City Weekly December 3, 2020 by Copperfield Publishing

C I T Y W E E K LY. N E T D E C E M B E R 3 , 2 0 2 0 | V O L . 3 7 N 0 . 2 7

The press grinds to a halt for Salt Lakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daily newspapers as publishers commit to a digital future.

Exiting Print By Katharine Biele

CONTENTS COVER STORY

EXITING PRINT The press grinds to a halt for Salt Lake’s daily newspapers as publishers commit to a digital future. By Katharine Biele

Cover photography by Derek Carlisle

6 PRIVATE EYE 20 A&E 25 DINE 30 MUSIC 36 CINEMA 37 COMMUNITY

2 | DECEMBER 3, 2020

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OPINION

Check out weekly columns Smart Bomb and Taking a Gander at cityweekly.net. facebook.com/slcweekly

DINE

Go to cityweekly.net for local restaurants serving you.

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

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

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

Circulation Circulation Manager ERIC GRANATO Business/Office Technical Director BRYAN MANNOS Developer BRYAN BALE Display Advertising 801-716-1777 National Advertising VMG Advertising 888-278-9866

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

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SOAP BOX “Calling Mr. Cox” Private Eye column for Nov. 26

Governor-elect Cox, please understand the food, beverage and entertainment communities are being crucified. If we must be closed or hampered with capacity and hours impacted, we need relief. We are the soul of Utah. Help!

@BRUCECORRIGAN via Instagram

The government should pay for the regulations they want put in place for the bars and restaurants.

@SILENTSWANART via Instagram

If you are pinning your hopes on Spencer Cox, you will be severely disappointed.

JIM NGO

via Facebook

Cox is no better than Herbert. They can both rot in hot hell.

@JCTROUT72 via Instagram

Better Boundaries Gives Thanks

Thanksgiving was just not the same this year. Many reluctantly gave up travel plans to join a family dinner far away or decided to forego the treasured traditional Thanksgiving dinner together here at home with family and friends. These precious gatherings always remind us of all that we have to be thankful for. But this year, because of the pandemic, it’s a little harder to count our blessings. We at Better Boundaries think there is a lot to be grateful for, and so, this is a letter to cheer you up and share

@SLCWEEKLY

@CITYWEEKLY

with you a few things we are thankful for this season. For my part, I am endlessly grateful for my family and friends and for my health and my home. As the days go by, all those things mean more and more to me. As someone who has worked in the trenches with the staff and volunteers at Better Boundaries, I am thankful for the incredible amount of devotion to their work they have and for all of their intelligence, creativity, and devotion (translation: long hours). We may have won in 2019 but it has taken a lot of work in 2020 to ensure that independent redistricting becomes a reality. I am thankful to live in a country that believes voters have a right to choose their leaders and a community

@SLCWEEKLY

that is continually working to empower our citizens and achieve a more representative democracy. Following one of the most hotly contested elections in memory, I’m thankful for a commitment to come together and move our country forward. And I am grateful for you. Better Boundaries would not exist if it were not for the support of people like you. From the very beginning, you have been with us, and we will need you in the future as the independent commission is formed and begins its work. We hope you will stay involved because you are the people who will ensure the process we have begun works.

KAREN SHEPHERD

Former U.S. Congresswoman and Prop 4 co-chair

THE BOX

What are your top three favorite songs and why Pete Saltas “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” The Beatles. “Samba Pa Ti,” Santana, “Genethlia,” Notis Sfakianakis. Put those three songs on a playlist, and you’ll know why. Chelsea Neider 1. “After Hours,” The Weeknd: speaks to me, my current life relates to it 2. “Lux Aeterna” (theme from Requiem for a Dream): favorite song to paint to 3. “Shadow,” Kesha: about getting someone else’s shadow out of your sunshine. We all need more sunshine in our life and fewer shadows. Kelly Boyce Luke Combs: “Better Together”: Best country song ever written Marshmello x SVDDEN Death: “Crusade” —my go-to pump-up song Travis Denning: “ABBY”—Because dating sucks. I’m single, ladies! Eric Granato 1. “Where Eagles Dare” by The Misfits 2. “That’s Life” by Frank Sinatra 3. “C.R.E.A.M.” by Wu-Tang Clan All three tracks hype me up to get shit done or can pull me out of a funk instantly. They are also three of the best songs ever recorded. Jerre Wroble “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb, because a Leo’s gotta have a theme song. “Visions of Johanna” by Bob Dylan: a love song to Joan Baez (and Bob Dylan’s love songs are the best). “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison, reminds me that some of us are destined for each other. Bryan Bale It’s difficult to narrow down my list to just three, but these came to my mind pretty quickly. 1. Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In the Wall” reminds me of my school days; I appreciate the deliberate irony in the declaration that “we don’t need no education.” 2. Megadeth’s “Rust In Peace ... Polaris” flips all the right switches in my brain; it hits hard and showcases Megadeth’s technical mastery of their instruments. 3.The upcoming winter holiday season is the perfect time for me to indulge in my Hard Holidays playlist, which includes Korn’s cover of “Kidnap the Sandy Claws” from the Nightmare Revisited album. Derek Carlisle I’ll give ya three full albums front to back 1. Neutral Milk Hotel : In the Aeroplane Over the Sea 2. Black Lips: 200 Million Thousand 3. Faith No More: King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime

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B Y J O H N S A LT A S

PRIVATE EY

Change Is Afoot I

didn’t realize until recently how upside down the year 2020 actually is. We’ve all been jarred, and we’ve all adjusted. Most of us anyway. By now it’s clear that the quagga mussel cluster who suckle off the good behaviors of the majority of Utahns continues doing all it can to deny the dangers and impacts of COVID-19. I don’t think there’s any reaching them, the anti-maskers, at this point. When the quagga mussel hits a body of Utah water, there’s little to do but pick them off and segregate them and prevent them from spreading. Lake Powell—damn it!—remains at risk of quagga mussel spread, but thanks to education and concerted efforts to eradicate them, other waters have been spared. That’s what has to be done with the anti-maskers. We only need to cut out a nice piece of Utah County and all of Washington County just for them and let them be. Isolate them for time and eternity as sweet revenge for their unmasking in large groups and parties just to ultimately prove the exact opposite of their original intent. They set out to espouse either their personal freedoms or that COVID is a non-starter disease and not worth the economy dying over it. Then, as if by science, they start getting sick and finally see Jesus. I personally wish that by this time they would be good sports about it and simply see Jesus at home, but no, they fill our hospitals instead. For some reason, they’ve actually been normalized in some circles, not red-lettered as the scourge they are. That’s the way it is in Utah where vandals of all stripes have been immortalized from the start of Utah history. I don’t get it, and I never will. But it’s not lost on me that certain

@johnsaltas

of the vocal anti-mask crowd do cloak themselves in a fair amount of self-importance. I’d guess a quagga mussel feels the same way when he first attaches to a watercraft and is ported all over a clear and nonpolluted lake as if by magic. The anti-maskers have been wrong on all things COVID-19 since Day 1. They’ve said—because they are experts on epidemiology as well as salvation—that we should have isolated the sick and let the healthy go about their lives. We should engage in herd immunity, they say—not knowing how it works, ultimately, that unconscionable numbers of people must die for the remainder of the herd to be mostly virus free. They don’t really understand or minimize things like snot, sneezes, blowing winds and dirty hands that engender community spread. The one thing that will change their mind will be the same as what changes everyone else’s mind: When it hits them in the pocketbook. The double bonus point is when they have to bury a loved one, and they are hit in the heart as well as the pocketbook. There’s no reason to cite such examples here. They’re all over the internet. Just search for the words “Preacher Hoax Dead COVID” and you’ll nab a few hundred. Take your pick. Utah is now cresting at the highest levels of COVID-19 cases and deaths and doing so at the most inappropriate time, that of the last days of 2020, the exclamation point of which is what we all hope to experience—a happy and healthy holiday season of Kwanzaa, Hannukah, Christmas and others I simply don’t know of—followed by a prosperous and healthy 2021. Which is why in these last days of December that I now realize exactly how affected I am personally by COVID-19 and that it has indeed been the year of the upside down. It’s not the business that’s being crushed or the lonely quarters of spending most every day of every week working from

home that’s convinced me. It’s not the all-too-frequent reminders of just how close COVID-19 has come to my friends and family—now counting at least 30 persons I know who have contracted it, including several family members. It’s not even that Utah government—with the noble exceptions of certain local mayors—is basically sitting this crisis out. No, it’s more serious than that: COVID-19 has driven me to checking in with great frequency to the Drudge Report. That’s a place I left behind sometime in the late 1990s when Drudge was immersed in the Clinton takedown that knighted him to the status a conservative right icon. He pissed me off every day, and I went adios. He soon became the very most important conservative right icon of all. That I’m checking in on him again can only mean that I have changed politically—or he has. I’m prone to believe that we both changed, and I’m prone to hope that his own shift from Trump’s puppet to Trump’s pain in the ass is not the end of it. Today’s Drudge front page has Trump decked out in prison orange garb. Drudge was an anonymous 7-Eleven clerk when he launched his news aggregating site. I think he’s lived among the people Trump policies violate and belittle every day. What it means is that as we approach the end of 2020, there is hope. Matt Drudge has given the biggest hall pass of all to every cowardly Republican politician and pundit to take the correct step and choose country first. He’s the best cover any of them could hope for, barring a Fox News broadcast naked threesome of Hannity, Ingraham and Carlson baring their inner sins to a nation that wants more unity than it is willing to admit. For me, that’s a decent way to edge into 2021. Change is afoot. CW Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

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HITS&MISSES BY KATHARINE BIELE @kathybiele

HIT: Monolith Takes Flight

It was better than Bansky, especially in the pandemic. The whole world rejoiced in wonder at the timely appearance of the obelisk, aka The Monolith, in a remote area of San Juan County. Then this happened: “The Salt Lake Tribune went to the former location of the obelisk Saturday to confirm its absence.” Of course, the whole Salt Lake Tribune did not go the location, but a few staffers and who knows how many curiosity seekers followed the crumbs from Google Earth and found only a few metal remnants of the mystery-in-art. Don’t blame the BLM. While they called it illegal, they deferred to the local sheriff’s department. “Everyone’s been home for the whole year and then you get this weird random news that makes people want to get outside and see it,” a hapless filmmaker said of his trip. Somewhere there is a Grinch, but there was a joyful provocateur.

MISS: Elected to Represent Utah

Indigenous women are murdered at 10 times the rate of other ethnicities, according to the Centers for Disease Control. For too long, the issue has gone unreported, as communication between state, local and tribal law is lacking. In 2016, there were 5,712 known incidents of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Shockingly, 84 percent of Native women have experienced violence of some kind. Many of the murders are committed by non-Native people on Native-owned land, exacerbating the problem. Learn more about this hidden tragedy at Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women with guest speakers Yolanda Francisco-Nez, executive director with Restoring Ancestral Winds, and Moroni Benally, coordinator for Public Policy and Advocacy at RAW. Virtual, Thursday, Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3m6YTO3

What’s in the Future?

We’ve made mistakes, but do we learn from them? There may be no one to tell us what path to take, but we can use our humility, curiosity and ingenuity to inform the future. “What do you see for the future, or can you see at all? The way forward is messy and clouded by complex challenges. And, while there is no magical formula for perfect vision, when we ground ourselves and look inward, we start to see more clearly and reconnect with our humanity,” say organizers of TEDxMileHigh: Vision. Join them as they explore new ideas in science, art, health, poetry and activism. Virtual, Saturday, Dec. 5, 5-8 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/36cV98b

Recycling Redux

If you thought it was hard to figure out how to recycle after China stopped taking our trash, just think about how COVID-19 affected recyling. The Utah Recycling Alliance will hold UR A Trash Talk Series: CHaRMs Q&A where you can get your recycling questions answered. Where is your recycling going, and just what can you put in those bins? How about plastic bags, electronics, waste and light bulbs? URA doesn’t want to see trash piled up around the state, and it seems like you need to sign up for a Recycling 101 class to figure it out. Virtual, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 6-7 p.m, free. https://bit.ly/2UZRGDs

CAR CONCEPTS

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Holiday Stress Unwrapped

—KATHARINE BIELE

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There’s been a lot of talk about how we have to care for everyone else, whether it’s masking up or staying a safe distance. But who is taking care of us? The holidays are typically a stressful time, anyway, and the COVID pandemic simply adds to that. If you need to hear how to take time for yourself and keep going, join Holiday Stress & Self Care. “Guest speaker and life coach Mikkel Leslie gives us tips on helpful ways to manage holiday stress! 2020 has been stressful for many of us but there is still time to take care of you!” organizers say. Virtual, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 6:30-7 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/2UZtYXQ

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The Deseret News, being what it is, is all about “religious freedom” and now wants to give President Trump some ideas before he leaves office—you know, if he will. A Sunday front-page story talked about how his “proposed policies” could solidify his legacy. As if it wasn’t enough that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of some religions over the health of all Americans! “He offered relief to religious objectors to birth control, faith-based foster-care agencies and people of faith in the medical field,” the News wrote. And he has a bunch of regulations waiting to loosen restrictions on religious organizations getting federal bucks. The Center for American Progress disputes the idea that religious freedom is at risk “based on the administration’s narrow understanding of religion and public policy—one that privileges the concerns of a select group of conservative white Christians, mostly evangelical, who by no means represent all of America’s faithful.”

The Problem of Murder

MISS: Trump’s Religious Legacy

IN A WEEK, YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

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Do you think we could get our representatives to focus on us? Death threats for certifying the results of the most recent election? Who does that? Well, it doesn’t help matters that Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart are leading the charge in a divided country. Reyes took a quixotic trip to Nevada in search of voter fraud and Stewart is raising funds on the claim that Democrats are “cheating” to win the Georgia runoff election in January, the Deseret News reports. Don’t forget Sen. Mike Lee and others in the congressional delegation. Do they not know that voter registration drives are legal and democratic? And it’s rich that the radical right is worried about “absolute power” from “radical Democrats.” Sadly, many of our elected representatives are determined to move forward on beliefs and feelings instead of facts.

CITIZEN REV LT

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10 | DECEMBER 3, 2020

A Great Christmas starts here

Christmas trees, wreaths, garland, creative gifts, plants and gift cards Your favorite garden center since 1955 3500 South 900 East | 801.487.4131

By Katharine Biele

Comings and Goings

DECEMBER 3, 2020 | 11

Schott was the managing editor of Utah Policy, a news aggregator that grew into an independent source of local political news over the years. When he was hired by the Tribune, his role in the newsroom was unclear, although he was expected to launch a separate product that operates semi-independently from the paper’s regular coverage. With Napier-Pearce gone and an interim editor at the helm, it appeared that Schott was hired by the new nonprofit board of directors. He has indeed started a podcast, but also has written print stories, notably chasing news of congressional candidate, now Representative-elect Burgess Owens. Meanwhile, he tweeted his displeasure at Utah Policy. “Fun fact. Before I left to go to the Tribune, I was asked to ‘stop beating up’ on ‘poor Burgess Owens’ because the NRCC was complaining that I was being mean to him. I ignored that request, but it’s still shocking that it was made.”

Schott left Utah Policy just as the Deseret News bought it. That could not have been good news for Schott’s cohort at Utah Policy, longtime political reporter Bob Bernick, who himself was a former D-News employee who had been unceremoniously demoted in May 2010 before he left the paper. Bernick’s byline has not been seen at Utah Policy since Schott left. When asked what his future plans are, Bernick said, “I really don’t have anything to say at this time, things are kind of up in the air.” Schott calls the years he worked with Bernick as “some of the most fun I’ve had as a journalist.” Publisher LaVarr Webb says he sold Utah Policy because at 70, he wants to slow down. “Utah Policy has never been a money maker. I basically subsidized it myself. It kept me visible in the community while I did some consulting work for clients.” Schott thinks the D-News plans to bury it, but Webb says his plan is to revert to the news aggregator it once was.

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hings were going along just fine—and then Bryan Schott showed up for work. While his hiring in late August 2020 at The Salt Lake Tribune was unusual, it was less cataclysmic than it was unsettling for a newsroom already on the edge. The Tribune’s highly acclaimed executive editor, Jennifer NapierPearce, had resigned earlier in August amid rumors of management discord and fears of yet another change. Change, in fact, had become the Tribune’s M.O. since 1997, when its founding family ventured into a $700 million stock deal with former cable giant TCI and began the water-boarding exercise that would result in digital surrender. At the end of 2020, the Tribune, and subsequently the Deseret News, will scrap their daily print editions in what the D-News calls “the next exciting phase of journalism.” The two Utah dailies confirmed an end of their joint operating agreement, part of the 1970 Newspaper Preservation Act which arguably sent many papers into a death spiral and just delayed the inevitable in Utah. Whether the inevitable is exciting or devastating depends on readers and their everchanging habits.

Staff photos courtesy of The Salt Lake Tribune

The press grinds to a halt for Salt Lake’s daily newspapers as publishers commit to a digital future.

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Exiting Print

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12 | DECEMBER 3, 2020

Bryan Schott,

Jennifer Napier-Pearce

Paul Huntsman

Tribune Political Correspondent

Outgoing Tribune editor and now staffer for Govenorelect Spencer Cox

Chair of The Salt Lake Tribune Inc. Board of Directors and president of Huntsman Family Investments

Painful Transitions Money, of course, is what the news is all about these days. That the Tribune was bleeding big bucks helped push it into the nonprofit world in late 2019. To be the first nonprofit metropolitan daily newspaper in the United States was seen as historic. The paper argued to the IRS that it was already doing the work of a nonprofit in support of the community. When it was granted status, it became clear that it would need to cut ties with the D-News, Napier-Pearce told the Nieman Journalism Lab. To any keen observer, that meant ending the JOA. When Napier-Pearce was named editor in August 2016, it jolted the newsroom. She had been in public radio and joined the Tribune in 2013 as a reporter, only to leave for a more lucrative position at the U of U’s Hinckley Institute of Politics. She spent only a few months there before being lured back by Paul Huntsman, heir to the billion-dollar Hunstman franchise who had come to own the Tribune. Paul’s father, philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr., wanted the Tribune to survive and had expressed interest in buying both the Tribune and the Deseret News at different times. Two years before his death from cancer, he shepherded Paul into the business and was named chairman emeritus. Paul Huntsman hadn’t exactly purchased the paper at its height. In 2014, according to The New York Times, circulation had dropped from 61,000 to 32,000 and ad revenue plunged 40 percent in his first two years. Then came the layoffs—34 from the newsroom in 2018—two years after the Huntsman acquisition and only one year after the paper had won its coveted Pulitzer Prize. “The Salt Lake story is a sober reminder that deep pockets and community-spirited good intentions may not be enough,” the Poynter Institute said at the time. “There was apprehension about Jennifer [NapierPearce] coming from a broadcast background to run the newspaper,” one insider said. “People were absolutely sorry to see Terry [Orme] go, but I would certainly say [Napier-Pearce] did a remarkable job given very difficult circumstances. She convinced the staff that she was the person for the job.” Still, there was acrimony. “We never warmed to her,” said one former staffer. “It was not just the people who were laid off, but the reporting staff—the Pulitzer Prize

winners—that voluntarily left.” Napier-Pearce seemed to be in panic mode and reflected that to the staff. “It felt like we were just afraid of dying every day,” the former staffer said. “I could see the ship sinking,” said another reporter who left at that time. The last six months before Napier-Pearce resigned were described as hell. “There was relentless hammering her about coverage of [Huntsman’s] brother’s campaign,” the insider said of Jon Huntsman Jr.’s run for governor. Paul Huntsman disputes the “relentless hammering,” and challenges the public to look at any of the election coverage for hints of bias regarding his brother. If anything, readers did tire of the obligatory disclaimer at the end of each story. Paul Huntsman did, however, want his reporters to follow the money and hold Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox accountable for COVID expenditures. When Napier-Pearce was asked for her take on her departure, she referred City Weekly to her official statement on the Tribune website [https://bit.ly/34V28lg], saying, “The path we forged for the Tribune is not a one-size-fits-all panacea for what’s going on with print journalism. There is a viable path forward for newsrooms—particularly for single owners in a community with the capacity for philanthropy.” That, she said, is the board of directors’ job. “They’re figuring it out.” It raised a few eyebrows, then, when Napier-Pearce accepted a position on Governor-elect Spencer Cox’s transition team as senior adviser/communications director. The question had to be asked: Could a possible job offer from Cox have influenced the paper’s coverage during the gubernatorial primary race? In an e-mail response, Napier-Pearce was clear that the offer came later. “The political desk’s coverage of the governor’s race was certainly one point of friction, but it was by no means the only difference of opinion I had with the Tribune board chair,” she said. “My job as executive editor was to protect the newsroom and allow them to do their job without interference, and I did that to the best of my ability. … To the extent you are asking if my departure from the Tribune had anything to do with my current position with the Cox administration, neither the governor-elect nor his campaign contacted

me until well after I left the Tribune.” Huntsman promised to announce a new executive editor, and it turned out to be 40-year-old Massachusetts native Lauren Gustus, previously editor of The Sacramento Bee and Western region editor for The McClatchy Co., where she oversaw 250 journalists in 10 newsrooms. She reports for work in early December.

How to Pay for Daily News? Nothing can be clear sailing for The Salt Lake Tribune. It had hired Fraser Nelson, a strategic consultant, as vice president of business innovation—a fancy way of saying she was to find donors and make money for the Tribune. Incorporation documents call her the registered agent for the new nonprofit corporation. She lasted a year and seven months. Nelson says she left because she had planned to move to Arizona to work on a political campaign. She offered to stay through January just to wrap things up, but Huntsman decided against that offer. “It’s a mystery to me why,” she says. Nelson had been heavily recruited and is believed to have raised a significant amount of money in a short time for the new nonprofit. Those figures will not be available until the next IRS filing. Small donations from readers and fans won’t be enough, and the Tribune won’t be able to depend on the Huntsman Foundation to keep it afloat. In fact, the IRS’ public support test requires broad support, both in terms of individuals and other sources. Filling the vacancy, the Tribune recently hired Chris Stegman as its chief revenue officer. While Nelson’s role was primarily fundraising, Stegman’s will be as a traditional publisher overseeing areas of revenue, while Huntsman himself will take over most development duties. Huntsman’s development experience is somewhat limited to his family’s foundation whose mission focused on health issues—very different from that of a news organization’s. Perhaps the biggest unspoken issue is what the path forward looks like. Board members have not been forthcoming. “I don’t think anyone knows what the role of the board is—including the board,” the insider said.

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Lauren Gustus Newly hired executive editor at The Salt Lake Tribune

David Noyce

“It’s just such a sad day. ... We’ve delivered a daily paper for nearly 100 years.”

Interim editor at The Salt Lake Tribune

David Noyce

Of course, there have been official statements and most recently stories in both the Tribune and the Deseret News. But there is an atmosphere of secrecy that cloaks the newsroom and the journalists who make the organization what it is. Reporters and staff are understandably reluctant to speak out during this delicate transition time, and the new board members defer to Huntsman. Meanwhile, news dribbles out to the public. “There are a lot of journalists there who value their jobs,” says Joel Campbell, associate teaching professor in journalism at Brigham Young University School of Communications. “The Salt Lake Tribune has long been a fighter for transparency in government. I guess I’m just asking the same from the Tribune.”

Nonprofit Strategies How do nonprofits survive, especially in this uncertain time of politics and pandemic? Radio and TV nonprofits walk a different path with periodic campaigns for audience support. KCPW 88.3 FM, a Salt Lake public radio station, sees a broad base of sponsors helping to safeguard autonomy. “With the public-media model—largely a nonprofit model—it makes us look for corporate sponsors and foundation grants and also rely on listener support.” says general manager Lauren Colucci. “The beauty of that is when you spread out the power of ownership among so many people, it really preserves the independence of an organization. No person or organization has any financial stake.” KCPW expects board members to go on-air to help fundraise. “It’s such a period of struggle or change with massive reductions in reporting staff,” Colucci says. “Newspapers unfortunately were very slow at moving toward digital and capturing it. In public radio, podcasts and listening in general have seen such an amazing growth.” Growth has not been the case for newspapers. The coronavirus alone has closed more than 60 newspapers, the Poynter Institute reports. “Over the past 15 years, more than one in five papers in the United States has shuttered, and the number of journalists working for newspapers has been cut in half, according to research by the University of North Carolina School of Media and Journalism,” The New York Times reports.

The Salt Lake Tribune, however, is not going away. But the digital change it’s undertaking is anything but a sure-fire fix. And losing the daily print edition brings up emotions among the staff. “It’s just such a sad day,” says David Noyce, interim editor at The Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s historic. We’ve delivered a daily paper for nearly 100 years.”

Suing for Two Voices Thomas Kearns and David Keith first bought the paper in 1901. “During the first forty years of its life, the Tribune was a crusading newspaper,” wrote O.N. Malmquist in The First 100 Years—A History of The Salt Lake Tribune 1871-1971.”It attacked its enemies and defended its friends with single-minded zeal and enthusiasm.” Kearns, a Roman Catholic, worked to transition the paper from its anti-Mormon bent. Over the years, it has acted as a counterbalance to the Mormon-owned Deseret News, inevitably fielding criticism for articles perceived as for or against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Readers would threaten to cancel their subscriptions, as if that mattered. In a way, it did. While subscriptions didn’t support newspapers, the advertising that came with them did. And that is what chipped away at newspaper revenue. It’s also what made the “joint operating agreement” feasible. These agreements came about with the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970 and allowed competing newspapers in the same market to share business operations. While the Tribune and the Deseret News had actually been sharing operations since 1952, negotiating these deals wasn’t always even-handed, as Utah witnessed in 2013. At that time, the Tribune was owned by a hedge fund, Alden Global Capital (owner of Digital First Media), which approached the Deseret News and emerged with a plan that made the Deseret News a majority partner, tilting profits to the News. This unprecedented move resulted in such staff alarm that a lawsuit became the only option. Former Tribune reporter and editor Joan O’Brien formed Citizens for Two Voices, a nonprofit joined by community supporters to fight the deal. Why was the deal so bad? News Matters, a coordi-

nated union campaign representing Digital First employees explains. “The investment firms introduced a new way of thinking about the business management of newspapers and their journalistic mission, which often ran counter to the historic practices of traditional print newspaper companies. The standard operating formula often included aggressive cost-cutting, the adoption of advertiser-friendly policies, the sale or shuttering of under-performing newspapers, and financial restructuring, including bankruptcy.” This was not lost on the hapless Tribune staff. A University of North Carolina study showed how far the stakes were being driven into the heart of newspapers. Since 2004, 1,300 U.S. communities have completely lost news coverage and at least 900 communities have lost all news coverage, it wrote. And it found that Digital First had shut down or consolidated 21 papers in the four years before 2018.

Best-Laid Plans

How did the Tribune reach this point? In 1997, the Kearns-McCarthey family sold the paper to TCI. “The extended family got a reported $300 million in that deal, with more than a few long-time Tribune staffers (underpaid and overworked for decades) getting $1 million in then-Tribune Corp. stock in their pension funds,” wrote political reporter Bob Bernick at the Utah Policy website in 2016. In a ploy with tax avoidance implications, the family had an agreement to buy the paper back from TCI. But funny thing, two years later, TCI was sold to AT&T, which didn’t want a newspaper. That started a fateful series of missteps: Dean Singleton bought the paper from AT&T and offered to sell it back to the Kearns-McCarthey family. That was a “no”—not enough money. Singleton’s newspaper chain was purchased by a hedge fund which, as we said before, was more about profits than news, and it began to get rid of the biggest cost burdens—newspaper employees. Bernick wrote that the Tribune sale by members of the Kearns-McCarthey family ironically was “part of the reason for the Tribune’s severe financial woes today.” In fact, the deal depended on a shaky game of dominoes beginning a long descent that threatened to

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Terry Orme Longtime Tribune staffer and editor who resigned in August 2016

“In some respects, we’ve never had more readers—that’s what’s so ironic. The impact is because of the web and goes far beyond Salt Lake City and Utah.” David Noyce, Tribune’s interim editor

close the paper entirely. Back in 2014, Michael Kearns of the former Tribune dynasty told City Weekly it was like watching the Hindenberg crash over New Jersey. Enter the LDS Church, which bought the Tribune’s assets from the hedge fund and revised the JOA to a profit-sharing split of 70-to-30 percent in the Deseret News’ favor. The future didn’t just look bad—it looked like it was over. That’s when O’Brien and her valiantly quixotic group sued. The lawsuit would still be churning were it not for the Huntsman family riding in on their white horse. Part of the JOA agreement allowed the Deseret News to veto any potential buyers for the Trib. Perhaps because of Jon Sr.’s influence and certainly with his LDS affiliation, the deal was approved.

Family Politics How then could the battered Tribune rise from the ashes? Things weren’t exactly going well. As previously noted, the weekday circulation was down to around 32,000 (from 61,000 in 2014). Paul Huntsman did as the hedge-funders had done and, in 2018, slashed the employee count, cutting a third of its journalists. Sadly, this came after the Tribune had won a 2017 Pulitzer Prize for its reporting on the treatment of sexual assault victims at Brigham Young University. The investigation had been shepherded by Terry Orme, whom Huntsman replaced with Napier-Pearce. “Terry leaving was awful,” a former staffer said. “The shock of losing him was alarming,” another said. While Orme was described as the quintessential supportive boss, he was undeniably tied to the withering model of print media. His departure, whether forced or voluntary, was a harsh and perhaps inevitable move into the digital world. “I don’t want to speculate about the reason,” said Huntsman. “Terry Orme was a very fine journalist, and after 39 years, left quite abruptly.” Napier-Pearce would become the face of the nonprofit, approved just as the primary election season was ramping up. Huntsman’s brother, Jon Huntsman Jr., was running for governor, coming into a race in which Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox already had a six-month

lead. But Huntsman, a former governor, a diplomat and former presidential candidate, was both wellknown and well-funded. Insiders believe that trouble was brewing around the news coverage, and Napier-Pearce was feeling the heat. “She clashed consistently and relentlessly with Paul, and the last six months for her were absolute hell,” the insider said. “Paul was relentless in hammering her about coverage of his brother’s campaign.” Huntsman disputes that. “I would challenge anyone to look at any article and ask themselves if it was overly favorable or negative (to my brother).” He said he was, however, deeply concerned about Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox’s role as the head of the Coronovirus Task Force. “We went through a very unusual time with COVID, and it’s still an ongoing situation,” he said. “There are very important, critical questions that should and need to be asked. “You have a governor wrapping up his term and confronted with a crisis we have not seen in our lifetime— the economy, schools and churches shut down, how this relates to science—and he turns it over to a subordinate and assigns $100 million to give away without medical, scientific or crisis management—and this individual is in the middle of a campaign.” Of course, Huntsman is referring to Cox. He says he has asked the staff to pursue government records requests to find out what has happened to the money. Even if his motives were legitimate, there was no escaping the appearance of conflict as the Tribune covered the gubernatorial race. Jessica Taylor, who works as Senate and governors editor for the Cook Report, told the Deseret News that Jon Huntsman Jr. faced an uphill battle, especially among more conservative Republicans, for having left Utah to work for a Democratic president. She also said Huntsman had said he would not run for governor again, telling Politico in 2014 that he would be “foolhearted” to try for a third term. Napier-Pearce may have been caught in the middle as the Huntsman family encouraged a write-in campaign for Jon Jr. But these were examples of the growing pains of

moving into a nonprofit organization. With the board not yet fully aware of its own role, Huntsman was the default decision-maker.

Diversity Wanted

Now, with both Napier-Pearce and Nelson gone, and with incoming editor Gustus not due to arrive until early December, that leaves the newsroom with only one woman in upper management—Sheila McCann. Noyce admits there is a need for more women and minorities on staff. “Look at our staff page—it’s far too white,” he said. “Utah can be a hard place to recruit from, but we really need to bolster that.” “In some respects, we’ve never had more readers— that’s what’s so ironic,” he said. “The impact is because of the web and goes far beyond Salt Lake City and Utah.” With the current circulation down from a height in its heyday of 190,000 bouncing around between 25,000 and 35,000 daily, Huntsman hopes to convert most subscribers to the digital edition. It shouldn’t be hard because some 80 percent of subscribers are digital now. The Deseret News has a significant lead into the digital world since its former president and CEO Clark Gilbert joined the conglomerate in 2009 and pushed its online presence and promoting a national faith-based approach. Of the 65 full-time employees left at the Tribune, only about nine work exclusively on the daily print product. Noyce thinks they could be reassigned to other areas. However, the 161 employees who operate the West Valley City plant’s printing presses will lose their jobs. The Tribune’s digital replica is produced by Technavia, a third-party vendor. In a trend that’s accelerating, more than four in five Tribune readers are now reading stories online or on mobile devices. The number of users? Four million. “It’s not insignificant and coming at a very difficult time,” Noyce said. “It’s kind of scary—and now we’re going to have to sell our own ads.”

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Failure’s Not an Option

Paul Huntsman remains optimistic about the Tribune’s future.

George Pyle Tribune editorial page editor

Scoring Engagement A recent RadioWest broadcast on KUER with Noyce and executive VP Tim Fitzpatrick hinted at where the Tribune might cut back—sports, arts and entertainment. That should worry some staffers. But Noyce says the “furniture” will remain. That means comics, obituaries, puzzles and games. Print has long been a losing proposition, draining resources even as it covered important news. With staff cutbacks, the Tribune has benefitted from partnerships with emerging journalists at Report for America as well as with Eric Peterson’s Utah Investigative Journalism Project. The digital world will bring a new brand of journalism, based on clicks and views over subscriptions. Noyce says reporters will be getting an overall engagement score, which tracks more than a one-and-done click. But still, it’s different for the reader, who has been used to seeing news organized and prioritized by editors. The Tribune has had and will continue to have a digital replica for subscribers although most people land at the website through a specific search, Noyce says. “No doubt the pressures of being first and right are greater than ever,” he says. Indeed, social media and so-called citizen journalists have diluted the news product and increased competition, making efforts to regain trust and credibility most important. For the readers being left behind, the Tribune’s transformation is nothing if not tragic. Letters to the editor have been pouring in, expressing angst, sorrow and nostalgia. Editorial page editor George Pyle wasn’t making light of it when he wrote: “It doesn’t really matter that The Salt Lake Tribune has more than a few devoted readers who will very much miss the daily thud on the porch when, come Jan. 1, the daily print edition will no longer be produced. There just are not enough of them, and aren’t going to be enough of them, to make it sustainable.” What it was; what it will be—this was the long and painful journey that The Salt Lake Tribune took. Death or redemption? There’s work to be done, both to re-imagine that morning news browsing ritual and to maintain the public’s trust in the product. “It’s not a séance,” Utah State University journalism professor Matt LaPlante told RadioWest. But to its loyal readers, it was spiritual. Now, those years of good vibes need to materialize into profits. n

He didn’t want to do it. He didn’t need that kind of stress. And yet, for his father and for the community, Paul Huntsman took the reins of a white stallion to save The Salt Lake Tribune. “I was always a fan of public policy, politics and news and always followed the Tribune, but I never thought I’d ever find myself in this position,” he says. For Huntsman, with no formal background in journalism, it was an idealistic opportunity to bring ownership back locally. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It has been a very, very difficult four years trying to figure out a business model in an industry where you cannot accept failure.” Journalism had to be part of the democratic society, he said. “We had to figure it out. “It has been very costly financially and emotionally. .... The easy thing would have been to walk away and quite frankly much better for my health.” Seeing that print had no long-term future, Huntsman says he began thinking through the transition to digital from the day he bought the paper. The question was whether the Tribune would print seven or five days or be a weekly only. “I was not going to allow the Tribune to have the newsroom subsidize print when the vast majority of our readers are consuming it digitally.” He did not want the Tribune to become another Kodak, doubling down on its products without realizing that the future was digital. After working closely with the Deseret News to produce and distribute the newspapers, Huntsman says they were like “pilots of a plane on fire” with the task of getting it to safely land. “Alden (Global Capital) did not make decisions in the best interest of the long-term sustainability of the paper. We were not going to survive.” Metropolitan Salt Lake City is unusual in that it has maintained two daily newspapers, both of which are now going digital. One in five papers in the country have closed in the past 15 years, according to research by the University of North Carolina School of Media and Journalism. The 2019 nonprofit status has allowed the Huntsmans to “unshackle ourselves from the costs and logistics associated with a very large costly organization.” The Trib’s weekly printed product will most likely be a broadsheet, he says. “I would have preferred a news magazine, but it’s more costly. We’re still dis-

cussing whether it will be mailed or delivered.” Utah is one of the most digitally advanced states in the country, making it more likely that subscribers will make the move. “Look at my mother, my inlaws, and how adept they are. Even my father who didn’t compose an email until the last few years of his life.” Huntsman Sr. depended on Bloomberg Terminal, a software platform for financial professionals who need real-time data, news and analytics. But when his fibromyalgia became too severe, he figured out how to send voice messages. “If my father can transition to that, anyone can,” Paul said. Still, up until the last few days of his life, Huntsman Sr. read the physical newspaper. “He never wanted to text or email,” Paul noted. “He thought it was too impersonal.” Going forward, philanthropy will be the mainstay of the Tribune, and Huntsman will be the main mover. His mentor has been Richard Tofel, president of ProPublica, the nonprofit investigative journalism organization. “I asked him where he found the most success, and he pointed toward individuals vs. foundations— even though we’d like foundations to contribute.” Huntsman has not been completely comfortable in his publisher role and has had to deflect criticism of his style. “As I try to be fully honest and transparent—do I provide feedback after the fact? Absolutely. “One time with [religion reporter] Peggy Stack, I knew she was doing an article, and I reached out to her. I was interested in the article and her take on it. She said, ‘You’re inserting commentary and opinion in journalism’—and it was a very good point. “She is one of the most respected religion writers in the world. “... We’ve got some of the best journalists. Pat Bagley (political cartoonist) needs to get a Pulitzer. He’s an institution, and he has done more to influence our public policy that any individual.” Huntsman says he’s more optimistic and excited about the future of the Tribune than ever before. “My focus has been trying to figure out the business model. … I’ve never taking a penny from it and I’ve contributed a large sum to it.” No longer the reluctant publisher, Huntsman will be building the Tribune’s financial future. n —By Katharine Biele

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tively creating a vibrant portrait of the place and its inhabitants. Brigham Young University BFA graduate Nancy Andruk Olson presents vibrant, colorful landscapes with an impressionistic bent. Kate Wilhite (whose work is pictured), meanwhile, captures faces with her own unique style. Natalie Allsup-Edwards, Troy Forbush, Molly McGinnis, Maddie Morrill and Dennis Reynolds round out the lineup with more exciting images. Share their distinctive views of Salt City, and see the place you’ve been seeing a lot of lately through new eyes. (Scott Renshaw)

Let’s face it: 2020 has been one big house of horrors. We’ve been living in terror of pretty much everything for several months now, and probably welcomed the Halloween season with a chance to take control of our fears in a safe way. Now that it’s officially the Christmas season, it feels a little weirder to still be living in that scary space when we want to be thinking of jingle bells and presents under the tree. So maybe an appropriate compromise is bringing in the Central European tradition of the Krampus—the horned goatdemon who knows just want to do with all the boys and girls who are on Santa’s naughty list. This year, Dead City Haunted House (5425 S. Vine St., Murray, deadcityhauntedhouse. com)—one of the newest additions to the state’s illustrious tradition of seasonal scare venues—welcomes visitors to Krampus Night on Dec. 4-5, 7:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Dec. 24 will be two musical concerts directed by PTC artistic director Karen Azenberg with music direction by Phil Reno, and a pair of special holiday cooking and craft shows on Dec. 11 and Dec. 21. All of these presentations are provided to audiences free of charge, as a holiday thank you to the community for its support, funded in part by the CARES Act and the Utah State Legislature through Utah Arts & Museums. Visit pioneertheatre.org/calendar for the full schedule of events, and bring a spark of seasonal cheer to your quarantine days. (SR)

Whitney Cummings @ Wiseguys

nightly. The COVID-revised presentation turns Christmas cheer into Christmas fear, and holiday lights into holiday frights. The immersive theatrical experience features plenty of gruesome surprises, and also invites guests to participate in the “Ugly X-Mask” contest showcasing your seasonal face coverings with a selfie at a designated location. Tickets are available online starting at $24.95, with a less-scary option available for youngsters or the more timid. The attraction’s one-way walking path will preserve distance between groups of visitors, masks are required of all patrons and performers, and sanitation stations are available inside—so you can make it a scary Christmas, but not that scary. (SR)

The world of standup comedy is notoriously tough for anyone to break into, but even more so for women given its male-dominated history. It takes a mix of talent and resilience to climb the ladder, which is exactly what Whitney Cummings has done over the course of a 15-year career making people laugh. Yet even as she made her way into the rarified air of being able to create network sitcoms—including Two Broke Girls and her self-starring Whitney—she still dealt with struggles. A stint as writer and show-runner for the revival of Roseanne ended in her quitting after star Roseanne Barr’s controversial public statements, and Cummings acknowledged that she dealt with an eating disorder in the early 2010s while juggling her multiple professional commitments. It’s a weird world, indeed, and Cummings still knows how to bring it into focus in her stage act. In her most recent one-hour comedy special, the 2019 Netflix offering Whitney Cummings: Can I Touch It?, she addresses the complicated climate of increased

WHITNEYCUMMINGS

Dead City Haunted House Krampus Night

The pent-up creativity of local theater artists needs somewhere to go; you can’t keep this many talented people bottled up for months at a time. While we miss the productions at Pioneer Theatre Company, the holiday season is providing multiple opportunities to get reacquainted with the kind of entertainment they can provide, from lively visual designs, to dramatic interpretations, to musical productions. Let It Show: PTC’s Perfectly Pandemic Productions provides the umbrella designation for these multiple endeavors, which launched at the beginning of December and run throughout the month. Currently on display at the Pioneer Memorial Theatre building (300 S. 1400 East), winterthemed holiday window displays come alive at dusk in the west-facing windows, created by Utah-based scenic designer Jo Winiarski. Beginning Dec. 5 and available via PTC’s Vimeo channel (vimeo.com/pioneertheatre), actors present a five-episode dramatic reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol based on the novel’s original narrative chapters. Also debuting virtually on Dec. 16 and

SCOTT RENSHAW

KATE WILHITE

For those of us who are taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously, the world has narrowed considerably for most of 2020. Some folks have limited their world to their homes and essential supply trips; other adventurous souls expand the circle a few more miles. As travel became a risky proposition, it became necessary to focus on our immediate surroundings, which often meant an increased appreciation for the fascinating place in which we live. From nearby natural settings to vibrant urban scenes and the people who inhabit them, Salt Lake City shows that if you have to be stuck somewhere, this is a hell of a great place to be stuck Running now through Jan. 3 at Urban Arts Gallery (116 S. Rio Grande St., urbanartsgallery. org), the group exhibition Salt City offers local artists the chance to show us how they view our city and its environs. Guest curator Hank Mattson—whose work also appears—brings together work by several other artists whose creations express their feelings about this place through portraits, interiors, local graphic arts and much more, collec-

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Pioneer Theatre Company: “Let It Show”

Urban Arts Gallery: Salt City

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20 | DECEMBER 3, 2020

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awareness surrounding sexual harassment: “My guy friends are like, ‘What, now I can’t even hug a woman at work anymore?’ You never could. That’s why we’re in this mess. Nobody wants to bump nipples with you at 9 a.m. by the Keurig machine.” Or men’s assumption that women might not understand some other women are crazy: “We know … we see the text messages she didn’t send to you.” This week, Cummings visits Wiseguys Gateway (194 S. 400 West, wiseguyscomedy. com) Dec. 3-5 for several performances, $30 per person. Tickets are limited to allow for social distancing. (SR)

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What to expect from an unusual ski season at Utah resorts. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

inter is bringing plenty of dread as Utah’s COVID statistics continue to climb, but it’s still a season that many locals look forward to. That’s because the ski and snowboard resorts open once more—and in 2020, when any activity that can be enjoyed mostly alone and outdoors is a blessing, it might be an even more attractive option. With most local resorts either already open or scheduling their opening soon, it’s worth taking a look at how they’re preparing for this very unusual winter season. Here’s a roundup of the current plans and information about how local resorts are approaching the pandemic, with the caveat that conditions are always fluid, and you should check the resorts’ official websites for details ahead of any planned visits. Alta (alta.com): Alta opened Nov. 23, with multiple safety protocols in place. Face coverings are required both indoors and outdoors, except when eating or drinking. Skier capacity limitations will be in place, managed through parking on a first-come, first-served basis. Skiers will be allowed to self-group for lifts, with no required combining of parties, and single riders will be required to use regular queue lines. Physical barriers and signage will enforce distancing between guests. Brighton (brightonresort.com): Nov. 23 also marked Brighton’s opening day for pass-holders and the general public. Face coverings are required in all indoor spac-

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JESSIE VAN DER LINDEN

Slope’s On

es, and in all outdoor spaces where six feet of distance cannot be maintained, including lift lines and on lifts. All lift tickets must be purchased in advance, contact-free, through the Brighton website or authorized retail partners. Reservations are not required for season pass or Go Card holders; Ikon passholders must make reservations through ikonpass.com Deer Valley Resort (deervalley.com): At press time, Deer Valley planned for a Dec. 5 opening day, conditions permitting. On-mountain guest capacity will be limited based on conditions at the time; pass-holders will not be required to make reservations. While on resort property, face coverings will be required while waiting in lines, loading and unloading chairlifts, interacting with staff, outdoors where physical distancing is not possible, and in all indoor areas. Guests unwilling to comply with Summit County and Deer Valley guidelines will be asked to leave the resort property. Park City Mountain Resort (parkcitymountain.com): As of Nov. 20, both PCMR base areas are open to the public with 257 acres of terrain, seven runs and a terrain park. The resort is requiring face coverings on all lifts and gondolas, and is limiting mountain access to provide for the greatest possible distancing. As a result, lift tickets will be limited, and guests are encouraged to purchase a season pass. On-mountain reservations are required, with week-of reservations released weekly on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. MT for the next nine days. Powder Mountain (powdermountain. com): Powder Mountain currently estimates a Dec. 11 opening date. The resort plans to alternate between Green, Yellow and Red operating scenarios (currently Red at press time) based on transmission conditions within the state. Virtually nonexistent lift lines provide a better-thanmost opportunity for maintaining social distancing. Face coverings will be required in most areas under the current operating conditions.

Snowbasin (snowbasin.com): The new season includes the addition of a handle tow, new trail and new learner area in an expanded location. No reservations will be required for passholders, but guest volume will be monitored during peak periods. Non-familiar groups will not be required to travel together on gondolas and trams. Face coverings will be required in all public spaces, including indoor spaces, outdoor patio spaces and shuttles. Snowbird (snowbird.com): Snowbird’s website includes regularly updated information regarding any confirmed COVID cases among resort staff. The resort reserves the right to limit the number of guests in any area as needed to maintain appropriate distancing. Masks are required in all indoor spaces except when seated for eating or drinking, and in all outdoor spaces where six feet of social distance cannot be maintained. Solitude (solitude.com): At press time, the planned opening date of Nov. 20 had been postponed, with re-scheduled date still to be announced. Lift tickets must be purchased in advance, for a specific date, in order to manage capacity limitations;

Park City Mountain Resort’s Payday lift

Ikon passes can be honored same-day at the ticket office. Multi-layer masks are required in indoor areas; neck gaiters do not meet this requirement. Masks are also required, and gaiters permitted, in outdoor areas including lift lines and on lifts. Face coverings may be removed while indoors and eating or drinking in a stationary position and physically distanced from others not within the same household group. Sundance Resort (sundanceresort. com): Sundance plans a Dec. 7 opening date at press time. All guests planning to visit are required to complete an online health screening questionnaire. Face coverings will be required in all public buildings, walkways, in lines, while loading lifts and in all areas where physical distancing is not possible. On capacity days, guests must provide a season pass or day pass confirmation before parking; reservations will be required for most activities. Shuttles from the upper parking lot to the base will operate at reduced capacity. CW

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THIRSTY THURSDAY

Pint of Beer or Tall Boy w/shot $5.00 12oz. Can of Roha Thursday $3.50

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24 | DECEMBER 3, 2020

30 WINGS, 2 SAUCES AND 2 SIDES

“In a perfect world, every town would have a diner just like Ruth’s”

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

-CityWeekly

4160 EMIGRATION CANYON ROAD | 801 582-5807 | WWW.RUTHSDINER.COM

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

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

siegfriedsdelicatessen.com

A holiday recipe from Pastry Chef Amber Billingsley. BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

CARROT BREAD WITH CINNAMON MASCARPONE GLAZE

CINNAMON MASCARPONE GLAZE

4 ounces mascarpone cheese ¼ cup heavy cream ¼ cup powdered sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ¾ cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground cardamom 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 4 ounces neutral oil such as canola 2 large eggs ½ cup buttermilk 1½ cups carrot, peeled and shredded (approx. 2 large carrots)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray standard, 8½ x 4½ x 2½ loaf pan with cooking spray. Line bottom and sides with parchment paper (optional). Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and combine with a whisk and set aside. In a separate large bowl, whisk together melted butter, oil, eggs, and buttermilk until well-combined. Sir in dry ingredients. Mixture will be thick so switch to a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine. When fully combined, fold in shredded carrots until evenly mixed. Scrape mixture into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 3545 minutes or until a tester is inserted and comes out clean and loaf feels springy to the touch. While bread is baking, make the glaze. Whisk all glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl and spread over carrot loaf once it has cooled completely. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds, or any chopped nut or seed you like, but feel free to leave it plain as well. CW

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

uring the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, you might remember that I shared a few lovely recipes from local chefs. One of the recipes I gathered was for carrot bread with cinnamon mascarpone glaze from Amber Billingsley, who makes with the sweet at Current Fish & Oyster (279 E. 300 South, 801-326-3474, currentfishandoyster.com) and Stanza (454 E. 300 South, 801-746-4441, stanzaslc.com). I was going to share this a bit earlier, but I was so enamored with the recipe the first time I made it that I hoarded it away like Gollum and his precious. Maybe the holly jolly of the season has officially taken hold, or maybe it’s the deluge of #givethanks posts gumming up my social media with their sticky sweet gooeyness, but sharing this recipe feels like the least I can do in such trying times. I started off a bit skeptical about this recipe, since it sounds a lot like carrot cake, a dessert which has done me wrong on numerous occasions. Though I have some carrot cake-related baggage, I’m also smart enough to know that when a renowned pastry chef hooks you up with even the slightest peek behind the curtain, it’s a sin to let that opportunity pass. So I got to work grating carrots, raiding my spice rack and tracking down some mascarpone cheese—which was pretty hard to find back in March, now that I

ALEX SPRINGER

Breaking Bread

think about it. The result was an autumnal, spice-filled loaf just begging to be sliced into thick squares and devoured alongside some creamy eggnog or piping hot coffee. The cinnamon mascarpone glaze adds some creamy and tangy zip to the whole affair, and if you happen to find yourself in a mascarpone void, softened cream cheese is an adequate—if slightly less classy—substitute. My first few attempts left me with loaves that were practically swimming in that delicious glaze, which isn’t all that bad since it tastes good on pretty much anything. Eventually, I got the hang of this unassumingly flavorful dessert, and it’s going to maintain a permanent seat at my holiday dinner table. In order to help others avoid a few amateur mistakes I made in the process, here are some things to keep in mind. First and foremost, when the recipe tells you to wait for the loaf to cool completely, you gotta leave it in the pan to do so. If you’re extremely impatient, you can set the whole arrangement— pan and all—on a cooling rack to expedite the process. On my very first attempt, I slid the loaf out onto some cooling racks right out of the oven, and it wasn’t long before they guillotined their way through that delicate crumb. I also think premature frosting was behind watching the glaze of my earlier attempts melt and make a break for it, so please make sure the loaf is room temperature at the warmest before removing it from the pan and hitting it with the cinnamon mascarpone glaze. Once you feel confident in your abilities, I suggest taking Chef Billingsley’s advice and adding some textural complement to the icing. Pumpkin seeds are a no brainer, but toasted pine nuts, candied ginger or chopped pecans/walnuts are all delicious ways to put your own spin on the recipe. So, without further ado, here is the dessert that will inevitably become the unsung hero of your holiday dinners from now on. Good luck and God bless.

ORDER ONLINE OR CALL TAKASHISUSHI.COM

DECEMBER 3, 2020 | 25

LUNCH • DINNER • CONVENIENT CURBSIDE SERVICE

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FOOD • SUSHI • JAPANESE WHISKEY • COCKTAILS DINE-IN 21+ MENU: POPSLC.COM

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26 | DECEMBER 3, 2020

onTAP BEER TO-GO AVAILABLE! SUN - THU: 11AM – 9PM FRI - SAT: 11AM – 10PM

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

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

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

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com On Tap: Cranberry Lime Sour Ale

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: GULB 2020

Squatters 147 W. Broadway, SLC Squatters.com

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: Fresh Brewed UPA

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

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

Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com On Tap: Bigger Badder Baptista P Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com On Tap: Red Ale 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: Strawberry Sorghum Hoppers Grill and Brewing 890 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale HoppersBrewPub.com Kiitos Brewing 608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: Fruit Bat Blonde Ale

Ogden River Brewing 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com

Strap Tank Brewery Multiple Locations StrapTankBrewery.com

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

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Alt “Riedel” Bier

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC ProperBrewingCo.com On Tap: Whispers of the Primordial Sea

Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: Udder Chaos Chocolate Milk Stout

Red Rock Brewing Multiple Locations RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Secale

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

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On Tap: D-Street Brown Ale

Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com On Tap: Cosmic Autumn Rebellion

UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com On Tap: Son of a Peach Hefe

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Tap: Punk As Fuck Triple IPA

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

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com On Tap: Seasonal Winter Amber Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Peach Cobbler

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

BEER NERD

Drinking the beer is half the fun this week BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

LIVE JAZZ Thursdays 8-11 PM

MIKE RIEDEL

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DECEMBER 3, 2020 | 27

Try our Pumpkin Black Ale

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crisp. Warming? Absolutely. And there’s a bitter finish too, just the way I like it. Overall: This here is a hell of a double IPA. Saltfire has really been upping their game, and beers like this prove it. If you’re looking for an IPA that combines the best parts of the New England and West Coast styles, look no further. Uinta Was Angeles: It’s clean, thin and gold in the glass—looks like a domestic, to be honest. The beer does offer a decent lacing that I wasn’t expecting. It smells like beer should smell: clean, while you really get the spicy noble hops coming through. It is almost grassy/earthy on the nose, like beer smells in Europe. I think they were shooting for a German pilsner with this one, but I’m getting more of a Czech vibe, which really works for me because I really like that style. I sense this may be a “chugging” beer. It’s not sweet, but it’s close—bittersweet, maybe. The flavor explodes when you take the first sip, then changes and becomes more complex as you swallow, leading to a wonderful dry aftertaste that’s long, but not too long. I have a few double pilsners in the fridge, and I actually prefer this one over them. It does feel a bit thin, but then dryness takes your mind away from it toward the back of the palate. There’s a good amount of carbonation, which I expected, and it helps change the flavor profile by adding some CO2 bitterness. Overall: This new 5.0 percent lager doesn’t reinvent the wheel by any means, but it offers a nice spicy alternative if you’re looking to get out of a rut. I think beer nerds are starting to rediscover pilsners, and this should be one stop on that reunion tour. You won’t be able to miss Was Angeles (an affectionate and budding term for the traffic clogged Cottonwood Canyons); the extra-tall 16-ounce cans are easy to spot. A portion of the proceeds from this beer will go to the Utah Avalanche Center. The kaijuinspired Bigger in Japan is mostly available at Saltfire, but I have been seeing it pop up in some restaurants and bars around town, so keep your eyes opened for that. As always, cheers! CW

raft brewers love to make their customers think about their beers. They are equally fond of the names they give to those beers. If you’re in the know, you’ll pick up these names pretty quick. If not, you better start asking your parents or siblings, because you don’t want to get caught not knowing the name behind that tasty beer clinched in your mitts. Friends can be cruel. Saltfire - Bigger in Japan: This gorgeous, classic-looking IPA pours a bright burnt orange with an off-white cap that won’t quit. Punching the tab on the can was accompanied by an immensely pungent aroma—orange marmalade dusted in pure cane sugar is met with oozing evergreen sap. Toasted white bread crusts and zested tangerine peels represent themselves well, as all of these scents hold true from start to finish. Orange candy hits first in the flavor. Fleshy citrus is defined in the foreground, similar to clementines. There’s even an earthy note coming through; it sounds crazy as a combination, but it’s wonderful. Bold, vague berries enter next, rounding out this implied fruit salad. I would guess there’s some Idaho 7 and Mosaic hops here, as the finish is extreme with herbal and wet pine influence. “Extreme” is a good word to carry on with here. This beast starts off sweet, even slightly tart like a true citrus influence would bring. Despite its 9.1 percent ABV, it’s smooth and even slightly

TUESDAY TRIVIA! 7-9 PM

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The Name Game

OUTDOOR SEATING ON THE PATIO

the

BACK BURNER BY ALEX SPRINGER @captainspringer

Cotton Bottom Reopening

Once the local foodie community learned of the Bar X Group’s purchase of local favorite The Cotton Bottom (6200 S. Holladay Boulevard, thecottonbottom.com), we eagerly checked social media for updates on this historic brewmance. Recently, the team at Bar X released word that the newly revamped restaurant will be opened at the end of 2020. Seeing as though it’s officially the last month of the year, we figure it’s safe to say that we’ll be enjoying some of Cotton Bottom’s famous garlic burgers and mugs of frothy beer within the next few weeks. This is a moment that we’ve all been waiting for, and we’ll accept it as an omen that 2021 will be a better trip around the sun.

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

Fermentation Seminar

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If you’re just now getting into the pandemic-stoked trend of at-home sourdough bread making, then the team at Mountain West Hard Cider (425 N. 400 West, 801-935-4147, mountainwestcider. com) have something for you. On Dec. 7, the distillery will host local baker Kathleen Larsen who will walk attendees through a fermentation seminar that outlines the proper methodology for making sourdough starter. In addition to learning how to bake some delicious sourdough, the seminar will feature tastings of other fermentation-friendly items such as cider and kombucha. The $25 ticket includes all materials and all tasting menu items, and social distancing protocols will be in place. The event lasts from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased via Ticketleap.com

| CITY WEEKLY |

28 | DECEMBER 3, 2020

Award Winning Donuts

Barrio Closes

A Central Ninth taco goliath has fallen. Recently, the team at Barrio (282 E. 900 South) announced their decision to close their downtown taqueria. Since Barrio opened, I was a fairly regular visitor. I will always remember ordering up three or four of their excellently prepared street tacos and slathering them up with some fresh habanero salsa for a quick lunch or hanging out on their stellar patio with a big plate of nachos and a cool glass of their homemade horchata. It was one of my favorite spots for a bite and some people watching, and I’ll miss those fleeting moments spent scarfing down tacos while reading a book on the corner of Third and Ninth. All the best, Barrio.

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e all have that one friend who’s super into something, and any time that you need help with that thing, you go to them. ‘Which car should I buy? Which phone should I buy? I probably could figure it out, but this person’s obsessed with that.’ I’m kind of that guy with music.” This quote comes courtesy of Nick Passey, of local acts Folk Hogan and Nick Passey and the Perpetual Sadness. The musical busybody plays more than 100 shows in a normal year, rubbing shoulders with music folks from all over, and all that passion and experience has him vying to be everyone’s helpful vinyl guy. That’s a desire he’s channeled into a new project—the aptly titled Record Spread. If you haven’t heard of vinyl clubs, that’s because according to Passey, there aren’t many. And considering the void opened up in the music scene by the pandemic, it’s something of an open market for new services, especially a curated and convenient subscription deal like Record Spread. “It helps people discover music when they don’t even have the ability to go out to a bar or show, pay for parking, go listen to three bands—only one of them good. There’s a lot of work in music discovery,” Passey says. So far, Record Spread’s album-of-the-month format has spotlighted locals like The Hollering Pines and Jacob T. Skeen, who Passey knows personally and who are well-stocked with records to sell to Record Spread while he establishes sales connections with bands elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad. Passey notes that vinyl sales in general are up, and that being stuck at home, people are listening to music more intently than usual—priming them for good music delivered monthly, right to their door. “I truly believe that vinyl’s for the superfan,” he says, with the authority of a superfan. “My take on it is that it’s an active listening experience with a community behind it—going into actual brick and mortar stores and flipping through records. This is about listening to the actual music and experiencing it, and I feel like vinyl is the best way to do that.” In the age of streaming, Passey has a unique reverence for an album’s bulk, right down to its ordering; “Artists spend a lot of time making their music and recording it, making sure it fits what their style is, but it also takes a great deal of time to even put the tracks in order,” he says. This work, plus the cost of ordering vinyl—which ranges at its cheapest from $1,700 to $2,000 according to Passey’s own experiences—creates a high barrier for entry to the vinyl world. That means any artist who makes a vinyl record has got to believe in their music, and anyone who buys it should feel that worth by virtue of the glossy vinyl surface itself. Part of Passey’s devotion to vinyl of course comes from his own career as a musician, where scrimping and saving for his art meant living in modest, roachy digs with “paper thin walls” and “no bathroom door.” “I had to walk by boxes of 250 or slightly less

NICK PASSEY

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

BY ERIN MOORE music@cityweekly.net @errrands_

| CITY WEEKLY |

CALL YOUR Is That Your REP TO Vinyl Answer? Passey turns his superTELL THEM Nick fan knowledge into a resource for music lovers and artists. MOM & POP SHOPS ARE “W GETTING WRECKED. OPEN THE RAINY DAY FUND! IT’S POURING OUT HERE!

MUSIC

Nick Passey With Recrod Spread Product records every day to get to the kitchen or the living room,” he says. “It’s a big commitment in just space to have 200 or 500 records.” That’s another reason for starting Record Spread—besides sharing music with fellow fans, he helps fellow artists move their stock. “There’s nothing I find more joy in than hitting up some artist I love and saying, ‘Hey, I need 50 records,’ and they’re like ‘What?’ It’s a huge order! It’s more merch than you’d sell at a really big show, it’s more merch than you’d sell in the whole rest of this crappy year.” And it’s a joy he gets to engage in often, even this early on. “This has already been a massive success. I had to go back to this month’s band and double the record order. That makes a huge impact to them.” Record Spread has launched at an ideal time, too, as we enter a gift-giving season where shopping locally is on many a mind. One can subscribe in monthly ($30), tri-monthly ($84) or yearly ($324) packages, with the option of adding additional records each month alongside the other included trinkets and goodies. And with Passey’s plans to grow the business beyond this unique year, the longer subscriptions are worth considering. Upcoming records of the month will likely feature local artist Josaleigh Pollett’s No Woman Is The Sea, California-based band Casual Friday’s Weekend Forever and a new album by Philadelphiabased artist Austin Lucas. Passey’s made it easy to gift a subscription, too, by sending the goods directly to giftees, with or without alerting them via email, or even by giving more specific instructions via email or any other messaging platform—Passey checks it all. “Anything I can do to help these independent artists sell more stuff and get the word out there is just one less dollar that’s going to some billionaire that doesn’t care about art or human rights or us, basically,” Passey says. Visit recordspread.com to read Passey’s personal, detail-filled blog posts on featured records, to subscribe or to shop the rest of the swag. With all luck, you just might find your new favorite record. CW

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THURSDAYS

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Octave Willis

Octave Willis Slow-Releases ain’t it gr8

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32 | DECEMBER 3, 2020

BUY GIFT CERTIFICATES ONLINE GRACIESSLC.COM 3 2 6 S . W E S T T E M P L E • O P E N 1 1 A M -1 0 P M , M - F 1 0 A M -1 0 P M S AT & S U N

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The first song on local beat experimentalist Octave Willis’s new album is called “reaching,” a lightly ethereal opener to the soothing, slightly funky collection of songs that make up ain’t it gr8. Those who are familiar with Willis’s work will already know that he’s a member of the diverse set of synth and beat makers in SLC; back in March, City Weekly wrote about his more hi-fidelity release Agora. This time around, though, Willis presents a work that is softer around the edges, an altogether pleasant listen that feels warm to one’s ears during this turbulent season of ‘rona spikes, election disputes and unique holiday stress. As an opener, “reaching” shies away from the winking lo-fi vibes found elsewhere on the album, almost carrying the calm of a holiday song, though of course it isn’t one. The song is filled out by what sounds like woodwind or brass instrumentation, soaring like a golden herald of some kind, or the sun on a brisk winter day. With the more down-to-earth beats on the rest of the album in mind, “reaching” almost seems like it’s signaling a celebration of the easygoing, of the simple. “cruuuuzzin’ at 118 mph,” for example, is actually quite the slow song, hazy like a feel-good daydream. ain’t it gr8 was also released over a slow amount of time, with multiple songs— most of the album, in fact—drip-released over several weeks leading up to the special early release on the last Bandcamp day of the year (Friday, Dec. 4). Also up for purchase is the hard copy, ain’t it gr8 on a beat tape—a gift well worth considering for the electronic music lovers in your life, or for the cassette collectors. Whether you get it on Bandcamp (octavewillis.bandcamp.com) or

CISCO GARCIA-GARZA

LIVE MUSIC EVERY THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT!

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MUSIC PICKS

stream it in two weeks when it hits Spotify, this is a sure pick-me-up of an album for the gloomy winter months ahead.

TSR Merch for the Holidays

The State Room has been just one of the many local venues affected by the pandemic, and one of the few locally not to attempt re-opening—a sacrifice and judgment call that is noble as hell, given that the logistics of hosting indoor shows during a pandemic are still dangerous no matter how many social distancing policies one puts in place. To make up for lost revenue and keep floating on until the pandemic lifts (maybe fall 2021 if vaccines come through?), they’ve come up with a few nifty ways over the last few months to create revenue. In the spring, it was an auction of their archive of posters from bygone shows. Now, just in time for the holidays, they’ve got stylish TSR-themed gifts for you and yours. TSR’s new online store is full of hoodies, tees, stickers, magnets, mugs and even koozies (perfect for pairing with RoHa Brewing’s special TSR Brew) for The State Room fan in your life who probably not only misses shows, but hopes to see the rebirth of them sometime in the next year at one of SLC’s most beloved venues. And on top of that, thanks to the Shop in Utah Grant that’s been given to many local businesses just when they need it most, The State Room is also selling Merch Cards at double value for a limited time. All of the items in the store are available for pre-order only, with up to a three week’s wait on some, so get over to that merch store (the-state-room.square. site) right now and send your orders in to get the goods before the holidays arrive.

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Lark & Spur

Get in the Spirit with the Mouseketeers

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Mundi Project’s Online Meet n’ Greet

Among Salt Lake City’s programs for kids with musical inclinations is Mundi Project, an organization that not only specializes in giving young ones music education, but in opening doors even to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity available to them—battling the barriers faced by kids from all socio-economic backgrounds. It may seem hard to acquaint oneself with new things, but if Mundi is new to you and yours, there’s still a way to get to know the faces and talents behind the non-profit, specifically this Saturday, Dec. 5, when Mundi opens its virtual doors for an open-house via Zoom. The ever-handy pandemic platform will host a safe meet-and-greet with Mundi staff, students, teachers and board members for a night of fun and learning, including live performances and prize raffles, featuring both family fun and more adult-friendly prizes. The online event is open to all, and to all kinds of questions about Mundi and its goals of accessibility and learning for all, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. It’s not just an afternoon shindig for adults to pop in to, but one that kids will enjoy too if they’ve got a favorite crazy Christmas sweater to don, which is a suggested dress code for those who join the meeting. For anyone unfamiliar with Zoom, anyone with the room passcode can participate, so don’t miss the chance to tune in and get your questions answered if you’ve got a young’un jonesing to learn an instrument, any instrument! Visit mundiproject.org or facebook.com/ mundiproject for more info on how to attend via Zoom.

One of Utah’s longest-running musical groups, Lark & Spur has been churning out their jazzy, folksy, spirited takes on classic tracks since the 1970s—and not just locally, but with tours all over the nation and world. Core members Jeff Whitely (guitar) and Lori Decker (mandolin and vocals) have filled out their live performances in the past with woodwinds, bass, guitar, piano, accordion and drums played by a dependable band. Though Lark & Spur has two whole Christmas-themed albums under their shared musical belt (2009’s Star of Wonder, Star of Light and 1995’s Season of Light), they’ve often through their long career drawn upon Irish and English heritage via songs from the Middle Ages, old Celtic tunes. But they’ve also swerved into more modern forms via experimentations in Bossa nova, jazz, swing and Broadway. Those inclinations come out on their other 2009 album, Once In France, a title which perhaps references their years spent on and off touring Europe, where they had much success, from busking the streets to playing big jazz festivals. At home, they’ve found popularity over the years performing around Salt Lake City and Park City, including with the Utah Symphony. With all that background in mind, let’s get back to what’s relevant for this time of year: the Lark & Spur Christmas Concert, put on by Excellence in the Community and live streamed from The Grand Theatre at Salt Lake Community College. The group brings grace to all the most classic Christmas songs, maybe even enough so that folks who “hate” Christmas music could be won over to the genre’s status as a true classic, just as evergreen as Lark & Spur have been and remain. Visit facebook. com/excellenceinthecommunity for the event page and stream on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m.

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It should surprise no one that Utah, as something of a pop-making super-realm, also has roots in the pop-making super-realm that is Disney. Many of today’s biggest pop stars—like Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera—all started out in the junior singing group the Mouseketeers, part of a 1990s Disney revival of The Mickey Mouse Club, which was chock-full of many other musically talented youths. Among them was Jason Blain Carson—known variously over the years as Jason Carson and Blain Carson—who is the Mouseketeers’ Utah connection as a Salt Lake City native. After his two seasons with The Mickey Mouse Club as a youth, he grew up to front the country band Shiloh, and later joined up with his wife to perform as the duo The Carsons. As of this holiday season, Carson and his fellow Mouseketeers of yesteryear have teamed up once more to create an album full of their unique renditions of classic Christmas songs, and the explanation is in the name: Why? Because It’s Christmas. Among those Mouseketeers are Tony Lucca (now of The Voice fame) and Rhona Bennett (now part of the R&B group En Vogue), with Lucca and Carson teamed up for a bluesy, almost-jazzy take on “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.” A portion of the proceeds from this Christmas album goes towards those extremely affected by COVID-19, through the non-profits Cast Member Pantry, MusiCares and The Brave of Heart Fund. Cast Member Pantry specifically benefits those Disney Parks employees affected by the mass layoffs enacted by Disney—making this tribute from the former Mouseketeers a rather meaningful one. Stream it on all streaming platforms to get into the holiday spirit, or purchase the commemorative CD at MMCHolidays.com

Jason Blaine Carson

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36 | DECEMBER 3, 2020

CINEMA

FILM REVIEW

Vagabond Issues

SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

Nomadland paints pretty pictures without noting root causes of rootlessness. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

he most dramatically compelling moment in Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland occurs before the movie even begins: the decision by 60-something widow Fern (Frances McDormand) to leave behind the last semblance of stability in her life and head out on the road alone in a modified van, for an itinerant existence of seasonal labor and a makeshift family of fellow wanderers. The ostensible reason for Fern’s choice—the closure of the gypsum mine in Empire, Nevada that all but eradicated the town—is dealt with in an introductory title card, and whatever anguish or uncertainty Fern might have felt at this leap into the unknown is left to our imagination. For all that we can tell, Fern is simply a creature of serene determination, making a brave choice to take on an unconventional lifestyle. Zhao’s 2017 film The Rider explored the story of a real-life person with a seamless blend of fictionalized narrative and pseudo-documentary, which would seem to make her an ideal choice for adapting Jessica Bruder’s non-fiction book. But there’s something frustrating about the aestheticized approach she takes to this particular subject. With scarcely a nod to the economic circumstances that force many of

these people onto the road, or the toll on the bodies of seniors spending what should be their retirement years in physically taxing jobs, Nomadland bathes its characters in the glow of painted Western sunsets. Necessarily, because of the world it’s portraying, Nomadland offers an episodic narrative, following Fern on an annual cycle that includes serving in the holiday workforce at an Amazon warehouse, winter encampment in Quartzsite, Ariz., summer as a national parks camp host, working in the kitchen at South Dakota’s legendaryslash-notorious tourist trap Wall Drug, and so on. Along the way, Fern learns valuable tips and tricks from other nomads—mostly played by non-professional actors as themselves—and befriends a kindly fellow (David Strathairn) who takes a liking to her. Fern suffers the occasional setback, generally involving unexpected expenses related to her van, but Nomadland feels so determined to make the subculture it portrays seem entirely one of willing rebels against the system that any hardships feel incidental rather than existential. It’s left to McDormand to serve as our tour guide through this world, and at first glance

she feels like exactly the wrong kind of actor for this kind of story; McDormand’s gifts as a screen presence are many, but naturalism isn’t usually one of them. As it turns out, Zhao’s storyline doesn’t ask much of her beyond being a stoic physical presence, smiling compassionately at every tale told by her companions and dealing with setbacks undaunted. By the time Nomadland begins filling in the blanks of Fern’s own back-story, it’s not always easy to see how that history informed the person we see roaming the country in 2012. It’s noteworthy that, like the non-professionals in the cast, McDormand and Strathairn play characters who basically have their own names (as Fern at one point asks an RV park manager to look for her reservation under “McD”). They’re mostly observers, like Zhao herself, trying to fit into a world not their own. It’s as though we’re watching McDormand’s research for her role filmed for posterity. Zhao has made no secret of her admiration for Terrence Malick, and Malick’s influence is certainly on display here, most noticeably in a sequence when Fern visits the California redwoods. And Nomadland is a beautiful movie, one that doesn’t fe-

Frances McDormand in Nomadland

tishize homelessness with studied grittiness. But it’s possible to go too far in the opposite direction, in the way that Malick films can occasionally turn his characters into incorporeal spirits, full of wisdom but seeming to exist on a plane above our own. As a book, Nomadland was fascinating anthropology, yet never ignored its historical context coming on the heels of the Great Recession. As our country faces yet another crisis that could leave many people without housing, it feels strange to see Fern driving confidently and voluntarily out into an expanse that’s meant to represent infinite possibility, rather than years defined by no possibility for living any other way. CW

NOMADLAND

BB½ Frances McDormand David Strathairn R Available Dec. 4 in theaters

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY B Y R O B

B R E Z S N Y

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

ARIES (March 21-April 19) An anonymous blogger on Tumblr writes the following: “What I’d really like is for someone to objectively watch me for a week and then sit down with me for a few hours and explain to me what I am like and how I look to others and what my personality is in detail and how I need to improve. Where do I sign up for that?” I can assure you that the person who composed this message is not an Aries. More than any other sign of the zodiac, you Rams want to be yourself, to inhabit your experience purely and completely—not see yourself from the perspective of outside observers. Now is a good time to emphasize this specialty.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) “I made the wrong mistakes,” said Libran composer and jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. He had just completed an improvisatory performance he wasn’t satisfied with. On countless other occasions, however, he made the right mistakes. The unexpected notes and tempo shifts he tried often resulted in music that pleased him. I hope that in the coming weeks you make a clear demarcation between wrong mistakes and right mistakes, dear Libra. The latter could help bring about just the transformations you need.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) “Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked,” observed Sagittarian author Jane Austen. She wrote this confession in a letter to her niece, Fanny, whose boyfriend thought that the women characters in Jane’s novels were too naughty. In the coming weeks, I encourage you Sagittarians to regard pictures of perfection with a similar disdain. To accomplish all the brisk innovations you have a mandate to generate, you must cultivate a deep respect for the messiness of creativity; you must understand that your dynamic imagination needs room to experiment with possibilities that may at first appear disorderly. For inspiration, keep in mind this quote from Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich: “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Is there anyone whose forgiveness you would like to have? Is there anyone to whom you should make atonement? Now is a favorable phase to initiate such actions. In a related subject, would you benefit from forgiving a certain person whom you feel wronged you? Might there be healing for you in asking that person to make amends? The coming weeks will provide the best opportunity you have had in a long time to seek these changes.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Capricorn novelist Anne Brontë (1820–1849) said, “Smiles and tears are so alike with me, they are neither of them confined to any particular feelings: I often cry when I am happy, and smile when I am sad.” I suspect you could have experiences like hers in the coming weeks. I bet you’ll feel a welter of unique and unfamiliar emotions. Some of them may seem paradoxical or mysterious, although I think they’ll all be interesting and catalytic. I suggest you welcome them and allow them to teach you new secrets about your deep self and the mysterious nature of your life.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Scientists know that the Earth’s rotation is gradually slowing down—but at the very slow rate of two milliseconds every 100 years. What that means is that 200 million years from now, one day will last 25 hours. Think of how much more we humans will be able to get done with an extra hour every day! I suspect you may get a preview of this effect in the coming weeks, Leo. You’ll be extra efficient. You’ll be focused and intense in a relaxing way. Not only that: You will also be extra appreciative of the monumental privilege of being alive. As a result, you will seem to have more of the precious luxury of time.

& SUPPORT THE FREE PRESS With generous assists from our great vendors, we are donating $20,000 to City Weekly through its non-profit free press 501(c)3, Press backers. BUY A TREE, BUY A FLOWER ➜ SAVE A PAPER. You can find beautiful products from these vendors at Glover Nursery year round. Support them and support a great cause.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Aquarian philosopher Simone Weil formulated resolutions so as to avoid undermining herself. First, she vowed she would only deal with difficulties that actually confronted her, not far-off or hypothetical problems. Second, she would allow herself to feel only those feelings that were needed to inspire her and make her take effective action. All other feelings were to be shed, including imaginary feelings—that is, those not rooted in any real, objective situation. Third, she vowed, she would “never react to evil in such a way as to augment it.” Dear Aquarius, I think all of these resolutions would be very useful for you to adopt in the coming weeks. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) In June 2019, the young Piscean singer Justin Bieber addressed a tweet to 56-year-old actor Tom Cruise, challenging him to a mixed martial arts cage fight. “If you don’t take this fight,” said Bieber, “you will never live it down.” A few days later, Bieber retracted his dare, confessing that Cruise “would probably whoop my ass in a fight.” If Bieber had waited until December 2020 to make his proposal, he might have had more confidence to follow through— and he might also have been better able to whoop Cruise’s ass. You Pisceans are currently at the peak of your power and prowess.

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Adventurer Tim Peck says there are three kinds of fun. The first is pure pleasure, enjoyed in full as it’s happening. The second kind of fun feels challenging when it’s underway, but interesting and meaningful in retrospect. Examples are giving birth to a baby or taking an arduous hike uphill through deep snow. The third variety is no fun at all. It’s irksome while you’re doing it, and equally disagreeable as you think about it later. Now, I’ll propose a fourth type of fun, which I suspect you’ll specialize in during the coming weeks. It’s rather boring or tedious or nondescript while it’s going on, but in retrospect you are very glad you did it.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20) In 1994, the animated movie The Lion King told the story of the difficult journey made by a young lion as he struggled to claim his destiny as rightful king. A remake of the film appeared in 2019. During the intervening 25 years, the number of real lions living in nature declined dramatically. There are now just 20,000. Why am I telling you such bad news? I hope to inspire you to make 2021 a year when you will resist trends like this. Your assignment is to nurture and foster wildness in every way that’s meaningful for you—whether that means helping to preserve habitats of animals in danger of extinction or feeding and championing the wildness inside you and those you care about. Get started!

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20) “Humans like to be scared,” declares author Cathy Bell. “We love the wicked witch’s cackle, the wolf’s hot breath, and the old lady who eats children, because sometimes, when the scary is over, all we remember is the magic.” I suppose that what she says is a tiny bit true. But there are also many ways to access the magic that don’t require encounters with dread. And that’s exactly what I predict for you in the coming weeks, Taurus: marvelous experiences—including catharses, epiphanies and breakthroughs—that are neither spurred by fear nor infused with it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) “Home is not where you were born,” writes Naguib Mahfouz. “Home is where all your attempts to escape cease.” I propose we make that one of your mottoes for the next 12 months, Scorpio. According to my astrological analysis, you will receive all the inspiration and support you need as you strive to be at peace with exactly who you are. You’ll feel an ever-diminishing urge to wish you were doing something else besides what you’re actually doing. You’ll be less and less tempted to believe your destiny lies elsewhere, with different companions and different adventures. To your growing satisfaction, you will refrain from trying to flee from the gifts that have been given you, and you will instead accept the gifts just as they are. And it all starts now.

YOU AND ME

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

ACROSS

1. Network with its HQ in Ottawa 2. ____ Lingus 3. Chem. or biol. 4. Poetic measure 5. Palindromic 1976 greatest hits album 6. One of two in a vacuum 7. Together, in France 8. Griffin who created “Wheel of Fortune” 9. April, May or June 10. Nivea rival 11. Like some heroes 12. One reading up on infant care, maybe 13. It’s often said with a smile 21. ____ factor

A Sense of Foreboding J 22. Wine: Prefix 23. A bajillion 24. Huey, Dewey and Louie, e.g. 25. Clickable list 29. “You betcha!” 30. Goodnight woman of song 31. “Breaking Bad” org. 32. Insecticide whose 1972 ban led to the comeback of the bald eagle 33. “Kinda sorta” 37. Back in the day 38. R&B’s ____ Hill 39. ____-jongg 40. Afore 41. It begins on Ash Wednesday 42. Golden Triangle country 43. “... ____ can share it like the last slice”: Drake 46. South Dakota’s state animal 47. Word before age or number 48. Part of a Snickers bar 49. House call? 50. Alert from the commish 51. iRobot floor cleaner 52. They’re fed by the street 57. Genre of crime fiction

58. Early Bond foe 59. Copy cats? 60. Many millennia 61. Makes bale? 65. Only account Edward Snowden follows on Twitter 66. Play (with) 67. Carry-____ (travel bags)

Last week’s answers

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

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

1. Brand-name watches 7. “That’s ... never gonna happen” 11. Chapel Hill sch. 14. “Don’t panic” 15. Best Actress Oscar winner Patricia 16. Book after Ezra: Abbr. 17. Black Sea peninsula 18. Hogwarts librarian ____ Pince 19. Nor. neighbor 20. “... and that’s no joke!” 23. “Lou Grant” production co. 26. Cousin of “Inc.” 27. Only ape to orbit the earth (1961) 28. “Really?!” 34. Ricci of fashion 35. Great American Ball Park team 36. #52 on AFI’s list of the 100 Greatest Movie Quotes of All Time 44. “____ Torino” (Clint Eastwood movie) 45. ____ admiral 46. Question asked by Paul Marcarelli in Verizon Wireless ads 53. Chiwere-speaking native 54. Raven’s fan? 55. Mao ____-tung 56. Podcast launched by Hillary Clinton in 2020 ... and this puzzle’s theme 62. “Srsly?!” 63. It debuted four years after Hydrox debuted 64. Mistreating 68. Hermana de la madre 69. Privy to 70. “A Walk in the Woods” author 71. Prefix meaning “outer” 72. Spreadsheet parts 73. Tests, as ore

SUDOKU

| COMMUNITY | | CITYWEEKLY.NET |

38 | DECEMBER 3, 2020

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ust after having our first pandemic Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving, it’s highly possible you had a conversation with family or friends about the state of the country. You or someone in your group may be asking WTF do we have to look forward to on the economic horizon? NPR reported two weeks ago that of the households in the U.S. making under $25K annually, 1 in 5 are late in rent, and 25% of the 1 in 5 are Black and Hispanic tenants. This pandemic is hitting minorities especially hard—not just with higher numbers of COVID infection, but in the pocketbook as well. The moratorium keeping landlords from evicting tenants expires Jan. 1, 2021, and given that Congress can’t agree on a financial game plan for the country, we may see mass evictions and more of the homeless on the streets in the coldest month of the year. Of the millions of unemployed people in this country, most of those without paychecks are in the service industry. That includes all levels of the hospitality industry— such as restaurant, bar and hotel workers; those employed in the tourist industry—ski resorts, travel and leisure companies; those who cater to tourists, including sex workers; and those who work for various nonprofits. They all have seen devastating layoffs and, if Congress doesn’t act quickly, many will lose unemployment benefits as of Dec. 31, 2020. In a recent interview on Marketplace, John C. Williams, CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said, depending on how long COVID-19 stays, he thinks our economy won’t rebound for three years. Right now, there is no PPE for small businesses or households to stimulate the economy, and no checks in the mail coming from the government. With Congress being unable to agree on relief plans, the “lame duck” president doesn’t seem to have any magic tricks up his sleeves to get money to the people. President-elect Biden may face the same roadblocks to economic recovery if lawmakers can’t agree in 2021. Utah’s service industry is in a weird place because, in many areas, we’re actually seeing increased tourism in Utah this year. According to a report released this past September by U of U’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, Utah’s tourism industry reached $10 billion in revenue for the first time in 2019, generating 141,500 total Utah jobs and $1.34 billion in state and local tax revenues. Our public officials were smart when COVID hit in that they invested $12 million of federal CARES Act funds to advertise Utah as a place to visit to people outside the state. It worked, because to get into Arches National Park this summer, many waited in a long line at the park’s entrance beginning at 4 a.m. We might not have had as many international travelers to our Big 5 as in the past, but the parks are packed. Sadly, though, many of the surrounding businesses near the parks are closed or operating under strict guidelines that limit day-to-day business. n Content is prepared expressly for Community and is not endorsed by City Weekly staff.

We have developed a NEW casino style card game that is a bit similar to Solitaire. It’s FREE TO PLAY and you can play against friends. We are in Salt Lake City and are looking to get this game more well known. It was just released onto the Apple and Android stores. Get to just level 7 and we will e-mail you a $10 Amazon gift card. Text your first name to 208-360-7602 to get started.

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WEIRD

Desperate Times Passers-by were reported to be incredulous at signs posted since mid-September outside Trillade elementary school in Avignon, France, asking parents to refrain from throwing their children over the locked gate when they are late to school. “Parents who arrived after the ringtone literally threw their children away,” Principal Sanaa Meziane told La Provence with a nervous laugh. “It hasn’t happened that many times ... but we preferred to take the lead.” While there were no injuries, the practice alarmed school officials enough to create the signs, which feature an adult stick figure tossing a child-size stick figure over the gate.

Uniform Complaints The BBC reported that Police Constable Simon Read of the Cambridgeshire Police will be the subject of a misconduct hearing on Nov. 25 after being accused of switching prices on a box of doughnuts in February. Read, shopping at a Tesco Extra store while on duty and uniformed, allegedly selected a $13 box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and replaced its barcode with one from the produce section that lowered the price to 9 cents, then went through the self-checkout line. In papers filed before the hearing, Read was said to bring “discredit upon the police service ... because a reasonable member of the public ... would be justifiably appalled that a police officer had acted dishonestly and without integrity.”

Line Crossed Typo, a gift and stationery retailer in Australia known for its tongue-in-cheek merchandise, is drawing fire from moms and dads Down Under after marketing a Christmas ornament that features a small elf holding a sign that says, “Santa isn’t real,” 7News reported. One dad posted that the item led to an awkward discussion with his son and encouraged other parents to “complain and get these things taken off the shelves.” The store said the ornament, which is part of its “naughty” line, has been removed from Typo’s in-person and online stores. “Sometimes we do make mistakes,” a spokesperson admitted. “We certainly don’t want to take the fun out of Christmas for anyone, especially after the year we’ve all had.”

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Bad Behavior Police in Middlesbrough, England, are asking for the public’s help in locating those involved in an apparent egg fight at a local Tesco supermarket during the two minutes of silence meant to honor fallen service members on Nov. 8. Most shoppers at the store on Remembrance Sunday stood still and quiet for the observance, but one customer continued shopping and talking, reported Metro News, and objected when asked to be quiet. “We were all stood still, observing the two minutes’ silence when we heard lots of screaming and shouting,” one witness said. Police noted “a man allegedly assaulted two women ... following a verbal altercation.” Bright Idea Two recent graduates of the Sydney Grammar School in Australia hatched a plan to skirt COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings to host a graduation party while their parents were out of town. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 30 people, and indoor events are capped at 10, the Daily Mail reported, but up to 150 guests can attend weddings if they follow social distancing protocols. On Nov. 12, the unnamed best friends “married” in a backyard ceremony and planned a 150-person party to follow, until their parents caught wind of the event online and returned to put an end to it: “We shut down the planned private celebratory event as soon as we found out about it, and thankfully, nobody was put at risk,” one of the lads’ dad said. Unclear on the Concept Charlene Stanton passes a book donation box in the Roxbury Park neighborhood of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on her daily walks, and told WTAJ on Nov. 18 that lately she’s become concerned about the bags of raw meat she regularly sees left hanging on the side of the box. She has seen both fresh and frozen meat left at the box, and someone keeps taking them, which alarms her “because so many ... illnesses could be caused by leaving meat out unrefrigerated.” Officials suggest donating food to a food bank, rather than leaving it at a book collection site. Oops! The mayor of Oudenburg, Belgium, said it was not the city’s intention that new Christmas decorations it installed resemble an iconic part of the male anatomy. City officials had set out to create lighted columns that looked like candles, the Daily Mail reported, but decided to do something different and placed blue spheres on top instead of flames. “I only realized (they looked phallic) when they were illuminated,” Mayor Anthony Dumarey said. “I see the funny side of it myself (and) I see no reason to remove or replace them ... we will have the country’s most talked-about Christmas lights this year.” Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

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DECEMBER 3, 2020 | 39

Awesome! Twenty concerned citizens in Norman, Oklahoma, turned out on Nov. 17 to help George Simmons, an arborist from Idaho, continue the search for his missing pet raccoon, an effort that had stretched into its second week and included support from the Norman Fire Department, which deployed its thermal imaging technology. Coonsie had accompanied Simmons when he traveled to Oklahoma to help cut trees around power lines after a freak October ice storm, KFOR reported, but Coonsie got loose in Nov. 6, and Simmons delayed his return to Idaho in hopes of

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| COMMUNITY |

Fake News Readers of Radio France Internationale’s website were alarmed to learn on Nov. 16 of the passing of dozens of world leaders and celebrities, The New York Times reported. Obituaries for Queen Elizabeth II, Clint Eastwood, soccer legend Pele and about 100 others were posted on the broadcaster’s website, and it was several hours before the notices were removed. The station issued a statement apologizing to “those concerned” and noting that the prewritten obituaries were accidentally posted as the website was moved to a new content management system.

Finders Keepers Douglas Allen Hatley, 71, of Lakeland, Florida, was arrested on Nov. 16 after the Florida Highway Patrol said he found a metal light pole by the side of the road in Tampa and tried to sell it to Eagle Metals Recycling. The Tampa Bay Times reported the recycling center turned him away because he didn’t have documentation for the pole, and officers responding to reports of a 1997 Camry with a pole twice its length strapped to the top pulled him over soon afterward. Hatley told troopers a highway maintenance worker “gave it to me.” He was charged with thirddegree grand theft.

Babs De Lay

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

n San Juan, Puerto Rico, police officer Fernando Leon Berdecia, 46, is accused of stealing $1,300 worth of merchandise from a Home Depot on Nov. 16 while wearing his uniform. The Associated Press reported Puerto Rico Police Chief Henry Escalera said Leon has been suspended from the department, and a court date has been set for Dec. 2.

locating her. He has been overwhelmed with gratitude for the Norman residents who are helping him look for Coonsie every night: “I’ve been all over the United States and never seen the hospitality like I have here,” Simmons said. As of press time, Coonsie was still missing.

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

| CITY WEEKLY • BACKSTOP |

40 | DECEMBER 3, 2020

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