City Weekly January 13, 2022 by Copperfield Publishing

CONTENTS COVER STORY

BUSY BEES Salt Lake City lawmakers call their shots ahead of the 2022 legislative session. By Benjamin Wood

Cover illustrated by Derek Carlisle

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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 State of Utah Coronavirus Updates: coronavirus.utah.gov

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

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

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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 “Get Real,” Jan. 6 Cover Story

I find it hard to believe that the author of this piece could possibly find anything redeeming about The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Possibly the most misogynistic franchise on cable TV, Bravo’s Real Housewives are portrayed as petty, vindictive, money grubbing, designer-label driven, Botox-dependent, cleavage-obsessed, social-media-styled exhibitionists. Yes, the Salt Lake City bunch may be of different ethnic backgrounds, but do they have much in common with any average person of any ethnic background other than the color of their skin or their ancestry? Note, always, the New York style and pricey restaurants they manage to expose themselves in, perfectly symbolic of everything else in the series. Luckily religious belief, per se, is treated with the same superficiality

as everything else, since I don’t think even Bravo wanted to get enmeshed in those Utah particulars. In fact, the women reveal how non-diverse Salt Lake City and its environs (not to mention Utah, in general) are, with their past and present encounters with prejudice ranging from good-old-fashioned bigotry to more modern weight shaming that have obviously stained and continue to color their lives. Even their businesses cater to women like themselves, specializing in all things superficial and, honestly, completely superfluous to any basic human need. With regard to Jennie Nguyen herself, I’m sure the careful editing of reality TV has made her life seem slightly nightmarish to viewers, especially with husband Duy’s need to over-perpetuate himself—with “sister wives” if necessary—which I’m sure was meant to portray Utah as some po-

@SLCWEEKLY

lygamist time-travel destination. All in all, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City says it all about Salt Lake City and Utah, just as the Bravo franchise does about the United States in general—none of it positive. STEVE IFSHIN

Salt Lake City Love, love, love Jennie! I’m glad that a real, cultured, educated woman of color is represented in a special and honest way. A great addition. ALEJANDRO_FERMIN_MATURIN

Via Instagram WTF has City Weekly become? “Real” housewife, eh? How does she connect with today’s regular female (or anyone, for that matter)? This issue reeks, please don’t try and market this bullshit. MIKEY CLARK

@CITYWEEKLY

“Entrata Family Values,” Jan. 6 Private Eye

@SLCWEEKLY

I know a few people who worked at Entrata and everyone said that Bateman was off his rocker.

Shame on David Bateman. Jewish people never wish to harm, they only contribute to humanity and its well-being. I don’t understand why people hate Jews. DAPHNE GEIRINGER VAN BEMMELEN

MINIMACSHRTSTAK

Via Instagram Don’t worry, Bateman will end up on a new episode of Joe Rogan’s podcast! JENNY BEAN

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Via Facebook The audacity is stunning! Why are conspiracy theories so much easier for some people to believe? EARTHCENTERACU

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

Via Facebook

THE BOX

What’s the most beautiful place you’ve seen? Mikey Salts

Chania, Create—a combination of Greek, Venetian and Ottoman influence in the Mediterranean. Doesn’t get any better than that.

Scott Renshaw

I think I lack whatever gene is required to be awestruck by landscapes. But Alaska probably made the biggest impression on me, 25 years ago when I was a suburban Californian who’d never really experienced that kind of wilderness.

Chelsea Neider

Either the Valley of the Kings in Egypt or the beaches of Costa Rica.

Cody Winget

Hanalei Bay, Kauai. The way the mountains and ocean meet is incredible.

Jesse Riley

The bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico … truly magical.

Paula Saltas

The world-famous sunset in Santori, Greece. Turquoise waters, whitewashed villages—a natural wonder of the world.

Derek Carlisle

Galway Bay, Ireland, for the storms and the silence.

Benjamin Wood

Tie: the Na Pali Coast on Kauai; Havasu Falls; and Piazza del Duomo, Florence.

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B Y J O H N S A LTA S

PRIVATE EY

Influence Lost B

ack in the good old days, the days before social media and the internet, it was fairly easy to stay on top of current events. All we had to do was go to our front porch, wave at all our neighbors in our jammies, then take the morning paper to our kitchen table for a read—often as not, cover-to-cover. That trip was later amended when our papers started being tossed on the lawn, in our driveways or onto the sidewalk after The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News started cutting distribution costs. Reading was once a thing—real reading, that is. Now we just peruse or make a snap judgement based on a Twitter comment, Facebook meme or headline (clicking links to read a full story or column is so yesterday), or we just say “yum, yum” when looking at the 10,000th picture that week of a local hamburger on Instagram. None of the above is original or new. But what is new is that as more years stack behind us, particularly these past two COVID years, the consequence of America becoming more stupid becomes more obvious. And yes, our country is more stupid now than it has ever been. It’s also sicker— the whole world is, really. Half of the world is making up crap that passes as authentic news. Millions are dying while quick answers to conspiracies take precedence over dull science. I was formerly a frequent visitor to store magazine shelves to see what Time, Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report were touting on any given week. I never see those magazines today unless I happen through an airport and buy them, mostly out of habit. Such magazines go on vacation with me since I seldom pull them out during the flight, feeling so out of sync when everyone else is using their

@johnsaltas

laptops and earbuds. I bring unread magazines home after every trip. Fifteen or 20 years ago, I would have been drooling all over the magazine shelves, reading one headline after another, flipping pages. I would have known the topical storylines of the week right then. So, forgive me that I’m referencing a story that I saw for the first time this morning. Published by U.S. News (which is no longer printed but available online at usnews.com), it’s from July 20, 2021, and titled “Social Media Is a Public Health Crisis. Let’s Treat it Like One.” Given my disdain for social media—despite my being as addicted to it as I ever was to nicotine—I can’t believe I missed that one. It never hit my radar. The story highlights the ill effects of social media. It intensifies anxiety, loneliness and depression, contributes to low self-esteem and makes it harder for persons to concentrate—particularly young people. I’m here to tell you that this old author has become just as dumb as the other dumb people out there on social media. It’s not just an affliction for the young. I’m going to stretch here and suggest that too many of the insurrectionists of Jan. 6, 2021, were led there—via years of breadcrumbs—down one social-media conspiracy sinkhole after another. Smart people, sane and healthy citizens, simply don’t act like that. And yes, social media makes dummies of progressive lefties, too. None of us are concentrating on the same prize. And that’s the rub. Hardly anyone disagrees with me on Twitter these days, except perhaps for those idiot BYU fans who think beating Utah was a big deal. But politically, no. I’m not a Twitter star. I have 2,450 Twitter followers. That’s paltry compared to my friends, Salt Lake Tribune mainstays Robert Gehrke and Pat Bagley. I’d bet nearly all of my followers also follow them. What Twitter has done is make sure everyone loves what

I say, making me feel smart and important. People who disagree with me, or whom I wish would read a particular column, don’t see what I have to say. In the old days, they’d simply walk past our news rack, but not always. On social media, as we send out billions of messages, we filter into subsets of our own making. Diverse opinions don’t filter into my stream, either. We are all our own echo chambers. Paywalls exacerbate this problem, but that’s another story. The result is that what formerly mattered, what could once sway a political viewpoint or a vote—a powerful editorial, column or drawing—is far less impactful than it formerly was. All of us on social media merely impress one another. Today’s best minds could write the most compelling case on a topic—COVID, mask mandates, political boundaries, water resources—and it will barely register to the people who need to see it, our contemporaries on the other side of the aisle, for example. A study by Princeton University says that public opinion has a “near zero” impact on U.S. laws. It goes on to say that only “when the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups align, does public opinion have any impact. Otherwise, the preferences of the average American appear to have only a miniscule, statistically non-significant impact on public policy.” Today’s political leaders not only don’t listen to us, they don’t need to listen because, in the end, all of the Pats and Roberts and Johns don’t amount to a hill of beans to them. At the same time, we are not influencing the politicians as they know our words will never be seen by the dissenting public. To be fair, they also don’t listen to public opinion in their own ranks. We’ve all been parsed out into fractions of public opinion. Lots of trees blowing in the wind, but none of us any longer combining to make a forest. CW Send comments to john@cityweekly.net.

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HITS&MISSES BY KATHARINE BIELE @kathybiele

MISS: Remembering Reid

It’s only fitting that Utah should mourn the passing of former Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, at the same time that we are mourning the loss of fair elections. The year 2021 was filled with flags at half-staff for stalwarts like Colin Powell and Bob Dole, but Reid’s death struck right at the heart of liberal, LDS politics. Not that Utah has seen a liberal in office for some time, but there has long been a fleeting hope that at least some Mormons would return to their communitarian roots. “He believed that the issues of global warming, economic inequality and civil rights would drive more Mormons to the left, and that what he deemed the ‘vapidity and hypocrisy’ of the evangelical platform would eventually disillusion Mormonism’s next generation. Reid hoped his faith’s future was blue,” The Washington Post wrote. He was wrong, perhaps not about the truly “faithful,” but surely about the 72% who voted for the former liar-in-chief in 2020.

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MISS: Impending Doom

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There’s a cartoon joke going around with a dinosaur looking up at a comet about to strike Earth. “But … the economy,” it says. And so it is with Utah’s libertarian ethos that demands a distrust in government, even when it tries to save your life. “Government is just the use of actual or threatened use of coercive force with a badge,” Sen. Mike Lee told the Utah Eagle Forum, which was meeting with a largely unmasked audience. Lee told them that the government doesn’t love you. Well, who does? Certainly not the Utah GOP. Salt Lake and Summit counties have both instituted mask mandates amid an unprecedented rise in COVID cases, but the Legislature is poised to snuff them out because, gee, they’ve got a great compromise law, KUTV 2 News reports. You know the one—it’s the law no one pays attention to.

HIT: Objectification Situation

There is hope in speaking the truth. That’s the rationale behind a new report from Utah State University’s Utah Women & Leadership Project. In its latest paper on sexist comments and responses, women—mostly white and members of Utah’s predominant faith—related questionable experiences from childhood on up. A Deseret News report quoted many of them. “My bishop said (over the pulpit) that his pretty wife was a reward for him being a good missionary, so the young men in the ward needed to be good missionaries.” The study aims to educate people on what constitutes sexual harassment or more, but it also intends to equip women with tools to combat sexism. Will it work in a state mainly run by white Mormon men who perpetuate the culture? Well, there’s hope, however faint.

CITIZEN REV LT IN A WEEK, YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

Rally for the Lake

No joke, the Great Salt Lake may be the Great Salt Pond before long as it dries up amid climate change and poor public policies. And if that isn’t enough, “As it does, decades’ worth of industrial waste and pesticides—along with the arsenic naturally found in Utah soil—blows across the Wasatch Front, exposing millions to a toxic, irritating dust,” scientists say. There’s more to it, too. We depend on the lake as an ecosystem that supports our very lives. Sure, the governor has said he’s going to focus on the lake and try to stem the water diversions. But we’ve seen how ineffective he is in the face of the Legislature. Join those who care in a Rally to Save Our Great Salt Lake before the legislative session begins. Wear a mask. Utah State Capitol, 350 N. State, Saturday, Jan. 15, noon, free. https://bit.ly/32Sxcnu

MLK Legacy

As we remember the life of Martin Luther King Jr., take time to make positive choices and show the world that he mattered. You can choose from a menu of events during a week of celebrations that includes an MLK Saturday Service Project and ends with the MLK Day Rally & March. The University of Utah’s Bennion Center has some 500 volunteer spots, including self-directed projects for communityidentified needs. In a single day, you can make a difference. Then, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, march to Kingsbury Hall in the legacy of his footsteps toward a shared goal of equity. Service Project/various venues, Saturday, Jan. 15, 9 a.m., free. https://bit.ly/3q04UAg March/East High School, 840 S. 1300 East, Monday, Jan. 17, 2 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/32UhRTy

Changing Demos

By the time our teenagers are 30 years old, Utah and the United States will be dramatically different places. To answer the question, “What are we doing today to shape and make room for a more diverse and beloved community tomorrow?” the Hinckley Institute of Politics is offering Reframing the Conversation: 2045: Toward a More Diverse Future, an event that’s part of Martin Luther King Jr. week. We’re already seeing the changes, but by 2045, “there will be more people of color than people who identify as white, more old people than children and more people practicing Islam than Judaism. … In 2045, we are striving for a beloved community, a community that is not a lofty utopian goal but realistic, achievable and mutual.” Hinckley Institute of Politics or virtual, 260 S. Campus Drive, Wednesday, Jan. 19, noon, free. https://bit.ly/3JJFLSt

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ESSENTIALS

the

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, JANUARY 13-19, 2022

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

lines between the actors and the characters in their play-within-the-play grow increasingly blurry. The Two-Character Play runs Jan. 13-30 at Ogden’s Good Company Theatre (2404 Wall Ave.), with performances Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.; the Jan. 22 performance will feature ASL translator. Tickets are $25 general admission, $17 student. Proof of vaccination or negative COVID test within 72 hours is required for admission, and face coverings are required throughout the performance. Visit goodcotheatre.com for tickets and additional information. (Scott Renshaw)

COMEDYCENTRAL

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fantasies. Yet, though she often comes across as needy and neurotic, she’s still determined to persevere. That’s admirable, but on the other hand, don’t we all feel better when we discover other people who are even more screwed up than we are? That makes her upcoming performances at Wiseguys (194 S. 400 West) particularly appealing. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 14 and Saturday, Jan. 15. Tickets cost $25; phone 801-532-5233 or go to wiseguyscomedy.com for more info. (Lee Zimmerman)

It’s hard enough for anyone coming of age in these uncertain times, but it’s especially difficult for a 30-something who’s trying to make the transition from youthful uncertainty to a semblance of marked maturity. Comedienne Esther Povitsky—affectionately known as “Little Esther” — is no stranger to that plight, and given her confessional, self-effacing delivery, it’s easy to empathize. Povitsky got her start after dropping out of the University of Illinois and subsequently studying comedy with Chicago’s Second City. Considering herself an outcast and oddball, she came into her own once she relocated to Los Angeles, where she honed her skills at legendary spots like The Comedy Store and The Improv. That led to recurring appearances on Last Comic Standing in 2015 and her own special, Hot for My Name, on Comedy Central in 2020. Even so, the fact that she’s an otherwise unassuming individual—or, in in her words, “half Jewish/half regular”—makes her as confused and confounded as the rest of us, with the same fears, phobias and

Esther Povitsky

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Tennessee Williams is rightly celebrated as one of America’s master dramatists for psychologically-dense works like The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Night of the Iguana. But Williams also experimented with the emerging absurdist theater of the 1950s developed by legendary figures like Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco, using a shifting sense of reality to dig into some of the complexities of his own family history. That’s the core of The Two-Character Play, which was developed by Williams over the course of 10 years—including an alternate title of Out Cry— in the 1960s and early 1970s. The title The Two-Character Play itself offers a double meaning within the work. The audience itself is watching a two-character play, featuring a pair of actors—a brother and sister named Felice and Clare—who find themselves alone when left behind by the company with which they are touring. Yet as they believe themselves to be facing an audience expecting a performance, they begin their own two-character play, one where the

CAMILLE WASHINGTON

Good Co. Theatre: The Two-Character Play

ESSENTIALS

the

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, JANUARY 13-19, 2022

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The distinctive landscape of Southern Utah has been an inspiration for creative artists, from the writings of authors like Wallace Stegner to the iconic Hollywood Westerns of John Ford. Visual artists, however, have generated the most vivid work inspired by these stark landscapes, with some of the most recent evidence coming in the work of two artists sharing Finch Lane Gallery (54 Finch Lane). Casey Lou Miller’s Intrinsic Nature consists of boldly colored threedimensional pieces constructed from birch plywood, inspired by the native desert flora of Southern Utah (“Phases” is pictured). An adjunct faculty member at Dixie State University, Miller creates works that are not simply representations, but pieces suggesting the different phases of their life cycle experienced by the plants that inspired them. In Unknown Prospect: Body, Pigment, Swatch, University of Utah faculty member Elpitha Tsoutsounakis crafts works connected by her fascination with the unique coloring of the Southern Utah landscape created

COURTESY PHOTO

Casey Lou Miller: Intrinsic Nature Elpitha Tsoutsounakis: Unknown Prospect: Body, Pigment, Swatch

by iron oxide minerals. Her website describes UnknownProspect.org as “a speculative project in material color … an amalgam of design research, field work, installation, exhibit, printing, products and publishing,” all connected by ochres and the way they link us to the history of this specific place. Both exhibitions run Jan. 14 – Feb. 25, with a public artist reception scheduled Jan. 21, 6-9 p.m. Regular gallery hours are Tuesdays 9:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m., and Wednesdays-Thursdays 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Visit saltlakearts.org for health & safety recommendations and additional information. (SR)

Pioneer Theatre Co.: The Messenger

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Truth is an elusive entity these days. Politics and the pandemic are intertwined in a tangled web of mystery, manipulation and the loosening threads of a confounding reality. Pioneer Theatre Company, now celebrating its 60th season, is known for exploring issues pertinent to today’s times. Consequently, the company’s world premiere production of The Messenger by awardwinning playwright Jeff Talbott mirrors the predicament that arises when media credibility faces both scrutiny and suspicion. Inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s classic An Enemy of the People, The Messenger follows a doctor in a small Norwegian town who makes a shocking discovery, one that threatens to shake her community to its core. She’s then forced to confront a local newspaper editor who’s determined to publish story, even though she risks creating havoc in its wake. With the support of Artistic Director Karen Azenberg, Talbott, director Wes

TDKA PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY

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Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Grantom and composer Will Van Dyke have produced a work that resonates with suspense and intrigue. It runs Jan. 14 - 29 at Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre (300 S. 1400 East) with performances Monday - Thursday, at 7 p.m., Friday, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $33 - $50 in advance; $5 more on day of show. (Students K-12 are half-price Monday-Thursday.) A free panel discussion will take place after the Jan. 15 matinee and a talk-back with the cast will follow the Jan. 22 matinee. For more information, including health & safety protocols, phone 801-581-6961or go to pioneertheatre.org. (LZ)

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Utah Opera’s Flight provides an example of the unique appeal of contemporary opera. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

The cast of Utah Opera’s production of Flight

ning. Newer works often involve multiple regional companies co-producing and sharing resources, as was the case with the 2018 production of Moby-Dick that McIntyre directed for Utah Opera, in order to reduce the financial risk. But the flip side is that contemporary opera can be a way to welcome in new audiences who might otherwise feel intimidated by the high-art connotations of the mere word “opera.” “If anybody is ‘opera-curious,’ Flight is a great place to start,” McIntyre says with a laugh. “It’s a wonderfully approachable piece. It shows what contemporary opera is really good at: Come see a show where all the characters are appealing and totally understandable, and have your spirits lifted by this music.” CW

UTAH OPERA: FLIGHT

Capitol Theatre 50 W. 200 South Jan. 15-23 Tickets $15-$80 utahopera.org

piece like Flight requires a different level of authenticity than a Verdi masterpiece,” she acknowledges, “but I think the heightened emotions that make opera work are the same. … Contemporary composers are particularly good at underplaying emotion until it ramps up. We’re much more comfortable with the idea that everything doesn’t need to be full-throttle all the time.” McIntyre’s bio indicates that she has enjoyed a particular emphasis on doing contemporary and English-language works, which makes sense when you consider the peculiarities of directing for opera companies. “In the theater, if you directed Hamlet twice in a lifetime, that would be a pretty big deal,” she says. “But I’ve done Don Giovanni six times. So part of it is wanting to do something new. I’ve seen a lot of Verdi and Mozart and Puccini. The energy is in contemporary opera.” It is true that staging contemporary pieces presents some challenges to companies where classics like Tosca and The Magic Flute are surer bets to draw audiences, which can require some creative plan-

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hen most people think of opera, the image is likely of 18th- and 19th-century period pieces, sung in Italian or German, and requiring supertitles. It almost certainly doesn’t include a story about people stuck in an airport, sung in English. Contemporary opera is not some unicorn, with rare exceptions peeking up through the canon of Verdi, Puccini and Mozart. According to Kristine McIntyre—director of Utah Opera’s production of Flight, a 1998 opera by composer Jonathan Dove and librettist April De Angelis—this could be considered a “golden age” of contemporary operatic works. Yet it’s still challenging for a layperson to draw distinctions between a theatrical piece as “contemporary opera,” and the more familiar designation of “musical theater.” McIntyre believes there are a couple of key differences between the two forms— one related to the performers, and one related to the initial creators. As to the former, she notes that the specific classical training of opera singers makes for an entirely unique experience. “Opera is … generally about the beauty and power of the unamplified human voice,” she says. “These singers are trained not to be miked. With all respect for my musical theater comrades, most of them couldn’t sing

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these contemporary operas. These singers, they’re racehorses. They’re specialists, and writers of contemporary opera are writing for those specialists.” Furthermore, she adds, there’s a different focus at play in the creation of opera. “In theater, the prime storytelling mechanism is the words,” McIntyre says. “I don’t think anybody would say, even in something like Les Misérables, that the prime storytelling mechanism is the music. It is in opera. The music tells the story. “Broadway scores are written for 12, 14 instruments, and you’re lucky now if you get a live pit band. There are five percussion instruments alone in Flight. … I don’t think you find that kind of musical characterization in musical theater.” There is still the question, however, of why someone would choose to tell a particular story through contemporary opera, rather than through a traditional play, or even a novel or a film. Flight’s story of lives intersecting at an airport is in part inspired by the story of the same nationless refugee that was turned into the Steven Spielberg/ Tom Hanks film The Terminal. Yet McIntyre recognizes the components in Flight that made it “operatic,” despite material that could have been—and has been—taken in a more whimsical direction. “You can see how this could have been a funny modern play,” she says. “But [Dove and De Angelis] wanted to push it into a different realm. The characters of the Refugee and the Controller warranted something more in terms of musical motifs; they seem human, but there’s something almost supernatural about them. It’s no surprise that, when Jonathan Dove was writing Flight, he had just come off of a translation of [Wagner’s] Ring Cycle. What pushes it into opera is bringing all of those elements together.” As a director, McIntyre also believes that the general approach to guiding performances isn’t radically different in a contemporary piece than it would be for a more classical, canonical opera production, though there are some nuances. “A

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18 | JANUARY 13, 2022

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| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

Salt Lake City lawmakers call their shots ahead of the 2022 legislative session. By Benjamin Wood bwood@cityweekly.net

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JANUARY 13, 2022 | 19

His priorities: Water conservation and infrastructure are top priorities for my administration, so we’d love to see the Legislature pass bills that incentivize homeowners to remove ornamental turf, that fund secondary water metering and agriculture water optimization, and that preserve and restore the Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake. We want to see investments in our people, including historic funding for K-12 and higher education, and retraining and upskilling our workers. We also want to improve the quality of life for all Utahns, so we hope to see funding tied to affordable housing, homeless services, air quality measures and transportation investments. We anticipate and support returning money to taxpayers in the form of a grocery tax credit. This tax credit would provide much more benefit to those who need it most—low- and middle-income Utahns—than removing the food tax or cutting income taxes would. We hope the Legislature will give this serious consideration. We also urge lawmakers to increase mental health services for our children, support our local health departments and revolutionize value-based health care in Utah through the new Utah Sustainable Health Collaborative. This approach will improve health outcomes and save Utahns money. His favorite SLC restaurant: Fenice Mediterranean Bistro

Her priorities: I’m working on improving access to health care and medical cannabis, enhancing support for people with disabilities, commissioning an air quality impact study, investing in opioid harm reduction and treatment for substance use disorders, expanding workforce support and development, increasing accountability in public trails development and decriminalizing end-of-life prescription options. I anticipate the Legislature adopting tax cuts, and I hope for responsible decisions on taxation and state revenue, robust homelessness funding, better support for addiction prevention and treatment, funding the DSPD (Division of Services for People Wth Disabilities) wait list, increasing pay for critical public employees—like case workers in the Division of Child and Family Services and State Hospital employees—supporting child care needs for working families, air quality improvements, better management of water resources and a sensible focus on climate change. Her favorite SLC restaurant: Cucina

Gov. Spencer Cox (R) City: Fairview

Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost (D) Neighborhood: The Avenues

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ome hell, highwater or another—somehow larger—COVID surge, Utah’s part-time Legislature is set to convene next week for its annual, 45-day lawmaking bonanza. To tee up the issues that will soon be descending upon the state, City Weekly reached out to each of the state senators and representatives whose districts include any portion of Salt Lake City—from Davis County Republican Sen. Todd Weiler (Rose Park) to Murray Democratic Rep. Mark Wheatley (the Nibley Park Golf Course and … that’s it). Each was asked to describe their personal legislative priorities and the topics they expect the Legislature, generally, to tackle this year. And Gov. Spencer Cox— with his statewide constituency and veto pen—was asked to chip in as well. [Editor’s Note: The following responses are written as told to the author and were edited for length and clarity. The 2022 Legislative session begins Jan. 18 and ends at midnight March 4.]

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22 | JANUARY 13, 2022

Sen. Todd Weiler (R) City: Woods Cross

His priorities: I spent 2021 working on bail reform, but we got that done in the November special session. Bail reform is off limits for this session—that’s an unwritten rule. I’ve turned my attention to Justice Reinvestment Initiative reform. In essence: There are good people who get caught up in the criminal justice system because they’re addicts, and there are bad people who want to harm you and your family. We ought to treat the two differently, and the law aims to do that, but what the data is showing is we’re now treating bad people—who happen to have a drug addiction—as if they were good people. It’s going to be subject to some tweaks—hopefully, we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. I’ve become the e-bike guy, and I’m doing some followup legislation. There are outdated rules in some cities that treat every e-bike as if it were a motorcycle—like saying you can’t ride them on pedestrian paths, which is kind of silly. We’re taking another shot at it because they’re growing in popularity. This will be my 11th session, and I think it will be the first time we’re having a serious talk about the Great Salt Lake. And the old hits are not going away—affordable housing, clean air, education, transportation, homelessness. His favorite SLC restaurant: Current Fish & Oyster

Rep. Stephanie Pitcher (D) Neighborhood: Imperial Park-Sugar House

Her priorities: I’m mostly working on criminal justicetype legislation. One of my bills will create a program to assign fictitious addresses to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking—things like that. Their mail would be sent to a hub under CCJJ [the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice] and then routed to their actual, physical location. I feel like cash-bail reform was a net-win, and a pause on that issue would probably be appropriate. The special session bill just passed in November, so I think we need time for the dust to settle and for all of the stakeholders to get a handle on how things are actually implemented. [Editor’s note: Pitcher sponsored cash-bail legislation in 2019 that was adopted, but repealed in 2020 amid pushback.] I am happy with where we ended up. Hopefully, it’s mostly resolved and the pre-trial process works better for everybody. I’m not running the death penalty repeal bill myself, but I will be really interested to see what that debate looks like. And, obviously, COVID remains a huge issue for our state, but what that looks like in terms of legislation has yet to be seen. We need to continue to take the pandemic seriously. Her favorite SLC restaurant: Eva

Sen. Gene Davis (D) Neighborhood: Sugar House

His priorities: I’m working on a committee bill that will allow you to go online or to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC) and order liquor that is not available in Utah—but for one or two bottles instead of having to go for a full case. Another bill is related to medical marijuana and creating a seed-to-sale commission that would alleviate having to go through [the Department of Agriculture and Food] and the Health department. Do I think it will pass this year? No. But I’ve alerted the folks who typically work on medical marijuana and told them what I’m going to do. The wage structure for a lot of our state employees is way below what it should be. I want to take a look at that, and I started last year with a bill raising DABC wages. Before we cut taxes, I think we need to take care of what’s going on. That’s the other thing I’m going to be watching— tax cuts, what they are and where they’re doing it. A topic of great interest to me is the Great Salt Lake and how we can save it. Is it time to give the Great Salt Lake a water right? We’ve overallocated a lot of our water to various entities. We’ve never allotted the lake a certain amount of water to use, or set a water level we think it’s safe to keep the lake at. His favorite SLC restaurants: Market Street Grill/Somi Vietnamese Bistro/Sapa Sushi Bar and Asian Grill

Rep. Doug Owens (D) City: Millcreek

His priorities: I am working on air-quality issues. One bill is going to be helping the Great Salt Lake, keeping water in there and working to keep air emissions—dust from the dry lakebed—down by not letting ATVs go and break the crust. If the crust gets broken, it allows much more dust to be blown by wind. Another approach is air filters in schools. That’s relatively inexpensive, and it would not only help with air quality and better school performance but also would be antiviral. I’m working on some wildlife-crossing issues. We’ve got lots of money to leverage now from the federal infrastructure bill and can protect people and wildlife from interacting in unwanted ways with automobiles. There are some less expensive propositions than [wildlife] bridges, although bridges may end up being necessary. But we need local funding to get organized, take advantage of federal matching funds and do more to prevent interactions that kill people and animals. There seems to be a strong effort to increase secondary water metering, which could really help the long-term health of the Great Salt Lake. It is just a huge issue for all of us on the Wasatch Front and for people who care about the heritage of the state and its wildlife. And I should mention Sen. Kirk Cullimore’s (R-Draper) omnibus air-quality bill. That’s a tremendous bill that’s going to require support from the majority party, and I’m excited to see leadership coming from them on that. His favorite SLC restaurants: Provisions/ Tosh’s Ramen

Sen. Derek Kitchen (D) Neighborhood: Downtown

His priorities: This year I’m continuing to focus on my legislation to expand birth-control access for low-income women in Utah. I will also bring back the CROWN Act bill from last year, which will protect our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) neighbors from discrimination in housing and employment based on their hairstyles. New this session is a carbon-tax bill that will fund initiatives to clean our air, protect the Great Salt Lake and eliminate the tax on grocery items. One big focus for the Legislature this year must be protecting the Great Salt Lake. Our drying lake has so many long-term implications, from air quality to annual snowpack—aka water—for our residents. This has to be our No. 1 priority. Furthermore, I have continued to focus my committee work on affordable housing and addressing the dire need for childcare in our state. And finally, with our historic budget surplus, we need to hold members of the Utah Legislature accountable to meaningful investments in homelessness, mental healthcare and transit/transportation for our growing region. His favorite SLC restaurant: Takashi

Rep. Brian King (D) Neighborhood: Yalecrest

His priorities: I’m sponsoring HB 65, a bill to preserve forensic biological evidence for the time a case is being actively investigated, or until an individual convicted of a felony is in prison. This will help with investigating cold cases and allow for more definitive results when dealing with claims of wrongful conviction. I also want to eliminate the mental-health disparity in the Public Employees Health Program (PEHP) longterm disability benefit framework. Under current law, if you are disabled based on mental conditions, you only have two years of disability benefits. To receive disability benefits until you are 65, you have to be disabled purely from objective physical causes. This bill would eliminate that difference. I want to make it illegal to post a video of a felony occurring without first reporting the felony to the appropriate public safety officials. I’m also looking to require the Department of Public Safety and other relevant state agencies to produce an annual report identifying the source of firearms obtained by restricted persons and to expand background checks for the purchase of firearms. His favorite SLC restaurants: Current Fish & Oyster/Lucky 13

Rep. Angela Romero (D) Neighborhood: Glendale

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His priorities: I’m bringing back a noise pollution bill that constituents brought to my attention. It addresses modified mufflers— the ones that are really loud. Under my bill, when you take your car to get the emissions inspected, the technician would look to see if you have a modified muffler and if you did, you’d fail to pass emissions. Another bill creates a kidney-disease task force composed of medical professionals and individuals who have lost or received a kidney. Kidney disease affects one in three people, and we need to start looking at policy to address long-term issues around that type of disease. I myself had cancer about five years ago, and they removed my kidney. Then, I have another piece of legislation that gives police departments 90 days to release video of individuals who have been shot. I presented this last session, and it was knocked down, but I’ve increased the time period to 90 days. We’re the second driest state in the nation, and we’re either the fastest or second-fastest growing state. We need to address those issues. And there’s always concerns about voting. Is the other side of the aisle going to restrict voting? And how are we going to use the surplus funds? We need more housing, we need to address the homelessness issue. We need other cities to step up. His favorite SLC restaurant: Sapa Sushi Bar & Asian Grill

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Her priorities: I’m bringing back my bill to remove all barriers for children to access Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program), meaning it will only be based on income. We’re currently ranked 46th in the nation when it comes to children with health-care coverage and No. 50 when it comes to Latino kiddos. It’s my No. 1 priority bill, and it’s a big lift—it costs about $5 million. I’m running an emissions-reduction bill following legislation that Texas adopted that focuses on incentivizing best practices. I’m excited for this, especially for my district—we have the inland port and reducing emissions is critical to get us to a place where we’re going to be able to live with the increased traffic that we’re going to see in our area. And, of course, I’m running a huge medical-cannabis bill. Every year, we run one to two big bills—I’m carrying one of those bills this year again. It’s mostly cleaning up some of the things that we’ve learned in this past year and a half of implementing the program. The budget is going to be huge this year. We have an interesting surplus that came out of the federal stimulus money and other funding related to the pandemic. It creates a challenge because it’s really a one-time issue. How do you distribute those funds in a responsible way without creating expectations that we won’t be able to keep? It’s going to be a big challenge. Her favorite SLC restaurant: Sapa Sushi Bar & Asian Grill

Rep. Mark Wheatley (D) City: Murray

His priorities: I am sponsoring legislation to allow people over 21 to order beer online and have it delivered to their home. I am proposing a bill to create the Utah Clean Energy Fund, which will issue low-interest loans to homes and small businesses to be more efficient and adopt cleaner energy. My Right to Charge bill will allow electric vehicle owners who live in multi-unit housing to install EV charging in their parking if they pay the cost of installation and electricity. And I have other clean-air legislation under development. I will continue to push back against the Big Lie that the 2020 election was illegitimate—I will fight against efforts to take away vote-by-mail in Utah or to enact other voting restrictions. And we cannot save the Great Salt Lake and also build dams on the Bear River, its most important tributary. Our water conservation goals are weak and need to be strengthened. On clean air, the incremental steps we have accomplished are good and have helped our air, but they are not enough—we need stronger commitments and more action. His favorite SLC restaurants: Desert Edge Brewery/ Dolcetti Gelato

Sen. Luz Escamilla (D) Neighborhood: Rose Park

Her priorities: A couple years ago, I ran a bill that made Juneteenth a state holiday here in Utah. In light of the fact that the federal government has declared it a federal holiday, I want legislation to bring us in line with that federal recognition. I am also working on bills around Izzy Tichenor—the young lady in Davis County who died by suicide—and trying to insure that is not happening to any of our kids. We’re looking at our education system and what is taught around history in our schools. We want to celebrate our heroes and teach everyone’s contributions toward America. And we’re looking at how we keep our kids safe in the school system, so bullying is not happening, racism is not happening, and it’s not ending up with kids being traumatized. I’m sure some people may perceive this as [Critical Race Theory], but that’s not what this is. Bottom line is everyone’s history and their contributions to the country should be taught. Her favorite SLC restaurants: Red Iguana/ Chubby’s Mexican Restaurant

Rep. Joel K. Briscoe (D) Neighborhood: Douglas-East Central

Her priorities: I have a bill amending local elections. For instance, in Holladay City, when the mayor was uncontested, because of our state law, you have to send out a ballot to the whole city. This bill allows you to not hold an election if it’s uncontested. It saves taxpayer money, and we’re getting statistics on how many voters even return the ballot. Then, I have a bill on driver speeding amendments, which is basically making it “wanton or willful conduct,” instead of just a citation when you drive over 100 mph or are involved in car racing. I have a resolution encouraging support for the Adoptee Citizenship Act. That’s a federal bill we’re pushing Congress to pass because there’s currently a technical glitch that can allow people who are adopted from other countries—like a lot from South Korea—to not be properly naturalized and not have the rights of citizenship. I’m running water conservation bills, and one deals with the flow rate of plumbing fixtures—toilets, urinals, shower heads, faucets—in new builds or remodels. This year is all hands on deck for water conservation. A couple years ago, I sponsored a water banking bill. There are ways to use that effort to get water and shepherd it down to the Great Salt Lake. Her favorite SLC restaurants: Koyo/The Bayou

Rep. Sandra Hollins (D) Neighborhood: Fairpark

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Her priorities: I’m going to continue my work on sexual assault and domestic violence. In particular, I’m running a bill on affirmative consent and looking at creating another felony when it comes to sexual assault. I want to give victims hope that, eventually, they’ll be able to bring their perpetrator to justice. Another bill that I’m working on, with the Humane Society, is looking at protective orders and what happens with pets. How do we make sure that we’re protecting them as well? I’m going to be asking for funding, like I did last year, for preventative education on sexual assault and violence. And I’m also asking for funding for the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women Task Force. I want to hire a researcher who can go into our tribal communities to do more in-depth conversations, so we can put a plan forward of what things we need to do after the task force no longer exists. A main concern of mine is health care and, when we’re talking about children, making sure that all children have access. Especially in the Glendale area, there are kids who qualify for health care but because they’re from a mixed-status family, they’re not able to receive certain services. My other big concern is the whole narrative around Critical Race Theory. I’m just hoping that isn’t an issue this upcoming session. Her favorite SLC restaurant: La Hacienda

Sen. Jani Iwamoto (D) City: Holladay

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24 | JANUARY 13, 2022

AS SEEN ON “ DINERS, DRIVEINS AND DIVES”

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BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

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30 east Broadway, SLC

801.355.0667 Richsburgersngrub.com

JANUARY 13, 2022 | 25

’m gonna be real right now, folks: My goal this week is to send a ballistic missile right into that bunker where you’re storing all those pretty little dieting resolutions you’ve made. They’re probably teetering on the edge of the abyss anyway, perfectly priming your resolve for an artful takedown involving pecan pie, Nutella gelato and salted caramel macarons. To make things even more convenient, all these places are located in the Ninth and Ninth neighborhood, so you don’t even have to move around that much to achieve full resolution remission. If you’re still on your 2022 diet after reading this, I congratulate you on your god-tier willpower. Pie Fight (937 E. 900 South, 385-2225373, thepiefight.com): I’ve been eating pie for long enough to know that the crust makes all the difference. Sure, some people will try to sell you on their crazy-ass fillings, hoping they will mask the mediocrity of their soggy bottoms. But the pie aficionado knows the power of a golden-brown crust that flakes precisely when it needs to. Admittedly, I was not expecting such a revelatory crust when I visited Pie Fight. Though pie fans can order whole traditional pies online, their walk-up storefront

Indulge in some gourmet desserts on Ninth and Ninth

ferent flavors of gelato on hand every day, Dolcetti is an authority on frozen treats. You can’t really go wrong with their staple flavors—it’s hard to branch out from the coconut sticky rice—but it’s always fun to go in a few times a week to see what’s new. As far as complementary desserts go, their whoopie pies and brown butter chocolate chip cookies pair excellently with Dolcetti’s velvety gelato options. Of the options on this list, I’d say Dolcetti is best for those who simply want to cheat a bit on their 2022 diet plan; it’s possible to get tiny servings of this sinful stuff. But if you’ve got your sights set on a full-scale diet dismantlement plan, Dolcetti has more than enough options with which to wreck yourself. Just Baked (1058 S. 800 East, 801-6138161, justbakedslc.com): I was recently tipped off to Just Baked, a macaron shop that sticks to online ordering with delivery and pickup options, and it’s awesome. Not only is the execution on point—you get that nice mix of chewy and crispy with each macaron—but the flavors are vibrant and creative as well. I assembled my own variety pack that included mint truffle, salted caramel, churro, birthday cake, lemon cream and peanut butter cup, and have to say that I was impressed on all counts. The churro macaron was the one that surprised me the most. It’s a fantastically balanced little parcel of cinnamon flavor that knows when to restrain itself. The peanut butter cup was also delicious, and I liked how it was a bit less subtle with its flavors— it smacks you right in the kisser with dark chocolate and rich peanut butter flavors. Next time you’re in the Ninth and Ninth area and your willpower has taken a crippling blow, find your way to one—or all—of these local bakeries and sweet shops. You might regret it, but I’m willing to bet that you’ll get over that regret soon enough. CW

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Kill Your Resolutions

specializes in hand pies. I ordered a good swath of their dessert pies—blueberry orange, cranberry almond, apple crumble and Boston cream pie—and took them home to share with the family. Not only are they huge for hand pies, but one bite into that perfectly-laminated goodness let me know this place was legit. The blueberry orange was perhaps my favorite, and anyone who digs a good blueberry pie will die for this one. In addition to that perfect crust, you’ve got an obscene number of fresh blueberries, with just enough orange flavor to balance the whole thing out. Everyone wins at Pie Fight. Spilled Milk Ice Cream and Cereal Bar (907 E. 900 South, 801-556-1715, spilledmilkicecream.com): By combining the nostalgic power of sugary breakfast cereal with the universal appeal of ice cream, Spilled Milk has created something special. The key to the whole operation is the variety of cereals they have on hand to mix into their signature ice cream cones, milk shakes and cookie ice cream sandwiches. For example, the Match Made in Heaven Shake combines Cookie Crisp, Reese’s Puffs and Cocoa Pebbles with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup to concoct something that speaks directly to my childhood self on a Saturday morning—I was a notorious mixer of cereals, and milkshake-ifying that predilection speaks volumes to me. The same goes for their cookie ice cream sandwiches. The Crunch Berry smushes vanilla ice cream coated with crushed Captain Crunch Berries between two strawberry cookies. Like the other desserts on the menu, the idea is to take the simple charms inherent within a morning bowl of cereal and ramp the whole thing up with ice cream, cookies and whipped cream. Dolcetti Gelato (902 E. 900 South, 801485-3254, dolcettigelato.com): With 40 dif-

Burgers so good they’ll blow your mind!

onTAP OUTDOOR SEATING ON THE PATIO

LIVE JAZZ Thursdays 8-11 PM

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 Rose

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

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com On Tap: Plumdog Millionaire Blonde Ale

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: Elliott Gold Hard Cider

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 & Cream Ale Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com On Tap: RyePA

1048 East 2100 South | (385) 528-3275 | HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

VOTED BEST PIZZA 2021

Thank you for your support!

2021

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC ProperBrewingCo.com On Tap: Gungan Sith Lord

Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com On Tap: Fisher Beer

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On Tap: Dog Tag IPA

Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com On Tap: Extra Pale Ale

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

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com On Tap: Aroma Therapy - DDH Blonde Ale

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Tap: 10 Ton Truck West Coast IPA

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

brickscornerslc.com

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

On Tap: Big Boy Hoppy Brown Ale

Hoppers Grill and Brewing 890 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale HoppersBrewPub.com

1465 S. 700 E. | 801.953.0636

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

Red Rock Brewing Multiple Locations RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Nelson-Sauvin Single Hjop IPA

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

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26 | JANUARY 13, 2022

TUESDAY TRIVIA! 7-9 PM

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

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

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com On Tap: Barrel-Aged Winter Amber Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Winter Warmer Amber Ale

Strap Tank Brewery Multiple Locations StrapTankBrewery.com Springville On Tap: PB Rider, Peanut Butter Stout Lehi On Tap: 2-Stroke, Vanilla Mocha Porter TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Edel Pils Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: Nut Brown Ale Toasted Barrel Brewery 412 W. 600 North, SLC ToastedBarrelBrewery.com Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com On Tap: UTOG Pale Ale Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com Wasatch 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC WasatchBeers.com Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com Zolupez 205 W. 29th Street #2, Ogden Zolupez.com

Alternate Endings BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Celebrat i

year

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Call your order in for curbside delivery! 801-355-3425 878 E 900 S

JANUARY 13, 2022 | 27

oha Brewing Project - Dog Tag IPA: RoHa’s newest beer helps our warriors at home, and helps dogs find a home of their own. Determined to end miliary veteran suicide, K9s For Warriors is the nation’s largest provider of trained service dogs to veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma. RoHa partnered with K9s for Warriors and Mountain Malt to create a special ale with a unique hop blend made specifically for this charity. Proceeds from the sale of this beer will go directly to K9s for Warriors. Though much lighter in color than common RoHa IPAs, the beer builds a rich lather atop the beer. High rates of retention and lace create the classy look that affirms IPA character. Sharp aromas of freshly shaven wood, lemon peel and cracked peppercorn leap out above a malt foundation of bread crust and cashews. Although the aromas remain hop-centric, the malty scent offers more of a rebuttal than is common in the style. Similarly, the flavors favor the hop blend, but only slightly. The sharp tastes of sandalwood and lemon zest play off the tongue with an immediate bitter pang. The peppery notes and tannin-like bitterness assist the smoother bitter notes, and seem to be in stark contrast to the sweeter malt underneath. It’s light bodied, yet the beer carries a richer overtone from the heaviness of the hops and carbonation. Overall: The woody hop bitterness is accompanied by the tannin-striped astrin-

gent of lemongrass and boiled tea leaves. The late dryness is mildly powdery and warming, and steers toward a tonic-like aftertaste. Bewilder - WhistleGoWoo: This beer is a saison at heart, with a huge amount of hops punching it up to be something a little different. It pours with unfiltered clarity featuring an orange-tinge. The head is everlasting, with several fingers of white foam clinging to my glass; lace show is, as usual for these guys, impressive and consistent. The nose starts with earthy and spicy notes—orange marmalade and lemon zest, along with the typical saison aromas of white pepper and light clove phenols. Citrus is prominent at first, but fades over time The flavor is wheat-forward with some nice interplay from the unabashed hop presence. Lots of tangerine and lemon qualities emerge, plus a slight tropical tinge and some grapefruit. Malt hits in the back with a spicy dryness, and plays well with the intense yeastiness present. The multi-grain malt bill helps bring some complexity to what can sometimes be a thin, overly-attenuated style with very light flavors, despite the 5 percent ABV. The dry-hop comes in to really push some extra aroma/flavor without making it feel too dry or bitter. Overall: This is a really good drink. The hops here elevate things into a slightly more complex direction, and the dry-hop is appreciable, though not too heavy-handed, to be honest. It’s more apparent when the beer is chilled, so keep that in mind when approaching this one. As enjoyable as it is, you have to be a fan of citrus-forward hops to get the most out of it. To be honest, I’ve been on a bit of a saison break. The heavy phenolic yeast profiles just haven’t been agreeing with me lately. The hop profile here, however, helps balance out the clove from the yeast to make it a pleasant drinking experience. You can find WhistleGoWoo on draft at Bewilder right now. The Dog Tag IPA is also exclusive to RoHa’s draft handles, and what could be a better cause than veterans in need being paired with a K9 pal. As always, cheers! CW

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Hops drive this week’s beers into unusual directions

MIKE RIEDEL

BEER NERD

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28 | JANUARY 13, 2022

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Not only is Blue Gene’s (239 S. 500 East, 801-3644655, bluegenesslc.com) one of Downtown Salt Lake’s newest nightspots, but their weekend brunch is getting a fabulous upgrade this Saturday. Local drag divas Sequoia, Gia Bianca Stephens and Kay Bye will be headlining the High Wasted Drag Brunch this weekend to help take the Blue Gene’s brunch experience to dizzying new highs. In addition to watching some Utah drag royalty do what they do best, attendees can expect the cocktails, French toast and cantaloupe to flow freely thanks to the Blue Gene’s team. The event takes place on Jan. 15 from 1 p.m - 3 p.m., and tickets are on sale via 24tix.com.

Rio Acai Opens

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Sergio’s Pizza Opens

Just a bit west of Rio Acai, a New York pizza place actually from New York called Sergio’s Pizza (3537 S. 11400 South, Ste. A, 385-346-1968, sergiosnypizza. com) recently opened its doors. What’s got me interested is that Sergio’s has been operating in New York since the mid-1970s, and this location is their first foray into the wild west—so it sounds like it could be the real deal. Of course, since the Utah pizza renaissance is in full swing, we’ll probably have traditional New York pizza joints opening up all over the place. Let’s just take a moment to reflect on how Sergio’s got here first.

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Fans of acai bowls with a bit of Brazilian flare will want to check out Rio Acai (1573 W. 11400 South, 801-9305249), which recently opened in South Jordan. Their menu takes the acai bowl formula—healthy fruit goo bases like acai, chia pudding, coconut and passionfruit— and tops them with loads of fresh fruit and granola. Rio Acai has its own set of signature bowls, but diners can also use the build-your-own menu to create their own concoctions. One thing that sets Rio Acai apart is its inclusion of Brazilian cheese bread as a side dish. I can appreciate the addition of some cheesy bread to a menu full of overall healthy options, so kudos to Rio Acai.

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A Different Toon

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HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: TRANSFORMANIA

ou learn a lot about the different ways feature animation can be viewed if you’re willing to look outside the boundaries of the United States. Here, “animation” is treated as a genre, with the implicit meaning of “stuff made to appeal to children.” There’s a reason that our Academy Awards include a separate category for Best Animated Feature: We treat it as somehow separate from real filmmaking. If you look on the small screen, it’s easy to find examples—from The Simpsons to South Park to BoJack Horseman—that show how animation can be used as a storytelling technique for grown-ups; if the big screen is involved, on the other hand, you better be talking to youngsters. It’s a very different proposition, however, in Japan, where the long history of anime

social media that recognizes both the damage of cyberbullying and the appeal of feeling less alone, while having the confidence to include moments when emotions are conveyed through characters remaining completely still. It’s another telling factor to note that, while COVID still rages and family films struggle at the box office, Hotel Transylvania moved to an online-only premiere, while Belle opens in theaters—despite both being PG-rated films perfectly suitable for audiences of most ages. One of these movies is putting on a show to keep kids amused, while the other one is actually interested in telling a story that’s thorny and even a little unsettling. Feature animation can do both of those things, but it feels more unusual and noteworthy when it tries to do the latter. CW

willing to pause long enough to let any of the potential jokes land about Dracula now being a normal guy with a dad-bod and a receding hairline, or the puppy-dog enthusiastic Johnny now exploding out of a dinosaur-esque frame. The pace has to remain relentless, lest anyone under the age of 12 find themselves even momentarily distracted. It feels not just like all the other Hotel Transylvania movies, but like a hundred other studio-financed animated features of the past 20 years. That’s not remotely true of Belle, despite its roots connected to one of the greatest studio-financed animated features of the past 30 years. Writer/director Mamoru Hosoda tells the tale of Suzu (Kaho Nakamura), a shy, motherless girl in contemporary Japan who signs up for a virtual world called U where people create anonymous avatars. There Suzu unexpectedly finds her voice as a superstar singer called Belle, becoming a global phenomenon while keeping her online identity hidden in the real world. Suzu’s virtual identity also connects to this story as a spin on the classic Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, with some familiar visual touchstones in a scary, monstrous figure living in a dark castle, and a ballroom dance. Yet Hosoda uses that familiarity simply as a foundation, branching off into fascinating directions as he explores the appeal not just of becoming a different person in virtual worlds, but in finding connections that are harder to find in the real world. It’s a complex vision of

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BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

and creators like Studio Ghibli means that feature animation isn’t presumed to be kid stuff. And two new features this week— the CGI studio sequel Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, and the Japanese animated feature Belle—offer radically different perspectives on the kind of storytelling feature animation can deliver. The fourth installment in the now-decade-old Hotel Transylvania franchise continues to hemorrhage members of its original voice cast, with Adam Sandler’s Dracula now replaced by Brian Hull in a tale about Dracula considering retiring from the hotel business and passing it on to his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) and human son-inlaw Johnny (Andy Samberg). When he believes that only his human-ness is keeping him from being welcomed into the family business, Johnny tries an experimental ray gun to change himself into a monster, inadvertently resulting at the same time in changing Dracula and several of his monster pals into humans. Series creator Genndy Tartakovsky (who gets a story and co-screenwriting credit here) had a wonderful history with inventive animated TV shows like Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack, yet only his visual imagination ever made the transition, with goofy, loose-limbed character animation serving bland cookie-cutter narratives about acceptance and being yourself and so forth. Transformania is generally fun to look at, but it’s also borderline exhausting even at just around 80 minutes before the lengthy credits. The filmmakers here are never

Belle

GKIDS FILMS

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania

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hat do you call the negative space of a business after hours, with its lights turned down and its furniture pushed aside? Artwork speckles the walls where in daylight, merchandise perches on shelves instead; nests of wires reach out towards decks of synthesizers instead of a cash register. What possibilities lie in the spaces we abandon outside business hours? That’s exactly what 801 Salon is investigating. The new monthly arts exhibition at Vis. Optics near 9th and 9th is bringing Bay Area arts tactics to SLC—and so far, their efforts have been pretty dazzling. 801 Salon is the brainchild of Roxanne Gray and Stephen Lundquist, friends who met while living in the Bay Area in California, both with a passion for the arts that would find a novel new home once both relocated to SLC over the last few years. While Gray went to school out here in Utah, she spent her time in San Francisco and the East Bay presenting her work as a choreographer and dancer, and learning about the barriers that both dancers and other artists face when it comes to presenting their work. “In a place where real estate is so expensive in general, people were finding ways to show work, and a lot of the studios around there would have salons where they would just open up one of the dance studios and

hold a performance in it,” Gray explains. “And it was one of the first few times in my career that I saw the value of dance not on a stage. You don’t need to have a polished performance on a pristine stage with lighting and everything—just people creating work and finding places to show it.” “I moved here thinking it would be cool to have something like that here. The Salt Lake Community has so many cool things happening, and I just wanted to tap into that community. I know that every kind of art is looking for space.” Enter, the space. “He’s built a really really cool thing at Vis.,” Gray says of Lundquist’s beautiful, minimal shop. “It’s one of a kind, they sell frames that are not even sold anywhere else in the U.S., … they have independent designers. They have people who come from other states to find these frames, because he’s built this really cool space where anything goes.” Gray’s husband played a role in helping design the shop, and it was during that time that Gray realized she and Lundquist shared a common goal. “He’s an optometrist, but he’s also just very interested in the arts,” she says. “Stephen wanted to have a space to sell his glasses that would be beautiful and also modular. He wanted to be able to move the furniture aside … to somehow make it a space where other things could happen. So we were like, ‘Wait a minute, we both have the same idea, let’s make it happen.’” “I think that it’s a cool thing to think about, a commercial space being opened up to the arts, not for profit,” says Gray of Lundquist’s decision to use Vis. after-hours as a multi-purpose art space. “It’s a commercial space that’s given away. I think that in this capitalist society, it’s a cool thing happening there. It’s a great asset to the community.” So far, that opening up has resulted in

801 Salon No. 3 Gray making a lot of new connections, mainly by cold calls. She landed on local visual artist Andrew Alba first. Then, it was the synth pop duo Angel Magic, whom Gray had hosted once for a backyard show at her home in Oakland; for the 801 date, they asked if they could tack on their friend Bobo. Both of those first shows had great attendance, and they kept the ball rolling in November with two showings of a 40-minute series of modern dance performances. December brought a gifty pop up from Klaus Haus, and for this month’s salon, Ty Davis will bring a little bit of everything. “Ty Davis oozes talent of all kinds,” says Gray. “He does creative direction, styling, graphic design, music, just everything.” So he’ll be doing a lot of that on Saturday, Jan. 15, while performing his lo-fi hyperpop under the moniker Breaker. In 801 Salon’s future, Gray wants to push donations more for artists, since the shows themselves are free. For now, keeping it free means keeping the message that the business of Vis. is not trying to make money off the artists—but Gray still wants them to feel supported. “My dream would be to have a dedicated space someday, so I could do more than 12 shows a year. It’s fun to see what’s out there, and I really do try to cater to every community in Salt Lake and I hope that that comes across,” she says. “A big part of our mission is to support established artists and emerging artists. We have several artists this year who have actually never had a show before, and it’s been great to find ways to encourage and support them on their journey.” To keep up with 801 Salon’s monthly appearances at Vis. Optics, visit @801.salon on Instagram, and don’t miss Ty Davis on Saturday, Jan. 15. CW

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A farewell tour that was due for 2020 is finally happening for mewithoutYou, the posthardcore indie rock band that announced in 2019 that they’d be calling it quits after 20 years making exciting and experimental indie rock. The band’s origins lie in progressive punk and post-hardcore, beginning with the release of their 2002 album A to B Life, a high energy but moody album fueled by compelling, dark guitar parts and the raw, shrieking voice of frontman Aaron Weiss. However, they’d find more fame with their follow-up, 2004’s Catch For Us the Foxes, which found the band shifting into disjointed art rock and poetics, with impassioned spoken-word coming from Weiss. Even as their sound would evolve to trade the theatrics of rock for melodics and careening indie folk aesthetics (2009’s It’s All Crazy! It’s All False! It’s All A Dream! It’s Alright. falling somewhere between folk punk’s spirit and Beirut’s string section), some things remained the same. Namely, that the band’s emphasis on spiritual, religious themes careened between Christianity, Islam and Judaism in much the same way their style has long careened between genres. Hits like “The Fox, The Crow and The Cookie,” while cheekily titled, reference the teachings of a Sufi story. Their last album, 2018’s [Untitled], was a return to guitar-driven heaviness, and some dark and gloom—but with no loss of the energy that’s carried them through

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Dark Side of Oz at Metro Music Hall

Lovers of super niche urban legends, unite! One of the strangest coincidences in the world of pop culture is coming to the stage, thanks to some local artists. The Discographers are not only taking on the task of tributing Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, but doing so with the famous album paired up with a screening of The Wizard of Oz. If you’re unfamiliar with the pairing of these two seemingly unconnected pieces of media, the story goes that if you watch the film in question with the album in question playing over it, the music syncs up perfectly to the movements of the film. It’s so uncanny, apparently, that some have even wondered whether the album wasn’t made to sync up to the film on purpose. The band, of course, has refuted that rumor. Whether you’ve sat down to test out the theory yourself or this is the first you’re hearing of it, seeing the album played live with The Wizard of Oz playing in the background is sure to be a one-of-a-kind show. See it on Friday, Jan. 14 at Metro Music Hall at 7 p.m. Tickets to the 21+ show are $15 at metromusichall.com.

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their career. In addition to a farewell tour, the band will be celebrating both the 15th and 16th anniversaries of their 2006 album Brother, Sister. They play on Friday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. at The Urban Lounge with Unwed Sailor. Tickets to the 21+ show are $27.50 at theurbanloungeslc.com.

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Ezra Bell at The Urban Lounge

A Portland, Ore. band with Utah roots is returning to SLC—or rather, they’ve already returned. The band Ezra Bell, headed up by vocalist Ben Wuamett and keyboardist Jeremy Asay, was on the biggest tour of their career when the events of 2020 halted it all. It was supposed to be a highlight in a steadily-built career, spanning four albums so far (including the 2021-dropped before all that happened). All those releases and all their past tours helped them perfect their sound—a loose and jangly kind of indie folk that often swings with a dash of blues and jazz, rounded out by Wuamett’s distinctive warble of a voice. “We were used to touring about 50 percent of the time before the pandemic. We had so many songs that we played each day on the road, but we never had the time to record them. So, in October of 2021, we booked studio time to record the upcoming 2022 release, Jorji,” Asay tells City Weekly. Besides Asay identifying it as their “tightest, most succinct and sonically interesting album to date,” it involves a fresh cast of SLC artists, added to the lineup when Ezra Bell relocated during 2020 to SLC, which is also Asay’s hometown (and where he was once a City Weekly freelancer). “This album is taking a picture of a beautiful era that seems to be gone now, one that was more innocent and doesn’t fully understand the political and economic (let alone [the] health) threats of a pandemic,” Asay explains. With a new year and perhaps new challenges on the horizon, let Ezra Bell share their own memories with you when their album releases at The Urban Lounge on Saturday, Jan. 15 at p.m. The 21+ show features openers Night Crew and Tycoon Machete, and tickets are $10 at theurbanloungeslc.com.

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MUSIC PICKS

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Petty Theft at The State Room and O.P. Rockwell

A double-venue feature of sorts comes to you by way of Petty Theft, who will steal your Tom Petty-lovin’ heart. The San Francisco-based cover band has been paying tribute to the songs of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers since 2003, and fans can be assured that they play just as many radio hits as they do the deeper cuts and more recent additions to the band’s discography. With the real-band having lost their centerpiece in 2017, this is the best way now that Petty has passed to remember and enjoy his famous songs. And this date will agree with both fans in the valley and up on the mountain, since Petty Theft’s little tour includes two stops here in Utah. First, they’ll be headed to The State Room on Friday, Jan. 14 at 9 p.m., where tickets are $24 at thestateroompresents.com. After that, up the hill to Park City, where they’ll surely find another welcome crowd at O.P. Rockwell on Saturday, Jan. , also at 9 p.m. Tickets there range from $25 to $39 at oprockwell.com. With two nights to choose from, hearing the songs of Tom Petty played live won’t feel like runnin’ down a dream.

JoJo Siwa

Here’s a music pick for the kids—as in, your kids. That is, if your young ones are obsessed with JoJo Siwa, the singing and dancing rainbow sensation who found her fame on reality TV’s Dance Moms, and has since become a real pop star in her own right. Her first single, “Boomerang,” launched in 2016, and sent her soaring right out of the pageantry of the reality TV dance realm and into the world of pop stardom. Released when she was just 13, the song took on kidfriendly themes about bullying and believing in oneself, and the singles she’d continue to release throughout her teens have been just as inspired. She also takes on classic kiddy aesthetics, though, too, like on 2017’s sugary sweet “Kid in a Candy Store.” She’s continued to release singles and even EPs, including a Christmas EP and 2019’s Celebrate. Everything from her bubblegum pop to her positive outlook and her signature glittery, multi-colored style have made her a smash among kids, and she tours accordingly. Now well out of her own childhood (but still with the big signature hair bows), the 18-year-old star has done more mature things, like coming out as a member of the LGBTQ community and thus also becoming a new kind of role model for her young fans. She’ll be stopping into Salt Lake City with The Belles at the Vivint Arena this Sunday, Jan. 16 as part of her belated D.R.E.A.M. tour. The show is all-ages, starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $36 - $136 at vivintarena.com.

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ARIES (March 21-April 19) The coming months will be an excellent time for you to explore the art of Soulful Bragging. Do you deserve any of the titles below? If so, feel free to use them liberally throughout 2022: 1. Practical Idealist With Flexible Strategies; 2. Genius of Interesting Intimacy; 3. Jaunty Healer With Boisterous Knowledge of the Soul’s Ways; 4. Free-Wheeling Joker Who Makes People Laugh for Righteous and Healing Reasons; 5. Skillful Struggler; 6. Empathy Master with a Specialty in Creative Compassion; 7. Playful Reservoir of Smart Eros; 8. Purveyor of Feisty Wisdom and Cute Boldness; 9. Crafty Joy-Summoner.

role in your life as you engage in a wide range of activities. So yes, consider the possibility of buying yourself crayons, Legos, dolls and puppets, video games, squirt guns, roller skates, yo-yos, jump ropes and board games. And don’t neglect the pleasures of blanket forts, cardboard boxes, mud pies and plain old sticks.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) In his novel The Story of a Marriage, Andrew Sean Greer asks, “Does love always form, like a pearl, around the hardened bits of life?” My answer would be, “No, not always, but when it does, it’s often extra sweet and enduring.” One of my wishes and predictions for you in 2022, Libra, is that love will form around your hardened bits. For best results, be open to the possibility TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Most people who use tobacco products are at risk of having that difficulty can blossom into grace. Look for opportunities shorter life spans than they might have otherwise had. Smoking that are seeded by strenuous work. is detrimental to health. Those who smoke in their 20s and 30s may cut 10 years off their longevity. But here’s some good news: SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) If you kick your tobacco habit before age 40, you will regain most “It is worth living long enough to outlast whatever sense of of those years. I bring this to your attention because I’d like it to grievance you may acquire.” Author Marilynne Robinson wrote serve as a motivational tale for you in 2022. According to my that, and I recommend her thought as one of your uplifting analysis of the astrological omens, you will have more power than meditations in 2022. According to my reading of the astroever before to escape any harmful addictions and compulsions logical omens, the coming months will be a favorable time to dismantle and dissolve as many old grievances as you can. This you have—and begin reclaiming your full vitality. could and should be the year you liberate yourself from psychic grunge—for the sake of your own mental, physical and spiritual GEMINI (May 21-June 20) In May 1974, the Grateful Dead introduced a new wrinkle to health as much as for the sake of others’. their live musical performances. Playing at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, they amplified their music through a “Wall of Sound”: SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) 604 speakers piled high, together channeling 26,000 watts of Some critics view author Diana Wynne Jones as a genius in energy. Had any band ever treated their fans to a louder volume her chosen field: fantasy novels for children and young adults. and crisper tones? I’d like to make this breakthrough event one of She had a generous spirit, asserting, “I have this very strong your top metaphors for 2022. According to my analysis, it will be feeling that everybody is probably a genius at something; it’s a great year for you to boost your signal. I invite you to distribute just a question of finding this.” If you are still unsure what your your message with maximum confidence and clarity. Show the unique genius consists of, Sagittarius, I believe 2022 will show you in detailed glory. And if you do already know, the coming world who you are with all the buoyant flair you can rouse. months will be a time when you dramatically deepen your ability to access and express your genius. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Philosopher Emil Cioran said he despised wise philosophers. Why? Because they practice prudent equanimity, which he CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) regarded as empty and sterile. In Cioran’s view, these deep think- Capricorn biologist Robin Wall Kimmerer wrote a meditative ers avoid strong feelings so they can live in cool safety, free from book about moss. It was her response to questions she had been life’s nerve-wracking paradoxes. I agree with him that such a wondering about: Why has this inconspicuous plant persevered state is undesirable. However, Cioran contrasted it with the lives for 350 million years? While so many other species have gone of the normal people he admired, who are “full of irreconcilable extinct, why has moss had staying power through all the Earth’s contradictions” and who “suffer from limitless anxiety.” My climate changes and upheavals? And what lessons does its question for Cioran: Are there no other options between those success have for us? Here are Kimmerer’s conclusions: Moss two extremes? Of course there are! And you can be proof of that teaches us the value “of being small, of giving more than you in 2022, Cancerian. I expect you’ll be full of deep feelings, eager take, of working with natural law, sticking together.” In accorfor new experiences and infused with a lust for life—with less dance with astrological omens in 2022, Capricorn, I believe anxiety and fewer irreconcilable contradictions than ever before. moss should be your role model. (Kimmerer’s book is Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses.) LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) In 1838, 29-year-old naturalist Charles Darwin was early in his AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) career. He had not developed his theory of evolution and was not Author Joyce Carol Oates has been very successful and has won yet a superstar of science. He began ruminating about proposing several major awards. But she describes her job as arduous and marriage to his cousin Emma Wedgwood. If married, he wrote: time-consuming. “I work very slowly,” she testifies. “It’s like “constant companion and a friend in old age; the charms of building a ladder, where you’re building your own ladder rung music and female chit-chat—good things for one’s health.” If by rung, and you’re climbing the ladder. It’s not the best way not married: “no children; no one to care for one in old age; less to build a ladder, but I don’t know any other way.” I wouldn’t money for books, loss of time and a duty to work for money.” always recommend her approach for you, Aquarius, but I will in I bring this to your attention, Leo, because I suspect that in 2022. As long as you’re willing to accept gradual, incremental 2022, you may be tempted and inspired to deeply interweave progress, you’ll get a lot of fine work done. your fate with the fates of interesting characters. A spouse or partner or collaborator? Could be. Maybe a beloved animal or PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) I’ve selected a quote for you to use as one of your guiding spirit guide? Have fun making your list of pros and cons! principles in 2022. I urge you to undertake a specific action in the next 24 hours that will prove you mean to take it seriously. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) What were your favorite toys as a child? Now would be a good Here’s the wisdom articulated by Piscean rabbi and philosopher time to retrieve memories of them, and even acquire modern Marc-Alain Ouaknin: “People must break with the illusion that versions so you can revive the joy they gave you. In my astrological their lives have already been written and their paths already analysis, you’ll be wise to invite your inner child to play a bigger determined.” It’s reinvention time, dear Pisces.

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54. Receiver of private instruction 55. “Same here” 59. Yearn 61. “There’s ____ in team” 62. Football stat: Abbr. 64. Spy novelist Deighton 65. Opposite of strict 66. Actress Vardalos 67. What high tides eventually do

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.

11. Centipede, e.g. 12. Check the sum again 13. Hedge fund titan nicknamed “The Palindrome” 18. “____ I like to always say ...” 22. No longer bothered by something 25. Sitcom extraterrestrial 26. “Justin Timberlake is in his forties now?!? Wow ...” 27. “Ready!” 28. Alternatives to watercolors 29. Iconic chain restaurant, informally 30. Minister of foreign affairs under Meir 31. Marksman’s aid 35. Suffix with Sudan or Japan DOWN 37. Opera solo 1. Whatsoever 38. Invitation letters 2. USO show audience 40. Last words of the 3. Waikiki Beach location Pledge of Allegiance 4. Quick learner, say 41. Wage ____ of words 5. Symbol of strength 46. Reggae’s ____ 6. “The Simpsons” character with an 18-letter Kamoze last name 49. Spills the beans 7. Become less green, maybe 51. Makes use (of) 8. What it takes, so they say 52. Cut down 9. Philharmonic sect. 53. Vowel-shaped girders 10. Crew neck or V-neck

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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. Long, long ____ 4. Fly high 8. They’re at the top of their game 14. Padre’s sister 15. Big ____, nickname for slugger David Ortiz 16. Sound investment? 17. 1957 #1 song for Elvis Presley 19. Mine vehicle 20. Where remains may remain 21. Afr. neighbor 23. Big hoopla 24. Despite the likelihood of failure 29. Who Margot Robbie plays in “The Big Short” 32. Nail polish brand 33. Kimono sash 34. Nourish 36. “Pomp and Circumstance” composer 39. Israeli port mentioned in the Bible 42. Approx. number 43. They lived in Russia’s Winter Palace 44. Simmering, say 45. Sainted pope called “the Great” 47. The year 1004 48. Sister of Clio and Calliope 50. Like unsorted laundry, often 53. “Let’s put things in perspective” 56. Tampa Bay pro, informally 57. The Mormon Church, for short 58. Leatherworker’s pointed tool 60. Discordant, as music 63. Multipurpose ... or this puzzle’s theme 68. Moves, as a plant 69. Square thing 70. Pen point 71. Not miss a thing, to a tourist 72. “New Sensation” band 73. Chatterbox’s “gift”

SUDOKU X

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38 | JANUARY 13, 2022

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

had the opportunity to serve for two years on the Utah Transit Authority’s board of directors before the Utah Legislature put a kibosh on a board of any kind and turned over the major decisions to a few people appointed by the governor. It was a fast and fascinating education about mass transit in our state—what we had at the time and what was being planned. I developed mad respect for the bus drivers of the vehicles used for special, differently abled riders and the TRAX drivers who have to hit a button every 15 seconds to insure they are alert and not having medical issues while driving the light-rail trains. Most of my fellow directors were mayors of cities serviced by UTA and several, like me, were in favor of free mass transit for all. While most riders pay $2.50 to jump on a bus or TRAX train, there is a poorly advertised “free zone” in the downtown area for TRAX trains and buses. Albuquerque, New Mexico, just became one of the largest cities in the U.S. to pilot a zero-fare program for the next 12 months. They recognize that most riders are low-income travelers, and although it only cost $1 to ride a bus, that fee impacts thin wallets. Who’s picking up the bill? The feds, of course, will throw most of the monies at this for a year. The zero-fare program is going to put this Western city on the road to reducing traffic and pollution and move them in the right direction for an equitable public transportation system. It should also help promote healthy lifestyles and boost ridership throughout the system. Some detractors think that crime along the system will increase. But the city council believes this is really going to help their city. Not spending money on transportation frees up funds for people to use on their rent, food and utilities. As Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front grow, the argument to woo Utahns away from their cars in the hopes of reducing our awful inversions is valid. And now that our ski resorts have a great snowpack, the parking lots could be a lot emptier with regular, free bus service. We will be receiving a massive infusion of funding this year from the feds for infrastructure improvements and some transportation costs, and our Legislature has the tools to put UTA on a free-fare track virtually anytime it wants. It’s about time the free-fare zone downtown is expanded to the entire UTA system. Starting recently, if you show your airline boarding pass, you can hop on TRAX or a bus to ride to the airport free of charge. And sometimes, UTA offers a “free-fare day” when the air is too thick to breathe, but this needs to be, in my opinion, 365 days a year. As Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said a few years ago, “There isn’t a person in the county who doesn’t understand the importance of clean air.” Well, it’s time! Good luck, Albuquerque—I hope Salt Lake City becomes the next transit experiment! n Content is prepared expressly for Community and is not endorsed by City Weekly staff.

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Wait, What? Have you ever watched a cooking show and wished you could sample the finished product? A professor in Japan has created a prototype TV screen that you can lick to taste a particular food. It works by spraying flavors on a film that rolls over the TV screen, Reuters reported. While such a product might seem misguided during a global pandemic, Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita sees it differently: “The goal is to make it possible for people to have the experience of something like eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world, even while staying at home,” he said. Miyashita said a commercial version could be made for about $875. Scrooge Is Real n Gina Sheldon of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, arrived home from Europe and opened her luggage to find $3,000 of gifts gone, WMUR-TV reported on Dec. 24. The items were “replaced with dog food, an old T-shirt, a shaving cream bottle,” Sheldon said; she believes those items were used because they look like a “real luggage product” when scanned. She had spent 11 days in Italy and a few in Paris and believes the switcheroo happened in the baggage area of Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Sheldon had bought a leather jacket for her teenager and “these really cute leather wristlet band purses” for other family and friends. Delta Airlines and their partner Air France are looking into the incident.

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Lovin’ It McDonald’s locations in Guangdong and Shanghai, China, are testing new in-store seating: exercise bikes. A spokesperson said the bikes are part of McDonald’s Upcycle for Good initiative, which promotes sustainability, United Press International reported. They generate electricity, which customers can use to charge their devices. Oh, and they help customers stay healthier while gobbling a Big Mac and fries. Weird Christmas Tradition Since 1966, the city of Gavle, Sweden, has erected a huge straw goat in its downtown square at Christmastime. The goats are pagan symbols that preceded Santa Claus as a bringer of gifts, the Associated Press reported. But in what has become an adjunct to the town’s tradition, the goats have been torched dozens of times during the past 55 years, including this year on Dec. 17. Police arrested a suspect in his 40s who had soot on his hands and matched a description from witnesses.

n It appears that red-winged parrots in Australia can’t hold their liquor, according to Broome Veterinary Hospital in Kimberley. It’s the end of mango season, and the ripe fruits are falling to the ground, where they ferment in the sun. The parrots indulge in the boozy treat—sometimes to their demise, ABC News reported. “A lot of them, unfortunately ... don’t make it to the clinic because they pass away before people find them,” said veterinarian Paul Murphy. It’s not just the alcohol that kills them, but drunken behavior; Murphy said they fly into windows and sit on the ground, where they’re vulnerable to predators. Oops When Olivia Crump tried to leave her apartment in Milledgeville, Georgia, on Dec. 28, she was surprised to find a crucial structure missing: the stairs to the ground floor. According to the Daily Mail, Crump said the management company did not notify her about the stairs being removed for construction. “It was impossible to get down without climbing over the ledge with a ladder or scaling the side with a decent drop below,” she said. She and her dog were trapped in the apartment for about four hours, during which the dog almost had an accident. While Crump doesn’t plan any legal action, she did note that the absence of stairs could be a fire hazard, and she hopes the management company will compensate tenants for putting them in a dangerous situation. Oh, Canada Two transport trucks full of butter went missing from Trenton, Ontario, on Dec. 26, CTV News reported. Each of the trucks was loaded with about 20,000 kilograms of butter, worth about $200,000 total, the Ontario Provincial Police said. While the trucks were found on Dec. 27, the contents were missing, which begs the question: When will the cookies be ready? Short Fuse Alvis Parrish, 54, of Jacksonville, Florida, got tired of hearing her boyfriend, William Carter, talk on Dec. 7, so she gave him “just enough” poison in his lemonade to shut him up. Then she called police “so he wouldn’t die,” clickorlando.com reported. When officers arrived, Parrish was on her front porch, where she was handcuffed. “Do whatever you want,” she told them. “If you don’t take me, I will kill him.” A deputy who spoke to Carter, 61, said he was difficult to interview because he was so tired. Carter said the lemonade tasted funny, then collapsed on the floor. Parrish is facing a charge of poisoning food or water with intent to kill or injure a person. Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

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n In this story, Scrooge is a hyperactive rodent with a bushy tail: The vendor who usually installs holiday lighting at Mears Park in St. Paul, Minnesota, declined to take the job this year after squirrels chewed through the wires in 2020, Lee Ann LaBore, co-chair of the Friends of Mears Park, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “Our vendor reuses the lights, and they can’t afford to ... have the squirrels destroy them again,” she said. Instead, this year, organizers used a projector with kaleidoscopelike moving images of snowflakes. People “want to see the twinkly lights,” LaBore said. “Well, we can’t have twinkly lights. It was probably this or nothing.” Virtual Reality Pinellas County (Florida) Sheriff’s deputies stopped a car at 4 a.m. on Dec. 18 for driving without its lights on, The Smoking Gun reported. They arrested the driver, Darius Owens, 27, for DUI and marijuana possession, but the real payoff came when they searched the car and passenger, Patrick Florence, 34. Under Florence’s seat, they found a gun; wrapped around his penis, they discovered baggies holding methamphetamine and cocaine. Florence, who has many felony convictions, denied that the drugs were his, but he wouldn’t say who they belonged to. So many questions.

Thank You, I Think? According to the Associated Press, Suyin Ting, collections manager for vertebrate paleontology at the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, is retiring, so researchers in Alabama and South Carolina honored her with a unique gift: They named a prehistoric shark species after her. Carcharhinus tingae lived 40 million years ago and was identified using fossilized teeth in the museum’s collection. “I am very honored to be recognized by my peers for my work,” said Ting. The Continuing Crisis n On Dec. 26, as bad weather kept Kristin Livdahl and her 10-year-old daughter inside, they looked for some fun challenges to do: “... laying down and rolling over holding a shoe on your foot,” for example, Livdahl explained on Twitter. But when the child asked Amazon’s Alexa for a challenge, Fox News reported, it suggested she plug a charger cord about halfway into a wall, then hold a penny against the exposed prongs. Fortunately, Livdahl was there with her and yelled, “’No, Alexa, no!’ like it was a dog,” she said. Later, Livdahl received an email from Amazon, apologizing for the incident and promising to follow up.

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