siouxland life magazine - april 2011

A GUIDE FOR LIVING IN SIOUXLAND

Installing a faucetdoesn’t need to sink you

BOB KNOWLER HAS COLLECTED

TAXES

Want to burn more calories? Get your heart rate up

Quick and easy not best way to assess one’s health

SIOUXLAND LIFE IS ON THE WEB! VISIT WWW.SIOUXCITYJOURNAL.COM/SIOUXLANDLIFE

APRIL 2011

MOREthan

DRIVING SIOUXLANDTHIS ISSUE IS ALL ABOUT CARS

2 APRIL 2011 SIOUXLAND LIFE

CONTENTS April 2011

8

PUBLISHER Steve Griffith EDITOR Bruce MillerEDITORIAL Joanne Fox, Tim Gallagher, Earl Horlyk, Nick Hytrek, John Quinlan

PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Hynds, Jim Lee, Jerry Mennenga PRESENTATION EDITOR Amy HyndsADVERTISING SALES Nancy Gevik ADVERTISING DESIGN Stacy Pajl, Jill Bisenius

©2011 The Sioux City Journal. Siouxland Life is published monthly by The Sioux City Journal. For advertising information, please call (712) 224-6275. For editorial information, please call (712) 293-4218.

12 FRAMING A COLLECTIONPreserve your memories with archival framing.

42 EYE STRAINTechnology has increased the strain on your eyes but have no fear – Dr. Beth Bruening says you won’t go blind.

ON THE COVERBob Knowler sits in his 1965 Dodge Polara 500 which is on display at the Mid American Mu-seum of Aviation & Transportation. Photograph by Jim Lee

FEATURES4 Luxury motor homes8 Collections: Automobiles12 Preserving memories14 The right tools for home repair16 Cars: My first car20 Cars: My last car22 Cars: Car repair25 Cars: What Siouxland drives26 Cars: Drivers license28 Cars: Car dealers

30 Cars: Restoration32 Q&A: Car salesman34 Cars: Drag racing36 Cars: Teen drivers38 Burn calories to lose weight40 BMI is one tool to measure health41 Medical answers from the doctor42 Screens may cause eye strain45 Out & About47 Parting shot: Excuses, excuses

47 OVERHEARD IN CLASSThe same old excuses and ways to cheat on tests are still being used, sometimes with a modern twist.

SIOUXLAND LIFE APRIL 2011 3


w

HEALTH Motor Homes

Text by Joanne Fox | Photographs by Jerry Mennenga

Matt Fedders shows off a moveable kitchen is-land in this Rushmore model by Crossroads.

WHAT DO YOU BUY when you already own an abode in Le Mars, Iowa, but prefer the warmth and comfort of Florida in winter?

How about a home on wheels?That’s what Clayton Hodgson,

77, and his wife Ardella, 77, did when they bought a 38-foot-long fifth-wheel, 2010 Crossroads Seville, which has a living area so spacious, you could play soccer in it.

OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, “but not much,” Hodgson quipped.

Luxury motor homes – they are far removed from “campers” – are the latest trend in upscale vacation dwellings. Demand for these houses on wheels has doubled in the last decade, to about 320,800 units a year, according to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association. The biggest gains are in the high-end market, where high-dollar mobile homes of-fer everything from big-screen TVs with satellite dishes to granite coun-tertops and leather furniture.

The Hodgsons have been snow-birds, spending time in Florida for

the past 15 winters in some sort of pull-behind-their-truck dwelling instead of flying down into a more permanent nest.

“Sure, you can rent apartments and condos; a lot of snowbirds do that,” he acknowledged. “But it’s so nice to have your own place and your own bed.”

Hodgson added, “And we are in a campground that’s in the country, on the Swanee River. It’s gorgeous, peaceful, quiet, serene. You couldn’t get this kind of atmosphere any place else.”

Hodgson pointed out they started smaller with their fifth-wheels.

“It’s been an evolving process,” he admitted. “This is the fourth camper we’ve purchased and each time we get a little bigger.”

This rig lists for $76,000, “al-though that’s not what we paid,” Hodgson said. “We traded in our previous RV and got a pretty good deal,” and has four slide-outs – room sections that expand when the RV is parked to increase the square-foot-age – three televisions, a fireplace, a washer/dryer, a central vacuuming system, a queen-sized bed and “an exceptional refrigerator with a de-froster.”

Why not just buy a house on some nice property?

“I guess if you wanted to do that as an investment, that would be the way to go,” Hodgson mused.

“But we like the flexibility a camper offers,” he noted. “We can take our camper all over and visit family, even in the summer.”

Hodgson added, “Our son, who

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

X XX

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXX XX XXXXXXX XX XX X

XXXXX X XXX X X XXXX



XXXX X X X XX X X X X X

XXXX


XXXX

X XX XX XX XX X X X XXXX


XXXX


XXXX

X X X X X X X

X X X X X X X

X X X X X X X

X X X X XX

X X X X XX

X X X X XX

XXXXX

XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX

XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX

XXXXX


A full blown kitchen unit is seen in this this Rushmore model by Crossroads at Fedders Marine & RV.

Some RV trailers like this Cruiser CTX model by Cross-roads at Fedders Marine & RV in Le Mars, have re-tractable sides that give users more living space.

Matt Fedders of Fedders Marine & RV in Le Mars shows an outdoor kitchen work area in the Cruiser CTX model by Crossroads.

Matt Fedders of Fedders Marine & RV in Le Mars talks about a variety of travel trailers available for the people to purchase, such as this Cruiser CTX model by Cross-roads.

lives in Des Moines, recently closed on a condo in the Fort Myers area as a winter getaway. They chose that option because it fit their lifestyle. You know everybody has to march to their own drummer.”

That marching may change as gas prices climb. Hodgson pulls the fifth-wheel with a 2000 Ford F250 diesel pickup

truck.“Sure, that may affect how we handle

traveling,” he said. “We may leave the camper here and travel in the truck, which gets 16 miles per gallon when it’s not towing and I figured about 8.6 with the RV.”

Home is where the heart is and Le

Mars is where the Hodgsons hang their hats from mid-April to Dec. 1. Part of the appeal of having a nice motor coach is the camaraderie it instills. Hodgson thought it was like everyone belonging to the Methodist Church.

“We have a winter Texans breakfast in Le Mars every month throughout the


summer with folks who we might not have been friends with before getting the RV,” he said.

“Then there are these friendships you forge with the people you camp with,” Hodgson continued. “My folks had a park model camper they used for 14 years when they went to Texas. I couldn’t understand why all the strangers they would meet fleetingly became so close. Now I get it.”

What used to be considered some-thing only the rich could afford has become a practical tool for retirees who prefer the nicer weather in the south, said Matt Fedders, president of Fedders Marine & RV in Le Mars.

“People like to be comfortable and they like the luxury stuff,” he said. “I try and put it into perspective for them: You can take one big trip to Disneyland for one big vacation or you can buy a camp-er and have a lifetime of memories.”

Once buyers start to check out the various options, they steer away from the bare-bones models, added Micah Salter, Fedders sales manager.

“Favorite add-ons include electric jacks, satellite dishes, a central cleaning system and nicer countertops,” he said. “They are really looking for convenience.”

They are also concerned about tool-ing around in something close to an 18-wheeler, Fedders pointed out.

“There are crash-avoidance systems and tiny cameras on both sides and in the back to allow you to see where the mirrors can’t,” he said. “There are ones with an awning that retracts when the wind blows too hard.”

After 32-inch televisions and marble countertops, what’s next?

“I would look for the entire side of a camper to slide out,” Fedders predicted. “And ice makers and water dispensers in the refrigerators.”

Vinyl windows designed for new construction & replacement

are guaranteed for as long as you own your home.

(402) 494-6000 or 1-800-475-5061South Sioux City, NE

www.gerkin.com • [email protected]

Doesn't your home deserveComfort Series® Vinyl Windows & Patio Doors?

See your local building supply retailer for Gerkin products, or call Gerkin for the

dealer nearest you.

230 Nebraska St, Sioux City, IA 51102712.252.0088

www.nylencancercenter.com



At the June E. Nylen Cancer Center, we offer advanced chemotherapy, targeted radiation, national expertise and

support.

We are the only center in the region to offer the power and precision of Trilogy, the most advanced

technology available for the treatment of cancer today.

But our most powerful weapons come from our patients. Hope. Courage. Faith. We can’t fight cancer without them. That’s why we treat patients here, near family and friends. We believe in our patients. And they believe in us.

Sometimes, that makes all the difference.

World Class Care




support.





World Class Care




support.





World Class Care

At the June E. Nylen Cancer Center, we offer advanced chemotherapy, targeted radiation, national expertise and support.

We are the only center in the region to offer the power and precision of Trilogy, the most advanced technology available for the treatment of cancer today.But our most powerful weapons come from our patients. Hope. Courage. Faith.

We can’t fight cancer without them. That’s why we treat patients here, near family and friends. We believe in our patients. And they believe in us.


World Class Care

Come see how our facility can meet your need for a quality lifestyle.3501 Dakota Ave. • South Sioux City, NE. • 402-494-4273

Stay

Active!Enjoy a secure and convenient active lifestyle withaffordable assisted living at Regency Square.• Spacious Suites • Emergency Call System• Complete Dining Service• Housekeeping & Laundry Service• Van Transportation to Shopping & Appointments • Beauty Shop • Exercise Classes • Complete Activities Programing

The bedroom in the Rushmore model by Crossroads has wood accents.


The Regional Leader in

Therapeutic Vein Care

605.232.3737 • 866.356.8346 • www.hoguevein.com

DAKOTA DUNES/SIOUX CITY • SIOUX FALLS • FARGO • MANKATO

EDEN PRAIRIE • MAPLE GROVE • WHITE BEAR LAKE •WOODBURY

Regional Locations 8

Call today to schedule your Formal Vein Consultation or Free Vein Screening

Most Credentialed, Board Certified Vein Specialists in the Region Our Vein Treatments are Covered by Medicare and Most Insurers Specializing in the Treatment of Symptomatic Varicose Veins Over 24,000 Laser Vein Procedures Performed (EVLAs) Visit Us at www.HogueVein.com to Learn More FREE Vein Screening to evaluate “Spider Veins”


f

Bob Knowler collects, restores and sells antique cars. The 1950 Chrysler Windsor Miss Daisy Official Pace Car, above and top, has a unique air conditioning system.

COLLECTIONS Automobiles

Formertax collector

COLLECTING VEHICLES

Text by Joanne Fox | Photographs by Jim Lee


fFORMER WOODBURY COUNTY TREA-SURER Bob Knowler didn’t just collect taxes during his 16-year tenure.

He had his eye out for the next vehicle to add to his transportation collection.

Actually, Knowler has been an aficio-nado of cars since he earned his driver’s license.

“I’d go out in the county with a gallon of gas and search for old cars I could take home and fix up,” he recalled. “I’d spend $15 to $25 and sell them for $50.”

It helped that Knowler grew up around a Texaco service station in New Sharon, Iowa. His dad’s tank wagon de-livered to it, but a month after Knowler’s high school graduation, he and his broth-ers bought it.

Before becoming treasurer, Knowler owned the Black Knight, a Sioux City men’s clothing store in Morningside, for 17 years.

And if you happened to work there, Knowler might have loaned you his 1965 baby blue Dodge convertible for a special occasion.

“The car went out on a lot of prom dates,” the former clothing store owner reminisced.

At age 74, retiring Jan. 3 has not meant retiring from working on cars. He shared

the love of his collection with Siouxland Life.

Q: What was your first car acquisi-tion?

A: It was a 1942 Dodge Club Coupe. There were only 400 of those made.

Q: What did you pay for it?A: That was about 52 years ago, so I’m

going to guess about $400.Q: How do you get the cars?A: I hear of them through friends or

find them online.

Left Bob Knowler talks about the vehicle that transports a full-size cal-liope for the Abu Bekr Shrine unit.

Below Knowler looks over a car he is currently restoring.

“I’d go out in the county with a gallon of gas and search for old cars I could take home and fix up. I’d spend $15 to $25 and sell them for $50.”


Q: What car came to you from the longest distance?

A: I got a 1953 MGTD, sold it and sent it to Holland. I think the furthest I went for a purchase was Ohio.

Q: In addition to just acquiring the cars, you fix them up. What’s the one that was the most problematic?

A: It was a 1964 Citron that needed a lot of work. It was just too big a job for me.

Q: Is there a car that every collector is on the lookout for?

A: The most requested vehicle I’ve seen is a 1973 Buick Riviera. Maybe it’s the boat tail design. I sold my brother’s Riviera to a gentleman in Germany.

Q: What’s the most recent addition to your collection?

A: Last fall I purchased a 1967 Mercury Cougar with 50,000 miles on it.

Q: What are you restoring now?A: It’s a 1928 Buick that I’m working

on for a friend.Q: What’s the most unusual car in

the collection?A: I’d say the 1950 Chrysler Windsor

Miss Daisy Official Pace Car, which says it’s an Indianapolis Motor Speedway car, but it’s not any kind of pace car at all. I got it from a farmer, east of Sloan. It has a unique air conditioning system.

Q: How many vehicles do you have in the collection?

A: Fifteen cars and other as-sorted vehicles, like an open cab fire truck and the truck that has a calliope on it that I use in parades for the Abu Bekr Shrine unit. I have five vehicles at the Mid America Museum of Avia-tion & Transportation.

Q: Do you collect anything else?

A: No.Q: Any thought to quitting

the collecting?A: I hope not. I don’t ever

want to be there.

Above left Knowler dis-cusses the restoration process on this antique car.

Above This fire truck is from Knowler’s car collection. (submitted photo)

Left This Citeron is part of Knowler’s collection. (submitted photo)

Below Knowler’s famous 1965 Dodge convertible transported many a prom date.


100 Jackson St., Sioux City, IA • www.kchev.comToll Free: 1-866-735-8412

Interstate 29

Gordon Drive

Virginia

Neb

rask

a

United States Post Office

Cancer Center

Sioux City Art Center

The Right Choice

www.kch

ev.com

Jerry SkoglundArnie Bush Larry Severeide Marty Roth Mike Van Waart Pat Graves Jr.Jim Busker Garry Ellison Tom Phillips Juan Valdovinos AJ Bush Denny Cleveland Bill Vogt Tim Thacker David Kellen

We’re Looking Out For Your Best Interest!

Our service department is committed to providing superior maintenance of your vehicle. We service all makes and models of cars and trucks including fleet service!“We’ve bought 8 new vehicles from Knoepfler Chevrolet over the last 10 years. The sales department has always treated us fairly and their service department has always been great!”Barb Griffith

Knoepfler Chevrolet goes green with PPG Waterborne Paint.

Knoepfler has taken a proactive stand in protecting the environment

by going green with its paint finishing system! The collision

center recently switched to low VOC PPG Waterborne basecoat from a

conventional solvent based system.

We meet the nicest people by accident!


Text by Earl HorlykPhotographs by Tim Hynds

PRESERVATION Framing

TIPS ON PRESERVING ART– Store your art in dry, dark areas– Checked stored art periodically for damage, insects, moisture or mold– Don’t cover art with plastic bags, since they can trap moisture inside– Ask questions at your local frame shop because framers are experts when it comes to conservation

PRESERVING MEMORIESin frames

Joe Kopal stands by a framed hockey jersey and holds a WWII bomber jacket and feed sack while talking about fram-ing family mementoes at Gallery One, his Sioux City framing shop.

Vietnam War memorabilia has been framed by Joe Kopal at Gallery One.


i IF YOU LEFT YOUR autographed photo of Sir Edmund Hillary, climbing to the top of Mount Everest, at Gallery One, your frame is now ready to be picked up.

“This thing has been collecting dust around here for at least 15 years,” Joe Ko-pal said while looking at framed photos of Hillary, his Tibetan guide, along with a letter of authenticity. “The guy never did come back for it.”

As owner of Gallery One, a downtown Sioux City full-service framing business, Kopal knows all about the eccentric things people want to be frame.

Some bring in an important piece of art for Kopal to mount. Others bring in personally significant documentation.

“I had a fella bring in his baby’s foot-print, along with a birth certificate, for me to frame,” Kopal said with a smile. “The baby’s now 15 years old, but his birth will be preserved forever.”

That’s a large part of what Kopal does: preserving memories in frames.

“I’ve framed everything from one-of-a-kind paintings to a pair of brass knuck-les,” he said, laughing. “Guess what’s one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

Often times, the items waiting to be framed are weathered by age.

“Sunlight is the big culprit because it fades colors quickly,” Kopal explained. “The elements also work against pre-serving things. If your grandmother’s knitting has been sitting in your base-ment or attic for the past 30 years, chances are it has experienced some water damage.”

Some pieces are easy to mount while others – things that aren’t the typical 8x10 flat photograph – present a chal-lenge for Kopal.

“Certain items must be shellacked before they’re framed,” he said. “Other things, like pieces of clothing, must be sewed directly to the matted back of a frame.”

Some of the apparel Kopal has framed include sports jerseys and a World War II-era bomber jacket with the insignia “Little Joe.”

Once the art is framed, Kopal encloses it with museum quality glass.

“Museum glass protects against 99 percent of harmful indoor or outdoor UV light rays,” he said. “Not only is the glass durable, it reduces distracting reflections on your art.

“After all, you want to be able to see your art,” Kopal said. “Not the glass.”

Ranked among the Top 10% in the Nation for Spinal Surgery

600 Sioux Point Road

Dakota Dunes, SD 57049

Phone: (605) 232-3332

Ranked among the Top 10% in the Nation for Spinal Surgery

Health Grades Specialty Excellence Award™ Recipient

2007

715 East Ninth St.South Sioux City, NE 68776

Jamie Miller, AKBDDesigner

Phone 402-494-5411Fax 402-494-2737

Reinvent Your KitchenSpice things up with a state-of-the-art kitchen you’ll enjoy day after day, year after year. It’s one investment that delivers guaranteed returns.

Designer Jamie Miller will work closely with you to create the kitchen or bath that works for you!

The Home Builders Association of Greater Siouxland promotes the professionalism of the building industry through educational programs and activities for the membership and the communities we serve.For a complete list of our members visit our website listed below.

3900 Stadium Dr., Sioux City, IA712-255-3852

www.hbags.comemail: [email protected]


BILL FOULK SAID HE fre-quently gets service calls from wives worried about their hus-bands’ prowess around plumb-ing.

“Guys will take on electrical wiring projects long before they take on anything plumbing-related,” Foulk, owner of Foulk Brothers Plumbing and Heat-ing, said of “honey do” lists that frequently relegate plumbing to the portion that’s underlined “Honey don’t bother.” “It’s some-thing that just isn’t inside many guys’ comfort zone.”

Especially since that “com-fort zone” means being flat on

your back, underneath a heavy sink.

According to Foulk, replacing a new faucet to your kitchen sink isn’t difficult, especially when you have the right tools. Specifically, you’ll need to have a basin wrench – an adjustable wrench that can reach into the deep, dark, hard-to-get-at parts of your sink.

Tip #1CHOOSE THE RIGHT FAUCET

“The most expensive thing in your house may end up be-ing a cheap faucet,” Foulk said. “It won’t do you any good if the

faucet needs to be replaced fre-quently.”

That’s why Foulk recom-mends investing in a faucet that comes with standard parts, which will help you out if a company goes out of business or discontinues a line, making your faucet obsolete.

Most new faucets require you to do some assembly be-fore mounting it to your sink. If that’s the case, follow the manufacturer’s directions care-fully. Also, many pull-out pliers need to be threaded through the faucet body.

In order to achieve a

WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS,

INSTALLING A KITCHEN

FAUCET DOESN’T NEED TO

SINK YOUText by Earl Horlyk | Photographs by Tim Hynds

HOME DIY Repair


Left Bill Foulk displays a high-end faucet at Foulk Brothers Plumbing and Heating.Above When tackling a plumbing project like replacing a lavatory faucet or other home improvement project, make sure you understand the parts and have the right tools.

WHAT HOME IMPROVEMENTS CAN YOU DO?Spring is almost here but what DIY projects can you do with-out needing to obtain permits or inspection?The City of Sioux City’s Community Development Depart-ment advises homeowners to seek out the help of a licensed professional if they aren’t familiar with potential safety haz-ards common with DIY-type projects.But if you feel you’re sufficiently astute with the types of projects topping your “honey do” list, here are the types of things which need no permit.

CONSTRUCTION WORKYou can do:– Painting– Wallpapering– New cabinets (if walls and wiring aren’t disturbed)– New floor covering– Fences (if it’s 6-feet-tall or less)– Retaining walls (if it’s less than 4-feet-tall and doesn’t block the public right-of-way)– Accessory structures, like storage sheds, playhouses and gazebos without utilities and are one story in height– Shingle replacements (a building permit isn’t needed unless structural roof sheath-ing is to be installed)– Window awnings (cannot encroach into the public right-of-way or extend more than 54 inches from the ex-terior wall)– Residing exterior of the home– Window replacement (permits aren’t needed for window replacements of the same size)– Raised decks and patios (30 inches or less in height above adjacent finish grade)– Above ground swimming pools

ELECTRICAL WORK– Outlet replacements– Light switch replacements– Light fixture replacements– Ceiling fan installation– Smoke alarm replace-ments– Any similar existing fixture,

appliance or mechanism which has an existing circuit and can be easily replaced.

PLUMBING WORK– Hot water heating (as long as the work consists only of reconnecting existing ser-vice lines, not the installation of additional water lines, gas piping or electrical wiring)– Toilets and sinks (toilets, sinks, including faucets, valves or any broken or dam-aged pipes)– Lawn sprinkler systems (though a plumbing permit is required for all new instal-lations)– Water softener installation– Water lines to icemakers, etc.

MECHANICAL WORK– Thermostat replacements– Supply and return grills– Appliance replacement (A permits is required for furnace and air conditioner replacements)– Range hood replacement– Bathroom fan replace-ments– Minor duct/vent repair– Duct cleaning– Replacement of flexible gas connectors to appli-ances– Humidifier installation

For more information on Sioux City’s building require-ments, contact the Permit Center at (712) 224-5216 or www.sioux-city.org.

watertight seal, insert the rub-ber gasket between the base plate of the faucet and the top of the sink. If a gasket isn’t provided, pack the cavity of the faucet with plumber’s putty before inserting the faucet body through the sink top’s holes. Thread the mounting nuts. provided by the manufacturer, onto the faucet shafts, center the threaded shafts in the sink’s holes and tighten the nuts firmly.

Tip #2THE NUTS, BOLTS AND TOOLS

Many companies provide a special long socket that will help you to tighten mounting nuts. A hole in the socket will allow you to tighten the needed nuts.

Hook up the faucet’s hot and cold supply lines to the water supply shutoff valves under-neath the sink. Bend the copper tubing coming out of the faucet. This will provide for better ac-cess for you to connect tubes to them.

After that, simply wrap a

couple of rounds of plumber’s tape around the threaded nipples on the valve and con-nect the tubes before tightening the nuts with an adjustable wrench.

Upon installing the new fau-cet, remember to remove the aerator from the faucet. Flush the lines so debris doesn’t clog and reduce water flow.

Tip #3GIVE YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME

nday night, thinking it can all be done quickly,” Foulk warned. “Installing a faucet will take 3 or 4 hours and if you have a problem, you want to know there’s someone around with the answers.”

Especially, if the one with an answer happens to be a plumber.

“I’ve been doing this for more than 40 years,” Foulk said. “There are very few situations that I’ve never seen or problems that I can’t solve.”

“I’ve been doing this for more than 40 years. There are very few situations that I’ve never seen or problems that I can’t solve.”

BILL FOULKFoulk Brothers Plumbing and Heating


FIRST CAR IS NOW A

CLASSICText by Nick Hytrek

Photographs by Tim Hynds and Jerry Mennenga

Dan Bennett of Sioux City stands by his 1957 Chevy Bel Air, one of the first cars he owned.


w

The passenger-side dashboard of Dan Bennett’s 1957 Chevy Bel Air.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT that first car?The freedom it gives us, perhaps? Maybe the

thrill of having a car to call your own, to wash, wax and clean up? Or is it the memories of having a bunch of your friends pile inside and race down the street?

Years later, you can still hear the sound of the en-gine, smell the scent of the air freshener that hung from the rear-view mirror. It’s easier for some than others. They’ve held on to that special car over the years, resisting offers to sell it for much more than they paid for it.

It’s much more than a car.“A lot of people will say, ‘I had an XYZ when I

was growing up and I wish I still had it.’ Some of us dummies still do (have it),” said Dan Bennett, owner

FIRST CAR IS NOW A

CLASSIC


of Morningside Service Center Inc. and a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air he bought 40 years ago.

Ron French still has the 1968 Plym-outh Road Runner he bought as an East High senior. He never once considered getting rid of it.

“Back then I never really gave much thought to the fact I’d own it 45 years later,” said French, the retired business agent for Operating Engineers Union Lo-cal 234.

Both men took care of their cars from the very start. Both vehicles were their primary mode of transportation for only a short time, and the cars were rarely driven in the winter. They’ve spent more time in storage than on the highway.

And for both, the cars now have a spe-cial place not only in their garages, but in their hearts. Both talked about that special attachment they have to their

now-classic cars.

RON FRENCH 1968 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER

When did you buy it and how much did you pay?

French bought it in 1970 from his brother Tom for $2,700 or $2,800.

Why did you buy this type of car?“The Hemi motor, it just epitomized

the muscle car era, the big motor and big power.

“It was a hot car, a chick magnet.”Did it attract girls?French chuckles. “Back in the day, we

had quite a history.”Have you done a lot of work on it?It was repainted in 1975, and French

tweaked the engine about 10 years ago. Other than that, it’s mostly in its original condition.

How often do you drive it?

“It gets cruise nights and things like that. Even from the very get-go, I started storing it. I never drove it in the winter.”

The car now has 43,350 miles on it.Have you ever considered selling it?“I don’t even consider the sale of it.

Now, I’ve got four kids. That’s the next dilemma I face. Does my oldest daugh-ter get it or my oldest son or one of the twins? I tell them I’m not done using it yet.”

Do a lot of people you know wish they’d saved their first car?

“More than anything, you hear that at car shows. They wish they still had what they started with. I think it’s mainly the

Above A look at the driver’s seat and upholstery of Ron French’s Plymouth Road Runner. Right The engine inside of Ron French’s Plymouth Road Runner.

Ron French talks about his Plymouth Road Runner, a car he purchased as a teenager and still owns.


memories people have of their first car.”Why keep it all these years?“This is really the first one I bought –

hard-earned dollars working at the gas station. I wanted to save it.”

DAN BENNETT 1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR

When did you buy it and how much did you pay?

In 1970 or ’71 at age 19. “The car that I had in high school got stolen, so I re-placed it with this. I knew the guy who owned (this car). When he got ready to sell it, I bought it. A lot of people thought I was crazy to pay $1,000 for it.”

Why did you buy this type of car?“I just kind of liked it. It kind of ap-

pealed to me.”Have you done a lot of work on it?Bennett’s the third owner. The first

owner repainted the car, changing to the current color from the original light green. Another owner re-covered the seats. Bennett repainted the car in 1978 and changed the engine in the ’70s. A mechanic, Bennett has tweaked it here and there to make it drive better, but the body is in its original condition.

He has considered restoring it, but prefers it in the condition it’s in.

“This is really truly how they were

when we grew up. Anybody can buy one and restore it.”

How often do you drive it?“I do some cruise nights.”A previous owner rolled the odometer

back to zero, and it now reads 25,500. Bennett estimates he has put 12,000-14,000 miles on it.

Have you ever considered selling it?“I never had any intentions of selling

it. It’s actually in the will.”Why keep it all these years?“It was attractive to me, and I kept it.

You look fondly on the past.”


FARMER BEN PRATT ORDERED a five-cylinder Mercedes 300 diesel car in 1975 for $12,500. Shipping cost $500 extra.

Some 369,000 miles later, Pratt still drives it.

“We got 27 miles per gallon when we bought it,” he says.

He remembers because gas mirrored that number.

“We were paying 27 cents per gallon for gas,” he adds.

Pratt and wife Ruth were so taken with the Mercedes, they bought a used 300 diesel in 1980. This one came from New York and had been exposed to salt and winter driving. It made it easier on them to determine which car to use for winter driving around Kingsley, Iowa.

The used one is still on the road from December through March.

How many miles? “I’m not sure,” Ben Pratt says. “The odometer has broken twice.”

Like his cars, there’s consistency, reli-ability in Ben Pratt. He will likely turn 90 this year in his birthplace. He and Ruth “Susie” will also celebrate their 69th an-niversary, having wed in 1942 in Kansas, where she was from. (She roomed with Ben’s sister at Westmar College in nearby Le Mars. That’s how they met.)

What will his next vehicle purchase be?

“My next car?” he says with laugh. “I’ve got two good cars.”

Fueling those two cars has been prob-lematic only once. Pratt remembers driv-ing 10 miles out of his way while staying near Phoenix years ago. He had to go

that far to get fuel. Couldn’t find a diesel pump any closer.

Pratt used to change the oil himself. Routine maintenance has been per-formed in Kingsley and Sioux City.

“There aren’t many diesel cars any more,” he says. “GM had a V-8 diesel car that didn’t go over too well.”

The cars are a bit more noisy than what you’re used to hearing.

“I remember driving up to a guy at Phoenix and he heard the engine and I think he thought the whole car was go-ing to fall apart,” Pratt says with a smile. “That wasn’t the case.”

Nope. That was decades ago. Decades later, this Mercedes is still ticking.

“My niece’s husband said recently that he was thinking about getting a new

car,” Pratt recalls. “I said I’d been thinking about getting a new one, too. It’s been 35 years since I did.”

Actually, 36.“Thirteen-thousand was quite a little

(money) for a car back in 1975,” Pratt says.

Seems it was a worthy investment.

Ben Pratt, 89, of Kingsley, Iowa, is shown with his two Mercedes 300 diesel cars. The yellow one is a 1975 model with 369,000 miles on it. The brown one is a 1980 model. Pratt isn’t sure how many miles it has, since the odometer broke years ago. Pratt, a retired farmer, enjoys driving these five-cylinder diesels.

Text and photographs by Tim Gallagher

His last new car arrived in 1975;

he’s still driving it

CARS My last car


The Upholstery Shop“ C o u C h P o tat o h e a v e n ”

We specialize in restoring, the beauty and comfort of your furniture with affordable, durable and decorative

fabrics, that will give many years of new life to your favorite sofas, chairs, sectionals or heirloom family pieces

Call 274–7477 or visit our shop at 5312 Morningside Avenue

And browse through our fabric samples

“My niece’s husband said recently that he was think-ing about getting a new car. I said I’d been thinking about getting a new one, too. It’s been 35 years since I did.”


STUDENTS LEARN TROUBLESHOOTING VEHICLE REPAIRS, RESTORATIONS

SURE YOU CAN TROUBLESHOOT what’s wrong with your car.

As long as you’re fluent in OBD I and OBD II.

Since Henry Ford rolled that first auto-mobile off the assembly line, mechanics have been needed to assist owners with the care and repair and restoration of their vehicles.

But instructors for Western Iowa Tech Community College’s automo-tive technology department see the days of a shadetree mechanic going the way of blacksmiths. That’s where the understanding of On-board Diagnostic codes (OBD) comes into play, said Shane Sampson, WITCC automotive technology instructor.

“With the implementation of more and more electronics, a person is less and less able to diagnose and fix a car,” he noted. “Even those savvy enough to understand the components of a car and how they work will have trouble with try-ing to keep up with the manufacturer’s add-ons.”

Items that create the wow factor in the car (such as satellite radio, Bluetooth headsets, neon light kits) personalize a car, making a reflection of the owner, so it stands out in a crowd, Sampson ac-knowledged.

“But all those need someone with specialized training to fix them if some-thing goes wrong,” he said. “They may make the car unique, but they also need

someone unique to fix them.”The WITCC automotive technology

program is a two-year degree program designed to prepare the student to per-form a wide range of diagnostics, repairs and preventive maintenance on automo-biles and light trucks.

Less than a decade ago, most guys could pop the hood on a vehicle and fig-ure out what was amiss, Sampson said.

“Most could check and replace fluids and do some other maintenance,” he admitted. “Today, with sensors, modules and computers under the hood, many have a tough time recognizing the en-gine.”

Sampson pointed out even something as simple as changing the oil in a car or

CARS Car repair

Text by Joanne Fox | Photographs by Tim Hynds

Student Tyler Smith, right, marks a rough spot on the body of a 1939 Ford Deluxe Coupe owned by Lloyd Schweigert, left, in Western Iowa Tech Community College’s auto body class.


rotating tires has become a challenge.“The newer cars, you need diagnostic

equipment to do that and then be able to reset the onboard codes,” he said. “There are even cars that require specific tools; a normal set won’t do it.”

Along with shadetree mechanics, the term grease monkeys is no longer ap-plicable, said John Kraemer, WITCC auto-motive technology instructor.

“It used to be young men who gravi-tated or were encouraged to pursue studies in auto mechanics had a tough time in school, but they were good with their hands,” he explained. “Today, a good automotive repair person needs strong math skills, electronics and computer know-how and strong critical thinking

ability. It’s not just nuts and bolts any-more.”

Kraemer characterized a good car mechanic as one who is more than just taking something apart and putting it back together.

“You have to be a very strong problem solver,” he said. “You have to have a high level of patience.”

To that end, Sampson stresses the “test-not-guess” approach in his classes.

“I tell the students to eliminate as many possibilities as they can before they proceed with a repair,” he said. “They have to make sure it’s the right part.”

WITCC student Ryan Thorsland of Sioux City decided to pursue the

automotive technology discipline.“I had been playing hockey in Min-

nesota and really enjoying it. But I saw others who couldn’t make it as a hockey player professionally,” he said. “One of my buddies got me interested in cars and I realized I was helping friends who couldn’t figure out what was wrong with their cars.”

It isn’t just young men who embrace the auto program. Amanda Harper and Carmen Rodriguez are also enrolled.

“My dad was a grease monkey,” Rodri-guez said. “I had a best friend graduate from the program and she encouraged me to do it because it worked for her.”

“I worried I would be outnumbered, but the guys have been very supportive,” Harper said. “We know each other’s skills and work well together. We are certainly more than grease monkeys.”

With more than 124 million vehicles on the roads, there will be collisions, so there is a continuous need for skilled auto body repair people. Those special-ists have much the same challenges that face the mechanic, said Steve Bell, WITCC instructor of auto collision repair technology.

“The biggest change in the industry is adapting to the new types of cars that are being built,” he said. “The cars are made up of a lot of plastics, a lot of exotic materials and advances in technology that have resulted in changes in struc-ture, components and materials in auto bodies.”

The WITCC auto collision repair tech-nology program prepares the student for a career as a specialist in auto body repair. The automobile repair business is becoming even more important today as many car owners are having their pres-ent vehicles repaired rather than buying new ones, Bell pointed out.

Left Second-year student Ryan Thorsland is shown with a car he is rebuilding at Western Iowa Tech Community College’s automotive technician class.

Below Students Martin Morales, front, and Juan Pena sand a 1951 Chevy pickup.


800-894-9599www.MIDAMERICANENERGY.com

O P P O R T U N I T I E S

MidAmerican can help you reach your energy efficiency goals. Find out more about MidAmerican’s EnergyAdvantage

programs by calling us or visiting us on the Web.

MidAmericanEnergyAdvantage® Programs WorkAt MidAmerican Energy, we’re helping our customers Save some green®. and use energy more efficiently. That’s why we created our EnergyAdvantage programs. Customers using these programs saved enough electricity in 2008 to power 104,000 homes for one year. With results like these, you can see why MidAmerican has become a national leader in energy efficiency.

“When a car is damaged, students have to understand such things as how the front-wheel drive works so they can disassemble and reassemble it correctly,” he said. “Every car is so different that students should have good reading skills and problem solving skills.”

Students receive training in sheet metal welding and cutting, metal straightening, frame repair, suspension, glass, plastic and fiberglass repair, body construction, automotive painting and refinishing.

“Even painting has become an art,” Bell pointed out. “You can’t just fix a dent with some putty and a can of spray paint when you don’t understand the sub-stance of the car or the color tinting.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Sta-tistics, employment of automotive ser-vice technicians and mechanics and auto body repairers is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014.

WITCC student Tyler Smith of Le Mars, Iowa, has always been interested in cars.

“I was originally interested in me-chanics, but then I thought everybody is interested in that,” he said. “I enjoy painting so I decided to go into auto body repair.”

“You’re kind of like a doctor in this business,” Bell mused. “There’s some-thing wrong with your car so you take it in to a mechanic or the body shop. You trust they will do right by you and make the car better. If they do, you go back to them.”

:: :: ::

No MaintenanceNo Splinters100+ Year Lifespan

1950 West 29th Street • South Sioux City, NE 68776 1-800-551-3313 • Email: [email protected] TO WIN at www. liteform.comENTER TO WIN at www. liteform.com

Some rules and restrictions apply. Visit website for more details

CONCRETE DECK

Student Doyle Hoxie uses uses an oscilloscope while testing a car at Western Iowa Tech Community Col-lege’s automotive technician class.

CARS:WHEN WE BUY ’EM

MONTHS, CARS AND TRUCKSHere’s a list of vehicles registered in Woodbury County.Month New Cars New TrucksMarch 2010 136 46April 2010 181 62May 2010 146 40June 2010 155 48July 2010 217 31August 2010 157 38September 2010 191 52October 2010 157 36November 2010 165 53December 2010 158 42January 2011 103 42February 2011 124 17

Other months, randomJune 2001 308 123July 2002 310 127August 2003 310 96March 2004 263 140August 2005 287 155June 2006 255 75April 2007 207 81June 2008 198 34August 2009 242 54

WOODBURY COUNTY TREASURER MIKE Clayton knows when you buy a new car or truck.

He keeps track of thousands of such transactions. It’s his job.

He just isn’t among those counted.“I haven’t bought a new car since the

1980s,” says Clayton, who became Coun-ty Treasurer in January. “I usually buy a vehicle when they’re three years old and I keep them for four years.”

That said, Clayton still follows new car and truck sales closely. All sales are reg-istered and licensed through his office. Going over the statistics gives Clayton a handle on consumers’ buying patterns and the local economy.

In June 2001, for example, there were 308 new cars registered to Woodbury County drivers. There were 123 new trucks registered that month.

A contrast? Try March of 2010, when only 136 new cars and 46 new trucks were registered through the local trea-surer. That’s less than half as many dur-ing June 2001.

In fact, 2010 registration totals lag be-hind those from 2004, 2005 and 2006.

“I keep track, just because I like to see what our numbers are doing,” says Clay-ton, who worked for 10 1/2 years as chief motor vehicle deputy for the Woodbury County Trea-surer’s Office. “By looking at these numbers, you can see a downward trend. I know the economy has something to do with it.”

The bigger factor? Gateway.“Gateway maybe had the biggest im-

pact,” he says. “You know, when they had 6,500 people working there were a lot more people buying new cars.”

The trend isn’t merely local. Clayton

speaks with other county treasurers across Iowa who report similar trends.

Woodbury County, he notes, takes in between $700,000 and $900,000 in rev-enue via new registrations and titles. In 2011, the county is on track to receive $750,000 to $800,000. That money goes into the general fund.

CARS What Siouxland drives

Michael Clayton


Text by Tim Gallagher | Illustration by George Doyle


nMORE ABOUT THAT TEST– Anyone who hasn’t had driving privi-leges for at least a year is going to have to go for a ride with the driver’s license examiner.

– Teenagers applying for their license can have the driving test waived upon recommendation of their driver’s ed teacher.

– If you fail the driving test, you’ll have to wait until the next day to try again. An examiner may suggest you practice even longer than that before taking the test again.

– The driver must furnish the vehicle for the driving exam. Make sure you have your proof of insurance with you.

– Drivers in Sioux City are instructed through a predetermined route de-signed to test many different traffic situa-tions. The test takes 15-20 minutes.

DRIVERS LICENSE EXAMINERS PROMOTE HIGHWAY SAFETY

Iowa Department of Transportation driver’s license examiners Rebecca Moritz and Amy Hill talk about their jobs at the IDOT’s driver license station in Sioux City.

NO, THAT PERSON SITTING in the passenger seat isn’t out to get you.

If you failed the driving test for your driver’s license, it wasn’t because of the driver’s license examiner. Veteran exam-iners said they have only one concern: that you know the rules to be a safe driver out on the streets and highways. They’re not searching for ways to pur-posely make you screw up.

“Our main goal is to promote highway safety. We just want to observe all we can,” said Rebecca Moritz, an examiner at the Iowa Department of Transporta-tion’s Drivers License Bureau in Sioux City. Besides, she said, most people have already figured out they probably weren’t going to pass by the time she tells them they failed.

Moritz has been administering the

driving test for 11 years. Amy Hill has hit the road with drivers for 10 years. Each gives on average of 20 driving tests a week, and they’ve seen just about every-thing. When you buckle up for your test, don’t expect them to give you a free ride.

Both chuckled when asked for help-ful hints. All Moritz would say is to be prepared to take your car out when you get there.

“Have an insurance card when you come in here,” Moritz said. “You wouldn’t believe how many people come in with-out proof of insurance.”

No proof of insurance, no test.Roughly 80 percent of drivers pass the

driving test, Moritz and Hill said. Some of the common mistakes drivers make during the test? Poor lane changes and stopping over the crosswalk. They’re also

watching your speedometer, especially if you’re not.

“Speed, definitely, we watch,” Moritz said.

Taking the test can be a stressful ex-perience for the driver, they said. They make sure drivers know that when they’re jotting down notes, it doesn’t mean they’re flunking them.

“From the get-go, we tell them we’re going to be marking things down, good or bad, so they don’t get nervous,” Moritz said.

That’s part of the job: helping drivers get better. We all can learn from our mis-takes, even if we pass the test.

“After the drive is done, we point out the good things and some of the things they can work on. That happens pass or fail,” Hill said.

Text by Nick Hytrek | Photographs by Tim Hynds

CARS Drivers License


For as long as there have been photos on driver’s licenses, people have joked about how bad their driver’s license picture is.Because of new security technology, Iowa drivers are now asked not to put on a big smile when getting their photos taken. They also can’t wear glasses or have hair lower than their eyebrows. Since implementing the stricter rules in 2010, there has been grumbling, said Amy Sievers, Iowa Depart-ment of Transportation driver’s license su-pervisor II.“Once we explain it’s a security measure and to their benefit, they’re in favor of it,” said Sievers, who oversees driver’s license offices in Sioux City and Spencer.Last year, the IDOT went to a Central Issu-ance program in which the photos are taken in the local office, then sent to another site, where the photos are digitally analyzed to make sure the person in the photo is who they say they are. Once verified, the license is mailed to the driver.The new system aims to keep people from

using someone else’s name and ID informa-tion for illegal gain, Sievers said.When she started with the DOT 21 years ago, Sievers said, the main ID fraud concern was minors trying to falsify their ID so they could buy alcohol. Nowadays, that ID infor-mation can be used for all sorts of fraudu-lent financial activities.A driver’s license is much more than a docu-ment that says you can drive, Sievers said. It’s a photo ID that gets you onto an air-plane or inside a government building. It’s vital to keep that ID secure.Sievers said it does seems strange to dis-courage drivers from smiling for their driv-er’s license, especially since examiners have been asking for smiles for so many years. Many customers remark that it feels like they’re having a police mugshot taken now.Sievers said customers relax once they’re told why they don’t need to look their best.“What I try to tell customers is it’s not sup-posed to be a glamor shot.”

Guarantee Roofing • Siding • Insulation

2005 East 4th • Sioux City, IA • 712-277-3981 • [email protected] • www.GuaranteeRoofing.com

your homewith Energy Star Products

Roofing • WindowsDoors

Insulation • Siding

Call Guarantee to the Rescue for a FREE estimate!

Energize

Iowa Department of Transportation driver’s license examiner Rebecca Moritz stands next to the depart-ment’s camera at the IDOT’s driver license station in Sioux City.

DON’T SAY CHEESE FOR THE PHOTO

Do the examiners themselves get ner-vous? Not really. They’ve been through it all.

“I don’t get nervous. We’re trained pretty well to handle almost any situa-tion,” Moritz said.

And they can tell right away if they’re going for an eventful ride.

“You can tell pretty quickly. The initial thing is our parking lot. You can tell just how they maneuver out of the parking lot if they’re going to do well,” Moritz said.

Both have been passengers in their share of fender-benders. Their experi-ence has been able to prevent a number of others.

“We’re comfortable enough we know how to stop it before it gets to that point,” Hill said. “Not very often do I feel not in control of a situation.”

Both Hill and Moritz said they’re pleased when the drivers show great control of their vehicle. Just as they say it’s the driver who fails the test because he or she doesn’t know the rules, the examiners aren’t going to take any credit for those who pass.

“You get hugs, you get high fives, you get handshakes,” Moritz said. “They say, ‘You passed me.’ We didn’t pass you. You earned it yourself.”


CARS Car dealers

WHAT DO CAR DEALERS

DRIVE?IF YOU CAN OVERLOOK the dirt and

if you can overlook the dings, Eric Hoak loves his 2004 GMC pickup truck.

“It may have 130,000 miles on it but it gets me where I want to be,” Eric, who owns Hoak Motors with his brother Chris, explained. “Once you think about it, that’s all that really matters.”

Having a functional set of wheels was paramount for the Hoak Brothers as Eric uses his truck to plow snow from their Southgate Park car lot while Chris’ 2008 Nissan Frontier pickup is used to deliver

parts.“The general impression of car deal-

ers is that we’re guys who have big egos,” Eric said with a laugh. “My brother and I are trying to buck that trend.”

Do car dealers have big egos? More important, are customers actually taking note of what they drive?

Sioux City Ford’s Rob Brooks doesn’t know. All he’s interested in is a vehicle that will get him through hunting and fishing season.

“I go walleye fishing a few times every

year and deer hunting at least four or five times a year,” he said, showing off his Ford F-150 truck. “That’s why I need a truck that gets the job done.”

Even though he’s been selling au-tomobiles since he was 23 years old, Brooks said he has never been a “car guy.”

“Nah, I was never one of those guys gleaning the pages of Motor Trend Maga-zine, obsessing over his next big pur-chase,” Brooks said with a laugh.

Eric Hoak, on the other hand, WAS

Text by Earl Horlyk | Photographs by Tim Hynds


Sioux City Ford’s Rob Brooks is shown with his Ford F-150 pickup truck at the dealership.Eric and Chris Hoak of Hoak Motors in Sioux City stand in the beds of the pickup trucks that each dealer drives.

that guy.“Sure, when I was starting out I

needed to have the newest Cadillac or I needed to have the newest Nissan,” he said with a shrug. “But then I realized my vehicle would be sitting more than it’s driven.

“So, in the long run,” Hoak said, “it didn’t matter what I drove.”

Charlie Knoepfler likes to drive and the Knoepfler Chevrolet owner said people actually do notice the vehicles he calls his own.

“This winter, I’m driving a 2011 Chevy Tahoe,” he said. “It’s a four-wheel drive, mid-sized SUV that travels well in winter weather.”

During the summer months, Kno-epfler favors something sportier, like a Camaro.

“I’m 58 years old, so it might look funny for me to be driving a sports car,”

he said with a laugh. “But I think I can still pull it off.”

Rick Collins of Rick Collins Toyota Scion smiles when he hears about his friend Knoepfler’s choice of summertime wheels.

“I admire Charlie’s courage,” he said, chuckling. “If I drove something that sporty, people would be accusing me of going through a mid-life crisis.”

Instead, Collins drives a 2011 Toyota Tundra pickup, complete with a DVD player and car seats for his grandkids.

“I’ve always had a thing for trucks,” he said, showing off his sleek Tundra four-seater, “but this one truly drives like a luxury car.”

Which is important to Collins.“When you’re transporting your fam-

ily,” he said, “amenities are nice things to have.”

Do people notice what Collins is driv-ing?

Yes they do and they’re beginning to worry.

“For the past 15 years, I’ve driven nothing but black trucks,” he said. “I’m sure many people think I’m driving the same black pickup but it’s actually been

seven or eight different models.”Collins smiled.“I may be a creature of habit, but I’m

not that bad,” he said with a laugh.Working in his family’s car dealership

beginning when he was in high school, Knoepfler decided to make it his full-time job in 1977.

Over the last 34 years, he has seen many things change in the auto industry.

“Vehicles are more high-tech and en-vironmentally friendly than they were when I first started,” Knoepfler said.

But he also has noticed many other things have stayed the same.

“Over the years, it’s the people who continue to make my job fun,” Knoepfler said. “It’s our employees and our custom-ers that make life interesting, not the vehicles.”

This is good news for Eric Hoak, since it’s his staff who are giving him a hard time over his choice of vehicle.

“They say, ‘You work at an auto dealership. Wash your truck or get the cracked windshield fixed.’”

“Well, it gets me around,” Hoak said with a smile. “That’s all I expect it to do.”

“It may have 130,000 miles on it but it gets me where I want to be.”

ERIC HOAKHoak Motors


FOR INFORMATIONTo learn more about The Healey Werks on Highway 20 at Lawton, Iowa, see www.healeywerks.com

MOST INTERESTING

CAR BUSINESSIN SIOUXLAND

Healey Werks owners Craig and Shari Hillinger restore classic automobiles such as this Austin Healey 3000 sports convertible.

LAWTON, IOWA – SIMPLY put, this is the most interesting car business in Siouxland.

Walk in to The Healey Werks along U.S. Highway 20 near Lawton, Iowa, and you might think you’re somewhere else.

Like Europe. Or Beverly Hills. Or Man-hattan.

The shop owned and operated by Craig and Shari Hillinger oversees the service and restoration of high-end Eu-ropean specialty and sports cars such as Austin Healey, Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Aston Mar-tin.

While clients largely come from North America, they’ve done work for custom-ers around the world.

Right now, for example, The Healey Werks team is restoring a 1960 Ferrari 250 Cabriolet.

“It’s for an owner in Canada,” says Craig. “The car has been off the road since the early 1980s. It’s a complete res-toration.”

Restoring a 50-year-old gem like this isn’t easy. The Hillingers and their 14-member workforce are constantly on the hunt for hard-to-find parts, often a missing piece in the restoration puzzle. Just as often, this crew of dedicated pros goes to the drawing board to fabricate something that simply no longer exists. That’s what happens when you’re restor-ing a car, the kind of which maybe 200 were made.

“We won’t piecemeal parts or com-ponents elsewhere,” says Craig Hillinger. “We do almost the whole process under our roof.”

There might be a half-dozen similar shops in the entire United States.

Near the 1960 Ferrari is a 1967 Mase-rati Ghibli, another total restoration in process. This car came from Indiana and hasn’t likely been on the road since 1981, which is the date showing on its license plates.

The Maseratis of the 1950s and ‘60s, Craig notes, were named for weather

events. Ghibli is Italian for “hot wind from the Sahara.”

Vehicles are often trucked to The Healey Werks after Hillinger has seen digital photos. There was a time when he jet-setted a bit to inspect a future project. However, that kind of advance work took him away from the shop too much.

Currently, the staff is servicing or do-ing partial or total restoration work on 15 vehicles. Yes, they do service work. Craig laughs and says The Healey Werks can do an oil change on a late-model Euro-pean vehicle.

There is also the engineering and de-sign components of this advanced shop, a place that completed a sizable expan-sion a couple of years ago.

The effects of the recession have been felt here, too. Craig and Shari Hillinger note that many of their customers are

people with extensive portfolios. And, yes, some took huge hits when the Dow Jones tumbled.

That said, their investment in a col-lectible, exotic sports car may have held very steady, if not grown. A classic Fer-rari, for example, may outperform a tech stock while standing idle in the garage.

How The Healey Werks came to be in Siouxland is yet another story. Craig Hillinger was born and raised near Chi-cago. At age 4, he began spending time in the family garage with his father, who owned a vintage Austin Healey. At age 6, Craig attended the first National Austin Healey meet in northern Indiana, an event now known as the Conclave.

It was then that Craig Hillinger met legendary auto engineer and race car

CARS Restoration

Text by Tim Gallagher | Photograph by Jerry Mennenga


driver Donald Healey. The boy’s passion for vintage cars was ignited.

In 1987, Craig opened a two-car garage in Elk Grove, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. He serviced Austin Healeys and various British-made cars. He expanded the shop as his customer referrals accelerated.

He then met Bronson, Iowa, native Shari Pearson, who was working in Chicago. After marrying, the couple relo-cated to Bronson in 1997.

The company continues to grow and is always seeking that qualified, skilled craftsman who can lend his or her pas-sion and talent to their unique business.

“If you have a person with raw talent, plus a passion and a work ethic for what they do, if you can align those things, it’s a powerful thing,” Craig says.

Adds Shari, “That’s true for any indus-try.”

At The Healey Werks, their passion for quality isn’t merely a saying. They live it on the shop floor each day.

“We believe the next car should be better than the last one,” Craig says.

612 Sioux Point Road • Dakota Dunes, SD605-232-9720 • 1-888-719-9720

911 E. 20th St. • Sioux Falls, SD 1-800-666-3349 www.plasticsurgeryassociatesofsd.com

Breast Augmentation • Breast Lift • Breast Reduction

Ultrasonic Liposuction for Body Contouring

Abdominoplasty • Fraxel Laser for Skin Resurfacing (no downtime)

Harmony Laser for hair removal, treatment of brown and age spots, spider veins, tattoo removal,

SummerSummerIs Just Around The Corner

Professionals In The Appearance Of The Human Body

ACS**T, M.D.**

VAUGHN H. MEYER, MD, FL. PATRICK MILLER, MD* • J. ANTHONY BREI

Am Board of Plastic Surgery.Am Board of Plastic Surgery and Am Board of Surgery,

Call Wes or Nate to get this project started

Now’s the time to start planning that remodel

Keep your wife in hot water, she’ll love you for it!322 West 7th Street | Sioux City, IA 51103 | 712-258-3388 | www.foulkbros.net


20 QUESTIONS with a car salesman

Greg Cabana

PROFILE Q&A

Text by Nick Hytrek | Photograph by Tim Hynds

“You realize when someone’s coming in to buy a car, this can be a joyous, exciting time (for them). It makes a big difference: your personality and the customer liking you, making them feel comfortable.”


Hoak Motors Greg Cabana has been a car salesman for 28 years. He shared some secrets of the business with Nick Hytrek.

1. What kind of training do sales-men get when they start?

A lot of in-house training. Also you’re sent to Omaha for sales courses and you also have reps who come in from Gen-eral Motors or others who show you the cars’ features and stuff.

2. Can you look at a person and tell what kind of vehicle he or she is going to be interested in before you talk to them?

It’s going to make some of a difference on their age, how they’re dressed, after that their personality from talking to them. It’s never exact.

3. How soon can you tell if some-one’s a serious buyer?

Usually within the first 15-20 minutes you’ll find out by the questions they’re asking and type of car they’re looking at.

4. Do a lot of customers try to bluff so they can get a better deal?

Yes. Probably at least 75-80 percent of customers will say they can get a better price or have been offered a better price already and that’s not the price they were looking for.

5. How soon can you tell that a buyer’s going to drive a hard bar-gain?

Probably after the test drive and sit-ting down to do the negotiation. Some people are so good at it it’s amazing.

6. What’s the longest you can remember a customer haggling with you over the price of a ve-hicle?

It’s not minutes or hours. Sometimes a sale can happen a week to 10 days later of haggling and going back and forth. Generally it’s about one to two hours or one to two days.

7. Have you ever had someone get angry or upset during the process? What do you do in those

cases?I have. I try to find out their objections,

try to get them to relax a little bit.

8. Do buyers bargain more over the price of a new or used ve-hicle?

More of the new vehicles. The reason for it is this Nissan Altima here. They’ll know the price on it, the equipment on it and they can compare that price with other dealerships. A used car is unique and a lot of times price is hard to check on.

9. Is the deal-making part of the process fun, or do salesmen wish vehicles were sold like items in a grocery store and you just paid the price on the price tag?

The negotiation is part of the sale. It’s expected, interesting and once you see the customer starting to react to a good price, it’s not bad. It’s enjoyable.

10. Is it easier to deal with men or women?

Probably it’s a little easier dealing with women. They can be a little more sensi-tive, less abrasive.

11. Do salesmen get good deals when they buy a car?

Yes, if there’s a factory incentive for employees of the dealership.

12. When there’s a group of salesmen in the showroom, how do you decide who gets to help the customer who walks in the door?

Basically the first sales person that sees the person and who’s available at that time will approach that person.

13. Does any color of vehicle sell better than others?

Generally your basic colors have al-ways sold well: black, white, red.

14. When’s the best time of year to get a good deal?

Winter, the end of the month and

when the new model year’s coming out.

15. If a husband and wife dis-agree on which vehicle to buy, who usually wins in that situa-tion?

Eighty to 85 percent it’ll be the female. She’s going to pretty much help pick out the model and color. The female buying influence is incredible.

16. Do you go on test drives with the customers?

Yes.

17. Has a customer ever been in an accident while you were on a test drive? What happens if a customer gets into an accident while taking a test drive?

No, I never have. You’d go through the normal phone calls to the police. Hoak would be responsible for the damage to the vehicle.

18. Car salesmen seem to have a negative stereotype. How do you deal with that?

You try to show a positive image and a professional image of what you’re do-ing through product knowledge and sales ability.

19. Do your friends ever kid you about it?

Every once in awhile at the health club, a party, something like that, some-one will say they’re looking for a new car and someone will say ‘Don’t let Greg hear that.’ But it’s in a light manner.

20. I’ve never experienced a salesman who wasn’t smiling and happy when I walked in. How do you guys stay so happy?

As you walk through the doors, you leave your troubles behind like in any job. You realize when someone’s coming in to buy a car, this can be a joyous, exciting time (for them). It makes a big difference: your personality and the customer liking you, making them feel comfortable.


RACER FILLS HIS

NEED FOR

SPEED

Sioux City racer Dan Harry stands by his 1996 Chevy Beretta drag car. He competes in the Top Sportsman class.

WHEN DAN HARRY SITS at the start-ing line of a competitive drag race, he isn’t harried.

The one thought on his mind is, “Don’t red light,” which would end the race before it even began.

It’s that mentality that has enabled the long time Sioux Cityan to win championships in 1981 at Thunder Val-ley Raceway, Marion, S.D., and in 1983 at Scribner (Neb.) Raceway, as well as competing from mid-May to the end of October at Eddyville (Iowa) Raceway for money and/or trophies.

Harry thought he started drag racing – maybe not always legally – as soon as he got his driver’s license, sometime around 1964 at regional tracks. After his 1967 Hawarden High School graduation, he set racing to one side when he entered the U.S. Army.

“I raced seriously with my ‘69 Camaro from 1979 to 1991, then quit a while to get my shop going,” he said of Harry Heads, located at 5212 Military Road. “I started back again in 1999.”

Most people know of circle track rac-ing because of its high television expo-sure and the proliferation of circle tracks. Folks are less aware of drag racing, which is an acceleration contest from a stand-ing start between two vehicles over a measured distance.

Drag racing started in the 1940s in Southern California. When drivers pushed to have competitions, the NHRA or National Hot Rod Association, was founded in 1951 and introduced safety rules and performance in racing. The IHRA, or International Hot Rod Associa-tion, was formed in 1970.

Each of these two governing bodies has its own race classes and track re-quirements. The NHRA is more popular with large, 1/4-mile nationally recog-nized tracks, while the IHRA is a favorite of smaller 1/8-mile formats.

Harry initially raced NHRA Super Gas and Super Comp categories – each one is a step up to faster speeds. For the past decade he competes in the IHRA Top Sportsman category, citing less re-strictions in racing particulars and less

expensive to be associated with.How fast does Harry’s 1996 Chevrolet

Beretta go?“In the eighth mile, it was 4.49

seconds at 159 miles per hour,” he re-called.

Clearly the brakes aren’t enough to slow the Chevy down at that speed, so the car is equipped with a parachute, which flies out of the back, catches the air and gives the car resistance to bring it to a stop at the end of the race.

Harry’s car sports the traditional large tires in the rear, which allows for more rubber to meet the track; thus, providing more traction and the smaller tires on the front, which have less rolling resis-tance. The tires take quite a beating in drag racing, but not what most people might believe, Harry said.

“Folks see the burn-outs (when the car is stationary and revved to cause the back tires to spin) and think that’s what causes wear on the tires,” he pointed out. “Actually, it’s at the starting line when you take off that puts the most stress on the tires.”

Under the hood, Harry said it’s the clutch that needs the most maintenance, as the driver stages the car for the yel-low light then guns it at green, shifting through five gears to get the car to the finish line.

And that red light? It comes on if you break the staging beam early and ends up in instant disqualification.

Harry doesn’t fill his “need for speed” through drag racing.

“I love working on the engine,” he said, referring to his 815 cubic-inch, 1500 horse, based off a big block Chevy motor.

And you won’t see Harry anytime on the NASCAR circuit.

“Circle track is not for me,” he insisted. “In that you don’t control your own des-tiny. You’re at the whim of another driver. Plus, I didn’t want my car beat up.”

At age 62, Harry confessed his racing days as a driver might be coming to an end.

“I can’t work on the car like I used to,” he admitted. “And it’s not just me. You look at the drivers who are involved in any kind of racing, even the NASCAR ones, and they are younger. Racing is just a young man’s sport.”

CARS Drag Racing

Text by Joanne FoxPhotograph by Tim Hynds


What does 450 years of combined experience mean to your health? Everything.

St. Luke’s GI staff is Siouxland’s most experienced, providing one-on-one, patient-centered care for preventive procedures that could save your life. It’s just one of the resasons why St. Lukes’ was voted Siouxland’s Consumer Choice* for most preferred hospital.

We’re here for the life of Siouxland.And many more healthy years to come.

Because of you.

*Award given by: 2010 National Research Corporation

For the life of Siouxland.www.stlukes.org

Siouxland’s most experienced GI team.


CARS Teen drivers

Text by Earl HorlykPhotographs by Tim Hynds

CAR-CRAZY TEEN IS

‘DRIVEN’BY MORE THAN

JUST AUTOS

MOST PEOPLE HATE IT when their car conks out.For Noel Gonzalez, he loves it when that happens.After all, it gives the East High School senior an excuse

to tinker with his used Chevy Blazer.“I don’t watch much TV and I don’t have a girlfriend,”

the 17-year-old said with a shrug. “Working on cars is my idea of having fun.”

Well, that doesn’t mean Noel – a self-admitted “car fa-natic” – isn’t equally “driven” when it comes to his school work.

Having been accepted to attend Iowa State Univer-sity for the fall of 2010, the ambitious student aspires to, some day, becoming a civil engineer.

“Originally, I wanted to become an architect,” Noel remembered. “But once an architect is finished with his blueprint, his job is done. On the other hand, a civil engi-neer is involved in all stages of a project.”

“That’s what I like,” he said. “I want to stay involved from start to finish.”

When he goes off to college, Noel will be the first member of his family to do so.

“For my three older brothers and my sister, college wouldn’t have worked out,” he explained. “For me, college represents a chance for me to make my family proud.”


East High School student Noel Gonzalez works touch-ing up a truck’s paint, left, and washes a truck while working at United Auto Body in Sioux City.

Gourmet jelly beans • Chocolate bunniesMolded Easter chocolatesFoil-wrapped Easter candy

Peanut butter eggsMarshmallow chicks • Gift baskets and more

405 Wesley Parkway, Sioux City, IA712.258.7790

www.palmercandy.com

With a 3.3 GPA, it’s not that Noel hasn’t already made his family proud.

In fact, East High School counselor Katie Towler said Noel is “a born leader” whom younger students, especially His-panics, look up to.

“Noel has always gone above and be-yond what’s expected of him,” she said in admiration. “He really is an awesome kid.”

That willingness to help others goes well beyond the confines of school and continues at Noel’s after-school job.

“I first noticed Noel when he was riding his skateboard around our shop,” United Auto Body & Collision’s Darin Jacobson explained. “One day he walked inside, asking for a job.

“I told Noel I couldn’t pay him and he said that was OK,” he continued. “I gave him a schedule where he’d work three afternoons a week but he’d come in six days a week, instead.”

Jacobson smiled, watching Noel hard at work in the garage.

“That was three years ago and Noel is still here,” Jacobson said, jokingly. “Like a bad rash, he refuses to go away.”

Even though he mostly cleans up after the mechanics, Noel is using the experi-ence to learn the automotive business from the ground floor up.

“Are you kidding?” Noel asked with a smile. “I learn stuff everytime I’m out here.”

Especially since working on a car re-quires more than just the ability to turn a wrench.

Working at United Auto Body & Colli-sion allows Noel to utilize the engineer-ing skills learned taking East’s Project Lead the Way classes and applying them to real-life engineering problems.

“I like applying math, science and drafting to car repair,” he explained matter-of-factly. “I’ll like it even better when I get to apply it to the construction of buildings.”

Which is, ultimately, where Noel’s am-bitions lie. In 10 years, he hopes to own his own engineering firm.

“Yeah, I’d like to be my own boss,” Noel said, confidently. “I like being the one calling the shots.”

For now, he’s content to tinker.Asked about his ultimate “dream car,”

Noel said he’d love to own a Murcielago Lamborghini.

“Owning something like that would be so cool,” he said with a smile on his face. “That would be so cool.”

Who knows? Noel may someday get his wish. He does have the “drive” to suc-ceed.

“I like applying math, science and drafting to car repair. I’ll like it even better when I get to apply it to the construction of buildings.”


HEALTH Losing weight

Text by Nick HytrekPhotographs by Jerry Mennenga

Four Season Health Club personal trainer and group fitness instructor Teresa Mohwinkle performs pushups with a physio ball as one way of burning calories. When she teaches classes, she includes a variety of cardio and weight training so people can achieve a higher intensity workout.

Doing squats with or without weights with a physio ball is one way of burning calories.

BURNING CALORIES DOESN’T HAVE to be as time-consuming as hitting the road or the treadmill for a 10-mile run.

That will certainly burn off calories, but a workout that alternates between high- and low-intensity heart rates can burn just as many calories and take less time.

“You can spend a lot less time and burn more calories with interval train-ing,” said Teresa Mohwinkle, a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at Four Season Health Club.

Mohwinkle likes what’s known as HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training, which alternates activities at high and

low heart rates.“A lot of the things I do are that

interval-type training – spiking the heart rate and letting it go down, then spik-ing it again. I’ll do different things on a treadmill, adjust the speed and incline,” Mohwinkle said.

The adjustment between speeding and slowing the body makes it work harder, burn more energy and increase your metabolism, Mohwinkle said. That increased metabolism can last through-out the day.

In addition to burning more calories, HIIT can work them off faster. Mohwin-kle said you can burn the same amount

of calories during a 30-minute interval workout as you can if you run for 45 minutes at a steady pace. It’s one reason why circuit training has become popular. People can fit a workout in during their lunch hour.

There are many ways to implement interval training into your workout, Mohwinkle said. Just Google “HIIT train-ing” and you’ll find many programs and ideas.

Mohwinkle offered advice on other aspects of calorie-burning:

Best way to burn calories: Weight-bearing activities such as running and jogging burn the most calories. Those

GETTING THE HEART RATE UP IS BEST FOR

BURNING CALORIES


Teresa Mohwinkle holds a weight bar while performing squats.

PROPER DIET KEY IN CUTTING CALORIESYou work out like a fiend every day and still can’t seem to burn enough calories to lose weight.It might not be your workout routine. You may just be offsetting all that hard work with poor dietary choices. All those workouts don’t mean a thing if you go out and eat three cheeseburgers afterward.“You can easily go in to McDonald’s and eat 800, 900, calories, and that’s what you just burned off,” said Teresa Mohwinkle, a person-al trainer and group fitness instructor at Four Seasons Health Club.Mohwinkle said the formula for losing weight is simple: “When it comes down to it, it’s calo-ries in versus calories out.”Generally, 3,500 calories equals a pound, so you can cut those pounds either by burning more calories through exercise, decreasing your calorie intake by eating wisely or a com-bination of the two.That doesn’t mean starving yourself. Eating one or two meals a day doesn’t help you lose weight. It slows down your body’s metabolism, making it harder to burn calories.“I believe in eating clean and eating often,” Mohwinkle said.Eat lean protein such as chicken, turkey and fish. Mohwinkle said eating five or six smaller meals a day is better than sitting down for the traditional three meals.“At those big meals, people tend to overeat,” she said.A meal doesn’t have to be a seven-course af-fair. It can be an apple and a protein shake, for example.Mohwinkle also said to avoid energy drinks high in sugar and drink caffeinated bever-ages such as coffee and soda in moderation. Drink plenty of water to stay well hydrated. A properly hydrated body burns calories more efficiently.A morning workout is ideal because it gets that metabolism going earlier in the day. But if your schedule only permits you to work out at night, then burn those calories at night.Bottom line: any workout is better than noth-ing.“Everybody’s fitness level is different. Begin-ners just need to work into it. They need to set goals,” Mohwinkle said.Exercise and a good diet will help you get the body you want, Mohwinkle said.“I just try to teach people it’s more about lifestyle change. I’m not here to teach them a quick way to lose weight, but to lead a healthy lifestyle.”

with achy knees or joints can get a simi-lar workout on an elliptical machine.

Swimming, biking and aerobics class-es also are good ways to burn bunches of calories.

Hit your target heart rate zone: Get-ting your heart rate into that zone dur-ing exercise provides the most benefit to your body. Formulas to figure your target heart rate are just a Google search away, Mohwinkle said.

Once you’ve figured out that target heart rate, use a heart monitor or learn how to check your heart rate by hand to determine if your workout has you in the zone.

Weight training: It doesn’t provide the same aerobic exercise as other ac-tivities, but it helps burn calories, too. Lean muscle is more metabolically ac-tive than fat, so the more lean muscle you can build through weight training, the more calories you burn up.

Change it up: Don’t do the same workout over and over. The variety of activities helps keep the body from set-tling into a routine.

“You don’t want to get in the same routine. Eventually your body will get used to it, and you’ll plateau,” Moh-winkle said.

High-intensity workouts could include exercising with a kettlebell.

Cycling offers a higher intensity workout and burns calories.


THERE’S A CHART THAT gives one a quick and easy look at whether a per-son is normal, overweight or extremely obese.

And that’s the problem. Quick and easy might be too simplistic when as-sessing one’s health.

The tool is called the Body Mass In-dex table. Or, BMI for short. A BMI table shows weight across one column, height across another. A person who stands 72 inches (6 feet) and weighs up to 177 pounds is classified in the “normal” range. If a person that height weighs 178 pounds, he/she would fall in the “over-weight” category.

Brian Collette, director of athletic training services at CNOS and the Sioux-land Sports Medicine Foundation, cau-tions against using a BMI table as the lone source in determining health and/or fitness.

“BMI is a screening tool, not a diag-nostic tool,” Collette said.

For example, Collette stands 6-2 and weighs 185 pounds. That puts him in the “normal” category for Body Mass Index.

However, his cholesterol number has topped 200 in the past, which is beyond “normal.” His triglycerides were above average. He also had a grandfather who died of a heart attack.

“I eat too much fast food and I drink too much soda,” said the 35-year-old. “I do keep my weight down as I play pick-up basketball and I walk when I play golf. I do burn calories.”

But he doesn’t eat enough fruit and vegetables. And diet is something else a BMI chart doesn’t take into account.

So, why is the BMI chart even around? Because it’s cheap, it’s quick and it’s non-invasive. It can quickly tell a health care professional that a person is in the “extreme obese” category and may need help.

“Yes, it works well when you might need to identify someone who might be in a risk category and you can do it (with BMI) quickly and cheaply,” he said.

The health care pro can then get a true picture by gathering dietary infor-mation and family history while observ-ing trends that have developed along lines of race, age and gender.

BMI is rarely used among those age 20 and under.

“It’s not suggested for those under 20, because those people are still growing,” said Collette, who works daily with col-lege athletes.

And, for athletes, it can be a bit trou-blesome. For example, a college football defensive lineman who stands 70 inches (5-10) and weighs 278 would fall into the “extreme obesity” category. And yet, this might be a nose guard who has added muscle to his frame. It could be a young man who is extremely fit.

“Division I offensive linemen are fit,

but they also carry lots of extra body mass,” Collette said. “The highly fit ath-lete would be on the outlying area of this (BMI chart).”

Which is but another reason to con-sider BMI, but only as one tool.

“My experience has been mostly with athletes,” Collette concluded. “And I don’t think of BMI as applicable with that group. Other things must be taken into consideration.”

HEALTH Body Mass Index

Text by Tim Gallagher | Photograph by Jim Lee

BMIJUST ONE TOOL IN MEASURING HEALTH

BMI SCORESThere are BMI calculators available online. The chart below is available at www.mayoclinic.com.

Underweight Less than 18.5Normal 18.5 to 24.9Overweight 25 to 29.9Obese 30 or greater

Brian Collette is the director of athletic training services at CNOS.


I have been asked this question by several parents. It can be difficult to judge whether your child is actually sick or is just trying to stay home from school. First off, try to take a step back and look at the situation objectively. Ask yourself a few questions. Does your child have a fever? Always check with a ther-mometer rather than just feeling their skin. Have them stick out their tongue (yes, stick out their tongue). Does it look dry? This can be a sign of dehydration. If they are complaining of belly pain, see if they have had signs of constipation such as dry or hard stool or maybe they are complaining that it hurts to go to the bathroom. Many children and teens develop constipation that leads to a doc-tor’s visit for abdominal pain. Do they have any other visible symptoms such as cough, nasal congestion, vomiting or diarrhea? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then there is a good chance your child is coming down with a respiratory or gastrointestinal illness. From a parental standpoint, I usually recommend that parents stay involved in their child’s weekly schedule. Each week, ask if they have any tests, presentations, speeches or major extracurricular ac-tivities coming up. If so, keep these on a schedule so if your child doesn’t have any physical symptoms of illness they may be faking an illness to get out of one of these tasks. Last but not least, it may seem like an impossible feat, but try to be aware of your child or teen’s social life. Maybe they are trying to stay home to avoid facing an unpleasant social situ-ation at school. In the end, trust your instinct in this situation.

What’s the difference between Influ-enza A and a head cold?

When symptoms begin, influenza (the flu) may seem like the onset of a common cold. Early symptoms are very similar with a sore throat and nasal

congestion. The flu is caused by the influenza virus and although there are more than one hundred types of viruses that can lead to the common cold, the rhinovirus is the most common. An-other difference between the two is the rapid onset of symptoms with influenza versus the gradual onset of symptoms with the common cold. Symptoms of the flu include a fever of greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, chills, headache, all over body aching of muscles and joints, cough, nasal congestion and sore throat. The common cold symptoms are similar but symptoms of the flu are more severe and make you feel much worse. It is im-portant to remember that both of these illnesses are viral in nature and viruses do not respond to antibiotics. There are antiviral medications however that can shorten the course of the flu when taken within the first 48 hours after onset of the flu symptoms. This is important for those at high risk of complications such as young children, older adults, people with chronic health conditions, those with an immunodeficiency of any type and people undergoing chemotherapy. These medications are not used for the common cold. When in doubt, visit your doctor. To help protect yourself from the flu and common colds make sure to wash your hands regularly. Remember, the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from influenza is to get your seasonal flu shot every year.

I fell I wasn’t sure if I should ice my injury or heat it? What’s the rule?

In the event of an acute injury to a muscle or joint, keep in mind a simple mnemonic, R.I.C.E. Following these easy steps will help you heal your injury in a timely fashion. For best results, start treatment within the first 48 hours after the onset of the injury.

REST: Whether you have sprained a knee, pulled a muscle or sprained an

ankle, rest is important in the process of healing. Take a break from your daily routine so as not to cause further dam-age to your injured joint or muscle. De-creasing your work load for a few days will certainly help shorten your recovery time.

ICE: Applying ice to acute injuries will help decrease inflammation and pain. Make sure to use a towel to protect your skin from the ice pack. Also, do not ice the injury longer than 20 minutes at a time. Prolonged use of ice can cause fur-ther injury to your skin and surrounding tissue. Using heat is helpful in old inju-ries. This can increase blood flow to an area of chronic injury to promote healing and often times lessen pain.

COMPRESSION: Using an ACE wrap or compression stocking can help reduce swelling by preventing fluid buildup in the damaged tissue or joint. The wrap should be tight enough to support the injury without compromising circulation to the area. Your doctor or physical thera-pist can show you how to properly apply these types of dressings.

ELEVATION: Gravity can work against the healing process. If you have injured your leg or arm, elevating the extremity can reduce swelling. So whenever pos-sible elevate the injured site by propping it up on a pillow or for lower extremities, using a foot stool.

See your physician if your injury is causing severe pain, is showing no signs of improvement with these techniques or if you have severe decreased range of motion of a joint after injury.

‘DOC, I’VE GOT A QUESTION …’answers to your medical questions

ADVICE Medical Answers

MEET THE DOCDr. Amanda Schoenherr Dan-nenbring is a resident physician at the Siouxland Medical Education Foundation, a fam-ily medicine resi-dency program.

How can you tell if your child is faking sickness? I think my daughter is pretending to be sick so she doesn’t have to go to school.

WHAT KIDS OF HEALTH QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE?Submit your questions and they may be used in this monthly feature. Write to Siouxland Life at 515 Pavonia St., Sioux City, Iowa 51102.


HOW TO PREVENT EYE STRAIN:– Take more breaks. After 20 minutes at your computer, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.– Blink more often.– Turn down the brightness of the com-puter monitor or cell phone screen.– Sit 20-25 inches from your computer monitor and have it at a 10-20-degree angle below the eyes.

SCREENS MAY CAUSE

EYE STRAINBUT NOT VISION LOSS

HEALTH Eye Strain

Text by Nick Hytrek | Photograph by Tim Hynds

Dr. Beth Bruening is shown in her Dakota Dunes, S.D., ophthalmology practice, Bruening Eye Specialists.

IT TURNS OUT THAT Mom’s warning that sitting too close to the television will hurt your eyesight isn’t so true after all.

You might strain your eyes, but you won’t go blind.

That’s handy information to have in an age in which many people walk around staring at tiny cell phone screens as they send text messages, browse the Internet or play video games for hours.

“I think that the more you use your eyes for close things, whether it’s playing computer games, texting or using a com-puter, it’s increasing eye strain. It does not cause permanent damage to your eyes,” said Dr. Beth Bruening of Bruening Eye Specialists in Dakota Dunes.

Bruening, an ophthalmologist, and Dr. Tom Pratt, an optometrist who works with her, both said the number of pa-tients who see them with complaints about eye strain is increasing, but not among the age groups you might think.

It’s mostly people in their 40s and old-er, not teenagers or twentysomethings who, it sometimes seems, are constantly peering into a cell phone screen. That doesn’t keep parents from wondering if too much texting or video gaming is harmful for young eyes.

“We do have parents coming in with their child and asking those questions,” Bruening said.

Though use of cell phones, comput-ers and other gadgets won’t damage eyesight, looking into them from only inches away may indicate other vision problems, and parents should have their children’s vision checked to see if they might need glasses, Bruening said.

Both Bruening and Pratt said they continue to see more patients who com-plain of eye strain. A routine question while taking a patient’s history is how much time he or she spends in front of a computer. Bruening said that wasn’t something even addressed during her medical education some 20 years ago.

“We’re bound to this technology now,” Pratt said. “Everyone has a cell phone and everyone has to use these things.”

The increase in eye strain is mostly due to the fact that use of computers and cell phones is now more widespread, not the technology itself. But technology such as high-resolution computer moni-tors has also made it easier on the eyes.

“In certain areas, technology has im-proved to help with eye strain,” Pratt said.

Common eye strain symptoms in-clude headaches behind the eyes, blurred vision or eyes that feel tired. If you expe-rience those symptoms, getting an eye exam is a good idea in order to rule out problems more serious than eye strain, Bruening said.

“If people are having those difficul-ties, they should come in because a lot of times there’s a very simple change that can make everything better,” Bruening said.

Glasses or altering a current eyeglass prescription may be all that’s needed to alleviate the symptoms, Pratt said. Com-puter glasses or over-the-counter eye drops can also help limit eye strain and dry eyes.

Then you can tell Mom you’ll sit as close to the TV as you like.

EYE STRAINEYE STRAINEYE STRAINEYE STRAINEYE STRAINEYE STRAINEYE STRAINEYE STRAINEYE STRAINEYE STRAINEYE STRAINEYE STRAINEYE STRAIN


Dr. Laura GieseNow Accepting New Patients

712-274-2038 or 800-728-2038 4100 Morningside Ave. Suite B,Across From McDonald’s

Wheelock & BursickGeneral DentistryThe Friendliest Staff in Town

Have you been told you have Cataracts?

Sioux City’s Most Experienced Cataract Surgery Team

712-239-3937800-334-2015

4405 Hamilton Blvd

Dr. Beth Bruening is your choice for experience in eye care. Now offering retinal clinics. Call 605-217-4500

BRUENINGE Y E S P E C I A L I S T S

www.brueningeye.com

Let’s be

Clear

Dr. Beth Bruening, Ophthalmologist

2001 Hamilton Blvd., Suite D Sioux City, Iowa 51104

712-252-4333 or 800-262-2392

If any of these images remind you of yourself, you may be giving yourself a neck problem or aggravating one you may already have. Cradling the telephone receiver between your ear and shoulder (Taco Neck) is a bad habit. Many people are not even aware of how often they do it. "Just a minute, let me get a pencil and write down your number," you might say as you squeeze the receiver tighter between your head and shoulder. Doing the dishes, typing at a computer, driving, even eating are all activities we commonly perform while talking on the phone. And every time we do so, straining to keep the phone securely next to our ear and mouth, we gradually worsen an underlying problem.

Everyone does it: So what's so bad about doing this? Wasn't your spouse complaining of neck pain just the other day? And

didn't the guy at work say he had a bad headache after talking on the phone all morning? Maybe these kinds of neck problems are more prevalent than we think.

In order to hold the phone this way, the muscles which raise the shoulder blade have to contract. In most people, these muscles are already overactive because they are used in so many other daily activities. Many people go through each day never noticing how tight these muscles really get until it is brought to our attention.

Effect on bones and joints: When you raise your shoulder to hold the telephone receiver against your ear, the joint surfaces of the bones in your spine move closer together. When Taco Neck becomes habitual, there can be less motion between the vertebrae in the neck and upper back. Eventually the range of motion between vertebrae becomes less. This can result in a fixation; that is, the joint becomes stuck in part of its normal range of motion. Inflammation can develop. The neck becomes quite painful and stiff. This condition is called a facet syndrome or articular capsulitis. Someone with this type of problem typically awakens with a stiff neck or feels the neck suddenly “go out” with immediate onset of pain and stiffness. When stiffness and inflammation occur repeatedly over time, the result can be arthritis.

The simplest way to prevent taco neck is by using a telephone headset. This is preferable to holding the receiver to your ear with your hand. Several brands and models are available including cordless ones that don’t keep you tethered to your phone. There are many choices in the $75 to $100 range. Some employers will bear the cost of a headset. Consider getting a headset for home use if you are frequently on the phone while preparing meals or doing other household chores. The cost in terms of pain and suffering, therapy, and time away from work and other activities due to Taco Neck is far greater than the money spent on a headset.

Call Today!

Dr. Sneller

Taco Neck

Call 276-4325 today for an appointment3930 Stadium Drive. (Between Wal-Mart & Explorer Stadium)


Where comfort, quality & value meet!

Wheelock, Bursick & GieseGeneral Dentistry

Complete Preventative Dentistry for the Entire Family!

New Patients Welcome! Call today to schedule an appointment.(712) 274-2038 or (800) 728-20384100 Morningside Ave. (Across From McDonald’s)

Ring in 2011 with a Great Smile!

Make your New Year’s Resolution

to take care of yourself.

Call today and resolve to reward yourself with the outstanding dental care you deserve.


“In like a lion, out like a lamb.” As the old adage says, the month of March can be blustery. And while April may be a great time to bring the kites out of the attic, extreme winds can damage your home if it’s not properly protected. With a few preventive modifications, however, you can combat strong winds and minimize damage to your house and landscaping.Improve Your Roofing’s Performance

Your roof, and the deck beneath it, forms one of your home’s most critical shields to wind and rain. Unfortunately, during high wind storms, it is often the first to be damaged. Loss of roof covering such as shingles, tiles or metal panes can make your home more susceptible to water damage. Loose roofing becomes wind-borne projectiles that can cause further damage to other structures.

Luckily, roofing products with high wind resistance are available and a variety of installation techniques can be used on both new and existing homes to help protect against wind damage. To withstand occasional or sustained high winds, it is critical that all shingles are properly installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Protect Your Home’s Exterior The exterior doors and windows of your home act as its protective shell.

Windows and glass doors should be fitted with impact-resistant laminated windows or covered storm shutters to reduce potential damage or injury. In the case of an emergency, temporary

plywood shutters can be installed relatively quickly, but don’t wait until a severe windstorm to make them. Constructing them now will facilitate quick action when a storm comes.

Solid wood or hollow metal doors better resist wind pressure and flying debris. Resistance is also increased by doors with at least three hinges and a deadbolt security lock with a minimum bolt throw of one inch. If you have double entry doors, install head and foot bolts on the inactive door. And since double-entry doors fail when surface bolts break at the header trim or threshold, check connections at both places. Surface bolts should extend through the door head and the threshold into the sub floor.

Brace Garage Doors Garage doors can be especially at risk during high winds. Unless you have a tested hurricane-resistant door, winds may force it out of its roller track - especially if the track is light weight or some of the anchor bolts are not in place. This occurs because the door deflects too much under excessive wind pressure and fails.

If you are building a new home, consider installing horizontally-braced, singlewide garage doors as an alternative to double overhead doors. Check with your garage door manufacturer about retrofit bracing kits for existing homes. Some door panels, particularly those that are doublewide, may require both horizontal and vertical bracing for best stability.Landscape to Shield Your Home from High Winds

Properly selected and placed landscaping can provide excellent wind protection for your home. Evergreen trees and shrubs planted to the north and northwest of your home are common windbreaks and can reduce wind speed for a distance of as much as 30 times the windbreak’s height. For maximum protection, plant your windbreaks at a distance from your house two-to-five times the height of the trees at maturity.

Remember, all wind isn’t bad when it comes to your landscaping. Mild to moderate winds can make trees grow stronger, promote better air circulation around your plants, help minimize fungal diseases and of course, pollinate many of your plants.

For more information on protecting your home from wind damage, visit the National Association of Home Builders website at www.nahb.org or to find someone to help make your home safe during a storm visit www.hbags.com.

Protect Your Home from Wind damage

Doug ConradPresident

Heritage Homes of Siouxland

712-255-3852www.hbags.com

SNAP SHOTS Fundraisers

OUT & ABOUT

Photographs by Jerry Mennenga

Morningside Col-lege seniors from left, Miriam Pfahler, Melissa Nielsen, Liz Hamer and Kristin Hendrix volun-teered at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center fundraiser “Stars & An-gels Among Us.”

Jan Poulson, Sioux City, left, Allison Poulson, Hinton, Tami Divis, Sioux City, and Jake Divis, far right, attend the St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center Day of Dance at the Marina Center in South Sioux City, Neb.

St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center man-ager of volunteer services, Diane Wheeler, left, and volunteers Pam McHugh, center, and Stacy Vennard.

Zoey Weigel, left and parents Scott and Kris Weigel, Sioux City, attend the St. Luke’s Regional Medical Cen-ter Day of Dance.

DAY OF DANCE

STARS & ANGELS AMONG US Sisters Jeannie Sanow, left, Remsen, Lynn Mullins, South Sioux City, Neb., Kathy Pittmann, Kingsley, Ann Volkert, Sioux City and Lisa Schiltz, Remsen, attended the June E. Nylen Cancer Center fundraiser “Stars & Angels Among Us”, Feb. 19 at Marina Inn, South Sioux City, Neb.


866.605.2929

605.338.9915

57th & Western, Sioux [email protected]

• Fits over existing countertops

• Heat, stain & scratch resistant

• Lifetime Limited Warranty

• No messy demolition

• No maintenance granitetransformations.com/siouxfalls

The new look for your old kitchen!It’s easier than you ever imagined to get the WOW kitchen you’ve always wanted. It’s engineered, measured

and built to fit right on top of your old countertop to bring the gorgeous new look of granite to your old kitchen.

And it installs in as little as one day! Call today and experience the WOW of Granite Transformations yourself.

Call for a FREE in-home Consultation

The no hassle countertop,installed in just a day.

Fits Over Existing

Countertops

A STUDENT ONCE TOLD me he wasn’t in class on test day because he had to be with his girlfriend’s aunt. She was sick and needed him.

I had no idea teenagers were so compassionate. Then his friends busted him – he was out drinking the night before and didn’t get up in time.

Welcome to the new age of excuses. As an adjunct instruc-tor at a local college, I’ve heard more than my share of stories.

B.C. – before computers – students had to blame dogs for lost homework. Today, they can offer a litany of problems – the server was down, the printer was out of paper, the program wasn’t working.

They’ll send you an attachment – but the attachment is blank. “What? You didn’t get it? I can’t believe that. I sent it last night.”

Or, “Someone must have hacked into my account and de-leted it.”

Thanks to the iffy nature of computers, homework excuses are plentiful.

And then there’s the laundry list of Reasons I Missed Class:1. “The alarm on my cellphone didn’t go off.” (This is a new

twist on an old excuse, by the way. Mom and Dad tried that one, too.)

2. “My roommate was sick and I had to take care of him/her.” (Again, the compassion.)

3. “I was called out of town.” (Who is this, the CEO of a For-tune 500 company?)

4. “I had a doctor’s appointment and that was the only time he could see me … for an illness that’s so rare I don’t really want to talk about it.”

5. “I have a Supersaver airline ticket and I’ll lose money if I don’t go early.” (A preemptive strike. This is used when stu-dents want to start spring break a few days early.)

6. “My car doesn’t work.” (Never mind that this one comes from someone who lives on campus.)

7. “Someone told me you can-celed class.” (Names, please.)

8. “I have a project due in an-other class and I didn’t think you’d mind if I worked on it.” (By all means. Please, do. I wouldn’t want you to fail someone else’s class.)

9. “We have a (game/concert/play/speech) tonight and I wanted to get some sleep.”

10. “I was waiting for a call from Mom and I knew you wouldn’t like class to be interrupted when she called.”

And then? Then there are the Reasons Why I Didn’t Do Well on

the Test:1. “I didn’t think you’d really take stuff from the book.”2. “We didn’t review in class, so I wasn’t sure what to study.”3. “I’m not good at math.” (I teach newswriting.)4. “I had to drive my roommate home last night. I didn’t

have time to study.” (Am I missing something here?)5. “I don’t do well with written tests. Could I retake it, but

this time could you just ask me the questions?”6. “I was bothered by the guy who sits next to me. He kept

trying to see my answers.” (Interestingly, the other student did better on the test.)

7. “I never bought the book.”8. “I don’t test well.”9. “My computer crashed and I didn’t have any notes to

study.”10. “I was worried about my girlfriend’s aunt. She’s sick and

said she needed me.”The good news? Cheating isn’t as prevalent as it once was.B.T. – before tattoos – you’d find students at test time with

more ballpoint ink on their arms than Kat Von D. They thought they could write a few salient notes that might help with those oh-so-tricky “list” questions. They also scribbled stuff on their binders. On first glance, they looked like random doodles. Upon closer inspection, they were better notes than I worked from. Routinely, I’d get someone who “suddenly” got sick during the test and had to run to the restroom. One time, I wisely accom-panied the student and happened to find some “lost” notes in one of the stalls.

In more techno-savvy years, I had a student who asked if he could listen to his iPod while he took the test – “Music makes me less tense.” Mid-test, I asked what he was listening to. When he hesitated, I persisted and discovered he had recorded his own mix tape – of key points made in class.

Today, I’m a bit wiser when it comes to tests. Because I teach writing, I can have them write stories from a set of notes. It’s impossible to prepare if you don’t have the skills.

I’ve learned how to perfect my look of understanding, too. I can sympathize with the best of them.

And when all else fails, I ask the name of their girl-friend’s sickly aunt.

“I’d like to help, too,” I say.And then I smile.

Compassionately.

PARTING SHOT By Bruce Miller

EXCUSES, EXCUSES


Reflect your ow

n personal style

715 East N

inth StreetSouth Sioux C

ity, NE

68776

402-494-5411

Southern Reserve

siouxland life magazine - april 2011

Documents

racing36 cars

car20 cars

car22 cars

siouxland drives26 cars

car dealers30 cars

car salesman34 cars

car repair25 cars

home repair16 cars