City Weekly December 1, 2022

Growing Green

While fossil fuel companies continue to put pollution and carbon emissions into the atmosphere, it is the people and their com munities that suffer.

The best snow on earth coupled with ac cessibility to the mountains and a fairly mild winter make Utah hard to beat, but a major drawback has always been the winter smog. Transportation, area sources—such as homes, buildings and businesses—nonroad equipment and industry are all con tributing more and more to particulate matter in the air and increasing the chance of disease for Salt Lake residents.

An enduring price on pollution with a “carbon cashback” returned to the people would result in cleaner air, a more stable climate and better health outcomes. If we want the greater Salt Lake Valley to con tinue to grow in population, we need the growth to be sustainable.

The solution is: Congress must pass legis lation with incentives to transition to clean energy and transportation.

MELISSA STEVENS Salt Lake City

Sounds Like …

My neighbor’s high school-age child was talking to me about homophones. We came up with a candidate: Trumpery—behavior typical of the former president.

I admit that I showed her my 60-year-old dictionary’s definition of trumpery (with a small t): Showy and worthless stuff; rub bish; ritual foolery.

Now is that a homophone or just a state ment of the obvious?

RICHARD MIDDLETON North Salt Lake

Twitter Performance Art

Have you ever encountered a klansman at the grocery store? I have. I instantly recog nized him as a member of the Ku Klux Klan because I’d seen him speak (sans hood) at a Klan rally (I was one of the protesters, not one of the klansmen) and on local TV rep ping the organization.

I didn’t speak with him, both because I didn’t want to and because I didn’t have to.

I also didn’t roll my cart to the front of the store, abandon it, loudly announce that

if he was allowed to shop there I wouldn’t be shopping there, stomp out in a huff and tell all my friends that if they ever wanted to talk to me at a grocery store, I’d be at the one across town.

Shortly after Elon Musk purchased and took control of Twitter, the hashtag #leav ingtwitter began to trend as various people (including “celebrities,” many of whom I’ve never heard) metaphorically stomped off of the platform because ... well, because.

There are lots of reasons to leave Twit ter. Some of those reasons—it’s turned into a time-wasting addiction, it feels creepy to be advertised to based on the algorithm’s surveillance of one’s interests, etc.—make sense to me. It’s not that they’re good or bad, per se. They’re just personal choices that make sense to the people leaving. And with numerous alternatives to choose from, it’s not like #leavingtwitter means going without social media. No biggie.

The biggest factor driving the #leav ingtwitter trend, though, seems to be the equivalent of noticing the klansman in the grocery store and storming out theatrically. Yes, Musk told the Bad People they can stay

(or return), with wider permissions to say Bad Things on his newly acquired platform.

But nobody has to talk with the Bad Peo ple or listen to the Bad Things. Everyone’s free to ignore the Bad People, and can even block those Bad People so as to never be forced to notice their Bad Shouting.

Good Person A can get her social media “groceries,” and Bad Person B can get his, without the two ever interacting at all be yond Good Person A noticing Bad Person B’s presence and hitting the “block” link.

So far as I can tell, #leavingtwitter is largely an exercise in performance art— tiresome performance art. If other people (even Bad People) saying what they want to say (even Bad Things) troubles you that much, especially when you have the power to keep that speech out of your own “hear ing,” you’re as much a part of society’s problems as they are.

The cure for bad speech is more speech, not self-imposed exile.

Do as you like, but I’m not #leavingtwitter.

THOMAS

L. KNAPP

Advocacy Journalism

THE BOX

What do you think about drive-thru tipping?

Katharine Biele

They work, too. Until we get Andrew Yang’s $1,000-a-month deal, we have to help people stay afloat.

Benjamin Wood

If I’m presented with a tablet or screen with a tipping option, I’m likely to leave a little extra no matter the venue or service rendered. Especially in the post-COVID, Amazon-dominant era, the local economy and its foot soldiers can use all the help we can give them.

Bill Frost

When I can order a stein of beer and a plate of wings at the drive-thru, they’ll get a tip.

Carolyn Campbell

I always give a couple of bucks. Then I al ways wonder if that’s enough.

Bryan Bale

If a restaurant accepts tips at the counter, they should also make provisions to ac cept tips at the drive-thru. Those employ ees are on their feet all day, under pres sure to work quickly with no mistakes while enduring verbal abuse from picky and impatient customers. I used to have nightmares about working as a grocery checker. I strongly disagree with paying servers less than minimum wage with the expectation that tipping makes up the difference. A lot of restaurants operate like that, so I usually leave as generous a tip as I’m able. I don’t want to be the ass hole who shorts somebody’s paycheck.

Paula Saltas

Dear drive-up workers, say thank you! It is really easy and quit glaring at me when I say “you’re welcome.”

The William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian

One-Party Rule

Most readers of this space know I grew up in Bingham Canyon, my home bordered on both sides by rail lines exiting the giant Kennecott Copper Mine just up the way. Those rail lines were used to transport the ore taken from the mine out to Magna where it was crushed, re fined and smelted into the copper wires that transport elec tricity to the computer on which you are likely reading this column right now.

There were no computers back then, of course, and, there fore, it was a much happier time. We kids would play all day along those rail lines, or what remained of them. The line be hind our house was the old Bingham and Garfield Railway. It wasn’t in service when I was a kid, but the rails were used to park old engines and ore cars on. They all just sat there in a row and were perfectly suited for kids to crawl all over and jump off from.

We were always breaking things in Bingham Canyon and had an ideal inspiration for that in Kennecott Copper itself, which was forever in earnest purchasing homes and busi nesses in the canyon in order to tear them down to make room for the ever-expanding copper mine pit. There was de struction everywhere.

One day where a house stood, the next day, you’d find not only a pile of rubble but also be told that your best buddy had moved to the valley. I learned early on not to get too attached to things.

We were always at play in that rubble. It was good times, really, outside of the frequent flat tires on our bikes. When a house was suddenly vacated, we kids went into action and started pulling at floorboards and breaking windows.

I don’t think there was a kid under 10 years old who didn’t

have at least one major cut from broken glass or at least one tetanus shot to prevent the possible infection from stepping on a rusty nail. I had several of both. Then, in time, the city of Bingham was gone.

You look up there now, up into the Oquirrh Mountains, it’s hard to imagine that Bingham was once the third most populous city in Utah behind Salt Lake City and Ogden. That was quite the accomplishment for a city that only had one main street up the canyon itself, but which had many spurs and side canyons that held communities of miners, mostly foreign born. It was blue-collar working class, through and through, and solidly Democrat.

A few years ago, former-Salt Lake County Mayor and Demo crat Ben McAdams was in attendance when a historic Bing ham Canyon monument was moved to Copperton Park. An old grade school friend of mine, Scott Crump, was there as well.

Crump is basically the unofficial-yet-official historian of all things Copperton and the old Bingham High School. Crump’s family was salt of the earth, too, hailing originally from Lark, just a couple of hill ridges south of Copperton. Crump and I had lots in common except for our political leanings. I’m pretty danged sure he’s been a rock-solid Re publican his whole life.

He and I and McAdams were yakking for a minute when I told Mayor Ben that it was too bad that Bingham’s Democrats were now scattered across the valley, lest he or any other Democrat would be a shoo-in for any kind of political seat. Crump laughed and said, “Yeah, in those days you could put all the Republicans in Bingham inside a phone booth.” Yes! The good old days. That is exactly as it should be!

But it isn’t. My whole life I’ve watched the citizens of Dem ocratic enclaves being physically displaced, as in Bingham. It happened to the north, at what was formerly Garfield, Utah, then also in Magna to a fair degree.

All of those towns were filled with citizens derived from

the blue-collar working classes. It wasn’t mining, but the communities of culture and color in Salt Lake City were also scattered about—the Blacks, Greeks and Italians, and es pecially the Japanese who lost their community core in the area of what became the original Salt Palace.

It was never lost on local Republican politicians that such disenfranchisement is good for them, since most of those be ing moved about were Democrats. Although political bodies aren’t being bulldozed away as much as in decades prior, a more sinister mode of quelling Utah’s Democratic voices re mains, full of arrogance and foul play: gerrymandering.

I’ve written before that my own kids—fourth-generation Utahns—can never become Utah public servants so long as they remain Democrats and don’t sell their souls. This past election saw all four of Utah’s congressional seats won by Republicans—each of them swiping over 60% of the votes in their carved-out districts.

No Democrat will ever win in those unfairly doctored districts. “If you can’t move ’em, cheat ’em,” is the new antiDemocrat mantra in the Beehive State. It’s what former Con gressman Rob Bishop wanted when he led the charge to toss away the publicly mandated and fair redistricting map op tions. He effectively said at the time that Utah needed to send folks to D.C. who would vote with one voice. Why?

Before they tore down my grade school, our teachers taught us to fear and loathe communist Russia. What goes around comes around. It doesn’t matter if the face on the poster wears a menacing mustache or a conniving grin, the outcome is the same: One-party rule.

It’s pretty clear that political repression has evolved and that Utah—so far—is just nicer at it than its Russian mentors. Be cause really, Salt Lake County—bursting with voiceless Demo crats—is just a gulag with Walmarts and nice scenery. CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

HITS&MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE @kathybiele

MISS: Cruel and Unusual

It’s not like we didn’t know this would happen. The Utah State Correctional Facility—you know, the prison—is a literal house of horrors for both the inmates and the officers. But the al lure of bright shiny things is always too much for legislators to ignore. The bright shiny thing was the prison’s former location in Draper, which had developers and lawmakers (and many who are both) salivating over the finan cial potential. So, off they went to buy up a site in the Great Salt Lake’s wet lands, not far from the airport whose construction difficulties should have served as a lesson itself. Fox13 News obtained emails to legislators detail ing the horrors that officers faced. They were in fear for their lives, were under staffed and undertrained for a facility that wasn’t ready for prime time. The dormitory model was untested, and then there were the mosquitoes. The Salt Lake Tribune detailed how inmates are being “eaten alive,” besides having inadequate health care. And yet, we persist. The governor calls it “a place where you can look forward to coming to work.” We’re not sure who “you” is.

HIT: Pew Pew

You gotta love Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. For a sports reporterturned-number cruncher, he keeps it real. He was a star in reporting statistics during the COVID outbreak, and now he’s offering Sunday readers an afterchurch conundrum. Baptist churches and The Church of Jesus Christ of Lat ter-day Saints “report multiple coun ties in which they say there are more adherents to their churches than there are residents in the county.” For in stance, the U.S. Religion Census found that churches in Rich County reported 2,763 adherents, but it had only 2,510 residents in 2020. Where are the con spiracy theorists when you need them? Surely the faithful are inflating figures with dead people. But while there may be a logical explanation, following Larsen’s graphs and charts—some enu merating religions by county—makes for good reading. And there will be more when he delves into the growth or decline of churches over time.

MISS: Halloweekend?

And now for what your representatives are really doing. On the national level, the GOP is so excited about investigat ing just about everything Democratic. Never mind inflation or gas prices, they’re talking about Hunter Biden’s laptop. And in Utah, we have even more important, earth-shaking issues to in vestigate. How about Halloween? Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Draper, wants every one to celebrate on the same day—ev erything from trick-or-treating to of fice parties, according to Fox13 News. If you thought Daylight Saving Time was controversial, just wait until you see this bag of tricks. “We can do trick-ortreating and all that on a Friday night and have Saturday to sleep it off,” Cul limore says. Should we tell him that some churches celebrate All Souls’ Day or the Day of the Dead—on Sunday?

ON THE STREET

Demolition Derby

It doesn’t take a hardcore urbanist to recognize the metamorphosis Salt Lake City is currently undergoing. The num ber of freshly constructed high-rises pop ping up around town is only matched by the number of demolition permits being is sued. Old, nondescript buildings are gen erally the ones getting razed, but occasion ally some with true historical value suffer the same fate.

I realize what constitutes “historic” is very much like the definition of “beauty,” with them both being in the eye of the be holder. Oftentimes, just a casual familiar ity with a building—whether it be knowing about its past or having a personal connec tion—is all it takes to want to protect it.

Case in point, the La France Apartments (above photo) that were located on 300 South between 200 and 300 West. Despite the somewhat neglected exterior, I found a lot of the row houses charming and the community vibrant the handful of times I visited. It was one of the places that I wish could have made it—but alas, it was not meant to be.

A fter a period of transition to abandon ment, it was ultimately an unexpected fire that helped convert La France to rubble this past summer. By the way, this seems to be a recurring theme in our city: the former Carleton Hotel (140 E. South Temple) was completely torn down after it was acciden tally set ablaze, whereas the Yardstick (40 E. 300 South) is still standing despite ex tensive fire damage on the southeast por tion of the building.

Of course, not everything is worth the time or the cost to preserve it. Other than the concern about the future of the taco stands on the southeast corner of the lot, the former Sears Block (below photo) at State Street and 800 South has proceeded with a rather straight-forward, uncontro versial demolition.

I do wonder how the next generation will feel about all these newly constructed re placement buildings. Will they have any personal desire to try to eventually save those as well? Only time will tell. CW

Sears demolition

La France Apartments

Ballet West: The Nutcracker

There has always seemed to be something par ticularly fitting about The Nutcracker as a holiday tradition, since the entire premise is built around a child experiencing Christmas magic. That magic has been built into Ballet West’s annual productions of William Christensen’s Nutcracker choreography for more than 65 years, through the updated costume and production elements, and right up to the present day.

Tchaikovsky’s musical adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman’s short story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”—about a girl named Clara whose Christmas gift of a nutcracker soldier from her uncle becomes part of a fanci ful dream, full of dances from around the world—dates back to 1892, but the legacy of Ballet West’s version traces back to 1944, with Christensen’s first ever American staging in San Francisco. Christensen brought the pro duction with him to Ballet West in 1955, where the tradition started that has involved genera tions of Utah families—not just as audience members, but as part of the group of nearly 300 children annually who participate as cast members for week-long runs.

Ballet West presents The Nutcracker

at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre (20 W. 500 South) Dec. 2 – 24, with 7 p.m. evening performances Thursday – Saturday, matinee performances Saturdays and Sundays, 5 p.m. performances on select Sundays and additional performances Dec. 20 – 24. Tickets are $30 - $131, and you can always expect them to go fast. For an additional dose of magic, consider the character Nutcracker Tea on Dec. 21 at 11 a.m. Visit balletwest.org for tickets and additional information. (SR)

BEAU

PEARSON

Holiday Lights @ various locations

You could fill an entire print edition of this paper with Utah’s holiday light displays, and you still wouldn’t capture all of the places to get your cheer on with a flash or a twinkle. Here’s just a sampling of what you can find.

Historic Midvale Main Street (7505 S. Holden St., Midvale) launches its lights with a ceremony on Friday, Dec. 2 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., complete with hot chocolate and photos with Santa, along with opportunities to shop the Holiday Market. Favorite free light displays are also available at Temple Square (50 N. Temple) and at the Gallivan Center (36 E. 200 South); for the latter you can pair the experience with some ice skating.

World of Illumination’s Arctic Adventure visits the Utah State Fairpark (155 N. 1000 West) through New Year’s Day, with magical experiences including a 32-foot-tall snowman and an animated drive-through light show set holiday music. Tickets begin at $39 per vehicle, available at worldofillumination. com. A similar holiday tradition

comes from Christmas in Color at the Bastian Agricultural Center in South Jordan (11161 S. 2200 West), where more than a million syn chronized lights await Monday – Saturday now through Dec. 31. Visit christmasincolor.com for tickets ($35/vehicle) and timed reservations.

For one of Utah’s favorite traditions, enjoy the ZooLights at Hogle Zoo (2600 Sunnyside Ave.), with fantastical animated light animals and holiday scenes, on select dates Dec. 2 –30. Tickets are $11.95 - $14.95 at hoglezoo.org; for those with neurodiversity needs, check out the Dec. 27 “Silent Night” with flashing lights and sound turned off. (Scott Renshaw)

Wasatch Theatre Company: Dreamers

Among the many amazing things that’s pos sible with our small, local theater companies is the ability to experience brand-new work by Utah-based writers. And when you are partic ularly light on your feet, you can put together a production that feels torn from today’s headlines. That’s what you get a chance to see in the world-premiere of Dreamers—a play by Utah actor and writer Ariana Broumas Farber, produced by Wasatch Theatre Company and newly-formed Immigrant’s Daughter group— which finds its main characters exploring issues surrounding the American immigrant experience, set against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022.

It’s set in an apartment building in the Bronx, where Ukrainian immigrant Svetlana is living. She receives a visit from a neighbor, New York native Donnie—possibly to be help ful, possibly to hit on her. Donnie believes Svetlana is preparing to take her U.S. citi zenship, but learns instead that Svetlana intends to return home to Ukraine to care for her mother in the war-

torn country. What follows is the blossoming of a strange relationship and conversation that ranges from music to politics to the respective perils of their respective countries of origin.

Dreamers plays at The Box Too theater space in The Gateway (130 S. 400 West), Dec. 1 – 10 with performances Thursday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Dec. 4. Tickets are $20 general admission, limited to 14 seats for each performance; visit theboxgate way.org to purchase tickets, or visit wasatch theatre.org for additional information. (SR)

SLAC: A Year With Frog and Toad

For more than a decade, Salt Lake Acting Company has devoted the holiday season to family-friendly productions based on some of the most beloved works of children’s literature, from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to Go Dog Go to Pinkalicious. With so much material to draw from, it says something when the com pany decides to return to one of these shows it has already produced—which is what SLAC is doing now in bringing back A Year With Frog and Toad, first presented in 2014 (pictured).

Based on Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad series originally published in the 1970s, and commissioned by the author’s daughter, it follows the amphibian best friends of the title over the course of one year. It’s a tale filled with small kindnesses and the resolution of difficult moments, whether that involves Frog writing a letter to Toad after the latter expresses disappointment at never receiving mail, to raking one another’s yards in the fall.

The lively songs by Robert and Willie Reale bring additional spark to the show, which became trailblazer for kid-oriented

Broadway shows, earning three 2003 Tony Award nominations in the process.

A Year With Frog and Toad runs at Salt Lake Acting Company (168 W. 500 North) Dec. 2 – 18, with performances Friday evenings at 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday afternoons at noon and 3 p.m. Special accessibility per formances include open captioning (Dec. 11, 3 p.m.), audio described (Dec. 18, 3 p.m.), and ASL interpreted (Dec. 17, noon). Tickets are $17 for children, $27 for adults; visit saltlake actingcompany.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

COURTESY

Art of the State

The updated Dictionary of Utah Fine Artists chronicles Utah’s creative history

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Anyone who has followed the art scene in Utah for any length of time knows that it’s a vibrant and exciting one. But it comes into focus when you’re looking at one massive volume of proof—all 400-plus pages of it.

The Dictionary of Utah Fine Artists marks the cul mination of a multi-year project undertaken by sev eral local arts luminaries, including former Utah Museum of Fine Arts curator Donna Poulton; retired Springville Museum of Art director Vern Swanson; Swanson’s daughter and arts scholar Angela Swan son Jones; and Springville Museum of Art board member Micah Christensen. Its A-to-Z pages contain profiles of more than 4,500 Utah artists, from legends like V. Douglas Snow, Trevor Southey and Lee Deffe bach through more contemporary creators, building on the work that was done for the original Dictionary of Utah Fine Artists, published in 2000.

According to Poulton, it’s not possible to overstate the importance of the initial work done for that earlier vol ume—whose creators included Vern Swanson and cele brated Utah art historian Robert Olpin—particularly con sidering the time period in which they were working on it. “You have to think of pre-internet and post-internet,” Poulton says. “They had to go through microfilm at the libraries, research old newspapers. They had to do hard work of looking for artists. That was groundwork that we didn’t have to do this time.”

It’s also not possible, Poulton believes, to give enough credit to Gibbs Smith Publishing, which published the 2000 Dictionary, and approached Swanson and Poulton in 2017 about working on a follow-up. “If not for Gibbs Smith, Utah would not be on the map,” she says. “We can’t em phasize his importance enough. He was an artist, grew up near Laconte Stewart. And he had the benefit that he had a company willing to do these big expensive books.”

With the charge to work on the new Dictionary of Utah Fine Artists in hand, Poulton and Swanson then began the arduous process of deciding which artists would and would not be included, considering how many new poten tial entries there were just in terms of the 20 years that had passed between volumes. Difficult decisions were required, including removing artisans like weavers and potters, and choosing not to include more contemporary architects. Perhaps the hardest decision was the one not to include photography this time around; “That was painful,” Poulton admits.

Among those who were included were those who were re ally at the vanguard of creating a fine arts scene in Utah. “We decided that all of the artists that were in the origi nal book, up to about 1940/1950, would stay,” Poulton says. “Those were artists working when there really weren’t any galleries, and it was hard to make a living. We kept them because they were kind of few and far between.”

Beyond that nod of respect to the old guard, Poul ton describes a “triage method” that evaluated artists based on criteria including participation in juried or curated exhibitions—basically, that other artists and experts over the years had found the work worthy of inclusion in galleries, competitions and other key showcases. Additional guidelines included coverage of the artists in publications as “artists to watch,” as well as whether the artist in question made their liv ing solely from art.

Even creating such criteria resulted in a massive number of entries, and the possibility of a book that might never be finished. Indeed, according to Poul ton, if not for the fact that Gibbs Smith set a specific deadline for receiving the content, the process of adding new entries might still be ongoing. “Gibbs Smith finally said, ‘Okay it’s due on this date,’ and I think Vern on the last day was still trying to get peo ple in,” Poulton says with a laugh.

The massive resulting volume might be seen as in timidating, but Poulton believes it’s not just the kind of book that would take up space on a reference shelf in a gallery. “Anybody who collects art would want to have this,” she says “Even if you’re at a garage sale, and you find a piece of art, you’d want to be able to look this person up. Other artists might like to have the book. And we have around 240 images, so it’s also just kind of eye candy in a way.”

Perhaps most significantly, she believes, it’s a chron icle of why it’s actually important to think about “Utah art” as distinctive, and worthy of this kind of exhaustive re search. “We probably have more artists per capita than any state, and we were actually talking about that, wondering why,” Poulton says. “It started with Brigham Young sending artists to Paris, and having them come back so they could have arts in different temples. We had a theater before we had a tabernacle. Traveling artists stopped here because of the railroad. It has to do with the beauty, with so many landscape artists coming here. When we say Utah art, we’re talking about celebrating the state as a whole.” CW

THE DICTIONARY OF UTAH FINE ARTISTS

Reception and book signing with Donna Poulton and Vern Swanson Ken Sanders Rare Books @ The Leonardo 209 E. 500 South Friday, Dec. 2 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. kensandersbooks.com

The Dictionary of Utah Fine Artists

GIBBS SMITH PUBLISHING

Grand [New] Flag

BY BENJAMIN WOOD bwood@cityweekly.net

When Layton Republican Rep. Steve Handy was approached years ago by constituents about updating the Utah state flag, they began with a simple question: What did he think of the current one?

“My answer was ‘I don’t think any thing about it’,” Handy recalled. “It’s just there.”

Utah’s current flag is a busy hodge podge of state and national imagery, largely consisting of the Utah State Seal—a beehive, shield, arrows, a bald eagle, twin U.S. flags, sego lilies and the numbers “1896” and “1847”—em blazoned upon a blue field. The design is virtually indistinguishable at a dis tance (like, say, the bottom of a flag pole?) from dozens of other state flags, giving birth to the pejorative phrase “Seal on a Bedsheet”—or “S.O.B.”— from a vocal cohort of flag enthusiasts.

Handy’s response (that the flag is merely there) is similar to what most Utahns are likely to say when pressed on the Beehive State’s flag—or at least what they would say until they find out it is (potentially) about to change. Be cause as Handy learned up close in the four years since proposing a state flag task force to consider new designs, the sure-fire way to get people to care deep ly about their state flag is to suggest it needs improvement.

“It was surprising to me, the imme diate pushback and resistance,” Handy said. “It just goes to show you that hu man beings don’t like change.”

The task force Handy created recent ly completed its work, which included multiple rounds of public surveys to first identify the symbols, colors and concepts broadly prioritized by Utahns, then to solicit design proposals from amateur “vexillologists”—those who study flags—and finally to collect feed back on roughly two dozen design can didates. Task force staff then construct ed a final design, which was adopted by the panel’s members—including Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Diedre Hen derson—and sent to the Legislature for their consideration.

The new flag design evokes the tradi

tional version, with a central, hexagonal space containing a simplified beehive and an 8-pointed star representing the state’s federally recognized Indigenous tribes. Around the hexagon, a blue sky lies above the zig-zag peaks of a snowy white mountain range, with a red rock canyon along the flag’s lower third.

“Without creating a flag-by-commit tee, we’ve tried to be really methodical and conscientious,” Handy said. “It will take time. It will take some years for people to embrace this.”

In November, an interim committee narrowly supported legislation for mally adopting the new flag, placing the bill on an accelerated—but far from guaranteed—path ahead of the legisla tive session in January.

“The momentum is certainly there,” said Handy who, after the 2022 elections, will not be in the chamber to carry the bill across the finish line. “The challenge will be in the House, needing 38 votes.”

But the proposal is likely to benefit from bipartisan support. Flag design can hardly be described as a liberal or conservative issue, although opponents have attempted to paint the effort as an example of “cancel culture” and the “woke mob” coming for the state’s his tory of Latter-day Saint settlement.

Rep. Elizabeth Weight, D-West Valley City, voted against the initial legisla tion starting the redesign process. But at the final task force meeting, she wore a T-shirt adapted from the new design and credited the robust public engage ment process with changing her mind.

“Its not about denying history—it’s engaging people so they actually un derstand our history,” Weight said. “This is such a different process and that is the reason I can wear this shirt today and support this legislation.”

Public input had little—if any—bear ing on the design of the original flag. Created around the time of statehood, Handy said Utah’s leaders were overtly angling for support at the federal level and loaded the seal and flag with Amer ican iconography in an attempt to dem onstrate their patriotism and commit ment to the country.

“They threw everything they could think of into that flag,” he said. “I think one of the great parts of this story is that this is the first time Utahns have had an opportunity to weigh in on what the symbol of their state should be.”

But many lawmakers remain unim pressed. During committee question ing, the question of “woke” censorship was repeatedly raised, while Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville, noted that he was met with consistent opposition to updating the flag during his recent re election campaign.

“I have knocked many, many doors and talked to many people in the last few months,” he said, “and not one is supportive of this.”

New flag advocates argue that the failure of Utah’s current design is evi dent in its lack of adoption and use by the general public.

In states like Colorado, Arizona and Texas, and in cities like Chicago and

Washington, D.C., flag imagery plays a near-constant role in public life, from its placement on apparel and accesso ries by private citizens to the use of its colors and design in spaces like transit and parks.

But in the absence of compelling public symbols, supporters argue, that community space is ceded to private entities like sports teams and other fac tional group identities. (Similar argu ments motivated Salt Lake City to up date its flag design in 2020).

“There are so many things that divide us,” Handy said. “Can we now, please, use a symbol that unites us?”

Chance Hammock, one of the con stituents who first brought the issue of a new flag to Handy’s attention, said he’s pleased with the final product of the task force. “I love it. I think they did a great job,” Hammock said. “When this all started, I was really worried about getting a flag [that looks like it was] designed by committee and ending up with something similar to or even worse than what we have now. My fears have been unfounded.”

Hammock said he’s optimistic about the flag’s potential to engender pride as a shared symbol. He’s seen the power of good flags in our neighboring states— he cites the Four Corners National Mon ument site as a particularly impressive showcase—and believes the skeptics will come around in time.

“Utah is awesome, it’s distinct,” he said. “We deserve an awesome and dis tinctly Utah flag.” CW

Utah lawmakers to vote on new state flag after four-year effort to retire “S.O.B.” design.

The proposed finalist for a new Utah state flag was designed based on feedback from more than 40,000 Utahns.

Fixer Uppers Fixer Uppers

BY KATHARINE BIELE comments@cityweekly.net

There is sweet irony in the transition of Utah’s largest and most enduring brewery into a convent and, later, an alcohol and drug abuse treatment center for men. And there is still some irony in the fact that Salt Lake City wants to preserve it.

You have to have a lot of imagination to see a future for the Fisher Mansion—the bleak, solitary and boarded-up structure that looks south onto a busy Interstate 80 and sits anachronistically next to a work ing power plant. But Salt Lake City is aspi rational, calling the historic space an “op portunity for recreation and education on the Jordan River.”

The transformation could happen, but not necessarily because of the Fisher Man sion’s historic roots. Salt Lake, and Utah in general, have been unpredictable when it comes to preserving the past through historic buildings. What we decide to hold onto and what we let go of is a story of com peting values and needs.

The iconic Salt Lake City and County Building on State Street stands today be cause of a contentious vote by the city coun cil. But the Utah Theater on Main Street was defeated and demolished after a court battle. The Dooly Building from 1892—one of only four buildings in the West designed by famed architect Louis Sullivan—was de molished in 1964. And the list goes on.

“We can’t cling to all the stuff that peo ple did in the 19th or 20th centuries, even if it survived for a couple hundred years,” says Brenda Scheer, past chair of the Salt Lake City Planning Commission and a past dean of the University of Utah’s College of Architecture and Planning. “You [have to] ask the question, ‘Was it precious in its own time?’ Are there stories that support that? Is it a monument?’”

Pour One Out

Scheer believes restoring the Fisher Man sion is definitely one of the things Salt Lake City should do. “There’s a lot of his tory there,” she said. “It’s in a place where people don’t expect a house to be—and it’s not an interesting house [for its time]. But it’s a cultural touchstone and on the west side, where we don’t have a lot.”

Not everyone agrees. One comment on the city site sums up much of the opposi tion to historic preservation. “It looks like it was a cool house in its day. But, due to the location and high risk for theft, graffiti, damage and future potential earthquake damage, why not just take some of the his toric things out of it and tear it down?”

The Fisher has had its share of problems. The mansion was built in 1893 by Albert Fisher, a German immigrant who wanted to live close to his work. “The two-story, twelve-room house, designed in the Vic torian eclectic style, stood a stone’s throw from what eventually became the larg est brewery in Utah, the A. Fisher Brew ing Co.,” notes a history of the building on MappingSLC.org. The brewery was even bigger than Coors at one point and was the only brewery in Utah to reopen after the end of Prohibition.

No surprise, but Fisher had to deal with morality laws in Utah, and the predomi nant religion. One of his ads read: “Beer drinking people are a home-loving, moral people.” Whether or not Latter-day Saints

bought the message, they bought the beer. While the brewing business closed from 1918 to 1933, it would reopen until 1957, when it was bought out by Lucky Lager. In 1945, the mansion was reportedly leased to the Catholic Church to serve as a convent— brewing continued in the industrial spaces nearby—and later in 1970 the mansion be came St. Mary’s Home for Men, an addic tion treatment facility.

Utah has a capricious reputation for preservation and destruction, and much of this depends on the activists at work.

“You need the right kind of approach,” says Kirk Huffaker, a consultant and archi tectural historian and former executive di rector of the Utah Heritage Foundation, now Preservation Utah. “You need the right rela tionships in the community to strengthen your approach and the right tools to provide incentives for regulatory tools that con vince people that it’s worth another look.”

It’s not an easy task because preser vationists are often up against powerful development companies or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one of the largest property owners in the city and state. And it’s made more difficult by the Utah Legislature’s deference to private property rights—if you own a property, you can mostly do what you want with it.

“I’m enthusiastic—and very sad,” says David Amott, Preservation Utah’s execu tive director. “Ultimately, the city is in the hands of developers. Developers can either wipe away history through outright demo lition, or they can be critical champions for history by making room for the past while meeting future needs.”

That said, advocates have to work for what they want—and still may not get it.

Take the Utah Theater, for instance. It was built in 1919 as the Pantages Theater, where vaudeville would be performed. Re named the Utah Theater in 1935, “it was one of downtown Salt Lake’s great movie pal aces with a seating capacity of 1,823,” ac cording to Cinema Treasures.

Then, in 1968, the owners decided to convert the balcony into another audito rium, destroying most of the elaborate or namentation. Throughout multiple sales to new owners, there were always plans to renovate. It never happened.

“People hadn’t been in it since the early ’90s,” said Amott. “The plaster was chipped, only the ceiling was left. It was a fragmented building on many levels.”

In 2019, the Save the Utah Theater group formed, motivating a surprising public re sponse. “You had this palace of the sort you would never see today,” says Amott. But it was mostly a figment of the imagination by then. Demolition began in April.

Amott also tried to save the original Provo Temple in Utah County—the one that looks like a birthday cake or a spaceship but will soon be replaced with a more tra ditional design. The similarly designed Og den Temple was demolished even earlier as the church began moving away from mod ernist architecture.

“By and large, I don’t see that people responded,” Amott said. “There was a lack of decoration and lack of the human hand shaping the interior. It was interesting, but not what people cry for. They want a build ing that tells a story.”

Salt Lake City is working to keep the west side’s Fisher Mansion on a shrinking list of historic buildings.

KATHY BIELE

KATHY BIELE KATHY BIELE

The Hyrum Jensen mansion in Sugar House was spared from demolition during construction of the nearby Deseret Industries.

Salt Lake City plans to convert Poplar Grove’s Fisher Mansion into a community and recreation hub along the Jordan River Parkway.

Odd Fellows Hall was preserved by relocating the entire building to a new location.

You could probably fill a notebook with all the spaceship-spired architecture that has failed in Utah. The Centre Theater at 299 S. State was one. It opened in 1937 and was hailed as one of Salt Lake’s finest examples of Art Deco architecture. That lasted until 1989, when a nondescript office tower took its place.

Win Some Lose Some

Even if a building is important, it may not stand the test of time. “They’re shocking to tear down … and it makes people really angry,” Scheer said. “You can walk up to a building and touch it—like a person 200 years ago touched it.”

But times have changed. The internet has made us think differently. “We feel like everything is new every day. We don’t even cherish things,” she said.

There have been truly historic losses in Utah, too. The Dooly Building was one. Built in 1892, it was one of only four such buildings out west designed by famed ar chitect Louis Sullivan. Richard Kletting— who also designed the Fisher Mansion and Utah State Capitol—drew up the construc tion documents for the building. The His toric American Buildings Survey called it Sullivan’s best work in the West.

In 1964, Salt Lake Tribune columnist Rob ert Woody wrote a “wake” in anticipation of the Dooly’s demolition. “A good building merits something more than the routine account when the death knell is sounded,” Woody wrote.

Chicago photographer Richard Nickel waged a campaign to save the building. “How many buildings of equal architec tural merit do you have in Salt Lake City?” he wrote to then-Mayor J. Bracken Lee.

“Instead of being proud of this building, you ignore it. Instead of offering tax relief to the owner, or cleaning the neighbor hood up, the city government is silent.” His words fell on deaf ears.

Sometimes, though, advocacy works. Deseret Industries on 2100 South now stands where Circuit City—the bankrupt former electronics industry leader—once did. No, Circuit City was not archetypal by any means, unless you’re talking about the recurring box theme. But next to it stood the two-story Hyrum Jensen mansion. Af ter Sugar House experienced years of angst over stalled development in the “sugar hole,” the city planning commission wanted to save something—anything—with historic character.

There was a story to be told there. Jen sen—called “the polygamist who settled Fairmont” by the Deseret News —owned much of the land between 700 East and Highland Drive from 2100 South to 3300 South. He had been involved in the lumber trade and was a good friend of Brigham Young. Huffaker, of Preservation Utah, wanted the church and the planning com mission to know what might be lost with the plan to put a Deseret Industries drivethru where the mansion stood.

Community advocates responded. “We believe that demolishing another small, historic building in Sugar House would be a significant loss to providing affordable space to businesses in a building that de fines the historic character of the neigh borhood,” the Utah Heritage Foundation said in a news statement.

“When I heard about the plans, I thought it deserved a meeting to help them under stand,” Huffaker said. Ultimately, they of fered a conditional permit to the church,

which agreed to reconfigure the D.I. build ing and scrap plans to just move the Jensen mansion somewhere else.

“We’re supposed to improve the charac ter of the area,” then-Planning Commis sioner Susie McHugh told the Deseret News. “I don’t see how removing the house ... im proves the looks.”

Still, it was not unheard of to spare his toric buildings by moving them. When of ficials wanted to clear the way for a new courthouse, the Odd Fellows Hall stood in the way. The ornate Richardsonian Romanesque structure was home to a benevolent and secretive society not unlike the Ma sons. To avoid demolition, they just moved the building across the street to 26 W. Mar ket St.

Of all the stories about near-losses, per haps the most interesting and significant involves the City and County Building on Salt Lake’s Washington Square. Siting of the building began amid intense religious conflicts between the anti-Mormon Liberal Party and the church’s People’s Party, ac cording to the Utah Division of State His tory.

When the cornerstone was laid in 1892, a crowd of predominantly non-Mormons reportedly cheered and called for a new era of secular politics.

The Romanesque structure features a 256-foot clock tower topped with the statue Columbia, which in 2000 was unceremoni ously crowned with a pumpkin. Over the years, the sandstone exterior began to deteriorate, and earthquakes only made things worse.

It was during then-Mayor Ted Wilson’s administration that a serious discussion of the future started because, of course, the cost of preservation would be substantial.

“I could have let it go,” then-City Council woman Sydney Fonnesbeck told the De seret News. “But I’m a real believer that the real fabric of a city is made up of the past, present and future.”

Former Mayor Palmer DePaulis was Wil son’s director of public works when the discussions began on whether to save the building that once served as the Utah State Capitol and, until the 1980s, shared space with the Salt Lake County government.

In a recent interview, DePaulis told Salt Lake City Weekly that it was important for the voting public to weigh in on the build ing’s preservation.

“I decided to go ahead with a general ob ligation bond, which required a vote,” De Paulis said. “I wanted to make sure that the decision to restore the building and save it was made by the people of Salt Lake to cement their buy-in and affirm their inter est in saving this landmark building. They came through with a positive vote, and the rest is history, as they say.”

But it was close. The council voted 5-2 to fund the restoration that was completed in 1989 with a seismic upgrade.

It underwent a second, $10 million reno vation in 2018.

It is by will and public pressure that some history is being saved. “There’s been a lot of loss,” Scheer said. “We’re just build ing stuff, but there will come a time when we won’t be building anything and when we tear down the stuff the previous people built. All that is solid melts into air.”

But for the Fisher Mansion, there’s an air of hope. While the plans are new, especially for the west side, the resurgence of

Fisher Brewing and recent beer gardens hosted at the Fisher Mansion site brings the historic building full circle.

CW

“Ultimately, the city is in the hands of developers. Developers can either wipe away history through outright demolition, or they can be critical champions for history by making room for the past while meeting future needs.”

—David Amott, Preservation Utah’s executive

director.

Built in 1937, the Centre Theater on State Street made way for an office tower in 1989.

The Ogden Latter-day Saints Temple was replaced with a more traditional building.

A

spaceship?

A cloud? A cupcake? The Provo Latter-day Saints Temple invites many comparisons and is set to be replaced.

“A good building merits something more than the routine account when the death knell is sounded,”

Salt Lake Tribune writer Robert Woody penned in a 1964

“wake”

for the Dooly Building.

PRESERVATION

UTAH

COURTESY

PHOTO

PRESERVATION UTAH

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

PRESERVATION UTAH

Stuck in the Bucket with You

For better or worse, By the Bucket is dishing up buckets of spaghetti in Sugar House.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Like most of the generation that grew up in the 1980s, the family meal buck et, box, pail or vessel was a big part of my dining out experience. Buckets of drumsticks from Kentucky Fried Chicken, the double pizza on a cardboard pallet from Little Caesar’s or the giant box of familystyle nachos from the now-defunct Mexi can restaurant known as Naugle’s were all welcome sights to little kid me.

For some reason, the food that makes the most sense to be served in a bucket— I’m talking about spaghetti, of course—has finally fulfilled its takeout destiny. Yup, today we’re talking buckets of spaghetti courtesy of By the Bucket (701 E. 2100 South, 385-415-2185, bythebucket.com).

If you haven’t had your eyes on this space’s development over the past few months, I’ll forgive you. It’s a tiny spot on the northeast corner of 700 East and 2100 South, and all they do is serve up spaghetti. By the bucket. As I readied myself for their arrival in Sug ar House, I learned that this place is based in the Arizona area, but they’ve expanded their concept to the Eastern U.S. The Sugar House location is the chain’s beachhead in Utah, and they’ve announced plans to open a second location in Springdale.

Those who know me at all would guess that this place would be high on my list of restaurants to check out. It’s got an uncon ventional concept—though, truth be told I don’t know why something like this isn’t al ready part of our fast-food zeitgeist—and a menu that revolves around one dish. I also can’t help but feel that a takeout joint that specializes in literal buckets of noodles seems like an important, quintessentially American movement in cuisine.

When I entered By the Bucket for the first time, I was initially surprised by the variety that you could apply to your noodle adven ture. Obviously, you start with spaghetti noodles and then pick your sauce from their classic marinara, white cheddar, garlic but ter and seasonal options that vary. The most spaghetti you can possibly get is in the Fa milia Bucket ($19.95), though you can get smaller variations like the Midio Bucket ($14.95) or the Bambino Bucket ($9.95). Each bucket comes with some garlic bread, and you can also opt for add-ins like Italian sausage ($4) or a pair of meatballs ($4).

I decided on the Midio Bucket with four

meatballs, and I also opted to make the traditional quarter loaf of garlic bread into a half loaf, which I realized I really didn’t need to do once I got home and unpacked everything. So. Much. Bread. The bucket itself gets a foil covering which keeps ev erything hot, and the meatballs come in separate containers so you can really build your own main course when you get home. Oh, I should also mention that you should always get your food to go here; there’s not a whole lot of space to chow down on your own bucket of spaghetti inside.

Once I had everything ready, I had to admit I was feeling pretty good about our dinner prospects. I’ve always thought that cheap spaghetti is a lot closer to expensive spaghetti than any of us are ever ready to admit. I went with the classic marinara sauce, and they do a nice job of provid ing you with just enough sauce to coat the noodles. It’s a fresh-tasting sauce that goes easy on the sugar, which was a relief. Fastcasual spaghetti usually compensates with a sauce that tastes like ketchup, but you get none of that here.

The meatballs were also impressive, and I’d have to suggest getting at least a pair to complement the meal. Alone, the spa ghetti and sauce were a little milquetoast, but throw some hearty beef meatballs in there, and you’ve got something that sticks

to your bones. I do have to gripe a bit about the noodles, which is admittedly a big gripe when talking spaghetti. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the texture had a rubbery chew that wasn’t the al dente work of a pasta professional, that’s for sure.

Those after more of a quick bite will want to check out their sandwich menu, where you can snag Italian sausage and cheese ($10.95), meatball mozzarella ($10.95) or chicken provolone ($8.95). They’re all ser viceable sandwiches, though the meatball mozzarella is the number one for my mon ey. You can’t really beat a heap of meat balls oozing with marinara and mozzarella cheese on a sandwich.

So where do we land on By the Bucket? Maybe I’m overly nostalgic, but having a one-stop spaghetti shop where a busy par ent can hop in and pick up enough food to feed the family for a fairly reasonable price is always a good thing. Though I did have some issues with their noodles, I was happy with my overall experience here. I mean, it’s a bucket of spaghetti. How can that not make you smile? CW

AT A GLANCE

Open: Sun.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Best bet: Spaghetti with marinara Can’t miss: Just get the meatballs

onTAPonTAP

2 Row Brewing 6856 S. 300 West, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Less- West Coast IPA

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Gluten Reduced Kolsch

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

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Craft by Proper 1053 E. 2100 So., SLC craftbyproper.com

On Tap: Do Less - West Coast IPA

Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com On Tap: Pomegranate Sour

Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Gingerbread Baptist Imperial Stout

Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: Fisher Beer

Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Extra Pale Ale

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Campfire: Smoked Lager

Kiitos Brewing 608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: Down The Road - West Coast IPA

Ales & Allies Game Night Tues at 6pm!

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap: Squeaky Bike Nut Brown

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: Wet Hopped Cider

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA

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

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

Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan prodigy-brewing.com/

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC ProperBrewingCo.com On Tap: East Side Paradise - Rice Lager

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Munich Dunkel

Red Rock Kimball Junction

Redrockbrewing.com 1640 Redstone Center

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC

RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Everything Nice, Holiday Spice Ale

Roosters Brewing

Multiple Locations

RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Cosmic Autumn Rebellion

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, S. Salt Lake

SaltFireBrewing.com

On Tap: Barrel Aged Imperial Dirty Chai Stout

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: 2 Hop 2 Furious- Double Hopped Belgian Pale

Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC

Scionciderbar.com

On Tap: Colorado Cider Orchard Run 8.35% ABV

Shades Brewing

154 W. Utopia Ave, S. Salt Lake

ShadesBrewing.beer

On Tap: Prickly Pear Sour Ale

Silver Reef 4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George StGeorgeBev.com

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

Stratford Proper 1588 Stratford Ave., SLC stratfordproper.com

On Tap: Lake Effect Gose

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC

TFBrewing.com

On Tap: Edel Pils

Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com

On Tap: The Patriot

Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com

On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer

UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com

On Tap: Trail Rye’d - Amber Rye Ale 5% abv

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

OPENING SOON!

Helper Beer 159 N Main Street Helper, UT 84526

Apex Brewing 2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115

Blinded By the Lights

Two beacons of light in dark beer season

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

RoHa - Crisper Drawer : When Utah’s ski resorts scream for beer styles that they know their customers will clamor for, attentive brewers will take heed. After receiving feedback from vari ous winter resorts, RoHa has come up with a beer that should fit the bill year-round. The beer is clear and has a nice golden color, with some hints or orange. A pure white foam head rests on top; it was about a finger thick, but settles to a skim, while swirling leaves a bit of foam behind. It has a nice aroma of wheat and other golden grains, plus a small peppery note that I think comes from the yeast.

“Crisp and dry” are the first words that come to mind with this beer. There’s a touch of sweetness, somewhere between multi-grain crackers and pale grains—and I like it. The brewery wasn’t lying when they said this is an all-weather beer; it would be great in the summer. The body is a little fuller than I expected, but the carbonation is average. There is a noticeable coat left be hind that has some flavor, and the carbon ation tickles my tongue if I let it rest in my mouth before swallowing.

Verdict : This is an enjoyable beer. I usu ally don’t buy light ales like this, but I’m glad I tried this one—it’s light, refreshing and goes down easy. I find this beer inter esting, as it could easily be a replacement for a macro-lager.

Hazy Not Hazy will be donated directly to Discovery Gateway Children Museum and Volunteers of America—Utah.

Essentially a non-hazy pale ale, you could call it unfiltered. It pours a pretty, light golden orange color, with small bubbles slowly ascending. A rocky white head has diminished to a thin white foam, hugging the surface and sides of the glass. Very nice aromas of grapefruit and orange peel ap pear up front, then floral notes, then a lem on-drop sweetness on the back end along with some generic malty notes. Some spicy, piney scents are mixed in on the front end, too. I really like the way that sweet lemony note comes in; overall, this aroma kind of gives me a “lemon iced tea” vibe.

The taste follows the nose quite well. This is a chugger, and it’s very easy up front with citrus and pine, along with some mild malty sweetness. The finish on this beer is wonderful; a nice bitterness rounds out all corners of your mouth and really leaves you with an almost unsweetened lemon iced tea dryness that has a long-lingering af tertaste grapefruit rind and lemon zest. In all fairness, apart from the finish, it tastes surprisingly light, and I would have liked to see greater flavor impact up front and in the core, as it comes off a bit watery overall. Light to medium mouthfeel with an appro priate level of carbonation, it works well for a 5.0 percent American pale ale.

Verdict : I think of this beer as a “throw back beer” even though technically it’s not; it uses exclusively citra hops, but to me it seems that it is very much brewed in a west coast or “old school” style. This one reminds me a bit of Firestone Walker’s Pale 31; I see a lot of similarities, but with dif ferent hops used in each. It would be inter esting to blind taste-test those two beers along with some other classic American Pale Ales like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, An chor Steam, Firestone Walker, etc. I’ll pick this up again for sure.

Proper - Suba Bleu’s

Hazy Not Hazy

: A portion of the proceeds from Suba Bleu’s

Enjoy Suba Bleu’s Hazy Not Hazy at any Proper Brewing establishment. RoHa’s Crisper Drawer is available at the brewery, but soon it’ll be everywhere. As always, cheers! CW

the BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Food Bank Holiday Honky Tonk

The folks at Leatherheads Bar and Grill (12147 S. State Street, 801-523-1888, bestsportsbarsaltlakecity.com) are joining forces with the Utah Food Bank (utahfoodbank.org) and local band Mountain Country for a charity honky tonk this weekend. The event is looking to raise money and donations for the Utah Food Bank as it contin ues its busiest time of the year. Admission to the event is a suggested cash contribution of $10, or a quality food donation for the drive. From there, you get to soak in the Leatherheads vibe with great food and drinks while The Fabulous Lean Canteen and Mountain Country with Jim Fish get your boots stomping on the dance floor. The event takes place on Saturday, Dec. 3, and music starts at 8 p.m.

Park City Santa Pub Crawl and Toy Drive

If you happen to be in the Park City area and are looking for yet another party for a good cause, you can check out the Santa Pub Crawl and Toy Drive on Dec. 3. The festivities kick off at 6 p.m. at Butchers Chop House and Bar (751 Lower Main Street, 435-647-0040, butcherschophouse.com), where you can grab a bite to eat and purchase your commemorative shot glass. Proceeds from each shot glass purchase will go to the Operation Hope Toy Drive (ccofpc. org) which can then be used to secure libations from Flanagans, No Name Saloon and The Spur. From there you’ll wrap things up with Rage Against the Supremes at The Den at The Cabin Park City.

Wasatch Community Gardens Holiday Market

Of course, if you’re after something a bit more low-key and local, you can check out the holiday market at Wasatch Community Gardens (629 E. 800 South, wasatchgardens.org) on Dec. 3 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. It’s the first time our local community gardens have hosted a market like this, and it’s sure to be a great place to get your hands on local food, art and crafts. The event will also host a number of food trucks, and have plenty of mulled wine and tea on hand to keep things toasty. There will be plenty of kid-friendly activities on hand as well, so come and check out what Wasatch Community Gardens and its friends have to offer.

Quote of the Week: “I know once people get connected with real food they never change back.” –Alice Waters

Complete listings at cityweekly.net

Featuring dining destinations from buffets and rooms with a view to mom-and-pop joints, chic cuisine and some of our dining critic’s faves.

Copper Kitchen

Another venture from Ryan Lowder (owner/chef of downtown’s Copper Onion and Copper Common) is in the Holladay Village Plaza alongside new iterations of other locally owned restaurants and retail shops. Copper Kitchen has a boisterous brasserie feel to it—a big, bustling eatery featuring the type of cuisine that has garnered so many fans of Lowder’s other restau rants: steak frites, braised lamb shank, duck confit croquettes, beef bourguignon and noodles and lots more. 4640 S. 2300 East, 385-237-3159, cop perkitchenslc.com

Rugged Grounds

Not only is this small, hip coffee shop located in Provo, it’s also open on Sundays—a rarity in Utah County. Relax in its reclaimed-wood setting with a fresh cup of coffee, tea or local kombucha, or take your refresh ment to the outside counter and survey Provo’s upand-coming industrial district. The train yard nearby might be booming, but the atmosphere at Rugged Grounds is quiet and comfortable. You might even catch some live music in the afternoons. If you feel a bit peckish, you can tuck into some avocado toast or, true to this college town’s nature, a bowl of cereal or instant noodles. 156 W. 500 South, Provo, 801888-3356, ruggedgrounds.com

From Scratch

Offering authentic Italian cuisine in a modern, downtown atmosphere, this restaurant offers pies and pastas which are made—you guessed it—from scratch. Start your meal off with the braised short rib, which comes with horseradish and a honey au jus. As for pizza, try the fennel sausage, with green and red onions, or go with the Whiteout, which has three types of cheese and roasted garlic. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, the tasty signature burger is topped with shoestring onions and melted smoked cheddar cheese. You can wash it all down with an Italian soda. 62 E. Gallivan Ave., 801-961-9000, from scratchslc.com

Shiro Kuma Snow Cream

Co-owners Joachim Guanzon, Colman Aliaga and Chris Bambrough have created West Valley’s first and only fully customizable Taiwanese shaved ice experi ence. Imagine ribbons of shaved iced cream delicately flaked into generously portioned bowls, with flavors ranging from matcha to honeydew melon to chocolate, and specially curated monthly flavors like watermelon, horchata and peach crumble, along with a horde of toppings. 2843 S. 5600 West, Ste. 120, West Valley City, 801-251-0134, shirokumaslc.com

Post-Turkey Roundup

New releases for the between-holidays window

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

THE INSPECTION BBB

Telling a fictionalized version of your own life story is a tricky business for a filmmak er, but first-time feature director Elegance Bratton has such a unique experience to draw from that in some ways, he only needs not to screw it up. His circa-2005 coun terpart here is Ellis French (Jeremy Pope), a gay Black man experiencing homeless ness for years after being thrown out by his mother (Gabrielle Union). Determined to find a new start, Ellis decides to enlist in the Marines, but immediately finds himself in conflict with the “don’t ask, don’t tell”era military ethos exemplified by his drill sergeant Laws (Bokeem Woodbine). There’s more than a whisper of similarity between the boot camp in The Inspection and that of Full Metal Jacket, plus a hint of Platoon in the dueling authority figures of Laws and a kinder superior officer (Raúl Castillo). But while it might be inevitable to compare The Inspection to other movies about the cruel process of turning men into killing ma chines, Bratton effectively captures the ex perience of someone uniquely set up to fail within that process, anchored by a pow erful performance by Pope. Bratton also finds his own visual style within this genre, particularly in a sequence where filtered light snaps us into Ellis’s fantasy world. The filmmaker’s feelings about his military ex perience are understandably complex, and his story captures that complexity with a distinctive voice. Available Dec. 2 at Broad way Centre Cinemas. (R)

SALVATORE: SHOEMAKER OF DREAMS BB

You learn a few things when you watch a documentary made by a filmmaker best known for fiction features—like whether or not he really has a grip on what makes an interesting documentary. Director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, the cur rent Bones and All ) profiles Salvatore Fer ragamo, the celebrated Italian shoe design er who emigrated to America in the early 20th century and began providing foot wear both for movies of the early California film industry and for the stars that industry created. Guadagnino provides insight from the obligatory talking heads—including members of Ferragamo’s family, film his torians and fashion-industry notables like Manolo Blahnik—while leaning heavily on Ferragamo’s own words, both recorded in his own voice or narrated by actor Michael Stuhlbarg from Ferragamo’s autobiogra phy. Yet in the course of bouncing through Ferragamo’s experiences, Guadagnino los es track of what would clearly be of greatest interest to a viewer, namely the shoemak er’s role in early Hollywood. And despite

some snippets that emphasize Ferragamo’s unique determination—including using his recovery from a serious car accident to engineer a more effective traction appara tus—it too rarely feels like we get a sense of the man’s personality. Guadagnino has the visual sensibility to convey both the beauty and practicality of Ferragamo’s creations, but this documentary doesn’t do the neces sary work to make us interested in learning more about its subject. Available Dec. 2 at Broadway Centre Cinemas. (PG)

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES BB½

The live-action versions of Jeff Kinney’s popular book series a decade ago never really worked at capturing their peculiar mix of goofy humor and keen observation of adolescent angst; Disney+’s animated adaptations are getting closer. This one finds the protagonist, anxious middleschooler Greg Heffley (Brady Noon) dealing with family drama when his older brother Rodrick (Hunter Dillon) constantly seems more interested in pushing Greg’s buttons than being a role model or buddy—until

Greg finds a way to blackmail Rodrick into serving as his mentor. The humor stays on the light-hearted side, with a couple of higher-energy sequences and a recognition that humiliation remains a constant as the fundamental fear of tweens. The CGI has the rudimentary style of the books’ illus trations, which does little for visual inter est but allows for the slapstick to play out with some charms. Mostly, Kinney’s own screenplay keeps a focus on the contentious dynamic between brothers, even introduc ing a history for Greg and Rodrick’s dad that suggests how easy it is for estrange ment to become permanent. The result is something that may not have all the imagi nation in the world—it uses an actual nee dle scratch to stop the action, for crying out loud—but has enough earnest emotion to capture something honest about the world of being young, confused and wishing for a relationship that could show you the way. Available Dec. 2 via Disney+. (PG) CW

Jeremy Pope and Raúl Castillo in The Inspection

Lofi Uwu Punk

Indie band The Lovely Robot get excited for Rat Girl Summer

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

Being an independent artist certainly has its struggles. Recording and producing music is a lot of work, but once you get the final product out, the result is so satisfying. With technology in 2022, it’s easy for anyone to create and share their music with the community. As we settle into the holiday season, Ogden band The Lovely Robot prepares to release their second independently-produced al bum, Rat Girl Forever.

Band members Abigail Franklin and Kaden Johanson met in O-Town when they were kids, and have played for other bands in the area, but came together during the pandemic. Like for many others, the pan demic got the creative juices flowing, so The Lovely Robot came to be. The two first worked under the name Dog For Presi dent, but during quarantine, a new project came to fruition. In 2021 The Lovely Robot released their first EP, Rat Girl Summer, which showcases their sound as described by the band as “lofi uwu punk.” “Uwu punk is like, our music is kind of furry-internetadjacent, so I call it uwu punk like that,” said Franklin. “I think it sounds cool.”

According to Johanson, most of the aes thetic is cultivated by Franklin, but he’s in charge of laying down punchy and strong basslines for each track. “Half the time Kaden just improvises everything that he does, and it’s just beautiful,” said co-pro ducer Alaska Sargent. “It’s always beautiful. When we were working on some of our personal projects, I hit up Kaden for some

parts and I could tell that even though I give this thing like, ‘Hey, here’s what I want you to do,’ sometimes Kaden still finds a way to shake it up a bit, and it’s just awe some. It is incredible.”

Writing music for The Lovely Robot is a team effort. Franklin and Johanson have close friends who help them write, produce and help out with transportation and mer ch. Moth Mack has helped write and sing on some tracks, and the group has added Alaska Sargent as a co-producer for the upcoming Rat Girl Forever. Typically, songs start with Franklin, who feels out a driv ing guitar riff that gets paired with a vocal melody. Franklin also works out drums on her own before sending it over to Johanson for a bitchin’ bassline, then it ends up with Sargent to help put it all together.

Even though the band has a punk aes thetic, a lot of the songs end up being love songs, according to Franklin. There’s also a dose of mental-health issues that inspire songs, which were heightened by the pan demic. “I didn’t really go out and do a lot of things because I have asthma,” Frank lin said. “I was particularly worried about the virus when it came out. I just look at it as a lot of time when I was off from work to just work on music. That time off from work turned into the Dog For President record, and then it turned into me transitioning into female. Then after I transitioned, The Lovely Robot came to be.”

While being an independent artist do ing everything on your own is fun, it also comes with struggles, including getting the most desirable sound. “I use a pretty bare bones music editor called Audacity, and I’m too lazy to learn anything better,” Franklin joked. “Making it sound good on the computer is the most difficult part.”

Similarly, timing is a huge factor for this group of friends. “I would say another thing that makes it all difficult is just timing, be cause sometimes since we’re all DIY, we all have our own lives,” said Sargent. “We all have our own jobs, things to attend to, and so sometimes the wait’s exhausting.”

Despite all of the challenges, though, Rat Girl Forever is ready for release on Dec. 1. “Most of my inspiration from it came from just me being locked up in a room where

my fiance used to live. I would just play my guitar and I would just write songs just to do something to pass the time,” said Franklin. “I’d write songs for my partner’s birthday and that’s where Rat Girl Forever comes from, because I wrote a song about two rats being in love for their birthday, and that’s kind of what gave it the rat aes thetic,” she said.

The Lovely Robot will be playing at The Beehive on Dec. 12, and Franklin is look ing forward to playing, “even if only a few people show up,” she said. The Lovely Ro bot haven’t gotten to play many shows, but they’re always exciting when they do. “The thing I need to work on is not breaking my strings during shows,” said Franklin. “I tend to break strings every time, honestly. I always give it my all and people seem to really like that.” According to Mack, see ing Franklin play live solidifies the “uwu” punk vibes. “They’re always a lot of fun,” they said.

“I want my listeners

know

rocks and goes in hard,” said Franklin. While Franklin is looking forward to live shows, she also expressed gratitude for everyone who makes The Lovely Robot pos sible. “It’s always been perfect for music for each other. Alaska and Moth are some of my best buddies too,” she said. “We all get along great and it’s just a privilege to be able to make music with these people and get along so well.”

Catch The Lovely Robot on Monday, Dec 12 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. Rat Girl Summer also has cassettes for sale through Messenger Bag Records at mbr.limitedrun. com. CW

The Lovely Robot is a group of friends who love making music, and that comes through in their recent work. It’ll be a treat for listeners to hear Rat Girl Summer, and to see some live shows from the band.

to

that my music

The Lovely Robot

ABIGAIL FRANKLIN

By Emilee Atkinson

Saved by Sex, 26fix, Sleepcult @ Kilby Court 12/1

Kilby always has rocking shows, and this local lineup is no different: Up-and-coming rock group Saved by Sex are playing alongside veterans of the scene. Clips from their music on Instagram showcase an exciting and fast-paced style of rock; one of the videos on their profile is a chaotic and epic chronicle of two of the members riding around on a motorcycle causing a commotion and just having fun. If their live shows have just a smidge of this energy, it’s sure to be a good time. Joining the new band is Erica Goodwin, AKA 26fix, no stranger to local shows. This singer/songwriter puts on an amazing show, pairing epic elec tronic effects with live music. She’s been releasing singles for a while now that are building up to an eventual concept album. The story follows a girl who chokes on a pickle and ends up dying. “I’m just getting started and it’s a lot of fun. I definitely write about my experiences and what I’m going through in life, but I kind of like to hide it and twist it into a story,” she told City Weekly in November. “It helps with the creative process and helps me feel like I’m not being too vulnerable.” Rounding out the program is SLC punk group Sleepcult, who have been busy this year touring amid their latest release, Where Am I? Come out to this fun show at Kilby Court on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 and can be found at kilbycourt.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

By Emilee Atkinson

Friday Pilots Club, Sunfish @ Soundwell 12/2

Indie pop rockers Friday Pilots Club are out on an exciting tour supporting the release of their explosive new EP, I LOVE YOU, ROBOT SUPERSTAR! The group is entering a new era, as they’ve gone from duo to five-piece, creating new rock with pop sensibilities. This new EP showcases how the group is having fun and being themselves, starting with the title of the EP. “We were driving somewhere, and I just saw this big spray paint in the middle of, like, Nebraska or some thing that read, ‘I love you, robot superstar’ or something like that. I don’t know why those words popped into my brain, but we were listening to the record a lot at the time as we were demoing it, and we were on these drives, so I remember thinking about it,” guitarist Drew Polovick told The Aquarian in October. “It’s also a weird moment in time to be an artist where you have to be feeling publicly—you have to be so willing to share your deepest traumas and emotions on the internet to complete strangers. In order to do that you almost have to be unfeeling, cold and callous to have that thick skin and be okay with sharing those things with people. It’s this weird catch-22 where I was like, ‘I feel like we are kind of all shooting for becoming the ‘robot superstar’ of our life—feeling like I’m on the top of the world and I can do anything,” he said. Friday Pilots Club will be playing tracks from their new EP on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $15 and can be found at soundwellslc.com. (EA)

Friday Pilots Club EMMA ZANGER

Endless Struggle, The Modifiers, Informal Society, The Afraid, All Systems Fail, Goatsifter 12/3 @ Aces High Saloon

Aces High Saloon always has excellent shows for met alheads, but this absolutely stacked lineup is one they won’t want to miss. With a first-rate lineup of local and out-of-town bands, this show is going to be a holiday treat. Veteran SLC group Endless Struggle are headlining, and they’re no strangers to the local music scene. Formed in 1995, the group has gone through lineup changes, but has stayed strong in the nearly 30 years they’ve been pumping out hardcore tunes. Their 2019 release Police State ‘95-’98 pays homage to their early years as a band, including three previously unreleased tracks that have been remastered. Veterans in their own right, Tennessee natives The Modifiers bring their punk aesthetic to this insane show. Hailed as “Punk Godfathers,” The Modifiers broke onto the scene in the ‘80s and were “the best Memphis punk band you’ve never heard of,” according to Memphis Flyer. Adding to the punk vibes are SLC natives Informal Society who blend street punk, ska, pogo and rock into their dynamic songs. Their latest release Road to Mischief is everything you could ask for in a punk album. It starts out with the track “Were Gonna Start a Riot,” and what’s more punk than that? Come out to this epic show on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $9 and can be found at holdmyticket. com. (EA)

Peach Pit @ The Depot 12/5

Peach Pit’s Right Down the Street tour showcases their latest album From 2 to 3 alongside many of their greatest hits. Since the quartet released their first EP in 2016, they’ve grown to 3 million monthly listeners alongside international tours. Peach Pit takes the style of beachfront alternative and adds an overcast of reality, unafraid to be feeling-forward. Similar to bands like Grateful Dead and The Flaming Lips, Peach Pit doesn’t force your attention, but rather allows you to consume the music in a more meditative way. Tranquil melodies over a steady drum and bassline ease your mind into wandering through la la land. The lyrics also take credit for this effect, utilizing a photo album structure; each line offers a vivid glimpse into a very particular relationship, without a narra tive requiring your focus, providing open room for your thoughts to roam in your own life. Peach Pit makes excellent “quiet road trip” songs, but also excels in bringing energy to their live shows. If you’re standing in the front row, you can expect to hold up lead singer Neil Smith during a stage dive. Each of their songs comes with an unexpected adrenaline found only on the stage, including utilization of instruments outside of Peach Pit’s recorded reper toire, hair whipping and covers of metal songs. Whether you can make it to their next show in SLC, or are just looking for some thing new and easy listening, or something emotionally provoked and relatable, Peach Pit is a great place to start looking. Catch Peach Pit at The Depot for the all-ages show on Monday Dec. 5, doors open at 7:00 p.m. General admission starts at $150 and can be found at livenation.com. (Caleb Daniel)

Over the course of her nine critically acclaimed albums, Courtney Marie Andrews has established a well-deserved reputation for sharing songs that resonate with innate truths about the need to secure connection in a world impacted by division and discord. While her music origi nates from her own personal perspective, it rings with a universality and commonality of cause. “Anytime I felt like myself, I was alone and wandering, and I knew that was a sign that it was time for change,” she told Forbes in an interview two years ago, yet for all her cerebral sensitivity, the emotion is also palpable. Hers is a sound that frequently brings to mind Joni Mitchell and Emmylou Harris in terms of both purity and purpose. Her new effort, Loose Future, continues the trajectory established early on, courtesy of a set of songs that resonate with exacting emotion and, in turn, a true depth of desire.

It’s as stirring as it is sensitive, a sound that’s riveting and resilient, even though it demands a closer listen. Her upcoming performance at State Room on Tuesday, Dec. 6 promises to be an intimate yet exhilarating experience, one that summons desire and determination in equal measure. Flyte, a band that possesses a similarly sooth ing sensibility, should set the mood. Doors open at 7 p.m. and music begins at 8 p.m. Tickets for this 21 + show are $24 for general admission and can be found at thestate roompresents.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

MACKENZIE WALKER

Courtney Marie Andrews @ The State Room 12/6

Courtney Marie Andrews

How To Medicate During the Day

Dr. Corey Anden, Salt Baked CIty Staff

Most people that I talk to about medical cannabis are reluctant to take it during the day.

Many people are comfortable taking cannabis products in the evening after work to relax and sleep, as well as to treat medical conditions. However, many people smirk at the idea of daytime use. The main reasons are:

1. I don’t want to be high or impaired (when I am at work, driving or taking care of my kids).

2. I take pharmaceutical medications instead.

3. I don’t need to take anything.

While I don’t promote taking more medication than needed, the medicinal benefits of cannabis can be appropriate at any time of the day – for medical treatment as well as for health and wellness.

There are hundreds of bioactive compounds contained in the cannabis plant that impart medicinal benefits. There are more than 100 different cannabinoids, more than 200 different terpenes, more than 100 different flavonoids, and even some vitamins and minerals. These compounds have been scientifically shown to interact with the body’s endocannabinoid receptors to alleviate pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, nausea, anorexia, anxiety, insomnia, seizures and rash, as well as to impart mood-enhancing, neuroprotective, immunoregulatory, and even antitumor effects.

In reality, the majority of chemical compounds in cannabis are not considered psychoactive, intoxicating or impairing. One of the major cannabinoids, delta-9 THC, is the compound responsible for the majority of intoxicating effects of cannabis products. Several minor cannabinoids, such as delta-8-THC and delta-10-THC, have similar but weaker psychoactive effects. The other major cannabinoid CBD and other minor cannabinoids, such as CBG, CBN, CBGa, CBDa, THCa and THCv, do not have intoxicating effects. Therefore, by selecting cannabis products that are low in THC but high in other cannabinoids, we can avoid or closely manage any undesired psychoactivity while still receiving powerful medicinal benefits!

A low dose of THC would typically be considered to be 5 mg or less, but each person will have their own tolerance level. A medicinal dose of CBD or CBG is considered to be 10-20 mg to start, 25-50 mg on average, and up to 300-600 mg at the high end. The higher the dose of cannabinoids, the higher the cost which is often $0.10/mg.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

Gotorealastrology.comforRobBrezsny’sexpandedweeklyaudiohoroscopesanddailytext-messagehoroscopes.

Audiohoroscopesalsoavailablebyphoneat877-873-4888or900-950-7700.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Journalist Hadley Freeman interviewed Aries actor William Shatner when he was 90. She was surprised that the man who played Star Trek ’s Captain Kirk looked 30 years younger than his actual age. “How do you account for your robustness?” she asked. “I ride a lot of horses, and I’m into the bewilder ment of the world,” said Shatner. “I open my heart and head into the curiosity of how things work.” I suggest you adopt Shatner’s approach in the coming weeks. Be intoxicated with the emotional richness of mysteries and perplexities. Feel the joy of the unknowable and unpredictable. Bask in the blessings of the beautiful and bountiful questions that life sends your way.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Of all the objects on earth, which is most likely to be carelessly cast away and turned into litter? Cigarette butts, of course. That’s why an Indian entrepreneur named Naman Guota is such a revolutionary. Thus far, he has recycled and transformed over 300 million butts into mosquito repellant, toys, keyrings and compost, which he and his company have sold for over a million dollars. I predict that in the coming weeks, you will have a com parable genius for converting debris and scraps into useful, valu able stuff. You will be skilled at recycling dross. Meditate on how you might accomplish this metaphorically and psychologically.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Tips on how to be the best Gemini you can be in the coming weeks: 1. Think laterally or in spirals rather than straight lines; 2. Gleefully solve problems in your daydreams; 3. Try not to hurt anyone accidentally. Maybe go overboard in being sensi tive and kind; 4. Cultivate even more variety than usual in the influences you surround yourself with; 5. Speak the diplomatic truth to people who truly need to hear it; 6. Make creative use of your mostly hidden side; 7. Never let people figure you out completely.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

In my dream, I gathered with my five favorite astrologers to ruminate on your immediate future. After much discussion, we decided the following advice would be helpful for you in December: 1. Make the most useful and inspirational errors you’ve dared in a long time; 2. Try experiments that teach you interesting lessons even if they aren’t completely successful; 3. Identify and honor the blessings in every mess.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

“All possible feelings do not yet exist,” writes Leo novelist Nicole Krauss in her book The History of Love. “There are still those that lie beyond our capacity and our imagination. From time to time, when a piece of music no one has ever written, or something else impossible to predict, fathom or yet describe takes place, a new feeling enters the world. And then, for the millionth time in the history of feeling, the heart surges and absorbs the impact.” I suspect that some of these novel moods will soon be welling up in you, Leo. I’m confident your heart will absorb the influx with intelligence and fascination.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Virgo author Jeanette Winterson writes, “I have always tried to make a home for myself, but I have not felt at home in myself. I have worked hard at being the hero of my own life, but every time I checked the register of displaced persons, I was still on it. I didn’t know how to belong. Longing? Yes. Belonging? No.” Let’s unpack Winterson’s complex testimony as it relates to you right now. I think you are closer than ever before to feeling at home in yourself—maybe not perfectly so, but more than in the past. I also suspect you have a greater-than-usual capacity for belonging. That’s why I invite you to be clear about what or whom you want to belong to and what your belonging will feel like. One more thing: You now have extraordinary power to learn more about what it means to be the hero of your own life.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

It’s tempting for you to entertain balanced views about every subject. You might prefer to never come to definitive conclu sions about anything, because it’s so much fun basking in the pretty glow of prismatic ambiguity. You love there being five sides to every story. I’m not here to scold you about this pre dilection. As a person with three Libran planets in my chart, I understand the appeal of considering all options. But I will advise you to take a brief break from this tendency. If you avoid making decisions in the coming weeks, they will be made for you by others. I don’t recommend that. Be proactive.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Scorpio poet David Whyte makes the surprising statement that “anger is the deepest form of compassion.” What does he mean? As long as it doesn’t result in violence, he says, “anger is the purest form of care. The internal living flame of anger always illuminates what we belong to, what we wish to protect and what we are willing to hazard ourselves for.” Invoking Whyte’s definition, I will urge you to savor your anger in the coming days. I will invite you to honor and celebrate your anger, and use it to guide your constructive efforts to fix some problem or ease some hurt. (Read more: tinyurl.com/AngerCompassion)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Sagittarian comedian Margaret Cho dealt with floods of igno rant criticism while growing up. She testifies, “Being called ugly and fat and disgusting from the time I could barely understand what the words meant has scarred me so deep inside that I have learned to hunt, stalk, claim, own and defend my own loveliness.” You may not have experienced such extreme forms of disapproval, Sagittarius, but like all of us, you have been berated or undervalued simply for being who you are. The good news is that the coming months will be a favorable time to do what Cho has done: hunt, stalk, claim, own and defend your own loveliness. It’s time to intensify your efforts in this noble project.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

The bad news: In 1998, Shon Hopwood was sentenced to 12 years in prison for committing bank robberies. The good news: While incarcerated, he studied law and helped a number of his fellow prisoners win their legal cases—including one heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. After his release, he became a fullfledged lawyer and is now a professor of law at Georgetown University. Your current trouble isn’t anywhere as severe as Hopwood’s was, Capricorn, but I expect your current kerfuffle could motivate you to accomplish a very fine redemption.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

“I stopped going to therapy because I knew my therapist was right, and I wanted to keep being wrong,” writes poet Clementine von Radics. “I wanted to keep my bad habits like charms on a bracelet. I did not want to be brave.” Aquarius, I hope you will do the opposite in the coming weeks. You are, I suspect, very near to a major healing. You’re on the verge of at least partially fixing a problem that has plagued you for a while. So please keep calling on whatever help you’ve been receiving. Maybe ask for even more support and inspiration from the influ ences that have been contributing to your slow, steady progress.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

As you have roused your power to defeat your fears in the past, what methods and approaches have worked best for you? Are there brave people who have inspired you? Are there stories and symbols that have taught you useful tricks? I urge you to survey all you have learned about the art of summoning extra courage. In the coming weeks, you will be glad you have this information to draw on. I don’t mean to imply that your challenges will be scarier or more daunting than usual. My point is that you will have unprecedented opportunities to create vigorous new trends in your life if you are as bold and audacious as you can be.

SUDOKU X

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

Let It Fly

In a “Who’s winning this design?” battle, the state of Utah has a finalist for a new state flag (see p. 18). More on that later.

But in case you hadn’t noticed, Salt Lake City got its own new flag two years ago, made up of a blue horizontal bar on the top, a white horizontal bar on the bottom, and a sego lily flower “canton” in the upper-left corner. We don’t see many sego lily flow ers in the capital city these days, but Sugar House Park has a giant concrete represen tation of one that you can sit on if you walk in from the south end of the park.

The first Salt Lake City flag was created in 1963. It was designed by J. Rulon Hales, the winner of a contest run by the Deseret News. It included seagulls, pioneers, a covered wagon and the sun rising over the Wasatch. Highland High art students made the first version of it in 1969, when it was officially adopted. At the center of the design was the outline of a beehive, Utah’s symbol of industry related to its Mormon heritage. It was a busy design in the flag world, where the ideal look calls for simplicity.

In 2006, the second design of the city flag was adopted by the Salt Lake City Council after Mayor Rocky Anderson sponsored a design contest a few years earlier. Ander son—who has announced he’s running again to be Salt Lake City mayor—felt that “the old flag was too exclusive and focused entirely on the city’s Mormon heritage.” This 2006 flag had a green horizontal bar on top, blue on the bottom and a center oval with a graphic rendition of the Salt Lake City skyline, snowcapped mountains in the background and the words “Salt Lake City.”

Not to be outdone, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall decided she wanted a new flag, so in 2020, the city sponsored a con test with a $3,000 prize for the winning en try. Six hundred people sent in their ideas, and the final design was adopted by the city council in October of the same year.

The state is now finalizing its flag rede sign. In November, a state commission met to advance their choice for a new flag, with three horizontal lines—the top a navy blue sky, the middle a representation of white snowy mountains and a red bar along the bottom third representing the rocky can yons of southern Utah, with a beehive in the middle and a star beneath it (to represent the state’s Native American tribes).

Over 44,000 citizens chimed in on design ideas after state leaders criticized the cur rent flag as “boring” and a “state seal on a blue bedsheet.” In January 2023, the Legis lature will have to approve the new design.

One critic of the new flag told me the de sign seemed appropriate: Blue at the top of the state, red at the bottom, and white in the middle, to represent the political fac tions within our borders. n

of Utah Health and the Moran Eye Center will be destroying medical records created prior to 01/01/2001 for all patients. UUH and Moran will also be destroying medical records created prior to 01/01/2013 for deceased patients who passed away prior to 01/01/2013 and who were over the age of 18 at the time of death. 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 relatives medical information and would like a copy of their records, you must contact the facility at 801-581-2704 before 01/01/2023. After that date, records will no longer be available.

NEWS of the WEIRD

The Tech Revolution

Talk about taking your gaming seriously. Palmer Luckey, a defense contractor and, according to Vice, the father of modern virtual reality, has invented a VR headset that literally presents a life-or-death outcome. Inspired by the NerveGear VR headsets in the anime Sword Art Online, Luckey’s headset features three explosive charge modules that detonate and instantly destroy the user’s head if the user dies during gameplay. “Pumpedup graphics might make a game look more real, but only the threat of serious consequences can make a game feel real to you and every other person in the game,” Luckey said. He admits, though, that he needs to keep tinkering: “There are a huge variety of failures that could occur and kill the user at the wrong time. This is why I have not worked up the (nerve) to actually use it myself. At this point, it is just ... a thought-provoking reminder of unexplored avenues in game design.”

Money To Burn

A pair of “well used” Birkenstock sandals once worn by Steve Jobs has sold at auction for almost $220,000, the Associated Press reported. The brown suede sandals, which date to the mid1970s, retain “the imprint of Steve Jobs’ feet,” the auction said in describing the listing. The buyer was not named. Jobs’ home in Los Altos, California, where he and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple, is now a historic landmark.

Ironies

n The Buckingham and Villages Community Board in England admitted that the irony was running thick when, on Nov. 15, it had to cancel a program about protecting your home from flood damage due to heavy rains in the area. The board hoped to provide residents with demonstrations of flood resilience equip ment and what to do in case of a deluge, according to the BBC. “However, it was due to take place outside in pouring rain and high winds, so there was concern ... that people would not turn out for this important event,” the BVCB said. “A new date will be arranged as soon as possible.”

n In Norway, energy firm Equinor produced its first energy from floating wind turbines on Nov. 13, CNBC reported. The installa tion, called Hywind Tampen, lies about 87 miles off the coast of Norway, with 11 total turbines, four of which will come online in 2023. Ironically, the turbines will be used to produce energy for Equinor’s oil and gas fields in the North Sea. “This is a unique project, the first wind farm in the world powering producing oil and gas installations,” said Geir Tungesvik, the company’s executive vice president for projects, drilling and procurement.

The Continuing Crisis

Marine biologists in the Cayman Islands are desperately search ing for a nurse shark that is sporting a mesh bag around its mid dle, the Daily Star reported. The “skirt” is blocking the shark’s gills, effectively choking it. The Department of Environment said they are “doing our best to locate and assist him but so far, we’ve been unsuccessful.” A scuba diver initially spotted the animal, but he didn’t have the tools he needed to cut the bag away.

Least Competent Criminal Police in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, were able to easily identify a carjacker who followed a woman off a bus at a park-and-ride on Nov. 1, WTAE reported. When they located her stolen car a cou ple of hours later, the people inside hopped out and ran away— but one of the thieves left their identity behind via the Bluetooth iPhone connection in the car. “Darrells iPhone” turned up on the car’s list of devices, and a security guard at Westinghouse High School identified Darrell Cammon Jr., 19, from a surveillance video on the bus. Cammon and another suspect are still at large.

Shade

Byron and Christie Jefferies started dating in 2007 while attending Clemson University, WYFF reported. Through the ensuing 15 years, they stayed together as they lost parents, attended grad school and moved for jobs. So when they married on Oct. 15 in South Carolina, Christie couldn’t help but throw a little shade: As she opened a piece of paper with her vows on it, she blew off a layer of dust. Christie calls her marriage to Byron a “home run.”

Night of the Living Poodle

On Oct. 29, as Kathrin Burleson and a friend walked Burleson’s 13-year-old corgi, Emma, at Trinidad State Beach in California, a pack of 10 standard poodles burst from a nearby car and raced toward them, the Mad River Union reported. Burleson leaned down to pick up Emma, but she wriggled out of Burleson’s arms just as the pack attacked. “I thought Emma and I were going to be killed,” Burleson said. To make things even weirder, during the incident, Burleson felt her finger being bitten, but when she looked up, it was the poodles’ owner, Frank Mallatt, who had her finger in his mouth. Mallatt later told her he thought he was biting one of his dogs. Emma was severely injured and underwent emergency surgery, from which she is still healing. Mallatt reportedly owns a service dog company that, according to the website, places dogs “with children at little to no cost through the help of donations and volunteers.”

It’s

Come to This

Brandy Bottone of Plano, Texas, who argued successfully in June that her unborn fetus qualified her to drive in the HOV lane, is now the namesake of House Bill 521 in Texas’ 2023 legislative session, MSN reported. The Brandy Bill, introduced by state Rep. Briscoe Cain, states that a pregnant driver “is entitled to use any HOV lane in the state.” Texas penal code stipulates that an unborn child is considered a person “at every stage of gestation from fertilization until birth.” If the Brandy Bill is signed into law, it will take effect in September.

End of an Era

Coventry Club, a 46-acre campground in Milton, Vermont, that’s been a haven for nudists for almost 60 years, is closing at the end of the season, WCAX-TV reported. “Our second day here, we fell in love with the place and the people,” said camper Gentle Bear. The owners are going to retire, and the land was sold to a family. Vermont’s unusual laws about nudity allow flashing the birthday suit in public—but you can’t take off your clothes in public. “This is the only place like this in the Northeast and maybe in the U.S.,” said Mark Ozenich, who first visited the park 20 years ago. Good times.

Bright Idea

Residents of the Capitol Hill area of Seattle took matters into their own hands after not getting any satisfaction from the city, KOMO-TV reported. Someone painted a crosswalk at the inter section of E. Olive Way and Harvard Avenue E., but on Nov. 16, the Seattle Department of Transportation removed the unau thorized stripes, saying, “Improperly painted crosswalks give a false sense of safety which puts pedestrians in danger. There are better ways for people to work with us.” David Seater, co-leader of Central Seattle Greenways, called it “frustrating” that the city can move so quickly to remove the rogue crosswalk but “it can take years if not decades or never, frankly, to get crosswalks and other safety improvements installed.” SDOT said it would evaluate the intersection to see how the unauthorized crossing might be replaced.