The original Star-Clipper building in downtown Traer, where the Winding Stairs landmark is located, has housed the North Tama Veterinary Clinic for decades. Kurt Boerm (“Doc Boerm”) has been the area’s veterinarian for nearly 25 years. The practice now includes 2001 North Tama graduate Nicole (Hennings) Knaack, too.
Boerm’s son, Brendon, has sort of followed in his father’s footsteps with an advanced degree. But instead of dealing with animals, the 2011 North Tama graduate deals with people. He has joined Pipho & Gingrich Family Dentistry of Dysart and starts this summer. It’s not quite filling Doc Haldy’s shoes in Traer, but it’s a local staying close to home and that’s a ray of positive news.
(Whenever presidential candidates get the bug, or get bugged, to talk about rural issues — besides ethanol — a question to be asked is, which would you like to talk about, running out of veterinarians, running out of doctors, or running out of dentists?)
Of course, to get the dentistry degree, Boerm the younger had to go to Iowa City. His father probably doesn’t hold that against him. Except on the second Saturday in September, maybe.