times Best Sellers includ- was a search for meaning at ing the “YOU” book series. He is a regu- with an angular face and warm smile that its most profound level. I didn’t think you lar columnist for Esquire magazine, and makes many a woman’s heart skip a beat. could really understand the world host of a daily talk show on Sirius XM. He He says he wants to be the TV talk show around you if you didn’t understand your has also appeared on numerous other version of Dr. Marcus Welby — a com- own body. So this almost narcissistic shows like “Good Morning America,” forting presence. He tapes his program drive to learn about what made me tick “Nightline” and “The View.” three days a week, two tapings a day, in made me that much more interested in Oz is both avuncular and authoritative, the former Conana O’Brien studio at 30 medicine. As you go through the process Dr. Mehmet Oz’s

PBOiRN cIN CLtEVEuLAND, rOHIOe THE OPoRAH PfROTEGHE INSPIReES HEaALTHYl LtIVINhG

24 MIDWEST TODAY By ZADE DUVAL of training to be a physician, there are as a wake-up call. Most of the time, people Organic foods — defined as those these “eureka!” moments, these “aha!” say “My goodness, I never knew.” produced without irradiation, genetic moments that occur, particularly in the modification, sewer-sludge fertilizer, early years of medical school where you You espouse the availability of free clin- antibiotics, or synthetic pesticides or fer- realize some insight into existence that ics. What’s your view on health coverage? tilizers — do have advantages that can you didn’t expect. And the heart did that I think we have to have everyone justify their cost, especially since even the to me. I remember the first time I saw forced to be part of the health plan, priciest organic products often cost less this incredibly powerful organ twisting whether we give it to them for free per pound than the processed junk and turning in the chest cavity of an indi- because they can’t pay for it, or we sub- most of us snack on daily. With some vidual whose life was threatened by its fail- sidize it or make them pay for it together foods — meat, milk, spinach, strawber- ure. Remember, the heart doesn’t empty with their employer. You really can’t have ries, cherries, peaches, and apples, to blood like a balloon letting out air; it’s a wealthy society unless you are a healthy name a few — going organic really can much more elegant than that. It twists the society. We have to have affordable care help avoid the potential health risks blood out of it the way you would wring for all. America must find new ways to associated with pesticides and animal water out of a towel. When I saw this address the poor health re-cord and stag- infections. But the main reason I advo- organ I realized why it plays such an gering expenditures gripping our coun- cate buying organic foods? They just taste important role in our poetry, why it dom- try. People who do not have insurance better. inates our religion, why we associate the who come to the hospital cost a lot more, soul and love to a muscle. I’ve dedicated and they do far worse. You’ve also been talking about acai (pro- my life to try to figure out what that allure nounced “AH-sigh-EE”), a small fruit is and in particular how to help folks who You prescribe yoga and massages to from South American rainforests that is are challenged with this illness. your patients. Do your colleagues agree? often found in the United States in juice. Some of them think it’s flaky. But I do Acai is a powerful antioxidant. It has Heart disease is the #1 killer. Why? these things myself. They work for me. twice the antioxidant content as a blue- The heart, our internal metronome — When I’m tired at the end of the week, berry, so it’s a wonderful alternative. Look it keeps us pounding. Of all the organs I get a massage. When I’m exhausted in at the food label and make sure they don’t we have, it’s always on call. What kills the mornings, I do yoga. I know it have too many carbohydrates in there. more human beings than anything is works for me, so why wouldn’t it work It’s available in all major stores now. It’s hardening of the arteries. With heart dis- for my patients? Why should I treat them just sort of breaking through. Colorful, ease, we don’t have a Plan B. any differently than I treat me? dark foods like red wine, pomegranates, concord grapes, blueberries — they call What’s the biggest causal factor? How do you describe your approach? them brain berries — are full of nutri- High blood pressure, caused by our In my practice I have struggled to pro- ents. processed food diet and a sedentary vide holistic healing. For example, help- lifestyle. If you keep your waistline less ing a transplant recipient deal with the And tomatoes are beneficial? than half your height, the incidence of emotional crisis of a rejecting heart is [When eating] tomatoes, heat them up hypertension, as well as diabetes and high often more of a challenge than the a little bit and put a little oil in them. It cholesterol plummets. surgery itself. Nothing in science can makes it easier to absorb the lycopene. address the hopelessness we feel when Lycopene is another antioxidant, but it What advice would you give a person our hearts fail us completely, or give us has additional benefits as well, which are to avoid or cope with heart disease? comfort when we face the possibility of particularly valuable for the heart. The heart muscle regenerates through- our own death or the loss of a loved one. out your life. We used to think it stopped As a physician, I seek to connect with my You recommend eating garlic because after you were grown. But your heart will patients on both the physical and spiri- it contains allicin. stop regenerating if you don't keep chal- tual levels, since true healing is never Allicin has been shown to effectively kill lenging it. So exercise. At every age. Walk about curing just the body. methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus every day for 30 minutes at a brisk pace. aureus (MRSA). We believe garlic is effec- Ideally, you will accumulate 10,000 steps We understand you play mystical Islamic tive against MRSA and other resistant bugs. daily. Avoid transfats and saturated fats Sufi music for patients during operations. [Allicin] is a fascinating mechanism that (the fats that are hard at room temper- Are you inspired by Sufism? plants use to protect themselves. ature) as well as enriched flour, high fruc- Influenced by it. The biggest influence tose corn syrup, and simple sugars. for my alternative medicine interest are Is there anything wrong with replacing my wife and her family. They are very a meal with a PowerBar and Gatorade? What has been the greatest advance- insightful people. My father-in-law is a The rule I use is, If it doesn’t come out ment in cardiology? very well-known heart surgeon, Gerald of the ground looking the way it looks when Heart replacement therapy for heart Lemole. I saw how they were using it in you eat it, be careful. There’s no such thing failure. We can transplant and implant their own family and to create a healthy as a PowerBar tree. mechanical devices to save people who environment, and I liked it. In Islam, of only 15 years ago would be ghosts. course, it makes you realize that you have How much coffee is too much? to have your own connection with the You get the health benefits of coffee up You sometimes use scare tactics. divine, there should be no one between through about the first 24 ounces. It’s the I don’t think the gentlemanly approach you and God, so it makes you very biggest source of antioxidants for Amer- always works. You have to shake some autonomous, very free thinking. Organ- icans, and we think it helps prevent Alz- people up. The reason for that is that our ized religion are the rules, Sufism and heimer’s and Parkinson’s as well. biggest enemy in educating people about other mystic sects of Christianity and their bodies, is that they think they Judaism allow us to transgress those rules Is all seafood good for you? already know the answers. And they and actually begin to enjoy the game. Nope. Some of the crustaceans have don’t. But they ignore the advice you’re cholesterol — shrimp, crab, lobster. And trying to give. So I use the shock tactics Are organic foods really healthier? top predators like swordfish and tuna can MIDWEST TODAY 25 contain elevated levels of industrial in powerful ways. For example, one ting their daily dose [of vitamin D with], toxins, so you shouldn’t eat them more recent study from the Medical University roughly 15 minutes in the sun. than three times a week. of Vienna found that the smell of both 4. Put down that homework. And turn off oranges and lavender lifted the moods the TV, especially after bedtime. Kids You’ve said not to take a multivitamin of patients about to undergo dental pro- need about ten to 11 hours of sleep per right before bed. Why is that? cedures. If that’s enough to make people day between ages three and 12. Young B vitamins can give you weird dreams. facing a root canal happy, imagine what children who don’t get enough sleep have Because they are metabolic cofactor vit- it could do for you. Try placing some more academic and behavioral problems, amins, they stimulate neurotransmitters lavender oil on your desk at work and including oppositional behavior, defi- in the brain, so you blast off into dream- taking a whiff when you’re feeling down. ance, and hyperactivity. world. The best way: Split the vitamin in 5. Talk back. Focus on your kids dur- half and take it with breakfast and dinner I drink one Scotch a night. Good or bad? ing a conversation. I believe the most so you have a constant level thru the day. In that amount, any alcohol, including important predictor of success and hap- Scotch, has a health benefit. piness as an adult is whether you know You’re not a fan of diet pills. that your parents loved you. It increases Almost all diet pills work by teasing What’s the best headache treatment? oxytocin levels, so your kids will feel safe your metabolism through unnatural Take two fingers and press firmly on and can learn better. means. Potential problems include racing the bridge of your nose, right beneath the heart, anxiety disorders, irritable bowels, brow line, for a few minutes. There’s an You worked at a checkout counter at a [and] acid reflux. acupressure point there. supermarket to observe what people were buying to take home and eat. You have said that no carb, low carb, We get these e-mails about colon We spend so many hours and so much low fat, no fat, Atkins, cabbage soup — cleansing. Is it a good idea? money at the supermarket, but we fail to whatever your diet ploy is, know it will You’ll get rid of more crap by delet- realize that the purchases we make are not work. So how does one lose weight? ing the e-mails. The intestines empty investments in our health. If you can shave off 100 lousy calories themselves completely if you eat a high- The amount of packaged foods and from the food you eat every day, you will fiber diet. carbonated beverages people brought to effortlessly lose about 11 pounds over the the checkout line absolutely floored me. course of a year, which means over the Is antibacterial soap legitimate? Even more alarming, this is happening course of two to three years, you will lose It is bullshit. all across the country. Americans are all of the extra weight that the average flocking to the grocery stores and load- American has on board. It’s one bagel or We’ve heard you say that parents coming up on frozen dinners and salty one soda, which doesn’t sound like a lot, pound the obesity problem by not allow- snacks. Last year alone, Americans spent but by doing it in a gentle way your body ing a child’s taste buds to mature. $12 billion on carbonated beverages. can’t figure out you’re on a diet. Kids have more taste buds [10,000 That’s about 15 billion pounds of sugar compared with 3,000 for adults] so they going into the gut of America! You’ve said to never travel without don’t experiment with food. If they’re snacks, and Ding Dongs are not a snack. never exposed to anything but burgers You have some tips on how to shop. Neither are 100-calorie snack packs, and fries, their taste buds never mature. The remedy is simple enough: know low-fat brownies or really anything in the They never get sophisticated in how they when and how to shop. Having a certain low-cal, low-fat fake-food category. They taste foods. strategy when you go into the grocery have to put something else in place of that store is key. It’s crucial to avoid unnec- fat. And when they chemically modify Do you have any advice for parents? essary sugars and carbohydrates and you food, it becomes a game for you and your We parents have to be role models. Ive can avoid them by only shopping the mind can’t win. distilled what I’ve learned along the way perimeter of your store, where fruits, veg- into these five ultimate health tips for kids. etables, meats, and dairy products are So what snacks can we eat? 1. Play with your food. Child obesity is a kept. You will find all the unhealthy pack- The body is designed for whole foods devastating health crisis. But so often the aged foods and sodas in the middle aisles. — foods that come out of the ground. message for kids is strictly negative: A second tip is to consider going into And if the foods you are eating are not “Don’t eat junk food!” “Don’t watch too the supermarket with a list and a time of that nature, eventually you can’t much television!” Don’t. Don’t. Don’t. limit. This will prevent you from idling process them. Food is the gas that fuels The message about food needs to be pos- into many of those all-too-tempting your ability to navigate workplace poli- itive if you want your kids to eat right for middle aisles and save you from splurg- tics and make good choices a lifetime. You’ve got to offer healthy ing. It might also be beneficial to use your foods that are fun, colorful, and inter- phone or other mobile device to create You’ve talked about eating nuts, which active. and store your grocery list throughout lower body levels of a hormone called 2. Eat that fat. The human brain is about the week, so that you aren’t listing what- ghrelin that stimulates appetite. 60% fat, which is one reason I encour- ever comes to mind at the last minute. If you eat a few nuts 30 minutes age people to include healthy fatty acids, Finally, never go to the grocery store before dinner, your hunger will drop off especially omega-3s, in their diet. These on an empty stomach. It’s a recipe for dis- dramatically. are wonderful brain boosters for kids. aster. Have a healthy snack 15 to 30 min- Nuts and certain types of fish, such as utes before you go to the store, or carry Is there any natural mood elevator? salmon and mahi-mahi, are great sources. a bag of walnuts or raisins with you so that Just inhale. I’m not talking about 3. Be a copycat. Research shows that chil- you’re not salivating in front of the deep breathing, although that can work, dren are quick to pick up on their par- cookies and chips. too. I’m talking about tapping into the ents’ inconsistencies. If Dad is a couch power of scent. The nose is a gateway to potato, then telling the kids to go play You’ve said that lack of exercise does the mind, and researchers have discov- outside is a lost cause. Start by getting out- not kill you, not right away at least. It just ered that scents can influence your mood doors. Make sure the whole family is get- makes those later years miserable. 26 MIDWEST TODAY What kills human beings is not heart KEEPING FAITH MATT ANDREWS disease or cancer. Your death certificate says that, but that is not what kills people. What kills us is frailty, losing the strength WHAT DID JESUS REALLY we once had. TEACH ABOUT COMPASSION? You have referred to the “nation’s sexual famine.” What do you mean? HRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO SERVICE AND ARE COMMANDED TO FOLLOW We’re not having sex anymore, and the teachings and practices of Jesus Christ. Scholars, theolo- we’re not doing things that bring us vital- Cgians, and the faithful, have long since debated what the image ity and joy of life. If you can’t sleep, if of a true Christian looks like. Mahatma Gandhi once said that if he you’re not having mutual, loving, sexual ever met a Christian who actually lived the life that Christ called his relations, if you’re not feeling energized, followers to live, he too would become a Christian. He never did. then you’re not living life at its fullest. Recently, extreme-rightwing commentator Glenn Beck, himself a [Studies show] if you have more than 200 Mormon, urged his audience to leave any church that used the words orgasms a year, you can reduce your “social justice” because, he claimed, these were code words for physiologic age by six years. Communism and Nazism. Notwithstanding the fact that Mr. Beck hosts one of the top- rated shows on cable TV, his comments were both paranoiac and anti-Christian. How does one of People’s Sexiest Men The Bible is laden with over 2,000 references that emphasize the importance of looking Alive handle a horde of women admirers? out for humanity. Proverbs 21:13: “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will I’m always flattered when it happens, cry out and not be answered.” Proverbs 22:22-23: “Do not exploit the poor because they are but I don’t send out those vibes. poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them.” Proverbs 31: 8-9: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for Any advice for visiting a doctor? themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” We have come to believe that medicine Many in society have lost sight of charity and compassion. Social Darwinists and neo- offers all the solutions, so we [as patients] conservative pundits would have us believe the poor are poor due to laziness and lack of no longer play the proactive role we intelligence. Even if that were true, was Jesus willing to leave anyone behind? Didn’t he con- should be playing. I would never walk sider the most needy and vulnerable in society the children of God? into a doctor’s office without a list of ques- Jesus Christ taught his disciples,“You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew tions and have a copy to give to the 6:24.) Yet we are constantly bombarded with the pressures of society that tell us to up- doctor. I would never go to the doctor’s grade, splurge, and be on the “cutting edge” — that bigger is better, to seek whatever office without [a tape recorder]. money can buy. Jesus taught his followers to not be conformed to the ways of the world, and not be fearful, or worry about their lives. Treasures on earth lose value, and are capable What’s the one bit of advice Dr. Oz does of being stolen or destroyed, but God’s love and mercy endure. not always follow himself? In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Jesus illustrated the importance of social I tell folks to take five minutes to them- equality. Various men were hired to work the land for a day; however, some worked longer selves. Hide in the bathroom. Let ideas than others. Those individuals complained, “These men who were hired last worked only flow through you, realize you’re in your one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and own skin. Let the sound dim a little bit the heat of the day.” But they were told, “Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you and focus on what’s important and agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired what’s deep inside you. I have difficulty last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? doing that. Or are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20: 1-16.) We imagine the emotional side of Who are the “last” in our society? Many passages in the New Testament would appear medicine can be overwhelming. to be in favor of charity and service — even “redistributing the wealth.” How do so-called In my business, if I get too close to you “Christians” justify the lack of funding for public schools? Or what about those who speak and you die, it hurts me. And so you disparagingly of Social Security for seniors, and Medicare and Medicaid? These programs develop a natural inclination not to be were created to compensate the oppressed and help the less fortunate. Diverse reformers close to the patient, so that if things don’t of every creed, color, and religion have come together for the sake of bettering society, but work out ideally, you can still get up the the lack of endorsement or even downright opposition from some quarters is troublesome. next day and care for the next patient. Many churchgoers who profess to be Christian seem to be the first ones who condemn or even mock universal healthcare, affirmative action, rehabilitation programs, and measures to protect the environment — the planet God labored for six days to create. Would Jesus have turned down a sick person because he/she wasn’t able to pay? Would Jesus have refused to heal someone due to a “pre-existing condition?” For the mission of the faithful was described this way: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”(Philippians 2.) This surely flies in the face of the so-called “prosperity gospel” that many now preach. Jesus told his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” How can the righteous justify endless wars, or distrust of those who differ from us culturally, religiously, politically, or socially? For it was Jesus who taught us to “turn the other cheek;” to love everyone, even those who complicate our lives or make them worse. He valued the peacemakers, the righteous, and those who sought to end war and conflict. He fed the masses, comforted the grieving, and befriended the outcasts in society. He lead his followers to a life of peace and unity.  ESSAY DR. TIM PEARSON TOP 6 WEDDING RULES FOR GUYS

PRING MEANS WEDDINGS. THIS IS A TER- rifying prospect for men. Which is S why, as a public service, I’m providing a list of Wedding Rules For Guys. 1. Never, ever, ever hold your bache- lor party the night before. Not so much because of what you’ll feel like physically during the wedding itself. No, a night- before stag party just gives your bride- to-be extra future argument ammunition, as in: “Honey, I started to feel bad about bashing in the mailbox with the car as I backed out of the driveway, but then I remembered what you did before our wedding, and then I just got mad at you.” Don’t put yourself in this situation. Give yourself a month’s lead time for sure. 2. Forget the ceremony and elope whenever possible. Sure, your mother might be disappointed. She’ll get over it. Are you telling me you couldn’t put that $15K to better use someplace else? Maybe towards a car, a house, a really huge TV? Right now for a few hundred dollars I could find you a deal that includes a chapel in Las Vegas, a room on the Strip, two Elvis impersonators as witnesses and a bottle of fine cham- pagne. And tomorrow you’ll be just as married. 3. Always get married in an air conditioned church. There are no known exceptions to this rule. I don’t care if your bride begs and pleads. She doesn’t understand sweating. Remember, you’re the one with the shirt, vest, coat and tie. You’re the one whose forehead will be dripping by the time the priest reads the first Scripture verse. You’re the one in danger of toppling into your best man and causing a domi- noes-like chain reaction through the wedding party. 4. Tuxedo tails are ridiculous. First of all, they make your legs look like they belong to an 8-year old. And second, nothing says 19th century like tux tails. If you’re going that route, you may as well put on a monocle and a top hat, carry a cane, change your name to Bertrand and mumble about how your prostate feels “all swollen up.” 5. Be prepared to bolt at the last minute. This is very important and cannot be emphasized enough. If your bride screams at the organist as she’s walking down the aisle that the processional isn’t fast enough, get out of there now. If at the dinner she eats her meal, your meal, and asks the server if any guests didn’t show up to claim their plate, excuse yourself and move on. If during the dance three random guys sidle ASPER COMES IN JUST ABOUT EVERY COLOR AND DESIGN IMAGINABLE. THIS up to you and whisper, “Dude, have you gotten yourself toggle bracelet showcases the alluring mosaic variety that forms a hyp- checked yet? I dated her for six months and the antibiotics J notic swirl of red, white and yellow. Mother Nature goes out of her are just now starting to kick in”, then it’s not too late to flag way to create this one-of-a-kind stone. Abalone, a type of sea snail, pro- down the pastor and ask for a mulligan. ducs an iridescent mother-of-pearl lining inside its shell. This naturally 6. Don’t ever agree to open your wedding gifts the next ocurring phenomenon creates a myriad of colors that fashion nicely into morning. This is a horrible idea on so many levels, and clearly various types of jewelry, such as this striking pendant. A slinky lime green a plan created by women used to wedding showers and baby dress is sophisticated, yet sassy, regal, and a bit daring. showers and other such frippery. This is what you do at a It will hug your figure and accentuate your curves. morning-after gift opening: You get up far too early to go to For the imagery, think Ann-Margret in just about any someone’s house, usually a batty aunt and uncle that you’ve of her movies. Scarves are back (as if they ever left), avoided since you were eight. Meanwhile, your bride forces and this silky, shiny offering was designed with an the entire wedding party to come along, even though most of eclectic array of splattered, free-form colors. Teaming them are tired and crabby and still hung over from the recep- turquoise, slate blue, hot pink, violet, cream, and black tion the night before. You sit on a couch slowly opening gifts, together result is a statement piece that would look being careful to save the bows and not rip the paper, all while nice draped around your neck or attached to a purse your groomsmen glare sullenly as they pass around waffle strap. “Lanvin” four-inch leather pumps contain con- makers and hand towels. You take three hours to open gifts trast stitching, accented by innovative side bows that when you could have gotten it done in ten minutes if no one draw the eyes down towards the sleek pointed toe. was watching. Does this sound like fun? Me neither.  28 MIDWEST TODAY STYLE NAOMI LENOX MIDWEST GIRLS ARE HIP By SARA JORDAN COLLECTING SALT & PEPPER SHAKERS

OTH SALT AND PEPPER WERE, UP UNTIL modern times, generally very costly Bingredients that only rich people could afford to use regularly. Salt initially came in rock form, and it had to be chip- ped off to be put on food. “Saltcellars” — dishes in which salt was served at the table — were considered a sign of wealth and status. It was always placed on the table in fairly close proximity to the host. Those seated on the host’s side of the saltcellar were hon- ored; if you were seated “below the salt cellar” you were one of the common folk. As recently as the Civil War salt shortages were a big problem; the Union Army inten- tionally cut off the South's supply of salt, causing considerable spoil- age of meats and other foods. As for pepper, the Romans loved it and went to great lengths to get it. Over time it often became a medium of exchange as well as an item of trade; much like cacao beans in Central America, people actually paid in peppercorns instead of coins. The lust for pepper became the driving force behind European expansion. Early salt shakers were actually salt mills. They contained an “arm” inside the shaker to break up the salt. As salt production improved, salt shakers began to take their more modern form. The production of salt-and-pepper shakers really took off in the 1940s with the birth of modern ceramics. It became easier to make shakers in a variety of shapes and designs. The market for souvenir shakers, whimsical and novelty shakers grew with the capacity to produce such items affordably. mlToday, salt-and-pepper shakers can be found in nearly every conceivable shape and size. They are made in a variety of materials including wood, The shoes exude class and elegance, yet the purple, blue and black blotch metal, ceramics, glass, and plastics. While some are quite design is a little flirty and unexpected. They would add just the right expensive, most are $5 to $50. pop of color to a casual ensemble, or would look smashing with a skirt There is a Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum in Gatlinburg, and black tights. In person, this whimsical handbag resembles a giant TN, operated by Andrea Ludden, an coin purse, only you can actually fit all your stuff into this one! The ver- archeologist, and her husband, sion of the bag I am featuring was created in tangerine embossed leather. Rolf. She explains, “One of the I am excited to say it comes in just about every color you could want. main purposes of the museum is to My friend Amberly has the yellow version, and any color would work show the changes in a society that for year-round use due to the timeless aura of the piece. The front fea- can be found represented in shak- tures dozens of petals that all converge at the crystal brooch. What a ers...from ancient times all the way modern take on a classic look! to present. Another purpose of the The “Fantasia” sandal by Mariana for Golc contrasts a colored snake- museum is to show the variety and skin pattern with a daring stripped heel. This shoe has a petite dainty, the creativity that can be found in gentle look (which is never a bad way to present your feet), that differs salt-and-pepper shakers. Who were the nicely from clunky winter boots. This piercing blue shoulder bag is dec- people and the artists creative enough orated with studded flowers that are trimmed in “zipper” material. The to come up with all these amazing dif- whole look is slightly rebel-rocker with its metallic leather and faux croc ferent shapes?” materials. Yet the floral accenting adds some much needed innocent to mlFor info on collecting, go on the web  the piece. to: www.saltandpepperclub.com  MIDWEST TODAY 29 ] REAMS. EVERYONE HAS THEM AND

H everyone wonders what they mean.

T Since before Biblical times, human

L events have been foretold in dreams: people have puzzled over A D them, been tormented by them and, on

E occasion, even been inspired by them.

H They occur to all humans and most species of animals, with unpredictable fre- R quency and sometimes telling effect. Yet

U despite today’s sophisticated techniques of scientific inquiry, they remain, for the O most part, one of life’s mysteries.

Y No one knows for sure why it is that

[ we experience mental images, thoughts and emotions at certain stages of sleep. Or whether these illusions or fantasies can be interpreted so as to make practical application to our lives. Theories abound, but few hard facts exist. Experts say there are two types of dreams: Thought-like, and hallucina- tory — which are the vivid, fleeting, often bizarre sort that concern dream scientists. The latter occur during a state referred to as REM sleep (for “rapid eye move- ment.”) In this condition, which is considered essential to good mental and physical functioning, heart and breathing rates accelerate, muscles relax and the eyes flit rapidly back and forth under closed lids. It has been established that birds and practically all animals (except the spiny anteater) experience REM sleep, that fish and reptiles do not, and that newborn babies have almost eight hours a day (as compared to adults, who go through an average of one-and-a-half to two hours). Everyone dreams, and new research shows that people who don’t dream have lesions in the brain sleep and dream centers and they have corresponding brain dysfunction in real life. We spend about a third of our life sleeping, so we have plenty of time to dream. INTERPRETING YOUR DREAMS Where do you go when you dream? Experts are discovering intriguing new things about this age-old subject, that has fascinated humans over the centuries, and even prompted Freud to speculate that dreams are the mind’s way to resolve conflicts and insecurities in our waking hours.

30 MIDWEST TODAY By ZADE DUVAL and MATT ANDREWS One of the oddest things about the meaning to these garbled, distorted sig- dream state is that, while the nerves which nals. WHAT ABOUT normally carry input from the external But this view is challenged by still other world are inhibited, the cortex of the researchers, who say that one would first brain is highly charged — receiving have to show that the brain stem alone NIGHTMARES? little pulses of excitation, called PGO causes all dreams. They note that there waves, from the brain stem. is no proof that the dreamer’s emotions NIGHTMARE IS A DREAM WHICH CAUSES someone to wake up in the middle of One function of REM sleep — dream- do not also drive the brain’s centers or A the sleep cycle and experience strong, ing, in particular — is to allow the brain that all emotions are created solely by the unpleasant emotions like fear or horror, to sift through that day’s events, process limbic system. They conclude that unless of being in situations of extreme danger, any negative emotion attached to them, someone shows conclusively how neurons or the sensations of pain, bad events, then strip it away from the memories. are linked to thoughts, and brains to falling, drowning or death. Such dreams Matthew Walker, director of the Sleep minds, no biology of dreaming will prove can be related to physical causes such as and Neuroimaging Lab at the University the meaning or meaninglessness of a high fever, being turned face down on a of California, Berkeley, likens the process dreams. pillow during sleep (most often in the to applying a “nocturnal soothing balm.” So what does all this medical mumbo- case of drowning nightmares), or psycho- REM sleep, he says, “tries to ameliorate jumbo tell us about dreams? Not much. logical ones such as trauma or stress in the sharp emotional chips and dents that But there are some statistical and content the sleeper’s life (such as being in or wit- life gives you along the way.” studies which offer some intriguing nessing an accident or act of violence). Or But tracing the neurophysiological insights. it can have no apparent cause. If a person pathways of dream occurrence doesn’t For example, it has been found that has lived through a psychologically trau- explain why dreams involve visual and women tend to notice facial features and matic situation in life, the experience may motor hallucinations, distortions of time, other details of the people in their come back to haunt him in a nightmare. place and person, and emotionally dreams, that they dream of men and Occasional nightmares are common- charged subjects. Or why some come women in equal proportions, that they place, but recurring nightmares can inter- true. Or why, despite all their strange are more likely to dream of verbally fere with sleep and may cause people to intensity, we tend to forget most of rather than physically being attacked, and seek medical help. them. that their dreams are more likely to take In the past, nightmares were widely The fascination with dreams is as old place in familiar indoor settings and to considered to be the work of demons and as time. The ancients took dreams as include conversations. more specifically incubi, which were Divine prophecies. Throughout the In comparison, men dream more of thought to sit on the chests of sleepers. whole of the Hellenistic-Roman period, men, of outdoor and unfamiliar set- (See “The Nightmare,” Henry Fuseli, the interpretation of dreams was widely tings, of jumping, running and fighting 1781; The Detroit Institute of Arts, be- practiced and highly esteemed. But (especially other men), and they tend to low).The victim usually wakes with a feel- according to Sigmund Freud, who stud- notice the details of clothing and color ing of terror, has difficulty breathing ied this subject intensely, dream inter- in their dreams. because of a perceived heavy invisible pretation was discredited when people The most common emotion experi- weight on his or her chest, and is unable used dreams to figure out “the numbers enced in dreams is anxiety. Other emo- fated to be drawn in the game of lotto.” tions include pain, abandonment, fear, Freud attempted to revive interest in and joy. Negative emotions are much the practice of analysis, but with a new more common than positive ones. twist: He said dreams don’t hide divine Content-analysis studies have identified messages, but a wish from the dreamer’s common reported themes in dreams. subconscious. According to his theory, a These include: situations relating to dream is formed when the conscious wish school, being chased or attacked, running seeks release in the dreamer’s mind. In slowly in place, falling, arriving too late, order to slip past a censor that guards the a person now alive being dead, a person conscious mind and thus protects the who is dead being alive, teeth falling out, sleeper, this wish disguises itself. Rejecting flying, future events such as birthdays, the assertions of scientists that dreams are anniversaries, etc. (with different sce- purely somatic, nonpsychical events, narios), embarrassing moments, falling Freud wrote, “Let us embrace the prej- in love with random people, failing an to move, i.e., experiences sleep paralysis. udice of the ancients and of the people examination, not being able to move, not Various forms of magic and spiritual and let us follow in the footsteps of the being able to focus vision, car accidents, possession were also advanced as causes. dreamers of antiquity.” being accused of a crime you didn’t In 19th century Europe, the vagaries of Others reject these notions. They be- commit, suddenly finding yourself naked, diet were thought to be responsible. For lieve dreamers have vivid hallucinations going to the toilet, and many more. example, in Charles Dickens’s “A for a simple physiological reason: Even “Dream incorporation” is a phenom- Christmas Carol,” Ebenezer Scrooge though no visual or motor messages from enon whereby an external stimulus, usu- attributes the ghost he sees to “an undi- the outside world enter during sleep, the ally an auditory one, becomes a part of gested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a higher level neurons, which usually a dream, eventually then awakening the crumb of cheese, a fragment of an under- process such messages, are excited by dreamer. Sometimes the need to urinate done potato...” impulses sent by the brain stem. These can also result in a dream that incorpo- Nightmares are not common in children neurons act as if they are getting signals rates the need to use the restroom. under five, more common in young chil- from the outside world. Some scients say It has been learned that most remem- dren (25% experiencing a nightmare at that distortions in content are due to the bered dreaming takes place during REM least once per week), most common in distorted nature of the meaningless stim- sleep. Studies show an average of 35 sleep adolescents, and less common in adults uli sent from the stem to the cerebral state changes take place during the (dropping in frequency about one-third cortex. In turn, the cortex tries to give night, including a great deal of “wan- from age 25 to 55).  MIDWEST TODAY 31 Keith Bandy songwriter and flight instructor

dering about” by the dreamer in com- felt so moved by the dream she called her Some people use their dreams for paratively short periods. It appears that former boyfriend and told him about it? problem solving, by thinking about a sub- REM episodes occur at fairly regular There are different types of dreams. ject before going to bed, and then dream- intervals, primarily during the last third For instance, the dream which can occur ing a solution. of the night. in the period between wakefulness and A certain instinct for self preservation We tend to dream more toward the falling asleep, where vignettes may begin still wins out. If you dream you’re on an end of a sleep period. We’re also more to unfold, just after shutting our eyes. At airplane that’s going down, chances are likely to remember those dreams we had this point we are still oriented to our sur- you’ll wake up before you crash. closest to awakening. roundings and respond to stimuli in the Decoding dreams is subjective, but cer- Surprisingly, recent findings show room such as sounds, etc., and are to a tain trends do emerge. Keep a journal on that dreams occur to highly anxious certain extent able to control the story- your nightstand, and a low-wattage people no more often than to those who line as it unfolds. We may even discard lamp, so that immediately upon awak- are considered emotionally stable. ridiculous thoughts and redirect our ening from a dream you can write it Some researchers believe that dreams focus to more pleasant or pleasurable down. Do that for a month and then look are the mind’s way of clearing out the vast imaginings. This is different from the over your notes to spot recurring themes. amount of information that gets collected dreams that occur during REM sleep, over Some people have the same dream over during the day, thus making room for which we have much less control. and over again for years on end. When tomorrow’s data storage. We’ve all had the experience of awak- people from our past reappear in our Alcohol consumption, certain antibi- ening from a pleasurable dream, realiz- dreams, it reflects unresolved emotions. otics, fever, lack of sleep and unconscious ing we were dreaming, and then going Some people think that dreams are fears about the content of your dreams back to sleep to resume the dream where “prelogical insight experiences” like intu- all affect dream recall. Scientist Francis we left off. That can even happen several ition and that we should pay close heed. Clark, who pioneered research on the times a night. Sweet dreams!  structure of DNA, takes the position that we’re supposed to forget our dreams — that dreams are a way of cleansing the brain of extraneous information. Still, no scientific inquiries into the WHAT COMMON THEMES MAY MEAN process of dreams can explain why there THE MEANING OF DREAMS IS NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE BUT THERE ARE SOME COMMON THEMES THAT are prophetic dreams. Biblical events dream analyzers have agreed on. were often foretold by angels visiting men Being chased: This stems from feelings of anxiety in your life. Running is an instinc- in dreams. In Genesis 40, the Pharaoh tive response to physical threats in your environment. If you are the one chasing some- freed Joseph from his prison dungeon one or something, this could mean there’s something you want to complete. If you are to interpret two of Pharoah’s dreams. running but falling behind, you feel your have to keep up to everyone around you and you And in Daniel I, King Nebuchadnezzar don’t feel adequate. called upon Daniel to analyze his dreams. Kissing: If you dream about kissing, you are probably quite happy with your life. If, in Because incorrect inter- your dream, you almost kiss someone but it doesn’t end up happening, pretations might result in you are probably feeling unsure of that person’s feelings for you. death, it was imperative mlTaking an exam: You are being put to the test or being scrutinized that they be accurate. in some way. If you are scared and nervous about the test then this Nostradamus made means that you tend to be unsure about yourself. many of his most startling mlFalling: As with most common dream themes, this is an indication predictions after having of insecurities, instabilities, and anxieties. In these dreams you may feel dreamt them. Alexander like you are spiraling out of control. These dreams usually happen right the Great, who was about when you fall asleep. This is the stage where your arms, legs and even to give up on his siege of whole body might have little spasms. the city of Tyre, had a mlFlying dreams: You’re in charge and in control of things. It also can dream that encouraged mean you hold some kind of power over people. Flying dreams also fall him. under the category of Lucid Dreaming. This means you know that you Just before he was assas- are dreaming and you can do different things you want. Many times sinated, Abraham Lincoln flying dreams are very liberating. foresaw his own death in a mlNaked in public: This could mean you are scared of being exposed dream so vivid he shared in some area of your life, that you feel vulnerable or are ashamed. If it with his Cabinet. As a you’re not embarrassed about your nakedness then that means that young officer, Adolph you have self-pride and a lot of self confidence. Hitler had a dream that he mlAdultery: If you dream that your significant other is cheating on was about to be killed. He you, you are probably feeling scared of being abandoned by them and fled the bunker he was in might be experiencing a lack of attention. shortly before it was destroyed. John Babies: Seeing a baby usually signifies a new beginning in your life. If you dream that Kennedy told aides and his wife, you are pregnant and having a baby you are dealing with dependency issues in real life Jacqueline, about a dream he had the and might be feeling insecure and wishing that you had somebody to take care of you. night before he was killed. Teeth: This has to do with how you think people think about you and if you care about A lot of people report present-day your appearance. Sometimes in these dreams your teeth will just crumble and fall out of dream occurrences which are inexplic- your mouth. In the Greek culture, when you dream about loose, rotten, or missing teeth, able. How to account, for example, for it indicates that a family member or close friend is very sick or even near death. the ex-lovers who live a thousand miles Absence: If you dream that somebody is absent, especially a person who is usually apart, who hadn’t seen each other in 20 easy to find or is a regular part of your waking life, you are probably looking for some- years, but who had the same dream the thing that you have already lost and you might be trying to fill a void in your life that you same night, and only realized it after one are used to having filled by that person.  32 MIDWEST TODAY country chronicle A MAGAZINE-WITHIN-A-MAGAZINE PRESENTED AS A REGULAR FEATURE OF MIDWEST TODAY

the pleasures of an old-time flower garden

ByMary Brooks grown, and there was or purple, as if laid on by a shading from white to deepest OST THINGS MOVE IN everywhere a passion for brush. Older gardeners like crimson, and later come the cycles, and a yearning tulips. I remember the hya- me remember the clove pinks French marigolds, in all Mfor old-fashioned cinths and other early-bloom- which were such universal shades of gold. There are gardens is revived. There is a ing flowers were raised with favorites, endless in variety, Canterbury Bells, white and fresh call for the perennials great perfection and pro- fragrant and fringed, and the blue, and tall white tube roses and annuals which enlivened fusion. little maiden's pink, which of sickly sweetness, and the borders of long ago, and Here on my Wisconsin came so early, and the phloxes, white and pink, and those of us who still possess farm, that I have written about Chinese pinks, with their big double buttercups as large these old-time gardens show for so many years in the deeply toothed petals. with pride the long-treasured Country Chronicle section of In my garden there are plants which have bloomed Midwest Today, the geran- larkspurs, which spring up for so many years. We are iums, peonies, pansies, pinks, from everywhere, in all sorts apt to think that we know a balsams, four-oclocks and of colors, from palest blue to good deal more about flowers dahlias make their appear- indigo, from pure white to than our progenitors, but the ance in the borders in brave deep pink, with flowers poised fact is there was more variety shows. Columbines of various like bees upon their stems, in my dear mothers day. colors nod everywhere. Lilies and stately stalks which lift Much time is given now to the and roses are the joy of the them high in the air. There are development of perfect gardener. The chrysanthe- masses of fragrant stocks and specimens and the cultivation mum was alluded to as a rows of balsams, whose of new varieties, both in “neglected flower” in the early impatient seeds flow at a greenhouse and garden, but days. Carnations in many touch, and bunches of the if we were to look over some varieties, plain and striped, sweet william, which seems of the venerable catalogues perfume the air. There are the now the most old-fashioned of we should find that if we flakes with stripes of two flowers, and the scarlet planted all that our grand- colors going the whole length lychnis, its appropriate parents did, we should have of the petals. There are neighbor, with stiff, tall stem our gardens full, without freckled and spotted ones, and red head aflame. We call anything new. and painted ladies, with a it London pride. In my mother's time, all white underpart to the petal, In June the beds are all sorts of bulbous plants were while the upper surface is red ablaze with bouncing peonies, MIDWEST TODAY 33 bird notes the indigo bunting OU DONT HEAR PEOPLE talk much about them Yanymore, but there are an estimated 28 million Indigo Buntings in North America. The bird often migrates by night, using the stars to navigate. Its habitat is farmland, brush areas, and open woods. The Indigo Bunting is a small bird, with a length of about five inches. During the breeding season, the adult male has deep blue plumage, with a darker crown which verges on purple. The wings and tail are black with blue edges. In Fall and Winter plumage, the male is similar to the female, but often retains some blue feathers. The adult female is dark brown on the upperparts and lighter brown on the underparts. It has indis- tinct wing bars and is faintly streaked with dark under- neath. Nest-building and incu- bation are done solely by the female. The diet of the Indigo Bunting consists of insects during the Summer months and seeds during the Winter. The Indigo Bunting commu- nicates through vocalizations and visual cues. A sharp chip! call is used by both sexes, and is used as an alarm if a nest or chick is threatened. A high-pitched, buzzed zeeep is used as a contact call when the Indigo Bunting is in flight. The song of the male bird is a high-pitched buzzed sweet- sweet chew-chew sweet- sweet, lasting two to four sec- onds, sung to mark his terri- tory to other males and to attract females. He sings while perched on elevated objects, such as posts, wires, and as little roses. Scarlet bee The charm of these old friendly shade. The spirit of bush-tops.  balm is a delight all Summer gardens is in their wealth and these gardens comes from long, and the feverfew grow tangle of bloom. One plant the hands that tend them rank beside it. Who can ever leans upon another. There is and cull their fragrant forget the fragrant rows of no room for weeds, for each produce. They breathe love, sweet peas, which have flower stands cheek by jowl and thought and patient never grown old-fashioned, with a neighbor, and frowns tending, and grow as flowers and the swarms of poppies of down the humble intruders. only for those who love all kinds and hues, and the There is always a little shade them.  clematis which climbs and in our gardens — a couple of trails at its own will, and the pear trees and a choice plum Clockwise, L to R: Tiger lilly; clemantis; evening wandering honeysuckles and — which enjoy the same care primrose and canterbury sweetbrier which hum with received by the blossoms, shells; peonies; honeysuckle; bees? and rewards us in turn with its poppies. 34 MIDWEST TODAY country chronicle brush them every few days. Rat Terriers originated in America as a cross between Fox Terriers and a long list of European Terriers that the perfect includes Manchester Terriers and Bull Terriers. To stop a rabbit epidemic that threatened crops in 1910, farmers rhubarb pie increased the speed and agility of these dogs by crossing them with Whippets, Italian Greyhounds and Smooth Fox Terriers. 5 cups of rhubarb, cut Meanwhile, in other parts of into 1 inch pieces the country, hunters crossed 1- 2/3 cups sugar the early Rat Terriers with 7-1/2 Tablespoons flour Beagles to improve their 1 Tablespoon butter tracking abilities. While Preheat oven to 450° Com- common in the 1920s and bine the sugar and flour. 1930s, the modernization of Sprinkle 1/4th of it over the farming created less of a bottom of a deep dish pie demand for Rat Terriers. shell. Then pour the cut-up the smart rat terrier Today, Rat Terrier clubs rhubarb over this mixture, grapple with the true lineage and sprinkle with the re- ByWoodySculley will bark viciously to alert the of the modern breed. But, maining sugar and flour. Dot HETHER YOURE A HIGH- family if they detect a threat. most of them agree that the with small pieces of butter, energy person or Rat Terriers need at least Rat Terriers diverse gene and cover with a top crust. Wneed a companion to 30 minutes of exercise every pool is what allows them to Do not, as some people keep you moving, a Rat day, whether through walks, remain a healthy, adaptable suggest, mix up the flour and Terrier could be the perfect jogs through the neighbor- and intelligent breed. sugar with the fruit before pal. They have enough hood or hikes in the park. Rat Terriers are compact, adding the fruit to the pie intelligence and energy for Being an intelligent working muscular and somewhat shell. The reason you want three dogs, yet their diverse breed, they also like con- brawny (displaying their copious amounts of sugar genetic background helps structive games and tasks to sturdiness and strength). both on the bottom and on them maintain an even keel. keep their minds sharp. They They have small heads, the top of the fruit, rather than In other words, Rat Terriers are incredible jumpers! They medium-length muzzles, mixed amongst it, is that have plenty of enthusiasm to will be happy living in an black noses and ears that while baking, the bubbling-hot keep up with you, but are apartment as long as their stick up. They have strong sugar caramelizes in contact more than happy to cuddle on daily exercise requirements necks and shoulders, deep with the bottom and top the couch. are met. Rat Terriers may be chests and sturdy legs. Their crusts — a process which The breeds trademark high-energy dogs, but they do tails can be either long or makes the crusts rather traits are that it is small, tough appreciate cozy time indoors. short at birth. Rat Terriers crispy in the final product. If and fearless, dependable, A healthy Rat Terrier can have short, medium-dense you mix the sugar up with the loving, very intelligent and live 18 years. These are solid coats that come in red, fruit, you don't get that crispy easily trained. It is perfect for little dogs for the most part, yellow, black, black and tan, crust, and the large amount singles, active and sporty but some can develop hip black tan and white and blue of water in the rhubarb will people, farmers and ranchers, dysplasia and allergy and white. Overall, Rat invariably make the bottom hikers and families. problems. Their short coat is Terriers have a tough, alert crust soggy. If you spend a lot of time a breeze to manage. Just and outgoing look. Sprinkle a little bit of sugar outdoors — whether for work and cinnamon on the top or pleasure — your Rat Ter- crust. Place the pie on the rier will always follow, proving lowest rack in the oven. Bake to be an excellent worker and very moooving at 450° for 15 minutes. Then dedicated friend. Eager to reduce the oven temperature please, Rat Terriers can help to 350° and continue baking on the farm, in the field or in for 40 to 45 minutes. Take the the yard. Or if you just need a pie out of the oven and let it hiking companion, they can cool a little — because itll be do that, too — happily. hot and bubbly. The pie will Rat Terriers are loving be golden on the outside and playmates for children. They sweet and luscious inside. have gentle, fun-loving Before it cools down com- personalities with those whom pletely, serve it with a scoop they trust, and they know With roots dating as far back as the 1400s, butter has been or two of good vanilla ice when to adjust the energy used in various ways to create art, and since the early cream. It's the only way to eat level. But their solid terrier 1900s the Iowa State Fair has featured a “Butter Cow.” Over rhubarb pie!  instincts also make them 600 pounds of low moisture, pure cream Iowa butter, are territorial, and they are not To hear Elise Michaels talk used to cover a frame constructed of wood, metal, wire, and generally good with strangers. about this recipe, go to: steel mesh. Inside a 40 degree cooler, Sarah Pratt applies They are alert to intruders and midwesttoday.podblaze.com layer upon layer of butter until an almost full size figure MIDWEST TODAY 35 comes to life. Shell be back at this years fair. country chronicle resources. Isnt it worth a try? It would be unethical to continue the status quo knowing in defense of family farms what we know about the nitrates heading downstream, topsoil loss, the fluctuating ByPaula Crossfield price of a barrel of oil, and of HE PRESIDENT OF THE course, the fact that our chil- American Farm Bureau dren will die younger than we T Federation (AFBF), Bob will because of what they eat. Stallman, recently threw down It is time to revalue the the gauntlet to his industrial farming profession and rebuild cronies. What got him riled our communities again. It is up? Not rising seed prices, time to break up the 10,000- superweeds, or the unpre- acre farms into one hundred dictable weather farmers face plots, and plant young people due to climate change. in the countryside who can Instead, the focus of his use sustainable practices to speech was the critics of syn- rebuild the soil and bring it thetic agriculture: “Emotionally back to life. charged labels such as Building a system that monoculture, factory farmer, employs more farmers is not a industrial food, and big ag step backwards, it is an threaten to fray our edges,” acknowledgment of our he said. “A line must be respect for nature and a guar- drawn between our polite and antee against future hunger. respectful engagement with Perhaps weve lost Stallmans consumers and how we must generation on this front, both aggressively respond to because industry has a strong extremists who want to drag hold on the AFBF and because agriculture back to the day of its hard to teach an old dog 40 acres and a mule.” Family farmers are an endangered species new tricks. But farming is Stallmans argument being reconsidered and against this smaller approach afford to eat — because there cians to see that another way changed as more and more to agriculture ignores reality. is too much labor in the world is possible and that so much young people realize the vital In addition to the havoc being and not enough jobs. We is at stake. Americas farmers role they can play in reinvent- wreaked on the environment, claim to want to feed the (and most AFBF members) are ing the food system and take one of the biggest trespasses world, but todays farmers on average 57 years old. We up the challenge of doing it of industrial agriculture has dont even feed themselves; will need more farmers no from scratch. been the elimination of mil- they make commodity prod- matter how we hope to feed Land is a resource for the lions of jobs, resulting in the ucts to be shipped far away ourselves in the future. common good, and only small emptying out of rural commu- and reformulated and sent Second, we dont know farms can rebuild what has nities worldwide. The reper- back to their supermarket whether sustainable agricul- been lost in rural America. cussions of the loss of oppor- shelves. They do this ture can feed the world, but This change will take the con- tunity for rural America has because weve told them to, we do know that our current scious effort by policy makers been tragic: many towns are with our tax dollars and pur- system has a “use by” date, to go against the laissez-faire now plagued by dilapidated chasing power. However, our and that smaller, diversified capitalism that has propelled schools and poor health ser- system should not be about systems have better yields us into industrial agriculture in vices, and a rising epidemic producing more food, but and better protect our natural the first place.  of methamphetamine use and about producing better food production has filled in where on a human scale and cutting more beneficial small busi- out the processors and the nesses used to thrive. middlemen. As our Great Recession Small farms are usually spring —John McCornack economy continues to shed owned and worked primarily jobs, we should be creating by the farmer. In addition, Spring is everywhere, opportunities in sustainable small farms are diversified to On the ground and in the air. farming — the original, guarantee a profit through We can find spring in water, shovel-ready green job. direct sales, and to stave off And feel it in an old barn! Reconsidering what it is to risk if one crop fails — and farm will require completely this just so happens to be a The mystery of the Season Spring, new thinking about agricul- more worker-friendly (as the And why do all things respond; ture, combining the best of farmer gets to vary his/her Growth brings happiness and hope scientific knowledge while work), resource efficient and And makes the cows stand in water. finding a balance between an environmentally-conscious scale and community. way to farm, too. Spring is in the air Forty-nine million Amer- American policy makers And you can smell it on the breeze. icans are currently not eating have historically cowered in Spring is in the air three meals per day, and one the face of the AFBF, but that You can feel it in your knees. billion people in the world are organization is aging and old- hungry. The hungry cannot fashioned. It's time for politi- Painting “Sun Dance” by Nancy Beswick 36 MIDWEST TODAY GO FLY A KITE The Chinese invented them, and Ben Franklin flew one. Now there are a myriad of styles to choose from.

HAT COULD BE MORE FUN THAN a wide open field, a warm breeze, and a dancing kite? For young fliers, it’s an educational Wadventure. You can learn about science, physics, history, culture, weather and ecology — without even thinking hard. And for adults, it’s a chance to feel young again. Kite flying is a special joy — and it’s easy when you know how. Check Your Flying Space First: Kites like lots of room. The bigger your flying space is, the happier your kite will be. As the wind goes around trees, buildings, and hills, it gets bumpy. This bumpy wind is called “turbulence.” You can’t see it, but it’s very difficult to fly a kite well in turbulent wind. So stay far away from obstacles that cause turbulence. The “rule of turbulence” is that wind will be bumpy for ten times as far downwind as an obstacle is high. Also look out for obstacles behind things around them. your kite about 50 feet away. They can your kite. Ever hear of a “kite eating Check Your Kite: There are many dif- release it into the wind as you pull in on tree”? Because the wind gets turbulent ferent types of kites. Each has been de- the flying line. The kite should shoot up as it gets close to large objects, kites may signed to do something different in the into the sky, just like if you were running. get drawn in and crash. So don’t even let sky. When you get a little height, let out more your kite get close to trees downwind. There are bowed kites like the dia- line, then pull in again to gain altitude. And of course, stay far away from roads mond, cellular kites like a box, delta kites, Soon you will be up in the stronger and dangerous electric power lines. and inflatable kites like the parafoil. winds and flying just fine. And you’ll look The best places for flying are large There are also maneuverable stunt kites a lot smarter than all those other people open fields, parks, and beaches. The with two or four lines. who are running around! more room you have, the more fun you Before you try and launch your kite, Flight Control: Always keep an eye on can have flying. make sure that yours has been put your kite while it is flying. If something Check the Wind: Before you can fly together properly. Is it adjusted for the goes wrong, you want to see it and fix your kite, you need wind. wind? Does it need a tail? Is the flying line things before a crash. Don’t be tempted The amount of wind you need de- attached well? Once everything is right, to let out too much line. One or two hun- pends on the kind of kite you have. Some you are ready to launch. dred feet is plenty. It’s hard for people kites are heavier and need more wind. Launching: Running with a kite is fun, to see and enjoy if a kite gets too high. Others are especially made to fly in light but it’s not very smart. You can’t watch Accidents can happen way up there. And wind. But most kites are made to fly in where you are going, and watch the kite besides, the more line you let out, the average winds of between four and ten too. That makes it easy for you or the kite longer it takes to wind in. miles per hour. to crash. Instead, try launching the If your flying line becomes slack, bring If you can feel the wind on your face, smart way. in a little. If the kite begins to pull too there is probably enough to fly. Look for Stand with your back to the wind and hard or act unstable, let some line out. leaves rustling and flags waving. That’s hold your kite up as high as you can. The idea is to fly the kite, not to let it fly another good way to measure the wind. Make sure the nose is pointing straight itself. [ F At 4-7 mph, tree leaves rustle, flags up, and then gently let it go. Don’t get If you want to increase altitude, try move slowly. excited and throw it into the air, just gently pumping the line. Each time you A

At 8-12 mph, flags fly, bushes shake, gently release it into the wind. pull in, the kite will rise a few feet. For M leaves move. If the breeze is strong enough, the kite more lift, try pulling the line in a few feet

If leaves in the trees are hardly moving, will start to rise. Slowly let out a little flying and then slowly letting it out. Just remem- I then the wind may be too light. And if line, and the kite will fly back. Then, ber to keep the kite at a good height L the whole tree is swaying, or if you can before it reaches the ground, tighten your where the winds are strong and smooth. Y

hear a flag flapping in the wind, there grip on the line and the kite will start to When the time comes to bring your kite F

may be too much for most kinds of kites. rise again. All you need to do is repeat down, you can slowly wind it onto your U A good, experienced kiteflier learns to this process until the kite gets up into reel. If the wind suddenly gets lighter, watch the wind, even though it is invis- steady winds. you may need to pull the line in more N

ible, by carefully observing how it affects In lighter winds, have a friend hold quickly. Just drop it on the ground in big, ] By DAVID GOMBER MIDWEST TODAY 37 loose loops so you can mlAnd what about knots wind it up later without and twists? Usually you tangles. can avoid this problem by If the wind gets strong, carefully managing your you can tie the flying line line on the winder or on to a solid anchor. Walk the ground. But if you do toward the kite, pulling get your line tangled on line down as you go. In the ground, about all you strong winds, you should can do is patiently undo wear gloves to keep from the mess. Life isn’t perfect. hurting your hands. mlKite Won’t Fly?: Not Remember that as you every flight goes well. If pull in, the force of the your kite isn’t flying right, wind increases on the kite. maybe you have one of This will make it climb these problems: higher and pull harder. If ml•Lousy Wind: There the kite is unstable, pulling may not be enough wind. makes it more unstable. Or maybe there is too Letting out line will tem- much. The amount of porarily stabilize things, wind you need to fly easily but sooner or later, you depends on the design of have to come down. your kite. If your kite uses If the kite starts spin- a tail, try adding or reduc- ning in big loops, closer and closer to the So if your kite is unstable, try adding ing the tail’s length in different winds. ground, about the only thing you can do tail. If your kite is getting dragged back •Turbulence: Are you trying to fly is wait until it approaches the ground, to the ground, try reducing the length behind a big tree or building? The wind and then let out line very quickly. The of your tail. is going to be really bad there. extra slack will let the kite fall down Try to keep things properly balanced. •Tuned Out: Remember that you can gently. Now aren’t you glad you didn’t Put tails in the center of the kite. If you adjust the towpoint on most kites for dif- let out too much line? add them in more then one place, make ferent winds. This is called “tuning”. If Flying Lines: You can buy good kite sure the tails are equal in length and equal your tow-point is too high or too low, flying line at the same place you buy kites. distance from the center of the kite. your kite won’t fly. Try setting it about Often kites will even come with line Another important part of some kite 1/3 from the top of the kite for starters. attached. designs is the bow. A bow is a string that •Loopy: If your kite loops around in Special line is usually better because it goes from side to side and keeps the circles, try adding tail, adjusting the is lighter, stronger and thinner. All of edges of your kite bent back. Scientists tow-point, or tightening the bow line. these things will help. Thicker line will call this bend or curve a “dihedral.” •Dragging: If your kite won’t lift, try drag in the wind and make your kite fly Remember that the bow goes behind the reducing tail, adjusting the tow-point, or lower. Heavier line will need to be lifted kite, not in front. loosening the bow line. Is your flying line by the kite. So remember to use the Like a tail, the dihedral helps keep your wet or too heavy? Is the sail of the kite thinnest flying line that is strong enough kite balanced in the sky. The wind will too loose to catch the wind? Make adjust- to hold your kite. go around the curved surface and push ments to lighten the load and increase Adjusting For Different Winds: Most the kite straight up. That’s why curved efficiency. kites can be adjusted for different types kites usually fly better than flat ones. •Unstable: Winds close to the ground of wind. Adjustments are made by chang- When the wind gets stronger, try aren’t as good as the wind up fifty feet ing the point where your flying line increasing the amount of bend by tight- or so. Get a good launch and fly up into attaches to the kite. Usually this “tow- ening the bow string. In lighter winds, smoother winds. point” is about one third from the top. loosen the bow. But always be careful •Technical Difficulties: When all else By moving the tow-point slightly, you when making adjustments not to break fails, make sure your kite is put together change the angle that the kite leans into the sticks in your kite by bending too right. Always read (and save) the instruc- the wind. Leaning more forward will much. tions that come with your kite. decrease pull and allow more stable Tangles: Even the best kiteflier some- Safety: Every kiteflier needs to be flying in stronger winds. Leaning less for- times ends up with their line in a tangle concerned about safety. A crashing kite, ward will allow the sail to catch more or their kite in a tree. Don’t panic. Just or a loose winder being pulled across the breeze when winds are light. be patient and smart, and everything will field can hurt someone. Flying line If you lean the kite too far forward, the be fine. laying on the ground is a hazard to top will flip under and crash. And if you Kite in a tree? Don’t climb the tree. people and animals. So please be very lean the kite too far back, it won’t even Falling out can hurt! And don’t tug on careful when you fly around others. try to fly. the line either. That may break the kite. In particular, never fly with your line Experiment! Move your tow-point Instead, just let the wind carry your kite across a road. If the kite comes down, you around a little. You’ll be surprised what past the tree and let out enough line to can cause a serious accident. Never fly a difference small changes make. bring it to the ground. Then disconnect near airports or high enough to reach air- Tails and Bows: Many kite designs come the kite and pull the line back through planes. Don’t fly in electrical storms. And with tails. A long tail fluttering behind the tree. definitely stay away from electric power almost any kite adds beauty and fun. But If your kite line wraps around another lines. tails have a special purpose too. By kite line, just walk over to the other flier Along with caution, comes courtesy. adding drag at the bottom of the kite, and say hello. Amazingly, the twist will Good kitefliers are polite to each other they keep the nose pointed to the sky and come right down to where you are and to non-kiters. Share the sky and be add stability. standing and can be easily undone. considerate. It’s more fun that way!  38 MIDWEST TODAY To buy kites, see www.gombergkites.com and www.gkites.com A FREE GUIDE TO SELECT HEARTLAND EATERIES

dumplings); and Black Pistachio; and Miniature Pasta Purses. Forest Veal (breaded veal A genuine smokehouse, the Flying Mango cutlet layered with smoked serves Smoked Rack of Pork (with homemade pork, Swiss cheese, spinach barbecue sauce, orange and red onion salsa or and mushroom sauce, green apple Chipolle Salsa); Smoked Duck; served over Spatzle). Smoked Ham; Island-influenced Loin Back For lighter fare, Ratzsch’s Ribs; and even Smoked Lobster. Another presents an inventive menu, favorite: blackened redfish. including the Mermaid’s We love the Caribbean ideas: Coconut Shrimp Salad (blueberries, straw- (with spicy banana dipping sauce); Sweet berries, glazed walnuts, Potato Pancakes; Empanadas; Grilled Peaches Gorgonzola cheese and with Balsamic Glaze and Crumbled Bleu Cheese; Spring lettuce mix topped Key Lime Pie or Mango Cream Puffs. with sauteed shrimp and Also featuring live music. L/$15; D/$25. 515- drizzled with Balsamic 277-1830. Viniagrette); and Eggplant • and Spinach Parmesan SH UPSTREAM BREWING CO., 514 South (beer battered and served 11th Street, Omaha, NE. A fun appetizer menu over sauteed spinach, baked includes Hot Artichoke and Asiago Cheese Dip en casserole with Marinara (served with toasted house-baked garlic beer SH KARL RATZSCH’S, 320 East Mason Sauce and Mozarella cheese).They also offer bread); Bacon Wrapped Shrimp (with sweet Street, Milwaukee, WI. Named the 2009 salmon, Icelandic haddock, a petite Whitefish chili cabbage slaw; sweet potato crisps and an “Best German Restaurant In America,”dining filet, and jumbo shrimp. apricot ginger glaze); and Flash-Fried Calamari in Ratzsch's is akin to enjoying a meal in the Naturally, this being a German restaurant (tossed with marianted banana peppers and Old World tradition. The setting is formal but you can also get bratwurst and knackwurst. served with cocktail sauce). children are welcome. With table cloths, beau- Enjoy desserts like Viennese Apple Strudel; Very diverse entrees are Beer-Braised Pot tiful woodwork in the German style, an old- Chocolate Torte; Bread Pudding with Bourbon Roast (served with smashed potatoes, gravy time bar, the restaurant is warm and inviting. Sauce; and the German Apple Pancake (enough and seasonal veggies); Jackson Street Jam- Starters include Konigsberger Klopse (veal, for two!) Top it off with Rheinlander Coffee. balaya (with Andouille sausage, chicken, pork and beef meatballs simmered in a lemon L/$16.50; D/$27.50. 414-276-2720. shrimp, peppers, rice and spicy Creole); Braised caper cream sauce); Melon Wrapped with Black • Lamb Shank (with brandied tart cherry demi Forest Ham; Baked Beer, Cheese and Sauer- SH THE FLYING MANGO. 4345 Hickman glace, roasted garlic smashed potatoes and kraut Dip with Toasties (a delicious German Road, Des Moines, IA. A cozy, inviting restau- steamed asparagus and green bean bundle); Fondue); and Assorted Sausages with Red rant with a colorful, jazz inspired décor, this Raspberry-Chicken Breast (with crumbled Cabbage. fun place specializes in award-winning barbecue feta cheese and pinenuts, house rice and For entrees you can enjoy Crackling Pork and bold flavors of the Caribbean. Appetizers veggies), plus Grilled Fajitas, Pretzel Encrusted Shank (crispy, tender hachese served with pan include Smoked Chicken Dip with Red Chile Rainbow Trout, Shrimp Salsa Cruda and more. gravy, sauerkraut and potato); Duck & Goose Tortilla Chips; Stuffed Shrimp served with L/$20; D/$28.95. Sample Upstream’s award- TIM BREMEL Combination (served with wild rice blend, red Tomato Coulis; “Bass-Ackwards” Chicken winning barrel-aged ales and Belgian-style Host cabbage and old-fashioned dressing); Sauer- Wings (they are grilled and then marinated, def- beers. 402-344-0200.  braten (marinated sirloin roast with ginger snap initely not the buffalo variety); Spicy Hot GB-Inexpensive; SH-Moderately priced; gravy, served with cabbage and potato Pecans; Dried Apricots with Goat Cheese and WS-Worth a splurge INFORMATIVE, TIMELY, ENTERTAIN- FOR 19 YEARS, THE HEARTLAND’S MOST TALKED-ABOUT MAGAZINE! ING & UNIQUE! S U B S C R I B E

ALSO VISIT OUR MIDWEST TODAY DIGITAL EDITION • www.midtod.com ! Where you can see all the pages just like you were holding a printed copy in your hands The UUPPDATEDATE && LOWLOW DODOWWNN By JON MCINTOSH (email: [email protected])

STOPPING THE HARASSMENT: NATIONAL ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS, INC., A he has the third-worst voting record on veterans issues. He voted collection agency based in Solon, Ohio, brags that it is “one of the in 1999 to allow banks and insurance companies to begin offer- nation’s fastest growing and results-driven collection management ing investment products — paving the way for the AIG debacle. firms” whose “clients range from a cross-section of fast-track and Grassley crusades against fraud and waste, but uses deceptive tac- competitive industry segments, institutions of higher learning and tics as propounded by the GOP’s odious pollster, Frank Luntz. financing companies.” CitiBank — which got a $45 billion bailout  with taxpayers’ dollars — is one of the firms who have sold accounts THE CURE FOR DANCE FEVER: LIKE MANY EDUCATORS NATIONWIDE, to NES, as has Verizon. National Enterprise apparently is a family- administrators at a Wisconsin high school are aiming to curb risqué run business, with Ernest Pollak serving as CEO, his wife, Ellie as moves at school dances. To assure that Union Grove High School v.p., plus sons Scott and Christopher. But it turns out the Pollaks students do not get too footloose and fancy free, school brass have have some debt of their own to deal with — $207,500 — owed to issued official dance rules. The regulations outlaw “sexual bend- Ohio consumers as a result of a lawsuit brought by Richard Cordrary, ing” and the touching of breasts, buttocks, or genitals. Leg strad- the Ohio Attorney General. (Their company has been sued 108 dling is also verboten. Additionally, students are on notice that times since 2002). Some of their 500 reps have “Both feet must remain on the dance floor at been accused of repeatedly violating the Fair all times.” Which appears to rule out perfor- Debt Collection Reporting Act — as well as var- mances of the Charleston, Electric Slide, and ious state statutes — by, among other things, call- Cha-Cha. The dance “will be videotaped to ing consumers early in the morning and late at insure the safety of all students attending,” the night and screaming at them, using abusive lan- rules note, though Union Grove administrators guage, threatening to have them arrested or could presumably review the video for provoca- property seized, attempting to collect debts con- tive moves that were initially missed by moni- sumers did not owe, failing to verify debts, tors. Sort of like instant replay in sports. making unauthorized withdrawals from con-  sumers’ bank accounts, and even harassing con- UP IN SMOKE?: THERE IS A BACKLASH BREWING IN sumers’ co-workers and family members. Glen some states against those new battery-operated Wooldridge of Davenport, Iowa said when he “electronic cigarettes” — the plastic cylinders tried to get NES to provide documentation he that look like real cigs but dispense a vapor really owed $1,963 for four months of Verizon rather than smoke, along with a dose of nico- wireless use, he was treated to a barrage of calls tine. Not surprisingly, people trying to quit every day, and the collector “even brought up smoking, as well as retailers who sell the new information about debts my mother and grand- devices, are opposing an outright ban. The mother owe, and said that scumbags must run in our family.” The Illinois legislature has been debating the issue, and Rep. Marlow West Virginia Attorney General, Darrel McGraw, also sued National Colvin (D-Chicago) points out that the FDA hasn’t approved the Enterprise and its CEO, Mr. Pollak. Best advice: Never give a debt products yet and have found carcinogens and other harmful chem- collector your banking or credit card information. They might icals in the cartridges. Kathy Drea with the American Lung Associ- take more than you authorize. Never do “checks by phone” as ation said the state should prevent people from buying the debt collectors could empty your bank account; you would have e-cigarettes until the FDA has ruled on their safety. little recourse. Never send them money by Western Union. Record  conversations with collectors (where legal) so they can be prose- BOTH PARTIES TO BLAME: THE TEA PARTY CROWD IS UP IN ARMS, SO cuted if they break the law. See www.consumerjustice.com to speak, against Big Government, especially the Obama admin-  istration. But where were they when Bush was squandering the MEANWHILE...: SHE MAY BE A BILLIONAIRE BUT SHE AIN’T HELPING Clinton surplus of $127 billion and turning it into a $482 billion her Mom out of her debts: The mother of Oprah Winfrey, Vernita deficit through tax cuts for the rich and the war in Iraq? Plus their Lee, and the luxury fashion store Valentina Inc. announced a set- outrage is very selective. Politicos of both parties are in hock to tlement of the latter’s lawsuit over Lee’s $155,547 outstanding tab. big bankers up to their necks. That’s why they’re trying to kill or On a previous bill of $174,285 in 2002, Lee had agreed to make cripple the proposed new Consumer Financial Protection Agency. periodic repayments, but the store apparently allowed her to open Earlier this year, the GOP told Wall Street: Give us the scratch and another account, and as the new balance swelled, Lee sued, trying we’ll scrap reform. Then there’s the Chicago area hedge fund called to shift the blame to the store (!) by claiming Valentina should not Magnetar, that worked with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Merrill have extended credit to her, given her poor payment history. Lynch and other investment banks to create toxic CDO’s — “col- Apparently, if you’re rich enough, you don’t get calls from debt lateralized debt obligations” — which are securities backed by sub- collectors, you just pay a few cents on the dollar through the court. prime mortgages that management knew were bad. Magnetar took  that knowledge and bet against the very same investments they EXHIBIT ‘A’ FOR WHY WE NEED TERM LIMITS: SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY R- had recommended to buyers, selling short and making a fortune. Iowa) is a career politician, having been in Washington for 36 years. As Bill Moyers observes, “This is corruption, cynicism and greed Yet he is regarded by professional pols as a probable shoe-in for on a scale that would make the Roman Emperor Caligula cringe.” re-election. That’s because the aw-shucks Senator with the farm The owners of Magnetar covered their bets with huge campaign boy demeaner has been a master at hiding his true allegiance: to contributions to Rahm Emanuel, who is now White House chief his corporate benefactors. A big recipient of big money from Big of staff. At the time he was an Illinois Congressman and chair of Insurance, he worked overtime to sabotage health care reform, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which col- scaring grandma in the process. Out of 535 members of Congress, lected millions of dollars from the financial services industry. 

40 MIDWEST TODAY

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