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8 | JULY 21, 2022 Your favorite garden center since 1955 3500 South 900 East | 801.487.4131 www.millcreekgardens.com
MISS: Study Buddies
If you had $10 million, how would you waste it? How about on a government study? That’s where “they” say all good ideas go to die. Enter Utah Sen. Mitt Romney with his really bang-up idea of what to do about the shrinking Great Salt Lake. First, let’s just acknowledge that this shrinking is a bad thing. The surface of the lake recently fell to the lowest level since records began in 1847, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. And things are just going to get worse. It’s not just bad for the birds, it’s potentially life-threatening for people. There are organizations with real plans. Ducks Unlimited is working to offset water usage by improving efficiency, the Deseret News reported. “That project piped open ditches, delivering more water to wetlands and to the Great Salt Lake.” And there’s so much more. But then there’s Romney, who along with Reps. Chris Stewart and Burgess Owens want to spend $10 million for a study. They might want to read up on climate change first.
MISS: Fossils Fueled
Oh, and speaking of climate change, what about the elephant in the room— burning fossil fuels? Utah is madly trying to preserve them, to breathe life back into the Darth Vader of the industrial world. In the latest intervention, a Utah judge thinks it’s a good idea to spend state money for the Uinta Basin Railway to haul oil back and forth. “Increasing transportation options to the Uinta Basin, particularly by rail, will result in numerous benefits to the communities, public governments and private sector actors within the Basin,” The Salt Lake Tribune quoted the judge saying. You know, of course, those benefits are economic in the short term— not environmental or health-related. Say goodbye to acres of wildlife habitat and say hello to more carbon pollution and possible oil spills along waterways. What could possibly go wrong? And just because oil is better than water, the Trib reports that developers passed off a shady deal to give water rights to a stalled oil shale project.
HIT: Good, Better, Best
There’s a saying: Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good. But the conservative political trope has long been that electric vehicles are bad, and consumers—especially liberals—are stupid for buying them. Why? Because of where the electricity for their batteries comes from. While it’s true that coal in Utah does fire up electricity, that’s not the whole story. “Bits and pieces of their power come from solar, wind, hydro and nuclear. Gas-powered cars, however, rely entirely on gas. A double whammy of turning crude oil into petroleum and then puffing emissions out the tailpipe,” writes Motor Biscuit. So, rejoice in the news that Salt Lake City has the second highest growth in hybrids/EVs since 2014 and Utah the third highest in the nation, according to the Deseret News. Let’s not make this political. Let’s make it breathable.
Public Records Primer
Ever wonder how you get a public record— you know, the ones that are, by definition, “public?” You can’t leave it up to the media anymore to do the work for you. While governments really do want to keep every little thing to themselves, you as a citizen should know your rights and hold your elected officials to account. While the Legislature is working to make it harder, there are still many who understand the importance of transparency. It shouldn’t take a Ph.D. to put in a request, although it may take a little money. The GRAMA 101 In-Person Workshop will explain the ins and outs of the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA). Besides going over the general provisions and requirements, the class will also provide instruction on classifying records and the document appeals process. If you can’t make it in person, there are online videos that might help. Taylors-
ville State Office Building, 4315 S. 2700 West, Thursday, July 28, 9 a.m., free. https://bit.ly/3zbgM7m Video: https://bit.ly/3zaJsgo
Native American Summit
You may not realize that “Utah is home to approximately 59,000 American Indian/ Alaska Natives, and we have tribal members representing more than 20 nations who call Utah home.” That’s not nothing. The
2022 Governor’s Native American Sum-
mit brings together state and tribal leaders, community stakeholders and Utah’s Native American community to learn and celebrate. “Our conference theme, Elevating Ourselves: Restoring Balance by Connecting With Our Cultures, was inspired by the growing desire among Native people to learn more about their cultures and how cultural knowledge can help us overcome life’s challenges.” Breakout sessions that focus on education, health/mental health, cultural preservation, economic development, and civic engagement. University of Utah,
A. Ray Olpin Student Union Building, 200 S. Central Campus Drive, Thursday, July 28, 9 a.m. Free/register at https://bit.ly/3Aj3o1U
Latino Conservation Week
Tracy Aviary is among many organizations celebrating Latino Conservation Week, bringing a connection to the outdoors and natural resource conservation. Among the many events, the aviary and Jordan River are sponsoring a Paddle the River canoe trip to learn about environmental conservation and visit the Jordan River Nature Center. Another event—Food in Culture—is “an interactive presentation of sustainable ancestral farming practices applicable in the modern world. Through art and food, we will talk about the milpa as a symbol of identity and share cultural memories in a group.” You may also participate in a trail cleanup and bike ride, or just gaze at the stars. Jordan River Nature Center,1125 W.
3300 South, South Salt Lake, Saturday, July 23, 9:30 a.m., free. For this and all events: https://bit.ly/3ci902p
International Quilt Festival
Quilts have always provided comfort through the years, both on a practical level and as expression of artistry. Indeed, these tapestries and tradition have been interwoven for centuries, whether the quilt is spread on a bed, serving as a statement or covering a wall as part of the decor.
That makes the first visit to Salt Lake City of the International Quilt Festival an event of special significance. The festival, which comes at Salt Palace Convention Center (100 S. West Temple), features an extraordinary array of themed quilts—more than 500 in all—of every design and description. In spotlighting this unique art form, the festival will also feature more than 150 shopping booths, 50 classes taught by exceptional artisans and an array of unique and innovative quilt creations culled from the judged art show exhibit “A Celebration of
Color.” For those interested in the history and heritage of the craft, the festival also includes a pair of special exhibitions—“Art Quilts” (sponsored by the group called Global Artisans) and “Pieces of the Past,” a display of contemporary and antique quilts from the festival’s extensive collection.
Ranked as the country’s premier quilt show for the past 45 years, the festival has made it its mission to prove that quilts are cool. The event runs July 21-23, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily. Tickets are $15 per day for adults and $12 for students, seniors, children and the military. Kids ten and under can attend free. A full show pass is $35. For more information, visit quilts.com. (Lee Zimmerman)
Craig Robinson
Anyone who names his backing band The Nasty Delicious has to be a bit askew. Likewise, when one writes a song called “Take Your Panties Off” alongside Snoop Dogg … well, that seems to say it all.
Then again, eccentricity often accompanies versatility, and anyone who taught grades K-8 in a public school system—like Craig Robinson once did—is also bound to have an irreverent attitude. Robinson has proven that he’s possessed that quality throughout every phase of his prodigious career as a comedian, actor and musician. After making his bow at the 1998 Montreal “Just For Laughs” festival, he went on to headline venues and comedy festivals across the country, both on his own and with his aforementioned awesome ensemble.
Robinson got his own comedy education in as part of Chicago’s famed Second City Theatre company. However, he gained his first real taste of fame playing the part of
Daryl Philbin on The Office, followed by a recurring role on Brooklyn 99 and film parts including Dolemite Is My Name, Knocked Up, This Is The End, the Hot Tub Time Machine series and Morris From America. Other TV triumphs included his aptly-named NBC sitcom Mr. Robinson, and the Fox series Ghosted.
You can catch him in person at Wiseguys Gateway (194 S. 400 West), but you best hurry. He performs Thursday, July 21 - Saturday, July 23, but at press time, all shows were sold out except for Thursday at 9:30 p.m., with tickets $45. Visit wiseguyscomedy. com for tickets and additional information. (LZ)
When The Sting & Honey Company premiered its beautiful production Sleeping Beauty’s Dream in 2016, the venue was an auditorium at The Waterford School in Sandy. “We couldn’t get any space at the [Rose Wagner Center], which is where we were doing our shows at the time,” recalls Javen Tanner, the company’s artistic director and the writer/ director of Sleeping Beauty’s Dream. “The show went well, but not many people saw it.”
Now, Tanner has revived the production for its downtown debut, taking the opportunity for a bit of re-writing—the entire text is now in iambic pentameter—a “more magical” set design and the opportunity to cast familiar local actress Deena Marie Manzanares as the witch. The show also builds on the Sting & Honey Company tradition of creative interpretations of classic fairy-tale stories, including Snow White and Cinderella.
“With each of the three fairy tales that I’ve written, there’s this mythology of the ‘lost daughter,’” Tanner says. “This one deals with that most directly. Where the traditional Western European version of Sleeping Beauty is a classic and I love it, Sleeping Beauty herself isn’t a really important character—she falls asleep. I thought the important thing, is what happens to her, and going into her dream.”
Sleeping Beauty’s Dream runs through July 30 at the Regent Street Black Box (144 Regent St.) of the Eccles Theater, with performances Thursday – Saturday at 7 p.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday matinees. Tickets are $15-$25; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional information, including current health and safety protocols. (Scott Renshaw)
Recent Supreme Court decisions impacting the basic principle of Native American sovereignty have been a reminder that the legacy of colonization still carries wounds. As challenging as it may be for many people of European descent to confront this history, it’s vital for achieving healing. And it has always been important that Utah’s Pioneer Day celebrations, recognizing the arrival of a specific group of white settlers to this valley, are juxtaposed in the same time frame annually with Utah’s Native American Celebration in the Park Powwow & Festival, as a reminder that this was the place for many people thousands of years before Mormon settlers came.
On Saturday, July 23, from noon to 10 p.m. Liberty Park (600 E. 900 South) hosts the 28th annual powwow and festival. It is primarily a cultural celebration, with music, dance and drum offerings contributing to an overall goal of cultural preservation. Groups representing tribes throughout the country participate in the formalized dance and drum offerings, with The Horses Singers of Ft. Defiance, Arizona serving as the 2022 host drum group. The festival grounds will also feature a wide range of vendor booths, traditional food, arts & crafts presentations and plenty of kid-friendly activities, all making for an event that is as entertaining as it is informative.
At press time, the entertainment headliner is not yet set, but the evening performances will lead into a laser light presentation from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.; no fireworks are scheduled for 2022. Visit nacippowwow.wixsite.com/ naciappowwow for full schedule and up-to-the moment participant updates. (SR)
