CATALYST Magazine August 2020 by CATALYST Magazine

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Paradoxx, by Taylor Yingshi Wang

The

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Paradox, by Taylor Yingshi Wang

aylor Yingshi is an emerging artist who hopes to use her art as a vessel to express the emotions of growing up as part of an interconnected, socially conscious generation.

cils and peer-to-peer learning. The prevalence of social media has allowed this generation of artists to connect with each other and start communities of creative minds with ease.

Yingshi runs an art collective in Seattle called Student Art Spaces. Her work involves increasing equity in museums and galleries by rejecting elitism and inverting traditional expectations of young artists. The goal is to break down barriers at these institutions for historically marginalized artists. She hopes to create open conversation across generations about navigating the art world.

Although the learning process has certainly deviated from the traditional apprenticeship format, there is no less wisdom or validity in our new structure. Some may say that youth teaching other youth, or even youth teaching adults, is not effective, but I believe that the community building and art healing we experience from these bonds is indispensable. At the first gallery I helped curate, we had a large audience of older-generation folks, and watching intergenerational learning happen before my eyes was a beautiful moment — people in their 60s and 70s expressed to me how much they learned about the youth from this art show.“◆ Taylor’s website https://tayloryingshi.wixsite.com/arts Learn more about Taylor https://allarts.org/2020/05/artists-of-instagram-taylor-yingshi-wang/

Much to her parents’ dismay, she was dead set on pursuing fine art as a career from a very young age. In the Chinese community, these types of risky careers are often frowned upon due to traditional beliefs in success that are defined by honor, stability and money. Her pieces often reference her own identity as a Chinese American. “Thankfully, I have had the privilege of volunteering at local art museums and acad-

emies, which helped me come to terms with my unusual path. I think these types of mentor relationships are crucial, but today they have taken on new life in the form of digital art collectives, youth coun-

How to get the most from this online issue of CATALYST

ince the print version of CATALYST is no more (at least for the duration of the pandemic), you’re probably reading this right now through the ISSUU platform, quite possibly from the reader embedded in our home page! Thank you, by the way: By reading the magazine in this flip-through format, you’re seeing the ads from the local advertisers that help keep us to continue publishing. The ISSUU reading platform has some cool features that you may not know about. For example, the website links in the stories and ads here

are clickable—they should open a new tab or window for you, so click away without worrying about losing your place! Also, the entire magazine is keyword searchable. Take a look at the lower right-hand side of the reading window, and you’ll see a small magnifying glass icon with an ‘A’ in it. Click this, and you’ll be able to search the whole issue for whatever you’d like. Sharing is easy, too! By clicking the ‘Share’ button in the top right-hand corner of the screen, you can not only share this issue of CATALYST, but you can share a direct link to the page that

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMON GOOD PRESS Pax Rasmussen PUBLISHER & EDITOR Greta Belanger deJong ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER John deJong ART DIRECTOR Polly Plummer Mottonen ASSISTANT EDITOR Katherine Pioli COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR Sophie Silverstone PRODUCTION Polly Plummer Mottonen, John deJong, Rocky Lindgren PHOTOGRAPHY & ART Polly Mottonen, John deJong, Sophie Silverstone, Emma Ryder BOOKKEEPING Carolynn Bottino CONTRIBUTORS

Charlotte Bell, Amy Brunvand, Nicole DeVaney, Jim French,Dennis Hinkamp, Valerie Litchfield, James Loomis, Mary McIntyre, Ashley Miller, Grace Olscamp, Diane Olson, Jerry Rapier, Emily Spacek, Alice Toler, Suzanne Wagner

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August 2020

ENVIRONEWS

BY AMY BRUNVAND

I want you to act as if the house is on fire, because it is.

— Greta Thunberg

Don’t bomb the bighorns!

tah Congressman Rob Bishop (UT-1) may not be running for reelection, but he’s not through causing public lands mischief. In July, Bishop added a surprise amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in order to transfer 850,000 acres from the Desert National Wildlife Refuge to become part of the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) where the U.S. Air Force practices bombing. Astonishingly, Bishop’s amend-

ment was approved by the Democrat-majority House Armed Services Committee. The Air Force has been trying to seize the wildlife refuge since at least 2017, claiming that it needs a safety buffer in order to test more powerful weapons on the existing range and doesn’t intend to drop bombs on wildlife (though there would be nothing to stop them). The military land-grab would block access to areas that are currently open to the public. Members

of Nevada’s congressional delegation say that they were never notified of Bishop’s amendment and complain that the Air Force has failed to engage with affected stakeholders. In 2019, the Nevada Legislature passed a resolution opposing expansion of the military into the Wildlife Refuge, which was created in 1936 to provide habitat for bighorn sheep. The NTTR, near Las Vegas, Nevada, is on ancestral lands of Western Shoshone, Southern Paiute, Owens Valley Paiute/Shoshone and Mojave tribes. A 2017 Draft Environmental Impact Statement on NTTS Land Withdrawal contains a Native American perspective on the cultural value of the threatened landscape, including a list of 364 Native American traditional-use plants and 170 traditional-use animals that live in the refuge. “The bighorn sheep are sacred to the Moapa people,” according to a resolution against military takeover issued by the tribal government of the Moapa Band of Paiutes. “Creation stories say that the Paiute people enter the mountains and left as sheep. In essence the sheep are people. It is our duty to protect the mountain sheep for if they all die, then we die too.” Friends of Nevada Wilderness are protesting Bishop’s amendment with the hashtag #DontBombTheBighorns. • Desert National Wildlife Refuge: fws.gov/refuge/desert/ • Friends of Nevada Wilderness: nevadawilderness.org/dnwr • 2017 NTTR DEIS: Native American Perspective: bit.ly/32re1P2

Public comments sought on Jordan River Trail

Blueprint Jordan River plan, published in 2008, described a compelling Big Idea of “a 50-mile, unobstructed blue-green trail from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake for boaters, cyclists, pedestrians and wildlife enthusiasts.” Since then most gaps in the Jordan River trail have been connected and river restoration projects have made the neglected river noticeably nicer. The Jordan River is still a work in progress. The Jordan River Commission and Envision Utah are seeking public input to determine community priorities and update the blueprint. Do you value cleaner water? Wildlife habitat? Trash clean-up? Trail connections? River trail improvements? Speak up now! The online survey is open through August 24. • Blueprint Jordan River 2020 Survey: jordanrivercommission.com/vision/

Toxic algae found in Virgin River

toxic algal bloom was discovered in the North Fork of the Virgin River which runs through Zion National Park after a pet dog died from playing in the water. Toxic algae (aka cyanobacteria) contain a potent neurotoxin that can cause nausea, liver damage tingling, numbness and seizures. The algae occur naturally, but usually in concentrations too small to be dangerous. Hot temperatures and inputs of nutrients, such as from sewage or agricultural runoff, can cause the algae to increase to

dangerous levels. The Virgin River supplies drinking water for the Washington County Water Conservancy District. In Northern Utah, toxic algal blooms have become a perennial problem in Utah Lake. The Utah Division of Water Quality website has photos to help the public recognize toxic algae and a hotline to report a toxic algal bloom. DWQ advises, “When in doubt, stay out.” • DEQ Harmful Algal Bloom: deq.utah.gov/water-quality/harmful-algal-blooms-home

HEAL Utah responds to Inland Port

EAL Utah has issued a scathing response to a business plan which was issued by the Utah Inland Port Authority in June. The Port Authority claims the plan addresses community concerns about pollution and environmental impact. However, HEAL Utah says it uses vague sustainability language to define goals and lacks specific environmental performance or accountability measures: “The plan should be specific about what [the Utah Inland Port Authority’s] role is in achieving these goals, and where the primary responsibility and public accountability will lie.” A big problem is that there is no baseline data for the undeveloped site. Before any further development takes place, it is essential to measure existing air quality, energy use, CO2 emissions, waste management, habitat impacts, water quality, light and noise pollution and traffic. “If the port is to truly benefit the people of Utah, there must be a recognition in state policy that requiring developers to meet the highest environmental standards is in our long-term economic interest,” according to the statement. •HEAL Utah Comments: healutah.org/statement-inland-port-business-plan/ Continued on next page

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Continued:

August 2020

ENVIRONEWS

BY AMY BRUNVAND

Public comments due for two Southwest Utah projects

onserve Southwest Utah (CSU) says that the Lake Powell Pipeline and the Northern Corridor Highway through the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve are two of the most environmental damaging projects to threaten Southwest Utah in many years. Public comment periods are open on both projects though early September. CSU has prepared helpful guides for public comments:

No more Downwinders!

ongressman Ben McAdams (D-UT-4) succeeded in adding language to the annual Energy and Water Appropriations Bill to prohibit spending on explosive nuclear testing. Generations of Utah downwinders got cancer because of exposure to radioactive fallout from hundreds of nuclear explosions at the Nevada Test Site that took place from 1951 to 1992. Other bills before Congress seek a general prohibition on allocations for nuclear testing, expansion of downwinder compensation from 22 to 45 years and to make uranium mine workers eligible for compensation. The Trump Administration is trying to re-start the uranium mining industry in the Western United States and proposes resumed nuclear testing at the re-named “Nevada National Security Site.”

Lake Powell Pipeline The Lake Powell Pipeline is a multi-billion-dollar water boondoggle for infrastructure to suck Colorado River water to Washington County. CSU says that the Bureau of Reclamation Draft Environmental Impact Statement did not evaluate reasonable alternatives or address public concerns. Critical information was misinterpreted. The 1922 Colorado River Compact has already allocated 100% of water rights, so under drought conditions, LPP would probably not even carry any water. •Lake Powell Pipeline Guide: conserveswu.org/lake-powell-pipeline/ Comments due Sept. 8, 2020.

Northern Corridor Highway The Northern Corridor Highway punches through the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve which is set aside as habitat for Mojave Desert tortoises, listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. The reserve was formed due to an agreement that allows “take” elsewhere in Washington County, so the highway proposal is an effort by Washington County to renege on the original deal. •Save Red Cliffs Guide conserveswu.org/save-red-cliffs/ Comments due Sept. 8, 2020.

Envision Utah quality growth strategy, 20 years later

n the 20 years from 1999 to 2019, the population of Utah has grown by nearly a million people. But unlike many states, Utah had a plan to cope, thanks to Envision Utah, a nonprofit that brings business, government and community leaders together to consider Utah’s future. In 1997, group began hosting public meetings in order to develop a quality growth strategy for 10 counties along the Wasatch Front where most of Utah’s population lives. The Envision Utah Quality Growth Strategy and Technical Review, published in 2000, made predictions, but then also offered alternatives. With a do-nothing approach, the report predicted, “dramatic increases in population and land consumption will have profound impacts on the quality of life and costs of living in the area,” specifying air quality, water sources, crowding and congestion, housing costs, crime, business and personal costs as areas of concern and that “government spending on infrastructure will force some difficult decisions about state and local spending priorities.”

The strategy offered six goals: to improve air quality, expand transit and bikeways, preserve open space, conserve water, diversify housing and invest in public infrastructure. Looking back at “business as usual”

Compared to 2000 projections, people along the Wasatch Front are using less water per capita, driving fewer miles and emitting less air pollution. Investment in SLC has kept the urban core alive. TRAX and Frontrunner persuaded commuters to get out of their cars. A shift in growth patterns (all those new apartment buildings) has kept sprawl development from an estimated 140 square miles of open space.

growth predictions, it’s clear that the congested Wasatch Front could have become much, much worse. Compared to 2000 projections, people along the Wasatch Front are using less water per capita, driving fewer miles and emitting less air pollution, mainly due to cleaner automobile technology. Investment in Salt Lake City has kept the urban core alive. The development of TRAX light rail and Frontrunner trains persuaded commuters to get out of their cars. A shift in growth patterns (all those new apartment buildings) has kept sprawl development from an estimated 140 square miles of open space. On the other side, wages have failed to keep up with housing costs, creating a low-income housing crisis. Traffic is worse, air quality is still poor and recreational trails are overrun. In the next 30 years, Utah’s population is projected to add 2.5 million more people. Fortunately, Envision Utah has a plan called Your Utah, Your Future to help address additional growing pains. • Envision Utah Quality Growth: envisionutah.org/quality-growth

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10 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

August 2020

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

What’s new: Stories... and babies

elcome to our fifth exclusively online edition. We’re excited to see readership numbers going up each month—you are finding us! Please help spread the word. This month Amy Brunvand brings us all the environmental news, and some of it is even good. While Utah law treats neighborhood fireworks as good clean fun, Ashley Miller writes that the Division of Air Quality shows they produce more pollution spikes

and Last Responders” story (May). Cecilia Grace eageraly arrived early, on July 14.

BY GRETA BELANGER DEJONG

than the larger public displays. “Boss” gardener James Loomis sets the record straight on wasps, yellow jackets and hornets. Staff writer Emily Spacek checks out the bee scene. Todd Mangum’s Chakra Series concludes this month. Brinley Froelich reviews a book about alternatives to jail and prison. And that’s just half the issue! Congratulations to our executive director Pax Rasmussen and his wife, former CATALYST staffer Adele Flail, on the July 29 birth of their

daughter, Reverie Thistle. Also congratulations to our niece and her husband, NYC nurses Maria and Andre Robinson, whom you met in the “First

Cece

I could stare at these wide-open, peaceful little faces all day. Welcome to the world, babies. You’ve chosen wisely in the parental Reverie department— good start. I hope you’re up for some work (and fun), because there’s plenty to do. Wishing you love, joy and the best adventures!

Greta Belanger deJong is the founder and editor of CATALYST Magazine. Gretchen@catalystmagazine.net/

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AUGUST 2020

BREATHE

Where there’s fire,

there’s smoke Fireworks are terrible for the environment, especially for air quality.

ome people just can’t fathom a 4th of July or Pioneer Day holiday without fireworks. The bright colors, loud booms and bangs are thrilling to some. But for other people (and dogs), fireworks are nothing more than a menace to our society. For people sensitive to air

BY ASHLEY MILLER pollution, two weeks of July in Utah are downright scary. The smoke produced by fireworks contains high concentrations of heavy metals, potent toxins and particulate matter (PM) pollution that troubles air quality and harms individuals in the “sensitive” group. The increased pollution lingers for hours.

And our state allows this to happen for days on end: from July 2-5 and again July 22-25. The heavy metals like barium, lithium, strontium, copper and aluminum that create the colors in the fireworks can be inhaled and can also make their way into our soil and water supply.

much worse than it already is. The data from this year’s 4th of July period of fireworks showed extremely high levels of PM2.5. The federal threshold for unhealthy levels of PM2.5 (the pollution most typically associated with wintertime inversion season) is 35 micrograms per cubic meter. This year, similar to years past, fireworks created values of over 200 micrograms per cubic meter lasting for more than one hour. Remember, PM2.5 pollution is linked to numerous health concerns like asthma, COPD and cardiovascular disease. Even short-term exposure

spikes in particulate matter pollution are more related to smaller neighborhood fireworks than larger public events

Every year during July the Utah Division of Air Quality sees significant spikes in particulate matter pollution concentrations from fireworks set off for the 4th and Pioneer Day holiday weeks. The spikes are more related to smaller neighborhood fireworks than larger public events. Fireworks make Utah’s air quality

to levels as high as we see during fireworks can lead to serious health problems. Fireworks also lead to the threat of wildfires. Over the 4th of July holiday weekend, fire crews responded to 68 new wildfires, and during the week of July 1-8, 18 of the 122 wildfires were caused by fireworks. With fire danger as high as it always is during this time of year and the already troubled airshed, maybe we should all rethink before lighting up. ◆ Ashley Miller, J.D., is the vice-chair of Breathe Utah. She is also the vice-chair of Utah's Air Quality Policy Advisory Board and a member of the Salt Lake County Environmental Quality Advisory Commission.

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14 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

August 2020

CHANGE AGENT

Man on a mission

beekeeping training at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, where Daniel was entering a master’s program in entomology, the study of insects. “Nobody taught beekeeping in the country before, because everyone was afraid of bees,” Daniel says. BY EMILY SPACEK Intrigued, he became a dedicated student beekeeper. desina Daniel Oduntan is a Adesina Daniel Oduntan is a After breezing through most of beekeeper, author, ento- dreamer, a man with ideas and a de- the available local material on beemologist, a German-trained termination to leave a lasting legacy keeping, Daniel sought out beequeen bee breeder and an in the world of beekeeping and be- keeping information from the apitherapist. He is the yond. Here is his story. United States. He learned about two founder and CEO of Bee-Craft Confamily beekeeping businesses: The beginning sult LLC in Salt Lake City but has Dadant and Sons—now in its sevIn 1993, Daniel was in his final over 27 years of experience in beeenth generation; and the A.I. Roots keeping, teaching and studying in year at the University of Agriculture Company—in its fifth generation. “I his home country, Nigeria, and in Abeokuta, Nigeria. An organizer said, ‘Wow, I want to leave a legacy from a Netherlands-based internaabroad in Europe. like this.’” tional organization was leading

From Nigeria to SLC, Utah, beekeeper Adesina Daniel Oduntan shares his passion for bees and beekeeping

Daniel at his Bee-Craft Consult booth with his daughter, Glory Oduntan, who often joins him at farmers markets and craft fairs.

Daniel read and absorbed everything he could find related to beekeeping. Soon, he stumbled across apitherapy (how to use venom and other bee products to treat ailments). He joined an online training course, based in Romania, conducted by Dr. Ştefan Stângaciu, MD, a renowned figure in the field. Impressed by Daniel’s passion and eagerness to learn, Dr. Ştefan Stângaciu invited him to travel to Europe for the German Apitherapy Society Conference. There, Dr. Stângaciu introduced him to a man Daniel would come to refer to as his trainer, grew, expanding into other states. Moving to Utah his godsend, his beekeeping everyThings were taking off. Daniel says In 2015, Daniel immigrated to the thing: Arno Bruder. he could feel he was making a name U.S., living in Des Moines, Iowa beHe traveled to Germany at least for himself and creating important fore relocating to Utah where his once a year to work for Bruder and change for others. family joined him. connect with other trainIn 2014, Daniel came to Life was different here. “Never in ers. During this time he the U.S. for the first time to my life had I worked for anyone,” earned an associate de- Most people attend a beekeeping conDaniel says, recalling his struggles gree in queen bee breedference in Pennsylvania. in Africa eat “At the conference,” he working his first U.S. job at Amazon. ing in Landsberg. With the support of his family, he Throughout the 10 years only artificial recalls, “[my staff and I] resigned from Amazon in pursuit of between finishing his were the only Black peo- establishing his own beekeeping honey. master’s and training ple out of 400 or 500 par- training and consultation business. abroad, Daniel continued ticipants. It gave us a lot of Daniel applied to various local work on his main project back home recognition. And in fact, at that conloan programs. “I didn’t have a credit in Africa, beekeeping education. ference, A.I. Roots Company came to score record; I didn’t have a guaranHe’d seen many young people grad- me and invited me tor. All I had to uate from school and still struggle to partner with to find a job. “I began to think. And them to supply The nature and percep- show was the work I’d done I’m praying to God: Give me an idea. their wax.” tion of the African and my dedicaGod gave me the situation: Give After returning to Utah Mimore to people. Teach them. I de- Africa, it was clear “killer bee” has proved tion.” croloan and the cided to focus on training our youth. to Daniel that the difficult to overcome. I n t e r n a t i o n a l I wanted them to have a new kind of business partnerRescue Center mentality. To be self-reliant. To foster ship would not obgranted him loans totaling $12,000 an entrepreneurial spirit.” tain the Nigerian government’s and he set off to create Bee-Craft He organized equipment, bees approval. Still, he says, the recogniand educational supplies and single tion from one of the very companies Consult. Daniel says he constantly adapts handedly sponsored and estab- which inspired his beekeeping jourand tries new things. Besides selling lished vocational beekeeping clubs ney was, to him, a proud achievehis products—honey, honeycomb, at all of the high schools in his state. ment and milestone. lip balm, propolis, candles and pomThe following year, the program ade—Bee-Craft Consult teaches in-

16 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

August 2020

CHANGE AGENT

person and online beekeeping help people become self-reliant and ence and drive, Daniel believes he courses for all levels, and Daniel per- competitive through developing can develop a plan to help tame sonally consults and manages bees their beekeeping skills. In doing so, Africa’s bees, discovering new ways to build their trust of he confronts two main for others in the Salt Lake area. humans and people’s Recently, he has put extra effort issues: One, serious corinto his online academy as the de- ruption problems make “I am an African man. trust in them. The road ahead is mand for virtual trainings has in- it difficult to establish a My mind is in Africa. daunting, says Daniel. creased due to the Coronavirus lasting business. Two, the nature and perceppandemic. I need to fulfill my His educational and business projects in Daniel often works with other new tion of the African “killer Americans and refugees as his stu- bee” has proved difficult dream back home.” Nigeria have not sustained themselves in dents through connections made to overcome. African honeybees, native to most his absence. from the International Rescue CenDaniel loves Utah: for its friendly of the central and southern parts of ter’s loan. “For refugees, this kind of business Africa, are known to exhibit more people, its beautiful landscape, but can help make extra money. It does- aggressive behavior than Western mostly for the safety and security it n’t stop someone from working an- bees. Daniel says that though many provides his family. In his culture back home in Nigeria, other job if they need to. It is the people in Africa might be interested in keeping bees as a business, fear the practice of female genital mutilabees who make the honey.” of injury or death tion is still pervasive. It was this presHe adds, “It doesn’t sure that led his family to flee. steers them away. matter if you are a “One time they kidnapped my Also, most people lady, a man, old or in Africa eat only arti- daughters to threaten the ritual of young, all you need is ficial honey—a prob- genital mutilation. Now that we are a bit of help and Visit Bee-Craft Consult lem, Daniel points here, we never think about that. It knowledge. This is a online here. Browse out, from an apither- gives my mind rest to know that this passion for me: to their Facebook, where apy perspective be- is a safe place for us.” help as many people Daniel shares a plethora Still, Daniel himself plans on recause real honey has as possible.” It hasn’t been all of beekeeping informa- so much healing and turning to Nigeria one day alone. tion, here. “I am an African man. My mind is medicinal potential. easy. Daniel says BeeWith training and in Africa. I need to fulfill my dream Craft Consult needs as You can shop at their awareness, Daniel back home.” His plans include bringmuch help through storefront location: government or prihopes to alter the ing investors from America to Africa Bee-Craft Consult vate partnerships as it image of African to explore untapped resources to 350 W. Lucy Avenue can get, but he’ll bees as killer bees boost both economies. (1250 South) never stop working to I asked Daniel what one thing he and help increase make sure his busibeekeeping in the re- wished everyone would realize Or at these farmers ness is successful and about bees even if they, themselves, gion. markets: creates a lasting “All the people are not beekeepers. New Roots Farmers legacy. “When you eat any bee product,” need is the knowlMarket—Central Park in he says, “it is medicine. Everything edge,” he repeats. South Salt Lake Going home Most of the time about bees is medicine. Make your Farm Bureau Farmers Daniel envisions a when he works with food medicine. Make your mediMarket—Murray Park return to his home bees, he doesn’t wear cine your food. God gave us bees to Sunnyvale Farmers Market continent to help fosa bee suit. “It isn’t help us. People need to know: Bees —Sunnyvale Park ter a stronger beeare our friends.” ◆ magic. It is a skill.” Liberty Park Farmers keeping economy and Market—Liberty Park With his experi- Emily Spacek is a CATALYST staff writer.

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18 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

YOUTH ACTION

August 2020

Making a point, one tatt at a time BY EMILY SPACEK et most seven-yearolds loose in Utah’s Natural History Museum and they’re bound to gravitate toward the giant dinosaur fossils of the Past Worlds exhibit or the dazzling colors and textures of Gems and Minerals. For Wyatt ConnerOhlinger it was the mesmerizing circular upper gallery of the museum, the Native Voices gallery depicting Native American art and culture, which

most grabbed his attention. “‘This one’s really important. Everybody needs to see this,’” Wyatt’s uncle remembers him saying as he carefully read over the labels of every piece. From a young age, Wyatt has exhibited empathy and compassion for the social and environmental issues going on around him. So, when he, now 14, approached his tattoo artist uncle, JJ Ohlinger, with a proposal to host a fundraiser to help save Utah’s bees,

JJ really wasn’t taken by surprise. In January Wyatt was assigned a school project for science class to write a report on an animal facing extinction, detailing the significance of the animal, what could be done to prevent extinction and what he

Twenty-one people committed their bodies to bee art for a cause and the shop raised $1,760. personally could do to help conservation efforts. Rather than create a simple poster or PowerPoint presentation as most students were likely planning to do,

the Utah Beekeepers’ Association invited Wyatt to speak at their last convention. “I think they were a Though school closed little confused at this 14-year-old kid down before telling them he was going to get a Wyatt had the bunch of people to get tattoos to chance to pres- raise money,” JJ recalls. But, JJ says, it is projects like this ent to his class and teacher, he from young, conscious-minded indisays it never re- viduals that help inspire change. “We have all of this weirdness ally was just going on in the world right now. If a about the asfew more people put some of their Wyatt wanted to make real change signment. now. His uncle JJ’s tattoo shop, Pro“People need to realize that bees efforts into important causes big or small, it still makes a hibition Ink in Sugar House, would are a really impordifference. [Wyatt] tattoo bee designs on clients and tant part of our made an impact bedonate all proceeds so long as Wyatt lives. Most of our cause he put forth organized the entire event. food comes from the effort. More of us Wyatt drew up some of the de- pollination and need to recognize signs, picked Utah Beekeepers’ As- without bees, we the little steps that sociation to receive the proceeds won’t have that,” lead to huge strides.” and assembled giftbags for clients he says. Wyatt considers his with local honey donated from a Wyatt hopes his project a big success beekeeping neighbor in Sandy, project will spread and is looking for home-baked honey-inspired desserts awareness of the new ways to change and a write-up of his project. importance of the world as he enBecause of the Covid-19 pan- bees, and also help ters his first year of demic, the originally scheduled promote ways to high school. March event date was moved twice protect them. He Wyatt still owes his before appointments were made says one of the uncle a bee tattoo— safely under local guidelines. De- most important the first tattoo he’ll spite the interruption, appointment things he’s learned have ever given and slots sold out in two days. Twenty- in his research is the final condition of one people committed their bodies how detrimental their agreement. ◆ to bee art for a cause and the shop pest control is for bee populations. Emily Spacek is a CATALYST staff writer. raised $1,760. “Even if the package says it’s bee“Wyatt was going into this think- friendly, it can still have harmful utahbeekeepeer.bravesites.com ing we might be able to raise a few residue that the bees take back to hundred bucks, so it was really cool their hives and it will kill off, like, to see his surprise when so many their larvae.” people showed up,” JJ says proudly. In recognition of his generosity,

20 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

August 2020

CHAKRA SERIES

Sahasrara the crown chakra Seeking an intimate relationship with the cosmos BY TODD MANGUM, MD

Editor’s note: The Chakra Series, by Todd Mangum, MD, first appeared in CATALYST in 1995 and was repeated in 2009 and 2013. These stories remain among the most read in our online library. In 2020 we are bringing you an updated version, which began with January’s Introduction to the Chakras. This concludes the series. You may find all of them at catalystmagazine.net/

CHAKRA SEVEN Location: the crown or top of the head. Governs: the integration of the central nervous system with that of endocrine glands. Main issue: understanding. Externalizes: as the pituitary and hypothalamus glands. Element: thought. When balanced: we know. Color: a harmonic of VIOLET. Key words: awareness, intelligence, memory, cosmic consciousness, universal mind, unity, oneness, silence, spirituality, soul and celestial. Influences: the central nervous system including the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem spinal cord and the skull. Deficiencies: manifest as memory loss, personality changes, cognitive impairment, confusion, alienation and a loss of meaning in one’s life. Excesses: appear as feelings of spiritual superiority, ungrounded and spacey behavior, feeling as if one’s head were in the clouds, or in being overly intellectual. Imbalances: manifest as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stunted or excessive growth, attention deficit disorder, multiple sclerosis, seizures, dementia, depression, learning disabilities or multiple endocrine abnormalities.

he Sanskrit name of the seventh center, sahasrara, translates roughly as the thousand-petaled lotus. The first chakra anchors the roots of our being within the Earth; from the crown chakra flowers our consciousness with which we can become aware of and begin to comprehend the cosmos. On crystal clear nights with my feet planted firmly on the ground and looking toward the heavens I often contemplate our place between the atoms and the stars. The mag-

nitude of both boggle my mind. On rare and special nights I really understand how we identify ourselves; our individuality is only a matter of perspective. Where does the autonomy of each of our individual cells end and where do we as humans begin?

Our purpose as humans precariously perched between heaven and earth is to materialize spirit and spiritualize matter. We are the omnipresent energy fields we call subatomic particles. We are the atoms which form the molecules which link to become the cells we identify as life. We are also the single-celled organisms that coalesce to become the organs and structures we call our bodies. The body of every single organism, within our priceless biosphere, each becomes one individual cell within the body of the being Gaia, our Earth. We, the living Earth, are one of eight electrons encircling our radiant Sun. Our solar system is just one of the innumerable atoms composing the body of our galaxy, the Milky Way. This magnificent spiral galactic being, which the Mayans named Hunab Ku, is but one among many diverse universal citizens. I am always amused when I hear of our valiant search for intelligent life in other parts of the Universe. With millions of starry eyes, the heavens blink back at us, wondering how we can be so blind. The Universe itself is intelligent life. Life is everywhere permeating everything. There is nowhere life is not.

Material and pattern The words matter and maternal share a common root as do the words pattern and paternal. For millennia we have glorified Heaven and the power and pattern of the Father and denigrated Earth and the forces within matter of the Mother. We have forgotten that all Matter is alive and that all Life matters. The consequences have been catastrophic. Our purpose as humans precariously perched between heaven and earth is to materialize spirit and spiritualize matter. The balance point between these two realms is within the heart chakra. It is from here that the next level of creation will unfold. This momentous event will occur when this beautiful blue-green jewel of a planet awakens to the awareness of itself as a single conscious entity in the same way we now perceive our own human individuality. We are all a part of and active participants in this ongoing transformation. From our crown center we can perceive all this, but it is through our heart center that we will manifest it.

Orchestrating the hormonal symphony of the body The endocrine glands which interface with the seventh chakra are the pituitary and the hypothalamus. These two glands, together with the pineal, the gland of the sixth chakra, orchestrate the hormonal symphony of the human body. The hypothalamus could be considered the composer, the pituitary the conductor and the pineal the metronome. The hypothalamus acts as the central command center receiving, transmitting and integrating complex

communications between multiple centers in the brain and the rest of the body. It coordinates our thoughts and emotions with our endocrine, cardiovascular, digestive and immune systems. Its messengers influence our appetite, thirst, sexual behavior, emotional responses and much more. The hypothalamus is connected to the pituitary by a thin stalk through which

Our individuality is only a matter of perspective. it transmits messages and transports â&#x20AC;&#x153;hormone-releasing factorsâ&#x20AC;? which control the stimulation or inhibition of all hormones secreted by the pituitary gland. The majority of hormones the pituitary produces each specifically regulate only one or a pair of endocrine glands. Other hormones influence very specific functions, such as the production of breast milk, uterine contractions during labor and keeping the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water in balance.

Continued on next page

Continued:

Growth hormone: powerful and profound The pituitary’s preeminent hormone, however, is growth hormone (GH). Unlike the other pituitary hormones, which act only at specific sites, GH exerts profound and powerful effects throughout the entire body. The

CHAKRA VII

generative disease and death, maintains bone density, counters fatigue, boosts immunity, increases lean muscle mass, reduces fat, improves skin tone and integrity, and enhances many aspects of psychological well being. It is easy to see why GH replacement is gaining popularity as a rejuvenation therapy and is being promoted as the fountain of youth. GH is released predominantly during anaerobic exercise and deep stage IV sleep. Even though GH levels wax and wane quickly, its profound and powerful effects are enhanced by a very potent hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which is produced by the liver in response to GH. IGF-1 levels can be measured by a simple blood

In adults, growth hormone (GH) protects nerve cells against degenerative disease and death, maintains bone density, counters fatigue, boosts immunity, increases lean muscle mass, reduces fat, improves skin tone and integrity, and enhances many aspects of psychological well being. GH is released predominantly during anaerobic exercise and deep stage IV sleep. major action of GH is the stimulation of bodily growth from infancy into late puberty. GH production declines steadily each decade thereafter until, at very old age, it nearly vanishes. GH, however, is still very active in adults and protects nerve cells against de-

test and are one dependable way to determine accurate GH levels in the body. IGF-1 levels can be used to determine the need for, or to monitor, GH replacement and enhancing therapies. Excessive GH and IGF-1 have been associated with an in-

creased risk for breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer in addition to causing carpal tunnel syndrome, excessive muscle mass, and joint and muscle pain. Synthetic GH has recently become widely available and is being used for a variety of medical conditions. It is currently indicated for adults and children with documented GH deficiencies and in the treatment of AIDS wasting disease. It is active only in the injectable form. The price, however, is exorbitant, making it an option only for the well-insured and the wealthy. Beware of products claiming to contain GH in an oral or “homeopathic” form or those that promise to effortlessly stimulate its release. Most will have infinitesimally little or no GH at all. GH taken orally is immediately digested and inactivated. Although there are specific nutrients that can enhance GH release, they need to be used at appropriate times and in adequate doses. These include specifically the amino acids arginine, ornithine and leucine. For GH to function optimally, however, there also needs to be a harmonious balance of all the other endocrine hormones. Quality protein, carbohydrates and fats and a host of other supporting nutrients including vitamin C, pantothenic acid and potassium are also needed for optimal GH output. To balance your seventh chakra and ensure optimal GH release requires both movement and motivation as well as sitting in stillness and silence, doing nothing. Tao abides in non-action, Yet nothing is left undone Tao Te Ching, excerpt # 37 ◆ Todd Mangum, MD, of the Web of Life Wellness Center in Salt Lake City, is a holistically oriented physician in practice for 30 years.

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San Francisco and the Summer of Covid 19 Part One: Getting there is definitely part of the trip BY JOHN DEJONG I missed the Summer of Love in San Francisco in 1967, stuck instead in Provo working my first full-time job at my dad's office. Three years later I got there, on my way to Vietnam. My parents showed me the town before I left on a jet plane. I've been making pilgrimages to San Francisco ever since. Last month I had a chance to visit San Francisco, twice. The drive across Nevada was enhanced by satellite radio tuned to the Metropolitan Opera channel. Nevada takes on another dimension when the sound track is Phillip Glass's Ahkenaten. Opera was one of my father's passions. On weekends he would have radios in the garage, garden and wherever else he was working, tuned to the same opera station. The story line of Ahkenaten is about the introduction of one of

the first monotheistic religions, replacing the many gods of ancient Egypt with Aten, the Sun god, and the ultimate misfortune of Ahkenaten at the hands of angry, laid-off priests. Crossing Nevada in July , the notion of worshipping the Sun seems ludicrous, unless you believe in an angry god. As we know, a lot of people do. Maybe monotheism is where religion went wrong. That, and angry gods. Monotheism is basically a clever feat of branding. New, and improved! Cures baldness, warts, infertility and existential angst. You name it, our God cures it! Join today. Polytheism can be a real pain for the priesthood – so much competition for followers, offerings and tithings from other priesthoods, so many rituals to memorize, so many

beliefs to reduce to dogma. Polytheism provides a personalized blend of salves for the soul. Believers can choose what to believe and what not to believe. Religion should be a pan-cultural smorgasbord, not a package deal where one is forced into buying the whole can of worms, like getting the knitting channel and Masterpiece Theatre when all you want is sports and the opera channel. If you only believe in one god, and he's pissed, you're out of luck, maybe even, naught in the sight of god. If you believe in many gods, chances are you're in the good graces of at least a couple of them. It's interesting how often monotheisms transmute into monopoly-theisms. Much of recent history (the last two or three thousand years) is the story of one religion try-

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ing to wipe out a competing religion, winning the mantle of state religion. Events in India and China are only the most recent examples. San Francisco looked like the film set of a post-apocolyptic thriller something about a selective rapture that left only the homeless, dogwalkers and joggers behind. And construction workers. The city was taking advantage of reduced traffic to do street work and the Nobs on Nob hill were making home improvements like it was the end of the world and their chances of getting into heaven depended on the size and splendor of their abode. The homeless made up about half of the sparse population, none of them wearing face masks. Dog walkers and an occasional jogger made up the other half, all wearing masks (not the dogs). Kind of like post condo-monium, pre-Covid 19 downtown Salt Lake City. Covid 19 has taught us the problems inherent in living in vast metropolises. A lesson we have learned, and forgotten, literally ad nauseum, since the beginnings of

civilization. I hate masks. Breathing becomes labored. Either my glasses or my eyes fog up. I also hate insurance. Combine masks and insurance and what's to like? But I've reconciled myself to wearing a mask in public for the next couple of years. I think of wearing a mask as stupid people insurance. Not so much stupid, as stubborn people insurance. Stupid people, generally, are smart enough to figure out that if nearly everyone is wearing a mask, maybe they should wear one too. Stubborn people who refuse to wear masks, on the other hand, see mask wearing as a failure to perceive the tentacles of a global/Chinese/CIA/deep state/ pick your favorite boogy man... conspiracy. John deJong is not a theologian. He barely passed the Bible study class he took prior to being prophylacticly baptised a Congregationalist before his family moved to Provo when he was fourteen. His Volkswagen bus did have a well read copy of the Dao de Ching. A practicing Non-believer, he is willing to not believe in almost anything, impossible or not.

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August 2020

GARDEN LIKE A BOSS

My rowdy friends, the wasps Paper wasps, yellow jackets and hornets are a gardener’s midsummer allies. BY JAMES LOOMIS

e all have that “one always there when you need them, friend”—the one you you know they have your back. No think twice about taking anywhere, knowUnderstanding the ing they’re most likely life cycle of these going to say the wrong thing, get in a fight and possibly cause a little wasps is important in property damage. Despite all these red flags, there’s some sort of enbecoming better dearing quality that just makes you friends with them. want to keep them around. They’re

matter what the haters say, they’ll always be on the team. For me, in the garden, these friends are wasps. Now, “wasp” is a broad category of interesting insects that includes a wide berth of size, appearance and lifestyle. Using the word wasp is like using the term bee. For the sake of this article, when I say wasp I’m referring to three of my special friends

make new friends. In the garden, they are among your strongest midsummer allies.

Why you should like them These wasps are all predatory beneficial insects, meaning they hunt and devour many other insects that are damaging your crops. Aphids, caterpillars and other soft bodied insects are easy prey. Wasps are even powerful enough to take out grasshoppers and katydids. Wasps consume these pests and then feed the liquified carcasses to

When wasps, particularly hornets, are killed, they release a pheromone that triggers others to attack.

in the genus vespa: paper wasps, yellow jackets and hornets. If you’re immediately thinking about getting stung in the face and robbed of tasty morsels at a picnic, chill out. I get it, all three of my special friends can be assholes from time to time. But trust me, you’re not important enough to even be on the average wasp’s radar. And please don’t miss an opportunity to

The next time you see one, sit quietly and observe how they patrol plants in a gridlike pattern, systematically searching for pests.

their young, and then in turn feed on the sugary substances their brood excrete. Adult wasps also feed on nectar and other sugary liquids. I love watching wasps hunt in the garden. The next time you see one, sit quietly and observe how they patrol plants in a gridlike pattern, systematically searching for pests. Imagine the terror of being a cabbage moth caterpillar, munching on a tasty kale leaf, to then hear the death call of a wasp’s buzzing wings. There’s nowhere to run, you can’t run, since you’re basically a tasty little soft-bodied bug sausage. Within seconds, you’re stung, consumed, and headed back to the wasp lair. Makes you feel a little silly for mak-

28 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

August 2020

ing a big deal about being simply stung, doesn’t it? Understanding the life cycle of these wasps is important in becoming better friends with them. The most common wasp in our area is the paper wasp. Paper wasps begin each season as a single queen, who overwintered in a protected area. Having had all the romance she required the previous fall, she begins the season by building the first few cells of her initial hive. By chewing wood fibers and mixing them with saliva, she builds a simple structure and lays her first brood. She then hunts insects ruthlessly, feeding her growing brood with high protein liquid yum yums. At this point, the anti pest power of the colony is low, as only the queen is hunting. The hive is also incredibly vulnerable, so if it is built in an area that is high traffic and risks the life and safety of those allergic to stings, this is the time to remove it. If it is out of your way, such as under the eaves on the back of your shed, leave it be. Wasps are somewhat territorial, and leaving a colony to defend its territory is a great way to prevent other wasps from moving in. Once the brood hatches, the queen remains at the hive, exclusively laying more eggs. The new workers hunt and work to expand

GARDEN LIKE A BOSS the hive she worked to create. At this point, the pest control benefits of the colony begin to rise exponentially, as the number of workers begins to swell. Alongside the actions

of other predatory insects, this can serve to quickly decimate any pest population in your garden. This is often one of the reasons we see many pest problems seemingly vanish by midsummer. This is also now the point at which the hive is the strongest, and often the most difficult to remove. Also,

when wasps, particularly hornets, are killed, they release a pheromone that triggers others to attack. Next time, plan ahead. As fall approaches, the workers alter the diet fed to the brood and begin to shift the next generation from workers to new queens and males. This then decreases the overall population of brood, which means the worker wasps now suddenly find themselves with adequate amounts of the sugary secretions of the brood to feed on themselves. This means they hunt insects less, and start invading your picnic more, drawn to sugary liquids. These new queens find males to mate with from other colonies, and then a safe place to overwinter. The following year, they will begin a new colony, and the whole process begins again. To help protect this overwintering queen and next year’s supply of new wasp friends for your garden, avoid overtidying leaf litter and the wild areas of your garden. These insulated and protected spaces are crucial for this overwintering queen, as well as numerous other species of pollinators and beneficials insects. That’s right, do more by doing less, a true boss move. ◆ James Loomis is a full-time urban farmer, educator and keeper of the Old Cherry Orchard (aka OchO), a permaculture farm. He lives in Salt Lake City.

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August 2020

LATTER-DAY ABOLITIONIST

It’s time for a reckoning

A review of Danielle Sered’s Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair (The New Press: March 2019) BY BRINLEY FROELICH tionists saying that “anything goes”— but this is a common assumption many first jump to when they think about getting rid of prisons. Part of the work of confronting violence is embracing responses that do not rely on further violence or oppression, as prisons and policing do now. Danielle Sered is no stranger to violence. As a survivor of violence and the co-founder of Common Justice, a restorative justice practice based in Brooklyn, New York, she takes on Incarceration and policing clients facing prison time for violent crimes and offers an alternative acare born out of the legacy countability process for both the of racism. person who harmed and the person who survived that. Her book, Until some clarity about these, it helps to We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarcerashift the assumptions in place that tion, and a Road to Repair (The New prompt people to ask them in the Press: March 2019), is a deep dive into what that work looks like, and it first place. Violence is easy to fix our atten- illustrates how our investments into tion to. We are afraid of experienc- mass incarceration are not paying ing violence, or of our loved ones off to reduce the amount of violence being harmed. That fear is valid, experienced in the world. By using incarceration as our “soluand in many cases based on past experiences with violence. We must tion” to those common questions seriously confront the conse- mentioned above, as we have done for hundreds of years, we do our quences of that. From an abolitionist perspective, communities a grave disservice. In accountability is a key component of this process of locking people away, working outside of the criminal jus- we allow punishment, control and tice system. You will not hear aboli- isolation to be our primary mode of ere are some questions I hear all the time when I speak to people about abolition: “But what about the murderers/rapists/bad guys?” “Yeah, prisons are bad, but what’s the alternative?” Or “But who would we call instead of the police during an emergency?” Abolitionist work starts by reframing those questions. This work is deep, profound, and looks further than those initial hesitations. To feel

conflict resolution, rather than taking a chance on true accountability.

What does accountability look like? What would it look like for someone to actually face the person they harmed and offer a sincere apology? What would it look like if, instead of re-traumatizing a survivor of violence through a court process, we centered their needs and supported them in a process of healing? What would it look like if we responded to every form of violence, including the violence inflicted by incarceration and policing, and say that it is unacceptable? For Sered and the work done at Common Justice, “Any response to violence should adhere to four core principles. Our responses should be survivor-centered, accountabilitybased, safety-driven, and racially equitable.” These core principles drive any restorative justice process, while addressing the racial roots of how incarceration grew, essentially, out of white supremacy and colonialism. Those roots cannot be ignored or glossed over, considering that Indigenous and Black people are incarcerated at far higher rates than white people are, not to mention

In this process of locking people away, we allow punishment, control and isolation to be our primary mode of conflict resolution, rather than taking a chance on true accountability. the violence that our undocumented brothers and sisters face simply for being here. Ignoring this reality, that incarceration and policing are born out of the legacy of racism, will never do anything to confront violence in our culture. Further, by starting any process with centering on the needs of the survivor, it also creates the opportunity for healing and growth. In our current justice system, as Sered and her research illustrates, “If prison worked, survivors would feel better as a result of the incarceration of the person who hurt them: and yet so many survivors do not.” What most survivors want is to live in safer places, not just to be safe from one person. Most survivors want resources to meet their economic needs after an incident occurs. Each survivor's needs and wants vary, but what most of them all share in common is that they wish for others to be safer, happier, and to not have to go through the same thing that they went through.

Comprehensive, practical My copy of Sered’s book is full of highlights, notes, and pages that are dog-eared; it’s a book I will return to as a resource again and again. If you look at the conditions that created a rise in mass incarceration and the

consequences of that, it’s hard not to want something more comprehensive, and frankly, more practical. Sered paints this picture clearly: The factors that drive violence and fundamentally characterize prison are all mutually reinforcing. Exposure to violence drives isolation, isolation drives shame, shame drives poverty, poverty drives exposure to violence, and so on. Far from being rehabilitative, prison all but guarantees the durability and continuation of cycles of violence, and in many cases increases the likelihood of further harm rather than reducing it. Processes like restorative justice are gaining traction, but right now they are considered “alternatives” to incarceration only after someone has been targeted and

What most survivors want is to live in safer places, not just to be safe from one person. charged by police in the first place. An accountability process is not available to all, and for people who do not wish to engage in the criminal justice system, they are even harder to come across. Instead of thinking about single alternatives to jail and prison, we should be cultivating a variety of healing processes that do not rely on punishment as the solution in the first place. We all deserve to be able to hold someone accountable, as well as trust that our community will hold us accountable, in ways that maintain our dignity and humanity and keep our material needs intact. The people who are most

This process of growth will require facing many unknowns and will not be easy, but it does not make that any less important. equipped to deal with these issues are the people who have healed from their own traumas and come from the communities themselves. This should look less like outside experts coming in to tell people how to act, and more like communities coming together to decide how to support each other through that growth and change. Our moment of reckoning is upon us. We are long past due for it, in fact. We should stop investing our efforts and money into systems that operate on violence. There are no more excuses. This process of growth will require facing many unknowns and will not be easy, but it does not make that any less important. Just like how our body grows or heals from wounds and the associated pains that come with that, our culture needs to grow, and there will be many moments of pain. We must do this work anyway, especially if we are serious about reducing harm and creating more equitable and just societies. This work starts in our culture and with the self. It looks like realigning power back to marginalized communities. It means that we are saying that we do not accept violence. Once the threat of violence is removed, we can begin healing and transforming for the benefit of all. ◆ Brinley Froelich is Brinley Froelich is the co-founder of Decarcerate Utah. Find more of her work at booforever.com/

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34 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET August 2020

COMMUNITY

Not fade away

Quintessential good citizen Jorge Fierro feels the love from the community he has graciously served for two decades as his longtime Westside business, Rico Brand Mexican Foods, faces eviction by a new landlord developer

alt Lake City loves Jorge Fierro. The friend of CATALYST and legendary local entrepreneur started Rico Brand Mexican Foods (rico means rich, delicious) in Salt Lake City over 20 years ago. As of this writing, Rico Brands is endangered by the timetable of a developer who has bought the warehouse space at 545 S. 700 West which Jorge has leased since 2004. Locals, however, are rallying around in massive support.

Woodbine Industries initially had given him until the end of this year to find a new space, he says, but in early July the company changed the deadline to end-August. Developer Maximilian Coreth, who is involved in other Westside projects as well as an all-electric housing development on 2100 South, appears to be the primary member of the new (2019) corporation. The building is managed by L.B. Hunt Management Group.

A Change.org petition posted by Jorge’s family in late July had, in just a few days, already gathered almost 4,000 signatures and hundreds of comments. As signer Safia Keller, a University of Utah development director (speaking for herself ) points out, “...Rico moved [to the West side’s warehouse district, now the Granary District] when no one else would operate a business there, and now he is being forced to move because it is the new ‘hot spot’ for

development.” The petition asks for an additional 60 days for Jorge to relocate his business. Calling to see how he was faring, we found him in the middle of the hectic search for Rico’s new home. “I looked at a space today on Folsom, and it seems kind of small but I can move in right away if I can buy it. I met with my banker and things are moving along, but this is all too [fast] for comfort. I was also just on a phone call with some local businesspeople who have property and would like to partner with me.” Possibilities are emerging from the press coverage and petition. Jorge says he needs a lease extension of two months—a compromise on the initial deadline of year’s end—in order to leave without having to shut down the business. The pandemic has increased Rico’s business by some 25%-30%, probably because more people are staying home to eat, but has also put extra constraints on the production facility. Jorge’s concern is that if he does not find a suitable alternative and complete the move within this month, he’ll have to lay off his 32 employees—just at a time when nobody can afford to lose their job. However, there is a silver lining to these storm clouds. “I have mixed emotions,” Jorge says. “On one side, I would like to have a few glasses of scotch! But on

If he does not find a suitable alternative and complete the move within this month, he may have to lay off his 32 employees—just at a time when nobody can afford to lose their job. the other side I cannot tell you how blessed I am to know that this community really loves our company and what we do. So many people have reached out—Frank Granato [Granato’s Deli and Importing], Maxine Turner [Cuisine Unlimited], Scott Evans [Finca]—so many people; and all the people who have signed the petition.” He is additionally concerned about how Salt Lake City’s raging development trend is impacting the small business community as a whole. Though new businesses and restaurants continue to open, affordable

space is harder and harder to find. “I think it’s wrong what [developers] are doing, but I don’t blame them; I’m not a crybaby. It’s not about me, because I will find a way, one way or another. But will others? We don’t want to see small business discouraged this way. I think it’s extremely important to emphasize that if the City and County and State don’t have [regulations] on the kind of incentive packages that they give to investors, small businesses will be in danger of sinking. “The City has reached out to me finally, the new economic development director has called. But if I hadn’t done anything and ABC4 News had not written the article that first publicized my situation, would I have faded away and that’s the end of Rico Brand?” Not likely; Jorge is not the type to go away quietly. He’s not one to be pushed around. And there is the love. “It’s just amazing, the people in the community who are reaching out, trying to see how they can help.” If anything, Jorge is finding out that he is well-loved and respected within his community, and for that, he feels blessed. ◆ Alice Toler is a regular contributor to CATALYST. Read more about Jorge Fierro in her most recent article, “Passion and Restraint: The Rise of Spicy Food in Utah” (June 2020).

36 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

August 2020

FIRST PERSON

Dance with King Covid

An early chronicle of denial, discovery and recovery

BY STEPHANEE GROSSCUP one of the lucky ones. I am fully recovered. I’m an athletic woman, a professional figure skater and instructor. I hike, bike, power walk, stretch, rollerblade and have a physically active career. Last winter I was logging quality time at least four mornings a week skiing at resorts in Park City, Sun Valley and Salt Lake as well as some great après ski parties. Here’s my personal story—what happened, and what I did. *. *. *. *. * February 25: A small thorn seems to be stuck in the bottom of my lungs. At least that’s what it feels like. It’s barely detectable, but I

I logged in quality time at least four mornings a week at resorts in Park City, Sun Valley and Salt Lake as well as some great après ski parties.

’m one of the healthy, active ones who got it. I danced with King Covid. It was a tricky, unpredictable dance—one that had no rhythm, timing or well-

choreographed steps. It was sneaky in its approach, then came on like a tornado, spun me around, laid me flat and eventually fled, leaving me with decreased lung capacity. I was

know something is in there. Each day for the following week this curious sensation grows, as if thorns are reproducing and hooking themselves together, taking up space in my lungs. It’s not so severe that it stops me from living my life.

My beloved cup of coffee has no flavor. It is then that I realize, seriously, for the first time: I may have Covid-19.

March 2: A tightness in my chest is growing. Salt Lake’s typical bad winter air? Covid-19 is starting to hit some countries hard; a man in Seattle has died, too. Sunday, March 8: Something is taking over my body. I feel tired and achy. I am not sleeping well. Monday, March 9: Driving home to Salt Lake from Sun Valley, I know something is amiss. That night I get terrible chills. My body aches so bad that I take 800 mg. of Tylenol. I do not have a fever but I start coughing and sneezing. I barely sleep. I doubt I have Covid-19; the CDC says the symptoms are fever, shortness of breath and dry cough.

Bundled up for a lung-expanding power walk.

Tuesday, March 10: I force myself to go to work (teaching ice skating) and I keep my hair appointment. I begin to feel a bit paranoid that perhaps I’m spreading something, but I

don’t feel bad enough to go to a doctor. Plus, we are being told to not go to the doctor or hospital unless you’re really sick and can’t breathe. By the afternoon, however, whatever it is has flattened me. I am so tired. Achy, coughing, sneezing. I can’t get off my couch but neither can I sleep, even though everything in my body keeps saying sleep... sleep. Rifling through the medicine cabinet, I find my natural sleep remedy and take a small dose.

Continued on next page

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August 2020

Continued:

FIRST PERSON Sunday, March 15: I make myself banana pancakes. I can’t taste them or smell them. My beloved cup of coffee has no flavor. It is then that I realize, seriously, for the first time: I may have Covid-19. With 19 confirmed cases in the state, Salt Lake County has shut down all the recreation facilities. Every ice rink is closed. Without any work, purpose or schedule and still feeling the effects of being sick, I spend the next two weeks sleeping more than I have in 20 years. The shortness of breath continues and I cannot taste or smell anything.

The freak-out!

Wednesday, March 11: I awake to an aching body, tight lungs and a nonstop cough. Whatever this is, it is taking over my entire being. It’s sunny out and something inside tells me to get into the sun. Soak it up. Drink lots of hot lemon water and dose out on vitamins C, D and A. I bundle up and go out for a power walk, something I do regularly. As I walk, I can tell that my lung capacity is reduced. It’s clear that I need to exercise my lungs. I breathe deep and steady. My body is telling me to become my own human ventilator. I breathe in deeply, hold my breath and exhale vigorously. My body also continues to tell me I need the healing power of sleep. That night I take another

sleep remedy. Thursday, March 12: It’s a beautiful, sunny day in SLC. My body still aches and I’m coughing and sneezing. Regardless, I know what I have to do. I force myself on another long hike through the foothills, making my lungs work and forcing whatever’s in there to break itself up. By the end of the day I have also soaked up a few hours of sunlight. I sleep deeply that night. Friday, March 13: I feel a little better. My niece is hosting a family post-wedding party, a big feast. Still unsure of what I have, I go to two days of family activities. Everyone is having fun, raving about the food. I think the food is bland.

Friday, March 27: Diagnosed coronavirus cases in Utah are up to 480 and a second person has died. Governor Herbert requests Utahns to stay at home. Mayor Mendenhall directs Salt Lake City residents to stay home except for essential travel. Four months later, by July 27, diagnosed positive cases will have soared to 38,440 cases in Utah, with 285 dead. For the United States: 4.42 million cases and 151,000 dead. Wednesday, May 13: Yesterday I had an antibody test from Quest Labs. Today I got an email reporting that I tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies. ***** The total loss of taste and smell lasted about two months. The majority of those two senses have come back. The most lasting effect was the decrease in lung capacity. It felt as if there was scar tissue in my lungs. Exercise was the one thing that seemed to reduce that

sensation. It’s unclear to me how long the incubation period was. However, I believe that the first time I felt that “thorn” in my lungs, on February 25, was when the virus infected my body. I presume I acquired it either at a ski resort (on gondolas and chairlifts or indoors) or perhaps at the ice rink. It’s hard to say. There’s some evidence that Covid19 was spreading itself in the U.S. since December. After the positive diagnosis, I contact-traced my entire family for three weeks. Three people from the wedding party got sick after they returned home. No one has had an antibody test so it’s unclear if anyone had Covid.

Conclusion

Does the sun help the body during (or prior to) a Covid invasion? Some studies show that people with sufficient levels of vitamin D and regular exposure to ultraviolet light are much more likely to survive Covid-19. Others say the evidence is insufficient. What does your body say?

This virus is real. It’s sneaky. It’s unpredictable. Some people breeze through it with very few symptoms. For others, the symptoms are similar to mine. For the most unfortunate, it kills them. Immunity conferred by having had Covid is assumed but not verified. I wear a mask into all public spaces, wash my hands and don’t touch my face. I physical distance. I want everyone to work together to smash the curve of Covid. I miss the various gatherings of pre-Covid and I especially miss hugging people. Life has indeed changed. My goal now is to live and operate fully in the new normal. ◆ Stephanee Grosscup is a figure skating choreographer and coach in Salt Lake City and Sun Valley, Idaho.

kuer60thanniversary.org

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August 2020

CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

COMMUNIT Y Resource Directory Psychotherapy and Personal Growth Bodywork • Movement • Sport Intuitive Sciences • Spiritual Practice Abode • Psychic Arts • Health

ABODE AUTOMOTIVE

Schneider Auto Karosserie 8/20 801.484.9400, f 801.484.6623, 1180 S 400 W, SLC. Utah’s first green body shop. Making customers happy since 1984! We are a friendly, full-service collision repair shop in SLC. Your satisfaction is our goal. We’ll act as your advocate with your insurance company to ensure proper repairs and give you a lifetime warranty. www.SchneiderAuto.net

GREEN PRODUCTS

watch. M-Thur 6a-11p; Fri 6a-12p, Sat 7a-12p, Sun 7a-11p. Wifi.

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Oasis Cafe DA 11/20

Underfoot Floors DA 11/20

HOUSING

Urban Utah Homes & Estates DA 9/20 801.595.8824, 380 W 200 S, #101, SLC. Founded in 2001 by Babs De Lay. www.UrbanUtah.com

DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, ORGANIZATION

Ann Larsen Residential Design

DINING DA 10/20

801.604.3721. Specializing in historically sensitive design solutions and adding charm to the ordinary. houseworks4@yahoo.com

Coffee Garden DA 801.355.3425, 900 E 900 S and 254 S. Main, SLC. High-end espresso, delectable pastries & desserts. Great places to people

801.322.0404,151 S 500 E, SLC. A refreshing retreat in the heart of the city, Oasis Cafe provides a true sanctuary of spectacular spaces: the beautiful flower-laden patio, the private covered breezeway or the casual style dining room. Authentic American cafe-style cuisine plus full bar, craft beers, wine list and more. www.OasisCafeSLC.com

HEALTH & BODYWORK ACUPUNCTURE

Alethea Healing Acupuncture5/20

801.988.5898, 2180 E 4500 S, Ste 210-L, Holladay. Relief from acute and chronic pain, stress, anxiety, depression and PTSD.

Balance digestive, respiratory, hormonal and reproductive systems. Enhance focus, energy and concentration. Offering acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion and nutrition guidance. Standard Process Provider. Enhance your winter performance! Winter hours include weekends. www.AletheaHealingAcupuncture.com

Keith Stevens Acupuncture 4/21

801.255.7016, 209.617.7379 (c). Dr. Keith Stevens, OMD, now located at 870 E 9400 S, Ste. 110 (South Park Medical Complex). Specializing in chronic pain treatment, stress-related insomnia, fatigue, headaches, sports medicine, traumatic injury and post-operative recovery. Boardcertified for hep-c treatment. National Acupuncture Detox Association (NADA)-certified for treatment of addiction. Women’s health, menopausal syndromes. www.StevensAcuClinic.com

42 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET August 2020

YOGA

Yoga of presence

If I could choose just one instruction to give to yoga practitioners, it would be to relax and breathe deeply into the pose you’re in. There’s no pose out there in the future—or for some of us who have practiced for decades, in the past— that’s more important than the one you’re currently practicing. The pose you’re in at a given moment is the only one that matters. And the process is to relax into this asana, right now, so that rather than “doing” the pose, you are “being” the pose. You’re absorbed in the internal process rather than the concept of what you think the pose should be. So instead of going to our comefore I began teaching yoga, “progress” in the sense of moving petitive edge, where we can move I assisted in classes for about further and further into poses. This no further, we practice at an edge four years. My job was to walk is partly because there is a limit to where we can breathe deeply and around the room and make how far you can push your joints befeel the natural oscillation of the adjustments while the teachers fore causing damage. But more imbody with each inhalation and extaught and demonstrated poses. portant, it’s because asana is part of halation. When we practice this way, There were quite a few athletic a system that promotes presence, we are partnering with our bodies types in the class—competitive being with what is—ease and conrather than inflicting poses on them. skiers, marathon runners, climbers, tentment. The desire to constantly It’s very simple. We move into the go further is bike racers, Wasatch shape of a pose, and we stop at the counterproduc100 alumni. Our presence with the place where we begin to feel a modtive to these inA few of these erate challenge. Then we breathe tentions. athletically accom- unfolding process is deeply, keeping awareness inside However, there plished students where the “juice” of the the body, and relax more deeply is such a thing as approached their into the pose with each breath. an “edge” where yoga practice with practice lies. Asana is a process. The proliferayou can explore the same zeal as tion of photos of people practicing their other physical pursuits. One your yoga postures. It’s not the same insane-looking poses notwithstandstudent in particular almost always as the edge you might challenge ing, the perfectly performed pose sported a beet-red face and when you’re planning on running a we can see from the outside is not popped-out veins on his forehead marathon. The edge we play in the point. Our presence with the unwhile he practiced even the mellow- asana practice is what I call the “infolding process that is asana is est of yoga asanas. My job was to re- telligent” or “compassionate” edge. where the “juice” of the practice lies. Rather than moving to the place mind him to chill. Find your intelligent edge; relax and In competitive sports, challenging where the body can move no furbreathe; become the process of unone’s edge is part of the training ther, we explore at the edge where folding. ◆ process. However, yoga asana we feel a moderate stretch, but we Charlotte Bell has been practicing yoga since 1982. comes from a completely different can still breathe deeply and relax She is the author of several yoga-related books including, most recently, Hip Healthy Asana, and founder of paradigm. The purpose is not to into the pose.

Finding your intelligent edge

by Charlotte Bell

Mindful Yoga Collective. CharlotteBellYoga.com/

COMMUNITY Continued from page 41

SLC Qi Community Acupuncture 12/20

801.521.3337, 242 S 400 E Suite B, SLC. Affordable Acupuncture! Sliding scale rates ($20-40). Open weekends. Grab a recliner and relax in a safe, comfortable, and healing space. We help with pain, fertility, digestion, allergies, arthritis, sleep and stress disorders, cardiac/ respiratory conditions, metabolism & more. www.SLCQi.com

APOTHECARY

Natural Law Apothecary 12/20

801.613.2128. 619 S 600 W Salt Lake's premier herbal medicine shop featuring 100+ organic/wild-harvested herbs available in any amount. Specializing in custom, small batch tinctures, salves, green drink and teas. Also features a knowledge center with books, classes & consultation on herbs, bees, massage/bodywork wellness and more! www.NaturalLawApothecary.com

ENERGY HEALING

Abi J. Bateman, Reiki Master/Teacher

801.859.2513. Body-mind-spirit-connection. Abi has over seven years experience helping her clients achieve deep relaxation, which taps into the body’s natural healing process. Trained in traditional Usui and Holy Fire Reiki, and the healing use of crystals and minerals. Reiki - good for life! AbiJBateman@gmail.com8/20

Cynthia Boshard, Reiki Master12/20

801.554.3053. Center for Enhanced Wellness, 2627 E Parleys Way. Calm, balance, relieve stress, and support your body’s natural abilities to heal. Cynthia has 12 years experience in Usui System of Natural Healing. Intuitive aura readings also offered—all to support improved health and well-being. www.ReikiSLC.com

HERBAL MEDICINE

Natural Medicine Clinic of Utah10/20

801.448.9990. Utah Medical Cannabis Evaluations by Qualified Medical Providers in Lehi and SLC. Book your appointment today to reach our team of cannabis professionals. We welcome your questions and look forward to assisting anyone suffering from a qualified condition under the Utah medical cannabis program. info@naturalmedicineclinic ofutah.com www.naturalmedicineclinicofutah.com

R E S O U R C E DIREC TORY

INSTRUCTION

“Energy Codes” Certified Master Trainer, Kathleen A. Bratcher, LMT 6/20

801.879.6924. 1555 E Stratford Ave, STE 400, SLC. Embodiment exercises, meditations and principles from Dr. Sue Morter’s book, The Energy Codes, #1 L.A. Times Bestseller. Awaken health potential—grounded in energy medicine, neurobiology, and quantum physics— through EC teachings & exercises. Classes & private sessions available. Community on Facebook at Energy Codes Utah. afkb@msn.com

MASSAGE

Healing Mountain Massage School 801.355.6300, 363 S 500 E, Ste. 210, SLC. www.HealingMountainSpa.com

M.D. PHYSICIANS

Todd Mangum, MD, Web of Life Wellness Center 801.531.8340, 770 E. South

Temple, Suite #100, SLC. Integrative Family Practitioner utilizing functional medicine for treatment of conditions such as: fatigue, fibromyalgia, digestion, adrenals, hormones, and more. Dr. Mangum recommends diet, supplementation, HRT and other natural remedies in promoting a health-conscious lifestyle. www.WebOfLifeWC.com, www.thepeople@weboflifewc.com 5/21

CLIENT

APPRECIATION

WEEK

Au g u s t 2 3 – 2 9

NUTRITION

Teri Underwood RD, MS, CD, IFMCP8/20

801-831-6967. Registered Dietitian/Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner. Foodbased, individualized diet plans, high-quality nutrition supplements, and counseling. Digestion, Diabetes, Vegans, Cardio-Metabolic, Autoimmune, Cancer, Cognitive Decline, Food Intolerance, Fatigue, Weight Loss, Thyroid, Chronic Health Problems, Preventive Health. Teri@SustainableDiets.com

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION Open Hand Bodywork DA

801.694.4086, Dan Schmidt, GCFP, LMT. 244 W 700 S, SLC. www.SomaDan.com

YOGA THERAPY

801-355-6300 ext. 1

Dana Levy, C-IAYT, M.A. 4/20 419.309.1190. A

Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT), Dana works through the body, supporting clients with a variety of issues to develop greater awareness of patterns, more effective coping skills, and improved health using not only tools of yoga and meditation, but also modern somatic and embodiment practices.

healingmountain.edu 363 S. 500 E. Suite 210, SLC, UT 84102 Open Daily 9 - 9pm

46 CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

August 2020

SLIGHTLY OFF CENTER

Phony Remembrances of phone systems past BY DENNIS HINKAMP elt deeply sad at the end of the month as I watched the clock grind to midnight. With one eye on the phone and one on the clock I was waiting for the flat line of my land line. After 39.7 years I said goodbye to an old friend. This was my very first and only phone number in Logan, precell coverage. I kept it well past its useful life as a bridge to the old days. In its last years it became chronically infected with the cancer of spam and robocalls to the point I hardly recognized my old friend. It was as hard as putting down a beloved dog, but I had to let it go for both our sakes. In reality what I was really saying goodbye to was a random number assigned to me in 1980. The number was not even a land line for the last 10 years of its life. I had it transferred to an internet phone service for the few friends and relatives who still did not want to call on that newfangled technology. The actual wire to a telephone pole has been phasing out everywhere. In fact, I’m not sure you can refer to these wood things as telephone poles anymore because their main purpose is to support electrical wires, cable lines and resting birds. Blame text and email, but over the last five years we probably averaged less than one legitimate call a week while suffering dozens of spam calls, fund raisers, political robots and ex-

tended car warranty sales for cars we no longer own. Like many lost friends, you need to celebrate the good memories rather than mourn their last gasps. I do have fond memories of my first answering machine with tiny tapes where I concocted a new funny message about once a week. Remember party lines? They had nothing to do with party mirth; they meant that you shared a line with at least one other customer. You would pick up the phone and hear someone else talking. If you were polite you hung up. If you were nosey, you pretended to hang up.

switchboards but I am old enough to have used an answering service where a real person took Post-it notes for you before there were Postit notes and then would read them to you when you called a certain number. My recollection was that mostly real estate agents and drug dealers used them from pay phones. This reminds me, “pay phones”? Wow, they disappeared fast though I still see lone ostracized ones at remote state campgrounds. Remember the first brick mobile phones and the first car phones that required you sit near a telephone line? I don’t know if those were the beginning of the end, but in context they sure looked silly like the 10I’m not sure you can megabyte hard drive the size of a refer to these wood toaster oven which I also owned. This is fun nostalgia, but I’ve never things as telephone been a big phone user at any time in my life. This probably stunted my poles anymore. dating life but saved me cumulative Remember the pretentiousness of months of time. I was a prolific letter call waiting? I think some people writer before the internet. Now I am still use it, but it was about as con- terrified to write more than a sententious as mask wearing in that tence or two, longhand, because I time period. You would be calling have become addicted to spell your own mother and she would check. Times change in sometimes mute you to see who the incoming tragic ways. call was coming from. Like you were My dead phone still glows with waiting for a better offer? I got the flashing “one” of my last mespretty good at answering “let me sage, which of course was the intercheck this, can you wait a minute” net phone service provider pleading with “no.” Anyway I’m glad that call me to come back. I ignored it and waiting on home phones was moved on. ◆ mainly a passing fancy. Dennis Hinkamp would like to remind you I’m not old enough to remember to not call him.

COMMUNITY Creighton Hart3/20

dana@danalevyyoga.com www.DanaLevyYoga.com

MISCELLANEOUS ENTERTAINMENT 12/19 Utah Film Center

801.746.7000, 122 Main St, SLC. www.UtahFilmCenter.org

www.AquariumAge.com, ralfee@aquariumage.com

PSYCHIC/TAROT READINGS Suzanne Wagner DA

707.354.1019. An inspirational speaker and healer, she also teaches Numerology, Palmistry, Tarot and Channeling. www.SuzWagner.com

PSYCHOTHERAPY &

3/20 DA

801.631.7811. Whether you are planning for your own future protection and management, or you are planning for your family, friends, or charitable causes, Penniann Schumann can assist you with creating and implementing a plan to meet those goals. www.EstatePlanningForUtah.com

Laura Pennock, LPP Family Law3/21 801.726.5447. Need assistance with your family law matter, but cant’ afford an attorney? A Licensed Paralegal Practioner (LPP) may be just what you are looking for. Expert advice and personal service at a rate you can afford. Mention this ad for $10.00 off of you rinitial consultation.. www.laura.pennlegal@gmail.com

YOGA INSTRUCTORS

801.355.2617. E-RYT-500 & Iyengar certified. Cultivate strength, vitality, serenity, wisdom and grace. Combining clear, well-informed instruction with ample quiet time, these classes encourage students to discover their own yoga. Classes include meditation, pranayama (breath awareness) and yoga nidra (yogic sleep) as well as physical practice of asana. Public & private classes, workshops in a supportive, non-competitive environment since 1986. www.CharlotteBellYoga.com

PSYCHIC ARTS & INTUITIVE SCIENCES

KRCL 90.9FM DA 801.363.1818, 1971 N Temple, SLC. www.KRCL.org

HYPNOSIS

Mindful Yoga: Charlotte Bell DA 1/20

MEDIA

REAL ESTATE

MOVEMENT & MEDITATION PERSONAL GROWTH

LEGAL ASSISTANCE

Schumann Law, Penniann J. Schumann, J.D., LL.M

801.898.3011 Serving: buyers and sellers of agricultural and rural farm properties within Utah. Complete real estate services to guide you throughout the process and nuances of agricultural and rural lands. Consulting: water rights/shares, perc. tests, soil quality, conservation easments, hemp regulations and urban home. www.hartcreighton@gmail.com

Continued from page 43

R E S O U R C E DIREC TORY

ASTROLOGY

Transformational Astrology FOG

Rise Up Hypnosis 4/20

808.755.5224. SLC. Jennifer Van Gorp, QHHT. Past life hypnosis that is truly empowering. Allows the client to realize that they hold the key to every lock they've carried with them and provides the clarity to unlock it. One-on-one and group sessions available. riseuphypnosis@gmail.com www.riseuphypnosis.com

THERAPY/COUNSELING

Cynthia Kimberlin-Flanders, LPC 10/20

801.231.5916. 1399 S. 700 E., Ste. 15, SLC. Feeling out of sorts? Tell your story in a safe, non-judgmental environment. Over 21 years specializing in recovery from covert narcissistic abuse, depression, anxiety, life-transitions, anger management, relationships and “middle-aged crazy.” Most insurances, sliding scale and medication management referrals. If you've been waiting to talk to someone, wait no more.

212.222.3232. Ralfee Finn. Catalyst’s astrology columnist for 20 years! Visit her website,

Law Office of Penniann J. Schumann PLLC

Wills, Trusts,

Guardianships,

Praise for CATALYST from our most recent fundraiser:

“You've been such a staple in our community for so many years. Hell yes, I'll help.” —Alexis Butler

Conservatorships Call now for COVID19 Special pricing video conferencing available

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COMMUNITY Healing Pathways Therapy Center 3/21

435.248.2089. 4465 S. 900 E. Ste 150, Millcreek & 1881 N. 1120 W. Provo. Integrated counseling and neurofeedback services for anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship, life adjustment issues. Focusing on clients’ innate capacity to heal and resolve past and current obstacles rather than just cope. Modalities include EMDR, Neurofeedback, EFT, Mindfulness, and Feminist/Multicultural. Info@PathwaysUtah.com www.HealingPathwaysTherapy.com

Mountain Lotus Counseling4/20

801.524.0560. Theresa Holleran, LCSW & Sean Patrick McPeak, CSW. Learn yourself. Transform. Depth psychotherapy and transformational services for individuals, relation-ships, groups and communities. www.MountainLotusCounseling.com

Natalie Herndon, PhD, CMHC 7/20

801.657.3330. 9071 S 1300 W, Suite 100, West Jordan. 15+ years experience specializing in Jungian, Analytical, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Are you seeking to more deeply understand yourself, your relationships, and why you struggle with certain thoughts and feelings? Call today for an appointment and let's begin. www.HopeCanHelp.net NatalieHerndon@HopeCanHelp.net

Stephen Proskauer, MD, Integrative Psychiatry

4/20 801.631.8426. 76 S. Main St., #6, Moab. Seasoned psychiatrist, Zen priest and shamanic healer. Sees kids, teens, adults, couples and families, integrating psychotherapy and meditation with judicious use of medication to relieve emotional pain and problem behavior. Specializes in treating identity crises, and bipolar disorders. Sees patients in person in Provo and Moab. Taking phone appointments. sproskauer@comcast.net

SHAMANIC PRACTICE

Sarah Sifers, Ph.D., LCSW 10/20

801.531.8051. Shamanic Counseling. Shamanic Healing, Minister of the Circle of the Sacred Earth. Mentoring for people called to the Shaman’s Path. Explore health or mental health issues using the ways of the shaman. Sarah’s extensive training includes shamanic extraction healing, soul retrieval healing, psychopomp work for death and dying, shamanic counseling and shamanic divination. Sarah has studied with Celtic, Brazilian, Tuvan, Mongolian, Tibetan and Nepali Shamans. ssifers514@aol.com.

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R E S O U R C E DIREC TORY

exquisite array of crystals and minerals, jewelry, drums, sage and sweet grass, angels, fairies, greeting cards and meditation tools. Come in and let us help you create your sanctuary. www.Turiyas.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Dave’s Health & Nutrition 7/21

SLC: 801.268.3000, 880 E 3900 S & W Jordan: 801.446.0499, 1817 W 9000 S. We focus on health & holistic living through education, empowerment and highquality products. With supplements, homeopathics, herbs, stones, books and beauty care products, we provide you with the options you need to reach your optimum health. Certified professionals also offer private consultations. www.DavesHealth.com

APPAREL, GIFTS & TREASURES

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

Blue Boutique 10/20DA

801.487.1807, 1383 S. 2100 E., SLC. Shopping Made Sexy since 1987. www.BlueBoutique.com

Dancing Cranes Imports DA8/20

801.486.1129, 673 E. Simpson Ave., SLC. Jewelry, clothing, incense, ethnic art, pottery, candles, chimes and much more! www.DancingCranesImports.com

Golden Braid Books DA 11/20

801.322.1162, 151 S. 500 E., SLC. A true sanctuary for conscious living in the city. Offerings include gifts and books to feed mind, body, spirit, soul and heart; luscious health care products to refresh and revive; and a Lifestyles department to lift the spirit. www.GoldenBraidBooks.com

Turiya’s Gifts8/20 DA

801.531.7823, 1569 S. 1100 E., SLC. M-F 11a7p, Sat 11a-6p, Sun 12-5p. Turiya’s is a metaphysical gift and crystal store. We have an

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ORGANIZATIONS

Utah Eckankar 9/20

801.542.8070. 8105 S 700 E, Sandy. Eckankar teaches you to be more aware of your own natural relationship with the Divine Spirit. Many have had spiritual experiences and want to learn more about them and how they can help us in our daily lives. All are welcome. www.eckankar-utah.org

INSTRUCTION

Two Arrows Zen Center 3/20DA

801.532.4975, ArtSpace, 230 S. 500 W., #155,

SLC. Two Arrows Zen is a center for Zen study and practice in Utah with two location: SLC & Torrey. The ArtSpace Zendo in SLC offers daily morning meditation and a morning service and evening sit on Thursday. TAZ also offers regular day-long intensives—Day of Zen—and telecourses. www.TwoArrowsZen.org

Please support the people who support Community Resource Directory SALES@CATALYSTMAGAZINE.NET

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August 2020

THEATRE

Personal space: Kids need it, too says author of Plan-B Theatre’s new children’s play, Presenting: Super Cat and Reptile Robot. BY RACHEL BUBLITZ

y husband and I moved from the Bay Area to Salt Lake City four years ago because we have two giant (in all ways possible) kids and there just wasn’t enough room for them to spread

out in Berkeley. And in Utah we have free babysitters (aka family)! As a playwright, I was immediately welcomed into the Salt Lake theatre community and within six months was invited to join The Lab at PlanB. The first play I took my kids to in

Utah was Plan-B’s Free Elementary School Tour of Melissa Larson’s The Edible Complex, which blew our collective socks off. Fast forward a year, and I was taking my kids to see the next such offering: River.Swamp.Cave.Mountain by Elaine Jarvik. I was struck by the subjects each of the playwrights tackled (eating disorders and death and grief, respectively) for elementary students. A pet peeve of mine is how often entertainment for kids is watered down. So when Jerry Rapier, Plan-B’s artistic director, asked if I would like to write for the Free Elementary School Tour, I immediately said yes! I knew I wanted to talk about consent, specifically the permission we grant to others to engage with our bodies. Not something we typically talk about with kids...or teens...or even adults. I’ve been to countless birthday parties, holiday gatherings and family events where family members that have very little regular contact with my kiddos expect hugs and kisses from them. My daughter is very specific about whom she will and won’t hug. It’s been an uphill battle for my family to just let her be herself. I’ve noticed, however, that the more we let her guide us, the more she feels in charge of herself, and the more she’s actually inclined to give hugs. I understand that feelings can be hurt when hugs are denied, but isn’t it better to raise children who feel they’re in charge of their own bodies? I remember being ordered to hug distant relatives who creeped me out, whether or not I was on board with it. I was also grabbed or touched throughout my teen and

young adult years by strangers. I didn’t think I had a say in the matter, so I didn’t speak up; it was just how things were. Now that I’m a parent, a neon sign in my brain flashes, “I do not want this for my kids.” So how could I use all of this and write about consent in an age-appropriate way? Tickling came to mind, probably because I spent most of my childhood trying (and failing) to not get tickled by anyone, ever. And then I thought about a game of saving the world that my kids play pretty much around the clock. I asked them for permission to use that game, added a magic remote, tickling, and consent, and it became the world of Presenting: Super Cat and Reptile Robot. My daughter was 10 when I started this project and my son just finished fourth grade, which makes them not only authorities on grades 2-4, but the perfect dramaturgs. The result is a funny, fun, silly, engaging script that encourages imaginative play and makes space for kids to be in charge of their own boundaries and bodies. ◆ Rachel Bublitz returns to Plan-B Theatre, where she previously contributed the monologues “Red” and “Blue” to (In)divisible and the short play “The Final Debate” to Rose Exposed: Breaking News. Her latest, Presenting: Super Cat and Reptile Robot, receives its world premiere as Plan-B’s eighth annual Free Elementary School Tour, serving students in grades 2-4 statewide as a podcast with a study guide and coloring pages, beginning August 25 at planbtheatre.org/

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August 2020

URBAN ALMANAC

August

2020

A monthly compendium of random wisdom from the natural world and beyond BY GRETA DEJONG 1 Average temps today: high 92º, low 67º. Sunrise: 6:24am. Sunset: 8:42pm. On this date in 1944, Anne Frank wrote her last diary entry. 2 James Baldwin was born on this date in 1924. Check out PBS's "I am Not Your Negro.” 3 FULL MOON @ 09:59am. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Sturgeon Moon because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. 4 Happy 59th birthday to President Barack Obama, born on this date in 1961. 5 Survey your basil plants daily and pinch buds with

vigor. Once they blossom, leaf production nosedives.

snowy egret and white-faced ibis feeding along the shorelines.

6 Scott Nearing was an American radical economist, educator, writer, political activist, pacifist, vegetarian and advocate of simple living. He was born on this date in 1883 and died on August 24, 100 years later. He and his wife, Helen, inspired the back-to-the-land generation with Living the Good Life: How to Live Sanely and Simply in a Troubled World (1970).

8 The worldwide Self-Realization Fellowship was founded by Hindu mystic Paramahansa Yogananda (Autobiography of a Yogi). In 1955, a nun named Daya Mata became president and led the group for 54 years until her death at age 96. Daya Mata, born Faye Wright in 1914, grew up Mormon in Salt Lake City.

7 Shorebird migration populations peak on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge this week, with an average of around 70,000 birds. Look for large flocks of

9 Walden, Henry David Thoreau’s treatise on living a meaningful life in nature, was published today in 1854. 10 Tasty zucchini recipe: Toss 1.5 pounds of grated zucchini with 1.5 teaspoons of salt. After 20 minutes, twist in a towel to extract liquid. Sautee minced shallot in butter briefly. Add zucchini, cook two more minutes. Then add half a cup of heavy cream, cooking till absorbed. Fold in

chopped parsley or tarragon. (Thank you, Julia Child.) 11 The Perseids meteor shower, peaking tonight, reliablly produces many bright meteors, conditions permitting. Best after midnight. 12 Improve your soil this winter, starting today: Plant crimson clover beneath and between plants and wherever there's naked soil. Leave it in place until next spring. 13 Time to fertilize parsnips, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, Swiss chard and watermelons with some nice stinky fish emulsion. 14 Today in 2003, 50 million people from NYC to Detroit experienced the biggest blackout in U.S. history, triggered by trees on a powerline in Ohio and a software bug in the alarm system. Most places had power restored by midnight. Here are some interesting photos of the event.

15 “An Aquarian Exposition: Three Days of Peace and Music” began in a farm field outside of Woodstock, NY on this date in 1969, drawing half a million people. It famously lived up to its name, thanks in part to Wesley Pomeroy, described years later in his NY Times obituary as “security chief of the Woodstock festival...where his compassionate handling of hundreds of thousands of music lovers was credited with helping to make the festival the peaceful love-in it became known as.” 16 Dental remains of hunter/gathering people are enviable—no cavities. That is because their diet was basically lowcarb, consisting mainly of meat. When farming emerged, they ate more grain, producing more acids in the mouth, and cavities became a thing. Ancients chewed on fibrous twigs to remove

plaque. 17 Milkweed (Asclepias) leaves are the first food of monarch butterflies. Historically, all parts of the plant have been used medicinally by humans. The silky fluff from their pods was used for pillow stuffing. That would have taken a lot of milkweed! 18 New Moon @ 8:42pm. One hundred years ago today, after 72 years of organized effort, American women gained the right to vote. 19 Dogs in space: Today in 1960, in the Soviet Union, two 12-pound stray mongrels, named Belka and Strelka, became the first mammals to be launched into space and return alive. 20 Reminder: time to sharpen your knives. There’s a lot more left to the season's bounty that needs slicing, dicing and chopping. 21 Garter (or garden) snakes are being born now in litters of 20-40. They are "ovoviviparous"—that is, females lay eggs within their bodies, releasing the young as the eggs hatch. Utah's most common snake, they prefer moist environments and can be found in urban irrigated gardens eating bugs, earthworms and even small rodents. 22 How to tell a raven from a crow: Crows caw. Ravens croak. Ravens are larger and often travel in pairs. Crows travel in groups (called murders).

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August 2020

23 Earthrise: Today in 1966, for the first time, humans saw Earth from the viewpoint of the moon. The world has never been the same. 24 It’s time again to plant cool weather crops, including beets, beans, carrots, endive, garlic, lettuce, peas, radishes and spinach.

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URBAN ALMANAC

Provide shade for the peas and greens. 25 "Nerd" first appeared in print in 1950, in Dr. Seuss' If I Ran a Zoo. At that stage apparently a nonsense word, "nerd" did not evolve to the "awkward but brainy" definition until the 1980s. 26 The Popsicle was accidentally invented in 1905 by an 11-yearold boy who, nine years later, patented his invention. Currently owned by Unilever, two billion Popsicles are sold each year. 27 Human sweat contains an antimicrobial protein called dermicidin, which protects against a wide range of pathogenic organisms and fungi, including E. coli and candida. So get out there and sweat! 28 Mead (honey wine), perhaps the oldest fermented drink known, is made from honey and water. It may be still or bubbly, and sweet or

dry, with alcoholic content ranging from 820% ABV. 29 The Habitat for Hu-manity ReStore is like a thrift store for construction materials and house parts. It's a great community resource. Shop or donate Tues.-Sat., 11am5pm. 1276 S. 500 West. 30 As many as 10 million bacteria and other microbes live in a single teaspoon of soil. 31 Average temps today: high 86º, low 62º. Sunrise: 6:54am. Sunset: 8:00pm. ◆ Greta Belanger deJong is editor and founder of CATALYST. Gretchen@CatalystMagazine.net/

E A S T O F TO R R E Y • WAT E R I N T H E D E S E RT • E A S T O F TO R R E Y

Cathy Bagley

245 E. Main St., Torrey, Utah 84775 435-425-3200 office 435-691-5424 cell CATHY@BOULDERMOUNTAINREALTY.COM

METAPHORS FOR THE MONTH OshoZenTarot: Thunderbolt, Awareness Medicine Cards: Deer, Mouse Mayan Oracle: Eb, Universal Movement Ancient EgyptianTarot: Nine of Disks, Prince of Disks Six of Cups Aleister Crowley Deck: Knight of Disks, Princess of Wands, Princess of Swords, Two of Swords, Ace of Swords Healing Earth Tarot: Grandfather of Wands, The Moon, Eight of Feathers Words ofTruth: Receiving, Assemblage Point, Elimination ArthurianTarot: Castle of Maidens, The Fool

Become your own revolution A tarot card reading for August 2020 BY SUZANNE WAGNER

he sun is hot and the winds are dry. In these Dog Days of summer, we have far to go and much to do. We are each on a pilgrimage to a sacred place. The path is unclear and safety is uncertain. Michael, the archangel who appears in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is the guide on this journey. Michael is all about letting go of that which no longer serves. And while we have clearly been doing just that, we are still being asked to let go even more. What’s clear is that we are moving towards something. For some, this is a sacred moment of awakening; for others, an adventure or struggle to reclaim what is rightfully ours. Metaphorically, “travel” is always about putting yourself into situations that force you to embrace the new and see past the old. Travel makes you uncomfortable in order to expand your awareness. Travel forces you to step past façades and into flow. This month, realize that there is no final destination or quick fix. You are learning to find your own continuity and just move. That journey is what’s important, not the destination. The cost, for some, might be everything. When you are naked and standing completely open in the sun, you will recognize how perfect losing your old self,

your old beliefs, a n d your old ideals was to reclaim what is truly important. We are all Fools in this dance of life. We think we know where we are going. But we really don’t. We spend so much time trying to “know,” be right, and look like we have it all together. And when we do, sometimes the Universe just laughs and keeps putting stones and twists in the path that we believed was going to be so clearly defined. We are leaping into an unknown. The ground under our feet is completely unstable and we can’t see the ground ahead. Still, we must leap. Can you see the destructive forces in your own attachments? Can you step back and watch with an objective eye as all that you once thought you knew crumbles under the weight of forces previously unfathomable?

Some of us feel as if we have been thrown out of a window of the Tower. Others know they have consciously jumped. What none of us saw was that the Divine Teacher jumped after us and landed on our chest or head to crack us open, shattering what we have so jealously guarded as our truth. Veils of illusion have been shielding us from truth. Humanity grasps at nothing in the dark emptiness of the mind. No one’s mind is completely intelligent because minds are incapable of intelligence. An open spirit is intelligent. And once you get to “no mind,” you become your own revolution. You become the walking embodiment of Divine truth and trust. Mouse medicine reminds us that you have to touch something to know it. That’s one way, but not the only way. It is intimate and insightful to observe something in such detail. Looking only at the small things is safe because it is easily defined and contained. It can alleviate the paralyzing feeling that things are not okay…. And it is clear that many things are not okay. When Michael, the archangel, cuts the ego away from the soul, you discover that you’re willing to let go of your past perspective. You can receive more and are more open. Your dreams become alive inside you. Your soul remembers what this life is for. And when kindness and goodness are the driving forces, many things change effortlessly. A clear awareness lives inside us, unrestrained by limitations imposed by the negative judgments of others. Remember that place. Love and nurture it. And reclaim that which always was your true self. ◆ NOTE: Suzanne’s Utah visits to Utah have been canceled till further notice. Connect with her via www.SuzanneWagner.com/