City Weekly April 28, 2022

Readers choose 2022's BEST health-care providers , medical institutions, fitness guides and more.

BEST OF UTAH

Are You There, God?

After four years of Trump promoting Christian Nationalists, a pundit in New York City recently suggested that more Americans embrace deism—the belief system of Voltaire and Jefferson. But unfortunately, deists believe in the existence of a god—an invisible, impersonal god. Deists would be more logical and scientific in their thinking if they became atheists. We atheists do not find any falsifiable evidence to believe in any gods, so we don’t believe. We do not claim that gods do not exist. Making this claim would be like claiming that unicorns and fairies do not exist—claims that cannot be proven.

I suggest that more Americans embrace the physical sciences and also atheism. I also suggest that they learn how to be moral, from humanistic and secular sources. Then, our country could be more free from the negative effects of religion and clerics—who teach myths as facts and make many false, unverifiable promises.

STEPHEN R. CLARK Salt Lake City

A Sonnet for Russia

To the people of Russia an “Open Letter,” Do you desire to make your life better? To live in a repressive autocracy, For many humans, a free-will hypocrisy.

Your leader gifts you a pariah nation, With his Nazi Holocaust Ukrainian mission. The malicious bombing of innocent civilians, Destroying hospitals, stores and apartment buildings.

We do have sympathy and concern for thee, But do you not have some responsibility? Your yoke of innocence must be overcome, To repel your society’s delirium.

W ith compassion and hope we pray for all of you, To join the brotherhood of man and evil eschew.

GEORGE KIBILDIS

Sparta, New Jersey

“High and Dry” April 21, Online

Other states use marijuana tax revenue to fund education. We should do the same.

BLAINE LAFRENIERE Via Facebook

I am beyond grateful for Utah allowing medical cannabis. I have been in pain most of my 52 years on this planet and, believe me, it helps!

And I don’t take near the Percocet I did in the past.

TONJA CHILDERS OKUMURA Via Facebook

I still don’t trust that Utah will do the right thing on medical cannabis

DEANNA BISCHOFF GARCIA Via Facebook

Honestly, given how things are going on both the Republican and Democrat side of things, I think Spencer Cox should run for President. He’s really good at pretending to be Republican while still being more processive and consistent than the current president.

BRENDAN MEANS Via Facebook

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

THE BOX

What is your favorite comfort food?

Ronto Wrap at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland

Mikey Saltas

Bacon and eggs, specifically from The Other Place Restaurant.

Katharine Biele

There is a coffee almond chocolate ice cream that I apparently can’t live without.

Larry Carter

Homemade mac & cheese. Mmmmm!

Sofia Cifuentes

Ice cream! The answer is always ice cream! Guilty pleasure? Ice cream! Favorite food? Ice cream! Whatever the question, the answer is ice cream!

dip!

Benjamin Wood Chips and

Chelsea Neider

Cheese. I wanna live in cheese land and be a Cheesasaurus rex!

Thomas Crone

Potatoes, any form. Boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew.

Eric Granato

My go-to is the two-cheese enchilada platter with rice and beans, no lettuce, and a flour tortilla from Alberto’s. It has to be from the downtown location and include an extra tortilla to make two burritos out of the platter.

Scott Renshaw

Dry Toast

This past weekend beheld the final days and celebration of Orthodox Easter in 2022. It was hard to tell if the world was coming or going. On the one hand, there were messages of hope and renewal of the biblical order. Those took place in churches, monasteries and in the beliefs of Orthodox Christians.

On the other hand, what was taking place in the here and now, across fields and highways and meeting rooms, the messages were, let’s say, a bit less biblical.

Roger Stone came to town, for instance. You may recall that Stone was granted clemency, then pardoned after being convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction of justice. Basically, he was finally brought to task for the slimy insider work he’s been performing since the Nixon presidency. Some people are attracted to such bad humans, so here came Stone to toss his name about while endorsing Republican congressional candidate Jason Preston.

That Preston sank to the bottom of the endorsement barrel is telling and indicates right from the start that his own moral compass was not pointing to true north. He spoke about Stone in the Deseret News, saying, “Roger Stone is here to remind us who we are. God bless Roger Stone.” Couldn’t he just say thanks?

Preston is up to his eyeballs in brown matter thinking God is on the side of Roger Stone. The 3rd Congressional District that will be contested in November is—according to local legend—ground zero for the most righteous of Utahns, not counting Carbon County, that is. But as it encompasses much of Utah County, including the Lord’s school of BYU, the district’s reputation for cohesive whiteness and religion is hard to beat. Thus, when Preston asks

God to bless Roger Stone, he’s basically, in his mind, relaying the message via a Post-It note.

Stone himself wasn’t hesitant to invoke God, either. He told a crowd that had gathered in support of Preston, “God came and told me [Sen. Mitt Romney] needs to be removed from the U.S. Senate.” Well, whaddya know? Millions upon millions of people worldwide consumed in prayer on Orthodox Easter eve and here in our own backyard are two yahoos with inside connections to the spiritual heavens. God speaks to Roger Stone. Who knew?

Just saying the word “God” in the 3rd district makes one a true believer, no questions asked. Of course, when Stone invoked his attachment to God and his disdain for Romney (who famously voted for Stone’s real savior, Donald Trump, to be impeached), it was clear that Utah politics had sunk to a new-level low. And that’s saying something.

No sooner had Stone bonded with the very, very, most faithful and truthfully reverent people on the face of the earth than he scooted out for a cocktail at a nearby watering hole. He was also at said watering hole prior to his remarks, so let’s be fair: It’s very possible that Stone partook of some spiritual tonics that made him think he could speak with God. Guys like Stone get high on this stuff—the luxurious high feeling of knowing you’ve pulled a fast one on unsuspecting rubes.

Naturally, they drink their own poison. So, it was only a matter of time before toasts were invoked by those bending elbows with Stone. One such toast allegedly went, “God fucking bless America.” Hey, who doesn’t take the Lord’s name in vain on occasion, right?

Forgive and forget, say I, but what about Mr. Preston and his high-on-their-horses holies living in the 3rd district? They clapped for this guy like he’s a rock star. I’m really tempted to believe that such is the true makeup of Utah

County and beyond—that many of them are an intolerant lot who invoke God’s name when they must and mock his name when they can. It’s one thing to mix the God metaphor in such a manner as did Roger Stone last weekend, and it’s entirely another to become a bird of the same feather.

Jason Preston wanted Stone’s endorsement? Great. He got it, and he owns it. Thus, he should post Roger Stone’s hideous 50-year hideous track record on his website alongside the statement touting that he’s a patriot. What kind of patriot seeks alignment with a man having the record of Roger Stone? Stone is to patriotism what elephants are to pole vaulting. Eternally cynical and manipulative, Stone evokes the opposite of patriotism, but let’s face it—politics makes strange bedfellows, so they say. Politics also causes one to bend on long-held belief and principle. It’s just rare to see a person go past bending all the way to breaking as quickly as Jason Preston did.

It’s not the first time a Utahn fell into cahoots with blind ambition. Also on Easter eve, Utah lost former Sen. Orrin Hatch at the age of 88. Hatch was certainly ambitious and could milk party sympathies with the best of them. I never liked nor disliked Orrin Hatch (given we are somehow very distantly related), but I do wonder what America would be like today if he were our senator—not Mitt Romney, who now occupies that Senate seat.

Would Hatch have supported Trump after the 2020 election and sided with the insurrectionists as did Sen. Mike Lee? That’s a question to pray—or is it prey—upon? Until it’s answered, Roger Stone will have plenty of work, and Jason Preston will have lots to think about. Such as: Jason, why run website photos of your wife and daughters, yet align your family with the lascivious Mr. Stone? From one patriot to another, Jason, that’s just not a good look. CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

HITS&MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE @kathybiele

HIT: Schott Happens

In Utah, we all need a break from the Qnews of the Republican far-right wing. You can have it both ways simply by following Salt Lake Tribune correspondent Bryan Schott on Twitter. It’s true that many Republicans are repelled by anything less than adulation of their fellow partisans and that, in a nutshell, is why Schott is a pariah. For instance, at the GOP convention, Schott said that Sen. Mike Lee “refused to answer my questions about text messages detailing his role at the center of a plot to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss. Lee’s staffers blocked me and formed a barricade to keep me from chasing after him when he left.” How fun is that? And there are pictures, too. At the convention itself, Bryan “Trying Mightily” Schott, tweeted, “The guy who just gave the opening prayer at the Utah GOP convention finished with, “Amen. God bless America and let’s go, Brandon!” To find out how much they love President Brandon, read on with Schott.

MISS: Children of the Porn

Meanwhile in Utah, let’s talk porn. At least Senate President Stuart Adams will, because he is shocked and appalled that Westminster College offers a porn course—so much so that he used the word “toxic” twice in the same tweet. “The #utleg declared pornography a public health hazard as it perpetuates sexually toxic environments. It’s concerning a highly esteemed university in Utah is offering such a toxic course.” Last year, the wholesome body required cell phones and tablets sold here to block porn. Sigh. Now, he has to deal with pornography education, although we’re talking a private university. Like many “problematic issues,” pornography is primarily a male thing, and it could be that the college wants to learn more about why. It’s not about viewing porn, as one commenter noted. Why sign up for a course when you can get it free online anytime? Except on your phone, of course.

MISS: Falling Fast

Well, climate change caught up with us just in time to celebrate Earth Day. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that there’s an emergency plan to send water from Flaming Gorge to the ever-shrinking Lake Powell. And by shrinking, we mean falling by 1 foot every week. Everyone’s got their panties in a bunch over water and the unrelenting drought in Utah, but the only plans are “putting out fires.” What we need to do, said Eric Balken of the Glen Canyon Institute, is plan for a “transition away from Lake Powell,” whatever that means. But planning is not America’s strong suit. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned of climate change and the disastrous dependence on coal 30 years ago. And what did we do? Pretty much nothing.

CITIZEN REV LT

IN A WEEK, YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

How About That Big Lie?

In Georgia, they’re asking that very question of Marjorie Taylor Greene and whether her embrace of the Big Lie that the election was stolen means she can’t run again for office. But clearly one-third of Americans believe that Donald Trump won the 2020 election. “Political speech—even when false—is protected under the First Amendment, but are there limits? … How can something this demonstrably false be allowed to spread unchecked?” The voter fraud narrative is another false claim that keeps getting traction. At Is the Big Lie Protected Speech? you will hear experts on the First Amendment tackle these questions, even as the Supreme Court has ruled that certain lies and inaccuracies— mostly from political campaigns—are protected. They will also try to answer the question of responsibility from the media and private entities. If it was the Big Lie, this is the Big Question. Virtual, Wednesday, May 4, 4 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3rHwGBW

Preservation or Not Day

As we see big box buildings rising, multifamily units becoming the norm and single-family homes being destroyed, you may wonder about the legacy of historic preservation. Most recently, the century-old Utah Theater met its fate with the wrecking ball. “Preservation … is a whole community of those who care to preserve, interpret and enliven the stories and places of the past,” say organizers of Preservation Community Day. Preservation Utah and the Utah Division of State History will host exhibitors from government agencies and descendant communities, hands-on archaeology and history activities at this event to learn what is at stake for the next generation. It will take place at The Art Castle, a project by Utah Arts Alliance to acquire, preserve and renovate the historic 120-year-old 15th Ward Chapel. The Art Castle, 915 W. 100 South, Saturday, April 30, 11 a.m., free. https://bit.ly/3OtvQ5D

Get Involved, Damn It!

The Hinckley Institute of Politics, PBS Utah and KUER want to help you learn what civic engagement means and what it looks like to be a good citizen. In a two-part series, Panelists will explore Local Civics Matter Workshop No. 1: Why Civic Engagement Matters and Local Civics Matter Workshop No. 2: How to Get Involved in Local Politics . No, you can’t just sit on the sidelines and hope things will change. It takes a voice and action and a public engaged in democracy. You’ll learn what’s happening locally and hear from “real-life community organizers who educated themselves and applied the work needed to see the changes they wanted to see.” Facebook Live and Utah Cultural Celebration Center, 1355 W. 3100 South, West Valley, Thursday, April 28, 7 p.m., and Thursday, May 5, 7 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3EGsyHW https://bit.ly/37siINH

Kyle Kinane

By his own admission, Kyle Kinane is a man of dubious distinction. His bio claims he invented science, possesses ESP and also maintains the uncanny ability to swim backwards. That said, he blames someone else for writing his bio—an individual obviously prone to some exaggeration.

Still, stretching the truth was hardly necessary, considering that Kinane can boast actual credits that stand on their own. His debut album, 2010’s Death of the Party, earned critical kudos. He earned a spot on season 2 of The Standups on Netflix, as well as a recurring role on Judd Apatow’s Netflix series Love. He also starred in three Comedy Central specials of his own — Kyle Kinane: Loose in Chicago, I Liked His Old Stuff Better and Whiskey Icarus. He’s been a guest on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Conan, Last Call With Carson Daly, Comedy Central’s Drunk History, and the animated series Trip Tank. And he also hosts his

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company: Lo and

Behold

If you’ve been waiting for a while to get back to live performances, RirieWoodbury Dance Company is offering plenty of incentive for their new production Lo and Behold. For one thing, it will mark the farewell performance for company dancer Corinne Lohner. But it’s also a fascinating program of new work.

North Carolina-based artists Murielle Elizéon and Tommy Noonan bring Bodystorm, a piece commissioned by RWDC, developed in collaboration with dancer Clint Lutes and people living with Parkinson’s Disease to explore their lived experience through a physical rendering of autobiographical stories. Yin Yue’s In the Moment Somehow Secluded also makes its in-person debut, after it had to be postponed in spring 2020 and presented on-demand in an abridged version in 2021. Rounding out the program is a The Break of Day, a world-premiere by Ririe-Woodbury artistic director Daniel Charon, interpreting the 1985 composition The Chairman Dances: Foxtrot for Orchestra by contemporary American composer John Adams.

As just another bit of encouragement, Lo and Behold marks Ririe-Woodbury’s first performance at the Midvalley

own podcast. He also claims to enjoy needle pointing and crocheting. That’s admirable in itself.

Despite his gruff, self-effacing, everyman demeanor, he’s got enough to brag about without resorting to any extraneous accomplishments. Clearly it’s time to find someone new to pen that bio. Kyle Kinane performs at Wiseguys Gateway (194 S. 400 West), Thursday, April 28 at 7 p.m. and Friday, April 29 – Saturday, April 30 at 7 p.m & 9:30 p.m.

Tickets cost $30 general admission. Visit wiseguyscomedy.com for tickets and additional information, including health & safety protocols. (Lee Zimmerman)

Independent Bookstore Day

In case you haven’t been paying attention, it hasn’t been a particularly easy time to be an independent bookseller in recent years. If it wasn’t the competition from big chain operations, it was the rise of Amazon and other online sellers; if it wasn’t Amazon, it was a pandemic shutting down physical store locations. All the more reason, then, to celebrate the survival of indie operations like The King’s English and Weller Book Works, as part of the nationwide recognition of Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 30.

Each venue will feature multiple events throughout the day to highlight the occasion. At The King’s English, enjoy treats from The Dough Lady will lead up to a morning condensed concert-style performance of Heartless: The Musical, an original theater piece created by local high school students based on the YA novel Heartless by Marissa Meyer, followed by afternoon events including The Poem Pros creating on-demand original poetry, plus an virtual event showcasing three women owners of independent bookshops around the country. At Weller, visit at noon for an in-store book signing by local author Bree Moore (the Lost Souls series), plus exclusive merchandise.

The Bachelor Live On Stage

Or head online for an “Instagram takeover” by the author/illustrator team of Kate Hoefler and Jessixa Bagley (Courage Hats).

The King’s English (1511 S. 1500 East) will be open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., while Weller Book Works (607 Trolley Square) features events from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Visit kingsenglish.com and wellerbookworks.com for each venue’s schedule, and visit indiebound.org/independent-bookstore-day for more information about supporting independent booksellers. (SR)

Performing Arts Center in Taylorsville (2525 Taylorsville Blvd.), with performances Thursday, April 28 – Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m., with $25 general admission tickets. And as just another example of the company’s commitment to diversity, a “Moving Parts” Family and Sensory Friendly performance of Lo and Behold will be available Saturday, April 30 at 1 p.m., with tickets only $10. The program will be available on-demand for virtual viewing May 9 – June 6. Visit arttix.org for tickets and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

Many of us harbor romantic fantasies that we may be reticent to share, much less admit. Happily then, The Bachelor offers an excuse for indulgence, without the need to seem odd, much less obsequious. Hosted by Becca Kufrin—a past Bachelor winner and current series spokesperson—the Salt Lake City stop on The Bachelor Live On Stage Official Tour is certain to set hearts aflutter. The goal is to leave the audience wondering who will be among the lucky ladies chosen to compete for The Final Rose.

Billed as “the ultimate Bachelor Nation fan party,” it stars the charming gents who competed in recent seasons of the hit ABC reality show, in an evening billed as “a wild night of fun, shocking surprises and a front row seat to the journey you’ve been watching on TV for years.” Consider this a casting call, one that requires high fashion, a charming personality, a most imaginative

entrance and the desire to connect with the man of your dreams—assuming you can still dream even while losing sleep thinking about how you’ll make that indelible impression. To paraphrase Shakespeare, “A rose by any other name isn’t nearly as sweet.”

The Bachelor Live On Stage takes place at the Delta Performance Hall of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater (131 S. Main Street) on Sunday, May 1 at 7 p.m. (Arrive early to register with the casting crew.) Tickets cost $45 - $200. Visit arttix.org for tickets and additional event info. (LZ)

COURTESY

Art, Sedition and Justice

Creative work needs to be part of the solution fighting against institutional bigotry.

BY BRYAN YOUNG comments@cityweekly.net @swankmotron

Edward Abbey once said that there are two chief functions of an artist: art, and sedition. As the guy who invented the term “monkey-wrenching,” he had a very specific idea about what that meant. Right now, artists are rightfully up in arms over issues of women’s rights to choose and LGBTQ+ folks’ right to exist, as both are things under direct assault by conservative legislators nationwide.

Our state legislature recently overrode Gov. Spencer Cox’s veto of HB11, the legislation specifically targeting trans kids, bullying them out of playing high school sports. It’s dangerous and deadly, and I would hope they face stiff consequences for passing such an unnecessarily cruel law. For the most part, regular folks and artists work tirelessly to fight back against this tide of bigotry.

Recently, the Disney corporation—forced by its employees, legions of artists and storytellers among them—was moved to act against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, showing the corrupt Florida political machine there that their desperate pandering to conservative authoritarians will have consequences. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his regime will be the oblique subject of every artist’s next iteration of The Handmaid’s Tale or The Hunger Games, because it truly is the future conservatives want. Artists and storytellers will continue sounding the alarm.

Unfortunately, there are some artists who choose violence despite knowing better. J.K. Rowling might be chief among them. She’s a bigoted TERF (trans exclusionary radical feminist) who spreads all manner of antitrans propaganda. Her persistence in denying the truth of trans people and vilifying them for existing is astonishing.

Rowling has stained her reputation, even though her work is important and meaningful to so many. Her books—problematic as they can be in places—showed a generation how to stand up for itself and distrust authority. Little did she realize that she would be teaching a generation of kids to resist her own hateful politics. I’ve talked to so many

fans who are pained by her choices and still have some nostalgic connection to the Wizarding World. With Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, many I know are planning on theater-hopping to see it—buying a ticket for a different movie and then sneaking into the film. Others simply plan to pirate it. In both cases, it’s to keep money from flowing into Rowling’s TERFy claws.

For those who choose political violence against women and trans folks, I can only hope a reckoning comes. For all the Rowlings and Rep. Kera Birkelands and Sen. Curtis Brambles, I hope they will see the error of their ways and the quantifiable pain and damage they cause. I hope more artists rise up to meet the challenge to create even more seditious works of art that inspire further generations to resist against this blatant bigotry, because it’s only going to get worse. Thanks to gerrymandering—even here in Utah, where we should easily have a not-Republican congressperson—it’s going to be an uphill battle for a long time. It will look a lot like a Rebellion fighting against an Empire.

Thankfully, these stories teach us to fight and persist to make the world better.

There are people who will undoubtedly die by suicide in the wake of these hateful pieces of legislation, when all they needed was to feel seen, heard and accepted. Artists can do their part on that front with better representation that more accurately reflects the world around them. Thanks to the pushback against the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Pixar lobbied to put its same-sex kiss back into the forthcoming Lightyear film. Lucasfilm has begun incorporating queer and trans characters into the Star Wars canon through the books; hopefully TV and movies will follow.

Abortions happen and queer folks exist. Conservatives seem to want to all of these things to be swept under the rug and forgotten—that is, until they need access to an abortion, or want to fetishize folks they demonize. No legislation will change that. The art and stories flowing forth from the artists of today should be reminding them on a daily basis that these things are normal and deserving of legal protection.

I hope the companies, artists and people of Utah find ways to push back against the Utah legislature like Disney has. Where are all of these allegedly progressive companies of the Silicon Slopes? Is the NBA really going to have their All-Star Game here next year?

Hopefully, art will change some minds. “Freedom begins between the ears,” Abbey once said. Maybe these stories will finally give these folks a genuine kind of freedom, not just the buzzword they claim to be in favor of. If not, maybe that’s where Abbey’s ideas of sedition come in: to bring their medieval lunacy and backward, hateful actions to a reckoning. CW

NICK YANNI

BEST OF UTAH

Body & Mind

ARE WE WELL YET?

READERS CHOOSE THEIR BEST HEALTH-CARE PROVIDERS, MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS,

FITNESS GUIDES

AND MORE

BY THE CITY WEEKLY STAFF

It might surprise you to learn there is a “global wellness economy,” one that we become part of each time we shop for organic food, join a CrossFit gym, visit a dentist or doctor for a checkup or see a massage therapist.

The $4.4 trillion wellness industry had been growing like gangbusters until COVID struck. The pandemic’s closures and restrictions shrunk some wellness segments (such as gyms and beauty care) and expanded others (like public health and prevention). According to a December 2021 report by the Global Wellness Institute (globalwellnessinstitute.org), a consumer “values shift” occurred during COVID, meaning that prevention and wellness have taken on greater importance than ever. As a result, the global wellness market is rebounding and expected to grow 10% annually through 2025.

The two biggest categories of the global wellness market include beauty—a $955 billion industry that encompasses hair salons, skin/ nail services, cosmetics, dermatology and anti-aging care—and healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss , a $946 billion industry.

Physical activity—which includes sports, active recreation, fitness and mindful movement—is the next largest segment at $738 billion followed by wellness tourism at $436 billion (and, there’s even a $275 billion segment for wellness real estate —reflecting a major shift in construction and real estate industries toward wellness).

Traditional and complementary medicine are also big, at $413

Best Addiction Recovery

Odyssey House

In 1966, a female resident psychiatrist working at a NYC hospital was dissatisfied with methadone programs offered to addicts. In search of a drug-free option for her patients, she opened the first Odyssey House in East Harlem. Fast forward to 50 years later, Odyssey House Utah has served tens of thousands of men, women and teens struggling with addiction, mental health and physical health issues. An odyssey is a journey, and the staff—which is made up of past clients as well as skilled professionals—work to guide patients to a successful path of recovery. Treatment is covered by most insurance, and there is government funding for those who can’t pay.

Multiple locations, odysseyhouse.org

billion, followed by public health, prevention and personalized medicine

Other categories include mental wellness, spas and hot springs are all coming back as we cautiously tiptoe out of the pandemic.

The wellness economy’s growth potential is not lost on any of the 100-plus health practitioners, fitness facilitators and wellness coaches showcased in our annual Best of Utah Body and Mind issue. The 2022 winners—90 of which were voted upon by readers, 10 were written in by readers and 6 were staff picks—know that wellness is not just something to aspire to. It’s no longer a luxury for the rich. Wellness is a lifestyle many are now prioritizing, budgeting for and insisting upon when it comes to where they live and work.

Congratulations to the 2022 winners for catching the wellness wave—and for riding it through the storm.

Body & Mind contributors:

Lay, Lance Gudmundsen, Wes Long, Megan Wagstaff and Jerre Wroble. Kass Wood and Lance Gudmundsen copy edited this feature.

Best Allergist

Douglas Jones, MD

If you suffer from allergies, you know how difficult it can be to pinpoint exactly what causes your symptoms. This is especially true when it comes to food allergies. Since he founded Rocky Mountain Allergy at Tanner Clinic in 2008, Dr. Jones has been developing targeted treatment plans for allergy sufferers utilizing the latest allergy science, including groundbreaking oral immunotherapy treatment (OIT) to successfully treat food allergies ranging from peanut, tree nut, milk, egg, wheat and more. He and his specialists in Layton and Murray help patients of all ages safely reincorporate these foods into their diets and restore their quality of life.

Rocky Mountain Allergy at Tanner Clinic, multiple locations, 801-773-4840, tannerclinic.com

2. Jan Bernhisel-Broadbent, MD

3. Aaron Kobernick, MD, MPH

Best Back/Spine Center

CORE Rehabilitation & Spine Center

Plagued by back pain? “No one has to live with it,” say the physical therapists at CORE. To that end, they practice the “McKenzie Method” to extend the spine and relieve discomfort. The series of exercises was developed by a New Zealand therapist who’s been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Many CORE patients are pain free and finished with treatment in four to six visits, “compared with other clinics’ 20 to 30 [visits],” the center says. “We don’t want to waste your time and money.” And who can argue with that? 4885 S. 900 East, Suite 110B, SLC, 801-200-3356, corerehabcenter.com

2. The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (TOSH)

3. Aspen Falls Spinal Care Center

Best Dental Practice

The Dental Spa

Words like “relaxing,” and “fun” might not be the first to come to mind when going to the dentist, but The Dental Spa aims to change that with its beautiful ambiance and professional services that go way beyond a typical teeth cleaning. Why stop at a healthy smile when you can treat yourself to face massages, paraffin wax dips, body sculpting, custom facials or even a few units of strategically placed Xeomin to freeze your frown lines. Dr. Kirkland Graham (see “Best Dentist”) and his team of dental hygienists and master estheticians will have you counting down the days until your next appointment.

620 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-466-6645, thedentalspa.com

2. Warr Dental

3. Cascade Dental

Best Dentist

Kirkland Graham, DDS

With more than 20 years of experience practicing preventative, cosmetic, general and restorative dentistry, Dr. Graham is unlike any other dentist you’ve visited. He created and designed one of the world’s first dental spas because he believes that relaxed and comfortable patients are more likely to schedule regular visits and take better care of their teeth. Not only do patients undergo dental procedures here but they can be seen for sleep apnea and even have facials done. Patients praise his level of care, professionalism, efficiency and gentle touch. The massage chairs and aromatherapy are the sugar-free icing on the cake.

The Dental Spa, 620 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-466-6645, thedentalspa.com

2. Keith Warr, DDS

3. Kevin Yeager, DDS

Douglas Jones, MD:

Best Dermatologist

Douglas Woseth, MD

Utah has more than its fair share of outdoor enthusiasts, from desert-loving sun worshipers to bluebird powder skiers. And while vitamin D is a good thing, harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation is another matter. As such, finding a good dermatologist in Utah is as necessary as having a four-wheel drive vehicle in the winter. Dr. Douglas Woseth brings more than 22 years of experience to Salt Lake and South Jordan, specializing in general, surgical and aesthetic dermatology. So, if you’ve been putting off getting that mole checked or need help treating eczema exacerbated by dry Utah air, schedule an in-person or telehealth appointment with Dr. Woseth today.

Multiple locations, 801-682-4092, dwoseth.com

2. Christopher Hansen, MD

3. Stephanie Klein, MD

Best Family Medicine Physician/ Best Naturopath

Todd Cameron, ND

Dr. Cameron is a naturopathic physician and co-founder of Cameron Wellness and Spa. He’s not the scary guy in the white coat but a smart soul who provides alternative medicine to treat acute and chronic medical conditions. He creates an individual wellness path for each patient and specializes in treating things like migraines, PMS, menopause, pain syndromes, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia with naturopathic medicine, replacement therapy, IV therapies, plasma injections and more. He is the epitome of Eastern paths meets Western treatments in his approach to treating the sick and suffering for a wholistic approach to each patient’s needs.

1945 S. 1100 East, Suite 100, SLC, 385376-2311, cameronwellnessandspa.com

Best Family Medicine Physician Runners Up

2. Jose Azarcon, DO

3. Ross Brunetti, MD

Best Naturopath Runners Up

2. Amanda Lucero, ND

3. Matthew Burnett, ND

Best Family Practice Clinic

Foothill Family Clinic

For the second year, Foothill sails away with Best of Utah honors. And they’ll help you find a safe harbor—three of them, in fact—for all your healthcare needs from prenatal to geriatric care.

From a two-doctor practice in 1976 to today’s 23 primary care physicians (plus a neurologist and podiatrist), Foothill offers on-call doctors 24/7, and telehealth via a phone call or an online meeting. Each of its three facilities has its own lab and radiologist. And did we mention, they accept 20 insurance plans?

Multiple locations, 801-486-3021, foothillfamilyclinic.com

2. Martindale Clinic

3. Grandview Family Medicine

Best Gastroenterologist

Joseph T. Merrill, MD

Unless you’re a fan of fifth-grade hilarity, a colonoscopy is no laughing matter. Even still, according to one patient, Dr. Merrill and his staff get high marks for their “good humor” throughout the sedation-free procedure. A graduate of Oregon Health and Science University, Merrill is a member of the Intermountain Medical Group. He sees patients at clinics in the Avenues and Bountiful, where he specializes in pancreatic disease and esophageal disorders. Oh, and colonoscopies with a smile!

Intermountain Avenues Specialty Clinic, 324 10th Ave., Suite 200, SLC, 801-408-7500, intermountainhealthcare.org

2. Holly Clark, MD

3. Christopher Maxwell, MD

Best General Surgeon Gail Strindberg, MD

It may seem a bit unlikely, but our readers say Tooele is on the “cutting edge” of general surgery—thanks to Dr. Strindberg. With three decades of experience in health care, she’s lived and practiced in the west desert city for 10 years.

“Gail is excellent,” enthuses one patient. “No bull … gets right to it, and does an excellent job.”

She earned her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and practices at Northpointe Medical Park.

2376 N. 400 East, Tooele, 435-882-8111, generalsurgerynp.com

2. Lee D. Trotter, DO

3. Courtney L. Scaife, MD

Best Geriatric Physician

Alison K. Schlisman, MD

Dr. Schlisman decided to open her practice in Utah after completing a fellowship at the University of Utah. Many online reviews describe her as the best physician ever. “She’s genuine, patient, warm and thoughtful,” said a patient’s daughter. “Her skills are so far beyond medical; she really knows how to discuss difficult topics so that the patient and family can think through lifeand-death issues with the information needed as real partners in care.”

Madsen Health Center, 555 Foothill Drive, Suite 203, SLC, 801-581-2628, healthcare.utah.edu

2. Brett Porter, MD

3. Steven Richardson, MD

Best Nursing Home Care Solstice Home Health, Hospice & Palliative Care

Academy Award-winning actress Bette Davis, who died in 1989 at the age of 81, is remembered for having quipped: “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” Many of us over a certain age probably nod our heads in agreement. Services like Solstice make the inevitable final curtain less stressful for all involved—including clients and their loved ones. The Solstice team offers palliative care for those being treated for serious illness. Those facing a terminal illness benefit from a hospice setting that respects their wishes and preserves their dignity. And home health care is another of its services. Two-time winner of Best of Utah awards, Solstice even has a nondenominational chaplain on staff to help answer the Big Questions. Bette just might be pleased. 1115 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-485-1035, solsticehc.com

2. CNS

3. Rocky Mountain Home Care & Hospice

Best Hospital

University of Utah Hospital

Splashed across the city’s eastern foothills, the 425bed facility is the state’s preeminent teaching hospital. Opened in 1965, it has grown to five hospitals and 11 neighborhood health centers, staffed by 1,400 boardcertified physicians. For the seventh year in a row, U.S. News & World Report has ranked it as the state’s best. It’s been the scene of medical triumphs: Barney Clark and the world’s first permanently implanted artificial heart (1982); the Intermountain West’s first nationally certified Level 1 trauma center by the American College of Surgeons (2001), and Mario R. Capecchi, Ph.D., walking off with the Nobel Prize for his pioneering work in gene targeting (2007). Stay tuned for more achievements and accolades. 50 N. Medical Drive, SLC, 801-581-2121, healthcare.utah.edu

2. Intermountain Medical Center

3. St. Mark’s Hospital

Best Doctor of Internal Medicine

Douglas M. Romney, MD

An internist is the doctor who solves puzzles in your body. As such, providers like Dr. Romney treats a broad spectrum of conditions including diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung disease and obesity. With over three decades of experience as an internist, he often acts as the head of a team, consulting with medical specialists once he starts putting together the pieces of your physical puzzle. He’s known for listening to his patients and explaining their conditions clearly and doesn’t rush to get to the next exam room. Best of all, the doctor is known for being on time for his appointments with patients.

Cottonwood Medical Clinic, 181 Medical Tower Drive, Murray, 801-314-4300, intermountainhealthcare.org

2. Matthew T. Bryan, MD

Best Hospice

Care Suncrest Hospice

Reviews describe Suncrest employees as caring and respectful, treating work associates and patients like family. Says one review, “Their culture is upbeat, sunny and supportive.” Services can include twice-weekly nurse visits and up to seven days weekly if needed. Other services include social workers, pet therapy, volunteers, and transportation home from the hospital. In addition, after a patient passes away, they offer a monthly bereavement check-in from a social worker for 13 months.

1275 E. Fort Union Blvd., Suite 210, Cottonwood Heights, SLC, 801-996-8469, suncrestcare.com 2. Solstice Hospice and Palliative Care 3. CNS

3. Beth C. Hanlon, MD, FACP

Best LASIK Center

Hoopes Vision

Established in 2000, Dr. Phillip Hoopes brought the new LASIK and PRK surgery procedures to Utahns. This alternative to glasses and contact lenses has helped thousands of people see much better by using a cutting laser to change the shape of your eyes to improve vision. He’s added dozens of doctors and staff to build the largest such practice in the state, one that offers technologically advanced cataract surgery centers, specializing in laserassisted surgeries and multifocal lens implants.

11820 S. State, Draper, 801-568-0200, hoopesvision.com

2. John A. Moran Eye Center

3. LASIK Vision Institute

Todd Cameron, ND, won for Best Family Medicine Physician and Best Naturopath

NIKI CHAN

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Best Mental Health Treatment Center

Utah Center for Evidence-Based Treatment

UCEBT’s mission is to improve the quality of mental health by enhancing access to comprehensive, evidencebased treatments. Such psychotherapies typically have clear targets, a timeline for treatment and the ultimate goal of enabling client to recover without the need for long-term therapy support. ”I don’t know where I would be without their help,” says one patient. “They were professional and caring during my entire time.”

170 S. 1000 East, SLC, 801-419-0139, ucebt.com

2. Odyssey House

3. The Healing Group

Best Neurologist

David R. Renner, MD

If he isn’t in his office at the U of U Neurosciences Center, you might find this Internationally renowned neurologist in Ghana or Kenya … or Jackson Hole. With a quarter century of experience, Dr. Renner specializes in infectious neurology, specifically disorders in HIV patients in Africa where the disease still is rampant. Closer to home, he founded the U’s HIV-neurological clinic, plus an outreach clinic at St. John’s Hospital in the Wyoming resort town. His awards, accolades and list of scholarly articles could choke a horse. (Is there a veterinarian in the house?) But on the human side, one patient used these adjectives to describe the University of Nebraska College of Medicine graduate: “Knowledgeable … kind … observant … interested … and humble.

175 N. Medical Drive, SLC, 801-585-7575, healthcare. utah.edu

2. Summer Gibson, MD

3. Alyssa Lettich, MD

Best Neuropsychologist

Julien Smith, PhD

Few systems are as complex as the human brain. Neuropsychologists try to understand, via decades of study, how brain structures and systems relate to behaviors and thoughts. Dr. Smith spent years of study in Washington, Florida, Louisiana and Utah. She was the director of neuropsychology at Primary Children’s Hospital and an associate professor in clinical psych at the U of U since 1995. Her practice assesses children— from infants to young adults—for neurological injuries and illnesses such as traumatic brain injury, autism spectrum disorder, genetic or metabolic disorders and more. The staff then can consult with physicians, schools and families to help guide treatments and interventions.

Wasatch Pediatric Neuropsychology, 231 E. 400 South, Suite 335, SLC, 801-363-1189, kidsneuropsych.com

2. Sam Goldstein, PhD

3. Mindy Westlund-Shreiner, PhD

Best Nurse Practitioner

Margaret Grogan, FNP

As an advanced-practice registered nurse, Grogan has years of experience in assessing patients, interpreting their diagnostic tests and charting their treatment plans. Skill and compassion are her watchwords. A graduate of Montana State University, she received her nursing degree from Westminster College where she honed her specialties in adult medicine, health education and preventative care. “Margaret is the best,” enthuses one patient. “She has the best bedside manner and makes you feel comfortable and important. I absolutely adore her.” She’s affiliated with Granger Medical Clinic and St. Mark’s Hospital.

Granger Medical Millcreek Wasatch Clinic, 1160 E. 3900 South, Suite 1000, SLC, 801-262-1771, grangermedical.com

2. Jessica Arbogast, FNP

3. Aimee Steinly, DNP, APRN

Best ObstetricianGynecologist

Jennifer Travarelli, MD

Dr. Travarelli delivers comprehensive health care across two specialties: obstetrics and gynecology which she practices at Intermountain’s Salt Lake Clinic and Avenues Obstetrics and Gynecology-MHI clinics. Patients say she listens well, offers suggestions and genuinely cares. Says one, “Dr. Travarelli is so great! She makes talking about GYN issues an easy conversation, like talking about your head cold.” Adds another, “She was absolutely amazing. Everything you’d want at a delivery. ”

Intermountain Medical Group, multiple locations, 385-282-2800, intermountainhealthcare.org

2. Jason Johnson, MD

3. Christian Froerer, MD

Best Oncologist

Theresa L. Warner, MD

She’s eminently comfortable in the laboratory where her cancer research has earned international acclaim. But Dr. Warner believes, “You don’t become a physician if you don’t like taking care of patients.” They agree wholeheartedly. “She’s so on it!” says one. “When she enters the room, I feel like my own personal angel has [arrived].” The senior director of clinical research at the U of U’s Huntsman Cancer Institute, Dr. Warner specializes in breast cancer and malignancies of the female reproductive system. Patients, she believes, should be offered a clinical trial. “People think they’re not going to get the best treatment or going to get something experimental.” Not so, she emphasizes. A trial “is a good option … and sometimes the best option.” Huntsman Cancer Institute, 1950 Circle of Hope Drive, SLC, 801-585-0250, healthcare.utah.edu

2. Mark Dodson, MD

3. Neeraj Agarwal, MD

Best Ophthalmologist/ Eye Surgeon Mary Hartnett, MD

This year’s winner is a distinguished professor at the University of Utah who studies and treats disorders and diseases of the eye. Dr. Hartnett is the founder and director of Moran’s Pediatric Retina Center and principal investigator of the Retinal Angiogenesis Lab. Pediatric retina disorders disrupt the healthy development of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, and Dr. Hartnett is one of few experts internationally who diagnose and treat such conditions. She is also the author of Pediatric Retina, now in its second edition.

John A. Moran Eye Center, 65 N. Mario Capecchi Drive, 801-581-2352, healthcare.utah.edu

2. Griffin Jardine, MD

3. Robert Wing, MD

Best Optometrist

Tom Mitchell, OD

Hailing from the state of Washington, Dr. Tom (as he’s known by his patients) moved to Utah to be close to family and his grandkids. He’s the neighborhood eye guy at your local Target store in Utah County performing eye exams and vision tests. He carefully monitors patients with diabetes and glaucoma and when necessary, refers people to eye surgeons. Best of all, he works with a reasonably affordable eyeglass vendor like Target to make sure your lenses are correct for your eyeballs.

Target Optical, 175 W. Center St., Orem, 801-426-0881, local.targetoptical.com

2. Adam Rudd, OD

3. Kaeleen Franson, OD

Best Oral Surgeon

Adam McCormick, DDS, FACS

Imagine back in the dark ages when there were no toothbrushes, and you had to go to a blacksmith to have a bad tooth pulled. Thank goodness medicine has advanced and that Dr. McCormick is practicing his skills in Utah. He had a choice to become a dentist and oral surgeon or a vet but a friend introduced him to the specialty of oral surgery and maxillofacial surgery of the head, neck and jaw. He’s a Westminster College grad who went on to The Ohio State University College of Dentistry and completed his residency at Virginia Commonwealth University. He’s a local “saint” in many ways, having completed an LDS mission in Mexico and helping the underserved on humanitarian missions in Honduras, China, Mexico and Ecuador. Plus, he donates his time to an Ogden homeless shelter. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons of Utah, multiple locations, 801-779-0506, omsofutah.com

2. Dustin Hopkin, DDS

3. Matthew Maxfield, DMD

Best Orthodontist

John Graham, DDS, MD

Dr. Graham’s office is not that creepy, weird-smelling dentist’s office you went to as a kid. He advertises: “Affordable orthodontic care for the entire family in a spa-like setting.” Indeed, from his office’s big windows overlooking Liberty Park, you naturally feel relaxed. He steers clear of odd headgear and tooth extractions whenever possible, and instead offers Invisaligns and various treatments to improve your smile without the pain and dread of being a metal face with ugly braces for years. He’s one of few orthodontists in the U.S. who’s also a physician. In addition, he’s an avid writer and innovator who’s authored the bestselling book The Truth About Orthodontics: A Consumer’s Guide to a Beautiful Smile.

Graham Orthodontics, 705 E. 900 South, Suite 300, SLC, 801-9174746, grahamortho.com

2. Grant Bailey, DDS

3. Brian Randle, DMD

Best Orthopedic Surgeon

Daniel

Gibbs, MD, FAAOS

There’s no pain like a broken hip, shattered knee or torn shoulder. Get down on your creaky knees and bless the stars for Dr. Gibbs and his unique approach to wellness. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, this doctor is known for using nonoperative, minimally invasive, arthroscopic techniques to fix what’s torn and broken. His passion is sports medicine, and with several degrees and specialty training, he’s more than got the chops. Former physician for USC football and the LA Dodgers baseball teams, he currently provides care for the LA Kings and Utah Grizzlies hockey teams as well as Park City High School athletics.

Heiden Orthopedics, multiple locations, heidenortho.com

2. Chris Karrasch, MD

3. Eric Heiden, MD

Best Orthopedic Rehab Pinyon PT

If you’ve broken a bone or undergone joint replacement surgery, you better have proper rehab therapy or you could be on a path to lifelong pain. Pinyon PT offers one-on-one physical therapy, offering treatment through exercise, manual therapy, dry needling and education. As owner of the practice, Sarah McNurlin, PT, DPT, is certified in the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, which she uses to evaluate and treat patients. She’s also certified in Functional Dry Needling—a practice similar to acupuncture that uses thin monofilament needles to address tight bands in the muscles. Reviews for the clinic from those with sportsrelated injuries and chronic pain are exceedingly positive. 1390 S. 1100 East, Suite 104, SLC, 385-202-6198, pinyonpt.com

2. Heiden Orthopedics

3. Aspen Ridge Transitional Rehab

Best Ear, Nose & Throat Physician

Marshall Smith, MD, FACS

For most of us, losing our voice is an annoying symptom associated with a respiratory infection. But when difficulties in speaking or swallowing become more acute, there is none better to treat voice disorders or conditions of the larynx than Dr. Marshall Smith. A board-certified otolaryngologist and medical director of the University of Utah’s Voice Disorders Center, he brings more than 30 years of experience specializing in pediatric otolaryngology. Working at clinics at Primary Children’s Hospital, LDS Hospital and the U of U, he’s widely praised for his expertise and bedside manner. Multiple locations, intermountainhealthcare.org and healthcare.utah.edu

2. Demetrios G. Skedros, MD

3. Jordan Schramm, MD

Best Pain Clinic

Earth Center Acupuncture

When it comes to pain, especially of the chronic variety, there’s a wide world of alternative therapies from which to seek a cure. Acupuncture may be the most ancient, but for all its tried and tested methods the results are only as good as their practitioner. Rebecca Conde, LAc, of Earth Center Acupuncture is one of the best and specializes in pain management and resolution, as well as women’s health, digestive issues and psychoemotional issues. As one patient puts it, “Rebecca encourages a healing environment that truly involves you as a patient and also provides a sanctuary for your body to rest and to heal.” 2178 S. 900 East, Suite 6, SLC, 385-722-4252, earthcenteracupuncture.com

2. Pain Free Acupuncture

3. Flow Acupuncture

Best Pediatrician

Peter C. Lindgren, MD

Dr. Lindgren received his medical degree at Rush University in Chicago before completing a residency at the University of Utah Medical Center. His patients describe him as caring, knowledgeable and helpful, always providing suggestions. “Dr. Lindgren is a legend in our family,” says one patient. “He does more than treat my children’s physical selves. He cares about them as a whole person and teaches good and wise principles and perspectives.”

2000 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-464-7600, intermountainhealthcare.org

2. Jordan Judkins, MD

3. Jennifer Cox, MD

Best Independent Pharmacy

Jolley’s

You may not be so lucky as to have a personal chef to cook up meals precisely to your tastes, nutritional needs and allergy requirements, but you can be lucky enough to have a neighborhood compounding pharmacy to customize your medications. Jolley’s presence in the community goes back 70 years. It’s long been a go-to for creating medicine from scratch tailored to your body’s needs, allergies and medical conditions— they even offer veterinary compounding for your fur babies. With services like free prescription delivery within 5 miles and seasonal boutique gifts and greeting cards, the next time your doctor asks where to send your prescription, just say: “Jolley’s.”

Multiple locations in Salt Lake City, Sandy and West Jordan, jolleyscompoundingpharmacy.com

2. The Apothecary Shoppe

3. Payson Market

Best Physical Therapist

Susan McLaughlin, MPT

This therapist got into the business after a car accident left her with constant back and nerve pain. She went through all the conservative approaches and suffered for 10 years when she began a conscious journey through her mind into her body and learned that by simply changing her posture her pain disappeared. Hence, a career was born. McLaughlin has been practicing since 2001, mixing holistic and eclectic skills in aligning her patients’ minds and bodies. She helps them get in balance in their bodies through a combination of movements, breathing patterns and self-care lessons. Align Integration and Movement, 1817 S. Main, Suite 10, SLC, 801-859-4142, alignforhealth.com

2. Sarah McNurlin, PT, DPT

3. Natasha Fett, DPT, PLLC

Best Physician Assistant

Whitney L. Schroeder, PA-C

A physician assistant provides patient care by assessing symptoms, diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medications, all while working under the supervision of a medical doctor. Whitney Schroeder brings years of training in sports medicine and orthopedic trauma from former positions in her hometown of Dallas, Texas, and works mainly with orthopedic surgeon, Daniel Gibbs, MD. The two are part of a great team dedicated to a whole-patient approach. Schroeder and Gibbs also work with Jason Dickerson, DPM, at the Heiden Orthopedic Clinic in Tooele, to offer orthopedic and sports medicine care for shoulders, hips, knees, feet and ankles.

Heiden Orthopedics, multiple locations, heidenortho.com

2. Blaine Montague, PA-C

3. Kavon Rahimzadegan, PA-C

Best Plastic Surgeon (Cosmetic)

P. Daniel

Ward, MD, MS, FACS

“The face is our identity to the outside world,” Dr. Ward’s website stresses. Plastic surgery is sometimes needed to deal with injuries, defects and to simply improve our appearance, especially as we age. With his expert surgical skills, this double-boardcertified facial plastic surgeon has helped thousands of patients restore and improve self-confidence and selfesteem. His experience and passion have made him one of the top facial plastic surgeons in the Intermountain West. Before moving to Utah, he completed a five-year residence in otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) with a focus on rhinoplasty, face-lift, blepharoplasty and cosmetic injectables. He offers a creative and precise menu of options for all those in need.

Ward MD, 6322 S. 3000 East, Suite 170, SLC, 801-513-3223, wardmd.com

2. Tom Oberg, MD

3. Renato Saltz, MD

Best Plastic Surgeon (Reconstructive)

Thomas J. Oberg, MD

This former U.S. Marine has a special interest in improving the quality of life for his patients by utilizing surgery or injectables to alleviate the symptoms of chronic medical conditions such as migraine, blepharospasm and facial dystonias. He’s a native New Yorker who did his residency at the Moran Eye Center and fine-tuned his skills with state-of-the-art technology so he could work on eyelids, of all things! He also offers nonsurgical treatments to enhance natural beauty with injectables like Botox and Kybella and fillers such as Juvederm, Belotero and Perlane (these injectables can also help with migraines). He is glad to meet with you and discuss a treatment plan. Still Canyon, 755 E. 3900 South, SLC, 801-363-3356, stillcanyonplastics.com

2. Renato Saltz, MD

3. Brian Reuben, MD

Best Podiatrist

Jesse E. Riley, DPM

Your feet killing you? Well, you’re in good company. Abraham Lincoln constantly complained about his sore feet—and well he might. At 6-foot-4, he wore size 14 shoes. The Civil War president found a top-drawer podiatrist … and so can you, right down the road in Utah County. Dr. Riley, who trained at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic, specializes in diabetic wound care, total ankle replacement and sports medicine. From a hangnail to reconstructive surgery, he’s your go-to guy. “He and his associates literally saved not only my leg,” says a patient, “but my quality of life.”

Summit Foot and Ankle, 41 N. 400 West, Payson, 801-218-3338, drjesseriley.com

2. Jason Dickerson, DPM

3. Scott Clark, DPM

Best Psychiatrist

Michael Kligman, MD

Psychiatrist? Psychologist? What’s the difference? A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who treats more severe mental illness and prescribes medications (whereas psychologists treat mental disorders and behavioral problems and don’t prescribe meds). As a psychiatrist, Dr. Kligman—a biochem major at UC Berkeley who attended medical school at the UC San Francisco and did his residency at Stanford and a fellowship at Dartmouth—has the MD bona fides. He continues to study the latest advances in pharmaceutical and natural medications attending national conferences and keeping up on medical literature. Dr. K “knows how to listen,” one patient says, while another says, “He talks to you like a true friend.”

699 E. South Temple, Suite 200, SLC, 801-532-1806, drkligman.com

2. Daniel Inouye, MD

3. Rachele M. McCarthey, MD

Rebecca Conde, M.Ac.O.M., operates Earth Center Acupuncture, voted this year’s Best Pain Clinic.

Best Physical Therapist: Susan McLaughlin, MPT

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Best Psychiatrist: Michael Kligman, MD COURTESY PHOTO

Best Psychotherapist/ Counselor

Caroline Pegram, LCSW TCTSY-F

This professional clinical social worker/therapist practices compassion-oriented counseling, often via video chats for therapy appointments. Providing somatic healing, EMDR and trauma-sensitive yoga (among other therapeutic approaches), Pegram works with trauma survivors who suffer from flashbacks, anxiety, depression, food restriction, insomnia, isolation, chronic fear, loneliness, negative self-beliefs, chaotic substance use, avoidance, dissociation-relational stress, anger, hopelessness and grief. Pegram offers a free 15-minute consultation to determine if her practice is a good fit for you.

Topaz Trauma Healing, 341-222-3655 , topaztraumahealing.com

2. Holly Grayson, LCSW

3. Athena Metos, LMFT

Best Pulmonologist

Lara L. Hardman, MD

It’s no secret that northern Utah has some of the worst air in America. On some winter days, air along the Wasatch Front has been ranked the dirtiest on the planet. If worries about the environment—or maybe an annoying cough— keep you awake, it might be time to see Dr. Hardman, whose specialties are respiratory disorders and sleep medicine. A graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, she is affiliated with the Intermountain Medical Group. One patient says the pulmonologist “is the best doctor I’ve seen in my 60 years.” Another describes her as “fantastic ... brilliant ... understanding ... and highly skilled.” Finally, another sums it up: “She’s my s’hero!” Intermountain Memorial Clinic, 2000 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-464-7510, intermountainhealthcare.org

2. Holly Carveth, MD

3. Amrapali Shah, MD

Best Registered Nurse

Jennifer Knight, FNP

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, nurses have never been in higher demand. Jennifer Knight has a legacy of hard work and dedication to her patients at Snow Creek Medical Center and St. Mark’s Hospital. This nurse practitioner is a family practice specialist meaning she can see you, your folks and your kids. Clients have likened her work to a “small town doctor” (although she works in conjunction with a physician) and report, “She treats you more like a friend than a patient,” remembering family history and details without looking into a client’s chart. Her realness and kindness abound, and Utah is lucky to have her on the medical front lines. Snow Creek Medical Center, 1600 Snow Creek Drive, Park City, 435-655-0055, mountainstarmedicalgroup.com

2. Katrina Holmberg, RN

3. Margot Wolfer, RN

Best Retirement Community Legacy

You may be too young to be thinking about retirement and where you might want to live as a senior. Legacy Retirement Residences have come to the forefront of senior care with their new facilities popping up all over. They base care on a “Personal Touch Culture” with these six core values: be loving, choose wisely, perform together, act boldly, express gratitude and mind the store. Tour any of their facilities, and you’ll find open common areas, well-designed rooms for independent and dependent living for all levels of mental and physical health. They have a reputation for good food and offer loads of activities to help you feel like you’re living in a quality community. All levels of housing and care are available: independent living, assisted living and memory care.

Multiple locations, 801-269-0700, legacyretire.com

2. Highland Cove

3. The Ridge Senior Living

Best Rural Utah Medical Center

Park City Hospital

Formerly Park City Medical Center, this facility is small but full service with an emergency department that brags patients are seen by a physician within 10 minutes of emergency department arrival. The original hospital opened its doors in 2009 as Park City and surrounding towns saw the need for medical services and since then has expanded to have an ICU, a “LiVe Well Center,” endoscopy and cardiology services and, now, an ambulatory surgical center. The staff has thousands of hours of training in a myriad of medical specialties. And if they can’t help you, they’ll refer you immediately to a specialist nearby.

900 Round Valley Drive, Park City, 435-658-7000, intermountainhealthcare.org

2. Central Valley Medical Center, Nephi

3. Gunnison Valley Hospital

Best Skin/Dermatology  Swinyer-Woseth

Like any major body system, it’s important to keep skin healthy. But unlike any other organ, it must look good, too. That’s where the dermatologists and estheticians at Swinyer-Woseth come in. Offering comprehensive skin care ranging from Mohs surgery, acne treatment and skin allergy solutions to cosmetic procedures like Botox, dermal fillers and laser hair and tattoo removal, this clinic is a one-stop shop for integumentary system health. Plus, Swinyer-Woseth offers clinical grade skincare products and runs ongoing clinical trials to remain on the cutting-edge of dermatological science. 1548 E. 4500 South, Suite 202, SLC, 801-266-8841, dwoseth.com

2. Bahr Dermatology

3. Barr Aesthetics

Best Sports

Medicine

Clinic TOSH

Reviews of The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital are penned by folks who range in age and injury history. Maybe a mild-but-persistent pain brought them in, or they’re looking at a likely major surgery. The reasons that people visit this location for care are myriad, but patients routinely cite the excellent staff as a major reason for satisfaction, along with doctors who listen to the needs of every individual arriving through the doors. The professionals at TOSH take you from initial diagnosis to renewed health with the best of them, tailoring care with equal doses of respect, experienced know-how and compassion. 5848 S. 300 East, SLC, 801-314-4900, toshmd.com

2. University of Utah

3. Heiden Orthopedics

Best Urgent Care University of Utah Health Centers

You go to an urgent care facility if something is amiss with your health, but not like an emergency room where you may be bleeding to death or having a heart attack. These facilities and their highly trained staff are ready to see you and treat you if you have symptoms of flu, earaches, nausea, rashes and allergic reactions, bites of all kinds, sprains, bladder infections, etc. They act like emergency rooms because you don’t need an appointment, you just walk in. The U of U Urgent Care facilities were the first in the state of their kind and have set and maintained a high standard of compassionate care. Check out their website to learn what symptom should lead you to urgent care in person, virtual urgent care or emergency room.

Multiple locations, healthcare.utah.edu/ primarycare/urgent.php 2. Ogden Clinic Urgent Care 3. Intermountain Healthcare

Best Urologist Peter C. Fisher, MD

When he performs a tricky procedure, Dr. Fisher often relies on a helping hand—a mechanical one. One of Utah’s most-experienced robotic surgeons, he specializes in non-invasive procedures. “I like fixing problems,” he says. He’s chief of surgery and director of men’s health services at St. Mark’s Hospital. A Utah native, he earned his medical degree at the U of U School of Medicine and completed a residency at the University of Michigan.

Summit Urology, 9600 S. 1300 East, Suite 240, Sandy, 801-571-5121, grangermedical.com

Best Women’s Health Clinic

Planned Parenthood

While Utah has several women’s health clinics, none are quite as comprehensive in their care or accessible to as wide a demographic of patients as Planned Parenthood. Utah is fortunate to have seven clinic locations, and telehealth services are offered Monday through Saturday. Beyond birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and pregnancy services—including abortion services and referrals— Planned Parenthood offers a safe, nonjudgmental environment where open dialogue about sexual health is encouraged. It’s a dialogue that is essential to achieving equality for women now and for the generations to come. Multiple locations, plannedparenthood.org

2. Terra Care SLC

3. Avenues Women’s Center

Best Acupuncture Clinic Flow Acupuncture

Founded by Melissa Zappa, LAc, in 2015, Flow Acupuncture has quickly become a local favorite, winning City Weekly accolades consecutively since 2018. Once you experience a treatment from acupuncturists Mallory Berge, Vanessa Mock and Dr. Alessandra Young, it’s easy to see why. With specialties ranging from women’s health to cosmetic acupuncture, sound bath meditation acupuncture, electroacupuncture and more, Flow offers comprehensive services and unique treatment options for a wide variety of conditions, as well as Chinese herbal formulas to supplement your wellness journey. 1204 E. South Temple, SLC, 385-242-0649,  flowacupuncture.org

2. Valenti Acupuncture

3. Earth Center Acupuncture

Caroline Pegram, LCSW, was voted 2022’s

Psychotherapist/ Counselor

TOSH is this year’s Best Sports Medicine Clinic

Planned Parenthood was voted Best Women’s Health Clinic

COURTESY

Best Acupuncturist/Doctor of

Chinese Medicine

Amanda Valenti, LAc

Whether you’re trying to get to the bottom of an underlying health condition or looking for ways to optimize wellness, Amanda Valenti is the healer you want. For Amanda, it’s not enough that you aren’t in pain. She wants you to feel truly content in your body every day. Says one patient, “There is no other invigorating and relieving experience I can compare it to. Amanda knows how to make you feel like the best version of yourself.”

Valenti Acupuncture, 1760 S. 1100 East, Suite 3, SLC, 435-315-2616, valentiacupuncture.com

2. Rebecca Conde, LAc

3. Rachel Pearce, LAc

Best Ayurveda Practitioner

Seva Yogini

Ask patients to describe treatments from Seva Yogini and words like “intuitive,” “transformational” and “profound” are bound to be in the mix. She has been immersed in the world of ayurvedic healing for nearly 30 years, getting her start at the famous Chopra Center for Wellbeing. An expert in holistic health and midwifery, her offerings include panchakarma therapies, ayurvedic cooking, shirodhara, swedena, ayurvedic facials and dermatology, chakra basti therapy, massage therapies, crystal healing, aromatherapy, herbology, medical cannabis, yoga and more.

Seva Ayurveda, 1538 W. Sandalwood Drive, Lehi, 385-202-3532, sevaayurveda.com

2. Josh Williams

3. Maria Radloff

Best Kinesiology/ Biofeedback Practitioner

Bre Dumke Helfrich, MS

Not many people know what biofeedback is and what it can do for you. With an MS in health and exercise science, Dumke Helfrich helps clients see how getting in touch with their skin suit—and what’s going on inside—can improve their health. For example, stress can cause high blood pressure. Learning about muscle tension, body temperature changes, pulse, heart rate and brain waves can help reduce stress—which will ultimately lower blood pressure. She also can help with chronic pain, constipation and controlling asthma without using pharmaceuticals.

Movement Design Lab, 244 W. 300 North, Suite 103, SLC, 801-831-4391, movementdesignlab.com

2. Shawn Postma, ND

3. Kory Branham, DC

Best Chiropractor

Angie Canada, DC

Angie Canada worked as a massage therapist for 13 years before earning her chiropractic degree from Western States University. She believes in treating the root of a problem rather than the symptoms. To address issues such as neck pain, TMJ, chronic headaches, sports performance, and more, she utilizes a unique understanding of the integrated workings of the body. Graston Technique and Kinesio tape are among her many specialized techniques. Canada Chiropractic, 1473 S. 600 East, SLC, 801-487-1010, Canada-Chiropractic.com

2. Bryce Hill, DC

3. Lindsay Kopp, DC

Best Day Spa/ Wellness Center Basalt

The true measure of a day spa isn’t how relaxing it is or how noticeable the results, but whether its clients come back again and again. And Basalt will turn you into a spa person. Get ready to block out your calendar for regular massages and cancel standing brunch plans in favor of a Rejuvenate facial, complete with iced golden globe therapy (it’s unforgettable, trust!)—Basalt delivers all the oohs and ahhs, and leaves you saying, “I’ll have another.” 402 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-532-2991, basaltdayspa.com

2. Kura Door

3. Terra Care SLC

Best Dietitian/ Nutritionist

Savannah Lavenstein, IIN-CHC, RYT

Savannah Lavenstein’s lifelong pursuit of healing her eating and exercise disorder allows her to reach patients with a unique level of understanding. “Savannah doesn’t just give you a diet; she literally helps you make permanent lifestyle changes,” says one client. “For the first time, I don’t feel the urgency to eat my feelings away. Finally, calmness within my heart, mind, and soul. I feel good about food choices and how I feel physically.”

Terra Care SLC, 1760 S. 1100 East, No. 3, SLC, 719-510-0401, Evergreen-Healing.com

2. Hayden James, RD, CSSD, CDCES

3. Anne Dorsey, Health & Wellness Coach

Best Weight Loss Clinic Evergreen Healing

Evergreen Healing offers nutritional counseling, body image coaching, and weight loss assistance. Founder Savannah Lavenstein, a dietitian/ nutritionist, has a lifetime of experience dealing first-hand with eating and exercise disorders. She is uniquely qualified to compassionately guide clients to explore food relationships, cravings and patterns. Lavenstein offers family counseling, virtual consultations, eating disorder treatment and virtual classes. A six-month comprehensive coaching program and support recovery from eating and exercise disorders are among service options.

Terra Care SLC, 1760 S. 1100 East, No. 3, SLC, 719-510-0401, Evergreen-Healing.com

2. Albano Clinic

3. Total Health and Fitness

Best Herbalist

Josh Williams

It’s now possible to find herbal supplements at your local grocery or one of the myriad CBD shops on every corner. But they’ll all fall considerably short of the good stuff offered by Josh Williams at Greenthread Apothecary, which carries over 300 bulk herbs, plus tinctures, hand-crafted at this impeccable storefront. Teas, oils and books are available, as well, including the title, Spiritual Herbalism: The Magic and Medicalism of the Plants by Williams. All of the staffers on-site offer consultations at the shop, crafting herbal solutions for even the thorniest of health issues … perhaps even incorporating some actual thorns in the fix. Greenthread Herbs, 376 E. Fourth Ave., SLC, 801-363-0859, greenthreadapothecary.com

2. Rebecca Conde, LAc

3 . Bryan Lindquist

Best Natural Health Store Greenthread Herbs

In a town with a host of excellent natural health shops, Greenthread Apothecary stands out with exceptional service, as well as products that cover a wide range of applications, from balms and tinctures to oils and herbal teas. Items like mists and smoke blends can even be found, with selections that’ll help customers wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night, living their best, most-balanced lifestyle during all the hours between.

376 E. Fourth Ave., SLC, 801-363-0859, greenthreadapothecary.com

2. Natural Grocers 3 . Good Earth

Best Integrative Medicine Practice

Utah Natural Medicine

In its third consecutive year winning Best Integrative Medicine Practice, Utah Natural Medicine continues to provide exceptional care for patients looking for a more holistic approach to wellness. Services include IV therapy, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, acupuncture and much more. Matthew and Rachel Burnett, both NDs, bring nearly 20 years of expertise to their downtown clinic—and their experience shows. This recent review sums up what many of us are looking for in medical care: “I feel like I’m actually getting somewhere with my diagnosis.”

242 S. 400 East, Suite 2609, SLC, 801-363-8824, utahnaturalmedicine.com

2. Martindale Clinic

3. Valenti Acupuncture

Best Hypnotherapist

Joesephine Lawrence, CHt

While managing her Type 1 diabetes, Joesephine Lawrence discovered the mental, emotional and spiritual side of healing. Today, she demonstrates her understanding of the subconscious mind at her clinic, Hypnoclarity, where hypnotherapy sessions are available in-person or via Zoom. “I am seeing cumulative results in my PTSD and trauma response healing,” says one client. “Joesephine is a gentle and gifted therapist who listens well and adapts to my needs for each session.”

1007 E. 900 South, Suite B, SLC, 801-215-9262, HypnoclaritySLC.com

2. Katie Wininger, LMT

3. Megan Sewell, LAc

Best Life Coach

Rachelle

Ballard, MS, CSCS, RYT

Let’s start with credentials. This co-founder of The Little Wellness Place has a master’s degree in exercise physiology and wellness coaching with an emphasis on behavioral psychology and nutrition from the University of Utah. A yoga teacher by training, as well, Ballard brings another special talent to her work: an ability to listen to each client’s individual needs, incorporating elements that address mental, emotional, spiritual and physical fitness, ultimately allowing each client to “rediscover what a healthy balance looks like.”

Terra Care SLC,1760 S. 1100 East, No. 3, SLC, thelittlewellnessplace.com

2. Milk + Honey Wellness With Anne Dorsey

3. Sarah Carpenter

Coaching

Amanda Valenti, L.Ac., is this year’s Best Acupuncturist

Voted Best Dietitian/Nutritionist: Savannah Lavenstein, IIN-CHC, RYT

COURTESY PHOTO COURTESY PHOTO

Best Psychic Cherella

Forester

Cherella Forester studied tarot with an experienced teacher who helped her hone an intuitive approach to readings, incorporating practical magic and manifestation. Forester’s attunement to the language of the soul can be accessed through her soul path readings, yearly forecasts and workshops where clients learn to read the tarot, channel intuition and tap into their inner knowing. She also sells tarot decks and posters.

Forester Tarot, 801-797-7590, forestertarot.com

2. Readings & More by Jennafer Martin

3.

Best Aerial Silks Classes

Aerial Arts of Utah

It’s impossible to watch an aerial silk performance without wishing you could feel that weightless. At Aerial Arts of Utah, they make that wish a reality—assuming you’re lucky enough to score a spot in their frequently sold-out Intro to Aerial classes. Once you’ve nailed the fabric and trapeze basics, you can set your sights on higher aspirations with advanced class offerings including lyra, hammock and rope. Private lessons are also available for anyone 8 years and older.

1301 E. Miller Ave., SLC, 801-577-0346, aerialartsofutah.com

Best

Massage Therapist

Sharla Hopkins, LMT, RYT

Ever had a Thai massage? What about a massage from an engineer? What about a Thai massage from an engineer?! Massage therapist Sharla Hopkins brings a unique skill set to the world of bodywork, including a degree in engineering and in-depth training in Thai massage while living in Thailand, which she combines in her integrated approach to massage therapy. She also specializes in advanced sports massage, joint mobilization and myofascial release, all centered around helping her clients enjoy absolute freedom of movement and engineering your body to perform at its best.

Hello Wellness Bodyworks, SLC, 801-252-6630, hellowellnessbodyworks.com

2. Whitney Dahl, LMT

3. Jessa Munion, LMT

Best Reiki Practitioner

Stella Blue Trincado

Reiki is an ancient Japanese form of energy healing where a therapist channels energy through light touch. One might say that reiki, or any type of energy work, is all about the vibes—particularly those of the practitioner acting as conduit. And Trincado puts off some incredible vibes. Part reiki master, part yoga instructor, part photographer, part astrologer, part writer, she’s an old soul with a gift for emotional healing. And if you’re looking to become a practitioner yourself, she’s leading a Reiki 1 training this September.

177 E. 900 South, SLC, stellatrincado.com

2. Sharla Hopkins, LMT

3. Abbey Daw, Magik Breath & Meditation

2. Onyx Pole and Fitness 3. The Salt Mine

Best Barre Fitness

The Bar Method

If you don’t love your workout, chances are it’s because you’re not working out at The Bar Method. Clients refer to it as the best part of their day, a place of positivity that’s both inviting and life changing. Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because classes are low impact, they’re easy. This might be the hardest workout you ever do, but it will also be the most rewarding. Get ready to discover muscles you didn’t know you had in record time and make lifelong friends in the process.

1057 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-485-4227, barmethod.com 2. Barre3 3. Pure Barre

Best Bootcamp

Fit to Recover

This isn’t “just” a place to tone up, though that’s an option (and end result), for sure. Overall, Fit to Recover blends sobriety and fitness through a system that focuses on “core foundational pillars of Fitness, Nutrition, Community Service, and Creative Arts.” The original FTR boot camp is held on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m., with work taking place outside in Sugar House Park, suitable for folks at all levels of fitness. Women’s-only coursework is also offered, with information at FTR’s comprehensive website.

789 W. 1390 South, SLC, 801-410-8988, fit2recover.org

Best Boxing Club/Kickboxing/ Best Circuit Training Rebel House

This highly specialized fitness studio offers indoor cycling with its unique Rebel Ride that challenges the norm of cycling classes accompanied with music by Megan Thee Stallion, Migos, Cardi B and the like. You won’t suffer any body shaming because the rides are in the dark and the staff is very supportive. Their riot boxing classes are also in a dimly lit room full of bags. You punch for 10 minutes, do 10 minutes of strength training with kettlebells and then repeat. There’s no traditional boxing ring but plenty of punching to get out your aggressions. The Rebel staff makes sure that your circuit training targets many muscle groups to heart thumping tunes with minimal rest in between.

Multiple locations, rebel-house.com Best Boxing Club/Kickboxing Runners Up

2. Title Boxing Club

3. Brickyard Boxing Best Circuit Training Runners Up

2. Seek Studio

3. Shred415

Best Rock-Climbing Wall Momentum Indoor Climbing

With facilities in Millcreek, Sandy and Lehi, Momentum Indoor Climbing continues to build a brand known throughout the western states for innovative climbing courses, experienced staffers and an environment that perfectly balances “fun” and “serious.” The three stateof-the-art gyms in Utah feature slightly different options with Lehi offering bouldering and Millcreek and Sandy (the OG facility) offering ropes courses and bouldering. Near-pros and brand-newbies can all find a home-awayfrom-home at Momentum.

Multiple locations, momentumclimbing.com

2. The Front 3 . The Quarry

Best Spin Classes Torrent Cycle

Whether you purchased a pandemic Peloton and now find your motivation waning, or you’ve never clipped into a stationary bike at all, Torrent Cycle will literally help you get into a riding rhythm. With downtown and Sugar House locations, they offer over 50 weekly classes and believe in letting the music move you, evident in classes named for their playlists like TLC x LAUREN HILL, LIZZO x POST MALONE, or BEYONCE x LIL NAS X (in fact, “Call Me by Your Name” was one of the top played songs at Torrent Cycle in 2021). Purchase an Intro 2-Pack and get your first two classes for the price of one.

Multiple locations, torrentcycle.com

2. Rideologie 3. Rebel House

Best Senior Fitness Programs Age Performance

Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) are retiring. Retiring doesn’t necessarily mean a person will exercise more, but everyone knows exercise keeps you healthy and can lead to a longer, quality healthy life. The owners of AP have brought a specialized and needed service for seniors with innovative Keiser fitness machines in a clean, light and comfortable environment. Paul Holbrook has built a team that has over 50 years of combined experience in training older bodies and all abilities with personalized programs that will help you achieve your fitness goals. Located above the Hub & Spoke Diner.

1291 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801-467-6554, ageperformance.com

2. Salt Lake County senior centers

3. Optum Care community centers

Best Kids’ Fitness Programs The

Little Gym

With over 200 Little Gym franchises internationally, kids from four months to 12 years are getting out of their playpens or putting down their phones and iPads to fight childhood obesity and poor health through brain boosting exercises and motor-skill development programs for kids. There’s also “Get Moving” classes where kids tumble, do cartwheels, walk on the beam and do other gymnasticlike activities. This makes sense, since the originator of Little Gym is Robin West, a gymnast, musician and educator from Bellevue, Washington. Local franchise owners put their own spin on offerings for kids and their parents and strive to not just focus on super-talented over achievers but kids from all skill levels.

Multiple locations, thelittlegym.com

2. SLC Strength and Conditioning

3. Momentum Climbing Gym

Best Fitness/ Aerobics Class Instructor

Daniel Cooney

Fashion enthusiast turned fitness enthusiast, New York native Daniel Cooney had big dreams of making it to the top, but never did he imagine he’d be spinning his way there. After graduating Yale with intentions of becoming a lawyer, Cooney found himself managing brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and clothing lines for Jennifer Lopez and Vera Wang before his path redirected him to Salt Lake. Co-founder of Torrent Cycle with partner and husband Michael Barney, Cooney has won top honors in our Best of Utah Body & Mind awards three years running, and his high-energy, EDM-fueled spin classes are not to be missed.

Torrent Cycle, multiple locations, torrentcycle.com

2. Michael Barney

3. Gianna Colosimo

Heart to Heart Healing With Shelly Morehead

Josh Williams, voted Best Herbalist

COURTESY

PHOTO

Best Fitness Inspiration

Michael Barney

The other (and I’m sure Daniel Cooney would say “better”) half of the unstoppable duo behind award-winning Torrent Cycle, cofounder Michael Barney is a self-proclaimed “former hedge-fund guy” who dropped finance in favor of dropping beats in his weekly spin classes, where you’re likely to listen to tracks from Steve Aoki and ODESZA while working up a serious sweat. Barney doesn’t spin just to burn off the summertime milkshakes he loves at LaBeau’s Drive In near Bear Lake, he truly has a passion for helping others reach their fitness goals and have fun in the process.

Torrent Cycle, multiple locations, torrentcycle.com

2. Jerry Nguyen, Torrent Cycle

3. Ali Jeffs, Rideologie

Best Gymnastics Training Gymnastics Training Center

With a focus on professionalism and safety, Gymnastics Training Center teaches the basic forms and techniques of recreational/ competitive gymnastics and tumbling. Their coaches are skilled in promoting discipline while offering an enjoyable atmosphere for a range of ages. The studio can even be rented out for birthday parties and private functions. What more could one wish for? They’re just a hop, spring and a bounce away.

1470 E. 3300 South, SLC, 801-433-0801, utahgtc.com

2. Utah Tumbling Academy

3. Arches Gymnastics

Best Interval Training Seek Studio

Operating in the Sugar House area since 2017, Seek Studio provides a variety of classes on yoga, strength training, and cycling for any skill level. The environment is welcoming, and the instructors keep things fun even as the sessions offer a challenge. Do you need a cycling class that works with your busy schedule? Their quality sessions run just under an hour. Is yoga your outlet for stress? Get your asanas over to Seek Studio!

1790 S. 1100 East, SLC, 385-355-4830, seekstudioslc.com

Best Martial Arts School Bernales

Institute of Martial Arts

If self-defense skills are what you’re seeking, look no further than the Bernales Institute. Their school offers such disciplines—among others—as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Jeet Kune Do and mixed martial arts. They welcome both children and adults with approachable instruction that motivates. Don’t worry if you’ve never done this before! Come for the confidence boost, stay for the supportive atmosphere of the Bernales community.

2257 S. State, SLC, 801-463-1727, bernalesinstitute.com

2. SLC Muay Thai

3. First Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

Best Martial Arts Instructor

John McKean

Black belt John McKean began his jiu-jitsu journey decades ago and established his Combat Arts School in 2015 to be a clean, safe and welcoming environment for people of all ages and skill levels to learn and progress in several forms of martial arts with an emphasis on the Brazilian jiu-jitsu that he loves and practices. Reviews say that simply walking in the door is an awakening unto itself. Enroll in group fitness classes or explore the principles of leverage, angles, pressure and timing in order to achieve a nonviolent submission of one’s opponent through this martial art. Best of all, McKean’s classes create an instant community with his students that lasts for years.

Combat Arts School, 370 S. 300 East, SLC, 801-428-7612, combatartssc.com

2. William Bernales, Bernales Institute of Martial Arts

3. Philippe Wyffels, Aikido of Salt Lake

Best Tai Chi/ Qi Gong Instructor

Scott White

Do you practice stress or inner peace? White created Qigong and Tai Chi Utah and teaches the 10 phases chi cultivation, inner alchemy, Yijin Jing, Taoist yoga, and different forms of tai chi in classes and workshops to help you balance your life and give you strength and skill in ancient practices. He shares mind-body-spirit practices and restorative exercise modalities that customers and devotees say brings them increased vitality, mobility, energy and even inner peace and joy. He’s been a favorite of City Weekly readers for many years, and his rave reviews are endless!

Qigong and Tai Chi Utah, 4010 S. 2700 East, Holladay, 801-556-5964, qigongutah.com

2. Ray Rosales

3. Brad Lester

Best Personal Trainer Benja Cuque

You can find Cuque leading spin classes at Mcycle, where clients say they “feel seen” and leave “feeling like a badass b*tch,” which is exactly how Cuque wants you to feel. A late bloomer in the world of dance (his first ballet class wasn’t until college), Cuque’s passion for expressing himself through movement is as evident in his “attitude” in the ballet sense as it is in his literal attitude—which often coincides with a sky-high pair of stiletto boots. The man is a force in every sense of the word, and if body confidence is what you’re after, there’s no one better to help you claim it.

Mcycle, 355 W. 400 South, SLC, 385-270-5185 mcyclestudios.com

2. Erin Butler, Be Nutrition & Training

3. Stephen Pizza, CSCS/NSCA, SLC Strength & Conditioning

Best Pilates Studio

Peak45

Peak45 calls itself Utah’s only licensed “Lagree Pilates” studio. The Lagree method, developed by Sebastian Lagree, is a newer workout that’s derived from Pilates with the intent of creating a higher intensity version. Lagree uses a Megaformer machine to deliver continuous tension during a series of low-impact exercises that engage your core, push the limits of your strength, increase your flexibility, test your balance and challenge your endurance—all to upbeat music—until your body is literally shaking. Clients call it 45 minutes of awesomeness while simultaneously saying they’ve never sweat harder.

Locations in SLC, Park City and Riverton, 385-645-7325, peak-45.com

2. Streamline Pilates

3. Movement Design Lab

Best Pole Fitness

Onyx Pole & Aerial Fitness Center

As its name suggests, Onyx is a facility that offers both pole and aerial classes. They do this through daily coursework for individuals, while also offering up the space for larger groups, who can collectively tackle a variety of fun, challenging options at the facility; classes and workshops include everything from trapeze to belly dancing to boot camps. Though proud of the studio’s competitive pricing, the biggest thing that Onyx offers is space that’s “a safe haven where women can come and freely express themselves.”

8385 S. Allen St., Unit 114, Sandy, 801-652-9575, dancesaltlake.com

2. The Salt Mine SLC 3. La Bombe Pole Fitness

Best Private Gym Thunder Fitness Training

Thunder Fitness Training takes the concept of private gym to a new level, in that it utilizes the fitness equipment in your own home. It’s virtual personal training and nutrition via Zoom—in other words, you’ll never have to motivate yourself to drive to the gym again. With a comprehensive background in personal training, fitness nutrition, exercise physiology, cycling, boxing, yoga and group fitness, founder and coach Natalie Bedford makes sure workouts never get boring and can customize corresponding nutrition and meal plans to help you reach your health goals.

Thunderfitnesstraining.com

2. Fit2Recover

3. Torrent Cycle

Best

Public

Recreation Center

SLC Sports Complex/Steiner

Ask any local and they’ll tell you Steiner is the best public rec center in the valley. We know its name changed to SLC Sports Complex years ago, but much like the Delta Center (if you know, you know), it will always go by one name and one name only. In this case, it’s a name synonymous with long summer afternoons by the outdoor pool, gainers off the high dive and laps around the two Olympicsized indoor ice rinks. As adults, we appreciate dedicated lane swimming, group fitness and personal training. And if you aren’t familiar with Steiner, that means more swim lanes for the rest of us.

645 S. Guardsman Way, SLC, 385-468-1925, slco.org

2. Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center

3. Murray Recreation Center

Best Ski/ Snowboard School Brighton

Ask a local where they learned to ski or snowboard, and odds are they’ll tell you Brighton. In fact, Brighton Snowsports School’s tagline is “Where Utah Learns to Ride.” They offer private lessons for ages 3 and up, as well group lessons, multiweek camps for kids, and adult and women’s clinics. Because kiddos 10 and under ski free with the purchase of an adult ticket, parents save big compared to other Wasatch Front resorts. Need rentals? The on-site rental shop offers packages starting at just $15.

8302 S. Brighton Loop Road, Brighton, 801-532-4731, brightonresort.com

2. Snowbird Ski School

3. Alf Engen Ski School at Alta

Voted Best Martial Arts School: Bernales Institute of Martial Arts

Peak 45 is this year’s Best Pilates Studio

COURTESY PHOTO COURTESY PHOTO

Best Community Swimming Pool

Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center

To call Cottonwood Heights Rec Center a community swimming pool is like calling Disney World an amusement park. Sure, you’ve got your four indoor and three outdoor pools, but there’s also two water slides, a three-tiered outdoor diving platform and dedicated indoor and outdoor dive pools, children’s pool area, indoor splash zone and whirlpool. For the fish at heart, indulge in open swim for just $6 for adults and $5 for kids 3-17. And if you never made it past a doggy paddle, they offer swimming lessons for all ages as well as aquatic fitness classes. 7500 S. 2700 East, Cottonwood Heights, 801-943-3190, cottonwoodheights.com

2. SLC Sports Complex

3. Fairmont Aquatic Center

Best Weight-Training Instruction

SLC Strength & Conditioning

Whether you’re looking for one-on-one personal training, a group experience or a gym, this state of the art facility actually grew during the pandemic to offer remote training. If you’re looking to get a specific training experience you can make an appointment to assess your specific situation and what program will work best for you. Clients report the workouts are fun and ”make people push themselves to their personal limit” and that the trainers and staff are “top notch.” They also have rare youth programs with an emphasis on injury prevention and muscular development in the sport they participate in at school.

3232 Highland Drive, Millcreek, 801-810-0373, slcstrengthandconditioning.com

2. Seek Studio

3. Ute Crossfit

Best Yoga Instructor

Dillion Chase

If you’ve never had a #dillicious yoga experience, here’s the dill… er, deal. Salt Lake Power Yoga regulars love Chase’s classes, using phrases like, “beyond blessed” and “the perfect combination of mind, body and spirit” to describe his intuitive and inspired teaching style and flow. With in-studio and livestream classes available, yogis have ample opportunity to practice with Chase, or book a private yoga session for you and up to five friends and enjoy #dillicious yoga on your own time.

Salt Lake Power Yoga, 250 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-468-9642, dillicious.xyz

2. Sarah Hochman, Salt Lake Power Yoga

3. Denise Druce, MPH, Yoga Alliance E-RYT500

and YACEP

Best Yoga Studio

Salt Lake Power Yoga

Some like it hot. In fact, according to City Weekly voters, most like it hot! At Salt Lake Power Yoga, you’ll find a huge selection of hot yoga classes, so your practice never gets too predictable, and pricing for every budget. If you’re still warming up to the idea of hot yoga, try the 75-minute POWERRECHARGE yin yoga class, held in a warmed (not hot) and candle-lit room, set to music every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, and taught by none other than Dillion Chase (see Best Yoga Instructor).

Salt Lake Power Yoga, 250 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-468-9642, saltlakepoweryoga.com

2. CorePower Yoga

3. Centered City Yoga

Best Yoga Teacher Training Yoga Assets

We all have to start somewhere, but with yoga teacher training from Yoga Assets, that “somewhere” can be literally anywhere—as long as there’s Wi-Fi. One of the top-rated Yoga Alliance Registered schools in the U.S., Yoga Assets combines in-person and online classes, a format that allows flexibility (pun intended) and nurtures would-be instructors despite any pandemic-related blockers to traditional class formats. What’s more, Yoga Assets embraces a “teach yoga everywhere” approach, breaking away from studio-specific training programs with expanded opportunities to teach in a variety of environments. 1565 E. 3300 South, SLC, 801-580-3871, yogaassets.com

2. Salt Lake Power Yoga

3. YogaSix

READERS WRITE

Best for Transgender Health

Bernadette Kiraly, MD

Best Luxury Medical Spa

Haus of Aesthetics

Formerly Spa Trouve on 900 South, Haus of Aesthetics arrived on the scene to create a high-end medical spa that still feels warm and inviting. Woman-owned (by Amy Archuleta), the spa welcomes all, regardless of gender identity. Offering a wide range of services—including Botox filler, lip enhancements, CoolSculpting, laser hair removal, dermaplaning, microneedling, chemical peels and the refreshing medical-grade facial known as the HydraFacial. With all the latest techniques and technology, you can’t help but leave looking luxuriously rejuvenated. 705 E. 900 South, Suite 100, SLC, 801-997-8199, hausofaestheticsslc.com

Best Injections

Hillary Taggart, DNP-FNP-C

Best Breast Cancer Healing Retreats Image

Reborn Foundation

Image Reborn Foundation was founded in 1998 by Dr. Renato Saltz, a plastic surgeon who saw a need for women to emotionally heal and rebuild after cancer. The foundation provides no-cost renewal retreats to women diagnosed with breast cancer and helps them to live more fulfilling lives. Participants stay in a mountain home in the company of six to seven other women experiencing breast cancer. Throughout the weekend, the women partake in nourishing food, movement and massage. As they cry, laugh, grieve and celebrate together, they learn they are not facing this disease on their own. 5445 S. Highland Drive, Suite 5, SLC, imagerebornfoundation.org

Best Boutique Gym

Align Fitness Studio

IN

A family physician whose passion is primary care, Dr. Kiraly joined the U of U in 2003 where she dedicated herself to helping refugees receive the care they need. That led her to working with gender minority populations. Now, as co-medical director of the U Health Transgender Health Program, she oversees primary care and gender affirming hormone therapy for transgender and gender-nonconforming people. The program also offers support services, resources and seminars on a wide range of topics. For gender-diverse folks in need of healthcare, it’s comforting to know there are many medical professionals in your corner, and perhaps none more dedicated than Dr. Kiraly.

U of U Sugar House Health Center, 1280 E. Stringham Ave., SLC, 801-581-2000, heathcare.utah.edu

Dr. Taggart has personalized the injectable business in SLC by offering natural Botox and fillers under the care of an experienced master injector. Working in the medical aesthetic industry since 2014, she opened her boutiquestyle med-spa in 2021. She emphasizes a more natural and conservative look for clients. Not only does she listen to her clients but she also takes time to educate them so they understand her use of certain products or why she might suggest other areas to treat to achieve their desired results. Her goal is to create a look that: “Everyone will notice, but no one will know.” Modern SLC Injections and Aesthetics, 2290 E. 4500 South, Suite 210, Holladay, 801-516-8884, drhillaryt.com

Best Small/ Friendly Gym Foothill Personal Training

This “little gym that could” was established in January 1994 and moved to its current location in 1997. At 2,300 square feet of floor space, it may be smaller than some, but it’s not tiny, either, and the staff is made up of outstanding strength, conditioning and health coaches. Plus, it offers convenient parking, easy Interstate access and east bench views of the Wasatch and the Oquirrh mountains—all at reasonable fees with no contract necessary. It’s a friendly, positive, energetic environment—one where you’re likely to hear people laugh (as opposed to grunt) as they work out.

2645 Parleys Way, SLC, 801-484-2828, fptslc.com

This local boutique fitness studio offers a wide variety of classes: barre, Pilates, dance cardio, yoga, TRX and more. This is the place to balance yourself on three levels: body, mind and spirit. A very important aspect of the studio is creating what they call a circle of friends to welcome members and build relationships with one another. As they say, “What’s better than exercising with your friends?” The instructors are the driving force and each one is creative, welltrained and energetic—it’s hard to pick a favorite! 450 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-869-2752, alignslc.com

Best Doulas

Heart Tones Birth Services

Pregnant women need immense love and support, and doulas can help with that. Heart Tones Birth Services’ owner, Beth Hardy, handpicks her doulas based on precise skill sets: She looks for down-to-earth souls who will care for all types of families, who are experts in labor support and who can connect with moms-to-be. Clients can read the bios of Heart Tones doulas online and choose one for themselves, or Hardy will match moms-to-be with a doula. Then, clients and doulas meet to decide if they want to work together. Doulas provide prenatal visits, then remain on call 24/7 from two weeks prior to the mom’s due date until the baby is born. Postpartum, doulas will visit moms to offer help in a variety of ways. It’s a service most new moms fantasize about: Someone who understands their needs and concerns who knows exactly what to do. hearttonesbirth.com

COURTESY PHOTO

SLC Strength and Conditioning was voted this year’s Best Weight-Training Instruction COURTESY

PHOTO

2022 Best Medical Cannabis Prescriber

Tim Pickett, PA-C

Born and raised in Utah, Tim Pickett is a local and licensed medical provider and member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians. As owner and operator of Utah Therapeutic Health Center—a full-service Utah cannabis medical clinic—he brags that his team is the most educated group of marijuana clinicians in the state. His relationships with Utah marijuana grower/ cultivar have helped create new products specifically designed for his patients. Above all, he enjoys educating patients about medical marijuana in the hopes of destigmatizing the plant and encouraging its safe and effective use. As he says: Get your card and learn more.

740 E. 3900 South, Suite 108, SLC, 801-851-5554, utahmarijuana.org

Best Dance Party on a Bike Rideologie Cycle Studio

As Salt Lake City’s first “rhythm ride” studio, Rideologie in Sugar House doesn’t only offer state-of-the art equipment to use, it creates the “experience” of high-octane instructors, energetic music and the positive spirit of a fitness community for all levels. Their 45-minute-long cycling classes are choreographed to the beat of the music. You best be prepared to sweat. (Don’t worry, towels are provided.) As they say, it’s a “full-body dance party on a bike!” Classes are pay-as-you-go—so you’re only paying for the classes you attend (although there are discounts if you’re a regular rider). After the ride, enjoy the use of an on-site bathroom, shower, hairdryer, hair ties, earplugs, mints. A party that sends you home clean and refreshed. What else could you ask for?

1155 E. Wilmington Ave., Suite 200, SLC, 801-484-1456, rideologie.com

Best Gyrotonic Studio Movement Design Lab

Want to learn about two fitness methods, namely Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis? Both movement systems are designed to open energy pathways and increase range of motion in people from all walks of life. The no-impact movements strengthen muscles that support the spine and hips and stabilize the shoulders. Gyrotonic exercises are practiced on customized devices with rotational discs and weighted pulleys while Gyrokinesis is practiced on a mat and chair without equipment. There are only a handful of studios offering these unique exercise methods along the Wasatch Front, and one of them is the Movement Design Lab, with classes taught by none other than Bre Dumke Helfrich and her staff. Come take a Gyrotonic class at $45/class or a Gyrokinesis classes for only $25, and enjoy the small class size. 244 W. 300 North, Suite 103, SLC, 801-831-4391, movementdesignlab.com

Best Winning Wednesdays

Chantal Papillon, Julie Ray and Lindsay Strain

If you only have one day for your fitness regime, and that day happens to be Wednesday, you’re so in luck. Get on over to Cottonwood Heights and sign up for a class offered by any or all of the above instructors. With her soft soothing voice and gentle movements, Chantal Papillon instructs a 10:45 a.m. qi gong class that will have you floating home on air. Longtime fitness instructor Julie Ray teaches a barre class at 6:30 p.m. that challenges every muscle fiber in your being. And the amazing Lindsay Strain brings a Zumba class for all fitness levels at 7:40 p.m. Both Ray and Strain provide lights, action and a soundtrack for their choreographed moves sure to brighten your mood. It’s like a night out at a dance club—only you’re wearing sweats and comfortable shoes and … well, not inebriated.

Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center, 7500 S. 2700 East, Cottonwood Heights, 801-943-3190, cottonwoodheights.com

Best Hot Rocks

Sarah Jensen, LMT

Local massage therapist Sarah Jensen keeps finding new ways to “be best” (as former First Lady Melania was wont to say). Not only does Jensen deliver bracing deep-tissue massages that neutralize tight muscles wherever they may hide—she now offers tempting add-ons to go with them. Know this, though: Her heated river stones aren’t just for show. They allow Jensen to apply even deeper pressure to areas of concern. And said stones somehow aid blood circulation, relieve tension, boost immunity and, well, just let clients really relax. For Mother’s Day, she’s offering a coconut body scrub add-on to a massage. She may be an all-business massage therapy pro, but Jensen knows that, sometimes, we need to forgo the “work” of bodywork and let hot stones and salt scrubs do their magic. Jensen’s specials and multi-visit packages are also reasonably priced—allowing even pitifully poor print journalists to get their rock on.

Soft Hands Medical Massage, Midvale, 385-549-9366

Best at Pulling Your

Leg

Stretch Zone

Sometimes, we’re so done in by the weary world, we can’t be bothered to take a walk, much less bend down to touch our toes. But the folks at Stretch Zone thought long and hard about human inertia and came up with “assisted stretching.” The tables at their studios are decked out with a patented strapping and stabilization system that enables trained staff to gently stretch clients—and they sit back and enjoy the ride. It sounds a mite bit lazy, but a weekly session yields impressive results. Joint tightness is reduced, flexibility is increased, and you may just find you can go back to the gym and not fear pulling a muscle. The specialists are trained to address whatever problem areas you have and will keep you smiling even when the stretches get intense. Your first stretch is on the house.

Locations in Draper, SLC and Fort Union, stretchzone.com

Best Mall Pampering Dermalogica

Founded by a skin therapist, Dermalogica offers professional-grade skin-care products and services—and both are now available at Murray’s Fashion Place Mall. You can start with a complimentary face mapping, analysis and product recommendations. Then book a 30- or 60-minute session with a Dermalogica-trained esthetician and enjoy services such as the Pro-Bright (a high-intensity treatment that brightens and smooths the skin tone), microcurrent, microdermabrasion, peels, LED therapy and more. Look for their spa nook across from Crate and Barrel. And because it’s open mall hours (Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday, noon-5 p.m.), you can pamper yourself any day of the week.

Fashion Place Mall, 6191 S. State, Murray, 801-304-3264, dermalogica.com

Best Patch Tests

Douglas Powell, MD

This friendly face at the U’s Health Center in Murray is the go-to for treating allergic-contact dermatitis and hives. His goal is to discover the cause of persistent rashes and inflammation that refuse to go away. To that end, he applies tinctures and substances to patients’ backs and evaluates their reactions to fragrances, metals, preservatives and more. (When this physician says he’s got your back, it’s because it’s his diagnostic tool.) For one week of your life, you’ll feel like a walking science experiment, because … you are. The process is made more tolerable thanks to the doctor’s dashing fashion statements. No matter how itchy that rash is, his bow ties and snazzy socks and overall good humor are something to look forward to.

University of Utah Midvalley Health Center, 243 E. 6100 South, Murray, 801-581-2955, healthcare.utah.edu

Best Keepin’ It Real Yoga

Stephanie Williams

Are you avoiding yoga because you think you’re too [overweight, out of shape, stiff, uncoordinated—fill in the blank]? The instructor to help you get past your limitations is none other than Stephanie Williams, teaching Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:40 p.m. Ever flexible and adept at her practice, Williams puts students at ease talking about her life as a mom and her day job and her friends. Students barely notice they’re on their fifth or sixth downward facing “doggie,” as she calls the pose. For more advanced students, she extends each stretch to the furthest limit imaginable, allowing each class member to work at their own level.

The final 10 minutes, she has students lie on their backs listening to music—a rest she considers to be the most important part of their practice.

Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center, 7500 S. 2700 East, Cottonwood Heights, 801-943-3190, cottonwoodheights.com

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BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Remember “summer movie season”?

Movie theaters were practically shuttered in summer 2020, and 2021’s blockbuster titles only started creeping back in late June. Now, in 2022, the months between May and August will once again be packed with sequels, remakes and franchise entries. Be careful what you wish for when you wish for “normal.”

Here’s an overview of what to expect in theaters and on streaming services this summer. And if we’ve learned nothing else from the past two years: release dates are subject to change.

May 6 Headliner: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This latest Marvel Cinematic Universe entry comes with even more expectations than usual since it a) follows up on the multiverse-shattering events of Spider-man: No Way Home, and b) brings director Sam Raimi (the original Spider-man trilogy) back into the superhero world. Also: Operation Mincemeat [Netflix], a fact-based World War II drama about a planned Allied attack on Sicily; Petite Maman , a French fantasy-drama about a young girl who encounters the 8-year-old version of her own mother.

May 13: Firestarter [theatrical/Peacock], remaking the Stephen King novel about a young girl trying to control her pyrokinetic powers; Senior Year [Netflix], a comedy starring Rebel Wilson as a woman who wakes up from a 20-year coma and goes back to finish high school; Memoria , director Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s fantastical tale of a woman (Tilda Swinton) plagued by a mysterious noise

Top Gun: Maverick Lightyear

May 20: Downton Abbey: A New Era , with the cast of the popular British TV series traveling to the South of France; Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers [Disney+], bringing back the Disney Channel series in feature form, with Andy Samberg and John Mulaney voicing the animated chipmunks; Emergency [theatrical/Amazon Prime], comedy-thriller about a trio of college students whose crazy night gets dangerous by virtue of them being young men of color.

May 27 Headliner: Top Gun: Maverick. We’ll see if the seventh announced release date is the lucky one for this long-in-development sequel to the 1986 military action drama, with Tom Cruise now a veteran pilot in charge of the new “Top Gun” grads, including the son (Miles Teller) of his old pal, Goose. Also: The Bob’s Burgers Movie, giving a big-screen feature treatment to the long-running Fox animated series.

June 3: Fire Island [Hulu], with Margaret Cho and Bowen Yang starring in a non-

white, non-straight contemporary adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

June 10 Headliner: Jurassic World: Dominion The full “legacy-quel” treatment is in effect, as the latest rampaging dinosaur adventure brings back the original Jurassic Park trio of Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, joining Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard to deal with dinos in the wild. Also: Hustle [Netflix], Adam Sandler as a washed-up basketball scout who discovers a can’t-miss prospect in Europe.

June 17 Headliner: Lightyear. It’s kind of a weird concept to build a story around “the real person who inspired the toy” when the real person is an animated character, but we’ll see what Chris Evans does voicing the intrepid Space Ranger. Also: Cha Cha Real Smooth [AppleTV+], the Sundance Audience Award-winner about a young man navigating a new job and possible new romance; Good Luck to You, Leo Grande [Hulu], another Sundance alum with Emma Thompson as a widow who hires a sex worker.

June 24: Elvis, musical biography from Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!), with Austin Butler as The King and Tom Hanks as Col. Tom Parker; The Black Phone, supernatural thriller about a kidnapped boy who starts receiving calls from his abductor’s previous victims on a disconnected phone.

July 1 Headliner: Minions: The Rise of Gru. Steve Carell returns for a prequel story of the young would-be supervillain requiring rescue from his yellow, capsuleshaped associates. Also: Shotgun Wedding, a romantic action-comedy with Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel as a couple whose wedding turns into a hostage situation; The Princess [Hulu], with Joey King as a young royal who must save her kingdom from a cruel interloper.

July 8 Headliner: Thor: Love and Thunder. With most of the original Avengers retired or dead, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor sticks around for a fourth solo adventure.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Jurassic World: Dominion

Also: The Sea Beast [Netflix], animated adventure about an ocean-faring monster hunter, from Disney veteran Chris Williams (Big Hero 6, Moana).

July 15: Bed Rest, thriller about a pregnant woman who begins to suspect that her house is haunted; Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, about a widowed cleaning woman in 1950s London who becomes obsessed with couture fashion; Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank , animated comedy about a dog who dreams of becoming a samurai.

July 22 Headliner: Nope. Writer/director Jordan Peele has become such a brand name after the success of Get Out and Us that he can get away with only hinting at the premise of his latest supernatural horror tale, starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun.

July 29 Headliner: Bullet Train. Brad Pitt plays a veteran assassin whose assignment on a Japanese train gets very complicated; over-the-top action expert David Leitch ( Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2)

directs. Also: DC’s League of Super-Pets, an animated tale of superheroes’ animal companions; Vengeance, with The Office ’s B.J. Novak writing, directing and starring as a New York deejay investigating the death of his girlfriend.

Aug. 5: Not Okay [Hulu], dark comedy with Zoey Deutch as a young woman who fakes a trip to Paris for social media clout, just as the city becomes the location for a disaster; Luck [Apple TV+], animated feature that goes behind the scenes with mythical groups and creatures that affect human good and bad luck.

Aug. 12: Secret Headquarters, fantasydrama about a boy who finds a mysterious room under his house and wonders if his estranged dad (Owen Wilson) might be a superhero; The Man from Toronto, starring Woody Harrelson and Kevin Hart as a killer and an ordinary guy who get mistaken for one another. CW

Long Live The Dodo

For decades, The Dodo has put the sugar in Sugar House.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

While making recommendations is one of my favorite parts of covering the local food scene, there are few joys that come close to suggesting a local substitute for a national franchise. For example, I know plenty of people who are absolutely gaga over The Cheesecake Factory. In cases like these, I’m always quick to recommend The Dodo (1355 E. 2100 South, 801-486-2473, thedodorestaurant.com).

The Dodo captures the elusive vibe between casual and fine dining. It’s got a menu full of contemporary American classics and it’s got a roster of over-the-top desserts. And you know what it doesn’t have? Ads in the goddamn menu, that’s what.

The Dodo has been a Sugar House mainstay since 1981, and it’s the type of local restaurant that gets packed after 6 p.m. no matter what day of the week it is. Most of my previous excursions to The Dodo have mainly been dessert-related—I’m a sucker for their assortment of pie and cake, but more on that later. As this place has been a Utah institution for slightly longer than I have, I figured it was high time to give the place a proper write-up.

I popped in for an early dinner with my daughter—I had been talking up the legendary desserts we were about to eat, and she was appropriately excited. The Dodo really is a nice spot to eat. They’ve done an excellent job with keeping their space comfy and contemporary—from the moment you enter, it’s hard to tell that it has been operating for more than forty years.

After we were seated and had some time to check out the menu, I gravitated toward the chimichurri pork tenderloin ($27.99).

My kiddo went for the kid’s quesadilla ($5.99)—she’s very much into the toasty, gooey cheesy phase of her diet. While our food was being prepared, I told my daughter about the wonders of Toll House Pie ($8.99) and that would most certainly be a part of our post-dinner plan. She’s a tough one to crack—she’s also developed a fun habit of turning her nose up at anything I suggest—but I could tell she was getting a bit excited for the sugar rush to come.

But first, the pork tenderloin. It’s a great example of how The Dodo can take simple ingredients and spruce things up with sheer technique. The tenderloin is cooked to tender perfection, and the heap of steamed veggies and mashed potatoes

are fresh supporting acts. The chimichurri sauce is what really ties the dish together— it hits the right balance of acid and herbaceous flavor.

The other entrees at The Dodo are equally tantalizing, depending on how you like your proteins. Fish fans will dig the honey baked salmon ($26.99) or the blueberry parmesan halibut ($34.99). If you’re feeling dangerous and don’t mind getting good use of the napkins, you can go for the smoked baby back ribs ($28.99).

Those after something a bit less meatcentric can check out options like ravioli ($21.99) or a spinach, mushroom and feta quiche ($18.99). Regardless of where you’d like your dinnertime journey to take you, The Dodo has something that’s fresh, comforting and tasty.

Stuffed as we were upon finishing our respective meals, it was time to get down to business. We ended up ordering a slice of the Toll House Pie and the key lime pie ($8.99) since the kiddo likes to brag about how much she likes sour food. For those who have yet to experience the Toll House Pie—it’s amazing.

Imagine a pecan pie that was actually a giant, slightly gooey chocolate chip cookie. The flavor is just as spectacular as you’d imagine, and the gigantic scoop of whipped cream and chocolate chips puts it all over the top.

For a buck-fifty, you can get this a la mode, which I highly recommend. Everything gets all melty and creamy, which is a nice complement to the intense, sugary flavors of the pie. It’s epic tier pie and is consistently delicious. The key lime pie is also a solid bet, with its metric ton of merengue wobbling on top of a thick filling of tart, key lime deliciousness.

I suppose the takeaway from my experience at The Dodo is that for every national chain that opens its doors in Utah, there is always—always!—a local alternative that does the trick. In many cases, the local alternative is better—I can’t remember the last time I set foot in a Cheesecake Factory.

For those planning to line up in droves at the next groundbreaking of whatever new fried chicken joint is expanding its reach to Utah, take a moment to appreciate the local spots that have been keeping our food scene vibrant and unique for years. Just make sure to get a slice of Toll House Pie along the way. CW

AT A GLANCE

Open: Mon.-Fri., 11a.m.-10 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Best bet: The chimichurri pork tenderloin Can’t miss: The Toll House Pie

onTAPonTAP

2 Row Brewing 6856 S. 300 West, Midvale

2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: Feelin’ Hazy

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC

BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Vitruvian Pils

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

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele

BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC

DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap: British Mild

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

On Tap: Experimental IPA #2

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

On Tap: Fisher Beer

Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC

GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Extra Pale Ale

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC

HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Black Sesame Stout

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

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Throwing Smoke Smoked Porter

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap: Bougie Johnny’s Rose

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

On Tap: Manzana RosaPassionfruit Cider

Ogden River Brewing 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com

On Tap: Injector Hazy IPA

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

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC

ProperBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Veni Vidi BiBi- Italian Pilsner

Red Rock Brewing Multiple Locations RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Zwickle Mandarina

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Spudnik 7

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Cosmic Autumn Rebellion

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake

SaltFireBrewing.com

On Tap: Mobius Trip Oak Aged Sour

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: Barrel-Aged Winter Amber

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

On Tap: Winter Warmer Amber Ale

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

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

Squatters 147 W. Broadway, SLC Squatters.com

Strap Tank Brewery

Multiple Locations StrapTankBrewery.com Springville On Tap: PB Rider, Peanut Butter Stout Lehi On Tap: 2-Stroke, Vanilla Mocha Porter

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

On Tap: Edel Pils

Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: Kingslayer

Toasted Barrel Brewery 412 W. 600 North, SLC ToastedBarrelBrewery.com

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

On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer

UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com On Tap: Snowcat IPA

Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com

Wasatch 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC WasatchBeers.com

Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com

Zolupez 205 W. 29th Street #2, Ogden Zolupez.com

Danks Alot

Maximizing hops for full effect

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Shades - Dank AF: This beer was designed specifically to celebrate 420. Made with terpenes and mimicking cannabis, this beer is as close as you can get to real nugs in Utah—without a prescription.

Not hazy, but not filtered either. The mostly orange-tinged amber beer pours into a shaker glass with a two inch off-white head that recedes slowly, as if reluctant to do so. While receding it leaves lots of nice spiderweb and legs of lacing on the sides of the glass as it eventually becomes a thin cap of foam on the surface. Sipping creates arches, small patches and legs of lacing, many of which cling to the sides of the glass rather than slide back down to the liquid. The aroma is lightly dank, almost resinous, but with a lot of fruity character. There are also some hints of herbal and spicy character in the background. I’m not really picking up much malt so, not surprisingly, this one is all about the hops.

The flavors include a good bit of dank pine resin, some bitterness along with that nice fruity character, that seems to include some pineapple, mango and sharp orange zest. This is all backed up by some noticeable, but very restrained, malt sweetness. The finish begins as the fruity flavors slowly recede, to be followed by the sweetness. Although the resinous, zesty bitterness begins to recede as well, it takes longer, and so the ending has a nice resinous and bitter back-of-the-palate dryness to it that invites yet another sip. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with some active, crisp carbonation.

Overall: A well-made dank beer and a quite enjoyable IPA that I’d be happy to

BEER NERD

have again. The hops are a bit over the top, but that’s why Shades made it—to mimic that cannabis dankness. Its weakness, if any, lies in the fact that while it is very good, its chewy dryness can wear on you quickly. Thankfully, the 7.0 ABV doesn’t clobber you as hard as some 420 beers have been known to do.

Beer Zombies - Come Out to Haze: Though based in Las Vegas, Beer Zombies occasionally sends some of their more unique stuff to their SLC pub to satisfy our thirst for big IPAs. This latest Hazy is the real deal.

A hazy burnt-orange/peach-yellow with more than a finger of fluffy white head; solid head retention leaves froth around the edge and plenty of lacing spattered around the glass as it recedes. Aromas of creamy apricot and peaches, citrus, and ripe mango; taut, fleeting grassy notes add a delicate herbal edge to a lush, tropical and lightly hoppy bouquet.

Tastes of dank mango, dried oranges, candied peach and light grapefruit zest; deeply floral, herbal bitterness dances in harmony with hazy tropical hops on the finish, where the profile bursts excellently and reveals the height of its potential. Mouthfeel shows a medium-robust body with a good bit of dryness and an upperlevel carbonation that has a slight presence but tempers itself well among the burst flavor profile; delicate, prickly climax smooths to a fluffy, fulfilling finish, with a juicy crispness maintaining on the palate throughout; minimal-alcohol presence.

Overall: A unique and eclecticallystructured NEDIPA; there’s so much character here, between the profile and construction on the palate, and it all holds together so tenuously at a very high level. It’s smooth and borderline sessionable by DIPA standards, and at its peak is both spectacular and approachable. Regardless, it’s one of the more balanced and approachable examples of haze I’ve encountered.

The Beer Zombie stuff is exclusive to their place at Hall Pass in the Gateway. Shades always has stuff at both of their locations, along with various pubs along the Wasatch Front. As Alway, cheers. CW

MIKE

RIEDEL

MIKE RIEDEL

BY ALEX SPRINGER @captainspringer

Summer Events at Park City and Wanship Mountain Resorts

Goldener Hirsch (7520 Royal Street, Park City) and The Lodge at Blue Sky (27649 Old Lincoln Highway, Wanship) are rolling out a bevy of great events to keep us busy this summer. Goldener Hirsch will be hosting a summer market along with a Bavarian beer tasting and pretzel making class. The Lodge at Blue Sky will host a series of locally-sourced harvest dinners overseen by Chef Galen Zamarra that includes a farm tour, cocktail hour and a four-course tasting menu. If you miss ski season but want to keep in touch with some of our finest mountain resorts, check out aubergeresorts.com for more details.

Construction on Urban Hill Begins

In other swanky Park City news, I just got wind of a new project from Leave Room for Dessert Eateries (leaveroomfordesserteateries.com). This family-owned restaurant group from Park City recently announced the groundbreaking for their first foray into Salt Lake City dining with Urban Hill. Leave Room for Dessert has already seen success with their Park City restaurants Hearth and Hill and Hill’s Kitchen, and the specs for this ambitious new restaurant look quite impressive. It’s scheduled to take shape in the 500 South 300 West area, placing the restaurant near some sports and business hotspots. I’ll be keeping an eye on this new venture for sure.

Yonutz Sets Sights on Utah

The Florida-based doughnut and ice cream eatery called Yonutz recently announced plans to bring its signature desserts to Utah. The Younutz claim to fame is the SMASH Donut, which is a glazed doughnut that gets sliced in half, stuffed with ice cream and then stuffed into a hot press so the whole thing fuses together into an alpha-dessert. Those in need of more sugar can add different toppings to their SMASH Donut as well. I haven’t seen a doughnut and ice cream gimmick yet, so color me intrigued. I’ll keep tabs on when Yonutz officially opens its doors in Utah.

Quote of the Week: “With a doughnut in each hand, anything is possible.”

–Jameela Jamil

Regional Fest Roundup

Music Fans Looking for Something Different Are in Luck in ‘22

BY THOMAS CRONE tcrone@cityweekly.net

Over the past few weeks, a number of music festivals have announced their dates, lineups and ticket prices; though not all are yet on sale. Here’s a sampling of a few notices received at City Weekly ’s Music HQ. Though this grouping is far from comprehensive, you may find a headlining band, venue or event concept to your liking.

Fort Desolation Fest: Now in its second year, Fort Desolation takes place August 12-14 at the 45-acre Cougar Ridge Resort near Torrey. Amongthe performers taking part are Amos Lee, Elle King, The Band of Heathens, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway and Elizabeth Cook. A number of the groups playing the festival have made their way through the State Room and/or the Commonwealth Room over the past year, making them known entities to the booking agents at The State Room Presents.

Spokesman Kylie Fitch says the lineup “draws from a variety of roots music including country, rock, blues, folk, R&B and more ... [we] keep ourselves open to include any type of music that feels right.”

Attendees can camp on-site, while some nearby, overnight lodgings are also available. Hiking, fly-fishing, off-road cycling and other amenities are offered on-site. Information on those elements, as well as ticket availability can be found at: fortdesolation.com/fest-faqs/.

Ogden Music Festival: Unlike a number of the fests listed here, Ogden’s entry has a lengthy history, with this being the 14th edition of the festival brought to life by the Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music. The event is held June 3-5 at Weber County’s historic Fort Buenaventura.

A press release for the events promises “on-site camping, workshops, activities and more with another inclusive lineup of big-name artists that represent a wide range of music genres including bluegrass, Americana, blues, folk and mariachi.”

Among the artists scheduled to play: Sam Bush, Amy Helm, The Travelin’ McCourys, The Grateful Ball, Flor De Toloache, The Brothers Comatose, Missy Raines & Allegheny and Carolyn Wonderland. Local and regional artists, meanwhile, will also be performing “tweener” sets throughout the weekend.

Additional information can be found at: ofoam.org.

Park City Song Summit: Held September 7-10 in Park City, this event promises “artist-led discussions by day and small-venue performances by night,” headquartered at The Lodges at Deer Valley. The Song Summit isn’t shy in ambition, looking to “redefine the live music experience.” The lineup assembled for this year says that they’re making a case, with its unique combo of live performances and creativity talks, set in storyteller mode.

A real variety pack of artists will appear this fall, including name acts such as: Anders Osborne, Andrew Bird, Cedric Burnside, Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite Duo, Father John Misty, Fred Armisen, Fruit Bats, Gov’t Mule, Jason Isbell, John Doe, Josh Ritter, Langhorne Slim and Warren Haynes.

You can sign up for ticket purchase information at PCSS’s informative homepage: parkcitysongsummit.com.

Schellraiser Music Festival: Taking place in Ely, NV, Schellraiser will be a four-day event taking place from June 2-5 at the

Ogden Music Festival

McGill Pool Park. A total of 31 bands will be taking part, including: Houndmouth, Nikki Lane, The Yawpers, TParanoyds, The Cactus Blossoms, Chuck Mead and Federale.

Rudy Herndon is a longtime Nevada Northern Railway supporter and proceeds from the festival will go to that organization for railroad track restoration projects. Herndon suggests that the scenery will be second-to-none among regional fests and that “the natural environment of Steptoe Valley is a well-kept secret. It’s just three hours away from SLC. People don’t realize the beauty here, with the high mountains and beautiful high desert valleys.” Musically, meanwhile…? Herndon says that “nothing like this festival has ever been done at McGill. This is the biggest event of its kind in rural Nevada.”

Information on nearby lodgings and amenities (like mountain biking, climbing, hiking and hot springs) can be found along with ticketing and other relevant info at: schellraiser.com/.

Superbloom Music Festival: Brought to life by S&S Presents, Superbloom returns for a second edition on September 10 at Sand Hollow Resort in Hurricane. Booked acts include: Judah & The Lion, The National Parks, Jamestown Revival, Smallpools, Mipso, Birdtalker, The Strike and The Moss, among others. Gates are scheduled open at noon, with music running from 12:30-11 pm.

Initially planned for a debut in April of 2020, the event was lost to COVID and flooding near Zion National Park, the venue of that time. Since then, the events moved to Hurricane, with the first edition debuting last fall. Billy Eusterman of S&S Presents says that October event, “was comprised of some of our favorite artists from Utah and the surrounding areas and this year we’re excited to be back bigger and with artists from all around the country.”

Ticket information as well as info on nearby lodging can be found at: superbloomfest.com. CW

Water Sounds

SLC Creator Finds Inspiration in the Great Salt Lake

BY THOMAS CRONE tcrone@cityweekly.net

If the Great Salt Lake’s moving into an unprecedented time of water loss, it’s perhaps also moving into a season of unprecedented public attention. Walk down any busy street and you’ll see signage in a window—or 10—with various GSL initiatives, websites and public efforts advertised.

Salt Lake City songwriter/producer Alireza Vaziri, who writes and records as Ali Rez, isn’t a Utah native, having moved here from his native Queens, New York. However, he’s incorporated his own ideals into the city’s activist culture since arriving, antennae ever up. As an example, while walking through the city, he noticed yard signs saying “water to survive, not thrive.” Over time, the phrase stuck in his head. Combined with an increasing interest in the region’s water policies, a curiosity he picked up while volunteering with Wasatch Community Gardens, he put all the components together and created a song for fundraising and awareness purposes.

“I became aware of the drought through working with the Wasatch Community Gardens,” he said. “I saw how the drought was impacting their gardens. I then learned about water policy in Utah, how it works from a pricing structure and how different it was than on the east coast. I started digging and found out about the Great Salt Lake Coalition and learned a little bit more about what’s going on, this immense sense of urgency.”

He adds that “I actually didn’t really see the lake until the last two years,” noting that he’s been coming to Utah for about a decade. “Living here, I became aware of some of the issues around air quality, which I’d come to know of through the inversions. With the forest fires and some of the windstorms that we were getting, I was curious what was going on, why was there this excessive amount of dust coming into downtown Salt Lake City.”

The Great Salt Lake became a focal point of his interests. To the point where he felt called to write and record a track.

Via the music streaming/purchasing website Bandcamp, Ali Rez recently offered up a short cut called “Save the Great Salt Lake: Water to Survive, Not Thrive,” with proceeds slated for the Utah Rivers Council. This type of track isn’t wildly out of character for Rez, as he’s tackled a variety of issues in his music over the years, while living here and elsewhere. Included in that mix are short videos that were recorded and released in SLC last year, called “Everything on the Menu is Vegan.” Just last week, he released a song for Earth Day called “You’re Trash If You Litter.” (Videos for many of these tracks can be found at his Instagram at: yo_alirez.)

The performer doesn’t hide his points of view, tackling his topics with a straightforward, earnest voice. The start, he argues, comes with everyone taking a role as their own researchers, no matter how long they’ve been Utahn.

“Salt Lake is a very young city,” he says. “People are educated and are active outdoors. I think there’s a lot of encouragement and motivation to protect the lake. I think people will continue to fight and the movement will continue to grow.”

As for himself, “I have a background in law and a background in activism. Right now, I’m just trying to use music as a form of activism.”

Information about Ali Rez’s efforts can be found at alirez.org; the track “Save the Salt Lake: Water to Survive, Not Thrive” is directly available as a pay-what-you-wish option at Bandcamp.

Ali Rez

Jerry Cantrell @ The Depot

Grunge OGs, take note. A constant since the earliest days of Alice in Chains, Jerry Cantrell’s been at the core of that band’s sound since the late ‘80s, serving as a songwriter, guitarist and co-lead vocalist during both of the band’s stints atop the charts. During periods of downtime, such as his band’s 10-year hiatus, he’s also created a trio of albums under his own name, including 2021’s Brighten, which has every bit of the musical DNA heard on AIC records over the years. Even the truest of fans, listening to Brighten’s songs, would be pleased by the clear AIC stamp. If the recent results from setlist.fm are to be believed (and why wouldn’t they be?) Cantrell’s shows are a healthy mix of solo material alongside Alice in Chains classics, such as “Would?,” “Man in a Box” and “Rooster,” among other faves. Jerry Cantrell plays The Depot (13 N 400 West) on Thursday, April 28. No opening act was listed at press time. Ticket info can be found at concerts.livenation.com.

First Daze @ Urban Lounge

A trio of Salt Lake’s bright lights will take the stage of the Urban Lounge (241 S. 500 East) on Thursday, April 28, including First Daze, which’ll be offering its debut, self-titled album, to be played in full at this show. A single from it, “Years Ago,” has been released on most streaming platforms, while the group’s spate of prior singles and EPs are live for streaming and purchase at Bandcamp. The group— Taylor Lines and Gui Pelaez (both on vocals, guitar and writing) and Ben Thornton (drums)—describe their work as “nostalgic, reflective and dreamy.” Furthermore, “it serves as a journal of sorts and includes the frustrations of love, reflections on good/bad/hard relationships, feeling lost and trying to find your place in the world.” First Daze will be joined on this bill by Daytime Lover and Elowyn. Nicely-priced $5 tickets will be available at the door on Thursday, April 28 for this 21-up gig, with added info available at theurbanloungeslc.com. Those unable to attend will be able to find the release online on the 28th, as well.

English Beat @ The Commonwealth Room

It’s not as if the English Beat didn’t have a nice little haul of hits during the band’s initial run, spawned by a trio of albums released from 1980-82, a series that has to rank as among the best trio of sequential releases from the new wave era. But that catalog’s growth was nipped by a collective falling out that saw the group splinter into two hit-making camps: General Public and Fine Young Cannibals. Though one English Beat album would come to life in the many years

since, bandleader Dave Wakeling has always been smart in appealing to the group’s fanbase, taking the English Beat out for occasional tour runs, such as the one hitting SLC this week, giving good play to the time-tested material of the early ‘80s, including classics such as “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Can’t Get Used to Losing You” and “Save it for Later.” Fans can luxuriate in the songs that helped define their youth, played by a band that helped ease ska and dub into many a young fan’s ears. Wakeling’s on his own now, long since departed from his genre-breaking bandmates, but he’s routinely assembled a crack team of players to keep these songs alive and kicking. English Beat appear at the Commonwealth Room (195 W. 2100 South) with Mad Professor on Friday, April 29. This 21-up show has a later start time, 9 p.m., according to thestateroompresents.com, where ticket info resides.

Mudhoney @ Urban Lounge

Though not in support of a new album, per se, the Mudhoney’s got nearly a dozen albums of time-tested material, dating back to the grunge classic “Touch Me I’m Sick,” which broke through on American college radio way back in 1988. With only membership change since then, the long-running band’s provided a legion of fans an evening of good vibes and memories. Mananero opens this 21-up show at the Urban Lounge (241 S. 500 East) on Sunday, May 1, with a $28 ticket price; info available at urbanloungeslc.com.

Interpol @ The Union

Remarkably, Interpol’s been a band for 25 years now, their first EP on Matador Records appearing in 2002. Part of a wave of stellar New York bands of that moment, Interpol have played a number of roles since, be it a support band for mega-stars (like U2) or a headliner in clubs and theaters, depending on the whims of the wider rock audience of the moment. The group’s got a new album slated for this summer, The Other Side of Make-Believe, with a pair of singles/videos—“Toni” and “Something Changed”—currently streaming on all the usual channels, while also living as a conjoined pair of videos on YouTube. Even a quick, first listen of the pair suggests that longtime fans will be pleased with what’s to come on the full-length. Like many other bands, this’ll be Interpol’s first touring in two years, with SLC serving as the sixth show of a two-month jaunt through the U.S. and Europe. Interpol appears with Tycho at the Union Event Center (235 N. 500 West) on Monday, May 2. Tickets are $42 and available at theunioneventcenter.com. Doors for this all-ages show open at 6 pm.

MUSIC PICKS

Interpol

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

First Daze

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

Gotorealastrology.comforRobBrezsny’sexpandedweeklyaudiohoroscopesanddailytext-messagehoroscopes.

Audiohoroscopesalsoavailablebyphoneat877-873-4888or900-950-7700.

ARIES (March 21-April

19)

I recommend you adopt a limitation that will enable you to claim more freedom. For example, you could de-emphasize your involvement with a lukewarm dream so as to liberate time and energy for a passionate dream. Or you could minimize your fascination with a certain negative emotion to make more room for invigorating emotions. Any other ideas? You’re in a phase when increased discipline and discernment can be liberating.

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20)

“Imagining anything is the first step toward creating it,” wrote author and activist Gloria Steinem. “Believing in a true self is what allows a true self to be born,” she added. Those are excellent meditations for you to focus on right now, Taurus. The time is ripe for you to envision in detail a specific new situation or adventure you would like to manifest in the future. It’s also a perfect moment to picture a truer, deeper, more robust version of your beautiful self—an expanded version of your identity that you hope to give birth to in the coming months.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Gemini author William Butler Yeats won a Nobel Prize for Literature, so I conclude he had considerable talent and wisdom. But he cultivated interests and ideas that were at variance with most other literary figures. For example, he believed fairies are real. He was a student of occult magic. Two of his books were dictated by spirits during séances. In the coming weeks, I invite you to draw inspiration from his versatile repertoire. Welcome knowledge in whatever unusual ways it might materialize. Be eager to accept power and inspiration wherever they are offered. For inspiration, here’s a Yeats’ quote: “I have observed dreams and visions very carefully, and am certain that the imagination has some way of lighting on the truth that reason has not, and that its commandments, delivered when the body is still and the reason silent, are the most binding we can ever know.”

CANCER (June 21-July

22)

You know what’s good for your well-being? Helping people who are less fortunate and less privileged than you. To enhance your health, you can also fight bigotry, campaign against the abuse of animals and remedy damage to the natural world. If you carry out tasks like these in the coming weeks, you will boost your vigor and vitality even more than usual. You may be amazed at the power of your compassion to generate selfish benefits for yourself. Working on behalf of others will uplift and nurture you. To further motivate you, here are inspirational words from designer Santiago Bautista: “I am in love with all the gifts of the world, and especially those destined for others to enjoy.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

“There is a moment in each day that Satan cannot find,” wrote author and artist William Blake. Here’s how I interpret his poetic words: On a regular basis, you become relatively immune from the debilitating effects of melancholy, apathy and fear. At those times, you are blessed with the freedom to be exactly who you want to be. You can satisfy your soul completely. In the next six weeks, I suspect there will be more of these interludes for you than usual. How do you plan to use your exalted respite from Satan’s nagging?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Poet Louis Little Coon Oliver (1904–1991) was a member of the indigenous Mvskoke people. He declared, “I do not waste what is wild.” That might mean something different for him than what it would mean for you, but it’s an excellent principle for you to work with in the coming weeks. You will have more access than usual to wildness, and you might be tempted to use it casually or recklessly. I hope that instead you harness all that raw mojo with precision and grace. Amazingly, being disciplined in your use of the wildness will ensure that it enriches you to the max and generates potent transformative energy.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

I suspect you will have the skills of an acrobat in the coming weeks—at least metaphorically. You will be psychically nimble. Your soul will have an exceptional ability to carry out spry maneuvers that keep you sane and sound. Even more than usual, you will have the power to adjust on the fly and adapt to shifting circumstances. People you know may marvel at your lithe flexibility. They will compliment you for your classiness under pressure. But I suspect the feats you accomplish may feel surprisingly easy and breezy!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Tumblr blogger Af-70 gives copious advice. From his wide selection of wise counsel, I have selected six tips that are right for your needs in the coming weeks. Please study the following counsel: 1. “Real feelings don’t change fast.” 2. “Connect deeply or not at all.” 3. “Build a relationship in which you and your ally can be active in each other’s growth.” 4. “Sometimes, what you get is better than what you wanted.” 5. “Enjoy the space between where you are and where you are going.” 6. “Keep it real with me even if it makes us tremble and shimmer.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Consider putting a sign on your door or a message on your social media that says something like the following: “I’ve still got some healing to do. While I’m making progress, I’m only part way there. Am open to your suggestions, practical tips and suggestions for cures I don’t know about.” Though the process is as yet incomplete, Sagittarius, I am proud of how diligent and resourceful you have been in seeking corrections and fixes. My only suggestions: 1. Be bold about seeking help and support; 2. Be aggressive about accessing your creativity; 3. Expand your imagination about what might be therapeutic.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

“To uncover what is hidden in my soul might take me a week or two,” my friend Allie told me. I told her she would be lucky if her brave exploration required such a short time. Some people I know have spent years trying to find what is buried in their souls: me, for instance. There was one period of my life when I sought for a decade to find and identify the missing treasure. According to my astrological analysis, you will soon enjoy multiple discoveries and revelations that will be more like Allie’s timeline than mine: relatively rapid and complete. Get ready! Be alert!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

A Thai cook named Nattapong Kaweenuntawong has a unique method for cooking the soup served in his Bangkok restaurant. At the end of each night, he saves the broth for use the next day. He has been doing that daily for 45 years. Theoretically, there may be molecules of noodles that were originally thrown in the pot back in 1977. In accordance with current astrological omens, I urge you to dream up a new tradition that borrows from his approach. What experience could you begin soon that would benefit you for years to come?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Pisces-born Casimir Pulaski (1745–1779) was a Polish nobleman and military commander. As a young man, he fought unsuccessfully to free Poland from Russian domination. Driven into exile, he fled to America, arriving during the Revolutionary War with in 1777. General George Washington was impressed with Pulaski’s skills, making the immigrant a brigadier general. He distinguished himself as a leader, exhibiting brilliance and bravery. For that excellence, he has been honored. But now, over two centuries later, his identity is in flux. DNA analyses of Pulaski’s remains suggest he was an intersex person with both male and female qualities. I bring this to your attention, Pisces, because the coming months will be a favorable time to question and revise your understanding of your identity. May you be inspired by Pulaski’s evolving distinctiveness.

Sr. Software Engineer (Sandy, UT) to write and design code that implements software designs. Resumes: HR, inContact, Inc., 75 West Towne Ridge Pkwy, Tower 1, Sandy, UT 84070.

Software Developer (Draper, UT) Research, design & develop mobile application or specialized utility programs. Analyze Cupbop’s needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time & cost constraints. Confer with managers to obtain information on limitations or capabilities for projects. 40hrs/wk, Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related required. Resume to CUPBOP CO Attn: Yeiri Kim, 12184 S Business Park Dr # C, Draper, UT 84020

TO THE RESPONDENT, CASSANDRA AMMORET MILLER:

RE: Case no. 1208602. You are hereby summoned and required to file an Answer to the Petition for Contested Guardianship in this matter with the clerk of the Third District Juvenile Court, 450 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, within 30 days of the service of this summons upon you. If you should fail to file an Answer or other responsive pleading, then judgment by default may be taken against you for the relief requested in said Petition without further notice to you.

DATED this 24th day of February, 2022. /S/ Stephen D. Spencer Attorney for Petitioners

Proofpoint Inc. has a Salesforce Administrator [Req #2DC1916] job opening in Draper, UT: Responsible for understanding business requirements and creating documentation as needed. Send resume to Global Mobility: globalmobility@proofpoint. com. Must include job title and Req # to be considered.

1-800 Contacts, Inc. seeks a Quality Analyst III in Draper, Utah. To apply, visit: https://www.1800contacts. com/job-listing and follow the procedures set forth there to locate the position and submit an application for it. Applicants who fail to provide a resume and prescreening question responses will not be considered.

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

SLC is Trying

The housing crunch is real and Utahns are hurting for lack of available and affordable properties. Salt Lake City elected officials, city employees and volunteers in planning and zoning, permits, economic cevelopment, housing and neighborhood development would like feedback from the public on several housing-related topics with the goal of increasing different housing options in our capital city. Currently, there are four areas you might want to chime in on:

1. Shared housing : Think “boarding house,” where tenants have a private bedroom but share a kitchen or bathroom with other tenants. It is rarely allowed but was virtually the most common form of housing in the 1800-1900s. The city is considering expanding where shared housing would be allowed in more neighborhoods.

2. Proposal to update off-street parking regulations: Developers of apartment buildings are required to include a certain number of parking spaces related to the number of units they construct. This can be in a parking garage built as part of the building or a lot adjacent to it. It’s incredibly expensive to build underground parking or multilevel parking and if the city required fewer parking stalls from a developer, it could lower the cost of their overall construction. The idea is that tenants would use more public transportation and not have as many cars, but the problem might end up clogging limited parking spaces already sparse in some neighborhoods.

3. Changing RMF-30 zoning : These rules limit the density of housing in certain neighborhoods in the city. Its intent is to provide an environment suitable for a variety of housing types of a low-density nature, including single-family, two-family and multi-family dwellings with a maximum height of 30 feet. It’s used in areas where there are less than 15 dwelling units per acre. Salt Lake City would like to make it easier to develop multi-family housing (three or more living units) in the RMF-30 zoning areas.

4. “ Thriving in Place” study : As we experience record growth and development with record housing prices, people are being forced to move out of SLC to find affordable rentals and home purchases. The city council wants to study how it can help people stay and thrive in communities. The study is in its early stages.

You are encouraged to read up on these issues online and chime in with your opinions. More details at:

Tinyurl.com/sharedhousingproposal

Tinyurl.com/offstreetparkingSLC

Tinyurl.com/RMF30zoning

thrivinginplaceslc.org

On Wednesday, May 11, at 5:30 p.m., the Salt Lake City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on a proposal to encourage the building of more affordable housing. Changes could provide incentives to developers who included affordable homes in their projects. It includes potential zoning changes that may result in multi-unit housing and taller buildings in some neighborhoods. The city council will then consider what came out of that hearing and any recommendations the planning commission pushes forward. Go to tinyurl. com/AHIproposal for info. To get an email when this will come before the city council, go to: mailchi.mp/slcgov/council. n

Let Someone Else Eat Cake

A birthday party for an employee at Gravity Diagnostics in Kentucky cost the company $450,000, but it wasn’t an expensive cake and decorations that ran up the bill, WLKY-TV reported. The employee, whose birthday fell on Aug. 7, asked the office manager days before to forgo the usual celebration because such affairs trigger his anxiety disorder, and “being the center of attention” would cause him to suffer a panic attack. However, the manager went ahead with planning a lunchtime to-do in the break room, which caused the guest of honor to flee to his car to eat his lunch. The next day, the birthday boy was called into a meeting and scolded for his reaction and was later fired “because of the events of the previous week,” according to a lawsuit he filed against the company. In the suit, the former employee said the company didn’t accommodate his anxiety disorder and caused him to suffer a “loss of income and benefits and emotional distress and mental anxiety.” The Kenton County jury agreed and awarded him the six-figure amount.

It’s a Dirty Job ...

In Australia, Queensland’s Bill Edgar is known to some as the Coffin Confessor. As such, Edgar shows up at funerals and speaks for the deceased, telling off family members, setting friends straight and delivering bad news about beneficiaries, News.com. au reported on April 14. But Edgar’s job doesn’t stop there. His services—for which he charges $2,000 to $10,000—have expanded to removing items from the deceased’s home that they’d rather the family not see: “Could be sex toys, messages of hate, love, whatever it is they’ve written down, that they want removed from their web browsers. One gentleman had ... a sex dungeon in one of his bedrooms. And that gentleman was 88 years of age, believe it or not,” Edgar said. He even delivers his services in the United States and United Kingdom, and he said Paramount has picked up the story for a movie.

Location, Location, Location

According to Washingtonian magazine, a five-bedroom house for sale in Fairfax, Virginia, listed for $800,000, will “go quickly” in a neighborhood where many homes sell for $1 million or more. It’s not in great shape, granted, but the biggest drawback? The home has “a person(s) living in lower level with no lease in place.” And prospective buyers can’t see the lower level. Listing agent Zinta K. Rodgers-Rickert said the basement resident has “weaseled her way in” and does not pay rent, and the current owners can’t “emotionally deal with the eviction.” Nevertheless, the house already had attracted at least one offer, with more expected. Rodgers-Rickert helpfully drew a picture of the basement for one potential buyer and said it’s in no worse shape than the rest of the house. Except for that squatter, of course.

Now, Where Did I Put That ...

On April 11, ITV News reported that a dead body had been left in a “side room” at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, England, for four days. Once discovered, the body was removed to the hospital’s mortuary, and the deceased’s family was notified. Officials, who did not reveal the identity of the body, have launched an investigation and offered their apologies to the patient’s family.

The Tech Revolution

It may have been April 1, but it was no April Fools’ prank. A San Francisco police officer approached an idling car with its headlights off around 10 p.m. and saw that it was empty, SFGate reported. That’s when the car moved forward, crossed the intersection and came to a stop with its emergency flashers on. As it turned out, the AV—or autonomous vehicle—was operated by Cruise, and was just trying to move into a safe position before yielding to officers. “An officer contacted Cruise personnel, and

no citation was issued,” the company explained in a statement. A maintenance team was dispatched to take control of the vehicle.

I’ll Do Anything for a Frosty

David Stover, 57, has been telling workers at the Bunnell, Florida, Wendy’s restaurant that he’s an undercover DEA agent ever since his buddy who worked there left, in an effort to continue getting a discount on food, ClickOrlando.com reported. The store manager told investigators Stover would even flash a badge when asked for proof. Unfortunately for the fast-food fan, the badge was a concealed-carry permit, and police were called to Wendy’s on April 11 because Stover was arguing with the staff. He was arrested for impersonating a law enforcement officer.

The Job of the Researcher

In preparing to reconstruct Paris’ Notre-Dame cathedral after a devastating fire in 2019, scientists have discovered a sarcophagus that may date to the 14th century, France24 reported. It was buried 65 feet underground, among the brick pipes of an old heating system, and extracted from the cathedral on April 12. They were able to look inside using an endoscopic camera, where they saw a skeleton, a pillow of leaves and fabric, among other items. Lead archaeologist Christophe Besnier noted that “if it turns out that it is in fact ... from the Middle Ages, we are dealing with an extremely rare burial practice.” France’s Institute of Forensic Medicine will study the body and contents of the sarcophagus and try to determine the social rank of the person. Afterward, it will be returned “as an anthropological asset” and could possibly be reinterred at Notre-Dame.

Not Your Ordinary Quickie Mart

A “convenience store” called Skraptyques in a Lumberton, New Jersey, strip mall was selling more than scratch-offs and cigarettes, according to Yahoo! News. In-the-know customers allegedly surrendered their cellphones to an armed guard in a bulletproof vest and were scanned by handheld metal detectors before being shown into a back room, where they could shop for marijuana, edibles and psychedelic mushrooms with colorful packages mimicking popular food items such as “Cheetos, Life Savers, Nerds and Skittles,” the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office said. The store’s owners, Matthew Quinn, 44, and Crystal Cain, 30, were charged in late March with possessing marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms, along with other offenses; three employees were also charged.

... and in Related News

Rebecca Swanner, 60, owner of a home day care in Garrisonville, Virginia, was charged with three counts of cruelty and injury to children as a result of three 1-year-olds in her care going to the emergency room after allegedly eating what the sheriff’s office described as “gold fish crackers” laced with THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. The incident happened in early March; a Stafford County Sheriff’s detective investigated and sent some of the crackers to a lab for testing, where the presence of THC was detected. NBC Washington reported that Swanner surrendered to the sheriff’s office on April 14 and was released on bond.

Can’t Possibly Be True

Edward Draper and his son, Rowan, have set a Guinness World Record for hanging up 10 items of clothing, according to SWLondoner. The pair achieved the amazing feat at Turk’s Head pub in Twickenham, London, England, in March. They hung up 10 items of clothing on wooden hangers in 56.87 seconds. Seriously? Good on them for raising money for the British Heart Foundation, but geez, men. Might want to visit the laundry room more often.

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