City Weekly August 24, 2023

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Cover design by Derek Carlisle

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@SLCWEEKLY @SLCWEEKLY @CITYWEEKLY

Utah Beer Fest 2023

[Editor’s note: City Weekly hosted the 13th annual Utah Beer Festival on Aug. 19-20 at Salt Lake City’s Granary Live. The festival’s Day 1 ended early and was evacuated due to a storm.]

Amazing event! Thank you for having us!

MATRONS OF MAYHEM

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Great job, Pete Saltas and City Weekly. We’ll see you tomorrow.

VITO PERRY

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We left at 4:30 and missed the excitement but we had a blast! What a great event!

ANDY SYLVIA FRAUSTO

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Hey, you guys killed it! No regrets! Rain, electricity, whatever—no regrets!

LINZIE MIDDLETON

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Happy that nobody was hurt! Wishing you all a successful Day 2.

MOUNTAIN WEST MEDICAL CLINIC

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We had so much fun! Thank you for having us again this year!

CONTASIA VONCLAPPE

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Vibes on point.

THETRIBEOFI

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Thanks for keeping us safe! See you all tomorrow!

TREEOFPEACH019

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The perfect weather ended with torrential rain, but it was still a great time

BRIAN.NO.ROBES

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It’s raining sideways!!!

LEEINDASLC

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Lamest beer festival in the USA, $15 for the designated driver—really. If you want to go to a real beer festival, go anywhere outside of Utah.

Not expecting free. Unfortunately, the Utah DABC gets in the way of a proper beer fest. Go to a beer festival outside of Utah, and you will see what a real beer festival is like—no punch cards. Pay your admission and sample all the beers. DDs are free to be responsible for the drinkers.

When Utah grows up and learns how to do a real beer festival, then I will buy tickets. The DABC will have to get out of the way for that to happen. Not holding my breath.

CAM MCCLURE

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“No Goal” Aug 10 Private Eye

While I enjoyed John Saltas’ column lambasting the right wing schadenfreude over the U.S. performance at the Women’s World Cup, I have to admit it lost me in the final paragraphs.

Saltas claims to quote a social media post from former President Donald Trump that spins the WWC loss as “emblematic of what is happening” in a failing U.S. under Joe Biden. But no one—no one!—is gonna believe for one second that Trump used “emblematic” correctly in a sentence.

KEITH ALLEMAN

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Just something else for conservatives to cry about in order to justify their idiocy.

JCTROUT72

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Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern? Write to comments@ cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE WATER COOLER

What is your favorite City Weekly memory?

Scott Renshaw

Getting a chance to write for it nearly 25 years ago.

Benjamin Wood

I used to come down to the old office on Main Street just about every week for free movie tickets when I was fresh outta college and living in Central City.

Christa Zaro

The pullout guides to summer concert and activities—those were the days!

Mike Ptaschinski

I remember a one-time John Saltas commentary that did not mention his Greek ancestry, his Mormon heritage, Bingham Canyon or his bartending days.

Emilee Atkinson

When I’d pick City Weekly up as a kid, I loved leafing through and being mesmerized by the articles. It helped inspire me to go to school for journalism. I’m so happy to be the music editor now!

Paula Saltas

I love our Best of Utah parties that we hold. It is a sense of community, meeting new people and celebrating what they do. Everyone is very happy!

Katharine Biele

The PR we got when someone (we know who) stole all the CWs from dropboxes.

PRIVATE EYE

BY JOHN SALTAS @johnsaltas

S’more, Kind Sir I

t’s now 2 p.m. on our go-to-press day, and I just learned that our blackberrygrowing art director—the incredibly talented Derek Carlisle—is going to put my Free Willy profile and fat face on the cover of this week’s City Weekly. I’ve never been on the cover, that I can recall. Once or twice inside, perhaps. I already feel bad for all of you who may never recover from such exposure.

What is coming in the next 40 issues, starting with this one, is a series of weekly countdowns that will give a summary of highlights of this newspaper—and our city—through the lens of our 40 years of publishing. Our resident historian and reporter, Wes Long, is taking point on the project. He’s a fabulous pick, as Wes is new to our office and therefore not yet tainted by all the flattering lies we have not had the chance to tell him.

As it is, he is opening each of our 1,750 or so issues of City Weekly with open eyes and mind. He selects what he thinks are the annual highlights per year and condenses into his weekly piece. I’ve read some of his upcoming reports, and I believe you’ll agree

as you come along on this 40-week journey that he’s doing a bang-up job of not only dancing us down memory lane, but paying nice tribute to the many reporters, contributors, photographers and columnists who came before him on this weary battleship.

It’s bittersweet. Sometimes, Wes will ask me something about a story or episode, and I’ll be taken back to the old Midvale offices where we began, slipping into the strange brew of nerves and exhilaration that can only be felt by those who start a business from scratch. A paltry few businesses in any era can claim to be newspaper or magazine publishing companies.

There’s my dear, good friend and legendary drinking buddy Greta Belanger deJong, who actually began her holistic Catalyst Magazine a year or two before we began. She really made an impact in Utah, a true pioneer—big respect, snails growing in her tub and beyond. Catalyst stopped printing during COVID-19.

J.R. Ruppel was our first production manager and who founded SLUG Magazine when its moniker was fully emblematic of the rocking Salt Lake UnderGround music scene of the late 1980s. When not sleeping at our office, he worked principally out of The Spoken Word under the old 400 South viaduct near Pioneer Park—with no less a pioneer than Kevin Kirk and his Heavy Metal Shop playing along inside there as well.

JR followed his musical muse to years of touring with Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons and, thus, sold SLUG to Gianni Ellefson, who later sold it to current publisher, Angela Brown, who maintains the mission despite the raging mosh-pitters of long ago nearing retirement age. There’s Richard Markosian, who founded Utah Stories and keeps it going with hard work and hyper-local storytelling. More recently, Cole Fullmer filled the emerging niche of cannabis news with his publication Salt Baked City

We—too early—lost Richard BarnumReece, a witty, funny and fiercely aggressive reporter who for years published Utah Runner and Cyclist. In his off times, he wrote for us, and each story was a memorable one. He had the cleverest pen of all. Then he up and died in 2008, way too young with too many stories untold, rocks left upright.

In Park City, Christopher Smart—current author of the SmartBomb column, which appears weekly on our website—started his newspaper Mountain Times with a bullseye on the politics and money boondoggles that commonly occurred in that Wasatch Back burg. We purchased it from Chris but couldn’t sustain Mountain Times

It was bad timing and a difficult road for us to run two newspaper operations with only one lung.

I’ll end up forgetting other notables, but besides Greta and Catalyst, there were other publications here, too, before we ever started. They include Utah Sports Guide, founded by Dan Miller in 1977, and The Event, founded by Allen Tatomer in about 1981. It published for the next 20 years, half of those

with new owner James Major at the helm. It stopped publishing in 2001.

Ogden-based Junction City News was founded and published by Ron Atencio. When it ceased publication in 1990, Ron joined this newspaper as our first bona fide art director. Prior to that, there were three “alternative” newspapers in the area, JCN, The Event and us at Private Eye

We were a distant third to both of them, but we made it to the Trump era, and they didn’t. So far, we’ve not been struck by the MAGA meteor that basically wants to kill independent thought, so maybe they were the lucky ones, not us.

The experiences felt and shared with all of the above is a feeling that we can confidently say will never be felt by the other publishers in town. The katrillionaire Latter-day Saint church, publisher of the unpredictable Deseret News? Hardly. Never met them. However, they office downtown and appear to spend money there.

Paul Huntsman, the millionaire or billionaire (depending on who you ask) guardian and savior of The Salt Lake Tribune who seldom soils his footsy leathers on the streets of Salt Lake City? Harrumph. I do wish I had the half-million-or-so dollars he spends on just his top two editorial and sales executives of the nonprofit that operates the Tribune, however. That would pay for nearly all of our editorial budget annually.

It’s closing in on 4 p.m. Maybe it’s not too late for me to get Derek to photoshop a tin cup in my hand in the cover photo. S’more, please sir, s’more… CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | comments@cityweekly.net BY BILL FROST

MISS: Florida Men

No matter what Gov. Ron DeSantis says, Utah does not have Florida-envy—yet. Yes, Gov. Spencer Cox signed a $42 million “school choice” law, but it is hardly like Florida’s Prager-U model. In fact, Utah’s voucher law is largely untested and an early website confused parents into thinking they were pre-applying for the program. Not even close, since they don’t even have a program manager. So what is Utah missing that Florida has? They will be missing Florida’s “free alternative to the dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media and education,” as NPR reports. And of course, kids can see a video about the “morality of conquest.” But they may not be able to use certain pronouns or nicknames. School choice in Utah will no doubt be different, if only because of the large number of home-schoolers and polygamist communities.

HIT: Make the West the Best

Salt Lake County’s west side has long been neglected, but two Salt Lake City Council members say they are determined to change that. While those council members say citizens came to meetings “in droves,” The Salt Lake Tribune and KUER 90.1 spoke to west-siders about the barriers to interaction with officeholders. Time, communication breakdowns and the culture war are just a few reasons. West-siders have generally been ignored about clean-air concerns. The Utah inland port and Interstate 15 expansion both are going ahead despite unhealthy pollution levels. West-side parents now are fighting to maintain schools targeted for closure. “The air we breathe is not equal, and it never has been,” says Rep. Angela Romero, D-SLC. Councilwoman Victoria Petro urges constituents to show up if they want change. Despite the political walls, more are doing just that.

MISS: Cold Medicine

It’s adorable how Utahns disdain Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for high drug prices. He was the “Medicare for All” guy, although Republicans see it as socialism at work. Earlier this year, Sanders and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, DMinnesota, reintroduced legislation to halve prescription costs under Medicare. And yet, Republicans continue to hail the free market and stand behind Big Pharma. They are delighted that Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee introduced the Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act because the FDA is standing in the way of manufacturers who want to produce biosimilar insulins. This, although the FDA has approved some biosimilar drugs. The solution is not an easy one, unless you plan to move to Canada. In the meantime, partisan cheap shots are just that— cheap: “Hopefully, more lawmakers are starting to understand they can’t cede health care policy to Democrats like Bernie Sanders, whose goal is to implement socialized medicine,” former New York Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle said in the Deseret News.

Fast(?) Food

Salt Lake City’s bizarro fascination with corporate chain entities continues with … Jack in the Box? That’s what you were hanging your pointy hat on this summer, SLC? I mean, as a kid in California back in the day, I loved me some Jack in the Box, and I’ll admit to being excited when the new JITB was announced as opening just two blocks from my house. I’ll step over abandoned babies for an all-day breakfast menu.

But then came opening day in June. Hordes of people waiting in line outside, appropriately under a smirking clown head. A cavalcade of cars stretched a mile up State Street, blocking access to establishments that serve actual food, like Rusted Sun Pizza and Curry in a Hurry. You’d think Jack in the Box was including a free ounce of cocaine and a dirty soda with every order.

We’ve been here before: Remember the local debuts of In-N-Out Burger? Ikea? Trader Joe’s? The profoundly disappointing Raising Canes? (They make one item—chicken fingers— with the taste and texture of a deepfried wallet.) Utahns lose their minds over a shiny new chain, so much so that they’ll sit idling for hours in a drive-thru line in a 100-muffler salute to the late, great ozone layer.

Meanwhile, literally across the street on 2100 South, there’s Mad Greek, a humble fast-food joint that makes killer burgers and serves all-day breakfast platters—no line around the block there. Or, as the dashboard clock ticks off another hour in the Jack in the Box drivethru motorcade, you could just pull out onto State Street and drive a few blocks to another local burger gem, Dolly Donuts. You can get a fat burger, a donut and a beer—top that, Jack. He can’t, but it matters not. The chain sheeple are still lining up at Jack in the Box, though not in the same gate-crashing numbers. Kind of like when Twitter-jumpers realized that Threads doesn’t actually do anything but give you a second feed of useless Instagram influencers. Maybe I’ll be able to slip into JITB for a Jumbo Jack® burger before Labor Day— watch for it in my Threads.

In the meantime, all we can do is brace for the next Big Chain Opening in SLC, whatever it might be. If a Wahlburgers (owned by Mark and Donnie Wahlberg’s brother, Paul) franchise ever comes to town, it would be downright apocalyptic. Worse, reality star Heather Gay could open The Real Hot Wings of Salt Lake City in the Granary District and jam up the west side for months. Damn it, now I want hot wings… #JackInTheBoxSummerSLC2023 #NeverForget

Small Lake City is home to local writers and their opinions.

Birth Certificate Barbie

Will baby names from the biggest hit movie of 2023 become more popular? Only time Ken tell.

BY CAROLYN CAMPBELL comments@cityweekly.net

It’s only the biggest movie of the year. There’s no doubt that both the financial figure and the main character’s figure in Barbie are definitely in the pink. In fact, as of now, this fantasy comedy—based on the life of the blonde-and-bubbly Mattel doll—has earned more than $1.18 billion worldwide, and seems destined to become the highest-grossing domestic film of 2023.

So now, with Utahns flocking to the movies, the question is: Will the film’s bubble-gum pink popularity trickle down from the box office and have a lasting influence on Utah’s culture—say, for instance, what names they choose for their babies?

In other words, what better indication of pop-culture significance circa 2023-2024 than pink nurseries with the newest occupants bearing the name Barbie? And how about baby-blue nurseries for all the little Kens? In the final analysis, will this megahit be Kenough to launch the names Barbie and Ken—names so popular in years past—into the modern-day stratosphere, or will they ultimately wind up beached?

The idea that popular culture has an impact on the names chosen by expectant parents is not as far-fetched as it might sound. After all, there have been many instances of American parents claiming the

names of characters who dominated the TV and movie screens of their time, and snagging them for their children. In fact, for 14 years straight—from 1970 to 1984— the name Jennifer was hugely popular following A li MacGraw’s portrayal of the tough-yet tender heroine Jennifer Cavalleri in the smash hit movie Love Story. The first name Jennifer was so dominant year after year that a Utah Holiday journalist lamented the fact that soon there might no longer be girls, only “Jenniferpersons.”

And, on the opposite end of the spectrum, many baby-naming experts point to the precipitous fall, and eventual demise, of the once-popular name Heather thanks to the 1988 cult movie classic Heathers, where a group of popular teens—all named Heather—were unceasingly snarky, mean and bullying.

So, keeping all of this in mind, will the names moviegoers come across this summer rise higher in popularity than Barbie’s heels?

“When it comes to celebrity name trends, it’s not about the fame. It’s about the name,” stresses Laura Wattenberg, author of The Baby Name Wizard founder of Namerology.com.

To underscore that, Wattenberg says that despite the enormous popularity of Madonna in the 1980s, there was absolutely no rush to name baby girls Madonna. “The name has to fit the sound of what parents are already looking for,” she stresses. “Today it’s all about style.” In fact, Wattenberg points out that nowadays, even the name of the villain in a movie—like Kylo from the Star Wars franchise—will stimulate interest.

While Wattenberg concedes that some parents may be ready for the re-introduction of the name Barbie, it isn’t likely they will choose that name for their daughters, since even in this day and age, they most likely know someone named Barbara, and that would impact their decision. And though Barbie co-star Ryan Gosling may lament it, even given the movie’s megahit

A&E

status, in the end Ken, Kenny or Kenneth are destined to be relegated to the “Just Ken” trash-bin heap, according to Wattenberg.

So, what are our neighbors saying? New mom and Cottonwood Heights resident Megan Adams saw the Barbie movie just days before delivering her baby. While she says she liked the film, she admits that she wasn’t even remotely tempted to choose Barbie for her daughter’s name. Adams says that after seeing her sweet baby’s face for the first time on Aug. 11, the name Lily Abigail Adams still won out.

On the other hand, in just a scant few weeks from now, Salt Laker Laurel Coe is expecting her first daughter following the

births of two sons. While Coe admits that she hasn’t seen Barbie yet, she also says that she hasn’t made a final name choice and that she is open to mulling things over.

“Isn’t Barbie from Barbara?” she asks. “That’s not a bad name. Hmm. My kids would be Bennett, Henry and Barbie. Maybe after I see the movie, I could decide.”

So, there it is, and the saga apparently continues. After it’s all said and done, it will be interesting to find out if the Utah class of 2041 will have a zillion graduates carrying the names Barbie and Ken, all thanks to the hero and heroine in the movie megahit of 2023. CW

theESSENTIALS

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Eileen Hallet Stone: Selling Sex in Utah

There has long been a disconnect between the “official,” socially-sanctioned attitudes towards sexuality, and the reality of people’s behavior. And such has been the case even in Utah, a state founded by religious pioneers but also shaped by mining towns and its geographical position as a railroad hub. In her new book Selling Sex in Utah: A History of Vice, author

Eileen Hallet Stone explores some of the lesserknown corners of the commercialization of sex in Utah in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Those stories address the reality of prostitution during that era—the circumstances that created such “fallen women,” the lives they lived facing a prevalence of incurable sexuallytransmitted diseases, and the way officially illegal behavior was often treated with a wink and a nod by officials who were frequently customers. Stone also digs into colorful characters like Park City madam Rachel “Mother” Urban, who turned her business savvy overseeing the town’s red-light district into local philanthropy. And the narratives extend beyond physical sex work to the side-hustle of prominent Mormon and amateur photographer Charles Ellis Johnson, who navigated between the worlds of official Church photography and distributing erotic images via a mail-order business.

Eileen Hallet Stone reads from and discusses Selling Sex in Utah at The King’s English Bookshop (1511 S. 1500 East) on Thursday, Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. The event is free to the public, but seating is limited, and reserving a seat via Eventbrite is recommended to guarantee admission. Visit kingsenglish.com for reservations, and to pre-order a signed copy of the book. (Scott Renshaw)

ARCADIA PUBLISHING

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT

PICKS, AUGUST 24-30, 2023

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Jurassic World Live

For 30 years now, the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchises have sparked a fascination with dinosaurs—and with the technology that allows them to come to life. No digital trickery, however, is involved in the Jurassic World Live presentation that extends the story of the movies into a theatrical performance— complete with massive audio-animatronic figures, and costumes occupied by skilled “dinoteers” like Damion Tanzer.

Tanzer—who performs as a velociraptor during the show—modeled his performance both after the CGI velociraptors well-known from the Jurassic World series and observing birds in order to find the right movement for the character. He also notes that this is a kind of performance that requires being in good shape; “Our velociraptors weigh roughly 135 pounds,” Tanzer says via email, “so we have to be strong enough to walk, run, and spin while operating these beasts.”

Tanzer also notes that his robotic co-stars can be fairly intimidating. “I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve walked around backstage during the show and jumped from having a T-rex or velociraptor suddenly appear before me,” he says. “There’s definitely an ominous feeling standing in front of our larger dinosaurs, but it makes acting afraid of them on stage so much more realistic. There are plenty of times I forget I’m not actually looking at the real thing when the T-rex looms over me.”

Jurassic World Live comes to the Delta Center (301 W. South Temple) Aug. 25 (7 p.m.), Aug. 26 (11 a.m., 3 p.m. & 7 p.m.) and Aug. 27 (1 p.m. & 5 p.m.). Tickets are $23 - $116, available via Ticketmaster.com. (SR)

theESSENTIALS

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Mix Tape

For more than a decade, the resident performing arts companies of the Rose Wagner Center—The Gina Bachauer

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, AUGUST 24-30, 2023

International Piano Festival, Plan-B Theatre Company, Pygmalion Theatre Company, Repertory Dance Theatre, RirieWoodbury Dance Company (pictured) and SB Dance—have kicked off their fall season with a collaborative production most recently called The Rose Exposed. This year, the effort has been rebranded as Mix Tape—which, according to Plan-B’s artistic director Jerry Rapier, is both pragmatic and captures a different vibe for the 2023 show.

“The Rose Exposed always needed explanation; Mix Tape, people immediately get the idea of it,” Rapier says. “Also, in every iteration in years past, it has been work created specifically for the evening … but we left the door open to pulling from your repertory, so it is a mixture of new and existing work.” In terms of the evening’s offerings, that can mean both an excerpt from Pygmalion’s previously-produced play Bella Bella, or brand-new creations like Plan-B’s performance of The C Word. Rapier adds that Mix Tape has become more than a marketing tool to promote the Rose Wagner companies to the public; it has facilitated a genuine collegiality between the participating companies. “We have a ridiculous amount of fun doing this project together,” Rapier says. “Over the course of the decade-plus we’ve been doing it together, I think each of our individual work has become better.”

Mix Tape takes the stage of the Rose Wagner Center Jeanné Wagner Theater (138 W. 300 South) on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 adult, $10 student; visit arttix.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

Wingin’ It

City Weekly founder John Saltas looks back on 40 years in print.

BY WES LONG wlong@cityweekly.net

When it comes right down to it, Salt Lake City Weekl y owes its existence to three things: a parched landscape for Utah’s fourth estate, bizarre liquor laws and John Saltas needing a job.

Almost 40 years since the inaugural issue of the Private Eye newsletter made its way to select private clubs, Saltas today looks back upon the endeavor with a wide range of feelings, everything from amusement and pride to wonder and regret.

“It’s been a long ride,” he said. “I’ve met so many great people and characters along the way. It’s truly been a group effort.”

And what most fills him with amazement and delight is that despite significant hurdles—and thanks to an alignment of some particularly opportune stars—a simple newsletter became Utah’s third largest newspaper in circulation during the aughts, only to nearly die during economic downturns and a pandemic.

“I guess we had herd immunity. We wedged our way into the fabric of this city,” Saltas said.

That place in the fabric helped to elevate and empower some voices, he said, and contributed to notable changes in the community.

“We did it,” Saltas marvels. “That’s an incredible piece of work that so many people—family, employees, friends—had a hand in.”

With the paper’s 40th anniversary approaching in 2024, City Weekly will be spending the next 40 weeks digging through the archives and exploring how its history unfolded alongside a changing city and state. And while the paper launched in 1984, the story of its creation starts in Chicago in 1981.

‘Salt Lake Should Have One of These’

Having worked various jobs in bars and construction— laboring everywhere from Kennecott Utah Copper mine in Bingham Canyon to the card tables of Wendover— John Saltas found minimal prospects in Utah for someone with a fresh degree in journalism and mass communications from the University of Utah.

It was in Chicago that he got his start as a published journalist, working as an associate editor of Country Style magazine.

“I was wide-eyed and enjoying every minute of it,” Saltas recalled. “It was a great time to be there.”

The city of Chicago—in contrast to places like Salt Lake City—was brimming with notably expansive ethnic and minority populations.

“It was just like being in Bingham Canyon,” recalled Saltas, “only bigger.”

A particular source of enlightenment came by way of Chicago’s gay community, whose visible and organized parade events left Saltas wondering if any similar support structure would ever come to Utah to help his own friends and family members who were gay.

His arrival to the Windy City also coincided with the emergence of a new demographic creature called the “yuppie” (“young upwardly mobile professional”), whose penchant for stimulation and urban living would have a great effect upon the ethos of the coming decade.

Reporting on the concert scene in the midst of this environment, Saltas found both guidance and inspiration from an alternative weekly called the Chicago Reader, which pioneered a locally focused style of journalism within a daring new model of free circulation.

“I’d never seen such a paper,” Saltas recounted. “[Back home in Utah,] we had the morning Tribune and the afternoon Deseret News—and nothing else.”

Saltas described himself as “stunned” by the breadth and style of the Reader’s reporting and design. His conclusion? “Salt Lake should have one of these,” he said.

Starting as a Newsletter for Private Clubs

While event-driven papers existed in the Salt Lake region in the early 1980s, they typically had short lifespans due to the absence of a core source of advertising and distribution. Saltas saw that such a source would be feasible through the hospitality and liquor industries, but there was just one problem: Utah’s liquor laws.

Under the state’s former regulations, establishments that served alcohol were regulated as “private clubs,” able to serve customers mixed drinks only after they completed an application for membership and paid an annual fee. In clubs, a drink was prepared by a bartender primarily from a mini-bottle purchased at the point of sale. Everywhere else, customers were allowed to bring in their own liquor and mix their own drink at the table

after purchasing mixers, or “set-ups.” That practice was also called “brown bagging.”

Mainstream commercial consumption of alcohol at that time, then, was basically non-existent. Which is why, as Saltas opined, “there weren’t very many good restaurants around.”

Private clubs ruled the nightlife but, crucially, they couldn’t advertise. Their only option was in sending out mailers to their internal membership lists with information on coming events and entertainment programming. “I can take this pressure off you,” Saltas remembers saying to local club owners.

The newsletter he envisioned would contain the same combination of articles, but feature unique cover content geared to each of the individual clubs within the Private Eye network, be they the Sage Supper Club, Sandy’s Station, Widow McCoys, Club 90 and so on. Each club got a certain amount of space, while the rest was for Saltas to populate with stories and advertising.

The number of copies run would be determined by club membership lists for several years until the paper succeeded at gaining public distribution.

“It took some serious wrangling with the DABC to be able to put it on the street,” Saltas observed.

It was following this shift to a widely available product that the Private Eye switched from a mailed newsletter to a full-fledged alternative newspaper.

Working in Chicago in the 1980s, Saltas was inspired by alt-newspapers.

Private Eye/City Weekly founder John Saltas at the newspaper’s downtown offices.

DEREK CARLISLE

Getting the Ink on Paper

Getting those first newsletters out was indeed a group effort, and Saltas has particularly deep appreciation for Jim Landers (1932-2012) and his family, who owned the Midvale Sentinel and provided him with needed tutelage in the newspaper production process.

Landers not only gave Saltas guidance, but allowed him use of the Midvale Sentinel facilities, from which the Private Eye was produced for years.

“I had been published,” he said, “but never had I sold an ad, designed an ad, designed a newspaper, built a dummy typeset, handed it off the printer and then distributed it.”

Saltas experimented with different kinds of recurring news beats, some of which stuck (like music and dining) and some of which did not (like sports, fashion and travel). In the earliest issues, most of the contributors—when they were not filler pen names used by Saltas—were often bartenders and waitresses from the local clubs pitching in.

“I didn’t know where it would go,” he remarked. “We were just winging it.”

In the process of printing, labeling, sorting, bundling and mailing the finished newsletters, Saltas noted that it was often a “family affair,” with relatives and friends assisting in the work. His mother was one of the paper’s earliest distribution drivers, and his father set up their mail-sorting room.

Among the many others who assisted in the creation of the Private Eye newsletter were, of course, the club owners themselves as well as advertisers who chipped in contributory funds.

“They supported us just because we were not the daily,” Saltas says with a smile.

It was not very long before contributors of varying styles and backgrounds were also supporting the Pri-

vate Eye’s quirky vision for storytelling and commentary, including at least half a dozen writers from the competing local dailies … who sometimes wrote for Saltas under a pseudonym to avoid conflict with their day-job editors. “Whenever [the other papers] mocked us,” Saltas laughed, “it was their own writers they were mocking.”

He said there was a “slew” of writers in town who yearned for a piece of expression, and that such people were happy to tackle stories and subjects that were being overlooked.

When writing for an alternative weekly, as Salt Lake Tribune reporter and columnist Robert Gehrke observed, “you sort of have to have a chip on your shoulder,” with a “swagger and attitude that lends itself to scrappy reporting.”

Such strutting self-assurance was precisely what Saltas and his team imbued into their work.

“We were being funny, we were being clever, we were being mean, we were being obnoxious,” Saltas said.

“We had no friends in the protected class that other media danced around, so we weren’t afraid of losing a lunch date if we did a story on the mayor or a banker. We were doing things far differently in the storytelling, and that’s part of being an alternate newspaper. We also never shied away from hard news, with many of our reporters and editors knocking down all kinds of journalistic awards—hundreds of them.”

Tom Wharton, who wrote for decades on sports and outdoors subjects for The Salt Lake Tribune, expressed admiration for the Weekly’s provocative effect upon the community at large.

“This will sound strange coming from a guy who worked nearly 50 years at the Trib,” Wharton wrote on social media, “But I liked it when Saltas [and co.] went after local media, including the Trib. It often stung, but it was interesting and challenging.”

It Took Its Toll

Looking back after all these decades of work, Saltas admits that the enterprise became a larger responsibility than he ever imagined. And the demands ensuing from what started as a modest newsletter have corresponded to both turmoil and joy.

“[It] has taken a toll—no two ways about it,” Saltas said. “It has been hard on every aspect of my life.”

Most tellingly, Saltas regrets the time he lost on the family front. His wife and three children have been along for this ride with him, and they have been obliged to both share in the highs as well as suffer the storms that have come with the territory. “It may have been a lot easier on everyone if I had followed a different path,” he believes. “I’m still pissed I put down my guitar and songwriting. That would have been a breeze.”

Were he to speak with the John Saltas of 1984, he said he would likely ask one question: “Are you sure you want to do this?” He said he believes the younger Saltas would respond just as he does today, acknowledging the challenge but also its motivating possibilities. “If it was so easy,” Saltas said, “we’d have at least a competitor.”

What’s more—and far beyond the daunting prospects of Private Eye surviving in the Utah of the 1980s—Saltas has been surprised by the impact that the paper has had upon others. There are those among the Private Eye/Salt Lake City Weekly alumni who have gone on to work in more prominent and far-reaching positions in a variety of fields and professions, including, of course, the realms of journalism and graphic design.

“We changed their arc, and they changed the arc of so many others,” Saltas expressed with astonishment. “Each of them enriched my own life.”

Who would have thought that such could be possible from “just licking stamps” for a locally made bulletin?

“Nobody warned me about that,” he said. “It was a freaking newsletter!” CW

years of

Remembering Vol. 1

In the news: These days, the only place you’re likely to see a mini-bottle of liquor in Utah is on an airplane, as they are largely illegal to sell here despite their ubiquity elsewhere. But it wasn’t so long ago that Utah’s entire alcohol industry revolved around individually packaged, 1.7-ounce containers of hooch.

Lawmakers have long set strict caps on the amount of booze that one retail beverage unit can contain. In 2023, this takes the form of metering devices and other dispensing hardware but in 1984, the “solution” was for a patron to purchase a mini bottle of liquor separately from their preferred mixer (i.e., one Jack and also one Coke) or to store their privately owned bottle of booze behind the bar.

Cumbersome in its own right, this approach opened up its own set of trickle-down problems. As explained by Don Beck (then-executive director of the Utah Licensed Club Association) in an op-ed for the inaugural issue of Private Eye, a 1.7-ounce pour is, ironically, a little strong for a single and the practice of “splitting” a mini between two drinks made it difficult to keep track of who had purchased liquor on site and who had “brown-bagged” their own.

Summer fashion was among the topics in issue No. 12, the final issue of the first year in print. Fashion editor Michelle Wilberger recommended the classic blazer-andslacks combination for men, though she encouraged readers to “dress it down.”

“For example,” she wrote, “you may try a poly-cotton shirt with interlocking stripes matched with periwinkle poly cotton shorts.”

For women, Wilberger suggested mixing and matching with different styles, colors and materials. “A big favorite this year are textured trousers. They’re as crisp as the morning air!” she wrote. “With a big variety in cotton or linen, these pants have flare and dash. They are traditionally worn full from ankle to hip, but the shorter, cropped style is also perfect.”

In the ads: Jeremy Ranch, the upscale golf club and residential community in Summit County, ran full-page advertisements in Private Eye during its first year in print. In one, then-Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton holds a child (his?) up to dunk a basketball next to text describing the development’s “optimum lifestyle ... just 30 minutes from Salt Lake City.” Another ad lauded the perk of free golf to potential residents, “just 20 minutes up Parleys Canyon.”

BY BENJAMIN WOOD bwood@cityweekly.net

“Women’s Lib surely has nothing on this place!”

So read the opening sentence—under the front-page headline “Club 90 … Where the Girls Are”—of the first-ever Salt Lake City Weekly, printed in June of 1984.

The newspaper has changed a lot in the soon-to-be 40 years since then. For starters, it wasn’t called City Weekly in 1984, and it wasn’t exactly a newspaper either (unconfirmed: whether or not “the girls” are still at Club 90). Known then as Private Eye, CW originated as a monthly newsletter mailed to members of the state’s “private clubs”—watering holes of the era that were prohibited from serving alcohol to off-thestreet customers.

As envisioned by teetotaling Utah lawmakers (some things never change), would-be bar patrons had to first register as dues-paying members before ordering a drink. And while the private clubs were strictly blocked from advertising through traditional channels, they were free to privately distribute information to their membership lists, or—hypothetically speaking—partner with a guy named John Saltas to package, print and distribute that information.

Thus, City Weekly was born—under a different name and format, yes, but unchanging where it counts. Private Eye dove headfirst into the ambiguities of liquor law, finding— and occasionally creating—the loopholes that would push Utah along its path of modernization. In time, it became the state’s unflinching chronicle of the unvarnished truth, elevating voices that would otherwise go unheard, challenging superficial notions, celebrating diversity in all its form, shaking the foundations of power through groundbreaking investigations and remembering, at all times, that it’s good to have a little fun.

Today, City Weekl y maintains this legacy through awardwinning coverage and commentary on local news, arts, dining and entertainment; through events like the City Weekly Pride Pageant, Utah Beer Festival, Utah Cann and Best of Utah; and through the ever-evolving battle against government censorship, which in recent years has seen our friends in the medical cannabis industry hitting the same arbitrary walls that the city’s private clubs did four decades ago (for a deeper dive into that dynamic, check out our sister publication Salt Baked City).

Over the next 40 weeks, we’ll be counting down (up?) the years, one City Weekly “volume” at a time—checking in on old friends, old fights and old fads, all leading up to our grand ruby anniversary in 2024.

We also invite longtime readers to participate in this project by submitting your contact information and your Private Eye/Salt Lake City Weekly memories—up to 500 words in length—to comments@cityweekly.net for possible publication in a future issue.

Happy birthday, City Weekly, and thanks for reading, Salt Lake City.

—Benjamin Wood, news editor

“Some club managers are disinterested in obtaining dispensing units because of cost. Other club operators, however, take a more responsible attitude toward the overconsumption problem which is caused by the 1.7-ounce mini drink,” Beck wrote. “All clubs agree that they would like to serve normal-size drinks which do not encourage over-consumption.”

In the city: Judy Foote was the first woman in Utah to operate a private club—the Widow McCoys—and was featured in issue No. 1 for not leaving the business. Private Eye also tracked the renovation of Midvale’s Sage Supper Club— now A Bar Named Sue—throughout 1984, while humorist J.D. Menelle argued that “Cigar Smokers Are People, Too!” in issue No. 2, back when smoking indoors was still a thing.

“So the next time you are in a restaurant, and the guy at the next table lights up a cigar, don’t throw food in his lap. Sit back and enjoy the pleasant aroma,” Menelle encouraged. “If it does smell a bit gamey, politely suggest to the gentleman that perhaps a change of corona is in order. He will understand.”

Also, in issue No. 2, sports writer Dan Pattison caught up with Pete Williams after he left the University of Utah Men’s Basketball program and was drafted (seventh round) to the Golden State Warriors. During their interview, Williams sized up his fellow NBA draftees, including Charles Barkley and future Utah Jazz legend John Stockton.

“He’s a surprise choice,” Williams said of Stockton’s first-round pickup. “I know nothing about him but word of mouth. I’ve heard that he’s a fine defensive player and is always thinking one ahead of the rest of the players because of his quickness.”

“You’ve always wanted to play Jeremy Ranch’s scenic, uncrowded fairways. Now you can do it for free!,” the advertisement states. “Come play Jeremy’s lush, private fairways on us. You’ll soon see why Jeremy Ranch is the place to live … really live!!!”

And long before the Fun Bus and Utah Trailways offered shuttle rides to West Wendover, Salt Lakers could hitch a ride on a Casino Caravan for $11 to the Silver Smith—known today as the Montego Bay—that hugs the Nevada-Utah border. Ads for the service in Private Eye promised customers a “valuable gift” and the chance to win a Hawaiian vacation, in addition to transportation services.

In the stands: In issue No. 9—February of 1985—writer and attorney Ron Yengich argued against the National Basketball Association’s substance-abuse policies, instituted by then-league commissioner David Stern. His column focused on John Drew, a player for the Utah Jazz who was the first to be banned from the NBA under the rules.

Yengich remarked on seeing Drew in the stands of the Salt Palace (where the Utah Jazz played at the time, prior to the construction of the Delta Center, and alternating schedules with the Golden Eagles hockey team), dressed in street clothes, watching the game along with the team’s fans.

“Drug and alcohol abuse has found its way into this nation’s most pompous oak-paneled law offices, the bacteriafree scrub rooms of our major hospitals and even the stately mansion on Pennsylvania Avenue,” Yengich wrote. “People abuse these substances for as many reasons as there are people to abuse them. Doctors, lawyers, actors, wives of presidents, truck drivers and even pampered athletes.” CW

salt lake CITY WEEKLY Rewind

Volume 1: 1984 to 1985

Feeling Crabby?

Break out your bib and polish up your shell shuckers for these hands-on seafood spots.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

While the trend of crab-boil places opening up in Utah hasn’t quite reached the peak velocity of fried chicken restaurants, it’s been pretty hot nonetheless. Of course, we’ve had a few early trendsetters in the field, but how do these more recent joints stack up?

I’ve wondered this myself for some time, so I decided to crack each of them open to see what sets them apart. I wore several plastic lobster bibs and decimated buckets of shellfish for this report, so I hope it serves anyone curious about the crab boil concept well.

Before we get into the crab-boil ballers on this list, I feel I should throw out some general dining guidelines for those headed to get their boiled seafood on. When you arrive, you’ll get a plastic bib and gloves. You’ll very much want to use these items, because your food comes tossed in a bag, and then piled high on your table—yes, that’s butcher paper instead of a table cloth—then you eat it all with your hands. For the most part, it’s a tactile, fun experience that makes you feel like a mighty barbarian, but those who want to somehow look cool while eating are not going to be very comfortable here. Make sure you hit up these places with people you

trust, and who are not above making a mess of their food.

Bucket O’ Crawfish (1980 W. 3500 South, 801-419-0900, bucketocrawfish. com): This West Valley location was the first crab-boil spot on my radar. It’s part of the Sapa Investment Group’s restaurant portfolio, and we have them to thank for the high concentration of awesome restaurants on this stretch of 3500 South. Its concept is as simple and unassuming as its name: You come here for buckets of crawfish, and leave happy. Of course, they have plenty of other seafood options like shrimp, mussels and king crab that you can use to customize your bucket. Once you’ve got your foundation, you can add traditional fixins like noodles and hardboiled eggs. It’s also one of the only places I know where you can get smoked alligator sausage in your boil, which provides some true Southern charm to the menu. Come here for the most revered—and arguably most Southern—of the local crabboil joints.

Hook and Reel (3403 S. Decker Lake Drive, 801-666-2888, hookreel.com): Just up the street from Bucket O’ Crawfish is Hook and Reel, which is part of a national franchise. This spot expands the crabboil concept slightly into pasta dishes and po’ boy sandwiches, so it’s not a bad option for those who have crab boil-averse folks in their dining party. The nice thing about Hook and Reel is that their non-crab boil items are really good, and more than just an afterthought; I really like their po’ boys. This place also has a few summery signature cocktails on their menu to add to the seaside vibes that abound within. I also appreciated the tableside service here—when orders come in big ol’ plastic bags, I was grateful for the fact that our server swished everything around and then carefully shuffled

it out onto our plates for a nice presentation and easy access.

Cajun Boil Premium Buffet (618 E. 400 South, 385-252-6666, cajunboilbuffet. com): The crab boil circuit can be a pricy one, especially if you have a penchant for snow crab or lobster. If you want a place where you can get a whole lot of seafood at a decent flat rate, you should definitely check out Cajun Boil. Forty bucks unlocks an all-you-can-eat buffet stuffed to the gills with a wide variety of seafood. Now, I can understand that some people approach seafood buffets with a bit of skepticism, but Cajun Boil happens to be owned by the same team that operates OMBU Grill, which has locations all over Utah. As OMBU Grills are known for their high-quality buffet concepts, the transition to a seafood buffet seems pretty natural. This is a great spot for those after the crab boil experience and then some.

O Crab Cajun Seafood and Bar (7277 S. Plaza Center Drive, 801-739-8888, ocrabcajun.com): So when you think of a crab-boil place, you likely think of a strong, uber-kitschy nautical aesthetic. You get that at all the places on this list for sure, but I think O Crab Cajun Seafood Bar comes on the strongest—and I say that with all possible respect. I love a restaurant that has a bunch of random stuff all over the walls, and if you share an affection for campy gastropub vibes, you’ll dig this place too. As this restaurant really leans into its sports bar foundations, you’ve got quite a lot of variety on the menu. Yes, it’s mostly seafood based, but there are plenty of other pub options along with some tasty desserts; that lemon berry mascarpone cake is particularly delightful.

I’m continuing to refine this list of course, so hit me up if you’ve been to a crab boil joint that locals need to check out. CW

ALEX SPRINGER

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

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Midnight Especial- Dark Mexican Lager Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC

On Tap: Mango Goze

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

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Chappell Brewing 2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer

On Tap: Playground 4 with 1019 & Madusa

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

On Tap: Purple Rain - Marionberry Helles

Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap: Munich Lager

Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC

EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Utah Small Batch SeriesExperimental IPA

Fisher Brewing Co.

320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

Grid City Beer Works

333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Cask Nitro CO2

Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT helperbeer.com

Hopkins Brewing Co.

1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Solstice 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: Vienna-Style Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST 550 So. 300 West #100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Nitro Coffee Uncommon

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap: Golden Sproket Wit

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Tropical Crush–POG–Passionfruit, Orange & Guava!

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/

On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden Beer Company 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

On Tap: Tranquili-Tea HefeweizenEpic Collaboration

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC

ProperBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Whispers from Krakatoa - Helles Lager with Habanero and Mango

Proper Burger: Sour RangerBlackberry and Lemon Sour

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191 Moab, Utah 84532

On Tap: Angus McCloud- Scottish Ale

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: Skippers Delight Amber Lager

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Identity Crisis Session West Coast Hazy Cold IPA – the name says it all!

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com

On Tap: Farmhouse Brett Saison from Foeder #2

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: Oktoberfest Vienna Lager

Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com

On Tap: Scion Cider Fuji-La 8.1% ABV

Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek https://secondsummitcider.com

On Tap: Blackberry Lime Cider

Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer

On Tap: Hellion Huckelberry

Sour Ale

Live Music: Thursdays

Shades On State 366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com

On Tap: Hellion Blond Ale, an ode to Ellie, manager at Shades on State Karaoke: Wednesdays

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

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co. 147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/squatters

On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co.’s Kafka Dark Lager

Squatters and Wasatch Brewery 1763 So 300 West SLC UT 84115 Utahbeers.com

On Tap: Squatters & Kiitos Collab: Ginger Rye Lime Sour, 5% Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi 3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: Spirit World Saison - Grid City Collaboration Sour Saison/ Wine Hybrid Strap Tank Brewery, Springville 596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: Spirit World Saison - Grid City Collaboration Sour Saison/ Wine Hybrid Stratford Proper 1588 Stratford Ave., SLC stratfordproper.com

On Tap: Yacht Rock Juice BoxJuicy IPA

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com

On Tap: Coconut Guava Berliner Weisse

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

A list of what local craft breweries and cider houses have on tap this week

BEER NERD

New Hopes for New Hops

New hops take two IPAs to the next level.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Offset Bier - HBC586: This new IPA features an experimental hop with no name—just a number, HBC586. It’s a bit hazy, but also golden in color, and with some brightness and nice carbonation. It boasts a great and unique hop profile, another gem from this brewery, which I’m happy to call local. HBC586 is pretty new to me, and the hop is a cool choice—intense without being green, and well on display here, featuring lemongrass with hints of green melon and white tea. This also has nuances of grapefruit juice, lime, mandarin orange and even red berries.

The nose and the taste are pretty similar, showcasing the same fruits but with different flashes of intensity. There is really not an overly assertive bitterness, just enough to balance the radiant fruitiness of these hops in great proportions. I think the hops help this to be bold without it tasting over-hopped. It’s hard to exactly place the profile, but it’s obvious that there’s a peach thing happening, and that it seems to highlight the other flavors really well; each does its own thing here. The base beer is cool, fluffy and not as dense or heavy as some of these I have had. It’s not so dry that the hops are cut short, but not sweet either, and maybe with one of those new school juice strains of yeast that’s not neutral but complementary, subtle as it is.

Verdict: I tried this delicious beer in close proximity to some equilibrium IPAs, and much preferred this one, with its amazing hop profile, herbal at the end. I think this varietal is here to stay, and will definitely be getting a proper name. I need to spend some time with

more HBC586 IPAs; it’s quite intriguing to me, although I still don’t totally understand it here. A wonderful newschool IPA, good enough to be in their everyday lineup as far as I’m concerned. I’m so glad I got to try this one!

Bewilder Brew Lab #3: This IPA also features some of the newer hops available to brewers, Vista and Sabro Hops. The beer pours a clear golden-peach color with a billowy white head of foam. The aroma of the brew is strongest of grapefruit-y citrus hop mixed with some tangerine, along with a strong crackery/ bready smell. Sharing space with these aromas comes a light hint of orange and a bit of floral hop.

The taste begins with a big tangerine sweetness, mixed with a good hit of grapefruit hop and cracker malts right from the start. These flavors create the base taste of the beer and remain throughout, with the grapefruit getting stronger as the taste advances. Toward the middle to the end come some other lighter flavors of pine and floral hop, leaving one with a nice citrus sweetness and hop taste to linger on the tongue. The body of the brew is average in nature, with a carbonation level that is average as well. Considering the big citrus sweetness and hop tastes, the mouthfeel is great, and makes for one very easydrinking brew.

Verdict: This is an all-around outstanding example of complexity and balance between citrus, fruity, tropical hops and bready malt flavors—very smooth and pretty refreshing to drink with very minimally bitter/drying finish, plus that amazingly soft feel with the Vista and Sabro hop showcase. Insanely juicy hop complexity only features a slight dankness and great balance, not overly sweet or heavy. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot-on style example.

Both of these offerings dial in a 6.5 percent alcohol, and can be found in a few pubs outside of their home breweries. These are both packaged in 16-ounce cans, and are a perfect one-two punch to enjoy together. Which do you prefer? Hit us up, and share your thoughts. As always, cheers! cw

MIKE RIEDEL

MIKE RIEDEL

2496 S. WEST TEMPLE, SLC LEVELCROSSINGBREWING.COM @LEVELCROSSINGBREWING

the BACK THANK YOU! FOR TELLING US WE HAVE THE GREATEST BURGERS FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS! HERE’S TO ANOTHER 15!

BURNER

R&R BBQ Goes Back to School

Anyone who wants to participate in a good cause while enjoying some of Utah’s best barbecue will want to check out R&R (randrbbq.com) from now until Sept. 2. Thanks to the “Pitmasters with Purpose” program, each of R&R’s 12 stores in Utah and Idaho will be accepting school supply donations for 25 different schools in both states. Those who bring items in will not only be helping schools in need, but they’ll also get 20% off your purchase. Those interested in participating can bring new and unopened school supplies like backpacks, disinfectant wipes, pencils, paper and glue sticks to the register to receive their discount.

Cocktail Making Workshop at W.O.S.B. Collective

The team at W.O.S.B. Collective (wosbcollective.com) will be hosting a cocktail-making workshop for attendees to brush up on their mixology. Those unfamiliar with W.O.S.B. may not know that it stands for Women Owned Small Business, and they may also not know that they supply internationally-sourced fashion, art and accessories to the downtown Salt Lake City area. As a business collective, these ladies work together to bring cool new products to our neck of the woods—and they occasionally show us how to make a mean cocktail as well. The event takes place on Aug. 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at their Gateway shop (136 S. Rio Grande Street)

Say Hello to Sayonara

The space that used to belong to Ginger Street finally has a new owner, and it looks like an incredible place for a dork like me to hang out. It’s now called Sayonara (324 S. State Street), and it touts itself as a Japanese-style bar that brings a little bit of Tokyo to Salt Lake City. It features decorations imported from Japan, and thematic boots that embody everything from samurai to Cowboy Bebop. Their drink menu follows suit with plenty of Japanese-inspired drinks and flavored sake, along with plenty of local beer and spirits on hand. This little corner of State Street is the perfect place for a highly stylized nightspot, and I can’t wait to check it out in a bit more detail.

Quote of the Week: “They say hunger is the best spice.” – Spike Spiegel

What’s Goin’ On

Gran Turismo offers the simple but too-rare pleasure of caring about the audience’s understanding.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

You might reasonably assume that one of the baseline responsibilities for a filmmaker is allowing viewers to understand what the hell is happening while they’re watching—that is, if so much of 21st-century filmmaking weren’t evidence to the contrary.

It’s hard to pinpoint when the epidemic began, particularly as it applies to action filmmaking, but it has consisted of chaotic editing, underlit cinematography and a general sense that having things move fast is a more crucial artistic goal that having things be comprehensible.

I fear overselling Gran Turismo, because it’s not a particularly great movie. Its factbased story is less the stuff of action spectacle than it is of underdog-sports drama, with all of the requisite formulaic elements thereof, and on top of that it’s kind of a bald-faced bit of synergistic corporate advertising for PlayStation and Nissan. But it’s still significant that director Neill Blomkamp (District 13) does things that feel almost radical and revolutionary in 2023. He prioritizes the simple need for us, the viewers, to know what’s going on during scenes where cars are zipping along at 200-plus miles per hour.

The tale begins with young Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) at home in Cardiff, Wales, where he has become a master at the auto-racing simulator game Gran Turismo. Conveniently, his

cal promotional idea concocted by Nissan marketing executive Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom): recruiting some of the best simulator players from around the world and giving them a chance to drive real cars in real races. And thus Jann is gathered with several other prospective drivers at an academy under the tutelage of ex-driver/chief engineer Jack Salter (David Harbour), with only one of the recruits getting a chance to head out onto the actual pro racing circuit.

Jann’s journey towards that big opportunity is complicated by lack of support from his father (Djimon Hounsou), an ex-footballer who doesn’t understand the kids these days with their video games and whatnot. It’s a clunky bit of obligatory conflict in the screenplay by Jason Hall and Zack Baylin, in the same way that the snippet of a sub-plot involving Jann’s romantic interest (Maeve Courtier-Lilley) simply feels like a waste of time. Stories like this have beats to hit, but that doesn’t mean they need to hit all of those beats with a hammer.

Yet another component of these stories is the “down-on-his-luck coach whose supervision of our hero becomes an op-

portunity for his own redemption,” and at least here Gran Turismo hits a more than functional note.

Harbour’s performance is actually quite delightful, somehow taking the arc we know is coming from the moment he appears—a journey from gruff, reluctant mentor to concerned surrogate fatherfigure—in a direction that feels frisky and satisfying. Even the inevitable speech in which he explains the reason for his own never-reached potential feels imbued with a distinctive energy, an almost matter-offact realization that some of us just don’t get that shot at greatness, but by God he’s gonna help Jann get there if he can.

None of that would matter without the race sequences that are the movies centerpiece, and auto racing can be a real pain in the ass to get an audience to follow. But Blomkamp makes a few great strategic choices from the outset that allow the progress of those races to remain clear.

First, he puts Jann’s primary adversary— cocky driver Nicholas (Josha Stradowski), basically the “Johnny from The Karate Kid” of our story—in a shiny gold car, making it easy to spot him at any given moment, and similarly places another key rival in a car

with a rainbow stripe. Then, he embraces the narrative’s video-game roots by keeping the on-screen graphics focused on Jann’s current rank in any given race. The result is a fast-paced scenario that permits the same clarity as, say, a baseball movie where you’re always clear on the ballsand-strikes count and what inning it is.

Gran Turismo isn’t always deft enough to combine its basic genre pleasures with potentially interesting thematic ideas, like the notion that Jann’s lack of obvious sports-hero charisma could have torpedoed him before he even had a chance. It is, however, solid enough at giving you a reason to cheer for the underdog’s successes. And perhaps more significantly, it cares about giving you a way to know when you’ve actually seen one of those successes. CW

GRAN TURISMO BBB

Archie Madekwe David Harbour Orlando Bloom Rated PG-13 Available in theaters Aug. 25

Archie Madekwe and David Harbour in Gran Turismo

SONY PICTURES

Grid City Music Festival 2023

Grid City Beer Works puts on an epic bash.

BY SOPHIE CALIGIURI

With shining silver tanks brimming with just-brewed beer, Grid City Beer Works was well-equipped for their opening day—positioned to become a favorite South Salt Lake social center, complete with ambrosial-grade craft beer and titillating eats to boot.

“It’s kind of a shitty story actually,” says Drew Reynolds, co-owner of Grid City. “We were supposed to open March 19 of 2020.” Since we all know what was flying down the pipeline towards us—although unsuspecting at the time—it’s needless to note that the grand opening didn’t go as planned for Reynolds and his team. In fact, it didn’t happen at all until months later—and even then, Grid City boasted only nine tables in their cavernous building to ensure customer safety.

“A lot of our efforts became disillusioned by the way we opened. The ideas we had were designed to make this a very social place, and it wasn’t,” says Reynolds. “But I’ve always had a love for music. I wanted to do live music from the start, and [Grid City’s] backyard is the perfect place to do it. My favorite kind of marketing is throwing parties, and live music works better than anything else.”

Reynolds’ desire for some good oldfashioned socialization through the common connector of music was not limited to just Grid City’s backyard, though. “A couple of years ago, the city of South Salt Lake deemed this ‘The Creative Industries Zone’ or, as we call it, ‘The Zone,’” he explains. “There’s this idea that nothing fun happens south of 21st South. What happens? Sandy Amphitheater? We are South Salt Lake, right? I just want to push that a little further,” Reynolds says.

“They are doing so well in The Granary district downtown, but how do we get

traffic here in South Salt Lake? How do we tell people that we exist? I mean, there are at least five breweries and three distilleries down here, but do we take advantage of them? Or how close they are in radius to all these different artisans?”

Enter the collaboration of the year: Grid City Music Festival. On Aug. 25 and 26, 30 (yes, you heard that right: 30!) different musicians will perform across South Salt Lake in seven different venues, all connected by a Fun Bus (!!) which runs the whole festival course every 10 minutes, paying close attention to local murals commissioned by The Mural Fest. Participating venues include Grid City Beer Works, Pat’s BBQ (at Commonwealth), Saltfire Brewing Co., Level Crossing Brewing Co., Old Cuss Cafe & Chapel Brewing, Beehive Distillery and The Commonwealth Room.

Now, hold on to your hats, because we’re talking about a weekend willing to go the whole nine yards. Performances in the all-local line-up include the likes of Triggers and Slips, All Systems Fall, Vinyl Koala, The Alpines, JRAD Cooley, JT Draper, Brent Lee, Meander Cat, Talia Keyes & The Love and 21 others. There will be indoor, outdoor, and rooftop venues. Local food vendors and local, South Salt Lake brews and booze will keep your bellies and glass ever-full. Run rampant at the afterparties each night at The Commonwealth Room. Throw axes. Play cornhole. Punch passes, enter raffles, and win give-aways. Ride a damn Fun Bus.

What more do you people want? Free entry? You’ve got it! Every venue is hosting these world-class musicians and their delectable sounds for free–even the Fun Bus flies without charge. You only need a ticket for the afterparties, which you simply can’t miss. With tickets for only $15, guaranteed face-melting music, cups of beer that runneth over and lots (and lots!) of dancing, what better way to spend the otherwise lonesome summer dusk?

As you may have gleaned, organizing this fest was no small feat. Many prominent and brilliant figures came together to ensure that this jam-packed weekend will be both a fun and fruitful endeavor. Between the combined powers of mastermind Drew Reynolds, The Commonwealth Room’s owner Darin Piccoli, musician-

booking maestro Derrek Wright and backing from the City of South Salt Lake (just to name a few), Grid City Music Fest is a goliath reminder of the power of The Zone.

But how did this elephantine collaboration between restaurants and breweries even get rolling? “I went and knocked on their doors,” says Reynolds, simply. “I’m an unselfish person when it comes to sharing the love, ‘cuz when there’s love to share, it’s important. And there is so much love that goes into this city. Our breweries are so underrated, and our scene is so underrated. I told the other businesses: If that’s your vibe and you want to bring it, then bring it. I think it’s going to be very unique for people to go to these different spots and see these very different artists.”

And while the Grid City Music Fest is assuredly a massive undertaking likely to be a smashing success, it comes down to something simple. “Sometimes it’s

important to party in your community,” Reynolds says. “This town doesn’t party. We have the mountains, that’s what we do. But we can do both. There is so much to offer here, but we don’t let our hair down.

“I just want this to become something where people say ‘Yo, Grid City Music Fest is this weekend; we are not going to the desert, we are not going to backpack, we are going to hang around South Salt Lake City and party. And we’re gonna bring our friends, and we are going to have fun, and we are going to take the Fun Bus.’ Grid City can be whatever it wants to be. This is a really cool town that gets a bad rap, and it’s unnecessary. Can we throw some fucking parties in this town? We’re so in shape from all that hiking that I know we can rally.” Rally we will! Visit gridcitymusicfest. com to purchase afterparty tickets, sign-up for the Fun Bus, view the full line up, plan your route and mark your calendar. CW

Superbubble TOD COLLINS

THURSDAYS

FRIDAYS DJ FRESH(NESS)

SATURDAYS POKER @ 2PM DJ DELMAGGIO

SHARK SUNDAYS POOL TOURNEY HOSTED BY JARED AND TANNER

MONDAYS REGGAE MONDAY WITH DJ NAPO

WEDNESDAYS KARAOKE

TUESDAYS

MUSIC PICK S

By Emilee Atkinson

Crucial Fest @ Metro Music Hall 8/24-27

Whores

With over 30 acts across four days, this year’s Crucial Fest is heavy, heavy, heavy! Starting off, here’s the full lineup: Whores, Bongzilla, Portrayal of Guilt, Cloakroom, Mike Scheidt, Will Haven, Glassing, Mizmor, Unreqvited, Kadabra, Worship, Top Dead Celebrity, Paris Green, Pound, The Otolith, Eagle Twin, Baby Gurl, Last, Ils, Weald and Woe, Rile, Swarmer, Mortigi Tempo, Lindsay Heath Orchestra, Run into the Sun, Døne, Portal to the Goddamn Blood Dimension, Sympathy Pain, Shecock with a Vengeance, Jeff Dillon & the Revival, Spacegun, Turtleneck Wedding Dress. Even if there’s only one or two acts you recognize, it’s worth heading out to the festival if you have a hankering for some epic thrashing sounds. Over the course of this multi-day festival, you’ll get noise rock, hardcore punk, shoegaze, noise metal, doom metal and more—plenty to headbang to and lose yourself in. Crucial Fest is the perfect precursor to spooky season, with lots of dark themes to embrace and bands to enjoy. Head out to Crucial Fest for a good time with friends, wicked music and some good beer. There are a few options for purchasing tickets, including a four-day VIP Pass for $120 in advance and $150 the day of, starting on 8/24. If you don’t need a pass for all four days, you can buy single-day tickets for $23 in advance and $30 day of. The event is 21+ only, sorry youngsters! Grab tickets at 24tix.com.

(Emilee Atkinson)

By Emilee Atkinson

Rachael Jenkins, Tayler Lacy, Marny Proudfit @ Kilby Court 8/25

With the incredible variety in Utah’s local music scene, it’s not hard to find something intriguing to listen to. That’s why going to lineups with exclusively local acts is probably one of the most fun ways you can spend an evening. What’s better than cozying up with good friends and discovering the talent around you? There will be talent aplenty with this trio heading to Kilby on Friday, Aug. 25. Rachael Jenkins has made Utah proud dozens of times over, boasting millions of streams online and continuing to write gut-wrenching songs that will have you in tears. Singer/songwriter Tayler Lacy also wore his heart on his sleeve with his most recent EP, Kind of Political, But Mostly Sad. The title is pretty self-descriptive but that doesn’t mean there aren’t fun elements to discover in the four-song collection. Lacy creates magic with just himself and an acoustic guitar, so he’ll for surely incredible folk vibes to the show. Last, but certainly not least, Ogden staple Marny Proudfit brings her incredible expertise to the mix. She’s one half of the popular duo Cop Kid, but has an excellent solo library. She recently performed at O-Town’s Van Sessions, a collection of shows that features musicians once a month from all over the state, where she got up with her trusty acoustic-electric and let the tunes flow. These three acts will complement each other well, so you won’t want to miss out. Tickets for the all-ages show are $12 in advance and $15 day-of. Snag them at 24tix.com. (EA)

“Final Boss Babe”

Tayler Lacy

MUSIC PICK S

By Emilee Atkinson

Souls of Mischief @ Urban Lounge 8/26

1993: It’s not that I miss that year, it’s the level of talent and the spontaneity of what hip-hop artists were coming up with. The breadth of sub-genres and niches was staggering. The variety of topics and ideas being discussed was simply incredible. Souls of Mischief dropped their major label debut in the fall of that year, and since then it has become a timeless classic. “93 ’Til Infinity was just the culmination, I guess, of our first 10 years as just kids growing up in hip-hop,” Tajai told wgbh.com “We started rapping about seven or eight years old. By the time we were 17, 18, we were signed to a major label and working on our first album. So we definitely put in our 10,000 hours, and it ended up being sort of lightning in a bottle.” Having released six albums over the course of a three-decade career, plus three LPs as part of the legendary Hieroglyphics collective, they are among the most influential groups of the “golden age” era. Souls of Mischief are now deep into their 93-date tour celebrating this touchstone, and in a year where we’re celebrating the culture’s 50th anniversary, including the legacy of the Souls of Mischief is a must. Turntable support from Breakbeat Lou and The Architect. DJ Juggy opens. Catch these artists at the Urban Lounge on Saturday, Aug. 26. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+show range from $25.00 general admission to $150 for booth reservations, and can be found at 24tix.com (Mark Dago)

Pat Benatar @ Red Butte Garden 8/28

Having turned 70 this year, Pat Benatar is rocking harder than ever. With hubby/guitarist Neil Girlado by her side, anything is possible. Benatar is of course known for her 1980s mega-hits like “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Love is a Battlefield,” “Heartbreaker” and many more. The singer has firmly cemented her place in not just rock history, but music history in general. Her “You Better Run” music video was one of the first to premiere on MTV back in 1981, second only to The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” She’s sold billions of albums over the years, and was rightfully inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022. In addition to her numerous musical accomplishments, she’s also a feminist icon, inspiring women in music for over four decades. “For every day since I was old enough to think, I’ve considered myself a feminist … It’s empowering to watch and to know that, perhaps in some way, I made the hard path [women] have to walk just a little bit easier,” she said in her memoir Between a Rock and a Heart Place.” If you’re worried she won’t sound as good after many years on the road, trust and believe that you’ll have an incredible experience seeing Benatar live. She sounds as good, if not better live than in her recordings (in my personal experience). If you want to see some of the most classic of classic rock songs, head out to Red Butte Garden on Monday, Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $70, and can be found at redbuttegarden.org. (EA)

City and Colour @ The Depot 8/30

Dallas Green is one sensitive soul. That’s been evident throughout his efforts under the aegis of his ongoing outfit City and Colour. He bares his soul and shares his feelings with unapologetic honesty, making him the aural equivalent of a wounded warrior who soldiers on despite the pain and obstacles he encounters along the way. The band’s new album, The Love Still Held Me Near, follows suit, offering a narrative that finds Green dealing with the tragedy of losing two dear friends while also facing the dissolution of his marriage. It caused him to question the meaning of life itself, with all the grief and uncertainty that are seemingly so constant. Fortunately, Green ultimately allows optimism to prevail—little wonder, given the kudos and acclaim the band’s received along the way. They include three JUNO Awards (two as Songwriter of the Year), as well as certifications for Triple Platinum, Double Platinum (twice), a Platinum, and Gold sales status in the band’s native Canada. In addition, Green’s also been given Platinumcertification for all four of the albums by his side project, a hardcore outfit called Alexisonfire. Then again, goodness reaps gratitude, as evidenced by the SOCAN National Achievement Award given Green for his philanthropic contributions to music education. And if indeed misery does love company, then the fact that City and Color consistently climb to the top of the international charts clearly confirms that conclusion. City and Colour perform at The Depot on Wednesday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $52 - $140. Go to livenation.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

None of the books I’ve written appeared on the New York Times best-seller list. Even if my future books do well, I will never catch up with Aries writer James Patterson, who has had 260 books on the prestigious list. My sales will never rival his, either. He has earned over $800 million from the 425 million copies his readers have bought. While I don’t expect you Rams to ever boost your income to Patterson’s level, either, I suspect the next nine months will bring you unprecedented opportunities to improve your financial situation. For best results, edge your way toward doing more of what you love to do.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Addressing a lover, D. H. Lawrence said that “having you near me” meant he would “never cease to be filled with newness.” That is a sensational compliment! I wish all of us could have such an influence in our lives: a prod that helps arouse endless novelty. Here’s the good news, Taurus: I suspect you may soon be blessed with a lively source of such stimulation, at least temporarily. Are you ready and eager to welcome an influx of freshness?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Humans have been drinking beer for at least 13,000 years and eating bread for 14,500. We’ve enjoyed cheese for 7,500 years and popcorn for 6,500. Chances are good that at least some of these four are comfort foods for you. In the coming weeks, I suggest you get an ample share of them or any other delicious nourishments that make you feel well-grounded and deep-rooted. You need to give extra care to stabilizing your foundations. You have a mandate to cultivate security, stability and constancy. Here’s your homework: Identify three things you can do to make you feel utterly at home in the world.

CANCER (June 21-July

22)

On Instagram, I posted a favorite quote from poet Muriel Rukeyser: “The world is made of stories, not atoms.” I added my own thought: “You are made of stories, too.” A reader said it was “a nightmare for us anti-social people.” I asked why. He said: “Because stories only happen in a social setting. To tell or hear a story is to be in a social interaction. If you’re not inclined toward such activities, it’s oppressive.” Here’s how I replied: “That’s not true for me. Many of my stories happen while I’m alone with my inner world. My nightly dreams are some of my favorite stories.” Anyway, Cancerian, I’m offering this exchange to you now because you are in a story-rich phase of your life. The tales coming your way, whether they occur in social settings or in the privacy of your own fantasies, will be extra interesting, educational and motivational. Gather them and celebrate them!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Author A. Conan Doyle said, “It has long been my axiom that the little things are infinitely the most important.” Spiritual teacher Jon Zabat-Zinn muses, “The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.” Here’s author Robert Brault’s advice: “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” Ancient Chinese sage Lao-Tzu provides a further nuance: “To know you have enough is to be rich.” Let’s add one more clue, from author Alice Walker: “I try to teach my heart to want nothing it can’t have.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

“I don’t believe that in order to be interesting or meaningful, a relationship has to work out—in fiction or in real life.” So says Virgo novelist Elizabeth Curtis Sittenfeld, and I agree. Just because a romantic bond didn’t last forever doesn’t mean it was a waste of energy. An intimate connection you once enjoyed but then broke off might have taught you lessons that are crucial to your destiny. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to acknowledge and celebrate these past experiences of togetherness. Interpret them not as failures but as gifts.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

The amount of rubbish produced by the modern world is staggering: 2 billion tons per year. To get a sense of how much that is, imagine a convoy of garbage trucks circling the earth 24 times. You and I can diminish our contributions to this mess, though we must overcome the temptation to think our efforts will be futile. Can we really help save the world by buying secondhand goods, shopping at farmer’s markets and curbing our use of paper? Maybe a little. And here’s the bonus: We enhance our mental health by reducing the waste we engender. Doing so gives us a more graceful and congenial relationship with life. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to meditate and act on this beautiful truth.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

I hope that in the coming weeks, you will wash more dishes, do more laundry and scrub more floors than you ever have before. Clean the bathrooms with extra fervor, too. Scour the oven and refrigerator. Make your bed with extreme precision. Got all that, Scorpio? Just kidding! Everything I just said was a lie. Now here’s my authentic message: Avoid grunt work. Be as loose and playful and spontaneous as you have ever been. Seek recordbreaking levels of fun and amusement. Experiment with the high arts of brilliant joy and profound pleasure.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Dear Sagittarius the Archer: To be successful, you don’t have to hit the exact center of the bull’s-eye every time—or even anytime. Merely shooting your arrows so they land somewhere inside the fourth or third concentric rings will be a very positive development. Same is true if you are engaged in a situation with metaphorical resemblances to a game of horseshoes. Even if you don’t throw any ringers at all, just getting close could be enough to win the match. This is one time in your life when perfection isn’t necessary to win.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

I suspect you are about to escape the stuffy labyrinth. There may be an adjustment period, but soon you will be running half-wild in a liberated zone where you won’t have to dilute and censor yourself. I am not implying that your exile in the enclosed space was purely oppressive. Not at all. You learned some cool magic in there, and it will serve you well in your expansive new setting. Here’s your homework assignment: Identify three ways you will take advantage of your additional freedom.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Though my mother is a practical, sensible person with few mystical propensities, she sometimes talks about a supernatural vision she had. Her mother, my grandmother, had been disabled by a massive stroke. It left her barely able to do more than laugh and move her left arm. But months later, on the morning after grandma died, her spirit showed up in a pink ballerina dress doing ecstatic pirouettes next to my mother’s bed. My mom saw it as a communication about how joyful she was to be free of her wounded body. I mention this gift of grace because I suspect you will have at least one comparable experience in the coming weeks. Be alert for messages from your departed ancestors.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

“Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it,” said the Chinese sage Confucius. Seeking to understand reality with cold rationality is at best boring and at worst destructive. I go so far as to say that it’s impossible to deeply comprehend anything or anyone unless we love them. I’m not exaggerating or being poetical. In my philosophy, our quest to be awake and see truly requires us to summon an abundance of affectionate attention. I nominate you to be the practitioner of this approach to intelligence. It’s your birthright! And I hope you turn it up full blast in the coming weeks.

ACROSS

1. Trim the lawn

4. Wizard’s accessory

9. Demean

14. News inits. since 1958

15. Correo ____ (Spanish airmail)

16. Younger brother of Lucy van Pelt

17. Social media postings from Homer Simpson’s neighbor?

19. Texas A&M student

20. “Bus Stop” playwright

21. Mani-pedi spots

22. Nickname that’s three consecutive letters of the alphabet

23. Third-stringers

25. Winter sport that involves dark beer?

29. Empty talk

31. Lizzy of “Mean Girls”

32. Vigorous campaign

36. “Geaux Tigers!” sch.

37. “Hold your thought for the moment ...” (or advice for 17-, 25-, 50- and 61-Across?)

41. Sloth, e.g.

42. Style of New York City’s Chrysler Building

43. At its original position

46. High-tech debuts of 1981

50. Newspaper feature penned by “Impractical Jokers” comedian?

54. Mello ____ (soft drink)

55. -y, pluralized

56. España, por ejemplo

58. Animal house?

59. Isn’t yet decided

that’s easy on the eyes? 63. On the up and up

Heston/Loren epic

1. 2005 Spielberg movie

2. Up for 3. Doohickey

4. Arborist’s tool

5. Summer tops

6. Grilled cornmeal cake popular in Latin America

7. ____ position

8. Choreographer Bob who popularized jazz hands

urban LIVING

Size Matters

Do you remember during the COVID-19 pandemic when there were rampant shortages, off and on, of different types of foods, dry goods, building supplies, baby formula, new cars and such? Did you dare travel during those years and find that gasoline, airfare and hotel prices were nuts?

Promotion Specialist(Draper, UT)

9. $7.2 million purchase of 1867

10. Good thing that comes to those who wait

11. Caribbean island whose name means “eel”

12. Fashion designer Anna

13. Suffix with journal or legal

18. Cause of a 1773 Boston revolt

24. Oscar winner Sorvino

26. When, in Act III, Mercutio says “A plague

o’ both your houses!”

27. Condé ____ (magazine publisher)

28. Wildebeest

30. Host of the CBS game show “Lingo” 33. Knight’s title

48. Holds tightly (to)

49. Aaron who created “The West Wing”

51. Hiked

52. Actress Thomas of “That Girl”

53. She might cry “Uncle!”

57. Recipe instruction

59. Thickness

60. Wide shoe designation

62. Quests for QBs

Last week’s answers

When it came to foodstuffs, manufacturers adjusted quickly by sometimes raising prices due to lack of ingredients and decreasing the size of the final product. As an example, Snickers bars downsized from 50 grams to 44 grams—equal to about one fewer bite per bar—but they kept prices the same. During the same time, we heard how lumber and plywood nearly quadrupled in cost. Wholesale prices for plywood increased from $400 to $1500 per thousand square feet, with average retails prices that increased from $12.80 to $48.00 per sheet.

Well, the pandemic is largely over and the supply chain has improved across the country. The National As sociation of Home Builders estimates that 9 out of 10 single-family homes built in the U.S. feature wood-framed walls, ceilings, floors and roofs.

The prices of new homes haven’t dropped since those masked-up days, even though lumber prices have fallen. But what has happened is that many builders around the country are doing the same thing as Snickers manufac turer Mars Inc.—decreasing the size of new homes. On average, the builders group has seen a 2% decrease in new home sizes across the country, its own form of “shrinkflation.”

The U.S. Census Bureau and HUD’s August housing report for the country found that housing permits were up 0.1% in June but are still 13% below the number from June 2022. Housing starts in July were up 3.9% from June 2023.

Plan and prepare advertising and promotional material to increase sales of products or services, working with customers, company officials, sales departments, and advertising agencies. Monitor & analyze sales promotion results to determine cost effectiveness of promotion campaigns. Coordinate with the media to disseminate advertising. 40hrs/ wk, Offered wage: $51,397/year, Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing / Management or related required. Resume to CUPBOP CO Attn: Yeiri Kim, 12184 S Business Park Dr, #C, Draper, UT 84020

SUDOKU X

1 to

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

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.

As a nation, we aren’t keeping up with housing demand and statistics also point to a continuing lack of affordable homes being built to fulfill the needs of first-time buyers and seniors who want to downsize. Current homeowners don’t want to give up mortgages they got during the pandemic—with annual interest rates of 2.5% to 3%— and this fact alone is keeping housing inventory low nationwide.

The National Association of Realtors reported last month that the U.S. housing market is short more than 300,000 affordable homes for middle-income buyers. They found that middle-income buyers can afford to buy less than a quarter (23%) of the listings that are currently being offered for sale around the country. That’s a lot different from five years ago when those same buyers could afford to purchase roughly half of the homes on the market.

As a side note, the Census Bureau report found that Salt Lake County single-family home prices increased by almost 60% during the pandemic and that we had a huge population increase during the pandemic. More than 23,000 folks from California moved to Utah, which is three times more people than the next largest group of immigrants—8,300 from Arizona. n

EAST MIDVALE

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

NEWS of the WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

News That Sounds Like a Joke

The infamous “Lake Tahoe Foot Fondler” couldn’t outrun authorities forever, the New York Post reported. On Aug. 1, Mark Anthony Gonzales, 26, was arrested in Atwater, California, and charged with burglary and battery after two early July incidents at the Club Wyndham South Shore hotel in Nevada. According to police, Gonzales “entered two ... condominiums by opening unlocked screen doors. Once inside, he positioned himself at the foot of the bed and rubbed the feet of two separate adult females” in two different units. Gonzales fled when his victims woke up and confronted him. He is also suspected of trespassing and stealing women’s shoes for sexual pleasure. He was being held for extradition back to Nevada.

Unclear on the Concept

Pinellas County (Florida) deputies are pleading with the public to stop calling them about manatees in canals and shorelines along the Gulf Coast, Fox13-TV reported on Aug. 1. People think the manatees are in distress because they’re swimming in herds and thrashing about, but officials stress that the sea cows are only mating. “If you see this ... don’t call us ,” the sheriff’s office warned via a Facebook post. “We can assure you they are more than fine. Manatees actually mate in herds like these and often they are near the shore. ... There’s no need to call, they are a-okay!”

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

In a stunning stroke of genius, the Alpha and Omega Funeral Home in Ahuachapan, El Salvador, started offering Barbie-themed coffins last year, the New York Post reported. With the movie’s summer success, undertaker Isaac Villegas said they’ve been swamped with orders and have sold out of the hot pink caskets. “We wanted to promote the pink coffin as it has become a trend,” Villegas said. “Of the 40 people who inquired about it, we have already closed a contract with at least 10 new clients.” Similarly, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, funeral home Funeraria Olivares is offering a “Barbie House” coffin, “so you can rest like a Barbie.” One manufacturer gushed about their product: “This coffin, with its striking bright pink color, represents the spark and energy of those unforgettable moments they lived.” One El Salvadoran commenter conceded, “Eternal rest doesn’t look so bad anymore.”

Nowhere to Go but Up

Early on July 28, Thornton, Colorado, police were called out about a stolen car, KKTV reported. As the officers gathered information, the suspect, 36-year-old Julian Fernandez, returned to the scene, but “quickly ran on foot from the area and out of sight,” police said. While they watched, the man jumped over a security fence and started climbing a 320-foot radio tower. He eventually reached the top of the tower, where he stayed for 12 hours as crisis negotiators tried to reason with him. In the end, firefighters climbed the tower and brought Fernandez down.

Unconventional Weaponry

A Sonic Drive-In restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was the scene of a gruesome assault on Aug. 1, Fox News reported. Police arriving at the scene found a man with a flagpole—American flag still attached—through his head. They said it had entered under his jaw and exited near his right temple. Witnesses reported that the suspect, Clinton Collins, allegedly charged the victim and ran the pole through his head, saying, “That’s what he gets. He deserved it.” Collins was taken into custody immediately. Emergency responders had to cut part of the flagpole away in order to fit the victim in the ambulance. He survived but may lose an eye, police said.

Bright Idea

Pinecrest, Florida, has a peculiar problem: peacocks. The New York Times reported on Aug. 9 that the city has been overrun with the large, loud, destructive birds, which peck at roofs and cars and relieve themselves all over driveways. The solution? Peacock vasectomies. Dr. Don J. Harris, the veterinarian who will snip the feisty birds, said they’re “bona fide polygamists. We’re going to catch one peacock and probably stop seven females from reproducing. It’s going to have an exponential benefit.” County commissioners approved the plan, and city officials designated $7,500 a month to cover trapping and surgery.

Nature Gone Wild

Peggy Jones, 64, of Silsbee, Texas, got a little too close to nature for comfort on July 25 as she and her husband did yard work on their property. The New York Times reported that out of the blue, a snake fell from the sky, wrapped itself around Jones’ forearm and started to squeeze. “I immediately screamed and started swinging my arm to shake the snake off,” she said. “I was screaming, ‘Jesus, help me, please, Jesus, help me!’” But the snake hissed and struck at her face, sometimes hitting her glasses. Then, as Jones struggled, a hawk swooped down and tried to grab the snake—which it had apparently dropped down from on high—from her arm. As the hawk wrestled with the snake, its talons slashed into Jones’ arm. Finally, the hawk got hold of the snake and flew off. She said the whole incident probably took only 15 or 20 seconds, but afterward, “I looked down at my arm and it was totally covered in blood.” Jones’ husband, Wendell, saw his wife screaming and running in a zigzag pattern: “By the time I got to her, she was pretty hysterical,” he said. Doctors said most of her wounds were caused by the hawk rather than the snake. Jones says that she is healing physically but is still having nightmares about the incident.

Irony

An instructor at a driving school in Lakewood, Colorado, won’t be getting a passing grade after crashing a car into the school’s front window on Aug. 8—just under a sign that says “Learn To Drive.” KDFW-TV reported that the driver, who was trying to park a Hyundai Tucson in front of the Community Driving School, was cited for a traffic violation. Local police said there was only one minor injury.

Field Report

Divers Ken Fleming and Doug Bishop were searching for clues in missing persons cold cases on Aug. 6 in Doral, Florida, when they stumbled upon an investigatory treasure chest, WSVN-TV reported. “We realized we had 32 cars underwater,” Fleming said. The divers work as volunteers and have a huge database of missing persons. “We have 40 that we’re targeting right now of folks that disappeared, anywhere from two or three months ago to 30, 40 years ago,” he said. Statewide, Fleming said they have found 60 submerged cars that may be linked to crimes. They’ll work with the county to get the vehicles removed and collect and deliver any pertinent information from them.

But, Why?

A mysterious man is taking pacifiers out of the mouths of babes in Harlow, England, Sky News reported. The incidents started in February, with the most recent one taking place on Aug. 7. One of the children was also assaulted. The suspect is a young, slim white man with brown eyes and yellow teeth, police said; they are soliciting information from anyone who has any knowledge of the cagey Dummy Bandit (our moniker, not theirs). “As a parent myself, I understand the level of concern,” said chief inspector Paul Austin.