OPINION

Eat a Peach

In the mid-1970s, I lived in a little cottage house on Laker Court in the area of 400 South and 900 East. The house is no longer there, nor the dirt road that connected 400 South to 300 South. It was a great party house due to it being well hidden with nearly no neighbors. Across 400 South, what is now an Office Max was an Albertsons grocery store, which was known for its excellent apple fritters.

As a student at the University of Utah, I was lost in a series of changing academic majors ranging from business to geology. Besides not knowing what I wanted to become—I still don’t—I also didn’t know who I was, which I also still don’t know. I was reading all kinds of mystic books from India and Nepal, along with rigid philosophies, too, until it became apparent that although I understood concepts, I couldn’t concentrate on them for the time it took to listen to “The Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd. Indeed, it’s fair to say I had more philosophical talks—and more success with the women folk—regarding Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” than I ever did regarding Nietzsche.

For some reason, that area of Salt Lake City was among the first to have cable TV installed. I had about a dozen channels and as many new friends attracted to the coffee table punch-button box with a wire attached to the TV. We all loved the WGN network, and each became a Chicago Cubs fan.

One night, my good buddy, Wayne “Woody” Robison, a Khe Sanh Marine from Fillmore, Utah, had just left my house. He loved the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes, so he was a frequent guest. When that night’s movie ended, Woody put down his can of Olympia beer and headed home.

He wasn’t gone five minutes when my phone rang. The voice asked if I was John Saltas. The voice said, “I know where you live, and I have a gun pointed at you, and I’m going to kill you.” As I was falling into the fetal position, I remember wishing Woody and his M-16 would come back for another Oly.

I turned off the lights. I had two cousin cops, and the first one answered my panicked call. He calmed me down, and I managed to leave, not spending the night there, not getting shot, yet wondering when he’d target me again.

I guess the voice was angry and aggrieved at a prosecuting attorney with the same name. More than 20 years later, I was day-drinking at Green Street when my name came over the intercom to take a phone call. When I got to the reception desk, another fellow was there to answer the same call. I realized who he might be, so I asked if he was an attorney. He said, “Yes,” and I said, “Nice to meet you, John. You damn near got me killed!”

We said our cordialities and moved on. I didn’t want to stand with him too long, if you know what I mean.

Living mid-block had certain disadvantages for potential murder victims. Yet, since it was mid-block, it had lots of empty space. Where I grew up in Bingham Canyon, many people carved out small gardens, but it wasn’t really a thing in Salt Lake City. One day, I rang up Woody, and we went to the “hippie” store on the northwest corner of 900 East and 900 South. I forget the name. Nature’s Way?

I left with not only vegetable seeds for my new garden to be, but also three early editions of Mother Earth News. I soon had a garden, and I was also tying macramé, making candles, learning composting and growing mung bean and alfalfa sprouts. The latter were perfect for my new diet—I’d become a vegetarian.

That lasted about six months. First, I found a way to reintroduce fish—school boys need their kippered snacks— then eggs, because no one can eat Wheaties every morning. Other than that, I was very diligent, except all I was really skipping out on was red meat. At a company Christmas party, I caved and took a bite of steak.

I’m still not a burger and steak guy. However, I remain surprised I made it six months, because back then, a vegetarian really didn’t have many options other than to eat tons of salads and beans. To be a vegetarian in the 1970s took supreme dedication. I’m not that guy.

But today I fully endorse that path—vegan too, as it’s the diet I’m eating now during Greek Orthodox lent—no meat, no fish, no dairy. I may have stayed the course back then if Salt Lake had the great options for plant-based dining that it has today. Every good restaurant in town now has vegan fare and, with so many new ethnic choices, one doesn’t have to fall back on an iceberg salad three times a day. Eating plant-based is crazy good at places like Zest, Vertical Diner, Buds and many others, like the Mexican vegan eatery, Yumz.

You may wonder why a fat guy who mostly opines about Utah’s political Jell-O salad is a fan of plant-based eating. Well, it’s healthy and good for the environment, and because one of these days, Utah will have to use our shrinking water reserves to grow plants for human consumption, not to lavish on cattle and alfalfa. Get your meal planning in order for when that day comes—because like it or not, cowboys are a dying breed and that chicken-fried steak at the local diner will be gone along with him. CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

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MISS: Rent Is Too Damned High

Governments just love to tell you that there’s nothing they can do. Maybe it’s because of the Second Amendment or, in this case, private property rights. Indeed, it looks like if you own some land, you can do whatever the hell you want. What’s happening in Salt Lake City is that developers are systematically building and pricing residents out of their homes and likely out of the city. The Salt Lake Tribune ran a story about Gaspar Valencia, who was given 30 days’ notice to get out of his home. The city was supposed to conduct a study on gentrification, but of course, it’s too little, too late. The Utah Property Rights Ombudsman Office wasn’t much help, offering the possibility of a moratorium—if you want to contend with legal fees and hassles. Housing, of course, is a bigger problem than that. The city still has a bewildering homeless problem, and tiny homes are just a tiny piece of the puzzle. ABC4 reported that a couple was injured recently while sheltering in a garbage truck. Will more luxury apartments help?

HIT: Green Is Good

Because the war in Ukraine has not stopped partisan maneuvering, let’s talk energy. The price of gas and saving the fossil fuel industry are top priorities among the “Me First!” generation of conservatives. While some are using social media to show the “problems” with electric vehicles and wind energy, the mainstream media is still there for people with brains. “Is the answer to gas prices more drilling?” the Deseret News asked in an in-depth look at the problem. KSL Radio looked at the call to restart the Keystone XL pipeline. But there are no quick and easy answers. Litigation and red tape aside, it takes time and infrastructure to start fossil-fuel production. And to take a quote from the DNews: “Investing now in clean energy will help the country gain true energy security, lower energy prices and improve our health and well-being.” Indeed. Don’t forget health and well-being. The youth who are suing Gov. Spencer Cox haven’t.

MISS: Scare Tactics

Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen is retiring. That’s probably good news for her, but it’s also emblematic of what’s going on in the rest of the nation. Here’s what the Brennan Center found: “One in six election officials have experienced threats because of their job, and 77% say that they feel these threats have increased in recent years.” The No. 1 reason, of course, is the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen and illegitimate. The lie and the threats against election officials are happening in Utah, even though the former guy still won the state. State legislators like Blanding Republican Rep. Phil Lyman continue to push for “election security” in a state that is already a model for just that. Who eroded the trust in elections? It wasn’t Swensen, but she surely doesn’t want to fight the fight anymore.

March for Trans

What do you think about the Legislature trying to ban trans athletes or judge them based on physical characteristics? If you question any of this, join Trans March for the Transgender Day of Visibility. “We will be starting off at the south steps of the Capitol and marching two blocks south to City Creek Park.” Bring signs and be prepared to hear speakers. Utah State Capi-

tol, 350 N. State, Thursday, March 31, 5 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3CPyg9d

Law and the Environment

The 2022 legislative session is finally over, and we’re just waiting for the governor to check off the legislation. HEAL Utah will run through the environmental outcomes and how they affect you in the coming year. Sure, there are lots of legislative wrap-ups at this time of year, but not many that offer free beer and appetizers. HEAL is hosting Free 21+: Legislative Recap! but sign up soon because space is limited and free beer is a big draw. Squatters Craft Beer,

147 W. 300 South, Wednesday, March 30, 5:30 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3iigLVG

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ing Arts, Westminster College, 1840 S. 1300 East, Thursday, March 24, 6:30 p.m. free. https://bit.ly/3tg7fZp

Stopping AAPI Hate

Attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders continue in a seemingly growing environment of hate. Stop AAPI Hate found 11,000 hate incidents reported between March 2020 and December 2021. While most involved verbal harassment, physical assaults followed and deliberate avoidance accounted for many incidents. Research released in March by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum “had revealed 74% of more than 2,400 AAPI women surveyed experienced racism or discrimination within the last 12 months.” Explore How Can We Stop

AAPI Hate and Bias? Research and Pol-

icy Perspectives to see how to reverse this troubling trend. Sen. Jani Iwamoto, D-Salt Lake, will join the panel to give her personal perspective on policy issues. Virtu-

al and at Hinckley Institute of Politics, 260 S. Central Campus Drive, Room 2018, Wednesday, March 30, noon, free. https://bit.ly/3JlsZsG