City Weekly December 30, 2021 by Copperfield Publishing

C I T Y W E E K LY. N E T D E C E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 — V O L . 3 8

N0. 31

CITY WEEKLY

FREE

SALT LAKE

U TA H ' S I N D E P E N D E N T N E W S PA P E R

INDIVIDUAL GREATNESS 10 A&E

19 NEWS

A personal, idiosyncratic, non-aggregated list of 2021’s best movies

By Scott Renshaw

32 MUSIC

CONTENTS COVER STORY

PROJECT CENSORED, PART 2 Old media patterns alive and well in the year’s most suppressed news stories By Paul Rosenberg

Cover design by Derek Carlisle

6 8 25 29 30 37

PRIVATE EYE A&E DINE CINEMA MUSIC COMMUNITY

2 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

| CITY WEEKLY |

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

CITYWEEKLY.NET

ADDITIONAL CONTENT ONLINE

DINE

Check out online-only columns Go to cityweekly.net for local Smart Bomb and Taking a restaurants serving you. Gander at cityweekly.net facebook.com/slcweekly

Twitter: @cityweekly • Deals at cityweeklystore.com

STAY INFORMED! Want to know the latest on coronavirus? Get off Facebook and check out these three online resources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov World Health Organization: who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 State of Utah Coronavirus Updates: coronavirus.utah.gov

STAFF Publisher PETE SALTAS Associate Publisher MICHAEL SALTAS Executive Editor JOHN SALTAS News Editor BENJAMIN WOOD Arts & Entertainment Editor SCOTT RENSHAW Contributing Editor JERRE WROBLE Music Editor ERIN MOORE Listings Desk KARA RHODES

Editorial Contributors KATHARINE BIELE ROB BREZSNY PAUL ROSENBERG MIKE RIEDEL ALEX SPRINGER BRYAN YOUNG Production Art Director DEREK CARLISLE Graphic Artists SOFIA CIFUENTES, CHELSEA NEIDER

Circulation Manager ERIC GRANATO Associate Business Manager: PAULA SALTAS Technical Director BRYAN MANNOS Developer BRYAN BALE Sales Executives: DOUG KRUITHOF KATHY MUELLER Display Advertising 801-716-1777 National Advertising VMG Advertising | 888-278-9866

Salt Lake City Weekly is published every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc. We are an independent publication dedicated to alternative news and news sources, that also serves as a comprehensive entertainment guide. 15,000 copies of Salt Lake City Weekly are available free of charge at more than 1,800 locations along the Wasatch Front. Limit one copy per reader. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased for $1 (Best of Utah and other special issues, $5) payable to Salt Lake City Weekly in advance. No person, without expressed permission of Copperfield Publishing Inc., may take more than one copy of any Salt Lake City Weekly issue. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the written permission of the publisher. Third-class postage paid at Midvale, UT. Delivery might take up to one full week. All rights reserved.

City Weekly is Registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Copperfield Publishing Inc. | John Saltas, City Weekly founder

Phone 801-716-1777 | Email comments@cityweekly.net 175 W. 200 South, Ste. 100,Salt Lake City, UT 84101 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

CLOSED: NEW YEARS DAY. SATURDAY, JANUARY 1ST

SAVE

PUNCH SERIES

PORTED CARPETED

SAVE $30

PORTED CARPETED

SUBWOOFER

PORTED CARPETED ENCLOSED BOX

SUBWOOFER

ENCLOSURE

$16999 10" SUB

Reg. SW Price: $19999

PORTED BOX

8" POWERED ENCLOSURE

SUBWOOFER SYSTEM

$27999 MSRP: $33999

$21999 12" SUB MSRP: $26000

SAVE $60 INCLUDES BASS KNOBS

NEW MODEL

600 WATTS RMS MONO AMP

CLASS D

$24999

Reg. SW Price: $309 MSRP: $1000 00

2000 WATTS MAX POWER DUAL PORTED CARPETED ENCLOSED BOX

SAVE $50

12" SUBWOOFERS 600 WATTS RMS POWER

WITH BUILT IN 500 WATT AMPLIFIER

$29999 300WATTS MSRP: $36999

RMS TRUE POWER

$32999 MSRP: $41999

12" POWERED ENCLOSURE

SUBWOOFER SYSTEM

$48999 EACH MSRP: $58999

W W W.S O U N D WA R E H O U S E .C O M 9AM TO 6PM MONDAY– SATURDAY CLOSED SUNDAY

SLC 2763 S. STATE: 485-0070

Se Habla Español

• OGDEN 2822 WALL AVE: 621-0086

Se Habla Español

Habla • OREM 1680 N. STATE: 226-6090 Se Español

MODEL CLOSE-OUTS, DISCONTINUED ITEMS AND SOME SPECIALS ARE LIMITED TO STOCK ON HAND AND MAY INCLUDE DEMOS. PRICES GUARANTEED THRU 01/05/22

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 3

FREE LAYAWAY

HOURS

| CITY WEEKLY |

RMS TRUE POWER

Reg. SW Price: $34999

300WATTS

99 $299 36999

PORTED BOX

BUILT-IN AMPLIFIER & SUBWOOFER

MSRP: $29000

CLUB SERIES

12” POWER SUB SYSTEM

10” POWER SUB SYSTEM

$23999

W/BASS ENCLOSURE

WITH BUILT IN 300 WATT AMPLIFIER

W/BASS ENCLOSURE

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

12" SUBWOOFER 300 WATTS RMS POWER

PUNCH SERIES

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

4 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

SOAP BOX We Need a Great Reset

In 2020, the world’s political and economic elites gathered in Switzerland to discuss ways of restructuring society after the COVID-19 pandemic. The occasion: The 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, themed “The Great Reset.” That meeting and its theme give rise to a number of novel theories—we’re all going to be micro-chipped for constant tracking in a “social credit system” operated by a single world government, etc.—and in our 21st century authoritarian age, it’s hard to blame anyone for fearing moves in that direction. In my view, the World Economic Forum isn’t just thinking in the wrong

direction, it isn’t thinking big enough. It’s far too constrained in its goals, which revolve around bringing the world’s regimes into closer conformity with each other and with the United Nations on issues like taxes, regulations and the bugbear du jour—climate change. To put it a different way, The Great Reset is about finding ways to make it easier for the same people who’ve been running things for the last 400 years— since the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, when the modern “nation-state” model we live under came into existence— to remain in charge, doing the same things they’ve been doing, with even less inconvenient dissent from uppity serfs, forever and ever, amen. In my opinion, we need a far Greater

@SLCWEEKLY Reset than that. It’s time to tear the whole Westphalian Model down to its component parts—from its shearing of the public as sheep with taxation, to its periodic large-scale military and political holocausts, to its technocratic mismanagement and “sovereignty” disputes—and demand that those parts justify themselves or be discarded. As a panarchist, one of the most amusing demands I run into is that I prove how, without monopoly government in the form it exists now, we wouldn’t run into the problem of ... well, insert any major problem we already have. They’ve had 400 years to solve Problem X, and haven’t. Where Problem X is concerned, the burden of proof should

@CITYWEEKLY

@SLCWEEKLY

be on them to prove how their solution is going to suddenly, magically start working when it never has before, not on me to prove that an untried alternative will solve what they haven’t. I don’t expect to see a free society in my lifetime, but four centuries seems like a more than generous trial period for the Davos crowd’s alternative. It’s time to get moving toward a Greater Reset. THOMAS L. KNAPP Director, the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism Care to sound off on a feature in our pages? Write to comments@cityweekly. net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE BOX

Pick 3 words to describe this past year Annie Quan

Could be worse.

Katharine Biele

2020, 2016, Coup.

Jesse Riley

Hopeful, hopeless, less shitshow-ish

Paula Saltas

Sweatpants, overeating, Fauci.

Sofia Cifuentes

Metamorphosis, love, forgiveness.

Benjamin Wood

Stink. Stank. Stunk.

Scott Renshaw

Big. Fat. Mess.

Carolyn Campbell

Not enough fun,

Truman Roberts

Bull, shit, COVID.

Elizabeth Converse

Manageable chaos, erratic.

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 5

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

6 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

PRIVATE EY

Utah by 5 T

his weekend, the University of Utah and Utah sports fans everywhere will celebrate the biggest game ever in Utah football history—the 2022 Rose Bowl game against Ohio State. I’m not going to the game, as I’ve been recently sideswiped by a malady that will keep me close to home. My son, Pete, is going, as is just about everyone I know. My bigtime Ute game bowl game streak will end at two, having previously traveled to and having fantastic memories from the 2004 Fiesta Bowl and 2009 Sugar Bowl. On the bright side, with so many boozers out of town, our local liquor stores may feel a respite this New Year’s Eve. If you’re going to be at the Rose Bowl tailgate, I’m not asking, I’m strongly suggesting that you raise a good-karma drink to the skies and shout out a “Utah by 5” toast to Mr. Tom Barberi. I’ll do that from home. I hope all of you do that from your homes, too, and from the seats of every bar and club in town, from wherever you are watching the game. Just do it. If you claim—by even half of 1%—to be a real Ute fan, you know what “Utah by 5” means. You must do that in honor of Tom Barberi—it’s the least you can do for the No. 1 fan in Utah football history, one who sadly passed away on Christmas Eve, just a week before the big game. It’s Shakespearean, damnit. In 2009, Barberi was interviewed by Gavin Sheehan for City Weekly. Among the insights he shared—and for the unwashed—Barberi came to Utah after a gig in San Francisco to take the helm at K ALL 910 AM radio in Salt Lake City 50 years ago. By the middle 1970s, I was in college and AM

radio was still a big thing, with Barberi regarded as the top DJ in town. That’s when I first met him—for a journalism class project—and again when I was a bartender as he was roped into various events or parties at local clubs and even hosted the “Gong Show” at the old Psychiatrist Club. He was a bona fide local media star and celebrity. With his irreverent style and willingness to expose the hypocrisy of Utah’s traditional local powers, Barberi was a hit, taking on all comers when it came to dragging Utah’s hick mentality out of the 1800s, kicking and screaming the whole time. He was a traditional DJ at the onset, spinning songs and lending some friendly banter in between. Some of the best banter was between him and K ALL Radio’s traffic newsman, Mike Runge, himself a Ute diehard as announcer for Utah athletics. Barberi and Runge were a gas. From that spawned a project at the end of his show called, I believe, “It’s Your Nickel,” wherein people could call in and bitch about something timely and that would set the tone for ever-more venting at all things Utah weird. Eventually, the songs quit spinning and Barberi’s radio evolved into a full-on talk radio program. Today, his daughter, Gina, is part of the mighty triad of the X96 Radio From Hell team. I do believe that without Barberi, there would be no Radio From Hell—nor even a City Weekly newspaper, perhaps. His voice lent sailing winds to all of us who wanted and needed to speak out in Utah. In the early 1990s, I called Barberi to see if he’d write for us, only for him to tell me, “Crap. the Tribune called last week, and I said I’d write for them,” which he did for 18 years. We did, however, connect later, with Barberi writing a blog for us for a couple of years. His favorite bulls to gore were the Utah Legislature and Utah’s archaic liquor laws. His pet advocacies included

B Y J O H N S A LTA S @johnsaltas

“legalizing adulthood” in Utah and the University of Utah football team, to which he was named an honorary Ute, thanks to his participation in annual spring and alumni football games. No matter the opponent, no matter the season, he predicted that every Utah game would end with a win: Utah by 5. Along the way, he was given permission by the University of Utah to start the Utah tailgate parties. From a humble beginning in the west parking lot below the old Rice Stadium, the Utah tailgate has grown tremendously and is regarded as one of the very best in the PAC-12. It’s just a garlic clove-damned shame—Italian Tom was born in the garlic capital of the world, Gilroy, California— that he cannot be at the game this weekend, because there’s more. As the primary advocate to “legalize adulthood” in Utah and as the lonely “voice of reason” in this formerly dryer state, Tom was instrumental in helping change Utah’s liquor laws. In 2009, when Utah finally snuffed out the archaic private club system of dispensing alcohol to the public, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. invited Barberi and me to the signing ceremony at the New Yorker club. It is not inconceivable that without Barberi’s daily shaming of the Utah Legislature, we could very well still be living in a state without the bounty of today’s liquor distillers and brewers who provide so much of the libation consumed at a Utah tailgate. Nor is it inconceivable that without the strong blocking voice of Tom Barberi, that others like myself may never have gained the courage to speak out. Thank you, Tom, you changed Utah for the better. At 2 p.m. MST on Game Day, I’m raising my glass and shouting, “Utah by 5!” I’ll have a trusty Gilroy garlic clove as my garnish. Hope you will, too. Go Utes! CW Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 7

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

8 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

HITS&MISSES BY KATHARINE BIELE @kathybiele

MISS: Signing Off

On the world front, Desmond Tutu has died. In the U.S. of A., we will miss Joan Didion. But back here on Utah’s Taliban-red front, we have now lost one of the last truth-talkers, Tom Barberi. You probably don’t remember him—the radio talk show host who wasn’t Sean Hannity—because he was, well, too smart and acerbic for civil Utah. Barberi had a way about him that made the politicos mad but not exactly fighting mad. He didn’t like the state liquor laws—who does? He mainly fought the ongoing culture war between the faithful and those not-so-much without bringing up religion. K ALL radio booted him in 2004 when the station made an unsuccessful move to sports, and Barberi tried writing for a while. There aren’t many left who speak out, damn the consequences. Randy Horiuchi, both loved and hated, died in 2015. Jim Dabakis is still around, but in a curiously silent way.

HIT: Bad Behavior

Take a poll and you’ll probably find that a lot of people just don’t care—or care to know—about redistricting. That is what a Deseret News-Hinckley Institute poll found in November, but it also found that 32% of respondents thought the Legislature was a bad actor in the gerrymandering process. Now we hear from Better Boundaries, the group that pushed the successful citizens initiative, that they’re looking seriously at taking it all to court. There are plenty of theories about how a lawsuit might play out. Some thought they could challenge the lines because they were drawn along LDS ward boundaries. But Katie Wright of Better Boundaries says Utah’s constitution mandates “all elections shall be free, and no power, civil or military, shall at any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage.” Even if it goes nowhere, a lawsuit will be fun to watch as legislators twist and turn. As the governor has said, they have a right to do what they want. But is what they want right?

MISS: Growing Pains

Winter has finally come to the slopes in however small doses of snow. And still there are hoards of people trying to navigate the Wasatch canyons, many only to be turned back for lack of parking. “The Wasatch Range is not big enough to accommodate more gondolas, more quads, more development, more people, without losing the specialness of the place. Does this mean everyone except the rich should just stay home?” writes Richard Markosian of Utah Stories. The answer is probably yes. His solution is an all-locals day up the canyons, but that probably wouldn’t bring in the big bucks like the out-of-towners would. Our national parks have begun taking reservations, begging the question of why the resorts couldn’t do the same thing.

CITIZEN REV LT IN A WEEK, YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

Brace For The Legislature

It’s been a “meh” year, aside from the insurrection, gerrymandering and the pandemic. Join the A AUW & LW VSL Legislative Forum to find out what both the Republicans and Democrats are thinking about the upcoming legislative session in January. It will be 45 days of crazy bills and social messaging, along with some serious and important work that only lawmakers can do. On the Republican side will be Sen. Daniel Thatcher and Rep. James Dunnigan. On the Democratic side will be Sen. Kathleen Riebe and Rep. Karen Kwan. Oh yeah, you might notice that the Dems are all women and the Republicans men—as it tends to be. The Salt Lake Tribune’s Robert Gehrke will be moderating. Virtual, Thursday, Jan. 6, 6:30 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3mtTuT6

Don’t Burn Wood

You can do something helpful to everyone during the holidays, and it’s not just getting vaccinated. It’s about the air we breathe, and you can find out what to do by visiting the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment online or on Facebook. “The two types of cancer most closely associated with air pollution are the same as those associated with smoking—lung cancer and bladder cancer. But virtually every type of cancer can be caused by air pollution,” they say. So no matter how cold it gets outside, you should reconsider burning wood and whether to patronize restaurants with wood ovens. “Wood burners [homeowners and restaurants] also triple the level of harmful pollution inside homes and should be sold with a health warning, according to scientists.” There’s lots of helpful information on how to stay healthy and safe for the holidays. Virtual, any time, free. https://bit. ly/3Enc9pT and https://www.uphe.org/

Thirty by Thirty

You can take part in a survey to identify Utah’s natural landscapes that are in need of protection. These are iconic areas like the redrock wilderness, the Wasatch Mountains and foothills and, of course, the shrinking Great Salt Lake. As part of the Biden administration’s plan to address the climate crisis, a coalition of individuals, conservation organizations, businesses, faith communities, and more, are joining in a science-based proposal to protect 30% of land and water in the United States by 2030 to help solve the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. You can be part of Utah 3X30—Take the Survey, too. Online, anytime, free. https://bit.ly/3yWrnRz

New Year Performance Art

Speaking of iconic landscapes, you can explore Utah’s spectacular places along with the performance artists who see them in a different way. Each of these artistic pieces takes no more than three minutes to view in Utah Sites: Performance Art in Utah Landscapes. Experience the Bonneville Salt Flats as you’ve never seen it in Jeffery Byrd’s “Proving Ground.” As we enter 2022, there is no better time to stop and experience something weird and wonderful. Virtual, any time, free. https://bit.ly/3FqlD5e

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 9

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, DEC 30, 2021-JAN 5, 2022

| CITY WEEKLY |

10 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Ian Fleming is known around the world as the creator of James Bond, the icy British secret agent with a license to kill. What may be far less well-known is that among Fleming’s other literary creations is the children’s story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car. These tales began as bedtime stories Fleming would tell his young son, but when the author suffered his first heart attack in 1961, his wife encouraged him to commit them to the page. The book was eventually published in 1964—two months after Fleming died of a heart attack at the age of 56. The story became most beloved, however, as the result of a 1968 musical film version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which cast Dick Van Dyke as the inventor Caractacus Potts, who restores an abandoned 1909 Grand Prix racing car—which he subsequently names Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, after its engine’s sounds—at the request of his two children. That restoration eventually

COURTESY HALE CENTER THEATER

Hale Center Theater: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

blossoms into fanciful tales about a villainous tyrant named Baron Bomburst, who wants to steal Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which eventually sprouts wings to fly. That delightful story, with its songs by the legendary team of Richard and Robert Sherman (Mary Poppins), was adapted for the theatrical stage in 2002, and that show is now running at Sandy’s Hale Center Theater (9900 S. Monroe St.) through Jan. 8. Tickets are $26 - $57, and availability is limited at press time as the show approaches the end of its run. Visit hct.org for tickets, showtimes and additional venue information. (Scott Renshaw)

VISIT SALT LAKE

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

ESSENTIALS

the

Evermore Park: Aurora In the three years that it’s been operating, Evermore Park has remained somewhat under the radar—an experience that’s not a traditional amusement park in the “get on a bunch of rides” sense, but offers a unique environment for thoroughly lived-in stories. Throughout the year, those stories generally take the form of seasonally-themed narratives, and for the winter, Evermore transforms into a fantastical version of a Victorian-era village for Aurora. The environs of Evermore evoke a quaint hamlet no matter the time of year, but Aurora shapes the in-park story to a holiday theme, with characters like elves, a snow giant, Jack Frost and even Santa and Mrs. Claus themselves providing part of the themed interaction that makes Evermore so distinctive. The wondrous winter land

comes alive with lights, projection displays live music and staged performances, while holiday shops provide a special experience even after Christmas has passed. An ice rink allows an opportunity for skating to those who wish, or an ice show for those who simply prefer to watch. You can even jump aboard a train for a different perspective on the grounds. All this, plus the regular year-round features that include axe-throwing, an archery range and bird & animal interactions. Evermore Park’s Aurora is open Fridays and Saturdays only, 6-10 p.m., through Jan. 8. A special New Year’s Masquerade is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 31, 7 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $14-$21 for general admission, with additional charges for ice skating and train rides. Visit evermorepark.com for tickets and additional information. (SR)

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 11

ESSENTIALS

the

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, DEC 30, 2021-JAN 5, 2022

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

Outdoor experiences are a bit harder to come by during a Utah winter, but that might be exactly what more people are looking for in early 2022, as concerns about another round of COVID surges mount. For those who want a family-friendly outing that keeps an emphasis on the “out,” Midway’s Ice Castles provide a dazzling spectacle that also offer a venue for lots of active, exploratory fun. Every year, this attraction is crafted by professional ice artists who turn snow and icicles into mammoth structures and “curtains” of ice, illuminated with LED lights to create a place that is almost otherworldly. Guests might wander through caverns and icy hallways, sit on thrones of ice, crawl through tunnels or slide down the wintery version of a waterslide. If you enjoy your fall corn mazes, you can get a chance to get lost and found again exploring the ice mazes. Visitors can also take a sleigh ride (for additional charge) through the nearby woods, allowing for a unique winter experience that returns you right to

UTAH’S BEST NEW & SECONDHAND FESTIVAL STORE! We Sell Your Previously Rocked Clothes & You Keep 50% Cash!

2021

2 02 0

Best Boutique

2 01 9

2 01 8

2 01 7

2 01 6

2 01 5

• New & Previously Rocked Men’s & Women’s Clothing on Consignment • Local Clothes, Crafts, Art • Shop Cats!

Best Thrift/Consignment for 5 years

MASKS REQUIRED AND STRICTLY ENFORCED as we strive to be SLC’s safest in-person shopping experience! Hand sanitizer everywhere! A fleet of HEPA air purifiers! A staff that knows science is real! 414 E 300 S SLC | 801.833.2272 | iconoCLAD.com Open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm | Sunday 11am-6pm Follow @iconoCLAD on IG & FB Keeping SLC weird since 2014 for the latest finds and the shop Kitties!

COURTESY PHOTO.

Midway Ice Castles

| CITY WEEKLY |

12 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

the castle area. VIP tickets even allow a chance to reserve a private portion of the venue for personal moments like a magical proposal. Utah’s Ice Castles are located at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway (2002 Olympic Drive); scheduled opening day is Jan. 2, though weather conditions might affect the date, as cold conditions are required to maintain the structures. Visit icecastles.com/utah after the first of the year for operating hours and ticket information. (SR)

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 13

14 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

| CITY WEEKLY |

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 15

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

16 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

BIG SHINY ROBOT

The Green Knight

Top of the Geek

A look at some of 2021’s most geekily transcendent offerings BY BRYAN YOUNG comments@cityweekly.net @swankmotron

t the end of the year, it’s always our habit to look back at the best of what’s come and honor it in some way. The world of geekdom is no different. 2021 felt a lot like 2021, with many of us cloistered away in our first full calendar year in a full-blown pandemic, but there was a lot of great geeky art to consume and games to play. Here’s our round up of some of the best. Best Unapologetic Geek Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home - This film knows

exactly what it is and what it wants to be. It’s the proverbial red meat for comic book fans: lots of interconnectivity to a whole bunch of lore that is beloved, for better or worse. The film closes the book on twenty years of Spider-Man storytelling and opens a door to an all-new era, sure to satisfy fans of any iteration of Spider-Man. It’s in theaters now. Best Comic Book TV Series: WandaVision: There has been a lot of new superhero and comic-book television adaptations hitting the small screen, and the only one that tackles trauma, grief, and humanity in such a relatable way is WandaVision. As a piece of art, it’s unparalleled in 2021. You can watch it on Disney+. Best Star Wars Experiment: Star Wars: Visions: Lucasfilm approached a number of Japanese animation studios with dump trucks full of money and said, “Here, please make a Star War. Don’t worry about canon, just do what you do.” And what we got was almost three hours of unabashedly wonderful Star Wars, free of the chains of the continuing story. It is must-watch for anime fans, Star Wars fans, Kurosawa fans, animation fans, film nerds and all points in between. You can watch it on Disney+. Best Fantasy Film: The Green Knight:

DISNEY

A24 FILM

WandaVision

A24 offered us their version of the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and brought something bold and beautiful on a budget, proving you don’t need to spend a trillion dollars to tell a quality fantasy story. More storytelling like this, please. You can rent or purchase this across streaming platforms. Best Board Game of 2021: Descent: Legends of the Dark: Board games are always in need of updates, and Fantasy Flight’s update of Descent is nothing short of majestic. This cooperative dungeon-crawler for 1-4 players is a gateway drug for bigger, better games like Dungeons & Dragons, but it will do that trick. With app-directed play, it makes it simple and fun. Get it for your friends and watch them all transform. Snag this at Oasis Games or Game Night Games. Best Self-Published Indie Comic Find of 2021: Upstate by Stephen Pellnat: It’s not often you hit it off with a bartender in a strange city and they reveal they make comics. Then, when they hand you the issue and you read it, it’s even rarer that you’re blown away. This is what happened when I read Stephen Pellnat’s Upstate. It has all of the visual storytelling acumen of anything published by Drawn & Quarterly or Oni Press. Get a copy at stephenpellnat.com, and you won’t be disappointed.

Best new Bookstore: Under the Umbrella: For anyone looking to support a local new bookstore, you can get plenty of sci-fi and fantasy offerings at Under the Umbrella (511 W. 200 South #120). The best part is that it’s a queer-owned bookstore that specializes in books by or about queer folks. There was a need in the city for a safe space like this, and who can think of a safer space than a bookstore? Visit Under the Umbrella and pick up a book. You owe it to yourself, and to them. undertheumbrellabookstore.com An Excellent 2021 Book to Buy at Under the Umbrella: Aetherbound by E.K. Johnston: Johnston fashions an extraordinary science fiction world with an impossibly unique magic system based on caloric intake. It’s a sci-fi-fantasy that tells such a wonderfully personal story, in such a sprawling science-fiction world, that you will want to revisit in future installments. Get it at Under the Umbrella. And that’s it for the best of 2021! Let’s all hope that 2022 is even better, and that we’ll see each other out in the world of geekdom—with masks on, though, of course. There’s still a pandemic on out there, no matter how much the legislature and governor pretend there’s not. CW

WHEN YOU WAKE UP FROM THOSE POW DREAMS, AND YOU GOTTA GET THAT SHRED FIX! SKI TRUCKS CAN HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN. WITH DISCOUNTED PRICING EVERYDAY, AND UNPARALLELED CUSTOMER SERVICE.

ALPINE / NORDIC / SNOWBOARDING / APPAREL & ACCESSORIES DROP IN AT 1260 WEST NORTH TEMPLE, SLC UT SKITRUCKS.COM / 801-595-0919 / SERVICE@SKITRUCKS.COM

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 17

Beehive Distilling 2245 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake 385-259-0252 BeehiveDistilling.com Clear Water Distilling Co. 564 W. 700 South, Pleasant Grove 801-997-8667 ClearWaterDistilling.com Dented Brick Distillery 3100 S. Washington St, South Salt Lake 801-883-9837 DentedBrick.com Distillery 36 2374 S. Redwood Road, West Valley 801-983-7303 Distillery36.com Eight Settlers Distillery 7321 S. Canyon Centre Pkw y, Cottonwood Heights 385-900-4315 EightSettlersDistillery.com

High West Distillery 703 Park Ave, Park City 435-649-8300 HighWest.com The Hive Winery and Spirits Company 1220 W. Jack D Drive, Layton 801-546-1997 TheHiveWinery.com Holystone Distilling 207 W. 4860 South, SLC 503-328-4356 HolystoneDistilling.com Moab Distillery 686 S. Main, Moab 435-259-6333 TheMoabDistillery.com New World Distillery 4795 2600 North, Eden 385-244-0144 NewWorldDistillery.com Ogden’s Own Distillery 615 W. Stockman Way, Ogden 801-458-1995 OdgensOwn.com Outlaw Distillery 552 W. 8360 South, Sandy 801-706-1428

OutlawDistillery.com Silver Reef Brewing and Distillery 4391 Enterprise Drive, St. George 435-216-1050 StGeorgeBev.com Simplicity Cocktails 3679 W. 1987 South #6, SLC 801-210-0868 DrinkSimplicity.com Sugarhouse Distillery 2212 S. West Temple #14, SLC 801-726-0403 SugarhouseDistillery.net Vintage Spirits Distillery 6844 S. 300 West, Midvale 801-699-6459 VSDistillery.com Waterpocket Distillery 2084 W 2200 South, West Valley City 801-382-9921‬ Waterpocket.co

Cocktail of the Week Distillery: Waterpocket Name of Drink: Scenic 12 Ingredients: - 1.5 oz Notom - 1.5 oz Vermouth - Club Soda - Orange Wedge Garnish Directions: Fill glass with ice cubes, add equal parts Vermouth and Notom, stir and top with club soda. Add orange garnish and enjoy!

Alan Scott

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

18 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

Alpine Distilling 7132 N. Silver Creek Road, Park City 350 Main, Park City 435-200-9537 AlpineDistilling.com

Old media patterns alive and well in the year’s most suppressed news stories. BY PAUL ROSENBERG

COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET

Each year, Project Censored releases a list of the Top 10 un- and underreported news stories. Part I of the 2021 list—which includes topics like prescription drug prices, labor strikes and the increasing presence of plastics and toxic chemicals in food and water supply—was published last week and is available at cityweekly.net. Part II continues below.

| CITY WEEKLY |

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 19

Before the “critical race theory” moral panic fueled a nationwide uprising to censor discussions of race in education, there was an opposite moral panic decrying “cancel culture” stifling certain people— especially in education. But even at the peak of the “cancel culture” panic, perhaps the most canceled people anywhere in America—pro-Palestinian activists and sympathizers—got virtually no attention. That is despite a well-funded, secretly run blacklist website, known as Canary Mission, explicitly targeting thousands of individuals—overwhelmingly students— with dossiers expressly intended to ruin their careers before they even begin, and which “have been used in interrogations by Israeli security officials,” according to the Forward, a Jewish publication. They’ve also been used by the FBI, as reported by The Intercept. The website, established in 2015, “seeks to publicly discredit critics of Israel as ‘ter-

rorists’ and ‘anti-Semites,’” Project Censored noted, but its careless style of accusation has caused a backlash, even among pro-Israeli Jews. “While some of those listed on the site are prominent activists, others are students who attended a single event, or even student government representatives suspected of voting for resolutions that are critical of Israel,” the Forward reported. More than that, it reported three examples when Canary Mission was apparently retaliating against critics, including Jews. But by far, its main targets are Palestinians, particularly activists involved with the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (or BDS) movement that works to peacefully pressure Israel—similarly to South Africa in the 1980s—to obey international law and respect Palestinians’ human rights. As the Intercept reported in 2018, “While Canary Mission promotes itself as a group working against anti-Semitism, the blacklist’s effective goal is to clamp down on growing support for Palestine in the United States by intimidating and tarnishing Palestinian rights advocates with the brush of bigotry.”

identities had been protected “in order to prevent them from being put on no-fly lists, potentially denied entry to other countries or contacted by the FBI over their organizing work.” In March 2021, a California judge rejected that demand, noting that disclosure of their names “would violate their rights to freedom of association, anonymous speech and privacy.” Project Censored also cited a May 2021 federal court ruling that the state of Georgia cannot compel groups or individuals who contract with public entities to disavow support for the BDS movement against Israel, finding that the state’s law “places an unconstitutional incidental burden on speech.” Georgia is one of 35 states with similar anti-BDS laws or executive orders. “Heightened violence in Israel/Palestine in May 2021 has focused attention on powerful pro-Israel media biases in U.S. news coverage, but Canary Mission and legal efforts to suppress pro-Palestinian activism have nonetheless received minimal corporate news coverage,” Project Censored summarized, citing a handful of exceptions, a New York Times and a Washington Post opinion, plus two New York Times articles “dating back to 2018, [that] made passing mention of Canary Mission, as a ‘shadowy organization.’” But, Project Censored concluded, “Aside from this coverage, major establishment news outlets have provided no substantive reports on the role played by Canary Mission and other pro-Israel organizations in stifling the First Amendment rights of proPalestinian activists.”

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

6. Canary Mission Blacklists Pro Palestinian Activists, Chilling Free Speech Rights

While the FBI told the Intercept that it “only investigates activity which may constitute a federal crime or pose a threat to national security,” this didn’t match up with its actions. “If the FBI was concerned about criminal activity among the student activists, its agents made no indication of that in the interviews,” the Intercept reported. “They did, however, ask questions that echoed far-right propaganda about unproven links between pro-Palestine activist groups and militant groups.” The list itself has had a chilling effect on First Amendment rights, another Intercept story reported. “A survey of over 60 people profiled on Canary Mission, conducted by the group Against Canary Mission, found that 43% of respondents said they toned down their activism because of the blacklist, while 42% said they suffered acute anxiety from being placed on the website.” Some have even received death threats. “For many otherwise unknown activists, a Canary Mission profile is their most visible online presence,” Project Censored reported, “‘It’s the first thing that comes up when you Google my name, the claim that I’m a terrorist supporter and an extremist,’ one former activist on Palestinian issues told the Intercept.” “Beyond Canary Mission,” Projected Censored noted, “a variety of pro-Israel organizations that seek to suppress pro-Palestinian activism have pursued litigation against chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine,” as reported in The Nation by Lexi McMenamin. A highlighted example at UCLA demanded the release of the names of speakers at a national conference, whose

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

22 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

7. Google’s Union-Busting Methods Revealed

In 2018, Google dropped its long-time slogan, “Don’t be evil” from its code of conduct. In 2019, Google hired IRI Consultants, a union avoidance firm, “amid a wave of unprecedented worker organizing at the company,” as Vice’s Motherboard put it in January 2021, while reporting on leaked files from IRI that provided a disturbing picture of how far Google may have strayed in its willingness to sabotage its workers’ rights. The 1935 National Labor Relations Act makes it illegal for companies to spy on employees and guarantees workers the right to organize and engage in collective bargaining. “Nevertheless,” Project Censored noted, “companies like Google attempt to circumvent the law by hiring union avoidance firms like IRI Consultants as independent contractors to engage in surveillance and intimidation on their behalf.” “[E]mployers in the United States spend roughly $340 million on union avoidance consultants each year,” Lauren Kaori Gurley reported for Motherboard, but their practices are apparently so disreputable that IRI doesn’t identify its clients on its website “beyond saying the firm has been hired by universities, renewable energy companies, auto-makers, ‘the nation’s largest food manufacturers,’ and ‘several Top 10 worldwide retailers,” she reported. “Consultants specialize in operating in the gray areas of the law,” John Logan, a professor of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State told Gurley. “They’re not quite illegal but they’re sort of bending the law if they’re not breaking it.” “The [leaked] documents show that the firm collected incredibly detailed information on 83 Seattle hospital employees, including their ‘personality, temperament, motivations, ethnicity, family background, spouses’ employment, finances, health issues, work ethic, job performance, disciplinary history and involvement in union activity in the lead-up to a union election,’” Project Censored noted, “including descriptions of workers as ‘lazy,’ ‘impressionable,’ ‘money oriented,’ and ‘a single mother.’” The documents Motherboard reported on didn’t come from Google, but from two Seattle-based hospitals owned by Conifer Health Solutions, who hired IRI on the sly—a common practice. “Tracking the union avoidance firms behind anti-union campaigns is intentionally made difficult by firms that subcontract out work to other firms that hire independent contractors to avoid federal reporting requirements laid out by the Department of Labor and shield themselves from public scrutiny,” Motherboard explained, adding that the union organizing the workers had no idea of IRI’s involvement. “Google is not the only Big Tech company to enlist union avoidance consultants in recent years. In fall 2020 and spring 2021, employees at Amazon’s massive fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, launched a much-publicized unionization effort,” Project Censored noted. “As John Logan detailed in a lengthy article for LaborOnline, Amazon responded to the Bessemer drive by spending at least $3,200 per day on anti-union consultants Russ Brown and Rebecca Smith and by bringing in a second union-busting consulting firm,” as well as hiring “one of the largest law firms in the country specializing in union avoidance.” Employees voted more than 2-1 against joining the union, but the election was overturned for a set of eight labor law violations after Project Censored’s book went to the publisher—a decision that Amazon is appealing. “There has been some establishment press coverage of large corporations hiring union-avoidance firms to undermine workplace organizing, mostly focusing on tech giants like Google and Amazon,” Project Censored noted, including late 2019 stories in the New York Times and Washington Post reporting that Google had hired IRI, and a 2020 New York Times Magazine cover story entitled “the Great Google Revolt,” which “mentioned in passing” the use of anti-union consultants by Google and others in Silicon Valley. “However, there has been no corporate news coverage whatsoever of the sensational leaks that Motherboard released in January, and there has been very little in-depth corporate media reporting on the use of union-busting consultants in general,” Project Censored summed up, concluding, “The documents leaked to Motherboard confirm and greatly elaborate upon what labor organizers and educators have suspected of the specific tactics the union-busting firms employ.”

8. Pfizer Bullies South American Governments over COVID-19 Vaccine

“Pfizer has essentially held Latin American governments to ransom for access to its lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine,” Project Censored reports, the latest example of how it’s exerted undue influence to enrich itself at the expense of low- and middle-income nations going back to the 1980s, when it helped shape the intellectual property rules it’s now taking advantage of. “Pfizer has been accused of ‘bullying’ Latin American governments in COVID vaccine negotiations and has asked some countries to put up sovereign assets, such as embassy buildings and military bases, as a guarantee against the cost of any future legal cases,” according to reporters at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. In one case, it resulted in a three-month delay in reaching a deal. “For Argentina and Brazil, no national deals were agreed at all,” BIJ reported. “Any hold-up in countries receiving vaccines means more people contracting COVID-19 and potentially dying.” It’s normal for governments to provide some indemnity. But, “Pfizer asked for additional indemnity from civil cases, meaning that the company would not be held liable for rare adverse effects or for its own acts of negligence, fraud or malice,” BIJ reported. “This includes those linked to company practices—say if Pfizer sent the wrong vaccine or made errors during manufacturing.” “Some liability protection is warranted, but certainly not for fraud, gross negligence, mismanagement or failure to follow good manufacturing practices,” Lawrence Gostin, World Health Organization’s director of the Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, told BIJ. “Companies have no right to ask for indemnity for these things.” During negotiations, which began in June 2020, “the Argentinian government believed that, at the least, Pfizer ought to be accountable for acts of negligence on its part in the delivery and distribution of the vaccine, but, instead of offering any compromise, Pfizer ‘demanded more and more,’ according to one government negotiator,” Project Censored summarized. “That was when Pfizer called for Argentina to put up sovereign assets as collateral. Argentina broke off negotiations with Pfizer, leaving the nation’s leaders at that time without a vaccine supply for its people,” in December. That same month, “just after the United States approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, In These Times’ Sarah Lazare filed a detailed report on the history of the pharmaceutical giant’s opposition to expanding vaccine access to poor countries, beginning in the mid-1980s during the negotiations that eventually resulted in the establishment of the WTO in 1995. “Both globally and domestically, Pfizer played an important role in promoting the idea that international trade should be contingent on strong intellectual property rules, while casting countries that do not follow U.S. intellectual property rules as engaging in ‘piracy,’” a view they promoted to multiple business networks, shielded from wider public debate. “It was not a given, at the time, that intellectual property would be included in trade negotiations,” she explained. “Many Third World countries resisted such inclusion, on the grounds that stronger intellectual property rules would protect the monopoly power of corporations and undermine domestic price controls.” “It is difficult to think of a clearer case for suspending intellectual property laws than a global pandemic,” and “a swath of global activists, mainstream human rights groups and UN human rights experts have added their voices to the demand for a suspension of patent laws,” Lazare noted. But Pfizer was joined in its opposition by pharmaceutical trade groups and individual companies, such as Moderna, another COVID-19 vaccine maker. As a result, “One could make a map of global poverty, lay it over a map of vaccine access, and it would be a virtual one-to-one match,” she wrote. “Once again majority black and brown countries, by and large, are left to suffer and die.” “Pfizer’s dealings in South America are not exactly secret,” Project Censored noted, but “As of May 2021, there has been no corporate media coverage of Pfizer’s actual dealings in South America or how the pharmaceutical giant helped establish the global intellectual property standards it now invokes to protect its control over access to the vaccine.” Nor is this anything new, it concluded: “Big Pharma has a long, underreported track record of leaving developing nations’ medical needs unfulfilled, as Project Censored has previously documented.”

9. Police Use Dogs as Instruments of Violence, Targeting People of Color

| CITY WEEKLY |

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 23

Forced sterilization was deemed constitutional in a 1927 Supreme Court decision, Buck v. Bell, after which forced sterilizations increased dramatically, to at least 60,000 forced sterilizations in some 32 states during the 20th century, predominantly targeting women of color. And while state laws have been changed, it’s still constitutional, and still going on today—with at least five cases of women in ICE custody in Georgia in 2019—while thousands of victims await restitution, as reports from the Conversation and YES! Magazine have documented. “Organizations such as Project South, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice and the Sterilization and Social Justice Lab are actively working to document the extent of this underreported problem—and to bring an end to it.” Project Censored noted. But their work is even more underreported than the problem itself. “During the height of this wave of eugenics by means of sterilization in the U.S., forced hysterectomies were so common in the Deep South that activist Fannie Lou Hamer coined the term ‘Mississippi Appendectomy’ to describe them,” Ray Levy Uyeda wrote in a YES! Magazine article, “How Organizers Are Fighting an American Legacy of Forced Sterilization,” which begins with the story of Kelli Dillon. Dillon was a California prison inmate in 2001 when she underwent a procedure to remove a potentially cancerous growth—and the surgeon simultaneously performed an unauthorized hysterectomy, one of 148 forced sterilizations that year in California prisons, and one of 1,400 carried out between 1997 and 2010. Dillon began organizing inside the women’s prison, gathering testimonials from other victimized prisoners “and provided the personal accounts to staff at Justice Now that was laying the groundwork to petition for legislation that would ban the procedures in prisons,” Uyeda reported. Dillon eventually sued the state of California for damages and helped to shape legislation to compensate victims (which finally passed this year) a story told in the 2020 documentary film, Belly of the Beast. “All forced sterilization campaigns, regardless of their time or place, have one thing in common. They involve dehumanizing a particular subset of the population deemed less worthy of reproduction and family formation,” Alexandra Minna Stern wrote at the Conversation. Stern directs the Sterilization and Social Justice Lab, where “Our interdisciplinary team explores the history of eugenics and sterilization in the U.S. using data and stories”—35,000 of them so far captured from “historical records from North Carolina, California, Iowa and Michigan.” The history was more complicated than one might expect, Stern explained. “At first, sterilization programs targeted white men, expanding by the 1920s to affect the same number of women as men. The laws used broad and ever-changing disability labels like ‘feeblemindedness’ and ‘mental defective.’ Over time, though, women and people of color increasingly became the target, as eugenics amplified sexism and racism,” she wrote. “It is no coincidence that sterilization rates for Black women rose as desegregation got underway.” “California Latinas for Reproductive Justice is working to secure legislative change for victims of the state’s sterilization efforts between 1909 and 1979,” Uyeda wrote. It was signed into law after Project Censored’s book went to print, making California the third state with such legislation, following the lead of North Carolina and Virginia, in 2013 and 2015, respectively. “The history of eugenics has been thoroughly researched and criticized by scholars and human rights activists, but coverage by the corporate media of the U.S. practice of forced sterilization throughout the 20th century and into the 21st has tended to be limited and narrowly focused,” Project Censored noted. There was some corporate news coverage after the ICE forced sterilization stories emerged, but generally without “any mention of the activists resisting the practice. … Some establishment press articles on the topic of forced sterilization include comments from members of these organizations to provide context on the issue, but few spotlight the groups’ tireless organizing and record of accomplishments.” Two exceptions cited were articles from Marie Claire magazine and Refinery29, “a website targeted at younger women.” This only began to change in July 2021, as Project Censored’s book was going to print, “with the Associated Press and other establishment news outlets reporting that California is preparing to approve reparations of up to $25,000 per person to women who had been sterilized without consent.”

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

The use of vicious dogs to control Black people dates back to slavery, but it’s not ancient history according to an investigative series of 13 linked reports, titled “Mauled: When Police Dogs Are Weapons,” coordinated by the Marshall Project in partnership with AL.com, IndyStar, and the Invisible Institute. They found evidence that the pattern continues to this day, with disproportionate use of police dogs against people of color, often resulting in serious injury, with little or no justification. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a majority-Black city of 220,000, is the dogbite capital of America, with a bite rate more than double the nextranked city, Indianapolis. According to Bryn Stole and Grace Toohey’s February 2021 report: Between 2017 and 2019, Baton Rouge police dogs bit at least 146 people, records show. Of those, 53 were 17 years old or younger; the youngest were just 13. Almost all of the people bitten were Black, and most were unarmed and suspected by police of nonviolent crimes like driving a stolen vehicle or burglary. But Baton Rouge is hardly alone. Approximately 3,600 Americans annually are sent to the emergency room for severe bite injuries resulting from police dog attacks. These dog bites “can be more like shark attacks than nips from a family pet, according to experts and medical researchers,” a team of five reporters wrote in October of 2020, as part of a summary of the main finding of their research. Other highlights from the reporting series included: —“Though our data shows dog bites in nearly every state, some cities use biting dogs far more often than others.” This ranged from just one incident in Chicago from 2017 to 2019 to more than 200 in Los Angeles and more than 220 in Indianapolis. —“Most bite victims are men, and studies suggest that in some places, they have been disproportionately Black.” This includes the Ferguson, Missouri police department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, where it’s been found that “dogs bit non-White people almost exclusively.” —“Bites can cause life-altering injuries, even death. Dogs used in arrests are bred and trained to have a bite strong enough to punch through sheet metal.” —“There’s little accountability or compensation for many bite victims,” for a wide range of reasons. “Even when victims can bring cases, lawyers say they struggle because jurors tend to love police dogs,” what’s known as “the Lassie effect.” Though the Black Lives Matter movement has significantly raised public awareness of police using disproportionate force against people of color, police “K-9 violence has received strikingly little attention from corporate news media.” There were exceptions: In October 2020, USA Today published a Marshall Project story simultaneously with the project, and in November 2020, the Washington Post ran a front-page story citing the Marshall Project’s reporting. In addition, NBC News covered Salt Lake City’s suspension of its K-9 program, “after a video circulated of a police dog biting a Black man who was kneeling on the ground with his hands held up.” But aside from these examples, “coverage appears to have been limited to local news outlets,” Project Censored concluded.

10. Activists Call Out Legacy of Racism and Sexism in Forced Sterilization

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

24 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

AS SEEN ON “ DINERS, DRIVEINS AND DIVES”

Sehr Gut ! Old world flavor in the heart of Salt Lake

Serving American Comfort Food Since 1930 -91 YEARS AND GOING STRONG-BREAKFAST SERVED DAILY UNTIL 4PM-DELICIOUS MIMOSAS & BLOODY MARY’S-TAKEOUT AVAILABLE“In a perfect world, every town would have a diner just like Ruth’s”

“Like having dinner at Mom’s in the mountains” -Cincinnati Enquirer

-CityWeekly

20 W. 200 S. SLC | (801) 355-3891

siegfriedsdelicatessen.com

4160 EMIGRATION CANYON ROAD | 801 582-5807 | WWW.RUTHSDINER.COM OPEN THURSDAY THRU MONDAY -CLOSED TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY

Award Winning Donuts

The Elk au Poivre at Bambara

Things are weird out there. Make sure to tip your server.

| CITY WEEKLY |

30 east Broadway, SLC

801.355.0667 Richsburgersngrub.com

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 25

ost of us started transitioning back to dining in at our favorite restaurants in 2021, but it’s clear that our friends in the hospitality biz continue to hurt from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve visited my share of places whose haggard staff is clearly struggling just to keep the lights on. Despite the hardships our restaurants have endured over the past two years, however, they continue to blow our minds. Over the course of this year, I’ve found new favorites, rediscovered old treasures and broadened my gastronomic perspective. Here are a few dishes that defined local dining in 2021 for me. The Boba Mille Crepe Cake at Conte de Fee (7695 S. 700 East, 801-987-8112, contedefeebakery.com): Any of the crepe cakes at Midvale’s Conte de Fee are stellar; you can’t really go wrong with layering meticulously prepared crepes with pastry cream and stacking them as high as possible. But when you pour an Earl Grey teainfused syrup and a heap of black sugar boba on top, you’ve got something entirely singular. It’s packed with surprisingly sophisticated flavor combinations, and goes particularly well with an overcast Saturday morning. The Korean Corn Dog at Yummy’s Korean BBQ (2946 W. 4700 South, 801-

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Detroit Deep Dish at Bricks Corner (1465 S. 700 East, 801-953-0636, brickscornerslc.com): Bricks Corner brought Detroit-style deep dish pizza to Utah, and based on its legions of fans and Best of Utah considerations, I’d say locals have taken a shine to the stuff. Crispy around the edges and topped with insanity like grilled Spam and braised beef, the pizza at Bricks Corner hits all the right notes. For a lifelong pizzalover, this place is a gift. The Pambazo at La Garnacha (5418 S. Main Street, Herriman, 385-695-5871, lagarnachautah.com): La Garnacha is another place that somehow flew under my radar until this year, but this Herriman spot and its Mexico City classics are worth checking out. I’m a longtime fan of the sandwiches that come from Mexico and South America, so snagging a genuine pambazo here in Utah is a definite win. Marked by its thick slices of bread, turned fiery red from a dip in some flavorful chili sauce, the pambazo is a chorizo- and potato-stuffed meal in itself. The Tasting Menu at Mint Sushi and Tapas (Multiple locations, mintsushiutah. com): During 2020, I remember planning my first few outings once I felt comfortable dining out again, and the 10-course tasting menu at Mint Sushi was right at the top of my list. Once I got my COVID-19 vaccine, I booked a reservation, and it was one of the most memorable dining experiences of the year. Course upon course of beautifully prepared sushi welcomed me back to the pleasures of eating in a restaurant. It’s been a weird year to write about food, but it’s also been an inspiring one. Amid all the punches that the hospitality industry has taken, there are still so many out there that just want to whip up a good meal or share their culture with their neighborhoods. Here’s hoping that 2022 starts seeing some of these scars heal up—and for goodness’ sake, please be nice to people out there. CW

Burgers so good they’ll blow your mind!

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

Best Dishes From 2021

769-6614, yummysutah.com): Though the Korean corn dog’s meteoric rise has been well-documented by local food writers, I can’t forget the place that introduced me to this apex snack. For me, it was Yummy’s Korean BBQ that got me hooked on this sinfully crispy and sugar-dusted variation on a classic corn dog. I’ve had many since, and I will have many more in 2022—but you never forget your first bite. The Elk au Poivre at Bambara (202 S. Main Street, 801-363-5454, bambara-slc. com): Eating at Bambara is consistently a good time, but Chef Jerry Pacheco’s winter menu had some shockingly delicious entries this year. The elk au poivre, which is a perfectly cooked elk tenderloin served with oyster mushrooms, butternut squash and sunchokes, is a perfect synthesis of seasonal ingredients and creative execution. Sushi Nachos at The Garage Grill (1122 E. Draper Parkway, 801-523-3339, thegaragegrill.com): The Garage Grill is one of those local favorites that somehow eluded me until this year, but one bite of their sushi nachos has pretty much guaranteed its spot in my rotation. It’s not uncommon for gastropubs to bring sushi into the mix, but The Garage Grill’s creativity on that front has given us some truly great pub food innovations, such as crispy wonton wrappers topped with tuna, seaweed salad and spicy mayo. Cachapas at Venezuela Mia (9460 S. Union Square, Ste. 104, 801-831-6420, vzlamia.com): 2021 marked my first time trying cachapas, and boy oh boy what an experience that was. Cachapas are a traditional Venezuelan dish consisting of a pancakelike corn tortilla folded over an obscene amount of melty cheese. It then gets topped with whatever grilled meat you feel like— pork, carne asada, and the like. Sounds simple enough, but once you take that first bite you become overwhelmed with a sweet and savory flavor combo that brought me to my knees.

ALEX SPRINGER

705 S. 700 E. | (801) 537-1433

onTAP Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com On Tap: Bougie Johnny’s Rose

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com On Tap: Coffee Kolsch

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: Lemongrass Ginger Hard Cider

Bohemian Brewery 94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

OUTDOOR SEATING ON THE PATIO

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

26 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

2 Row Brewing 6856 S. 300 West, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com On Tap: Feelin’ Hazy

TUESDAY TRIVIA! 7-9 PM LIVE JAZZ Thursdays 8-11 PM

Thank you for your support!

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC ProperBrewingCo.com On Tap: Gungan Sith Lord

Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com On Tap: Son of a Baptist Coffee Stout

Red Rock Brewing Multiple Locations RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Baked Pastry Stout

Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com On Tap: Extra Pale Ale

VOTED BEST PIZZA 2021

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com On Tap: Cowboy Lite Hoppers Grill and Brewing 890 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale HoppersBrewPub.com Kiitos Brewing 608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

1465 S. 700 E. | 801.953.0636

brickscornerslc.com

Policy Kings Brewery 223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com

Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com On Tap: Fresh Brewed UPA

Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com On Tap: Fisher Cerveza

1048 East 2100 South | (385) 528-3275 | HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

2021

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Ogden River Brewing 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com On Tap: Injector Hazy IPA

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: Vienna Lager

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On Tap: Mild and Free British Mild Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com On Tap: Cosmic Autumn Rebellion SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Tap: Grievance - Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Scotch Ale Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com On Tap: Pumpkin Spice Latte Ale Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Winter Warmer Amber Ale Silver Reef 4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George StGeorgeBev.com

A list of what local craft breweries and cider houses have on tap this week Squatters 147 W. Broadway, SLC Squatters.com Strap Tank Brewery Multiple Locations StrapTankBrewery.com Springville On Tap: PB Rider, Peanut Butter Stout Lehi On Tap: 2-Stroke, Vanilla Mocha Porter TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Edel Pils Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: 7th Wonder Pale Ale Toasted Barrel Brewery 412 W. 600 North, SLC ToastedBarrelBrewery.com Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com On Tap: Snowcat IPA Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com Wasatch 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC WasatchBeers.com Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com Zolupez 205 W. 29th Street #2, Ogden Zolupez.com

Out On a High Note BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

| CITY WEEKLY |

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 27

trap Tank/Bewilder- Wee Heavy: The boys and girls at both of these breweries gathered at Bewilder Brewing a few weeks ago to brew this special Scottish-style brew. To increase the caramel qualities of the beer, some of the wort (unfermented beer) was made at Strap Tank’s Springville location, where they have a direct fire-brew system, to “amp up” the caramelization in this single-malt ale. It was then hauled up to SLC and combined into one brew. The result is a ruby-colored ale that starts with a half-finger of light tan head that fades to a thin, uneven and just incomplete skim; body is fairly dark, but still has decent clarity, and shows strong carbonation. There’s lots of big caramel, burnt and otherwise, in the aroma, along with a nice mulchy, grainy scent. A bit of a spicy/tobacco-like note is present, as well as some deep dark fruits. It’s quite robust. Wow, the taste is just amazing. It’s more of a barleywiney with a treacle-like attack, including phenomenal, complex fig/plum/ cherry fruit flavor. I am getting more of an English Old ale than a Scotch ale—no heather, no peat, no smoke, but very syrupy and fruity. It’s a welcome surprise, but, you know, we’re looking at Scotch ales here. The 10.4 percent alcohol is well-hidden (until it warms, that is). This would be fun to be cellared for a few years. Overall: I’d drink the hell out of this one, and order at least one more; it makes me want to go back again and again. As a Scotch ale, though, it’s not a prime example, but as an amazingly complex barley-

wine or real ale, Wee Heavy is a fantastic brew. Epic - Big Boy Hoppy Brown: O.G. beer nerds will probably recall Epic’s Santa Cruz. It was billed as a “brown IPA,” and I very much loved it. Apparently, I was the only one, though, because it was mothballed. After years of pissing in Epic’s ear in regards to bringing it back, the powers that be decided to shut me up and resurrect Santa Cruz as Big Boy Hoppy Brown. Well, probably not literally. It’s not the same beer, as the malts bill has been altered along with hops. This is a nice dark, molasses-brown brew, cloudy enough that I can’t really see through it in my pint glass. A big fluffy tan head slowly settled to a thick layer of foamy goodness all about—big lace, and lasting head. The aroma reveals a kick-butt hoppy brown ale with the hops falling squarely into that pine family we know and love. It’s more like a porter than a brown ale, with loads of dark malt, some cloudiness and only a small off-white head. The nose here is really hop forward, like green pine cones, sappy and fresh. The malt is less chocolate than expected, and much more towards that dark bitterness of unmalted roasted barley. The hops trump the malt bitterness with a unique bitterness of their own, very much sprucy and pine-forward. The full body may be a little filling for the style, as this is quite a hearty drink, but one that probably works well in three seasons and is nothing short of beautifully executed. We need more Indian brown ales on the market. Overall: This is one hell of a good-tasting beer: perfect balance with malts, very bready, and only slightly sweet. Great roasted sugars, light toffee, pine and some citrus hops provide balance. This is just as solid as can be, and I love it. If you’re reading this, I imagine your new year’s resolutions will likely include drinking better beer and enjoying more locallymade suds. If “Drynuary” is on your calendar, I’d advise checking out both of these above-mentioned breweries and trying out these fine ales to wrap up 2021. As always, cheers! CW

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

We wrap up 2021 with two beers made for celebrating

MIKE RIEDEL

BEER NERD

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

Serving fresh Seafood Boils lunch & dinner daily

the

BACK BURNER BY ALEX SPRINGER @captainspringer

Beer|Wine|Bubbles|Cocktails

Open New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day

618 East 400 South (next to Trader Joe’s) | 385.252.6666 | cajunboilutah.com

New Year’s Eve Festivities

Pork Belly Tacos were just the beginning.... 110 W Broadway : SLC weeknights til’ 11 weekends ‘til 12

www.tororosaslc.com Do you dream of a perfectly cooked burger on a garlic buttered - grilled brioche bun, with an ice cold beer? Stop dreaming. Come see us. Now. No, really. Our beer supply chain might break. 206 S West Temple : SLC : 801-890-5155

www.fatjacksut.com

It’s always fun to see how locals are going to ring in the new year, and there are a few options for those of you looking to party on Dec. 31. For those after something a bit more intimate, check out the food and beer pairing at Bewilder Brewing (445 S. 400 West, 385528-3840, bewilderbrewing.com). Like other events hosted by the Bewilder team, the evening will include a brewery tour before diving into a six-course meal that comes with five eight-ounce servings of locally crafted beer. The event starts off at 7 p.m., and tickets can be purchased via Bewilder Brewing’s website. The team at Ivy and Varley (55 W. 100 South, 801895-2846, ivyandvarley.com) is also hosting a New Year’s Eve dinner that will feature live music and special additions to their regular menu. Those looking to welcome 2022 while enjoying Ivy and Varley’s eclectic menu of Southern favorites spiked with some Asian and Mediterranean influences will want to reserve a spot here for the night. Watching the new year descend upon Salt Lake City from that giant patio sounds like the right way to roll into 2022. The event starts at 8 p.m., and reservations can be made online or over the phone.

Celebrat i

28 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

SLC just got a little HOTTER!

year

Finally, those looking to party with a big group over some serious square footage can head to The Gateway (400 West 200 South, atthegateway.com). The shopping center will be hosting their Last Hurrah event on Dec. 31 with plenty of local music, performance art and tasty food. Eateries like Flanker, Seabird, HallPass and Fleming’s will offer extended hours and special New Year’s Eve menus to sustain attendees through all that partying. Whatever you end up doing this New Year’s Eve, I hope you stay safe and be kind. We’ll see you in 2022. Quote of the Week: “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” –George Eliot

Call your order in for curbside delivery! 801-355-3425 878 E 900 S

CINEMA

Individual Greatness

A personal, idiosyncratic, non-aggregated list of 2021’s best movies BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

TDK

occasionally confounding, this psychological thriller uses a high-concept premise—a troubled teen (Charlie Shotwell) who holds his family captive—to tell a story steeped in fairy-tale imagery, digging into the eternal tension between young people wanting their independence, and needing people in their lives they can trust to always be there. 5. Drive My Car: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi adapts a Haruki Murakami short story into a 3-hour epic that feels profoundly intimate, using a theater director’s unprocessed grief over his wife’s death to tell a story about the way art itself can make meaning out of pieces that are individually hard to understand. 4. Bo Burnham: Inside: Comedian Bo Burnham’s snarky stage persona might make him an unlikely-seeming sage for pandemic-era emotional fragility, but anyone who saw his Eighth Grade understands his compassion for people facing isolation. Though it might play as mostly a collection of music videos, the brilliant songs and dazzling directing choices make this a time capsule that’s also a gut-punch. 3. A Hero: Nobody makes moral choices more harrowingly complex than writer/

SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME

801.355.5500

THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS

OGDEN 2293 GRANT AVE. 801.392.9115

*e xp ire s Ja nu ar

BREWVIES IS BACK and offering food, liquor and movie deals!

SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME

THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 29

• BREWVIES.COM •

ce iv e Br in g th is ad in to re ad m is si on a FR EE 2 fo r 1y 31s t, 20 22

SLC 677 S. 200 W. SLC

| CITY WEEKLY |

Private Rentals for up to 20 people starting at $99. Includes $99 credit towards food and beverages.

SHOWING DECEMBER 31ST - JANUARY 6TH

WELCOME BACK BREWVIES FRIENDS AND FAMILY!

director Asghar Farhadi, and those talents are on display once again in this tale of a man who becomes celebrated for a good deed that somehow exposes everyone’s desire to look good, rather than necessarily be good. Every decision has an unexpected ripple effect, leading our protagonist to hard realities about what constitutes real heroism. 2. Test Pattern: The year’s most electrifying feature film debut came from Shatara Michelle Ford, telling the story of a young couple (Brittany S. Hall and Will Brill) whose relationship is strained after a sexual assault. The subject matter never once comes off as a lecture, thanks to a directing hand so steady that every moment feels like a revelation. 1. Memoria: Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul has long made movies steeped in mysticism that make trying to “solve” them feel like missing the point. Through the narrative thread of a woman (Tilda Swinton) troubled by a strange noise, Weerasethakul crafts another one of his hypnotic creations that works as pure filmmaking, while tapping an emotional core you feel rather than understand. CW

should always be directed. 9. Procession: The tension between documentary and fictionalized re-creation has been a recurring theme of director Robert Greene’s work. Here, he explores how survivors of childhood sexual abuse by Catholic clergy use “drama therapy” to make sense of their experiences— sometimes filled with rage, sometimes filled with a quest for closure, but always compelling. 8. The Worst Person in the World: Joachim Trier crafts the episodic story of a young woman named Julie (the terrific Renate Reinsve) muddling through her late 20s and early 30s, using both fanciful dramatic devices and painful intimacy for a sympathetic portrait of figuring out what (and who) you want to be when you grow up. 7. Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and DMan in the Waters: What makes a piece of art transcendent? That’s the core of this documentary about the re-staging of a 1989 dance piece inspired by the AIDS crisis, mixing history with the contemporary rehearsals to understand how artists can continue to find meaning that brings old works to new life. 6. John and the Hole: Divisive, chilly and

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

t’s the time of year when arts critics of all kinds present to the world their favorite works of the year just past—yet despite this being an annual tradition, people are getting worse and worse at understanding what such lists do and don’t mean. In the interest of fending off familiar gripes and objections, here’s a brief prologue to my own choices for the best movies of 2021. It’s not a deliberate attempt to revel in obscure things you probably haven’t seen. I viewed more than 300 new releases this year; you, in all likelihood, did not. If my role is not at least in part to showcase things I loved that flew under most laypeople’s radar, I don’t know what it is. It’s not an invitation to ask, “Why isn’t [film you liked] on your list?” The answer should be obvious: Because it wasn’t one of my favorite movies of the year. It is completely and idiosyncratically mine. Artistic works touch us all to different degrees and for different reasons. I’m not Rotten Tomatoes, aggregating a consensus, and my own tastes lead me in peculiar directions. All right, enough of that. Onward with 2021’s best. 10. West Side Story: Director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner understand that the foundation of this classic musical has always been the anger and tension perpetually threatening the idea of the American “melting pot.” They bring this notion to the forefront in a way that never sacrifices the glorious songs, while Spielberg shows that his brilliance extends to directing musicals the way musicals

THURSDAYS

LUCKY THURSDAYS!

30 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

Making More Musical Memories

MUSIC

Considering the best moments from a year in flux

FRIDAYS

DJ FRESH(NESS)

BY ERIN MOORE music@cityweekly.net @errrands_

SATURDAYS

DJ DELMAGGIO

TUESDAYS

SALT LAKE’S BEST DJS

WEDNESDAYS

KARAOKE

JOHNNYSONSECOND.COM

165 E 200 S SLC 801.746.3334

he year just wrapping up has been a little bit like normal, but still decidedly not normal. Even as shows returned to stages across the country in 2021, many things were different: masks became a norm, as well as showing proof of vaccination to get into shows. But there were other changes, too. As artists started playing again, there was a new emotional charge to all that music. We all missed this so much. Read below for my favorite musical moments of 2021, and take a moment to reflect on your own. Return to Kilby Court. Last year, we interviewed a lot of local artists and music fans to ask what they missed most in our lockeddown world, and one answer many shared was resoundingly “Kilby Court.” The small, Rachael Jenkins scrappy, all-ages venue is a magical place, where one can see both amazing touring artists and watch your local favorites grow up and find their voice. For my part, some of the most amazing experiences I had this past year as I began going back to shows were there, too. The first one featured Josaleigh Pollett, who sang songs from her 2020 album No Woman Is The Sea and some from her vulnerable, lovely lo-fi Bedroom Demos 2021. At a certain point, many people were sitting on the ground and singing along to the refrain of one of my favorite tracks, the very-much-a-pandemic song “Earthquake Song (Bedroom Demo).” Along with her, we sang, “I can see the good in anything / do you want me to?” After that show, I had the pleasure of seeing Mannequin Pussy, a Philadelphia punk band who I saw once before, as the opening act in the more cavernous Metro Music Hall. This time, though, MP was the headlining act, and man did it go off. It was right after Kilby joined other venues in requiring masks at shows, and so that’s how I ended up in a hot, sweaty mosh pit for the first time in a long time—and for the first time, it was a fully-masked pit. I cried at the intensity of it, screaming along to favorite songs while admiring the gritty elegance of lead singer Missy Dabice. Then, I finally got to see local artist Rachael Jenkins for the first time. The young soloist has found some real fame online, going viral for songs like her first single “Untitled.” This fall’s Kilby show was somehow her first ever, and she had to ditch her mic because it kept shocking her. Even without the mic, her voice rang clear and high, unbelievably present—her voice, like her earnest face and searching eyes, was as soft and true as old silk. Hers is, I think, the best voice I have ever heard live. Everyone was weeping at her short lineup of songs, and for my part, her performance—like those mentioned above—reminded me why I love music. Perfume Genius’s Love. I am not a huge Perfume Genius fan, but I really enjoyed his last album, 2020’s Set My Heart On Fire Immediately. I got offered a ticket to the show at Metro Music Hall, so

JADE CROMAR

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

SLC

| CITY WEEKLY |

CONCERT PREVIEW

I decided to go alone. It’s a good thing, too, because I ugly cried the whole show through. I didn’t know beforehand, but Perfume Genius told us between songs that this was his first show back in two years. His excitement and emotion was palpable in the room, and he gave one of the most stirring performances I’ve ever seen, commanding the stage with outlandish props including cloud-like gauze, and caressing his mic like a lover. I was so happy for him, more than for myself for being lucky enough to be there. Even his lightshow added to the euphoric drama, and is definitely the best I’ve seen in any setting. A Night So Stacked You See Your Fav Unimpeded. One interesting new thing about live music shows in 2021 was the sheer number of them that stampeded through the city during the summer and fall, overwhelming bookers and venues to the extent that many venues found themselves taking on artists who might ordinarily play somewhere else. Big artists landed gigs at small venues and vice-versa; new venues became cool as new bookers took the reins. So for that reason, I’m assuming, Julien Baker was performing at the gargantuan room that is The Complex the same night that Cloud Nothings made a long-awaited return to the Urban Lounge. The Complex is too big for Baker, but it drew the same crowd who may have been also considering seeing the just-aspopular Cloud Nothings, meaning that when I rolled into Urban on that Tuesday night, it was criminally under-packed. And that’s how I nearly threw my neck out jumping around to one of my favorite bands, and got to stand right in front of them the whole time. Sometimes this pandemic really yields some cool shit to take your mind off the bad. That all being said, I’m incredibly grateful that I got to get back to my favorite thing this year—live music. And while the future is now once again increasingly uncertain, I now know how good it feels to come back to the music, and that alone is enough to keep my head up. CW

CHECK OUT OUR HEATED PATIO! GREAT FOOD SERVED DAILY!

UTAH’S #1 GASTROPUB! 326 S. WEST TEMPLE O P E N M O N - F R I 1 A M -1 A M , S AT-S U N 1 0 A M -1 A M

YOUR HOME FOR ALL COLLEGE FOOTBALL, NBA AND NFL GAMES!

L IV E M U S IC !

FRIDAY: SUE YEAR S EVE PART Y WITH B SIDE JUNK EEZ

FRIDAY: NYE WITH SAMEYEAM SATU RDAY: DJ FEL LSW OOP

SAT URDAY: SAM EYE AM

DRINK SPECIALS, TOAST AT MIDNIGHT, EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW AT THE SUE!! HIGHLAND B SIDE JUNKEEZ | STATE SAMEYEAM

SUNDAYS & THURSDAYS

SUE POKER TOUR

MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS

MONDAYS & THURSDAYS TUESDAYS

KARAOKE

SUNDAYS & TUESDAYS TUESDAYS

JACKPOT $1,750

THURSDAYS

$ BREAKING BINGO $

WEDNESDAYS

$100 CASH PRIZE EVERY WEEK

2 0 1 3 - 2 020

abarnamedsue.com

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 31

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK : 11 AM - 2 AM Highland: 3928 South Highland Dr • State: 8136 South State St

JACKPOT $1,450

paid $10K o r e v O Bing out in cations h lo @ bot

| CITY WEEKLY |

THURSDAYS

BEER PONG NIGHT!

WEDNESDAYS

A QUIZ NAMED SUE @8:00

NEW YEAR’S EVE AT THE SUE’S

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

L IV E M U S IC !

E AT AT S U E S

G R A C I E S S L C . C O M • 8 0 1 - 8 1 9 -7 5 6 5

WHISKEY WEDNEDSAYS

ALL DAY

KARAOKE THURSDAYS DJ BEKSTER

WHISKEY HIGHLIFE

Viva La DIVA

ALL DAY

SUNDAY FUNDAY

ADULT TRIVIA

TECATE TEQUILA

@ 9 PM

EVERYDAY FUN

$4 TALL BOYS EVERYDAY

15 FLATSCREENS BEST PATIO

@ 7PM

GREAT FOOD

$8.50

LUNCH SPECIAL

MONDAY - FRIDAY

BEST BRUNCH IN SLC

SATURDAY & SUNDAY 11 AM - 2 PM MIMOSAS BLOODY MARYS

New Year’s Eve DIVA! At Metro Music Hall

Escape into a crowd of impersonators this New Year’s Eve by hanging out at New Year’s Eve DIVA! For fans of the local drag impersonator series, there’s nowhere else you probably want to be anyways, so come home to Dolly—and all the other fabulous stars waiting for you. Jason CoZmo, the unmistakable local Dolly Parton impersonator who leads the Viva impersonators and tribute artists with gusto, will absolutely be there. This night isn’t all about Dolly, though, or even about any other of the glamorous artists—it’s about New Year’s! On top of rousing performances and hilarious impersonations from the divas, this show will also feature a ball-drop at midnight, followed by a celebration the whole crowd can get excited for. Besides Dolly, look forward to performances tributing Bette Midler, Cyndi Lauper, Elvis Presley, J-Lo, Lizzo and even more. The show will be at Metro Music Hall as usual, and doors are at 7:30 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Tickets are $45 at thevivaladivashow.com. Follow @thevivaladivashow on Instagram to keep up with all things DIVA in the new year.

801-532-7441 • HOURS: 11AM - 2AM

THEGREENPIGPUB.COM

If dancing is on your agenda this New Year’s Eve, make sure you head over to Soundwell to catch all the dance-ready talent they’ve got lined up for you. Headlining the night will be MAKJ, a DJ and producer whose portfolio of music ranges from collaborations with Steve Aoki, Tinashe, Andrew W.K., Lil’ Jon, Hardwell and M35, besides his own original solo releases. While EDM is his go-to genre and the one that helped him come up in the world of DJing and production, his style also varies and attendees of Soundwell’s Resolution NYE can expect as much. This year alone he’s put out several singles that show his diversity, from the pop forward “Just Sayin’” to the epic builder and collaboration with Bassjacker, “Scream It.” For support, Z&Z will bring their cinematic brand of EDM to the scene, alongside the more traditional beats of Silent Reign, whose music pulls more from old school house music than from modern EDM. All in all, this is a night for the club kids to wild out into the new year, so if you’re reading this and that’s you, make this your New Year’s Eve destination. The 21+ show starts at 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $36.04 at soundwellslc.com.

Featured Album

31 east 400 SOuth • SLC

Resolution NYE at Soundwell

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

HARRISON SPENDLOVE PHOTOGRAPHY

GRAPEFRUIT OR PINEAPPLE

BY ERIN MOORE

Ne w &

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

$3 MARGARITA

MUSIC PICKS

TEQUILA TUESDAYS

ed Vinyl s U

cords Re

32 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

MARGARITA MONDAYS

tues-sat 12-6pm NOW 157 e 900 s 801.532.4413 HIRING!

n our o p U

4760 S 900 E. SLC

Call for Table Reservations

801-590-9940 | FACEBOOK.COM/THE ROYALSLC ROYALSLC.COM

BAR | NIGHTCLUB | MUSIC | SPORTS CHECKOUT OUR GREAT MENU Open for in-dining pre show!

Friday, 12/30

The Fingers Night Crew Saturday, 12/31

a t e d p a ti o

LIVE MUSIC

Facebook.com/theroyalslc ALL SHOW TICKETS AVAILABLE AT SMITHSTIX OR AT THE ROYAL

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30TH

MONDAY, JANUARY 3RD

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5TH

THURSDAY, JANUARY 6TH

FRIDAY, JANUARY, 7TH

PAGE MCGINNIS TRIO

MICHELLE MOONSHINE

JON O RADIO

JONNY GOLD

OPEN JAM

SUPERBUBBLE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29TH

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

w/ CREEP Walter James Wood

| CITY WEEKLY |

3200 E BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON ROAD 801.733.5567 | THEHOGWALLOW.COM

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 33

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY |

34 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

Ivouries

Ivouries at Kily Court

Here’s a pre-NYE show you should consider visiting if you want to go out ahead of the holiday mayhem: Ivouries with Franklin Good and Bobo. We’ve written about Ivouries here before, but if you forgot, here’s a refresher. The local four-piece specializes in emotionally-driven synth pop of The 1975 variety, though they’re probably growing tired of those comparisons. In 2020 they released a self-titled EP whose contents ranged from bops to ambient tracks, and a single in “RUN.” So far nothing new seems to be on the horizon, but if you haven’t heard the aforementioned releases, run, don’t walk to listen to them at this show. They’ll be joined by Franklin Good, who’s also collaborated with the band on the groovy 2017 track, “Need Somebody.” More recently, Good has put out his own delicate work, crooning throughout his gentle but experimental 2018 EP The Franklin Good EP and the even funkier Poo Poo Songs, which he released this year. They’ll both be joined by Bobo, who couldn’t find a better group to play her saccharine New Wave tracks alongside. The all-ages show opens at 7 p.m. and is $8 at kilbycourt.com.

Lady Bunny at Why Kiki

BRUCE GLIKAS

JACABO FUNES

MUSIC PICKS

Lady Bunny

Drag fans rejoice, because a living legend is coming your way this New Year’s Eve, and to some modest downtown digs, too. Why Kiki bar, the new hub for drag in the city, will be hosting a huge name in the drag world for NYE revelries: Lady Bunny! Lady Bunny has been part of the drag world since long before it was mainstream, counting RuPaul as a peer—she was even the Dean of Drag for three seasons of Drag U. On her own, she founded the beloved LGBTQ tradition Wigstock, an annual festival that closed out the summer for LGBTQ communities in her home of New York City. Since then, she’s gone on to travel the world as a DJ, performer and raunchy comic, always with her huge blond wig perched on her head. So if you make this your NYE destination, don’t forget to bring out your very best for this legendary queen. She’ll be performing two shows, one at 8 p.m. and one at 11 p.m., so there’s no excuse not to catch that rabbit! The first show has doors at 7 p.m. and tickets range from $30 - $50, and the second show has doors at 10 p.m. and tickets range from $20 - $250. Why Kiki is a 21+ bar, and tickets to this Saturday, Dec. 31 show can be found at whykiki. ticketleap.com.

10th Annual First Mistakes Party at Urban Lounge

While the New Year is a time where many are vowing to make fewer mistakes, there are some locals here in SLC who want you to celebrate your first mistakes—NYE hangover in tow on New Year’s Day. If this sounds more up your alley than making resolutions you’ll break in the first week, then get over to the 10th Annual First Mistakes Party at the Urban Lounge on Saturday, Jan. 1. And while there will probably already be a lot to celebrate (whatever mistakes you made the night before), one of the bands, INVDRS, are potentially celebrating their last show and “fifteen years of ritualistic sacrifice.” Whether a fan of the band or a fan of the tradition they’ve started with this show, get down to the Urban Lounge to send them out right, and to greet the new year—and make a few mistakes in their honor while you’re there. Say yes to those eight-dollar pints. They’ll be joined on stage by Charlatan and Mad Elegant, who hopefully aren’t also disbanding after this show. This 21+ show opens at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10 for general entry and $50 for booth reservation. Find tickets at theurbanloungeslc.com.

Happy New Year

Available at Utah Clubs, Restaurants and Supermarkets!

from Glover Nursery

JANUARY SHOWS 12/31 Herring // Scheissters // Modern Speed

1/7

Apis Mellifera // Pizzicasso // Sophie Dasaro

1/8

Death Market Worldwide // Tony Backwoods // Ferrari$moke

1/14

Bliss Witch // Hulking Boy Giant // The Zissous

BUY TIX @ QUARTERSSLC.COM/THE-DLC 01/05/22

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 35

400 S & MAIN ST. / MUST BE 21+

9AM TO 6PM MONDAY– SATURDAY CLOSED SUNDAY

| CITY WEEKLY |

FREE LAYAWAY

LAVI$H // CeeLos // Blacc Emergence // OhLeon

HOURS

1/1

12/30 Synth Lake City

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

Monday-Saturday 9am-4pm | Sunday Closed 9275 S 1300 W • 801-562-5496 • glovernursery.com

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| COMMUNITY |

36 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

Associate Consultant, Civil Engineer sought by WSP USA Inc. in Holladay, UT to be responsible for sophisticated engineering duties required for the successful design, build, management and maintenance of roads, railroads, airports, bridges, and related structures. Duties and responsibilities of this position will include, but are not limited to: apply advanced knowledge of concepts, principles, and practices of civil engineering to the design, build, and management of civil transportation structures; prepare technical specifications for review and approval; apply knowledge of civil engineering professional standards (such as: AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications; DOT MUTCD, as well as codes as established by state and local DOTs where project work is to be executed; AREMA standards including the Manual for Railway Engineering (Fixed Properties), and Trackwork Plan; ASCE; and ASTM Geotechnical Engineering Standards); and apply knowledge and skill in using a variety of engineering computer programs and analytical technology used in solving engineering problems. Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering required. One year of experience as civil engineer, researcher, or intern required. Experience must include: using AASHTO MEPDG software to create pavement structures of roads; creating simulations under different loads and load repetition for accuracy of loads; analyzing simulation results and preparing reports; evaluating the confirmation lights for freeway on-ramp intersections; designing and analyzing traffic impact studies, as well as analyzing the data from the experimental work and presenting it in written form; assisting in data collection for portable traffic signal with pilot car operations; and assisting in a project related to the development of temporary rumble strips for work zones. Graduate Research or Internship experience accepted. Send resumes to: Matthew Beatus, WSP USA, One Penn Plz, Fl 4, New York, NY 10119; or email to matthew.beatus@wsp.com

Senior Data Scientist & Data Engineers sought by Connor Group, Inc., Lehi, UT to identify & lead data science prjcts, etc. Deg’d applicants, exp’d in use of Genetic Algorithms, Particle Swarm Optimization, etc., send resume to monica.evans@connorgp.com University of Utah Health and the Moran Eye Center will be destroying medical records for all patients with dates of service prior to 01/01/2000 and for patients that have a date of death prior to 2012, who were over 18 years old at the time of death, with dates of service prior to 01/01/2012. If you would like to request a copy of your records prior to destruction, or if you have a legal right to access a deceased relative’s medical information and would like a copy of their records, you must contact the facility at 801-581-2704 before 01/10/2022. After that date, records will no longer be available.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY B Y R O B

B R E Z S N Y

Go to realastrology.com for Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes. Audio horoscopes also available by phone at 877-873-4888 or 900-950-7700.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Historians disagree about the legacy of Jimmy Carter, who was president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Was he effective or not? Opinions differ. But there’s no ambiguity about a project he pursued after his presidency. He led a global effort to eliminate a pernicious disease caused by the guinea worm parasite. When Carter began his work, 3.5 million people per year suffered from the parasite’s debilitating effects. Today, there are close to zero victims. Will 2022 bring an equivalent boon to your life, Aries? The banishment of an old bugaboo? A monumental healing? I suspect so. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) In 2022, I hope you will express more praise than ever before. I hope you’ll be a beacon of support and inspiration for the people you care for. The astrological omens suggest this could be a record-breaking year for the blessings you bestow. Don’t underestimate your power to heal and instigate beneficial transformations. Yes, of course, it’s a kind and generous strategy for you to carry out. But it will also lead to unforeseen rewards that will support and inspire and heal you. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) If you search Google, you’ll be told that the longest biography ever written is the 24-volume set about British political leader Winston Churchill. But my research shows there’s an even more extensive biography: about Japan’s Emperor Hirohito, who lived from 1901 to 1989. His story consists of 61 volumes. In the spirit of these expansive tales, and in accordance with 2022’s astrological aspects, I encourage you to create an abundance of noteworthy events that will deserve inclusion in your biography. Make this the year that warrants the longest and most interesting chapter in that masterpiece. CANCER (June 21-July 22) One of the 20th century’s most famous works of art was Fountain. It was scandalous when it appeared in 1917, since it consisted entirely of a white porcelain urinal. Marcel Duchamp, the artist who presented it, was a critic of the art market and loved mocking conventional thought. Years later, however, evidence emerged suggesting that Fountain may not have been Duchamp’s idea—that in fact he “borrowed” it from Cancerian artist and poet Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven. There’s still disagreement among art scholars about what the facts are. But if definitive proof ever arrives that von FreytagLoringhoven was the originator, it will be in 2022. This will be the year many Cancerians finally get the credit they deserve.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) If your quest for spiritual enlightenment doesn’t enhance your ability to witness and heal the suffering of others, then it’s fake enlightenment. If your quest for enlightenment encourages you to imagine that expressing personal freedom exempts you from caring for the well-being of your fellow humans, it’s fake. If your quest for enlightenment allows you to ignore racism, bigotry, plutocracy, misogyny and LGBTQIA-phobia, it’s fake. Everything I just said about enlightenment is equally true about your quest for personal success. If it doesn’t involve serving others, it’s meaningless. In this spirit, Libra, and in accordance with the astrological omens, I invite you to make 2022 the year you take your compassion and empathy to the highest level ever. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Two mating rabbits could theoretically engender 11 million relatives within a year’s time. Although I suspect that in 2022 you will be as metaphorically fertile as those two hypothetical rabbits, I’m hoping you’ll aim more for quality than quantity. To get started, identify two projects you could pursue in the coming months that will elicit your most liberated creativity. Write a vow in which you state your intention to be intensely focused as you express your fecundity. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) A blogger named Soracities writes, “The more I read, the more I feel that a good mark of an intelligent book is simply that the author is having fun with it.” Sagittarian author George Saunders adds that at its best, “Literature is a form of fondness-for-life. It is love for life taking a verbal form.” I will expand these analyses to evaluate everything that humans make and do. In my opinion, the supreme sign of intelligence and value is whether the creators had fun and felt love in doing it. My proposal to you, Sagittarius, is to evaluate your experiences in that spirit. If you are doing things with meager amounts of fun and love, what can you do in 2022 to raise the fun and love quotient?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Microbiologist Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928. It was later described as “the single greatest victory ever achieved over disease”—an antidote to dangerous infections caused by bacteria. But there’s more to the story. Fleming’s strain of penicillin could only be produced in tiny amounts—not nearly enough to become a widespread medicine. It wasn’t until 1943 that a different strain of penicillin was found—one that could be massproduced. The genius who made this possible was Mary Hunt, a humble researcher without a college degree. By 1944, the new drug was saving thousands of lives. I mention Hunt because she’s a good role model for you in 2022. I believe you’ll have chances to improve on the work of others, generating excellent results. You LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Author Carson McCullers wrote the novel The Heart Is a Lonely may also improve on work you’ve done in the past. Hunter. Early in the story, the character named Mick Kelly has a crisis of yearning. McCullers describes it: “The feeling was AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) a whole lot worse than being hungry for any dinner, yet it was Catherine Pugh wrote a series of children’s books collectively like that. I want—I want—I want—was all that she could think known as Healthy Holly. Later, when she became mayor of the about—but just what this real want was, she did not know.” If city of Baltimore, she carried out a scheme to sell 100,000 you have ever had experiences resembling Mick’s, Leo, 2022 copies to hospitals and schools that did business with the city. will be your year to fix that glitch in your passion. You will Uh-oh. Corruption! She was forced to resign from her office and receive substantial assistance from life whenever you work on was arrested. I’d love for you to be aggressive and imaginative in the intention to clarify and define the specific longings that are promoting yourself in 2022, but only if you can find ethical ways to do so. I’d love for you to make money from doing what you do most essential to you. best, but always with high integrity and impeccability. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) After careful research, I have concluded that one of your PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) important missions in 2022 will be to embody a perspective Piscean Vaslav Nijinsky is regarded by many as the 20th cenarticulated by poet Rand Howells: “If I could have but one wish tury’s most brilliant dancer. He had a robust relationship with granted, it would be to live in a universe like this one at a time like beauty, and I want you to know about it. Hopefully, this will the present with friends like the ones I have now and be myself.” inspire you to enjoy prolonged periods of Beauty Worship in In other words, Virgo, I’m encouraging you to do whatever’s 2022. To do so will be good for your health. Memorize this pasnecessary to love your life exactly as it is—without comparing sage from Nijinsky: “Beauty is God. God is beauty with feeling. it unfavorably to anyone else’s life or to some imaginary life you Beauty is in feeling. I love beauty because I feel it and therefore understand it. I flaunt my beauty. I feel love for beauty. don’t actually have.

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

Ad Sales

Event Sponsorship

New Revenue Generator

FOR MORE INFORMATION EMAIL PETE SALTAS PETE@CITYWEEKLY.NET

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 37

IS HIRING!

| COMMUNITY |

START THE NEW YEAR IN A NEW ROLE!

WATER

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

ACROSS

Bye, Bye, Buy! I

48. Go on the offensive 49. Entertained 50. Stunning weapons 51. Brooklyn’s Medgar ____ College 53. Baseball’s Alejandro, Carlos and Tony 54. Catch ____ (surf) 56. Religious offshoots 59. “Zip-____-Doo-Dah” 60. 38-0, e.g. 61. Fabled loser to a tortoise 62. Author Sarah ____ Jewett

Last week’s answers

No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

5. Some 6. Express again 7. Response to “Is anyone else here?” 8. Olympic poker? 9. “____ is human ...” 10. Not just a glitch 11. Familial bond 12. Flush 13. Do an old printing house job 14. Word after sing or string 21. Drs.’ co-workers 24. ____ Reader (magazine with the slogan “Cure ignorance”) 27. Susan of old TV’s “The Partridge Family” 28. Trumpet or guitar effect 29. Slightly 30. Steals from 33. “____ a Putty Tat” (Friz Freleng short) 35. Source of the words “spunk” and “trousers” 36. Like Eeyore 38. Some people like them dirty 39. Quinceañera, e.g. 40. Order for a big party, maybe DOWN 1. Pete who was 2019’s N.L. Rookie of the Year 41. Pirates’ home 42. Where something’s always 2. ____ thermometer brewing? 3. *big kiss* 46. Award since WWI 4. Quick snack

URBAN L I V I N

WITH BABS DELAY Broker, Urban Utah Homes & Estates, urbanutah.com

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9.

1. Restraint technique in mixed martial arts 7. Boeing 747s, e.g. 11. First K-pop group to have a #1 Billboard hit 14. Member of the herring family 15. Hip to, as the latest news 16. NBA coach Tyronn ____, who won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 17. Tracks down 18. “I ____ little silhouetto ...” (“Bohemian Rhapody” lyric) 19. Scrap of food 20. Best Picture of 1954 22. Org. with an annual Codebreaker Challenge 23. “De-e-elish!” 25. Become depleted 26. In 1964, he received 52 electoral votes in comparison to LBJ’s 486 31. Bit recorded on a Fitbit 32. Have a home-cooked meal 34. Ref. work that added “livestream” in 2021 37. Suffix with glycer38. Declaration when sensing one’s amniotic fluid has leaked ... or a statement when solving four answers in this puzzle 41. Org. with the slogan “Every child. One voice” 43. Inits. on toothpaste tubes 44. Voters’ topic 45. One who’s able to rattle off digits of pi, perhaps 47. D.C. hotel that once used Richard Nixon’s speeches as its telephone hold music 52. Where a Persian might get a manicure? 55. Some offensive NFL players, briefly 57. Dallas NBA player, for short 58. Accounting firm that has handled Oscar balloting since 1935 63. Get an ____ (ace) 64. Zip 65. Not as fine 66. Lyon king 67. “____ plaisir!” 68. Kathleen and Tina 69. Tour de France units: Abbr. 70. Run for, as office 71. Knights’ mounts

SUDOKU X

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| COMMUNITY |

38 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

t’s time to show 2021 the door! It has been a doozy for real estate in both the U.S. and in our fair state. Nationally, this past year will end up with the highest level of home sales in 15 years, as well as the highest increase in median home prices over the same period. Low inventory and high demand with low mortgage rates caused the housing kerfuffle and it’s not looking great for buyers in 2022. The hot housing market helped the national economy while the COVID-19 pandemic killed other sectors like restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. We Realtors found that people who bought or sold during the past year were often moving because: 1. they were working from home; 2. they were home schooling children at home; 3. they wanted to be closer to family and friends or; 4. all of the above. We don’t have final, local stats just yet, but you can bet this is a record-breaking year for property sales all along the Wasatch Front and in Washington County. The median home price in both areas hovered around 25% over last year’s home prices. I personally had difficulty providing accurate market analysis while looking at sales when the final closing prices were $50,000, $100,000 and even $500,000 over the listed prices. I went back to my old standby and paid for appraisals on properties that I was going to list so I could have—and the seller could have—not only accurate and current measurements of the property, but also an independent opinion of value. I witnessed rampant greed from sellers this past year where owners just wanted the most money and didn’t give a rat’s about who wanted to buy their home. Heartfelt letters by my buyers to accompany their offers to sellers—with phrases like “We want to buy on the same street as our grandparents so we can take care of them,” or “This is the perfect home because we can stop driving and take the bus to work”—didn’t fly for the most part. The trend was enough that our National Association of Realtors advised us this year to warn buyers against writing letters with photos of themselves, their kids and their pets, because sellers might discriminate against the potential purchaser if they saw the family was not of the “right color of skin” to live in their home or neighborhood, or because they might not like kids and pets. We’re hoping 2022 might see a few more housing options and more inventory available for sale, but sadly, some of that inventory might come from foreclosures of those who lost jobs in 2021 or who died of COVID-19 this past year. The great mortgage interest rates of 2021 are going to disappear in 2022 as inflation keeps growing, and we’re expecting many buyers to fall out of the market because they won’t be able to qualify for higher mortgage rates in 2022. Advice? Buy soon, because prices and mortgage rates will go up in 2022. Good luck! n Content is prepared expressly for Community and is not endorsed by City Weekly staff.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND OTHERS IN THE ESTATE OF MARLON HARDY PETERSON 55 W Alta View Way Sandy City, Utah 84070 who died on 11/02/2021 Take notice that all persons having claims upon the estate of the above named must file with the undersigned Estate Trustee by 03/21/2021 a full statement of their claims and of securities held by them. Estate trustee Jennifer Udseth 320 f street SLC, UT 84103 | 801-971-0602

SHAKE IT UP WITH A NEW HOME THIS WEEK’S FEATURED PARTLOW RENTALS:

WEST VALLEY

Spacious 3bdrm 2.5 bath townhome, private deck, washer/dryer included, granite counters, vaulted ceilings! $1795

Wonderful 2Bdrm, tons of storage, hookups, private porch, bright kitchen! - $895

HOLLADAY

DOWNTOWN

Humongous 3 bdrm 2 bathroom townhome, vaulted ceilings, patio/ porch, hookups, disposal, fireplace, and garage! $1795

Darling 1 large bdrm + extra office, vintage details, hardwood floors, tile counters, swamp cooler, double entry, onsite laundry! $1095

LAYTON

MILLCREEK

Lovely 2bdrm 1.5 bath, swamp cooler, dishwasher, xtra storage, hook-ups, covered parking, pet friendly! $1095

Magnificent 1 bdrm. spacious layout, dishwasher, disposal, hookups, swamp cooler, pool, pet friendly!! $1095

VIEW OUR RENTALS ONLINE AT PARTLOWRENTS.COM VISIT OUR OFFICE LOCATION AT 440 S. 700 E. STE 203 801-484-4446

S NEofW the

BY T HE EDITO R S AT A ND RE WS M cMEEL

We sell homes to all saints, sinners, sisterwives and...

WEIRD

The Christmas Spirit Fritz Turner, 23, returned to his hometown of Newport, Washington, to find the city’s Christmas tree “embarrassing.” The scant trimming comprised a series of vertical rope lights dangling from the top of the tree down the sides, The News Tribune reported. “This is not gonna do,” he said. So he set up a GoFundMe page on Dec. 2, hoping to raise $5,000 for better lights and more decorations. “We can do better. Even Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree looked better than this sad spruce,” he wrote. The page raised more than $2,700 for the lights, and the local utility company hung them on the tree. And middle- and high school students donated handmade ornaments for it. For the first time in many years, the chamber of commerce organized a tree-lighting ceremony on Dec. 11. Turner said he’s been “inspired” by the support. “Together, we’re really powerful.” Chutzpah On Dec. 6, Laura Oglesby, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally providing false information to the Social Security Administration, The New York Times reported. Her story is much more complicated than that one charge. In 2016, Oglesby used her estranged daughter’s identity to create another life for herself as Lauren Hays, a 22-year-old college student in Mountain View, Missouri. She obtained a Social Security card and driver’s license, then racked up more than $25,000 in debt with student loans and other expenses. She also worked at Southwest Baptist University and rented a room from Wendy and Avery Parker. “Everybody believed it,” said Mountain View Police Chief Jamie Perkins. “She even had boyfriends that believed that she was that age: 22 years old.” Oglesby may face up to five years in prison and will have to pay restitution to her daughter and SBU.

Julie “Bella” De Lay Realtor 801-784-8618 bella@urbanutah.com Selling homes for 8 years

Babs De Lay

Broker/Owner 801-201-8824 babs@urbanutah.com www.urbanutah.com

Selling homes for 37 years in the Land of Zion

SEE VIRTUAL TOURS AT URBANUTAH.COM

It’s a Living Hasan Riza Gunay, known as Turkey’s one and only stress coach, has a unique method for easing his clients’ angst: He lets them hit him (and doesn’t hit back), Oddity Central reported. After a decade in the business, though, Gunay is ready to train someone to take his place. “Most of my clients suffer from depression or panic attacks,” he said. “I would like to train other potentially interested people ... and hand over my gloves to the new generation.” Gunay said around 70% of his clients are women whose strength is equivalent to that of boys 12 to 14 years old, so he doesn’t worry about getting hurt. And he wears protective gear, sometimes accompanied by a photo of the person the client is unhappy with.

HOME LOANS MADE BRIZZÉE Julie Bri-ZAY, makes home buying ea-ZAY Loan officer NMLS#243253

Julie Brizzee 2750 E. Cottonwood Pkwy, Suite 660 Cottonwood Heights, Utah 84020

801-971-2574 Providing All Mortgage Loan Services

This is not a commitment to lend. Program restrictions apply.

Company NMLS #190465 | www.intercaplending.com | Equal Housing Lender

DECEMBER 30, 2021 | 39

Least Competent Criminal Justice System Lauras Matiusovas, 30, was suddenly (and mistakenly) released Yikes! from the Pentonville Prison in North London on Nov. 26 after Rob and Marcela Wild of Robertson, South Africa, figured there serving only 48 hours of a four-year sentence. After Matiusovas might be a mouse in their newly decorated Christmas tree when called the probation officer, who told him that everything was their cats started watching it intently on Dec. 10. Instead, they in order, Matiusovas did what any grateful con would do: He found one of the most venomous snakes in Africa, a boomslang, embarked on a 10-day boozing binge with his friends. “It’s CNN reported. The Wilds called on snake catcher Gerrie Heyns, mad,” one buddy said, according to the Daily Star. “He could who used “snake tongs” to put it on the floor. “Once I had it have jumped on a flight and left the U.K. Instead, he chilled under control, the family came right up to see the snake,” Heyns with us and had a great time.” But it all came to an end on Dec. said. “A scary moment turned into an exciting moment for the 6, when he was hauled back to his cell. The Ministry of Justice children.” Heyns released the female snake, about 4 1/2 feet commented: “Releases in error are incredibly rare, but we take long, back into the wild a couple of days later. them extremely seriously.” Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

| COMMUNITY |

Bright Idea Mark Rogers, 38, Joseph Way, 36, and Tashara Levans, 37, each pleaded guilty on Dec. 14 to one count of kidnapping a federal employee, which could get them nine years to life in federal prison, The Washington Post reported. It all started on Nov. 16, 2019, in Rochester, New York, when the three were anxiously awaiting a postal delivery of $70,000 worth of cocaine. The mail carrier delivered several other packages to the home that day, but as she stepped off the porch, the trio accused her of stealing the drug package. They ransacked her mail truck, “then told her she was coming with them,” prosecutor Robert Marangola said during a hearing. In Levans’ SUV, they told the postal employee that they were going to kill her, her children and her mother. They searched her personal vehicle, then continued driving her around while threatening her. But eventually they stopped and got out to talk. That’s when the mail carrier used her smartwatch to text her supervisor and the Rochester Police Department. As the suspects finally dropped her off at her car, police swarmed the SUV and arrested them. Sentencing is scheduled for April.

The Way the World Works Those large inflatable Christmas decorations may fill the hearts of children with holiday cheer, but one young ursid saw a sparring partner and went on the attack in Monrovia, California, on Dec. 8. Donna Hargett captured video of a bear cub wrestling with her neighbor’s inflatable reindeer as the mama bear looked on, United Press International reported. “I looked up and there it was, jumping on the reindeer,” Hargett said. “We see these two around all the time. They’re trouble,” she said. In fact, Hargett said they once broke into her home and left paw prints on the bed. No word on Rudolph’s condition.

Sign of the Times Working at home? Stubbed your toe while making the commute from the bedroom to your desk? In Germany, you can now sue for worker’s comp insurance for injuries suffered while working at home. Germany’s Federal Social Court ruled that an unnamed man who slipped on a spiral staircase and broke his back was entitled to coverage, saying it viewed the “first morning journey from bed to the home office as an insured work route,” NBC Washington reported.

THOSE WHO WORK FROM HOME!

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

My Kingdom for an Editor Thankfully, a sign on Interstate 95 in Delaware directing drivers to a Wilmington exit was only temporary, but that didn’t stop commuters from noticing it. The Associated Press reported that the sign was missing an “A” in the avenue’s name (“Delware”); transportation officials said it was made in a hurry in case the permanent sign didn’t arrive in time for the opening of the exit, which had been under construction. There’s always time for correct spelling, kids.

Not Your Father’s Buick Sure, the Greatest Generation may be coasting down the road at 32 mph in their Le Sabres, much to other drivers’ frustration, but Buicks weren’t always old-man cars. In fact, car collector Anthony Saia sold a 1987 Buick GNX on eBay on Dec. 11 for $249,999, Fox News reported. The GNX, part of a limited edition of 547 built for only one year, was produced by Buick along with McLaren Engines and ASC Inc. It was the second-fastest 0-to-60 mph car of its day (behind the Porsche 911 Turbo), and others have sold for similar amounts. Saia’s car had 426 miles on it.

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY • BACKSTOP |

40 | DECEMBER 30, 2021

SHARED OFFICE SPACE DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE

AXIS BUILDING, 175 W 200 S, GARDEN LEVEL. UNIQUE COLLABORATIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT WITH SHARED WORKSPACES, CONFERENCE ROOMS, PRIVATE OFFICES, AND AN EVENT HALL. EASY WALKING DISTANCE TO RESTAURANTS, BUSINESS, AND TRAX. CAN DO MONTH TO MONTH. STARTING AT ONLY $300/MO! CALL 801-654-1393 OR MSALTAS@CITYWEEKLY.NET

Your dog’s home away from home • Overnight dog boarding • Cageless dog daycare • Dog washing stations 801-683-3647 • WWW.UTAHDOGPARK.COM Woods Cross: 596 W 1500 S (Woods Cross) | Airport Location: 1977 W. North Temple

CASH FOR JUNK CARS! • NO TITLE NEEDED!

SLC 652 S. REDWOOD 801-886-2345

WE PAY CASH

WE’LL EVEN PICK IT UP TEARAPART.COM

OGDEN 763 W. 12TH ST 801-564-6960

TETRA GRINDER, LLC STUMP GRINDING SERVICES Licensed & Insured

STUMP GRINDING TREE & BUSH PLANTING/REMOVAL WEED PULLING YARD CLEAN-UP HAULING AWAY JUNK CALL

801-647-1950

COTTONWOOD PAINTING Home/office/ business. Clean/fast/efficient. Free estimates. Call 801-574-4161

Low Commissions. Full-Service Agent. Find your dream home at DiscountAgent.com

Aaron Peters NetLogix Realty 801-243-8900

FOR SALE

You could save* thousands when you sell your home with Aaron Peters

Buy a home and receive a commission rebate*

All Utah real state commissions are negotiable. Commission rebates are subject to lender approval and lending guidelines. Savings are not guaranteed.