Every December, I find myself standing in an interminably long line. I’ve spent hours in parking lots across the metro, in the cold, drinking what I’m told is hot chocolate, all for one very important reason: My kids need to see Santa. The big guy is usually accompanied by Donner or Comet or some other lesser reindeer from his famed flying squad. (Rudolph, without fail, is indisposed).
As a professional reporter, it is my great shame to share this fact: Not once have I sipped my disappointing beverage and wondered how Vixen spends the other 11 months of the year.
Lucky for all of us, Cindy Lange-Kubick is more curious than I, or at least less captivated by bad cocoa. Her story today looks at Phillip “Flip” Licking — Thomas County’s Dr. Dolittle in a ballcap — and the incredible menagerie he’s built over a lifetime. Reindeer are just one part of the collection. He’s amassed camels, zebras, miniature horses, potbellied pigs, emu and so, so much more.
He’s built a little piece of pastoral paradise in central Nebraska. Cindy gets the story, as she always does. Then she writes the heck out of it, again, as she always does.
Enjoy.
The racist roots of record heat? It’s been decades since redlining was standard operating procedure. Yet that old racist policy still shapes much of urban America. Some impacts are well-known. Reporter Addie Costello found one that, well, isn’t. At least to me.
Green space in Omaha is far more prevalent in areas that were off limits to homebuyers of color, such as the neighborhoods surrounding Elmwood Park and its 216 acres of trees and grass. Meanwhile, less than 35 acres of city-owned parks are located in redlined areas on a famed Omaha map.
And with rising temperatures, that difference could have a significant impact. So-called “heat islands” can be 20 degrees hotter than other parts of the same city, heightening the risks associated with the most deadly weather events in the nation.
Over the next few weeks, UNMC is embarking on a mission to measure whether that’s the case in Omaha. If Addie’s analysis is any indication, they’re likely to have some interesting findings.
Headed to Hastings: Just a few weeks removed from an unbelievable stop in Scottsbluff, the Flatwater Free Press crew is headed to Hastings. These listening tours are part of our ambitious, some would say ludicrous, bid to truly tell the stories of the state. They’re also a blast. Once again, we’re looking for great stories to tell, or issues that deserve a critical look. This time around, it will be me and good ol’ Matthew Hansen. We’re being graciously hosted by the folks at the Hastings Tribune, who will open up their primo meeting space to the public to chat about all things journalistic at 3 p.m. on July 19. If you’re in the area, we hope to see you there.
Until next time,
-Matt Wynn, Executive Director
Here’s what we’re into this week: News from around Nebraska
Every week we like to share great Nebraska journalism, no matter who made it. Here’s what caught our eye this week:
- The house at Lincoln’s 2636 Woodscrest Ave. — “The Castle,” some in the neighborhood call it — was built by a storied family and has landed a spot on the Register of Historic Places. Now, the Lincoln Journal Star’s Peter Salter reports, the new owners plan to raze the local landmark. Neighbors and preservationists oppose the move, but there’s little they can do.
- The Omaha World-Herald’s Chris Burbach is my favorite journalist. Yes, that’s in part due to the smoky homemade whiskey he once sneaked me away from prying newsroom eyes. But it’s also because he tells the stories of his home with pride and purpose that few can rival. His latest shares the story of the renaissance at Omaha’s 24th and Lake, showcasing new businesses and new energy.
- If you’ve been, well, just about anywhere over the past few weeks, chances are you’ve been approached about signing a petition or two. Or 100. But who’s counting. Blessedly, those petition drives for voter ID, minimum wage boosts and medical marijuana have come to a close. Some issues look more likely to make the ballot than others. The Nebraska Examiner’s Paul Hammel has the story.
