City Weekly June 29, 2023

By Connor Sanders

S AP

BOX

@SLCWEEKLY @SLCWEEKLY @CITYWEEKLY

“Trojan Horse,” June 22 cover story

This article is a disappointing opinion stance. Bums me out that City Weekly would put it as a cover piece. I dare anyone to listen to what RFK Jr. has to say. He’s an intelligent caring human being. Telling people to not vote for him is lame.

You’re telling people to vote for Biden? He’s too old to run this country. His cognitive abilities are dwindling fast. He and his administration have been horrible thus far. This week’s Weekly is going right in the trash where it belongs.

ELLO_HA

Via Instagram

I’ve met Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I’ve listened to many of his speeches and shook his hand.

His passion is incredible, and he knows what he is talking about. Anyone trying to shut him down is aware of his insight and is making cowardly moves, trying to bruise his reputation. Did that work with Trump? No.

Who the hell is [“Trojan Horse” writer] Michael Lacey anyway and why do we care about his opinion?

TAE.RALAA

Via Instagram

I think RFK Jr. is outstanding. I’d vote for him. It’s him or Marianne Williamson. For a hundred reasons, no serious person can say Biden is a good idea.

SOULANARCHIST

Via Instagram

Guy is looney. If there is a Democrat alternative, we need someone like [California Rep.] Ro Kanna. But that won’t happen.

DOMJOHN1238

Via Instagram

Biden can’t even stand up or form a sentence. You think he should continue to be president over Kennedy?! What a clown show you are.

AUSTONCALL

Via Instagram

Let the debate happen for the Democratic nomination. Get the war hawks out of leadership.

RUGGEDSUN

Via Instagram

RFK Jr. is the Tulsi Gabbard of the ‘24 race, and I’m ecstatic to watch him make the Democratic Party nervous.

CURTISCRISPIN

Via Instagram

I actually like RFK Jr. so far—strong environmental stance.

MATTJEVTIC

Via Instagram

“The Lame Star State,” June 22 Private Eye

Great Private Eye article.

When addressing a group of folks in Texas, it’s: “All y’all, listen up.” Yes, I lived in Houston, Texas, 30 years ago, when those Texans were tough, tough, tough.

I knew a couple real Texas Rangers, and they were even tougher—but class-act gentlemen at the same time. We ate real Mexican food—made and served by Mexicans. I saw some stand-up fistfights, real fighting that when it was over, both parties shook hands.

But, you’re right, that stuff is all gone. I still write to a cowgirl who taught me how to ride a horse, and she agrees it ain’t the same. Most women back then carried a hammerless .38 caliber handgun, because it would shoot straight without jamming through the purse they carried.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Utah Sen. Mike Lee will be left on the beach—that’s where we used to leave the snivelers when I had my sailboat.

What’s the last thing a Texas redneck says before he gets killed? “Hey y’all, watch this!”

WALLY HARPER

Salt Lake City

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

THE WATER COOLER

What’s a favorite summer concert or one that you’re looking forward to?

John Saltas

Alice Cooper. Bonneville Speedway or Fairpark Speedway. I forget. 1972?

Derek Carlisle

Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the Kilby Block Party. They’ve been on my list forever and did not dissapoint. Karen O blows my mind.

Bill Frost

Ween in August at Sandy Amphitheater, which is a great venue—shows are over at 10 because it’s next to a senior citizens center. I’m not old, you’re old.

Christa Zaro

Dead & Company

Kelly Boyce

I’ll be going to the Shambhala music festival in British Columbia with most of my favorite artists including Griz and Nghtmre! Arguably the best music festival in all of North America!

Benjamin Wood

I had a great time at the Lord Huron Twilight show. And by the time this prints, I’ll have spent An Evening With Cake at Red Butte Garden!

Pete Saltas

There are too many concerts happening to name just one. But, I will say I’m super excited to see Granary Live open up this summer to bring some cool vibes to SLC.

PRIVATE EYE

Chew on This O

n a distant morning in the late 1960s, I awoke early, prior to the start of school, to ride off barely awake with another wannabe student automobile driver onto roads unknown.

We left our town of Lead Mine in Bingham Canyon well before 7 a.m. with our driver education teacher, Tommy Pazell—who had gotten up even earlier, driving up into Bingham Canyon across miles of barren dry farms from his home in Midvale to meet us.

Besides learning the nuances of standard and automatic transmissions and the shapes of all manner of road signs, we had been taught to never drive directly into a rising or setting sun. There are plenty of auto insurance actuaries out there who can attest that despite quality teaching and PSA reminders, certain among us will indeed drive directly into a blinding sun ray and that certain percentage of us will perish when our squinty eyes ramble headlong over a cliff.

It’s the law of nature that humans are especially desirous of doing dangerous and stupid things. I don’t think— even if I had a mobile device and a TikTok account loaded to the teeth with videos of people driving off cliffs while admiring the setting sun—that I would have been any less inspired to look at the sun as I did that morning.

So, I did. I looked right directly into the sun and pointed it out to everyone in the car.

If you knew Tommy Pazell, you already know what happened next. Born in Bingham Canyon himself, Pazell was a feisty, tough Croatian, and a stellar player on the Bingham High School all-state baseball team in 1939 (along with my Uncle Tom Saltas). His prospects as a professional baseball player were dashed somewhere in Italy where a piece of Nazi German weaponry blew into his knee, ending his ca-

BY JOHN SALTAS @johnsaltas

reer. Nazis. Sheez. He fought them. Now lookie.

He returned to Bingham High School as an educator, one of the very best, and one of the toughest and most compassionate men I ever knew. When he swiftly turned his head and barked at me for distracting the poor driver, I understood where he was coming from. I mostly knew the swear words in the several languages I heard daily in Bingham Canyon. I won’t give you readers a literal translation of what he said because I fear that doing so would ban this issue of City Weekly from the delicate eyes of Utah’s better and more Christian residents.

But it went something like, “You dogrammed Greek rummy. Can’t you see she’s driving? Shut your dogrammed mouth and watch the road. Beezus, didn’t Pete (my dad) teach you a dogrammed thing?”

It was more colorful in the moment. And we didn’t wreck. How could we? After all, in the late 1960s, there were barely any automobiles on the interstate at any time of day, let alone at 6:57 a.m. and driving south.

No one willingly drove into Utah County in those hallowed days, so we had virtually no companion traffic in our lanes. Even if I did scare the bejeezus out of my fellow student driver by pointing out that staring into the sun was kinda neat, we weren’t in any real danger—nearly all of us had been driving for years anyway and drivers ed was a mere formality.

It’s certifiable that the average City Weekly reader is among the smartest and most well-educated of Utah’s citizens. Therefore, to those “gotcha” graybeard liberals out there waiting to tear my eyes out for a columnar faux pas, let me point out that the sun was not in the driver’s eyes. The sun was rising easterly, over the Wasatch, and by suddenly craning her neck to look that way, she also steered our car into the next left lane.

That’s what pissed Tommy Pazell off. Plus, the fact that

the two sides of Interstate 15 were not separated by much more than gravel and weeds. It could’ve turned out poorly for us even though there were a paltry few cars driving in the northbound lanes.

In the not-too-distant future years, that stream of traffic out of Utah County grew exponentially, causing many a traveler to divert to State Street or Redwood Road (a two-lane road the morning of my drivers ed training, with a four-way stop at 9000 South). Both Redwood Road and State Street were widened over the next many years, as was 700 East and other conduit roads. Next came the construction of the Bangerter Highway, Interstate 215, the rebuild of I-15 itself, current construction on Interstate 80 and proposed new lanes rampaging through Rose Park and North Salt Lake neighborhoods once again.

It never ends. Officials at the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) interpret increased traffic as a need to build more lanes. UDOT is wrong. We don’t need more lanes. We need more sunshine.

Pollution makes the sun even less visible now, even at midday on some overcast days. Building more reasons for people to use the roads that are already dangerously crowded—at all times of the day—is a devil’s errand. It needs to stop.

We are saturated with roads. We are polluted to the gills. If I were driving with Tommy Pazell today, he’d not chew at me, but on the butts of those in charge who are turning our Salt Lake Valley into the next—dare I say— Los Angeles. I can predict the exact word Pazell would use to describe them, and anyone slightly familiar with the Slavic tongue of Bingham Canyon would know it, too.

Let’s just chew on that language lesson for another day. Drive safe. Don’t look at the sun if you can find it. CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

MISS: The Good Book

Try telling this to the women of today: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” Let’s just say it likely won’t go well. The Southern Baptist Convention, however, took 1 Timothy 2:12 pretty darned literally and banned women from the pulpits of its churches. So just how literally should you take a book— even if it’s considered to be a holy book? Frankly, we’d still be stoning women and subjugating slaves to cruel treatment if we did. Oh, and be careful about cursing your parents—you could be put to death. But in the fervor to save “the foundational document for Western civilization,” Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, brought the Bible back onto school library shelves. Never mind how many people take exception to the Bible being so foundational. Although Ivory gets it partly right, saying the Bible relates both “good and bad matters of history,” he doesn’t think it appeals to prurient interests. But maybe he hasn’t really read it.

HIT: Take Shelter

If you believe that housing is a big part of helping the homeless, then you’ll probably like what two nonprofits have been doing. The Family Support Center and HomeAid Utah helped with the renovation and remodel of several units in LifeStart Village, a transitional housing program for single parents with children, according to KSL. They offer programs and financial assistance—as well as a roof over heads. Homelessness is far from an easy problem to solve, but the state’s Homelessness Council and Office of Homeless Service are moving toward increasing the amount of permanent affordable housing units as well as providing services for those in need, Axios reports. While there is no perfect solution, at least there’s a plan in the works, thanks to state homeless coordinator, Wayne Niederhauser. It needs to be sooner than later, as homelessness has increased over the years.

MISS: Surf’s Up!

Air and water—the two elements that could save or destroy Utah as a livable state. A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling may have put wetlands at risk by limiting the Clean Water Act. To be protected, those wetlands must have a “continuous surface connection” to any larger body of water, the court said. That the water in question is for the struggling Navajo Nation makes the ruling even more disastrous. Meanwhile, Lake Powell has been drying up, and if the number of extreme heat days doubles by 2050, Utah could be seeing wildfires and experiencing drought from which it cannot recover, KUER 90.1FM reports. Conservation still is the solution du jour. A letter to The Salt Lake Tribune expressed dismay at plans for a private surf community in southern Utah, even while “the average resident is being asked to rid their property of grass and conserve water.” But in keeping with the Utah Way, businesses and rich people usually get what they want, even if it’s at the expense of a water-starved public.

Dinosaurland

Most residents and visitors know that Utah is a hotbed of dinosaur activity. The state is home to the expansive Dinosaur National Monument, the city of Vernal is nicknamed “Dinosaurland” and, fittingly, the Utahraptor is the state’s official dinosaur.

But you don’t have to travel for hours to catch a glimpse of prehistoric life— you can find a fair amount here in Salt Lake City. In fact, I’ve come across more than a dozen dinosaurs in various forms—ranging from lifelike replicas to cartoonish skeletons—just in the city limits alone.

The most famous by far is Rapty, the 6-foot-tall metal velociraptor that reigns over its 9th and 9th domain (upper left). That statue has been a staple in the area for decades now, even garnering a few newspaper articles with cheeky headlines when it briefly went missing 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, it’s not the only dinosaur that has fallen victim to theft. Booker, the Brontosaurus outside the Sinclair gas station on 1300 East and 1700 South (upper right) was also uprooted and placed in a resident’s backyard a few years back, only to be returned shortly thereafter. It seems like humans are the natural predators of fake dinosaurs.

In addition to full-size replicas, there are a lot of skulls scattered around town, too. My personal favorites are the colorful Rainbow Rex, fabricated by Bowerbird Art Studio, that has roamed out in the wild from Sugar House to Liberty Wells (bottom left) and the plastered triceratops—unique among dinosaur species I’ve spotted—that can be found on Fourth Avenue (bottom right).

(Editor’s note: A fun T-Rex sculpture can also be found in Draper along the Porter Rockwell Trail near the current terminus of the Trax Blue Line.)

Of course, if you were wanting to see real dinosaur bones, a visit to the Natural History Museum of Utah at 301 Wakara Way in Research Park is a mustdo. In addition to the countless fossils, skeletons and educational material on display, the museum is home to several family-friendly areas where kids can do their own exploration.

After honing their skills there, young paleontologists will be ready to venture out in the wild that is Salt Lake City. Who knows what they might find! CW

Left: Rapty the velociraptor keeps watch at 9th and 9th

Right: A Sinclair dinosaur at 1300 East and 1700 South.

Left: This colorful skull moves between neighborhoods.

Right: A triceratops skull on Fourth Avenue

Depth Perception

Writer Karl Beckstrand talks about finding stable, fulfilling LGBTQIA relationships.

BY CAROLYN CAMPBELL comments@cityweekly.net

Writer Karl Beckstand nearly married a beautiful woman, although he was attracted to both men and women. “I was pretty sexual with men when younger. Because I could see nothing good in my same-sex attraction, I grew up hating that part of me,” says the author of God Adores You! Beyond Either/Or Thinking to Your Most Fulfilling LGBTQIA Life.

While his romantic life remained unsettled, Beckstrand fulfilled most of his bucket list, visiting four continents, working for Congress in Washington, D.C.. earning an M.A. in conflict resolution, and publishing 27 books.

Beckstrand’s early relationships were far from satisfying, although his ego could take credit for decades of deep, stable relations with both sexes. Still, Beckstrand suspected that something beyond him brought a genuinely lasting con-

nection. So after his engagement ended over other differences, Beckstrand—who hadn’t been sexual with a man in many years—feared going back to an out-ofcontrol life. “I was trying to avoid men completely—because I thought that’s what I should do,” he says.

Instead, he says he discovered that there is a purpose for the differences with which people compare themselves to others. “Attraction to one’s own sex is not a defect nor is it contagious—and it’s not a choice. Why would I choose to be attracted to guys when most men don’t welcome such interest? My same-sex emotional needs (like for those for food) are legitimate, meant to be met mindfully—not in servitude, not bottled up,” says Beckstrand.

He says he learned that same-sex people are made to love each other deeply, uniquely and long-term (and, in some ways, better than men and women love each other). Yet, he adds, long-term blissful relationships can be elusive for anyone—even heterosexual people. “True needs must be met in ongoing ways,” says Beckstrand, “they don’t just go away.”

Given Beckstrand’s compulsive history, he wasn’t sure how to meet his same-sex emotional needs for a time. “Often, people see only binary options,” he says, “yet, there are infinite ways to be human, let alone LGBTQ—and more levels of connection than we know, happier than the sparse paths the world often signals. We miss out when we don’t see multiple options.”

One key is to not mistake sexual eu-

phoria for love. “People who think euphoria is love guarantee that they’ll soon be out of love, given the temporary nature of that feeling,” says Beckstrand. “When people abandon the quest for euphoria, they can more easily find true relating.”

Seeing more options may require some thought and introspection. “Your best relationships may not be the one(s) you’re currently in, pursuing, or think you’re missing out on,” says Beckstrand, “or they may not come about in the way you’re trying to build them.” For example, he concludes, “I never dreamed fulfillment would come via male-tomale connection—or that even straight people have needs for same-sex connection—independent of euphoria, though non-sexual euphoria can be part of ordinary human interactions,” he says.

What Beckstrand has learned about same-sex bonds applies to heterosexuals, LGBTQIA, married people, singles and all genders. He says, “I believe a change in what/how you seek could save you decades

of frustration and heartbreak and fulfill you beyond your current expectations.

“Awareness of options increases power and satisfaction. For example, I love who I am and want others to feel self-love and profound love with others. … As you realize you are meeting true needs, bliss and generous impulses toward others can replace discouragement, isolation, infidelity, even addiction.” CW

COURTESY PHOTO

Writer Karl Beckstrand

In this workshop, we will be working with an acrylic-based approach. You will learn:

Symmetry, glazing, Line-work, gradients, and more!

Summer happenings in Draper

Utah Symphony: Patriotic Pops

Concerts performed around Independence Day understandably tend to focus on compositions associated with rahrah patriotism: Sousa marches, the National Anthem, and the like. But perhaps we should also be thinking more about other compositions that feel quintessentially American, representing something about the spirit of the nation. And that certainly applies to George Gershwin’s 1924 composition Rhapsody in Blue, which Gershwin described upon its creation as “a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep.”

As part of Utah Symphony’s annual “Patriotic Pops” concert, the program will showcase not just Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, but a brand-new composition written by Peter Boyer and conceived and performed by pianist Jeffrey Biegel (pictured). Boyer’s Rhapsody in Red, White and Blue receives its world premiere at this performance, ahead of a planned national tour. Additional works scheduled for the evening are Boyer’s Celebration Overture; a suite from Gershwin’s musical Porgy & Bess; Robert Lowden’s Armed Forces Salute; John Williams’ overture from the 1972 film The Cowboys; Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever; and, of course, The StarSpangled Banner. It’s a program not just for what we’ve celebrated about America in the past, but what we hope for America’s future.

Utah Symphony’s “Patriotic Pops” will be performed on Friday, June 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Deer Valley Resort’s Snow Park Amphitheater (2250 Deer Valley Dr. South, Park City). Tickets are $20 - $99, including available lawn seating. For ticket information, as well as rules regarding bringing chairs and outside coolers, visit deervalleymusicfestival.org.

(Scott Renshaw)

PENNY FRONDELLI

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Greg Warren

Greg Warren seems like such a natural when he performs stand-up comedy that it’s hard to believe he hasn’t been doing it forever. But in fact, it took several detours before he found his calling: enrolling at West Point with the goal of a career in the military; dropping out to return to wrestling at the University of Missouri; and spending a decade with Procter & Gamble selling Jif peanut butter to grocery stores.

It’s this latter segment of his biography that provides the focus of his latest comedy special, The Salesman, produced and directed by fellow comedian Nate Bargatze. While he touches on topics including what he did (and didn’t) do during the COVID pandemic, car insurance and holistic medicine, he focuses on the legacy of being a decade-long cheerleader for his company’s products. That includes touting the advantages of Jif over organic peanut butter, with its layer of oil on the top: “ ‘Greg, your peanut butter has preservatives, that’s why it doesn’t do that.’ Yeah. That’s exactly why it doesn’t do that. Maybe we’re trying to ‘preserve’ people’s appetites. ‘Greg, you just take a knife and you stir the jar.’ … Oh, now I’m supposed to help you make the peanut butter? Why don’t you just hand me a bag of peanuts and a hammer next time?”

Greg Warren performs at Wiseguys Gateway (194 S. 400 West)—a 21-and-over venue—on June 30 and July 1 for four performances, 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. nightly. Tickets are $25; visit wiseguyscomedy.com to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

COURTESY PHOTO

4th of July Celebrations

The Independence Day holiday generally—assuming no major pandemic is in play— brings with it several large celebratory gatherings around the state. Here’s just a handful of the major events if you want to enjoy a patriotic party.

The state’s biggest such occasion remains the Stadium of Fire at Lavell Edwards Stadium (1700 N. Canyon Rd., Provo), part of the umbrella America’s Freedom Festival events. On Saturday, July 1 at 8 p.m., the stadium hosts a party with a headliner concert featuring legendary rock band Journey. Also featured will be an F-35 jet flyover from Hill Air Force Base and, of course, a fireworks spectacular. The Festival’s Grand Parade takes place on July 4 in downtown Provo. Tickets are $40$27, visit freedomfestival.org.

For the downtown SLC core, The Gateway (400 W. 200 South) serves as venue for an evening celebration on July 4 from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., free to the public. Two stages will feature live music and D.J. dancing, plus karaoke performances, while familyfriendly activities include yard games and face painting. Fireworks light up the sky at 10 p.m. Visit atthegateway.com.

This Is the Place Heritage Park (2601 E. Sunnyside Ave.) brings its own celebration of America’s birthday with Liberty Day 2023. Scheduled events include a salute to America presented by the Sons of the American Revolution, plus a watermelon-eating contest and firing off of the Candy Cannon. Regular admission ($14.95 - $18.95) is required; visit thisistheplace.org.

At the south end of the valley, Sandy City’s all-day festivities come to the Sandy City Hall Promenade (1000 Centennial Parkway) from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. Events kick off with the flag-raising, followed by the annual 5K run. Beginning at 10 a.m., enjoy inflatables, food and vendor booths throughout the day, leading up to the parade at 6 p.m. Live music featuring Chris Petersen and The Groove Merchants brings you up to the culminating fireworks “sky concert” at 10 p.m. on 104.3 FM KSOP. Visit sandy. utah.gov.

For a little mountainside fun, head to Park City for the annual parade down Main Street beginning at 11 a.m. Then, beginning at noon in City Park (1400 Sullivan Rd.), enjoy an afternoon of live music and refreshments. Visit historicparkcityutah.com.

Plenty more Utah cities will be hosting their own local events with live entertainment, games and fireworks shows, including Holladay (facebook.com/ CityofHolladay), Magna (magna.utah.gov), Murray (murray.utah.gov), Riverton (rivertonutah.gov) and more. Find your favorite way—and place—for a red, white and blue weekend. (SR)

COURTESY PHOTO

Disbelief washed over Whittier Elementary School teacher Cathy Bigler on May 8, as she saw interim Superintendent Martin Bates and Whittier prin cipal Bri Deleon holding balloons in her classroom doorway. As they announced to her and her fifth graders that Bigler had won Salt Lake City School District’s (SLCSD) 2023 Teacher of the Year award, Bigler clasped her hands together and held them up to cover a beaming smile. A student called out from the back of the class, “You deserve it. You really do!” Bigler blew kisses to the class and curled her hands into a heart.

For as long as she can remember, Bigler wanted to be a teacher. When she was a third grader in her home town of Provo, she would set out her dolls and stand and teach them in her room. She graduated from Brigham Young University in 1984 and, at age 21, fulfilled her dream of teaching in Alpine School District. Since then, she’s spent the past 38 years teaching elementary school, with the bulk of that time in SLCSD and the past 17 years at Whittier, located in the Liberty Wells neighborhood.

Bigler’s ambition for helping develop Utah’s youth is part of a long-standing family legacy of education. Her father, James Bergara, served as superintendent of Provo School District and her mother, Ella Ruth Bergara, taught children’s litera ture at BYU before they passed away.

Now, Bigler’s daughter is just a year away from finishing her education at the University of Utah and, in line with her family legacy, will become a teacher as well.

While Bigler takes a much-needed break from the classroom this summer, City Weekly caught up with the award-winning educator to chat about COVID lockdowns, teaching kids in the age of the internet, the future of the Salt Lake City School Dis trict and the new wave of book bans sweeping the country. note: The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.]

Connor Sanders: Did you know you were up for Teacher of the Year?

Cathy Bigler: I got an email from the district a few months ago saying that somebody had nomi nated me. I was like, “Oh, that’s nice.” And then I got another email a little later saying, you’re one of the four finalists. And with that one, I thought, “Oh no, this is real.”

I started to get a little bit nervous, because I really don’t like having a lot of attention on me—which is weird; my friends always say, “Then why are you a teacher?” When I’m around my peers, I just want to be in the back. But then, in the classroom, I want all the kids listening to me. I don’t get it, but whatever. So, when they said I was one of the final four, I had to answer some questions and go do an interview and things like that. But then, I figured, “OK, that’s all done now. I’m good.”

When [Bates] walked in, I just thought, “Oh, no.” Like, “Oh, my gosh! What?” It was the cutest thing. Little kids out on the playground and their parents, when I go out on bus duty, they’d say, “I saw you on TV!” I never had that happen before. It was funny.

What were your feelings when it sunk in that you had won the award?

CB: Well, just super honored because a lot of teachers put their heart and soul into everything they do, and they don’t get any recognition for it. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t put myself out there. I’m not on Facebook. I don’t have an Instagram account. I don’t have any of that stuff. And so, in my heart, I kind of thought this was for all those teachers who just go to work every day and do their job and love those kids. And they don’t have to be recognized for it. But it’s nice every now and then, you know, so I was really, really honored.

You’ve been teaching at Whittier for nearly 20 years. What has kept you there?

CB: I love the kids. I don’t care whether you’re a west-side kid or an east-side kid, gifted or special education. I love it when kids need you. And you can feel that from the kids. I love getting to know them and seeing the kids in the hallway that are going to be in my class. I also love my colleagues, my administration. It’s just such a wonderful, loving, supportive school. And I felt like that right from the beginning when I first got there.

Cathy Bigler, Whittier Elementary teacher

What do you make of the recent pushes to ban so-called “pornographic” books?

CB: I think that’s really unfortunate. As a child, I was very sheltered. Growing up in Provo, I don’t know if there were books that were banned back in my day. I do know that if my parents hadn’t wanted me to read books, they would have told me, and I hope I would have listened to them. And I wouldn’t have read them.

But I certainly wouldn’t want them as parents to make a blanket statement that, “I don’t want any child to read this book, just because I don’t feel comfortable with my child reading it.”

I find that very troubling … There are graphic books and things that maybe shouldn’t be in libraries. But who are we to say what is and what isn’t?

I think people ought to be able to make the choice for themselves, what books they want their children to read. And when their children get to a certain age, and they’re fully capable of making the choice, then they read.

Unfortunately, you’re not going to be able to shelter your children forever, and I think it would be better if they had a conversation with their children. I don’t think it’s so much about the book as it is about keeping an open line of communication between children and parents about what parents want and what is best for kids. Because I honestly think we’re all on the same page, we all want children to grow up feeling safe, feeling supported. I think people are just going different ways getting there.

think it’s because of the internet. They just know a lot more about current events than I ever did when I was younger or my students back in the ’80s. We’d never heard about school shootings and now it’s just so commonplace that you hear about that. And we have practices. I always tell them after any school shooting, “This is why we do these drills. This is why.” Because it’s almost like it’s not a big deal at this point. You know?

At least, in my experience—and maybe it’s because I moved from Provo to Salt Lake, I don’t know—I see the kids are a little more open-minded, more willing to accept new ideas without being judgmental.

I’m not saying that the kids down where I taught before weren’t, I just don’t remember some of the issues coming up that have been coming up a little more recently. I find them more open, more accepting now. I do, though, find that mental health is a bigger issue now than it was.

How does that show itself in the classroom?

CB: Kids don’t necessarily talk to teachers about it. But I can just tell that, sometimes, it’s kind of like an underlying current.

I just see that in a kid. Especially with the pandemic—and when we had to teach at home—the kids were at home, and I could just tell when I was teaching them on the computer.

I mean, it seems fun to be at home for a while. But when you’re isolated like that, for so long, it kind of starts to mess with you.

I think there’s a lot of things. I think kids grow up way faster than they did back when I first started teaching. And I think that that can really challenge them with their mental health.

Perhaps it sets expectations for how they’re supposed to behave before they’re ready?

CB: Yes, the high expectations and the pressure. It’s not just in-person, either—with social media, you get it online, too. I never had to deal with that.

I always tell them, “I can only imagine how difficult things are for you. I am here to help you navigate whatever you need to help you through this time. It’s very difficult.”

Grown-ups have no idea what it is like to be a child nowadays. It’s a lot harder than we think.

I think, basically, feeling safe and feeling heard, are the biggest things. Whether that’s a physical safety, or an emotional safety or a mental safety, or, you know, worried about bullies—things like that. It’s just so much different now.

What are some of the biggest issues impacting you and your community of educators?

CB: One thing—and I don’t really feel this as much as some of my colleagues—is pressure to perform, especially when it comes to standardized tests.

CB: One of the things that I’ve noticed is they’re much more “world-wise” than they were before. I

When the kids were able to finally come back to school, they were so excited. Kids would tell me that they’d read things online that they didn’t feel comfortable with, or that made them feel weird. So, then we were having to teach kids, “OK, here’s what you do when you’re online, and somebody says something to you.” Having to teach them how to quickly get out of that situation.

Teachers work so hard, and we’ve always said, you can work as hard as you can, but when kids go in to take those tests, they’re going to do what they’re going to do. Even if they know the information, they may not test well.

It’s so hard because teachers put their heart and soul into it, and it all comes down to one month of testing that says whether you’re a good teacher or not a good teacher. That seems so unfair.

You’ve seen multiple generations of children grow up. How are kids different now than when you first started teaching?

Cathy Bigler, center, with her family

Visitors surprised Cathy Bigler in her classroom with the news she was Teacher of the Year.

Cathy Bigler, front left, grew up in Provo and would play-act teaching classes with her dolls.

Grown-ups have no idea what it is like to be a child nowadays. It’s a lot harder than we think.

—Cathy Bigler

Teacher burnout is kind of a thing. It’s weird, though, because I’ve never felt that, even when I really was frustrated. There are lots of challenges, but the benefits for me always outweigh those challenges.

There are some teachers for whom the challenges outweigh the benefits, and they don’t want to do it anymore. I certainly can’t blame them if teachers feel like they’re not being supported.

I’ve always felt that if I needed something, I had somewhere that I could go. I want to be that teacher for other teachers. If there are teachers struggling, I want them to feel comfortable asking me because I have taught forever, and I could certainly try to help them.

But yeah, that whole overwhelming feeling of pressure to perform, to have your students perform and that you don’t get to do anything fun. It’s all about testing, testing, testing, testing. I think that’s very hard for teachers.

The school district is experiencing enrollment decline and leadership turmoil, including

the removal of a board

member and the previous superintendent. How do you feel about the future of SLCSD?

CB: I’m still really confident. Our district will do what they need to do with the [school boundary] reconfiguration. I know change is hard for people. So I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. But I do have every confidence that our district will do what needs to be done to help our kids.

And I feel really, really positive about our new superintendent, Dr. Elizabeth Grant. I love that she’s from [Salt Lake City]. That’s great.

I don’t think that’s the No. 1 important thing—but she’s capable and that is the No. 1 important thing.

I know that there’s been a lot of bad press, with our school board and the superintendent and all that. I get it. But what people are not seeing is that these teachers are still going in every single day and doing their job and trying their very best to help those students.

And what’s really important here is helping those kids. That’s what we do every day.

How did the leadership drama impact the teachers around you? Did you feel distracted from your responsibilities?

CB: In my own life, I didn’t. But I know for some of the teachers, sure it was. Teachers talk. Schools are like small towns. Everybody talks—everybody knows what’s going on. I know that some of the teachers were frustrated. It was more that they didn’t want the outside [world] thinking that our district is this awful district because we are not.

I think our board’s really tried their best. I’m not sure if they succeeded. But, I don’t think people go on to a school board thinking that they’re going to sabotage the district. I think we tried. But I do think there were some teachers that were very frustrated by that.

I just look at the goal at the end of the line, which is to teach my kids and be there for them. I never wanted my kids to feel the stress that maybe their parents were feeling at home. So when they came to school, it was always, “Let’s do our work. Let’s feel safe and comfortable and happy.”

How is the pandemic still impacting classrooms, and how do you think the at-home lockdown will affect students long term?

CB: I’m not sure there will be a long-term impact. When the kids came back, it was hard for them to sit still. A lot of them couldn’t hold a pencil. It was so weird. It was only a year or so, but it was funny to watch them trying to write with a pencil. It never dawned on me that they wouldn’t be able to use it.

The routine at school and trying to persevere through assignments—that was hard at first, too. But now that it’s been a year or two, it’s getting better. Kids are just so resilient. They’re so good at picking up and coming back from things if they have the support that they need

I think we’ve done a really good job trying to support these kids, welcoming them back, making sure that they felt safe. I still have kids who wear masks in the class. I’m not going to say anything to them. If they feel comfortable wearing masks, if that helps them feel safe, do it.

Some of them are doing it because it’s more of a security thing. They feel safer that way. It’s funny because now when kids have colds, they will come in wearing a mask. I never had that happen. Before they just coughed and sneezed all over. Any sign of a sore throat or sniffle or whatever, it’s, “Do you have a mask, Mrs. Bigler?” CW

Before There Were Google Maps ... ... There Was Salt Lake’s Smart “Grid” System.

BY BRYANT HEATH comments@cityweekly.net

One of the best things about living in Salt Lake is the ease of navigating the city streets. In other metros, even the most seasoned residents instinctively pull up Google Maps on their phones to get from Point A to Point B. But in Salt Lake, we’re spoiled with the ingenious grid system.

The precursor to the grid system we use today was the “Plat of Zion”—the blocky city plan envisioned by Latter-day Saints church founder Joseph Smith—which placed the temple at the center of the community with major streets laid out in plain east-west and northsouth lines. Although Smith never saw his plan realized, the idea provided the framework for the early design of Salt Lake City.

A quick primer on the grid system: The city is like a compass, with the city center marked by a base and meridian at the southeast corner of Temple Square. Directional street names emanate outward with Main Street serving as the dividing line between east and west addresses and South Temple as the dividing line between north and south address. The higher the street number, the farther away you are from the temple.

Determining the location of an address is like plotting a graph—you have an east-west coordinate (showing where you are along the horizontal axis) and a northsouth coordinate (the same for the vertical axis). Major blocks are named in multiples of 100: for example, 500 West and 400 North equates to five blocks west of Main Street and four blocks north of the Salt Lake Temple.

When you first are introduced to the grid, the learn-

dinate refers to the actual street or avenue the house or business is located on.

For example, City Weekly’s address is 175 W. 200 South, and from that, we know it’s two blocks south of South Temple and almost two blocks west of Main Street. The address of the business that appears outside the building is 175, while the building is located on 200 South. Head-scratching, I know, but once you get the hang of it, finding locations and mapping out directions becomes second nature.

How would you go from 1200 North and 1400 West in Rose Park to the Northwest Recreation Center near 300 North and 1300 West? Well, from 1200 North, you travel nine blocks south to 300 North and then, from 1400 West, you travel one block east to 1300 West. Boom—you’re an expert in taxicab geometry now.

Of course, the system isn’t perfect, and there are a few hiccups. I particularly enjoy the ambiguity of what to call the axial streets. Is South Temple 0 South or 0 North? Plus, there are three north-south streets that are not numbered, but key to getting around the downtown area: State Street, Main Street and West Temple.

Looking at real-life street signs shows that the city is just as confused as both notations are used. Long, diagonal streets are also problematic—I’ve unknowingly wound up on the Van Winkle Expressway in Murray more times than I can count—but with a little bit experience, you learn to avoid getting off on a tangent.

Wayfinding is also fairly easy for pedestrians or cyclists. Sidewalks downtown are dotted with signage that feature maps to nearby attractions, and neighborhoods

Also, popular trailheads are mostly well-marked at entrances and along the pathways, so it’s unlikely you’ll get lost going “off the grid.” The Jordan River Parkway Trail does an amazing job posting informative maps along its 45 miles—especially at all the shoreline parks concentrated in Salt Lake City—and you can find an extensive online digital guide (myjordanriver.org) that the Jordan River Commission put together.

And if the grid system, wayfinding signs and maps aren’t enough, Salt Lake also provides ample visual landmarks to keep you oriented. Need to know where east is?—just walk outside and look for the massive Wasatch Range. (The more distant Oquirrh Mountains are due west.) State Street is a vital thoroughfare that travels the length of the Salt Lake Valley and can take you from the Capitol north of downtown all the way south to Draper. If you travel up the hill into the Avenues or up any of the hillside benches above the city, you can also search for the towers of downtown. With those landmarks, even the worst orienteer can map out the basic compass directions.

Finally, we have three interstates that are pretty vital to life in Greater Salt Lake: Interstate 15 runs north and south; Interstate 80 runs east-west and Interstate 215 is the “belt route” that circles the Valley and connects drivers with both I-80 and I-15. Rush hour is no joke, so try to avoid the freeways at that time and especially during bad weather.

Honestly, you probably have to try harder to get lost in Salt Lake City than any other city in America, unless you happen to find yourself on the Van Winkle Expressway. Then, you’re on your own, kid. �

Cool Your Jets

La Cevicheria offers the perfect menu for your summer.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Though it’s been a pretty mild June, those scorching July days are just around the corner. Tempting though it may sound, one cannot simply live on snowcones and ice cream once the thermostat starts hitting the high 90s. Summer is all about finding a wide range of cool and refreshing goodies.

It used to be tricky to find a menu that would fit that bill, but thanks to our ever-evolving food scene, we’re fortunate enough to have places like La Cevicheria in our back yard. It’s not the first local restaurant to offer ceviche—freshly sliced salmon, tuna, shrimp or even octopus marinated in citrusy lime juice—but it just might be the most adorable.

It’s in a cozy little space kitty-corner to the Gallivan Center, and it’s instantly recognizable from the trippy blue octopus tentacles painted on the brick outside. At the moment, the construction on 200 South has made parking a bit of a drag for visitors, but with all this warm weather coming our way, there’s no harm in parking at Gallivan and taking a quick jaunt over.

On the inside, La Cevicheria has been borrowing liberally from the cute, Instagram-friendly design choices that have been successful elsewhere. Hot pink neon signs that tell you how good you look, set against artificial greenery walls, are all ready for your ceviche selfies. On top

of that, La Cevicheria includes plenty of oceanic decor, including the cute little octopus sculpture that holds each table’s menu. It’s packed with fun, summery vibes that are perfect for the season.

When dining here, you should definitely consider their signature ceviches; it would be silly to visit a cevicheria without doing so. They have plenty of different takes on this traditional dish, including a vegetarian option ($18.99) made with cooked cauliflower, but their Ceviche La Cevicheria ($21.99) is their house special. This refreshing flavor cocktail is made with salmon and tuna that have been marinated in lime juice along with chopped onions, tomatoes and cilantro.

Good ceviche lets the ingredients speak for themselves, and that’s what you’re having at La Cevicheria. Even though we’re in a landlocked desert, the fresh fish—dressed up with citrusy lime flavor and crunchy aromatic veggies—really pops. It’s served in a showstopping lava rock bowl along with some homemade tortilla rounds and sliced cucumber that can be used to scoop all that deliciousness up into one perfect bite. Those who prefer shrimp or octopus as their seafood of choice have plenty of options, but the Ceviche La Cevicheria is top-notch for first-time visitors.

Those who maybe aren’t ready or willing to ride the ceviche train just yet can also find plenty of traditional beachy dishes to dig into. I liked their Baja fish tacos ($18.99) quite a bit. They come in a trio, and were exactly what I wanted out of a fish taco: a good portion of fried fish, topped with plenty of crunchy purple cabbage and some creamy chipotle dressing. A nice squeeze of lime, a dollop of their smoky salsa verde and a cold cerveza takes you right to the coast. On

top of their fresh seafood tacos—you can get marlin, octopus and shrimp if you so choose—La Cevicheria does some decent street tacos ($3.99) as well.

It’s easy to hang in the ceviche and taco side of the menu at La Cevicheria, but don’t overlook the chef’s specialties. This spot on the menu is where you can find classic seafood dishes like the chicharron de pescado ($24.99)—that’s a whole fried red snapper, friends—and their myriad shrimp platters. I tried out the camarones al tamarindo ($18.99), which comes with some rice and a tasty little side salad topped with fresh fruit. This is a dish that really lets the sweet-and-sour flavor of tamarind off the leash, and it was an excellent sauce for the shrimp.

Sometimes when you’re craving beach vibes downtown, you’re looking for some smaller plates and cocktails to do the trick. This is another area in which La Cevicheria shines. Their cozy bar area is a great place to order up some oyster shots ($7 or $20 for a half dozen) or a bit of pate de atun ($11.99), which is a cool tuna spread served with crackers. They’ve got plenty of refreshing cocktails on the menu, along with a decent variety of tequila brands on hand for shots.

I’m one of those people who go into summer kicking and screaming, but I like having a place like La Cevicheria nearby. While beach vacations are great, sometimes you need a quicker fix. Some piquant, refreshing ceviche or fish tacos, along with a shot of tequila and a cold Modelo, have the magical ability to make me forget that I’m sweating in the middle of an unforgiving desert. CW

1048

2 Row Brewing 6856 S. 300 West, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC

avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Midnight Especial- Dark

Mexican Lager

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC

BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Mango Goze

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

Bonneville Brewery

1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Chappell Brewing

2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115

chappell.beer

On Tap: Climax Cream Ale - nitro

Craft by Proper

1053 E. 2100 So., SLC craftbyproper.com

On Tap: Purple Rain - Marionberry

Helles

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC

DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap: Tropical Fruit Storm Pale Ale

Epic Brewing Co.

825 S. State, SLC

EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Pink Boots Imperial Red Ale

Fisher Brewing Co.

320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Cask Nitro CO2

Helper Beer 159 N Main Street Helper, UT 84526 helperbeer.com/

Hopkins Brewing Co.

1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Irish Red

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

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

On Tap: Nitro In The Pines

Check out our new Post District location!

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap: Golden Sproket Wit

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

On Tap: Pomme Paloma

Offset Bier Co

1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/

On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden Beer Company 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com

On Tap: Injector Hazy IPA

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

Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com

On Tap: It’s Complicated Sour

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC

ProperBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Whispers from Krakatoa

- Helles Lager with Habanero and Mango

Proper Burger: Sour RangerBlackberry and Lemon Sour

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191

Moab, Utah 84532

On Tap: Angus McCloudScottish Ale

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Munich Dunkel

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

Red Rock Kimball Junction Redrockbrewing.com

1640 Redstone Center

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Bluebird American Wheat

Roosters Brewing

Multiple Locations

RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Identity Crisis Session West Coast Hazy Cold IPA – the name says it all!

SaltFire Brewing

2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com

On Tap: Summer Camp Crush NEIPA

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: Kiss Whoever You WantPride Month IPL

Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com

On Tap: Etta Place / Scion Cider Collab Dry Hop - 6.8%

Shades Brewing

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

On Tap: Hellion Blond Ale, an ode to Ellie, manager at Shades on State

Live Music: Thursdays

Shades On State

366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com

On Tap: Hellion Blond Ale, an ode to Ellie, manager at Shades on State Karaoke: Wednesdays

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

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co. 147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ squatters

On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. Mr. Melling’s Nitro Cream Ale

Squatters and Wasatch Brewery

1763 So 300 West SLC UT 84115

Utahbeers.com

On Tap: Squatters & Pink Boots Collab Healthy Boundaries Black IPA, 5%

Strap Tank Brewery Multiple Locations StrapTankBrewery.com

Spirit World Saison - Grid City

Collaboration Sour Saison/ Wine Hybrid

Utah Smog - Fruited Sour Cocktail (orange, raspberry, sweet cherry and pineapple)

Stratford Proper 1588 Stratford Ave., SLC stratfordproper.com

On Tap: Yacht Rock Juice Box - Juicy IPA

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC

TFBrewing.com

On Tap: Beechwood Rauchbier (NABA ‘23 Silver Medal Winner)

Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Hot Girl Summerlavender honey wheat

Uinta Brewing

1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com

On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer

UTOG

2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com

On Tap: Love Punch for us –Tropical Hefeweizen-5% ABV. Pride beer! A portion of proceeds are donated to Project Rainbow

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

Wasatch 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/wasatch

On Tap: Wasatch Salt Lime Cerveza (SLC)

Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com

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

BEER NERD

Summer Staycation

Seasonal fruit and old-world style define two new beers.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Salt Lake Brewing - European Vacation: Head Brewer Jason Stock’s recent trip to the Czech Republic was the inspiration for this new lager. Working his way throughout all of the classic Czech offerings, Stock brought his research home. Now we can all benefit from his experience in the home of lagers.

European Vacation is a brilliantly clear, pale straw color, topped with a generous foamy white head that reaches a couple of fingers in depth. The nose is punchier than I expected, primarily grainy and a little grassy. Hops are distinct and seem prominent; they smell mostly floral, and give it strong earthy characteristics.

The flavor’s very consistent with the nose and the style—earthy, grassy and a little grainy. Hops do their job nicely, adding a little bitterness and quite a bit of earthy character. Pale malts give it a nice base and a good deal of balance, though it remains a little buzzy and bitter. The hops seem to take on a spicy character toward the end, and I like that aspect. It’s effective and really brings it in line with the style nicely. There’s no hint of the 5.0 percent alcohol here; while it finishes a little bitter and spicy, it certainly has a crisp finish, which I like in pilsners. This is an easy-drinking beer with a pretty good flavor. I could handle a couple of these.

Verdict: European Vacation is a pretty decent beer from SL Brewing (formerly Squatters). It’s a more than decent Czech pilsner that doesn’t deviate from the usual bells and whistles of the style. Ob-

viously, I had pretty high expectations due to Stock’s story and photos, and this is definitely worth checking out if you run across it.

Kiitos - Strawberry Blonde: It’s the time of year when fruit beers reign supreme. This can be good and bad—you either get fruit bombs, or nothing at all. This ale provides a subtler approach. It pours a crystal-clear golden color with a billowy white head that fades quite fast to leave just a little bit of foamy lace on the sides of the glass. The aroma is subtle with strawberry and some lighter notes of wheat and grain. The strawberry is actually very authentic and pleasant, and along with some other aromas of a light bread that accompany the malt and grain, the overall aroma is very sweet and inviting—sorta like Franken Berry cereal.

The taste begins with a rather crisp cereal taste that is mixed with a good showing of a strawberry. It almost tastes like one of those thin bread crackers spread with a bit of strawberry jam on top of it. As the taste moves forward, some of the strawberry seems to fade a bit, all while some light flavors of Strawberry Quik come to the tongue. With all the transitions that occur, one is left with the basic tastes of Franken Berry lingering. (I want to be clear: No actual breakfast cereals were used to make this beer.)

The body of the beer is very light, with a carbonation level that is a bit on the medium side. A slightly thicker body and a higher carbonation would have likely killed the lighter strawberry all together.

Verdict: While the flavor profile was actually fairly nice for a strawberry brew, it was fairly light in taste and feel. A little more robustness would have brought the beer to higher levels. This 5.0 percent ale would make for a decent session-style fruit beer, for when you’re in the mood for one.

If you want to take home Strawberry Blonde, bring your growler, because this one is only on draft at Kiitos. The growler treatment is in effect at SL Brewing as well for European Vacation. As always, cheers! CW

MIKE RIEDEL

MIKE RIEDEL

the

BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Bambara Reopens

Fans of the downtown favorite Bambara (202 S. Main Street, bambara-slc.com) will be pleased to hear that the restaurant has finished renovations and is now open for business once again. The renovation process has given the whole team at Bambara time to reinvent themselves, and it sounds like Chef Patrick LeBeau’s menu also has a few new bells and whistles (whole roasted branzino and Bison Wellington, anyone?). One of the new additions is a pair of special chef’s tables that will allow diners to experience a culinary exhibition and interact with the chef. With the new digs, new menu and overall new experience available to longtime Bambara fans, you’ll want to check things out ASAP.

Food Truck Face Off

If you’re looking for something to do post-Independence Day, and eager to support a good cause, the Children’s Center Utah is hosting a food truck face-off on July 8 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Partnering with the Utah Food Truck League and taking place at Liberty Park (600 Harvey Milk Boulevard), this event will feature nearly 30 local food trucks vying to be crowd favorite. The event will also support The Fourth Street Clinic and Utah Community Action in addition to the Children’s Center. If the variety of food truck eats, live music and cold beer don’t get you down here, then the chance to support a few local charities should do the trick.

New Ice Cream Menu at The Grand America

Just in time for national ice cream month, Bonne Vie and Laurel Brasserie and Bar recently unveiled a decadent ice cream menu to keep us cool this summer. They’ll have a few solid options like strawberry, vanilla bean, chocolate and berry sorbet in the lineup, but they’ve also expanded their horizons to include strawberry cheesecake, burnt almond fudge, butterscotch and vegan pistachio ice cream. As far as ice-cream delivery systems, you can get these mixed in a cup, in a homemade waffle cone or in a milkshake. All of these offerings can be ordered up poolside if you’re so inclined, and Laurel’s Sunday brunches will also include an ice cream station. This is a place that knows how to do summer in Utah, that’s for sure.

Quote of the Week: “Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos.” –Don Kardong

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

El Cholo Comes to Sugar House

Sugar House will soon be the site of a new El Cholo (elcholo.com), and it’s kind of a big deal. El Cholo is considered by many to be the first Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles, with its first location opening back in 1923. It now operates six restaurants in the Southern California area, and its seventh will open in the heart of Sugar House later this summer. You can already check out the space they’ve secured on 2166 S. 900 East, and it’s not a bad spot at all. The family-owned restaurant is boasting 9,000 square feet of space, along with roof and patio seating. You can bet I’ll be anxiously awaiting the grand opening this summer.

Cinnaholic Opens

Those craving cinnamon rolls on a plant-based diet are in luck, as Cinnaholic recently opened a location in Vineyard (596 N. Mill Road, Suite 105, cinnaholic.com). This California-based bakery chain boasts some decadent plant-based desserts, along with a build-your-own format. So, if you’re craving a peanut butter-frosted cinnamon roll topped with bananas, your wish is their command. In addition to their signature cinnamon rolls, Cinnaholic offers cookies, brownies and edible cookie dough that you can order by the scoop. Most locations feature local coffee as well, so whether your pick-me-up of choice is caffeine, sugar or both, this place should have you covered.

No Young Whippersnapper

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny feels stuck between the hero’s past and his present.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Let’s get this out of the way: Harrison Ford is old. He was 79 when most of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was filmed, and during the film’s first scene set in 1969, we see him in his full verging-on-octogenarian glory—grey-haired, shirtless and angry at being awakened from a nap.

Ford has spent much of the last decade tacitly acknowledging his senior status— revisiting world-wearier versions of Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Deckard in Blade Runner 2049 and now Indiana Jones—and Dial of Destiny might have been on to something genuinely interesting if it had leaned fully into time passing. “If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones” a movie poster once told us, but what if he couldn’t keep up with that idea anymore?

As it happens, the aforementioned setin-1969 bulk of the story isn’t where Dial of Destiny begins; instead, we find a digitally de-aged Ford back in the waning days of World War II, once again punching Nazis just like we remembered him doing 40 years ago. On the one hand, it could be viewed as a way to put us into the context of what the aging Dr. Jones has become vs. what he once was. On the other hand, it could play out like an almost desperate grasp at our movie memories: “You remember what you used to love about Indiana Jones, right? Let’s just all pretend

that’s still what’s happening now.”

That flashback introduces us to the Antikythera, a mechanism created by the ancient mathematician Archimedes and rescued from the clutches of Hitler—and Nazi physicist Voller (Mads Mikkelsen)— by Indy and his friend Basil Shaw (Toby Jones). Twenty-five years later, as Indy stands on the verge of retiring from teaching, Basil’s daughter/Indy’s goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) turns up, along with Voller and various henchfolk, to get their hands on the dial, which is purported to be a kind of road map to portals allowing travel through time.

The quest takes on multiple steps along multiple geographical stops, allowing for plenty of chases and big set pieces. Director James Mangold certainly faces an impossible task stepping into the shoes of Steven Spielberg when it comes to crafting clockwork action beats, but he’s competent enough at the task, though between this movie and The Wolverine it seems that he might be inordinately fond of setting brawls on the roofs of moving trains. There are certainly occasions when it feels like he’s working around Ford’s physical

limitations, but the stranger part is that all the globe-hopping and deadly villain sidekicks makes Dial of Destiny almost feel more like a James Bond movie than an Indiana Jones movie—this despite callbacks, with varying levels of explicitness and nostalgic appeal, to literally every other film in the series.

It’s almost too on-the-nose for this installment’s supernatural whatchamacallit to be something that allows you to re-visit the past, which perhaps accounts for why the screenwriting team—Mangold, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull screenwriter David Koepp, and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth—seems a bit timid about exploring its possibilities. We learn fairly early on that Indy is dealing with traumatic grief involving his son, Mutt, yet despite a passing mention, there’s never a sense that he might be genuinely tempted to use the device for his own selfish ends.

That becomes part of a bigger challenge of defining who Indiana Jones is as a character at this point, and it’s not as though Dial of Destiny is alone in the series in terms of facing that issue. Ford continues to seem, as a performer, like he’s fully

embracing his long history of iconic characters, and he finds a nice paternal rapport with Waller-Bridge in disapproving of her character’s shadier behavior. Yet there has literally always been a problem from film to film of defining Indy’s personality beyond “the guy who’s wearing a fedora and carrying a bullwhip:” Scholar? Hero? Rascal?

In the first three films, none of that mattered much, thanks to the stories’ sheer forward momentum. Now, we’re forced to reckon with an Indy who has to slow down, perhaps rely more on his wits. Dial of Destiny is a movie stuck between notions of its protagonist, between his past and his present. As John Williams’ triumphant march plays you out of the theater, it’s hard to know exactly what it is we’ve been celebrating. CW

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY BB 1/2

Harrison Ford Phoebe Waller-Bridge Mads Mikkelsen Rated PG-13 Available June 30 in theaters

Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

FEATURE MUSIC

Chasing Saturday Night

SLC hip-hop artist Icky Rogers releases his best work yet.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

For many of us, the weekends are just [chef’s kiss] Saturday in particular hits harder than other days. There are so many possibilities for outings and adventures that make it a coveted break for anyone working hard. For SLC hip-hop artist Icky Rogers, it’s the best day of the week. “I’m the saint of Saturday night,” Rogers said.

That might be why the title of his latest release, Chasing Saturday, is so particularly fitting “This is me forever,” he said.” It’s just my soul on a record. You could play it at my funeral.”

This latest entry in Rogers’ catalog is some of his best work—partly because of his love for nightlife, but also because of his love of creating whole albums and being part of SLC’s incredible queer community. At the beginning of his career, he worried about how being gay and a hip-hop artist would align, but according to him everyone has been incredibly supportive. The intersectionality of these parts of his life creates the perfect mix for his music. “I think that hip-hop has always given a voice to the voiceless, and it’s a genre that speaks truth to power in its purest form,” Rogers said.

“I think that’s what drew me to it, because growing up, singing in choirs and stuff, I really felt like they were trying to box me into more of a pop/R&B lane, and that’s just not my personality. I’m way more political and outspoken and kind of edgy.”

Chasing Saturday is an album that is quintessentially Icky Rogers, according to

him. “Going into it, I knew that I wanted to create a record centered around nightlife,” he said. “So much of my life is based around nightlife, just because of what I do, and then my partner as well, so it’s kind of like nonstop at our house. There’s obviously the broader aspect of just going out—drinking and having fun—but once you’re in it, you see all the little subtle nuances, and I wanted to really capture that feeling and put that feeling of a Saturday night on an album.”

The nightlife feeling shines brightly on the album; it’s written as a concept, meant for listeners to press play and listen all the way through. With titles like “Twilight,” “Crowded,” “That Time of Night” and “Friends of the City,” you’ll feel like you’re living an exciting night at the club on a Saturday night.

The first song recorded for the album was the aforementioned “Crowded,” which features notorious SLC drag queen Sequoia. She brings incredible flair and an exciting attitude to the song that’s a perfect match for Rogers. “She has a beautiful instrument, first and foremost, and we just kind of have a really good natural chemistry,” he described. “I didn’t initially plan to work with her on the album, but once I wrote that song, I knew I wanted a feature on it.”

Upon release, Rogers described the process of creating Chasing Saturday as “truly eye-opening, intense and wonderful.” Part of the reason Rogers is feeling so good about the release is the fact that he produced the album on his own. “That is just a dream come true for me,” he said. “This is what I’ve been working towards since I was 13 years old. Just having it all come together and it be all mine.” He was unsure of his ability to fully produce an album, so when he finished this project, it created a shift for Rogers. Going forward, he wants to continue on the path of self-producing.

In addition, he branched out musically with this album. “Crowded” with Sequoia leans more on the pop side rather than

hip-hop, which Rogers hadn’t done before. “It was eye-opening because I wasn’t expecting a) to enjoy it so much, and b) have such a great response.” Another goal Rogers is getting to check off of his bucket list is to put an album out on vinyl, which will be coming soon.

“That right there is just, as a 13-yearold kid when I started to get really into music, I envisioned a label doing all this stuff for me,” he said. “To be able to do it all myself, it just feels like my soul is flying right now. It’s a dream come true for

me, really. I know that sounds cliche, but it’s true.”

Next time you’re heading out for a few hours of revelry, throw on Rogers’ Chasing Saturday, and slip into that weekend feeling. “I want this to be the record that you play when you’re getting ready to go out,” he said. “It’s okay to be happy and celebratory sometimes,” he added. “I wanted to encapsulate that Saturday night feeling forever, even just for me personally, if I need to throw on the record. It’s really just all the different aspects of me.” CW

Icky Rogers PRESTON POWELL

THURSDAYS

FRIDAYS DJ FRESH(NESS)

SATURDAYS POKER @ 2PM DJ DELMAGGIO

SHARK SUNDAYS POOL TOURNEY HOSTED BY JARED AND TANNER

MONDAYS REGGAE MONDAY WITH DJ NAPO

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS KARAOKE

By Emilee Atkinson

Serafima and the Shakedowns, Branson Anderson, Lit’l Grim @ DLC 6/28

“With a keen eye for life and love, Serafima sings about the experience of a modern-day woman in all its sparkle and grit,” says Serafima and the Shakedowns’ website. “Through reflective hyperbole and honest observation, her lyrics dance their way to the front of your heart, and live in the back of your head. But every pot needs a holder, and The Shakedowns know how to distribute the heat. The band brings a unique ‘un-Americana’ sound, electrifying classic elements of The Golden Age of Radio, honky tonk, and Russian folk. With an unbridled love for artists like the Grateful Dead and Loretta Lynn, Serafima and the Shakedowns bring a lil sass to the country-western world.” Joining the headliners is Branson Anderson, a Wyoming-based singer/songwriter who lives in a camp trailer and “fully embraces the life of a troubadour,” according to his website. Anderson is influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Jack White and Robert Johnson, and is fueled by a humble reverence for Americana. Rounding out the bill is Utah’s own Lit’l Grim; the group leans a little more towards the indie rock vibe, as opposed to the previous groups who are more Americana/folk, but still have incredible tunes to share with the crowd. Come boogie down on Wednesday, June 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (EA)

Life is Better on the patio!

MUSIC PICK S

By Emilee Atkinson

Live Music

Molly Otto, Mooninite @ Kilby Court 6/28

Multi-instrumentalist electronic music artist Lamorn (Seth Person) celebrates the release of his debut full-length artist album Forever by setting off on an 18-date U.S. tour this summer to showcase the new material. The strong sense of joy and longing pervades the 20-year-old’s uplifting, danceable songs as they aim to resonate with listeners worldwide. “I’m naming the album after this song because it feels like the all-encompassing theme of the rest of the music,” shares Lamorn. “I’m an extremely sensitive person, which comes with its great strengths and terrible weaknesses. All the emotions in my life are so rich. I love so much. The connections I have with my family and friends are truly what I care about, and that’s purely where this all comes from. The lyrics in this song tell me to give in to that, and let myself feel those things, because that is what truly makes my life great. I never want it to end.” Tons more electronic fanfare will commence with fellow artists Molly Otto and SLC’s own Mooninite also on the bill. If this is your favorite genre, this show is not one to miss. Check out this trio of acts on Wednesday, June 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $15 and can be found at kilbycourt. com. (Emilee Atkinson)

Lamorn,

Lamorn

Nita Strauss, Lions At The Gate, Spirit Machines, Bliss Witch @ Urban Lounge 6/29

If you’re hungry for a night of ripping, shredding, epic rock ‘n’ roll, this is the show for you. Acclaimed guitarist Nita Strauss swings by SLC with a cadre of incredible local acts to supplement her incredible skills. The L.A. native has done tours with everyone from Demi Lovato to Alice in Chains, and has done covers of rock/metal classics like Pantera’s “Cowboys From Hell.” Hearing that, it’s hard to believe that she and Lovato would be a good match, but Strauss’s versatility is unmatched. “I got so lucky with the Demi gig, because she wanted to do a rock tour. She put together an all-female rock band and we did a rock show,” she told Ultimate Guitar in June. “We really just went out and did our thing. We had a good time, we threw it down every night and we had a blast. We all in that band got very lucky, because we were hired because she liked us.” Locals Spirit Machines have made a splash recently with their single “Candy Shell” making it into the video game Cyberpunk 2077. Their song was chosen out of thousands of entries, and the group is excited for everyone to hear it in the game later this year. The show is complete with fellow SLC rockers Bliss Witch, who bring their alluring mix of punk, alt and rock. Come out and headbang on Thursday, June 29 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $22 in advance and $25 the day of the show. Grab tickets at 24tix.com. (EA)

MUSIC PICK S

By Emilee Atkinson

Plastic Cherries, Cool Banana, Get Born @ Metro Music Hall 6/30

Since the release of their debut album Sunshine in 2021, Plastic Cherries steadily been taking over SLC with their fresh-yet-retro vibes and enigmatic performances. Started by couple Joe and Shelby Maddock, they’ve since grown to a full band melding the modern with the old-school in the best way possible. As a full group, they released “Lovers on the Run” in 2022, and since then fans have been itching for more. The song takes you back in time with its Fleetwood Mac-esque sounds, but fits perfectly well playing on your digital device rather than older physical media. The group describes the song on their website in the most fun way possible: “Desperate to make your escape, you and your sweetheart find an abandoned ’70s station wagon with this cassette on the dashboard. As you ride off into the sunset, you discover the wagon is actually a spaceship.” Joining the Cherries are fellow locals Cool Banana and Get Born. If you’re feeling a little down and need a buddy, you’ll want to check out Get Born’s latest EP The Never Ending List of Things I’ve Got To Do. It’s a group of songs that are very relatable, especially when you feel the weight of day-to-day life on your shoulders. Catch this great local lineup on Friday, June 30 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (EA)

Dirt Floors @ The International 7/1

Creative efforts tempt the muse, and Adam Michael Terry’s Dirt Floors is no exception to that idea. His rhythm-driven, dystopian dance ritual emphasizes a refusal to make anything obvious.“I don’t see any DJ nights in town that celebrate the progressive music coming out of Northern Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere— developing regions that continue their long music traditions while simultaneously integrating electronics, that are often hacked and circuit bent to meet their needs,” Terry describes. “It can be turning scraps of sheet metal into kalimbas, oil drums into steel drums, cold war computers into synthesizers, or hacking a flip-phone to become a musical instrument.” Steering clear of traditional electronic music like techno and house, Terry aims to celebrate a more global sound, rhythmically and melodically, as well as playing all vinyl and including a live performer that fits the approach. Fischloops (a.k.a. Daniel Fischer) shares the bill, and the one-time front man of Tooth & Nails early-aughts three-piece hip hop act Furthermore is a musical box of tricks. Always sonically ambitious, Fischloops delivers sample-collaging and colorfully dense production that creates ethereal and distinctive environments breaking genres and the status quo. If he samples something, you should track it down, because it’s worth hearing. This is a live set that is not to be missed. Detach yourself from trends and sensibility, and come out and listen to what radical musicians are doing outside of the “normal” feedback loop. Doors open for this free 21+ event at 9 p.m. Find more information at internationalbar.com (Mark Dago)

KATJA OGRIN CREDIT

Nita Strauss

The Plastic Cherries

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Visionary author Peter McWilliams wrote, “One of the most enjoyable aspects of solitude is doing what you want when you want to do it, with the absolute freedom to change what you’re doing at will. Solitude removes all the ‘negotiating’ we need to do when we’re with others.” I’ll add a caveat: Some of us have more to learn about enjoying solitude. We may experience it as a loss or deprivation. But here’s the good news, Aries: In the coming weeks, you will be extra inspired to cultivate the benefits that come from being alone.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

The 18th-century French engineer Étienne Bottineau invented nauscopy, the art of detecting sailing ships at a great distance, even well beyond the horizon. This was before the invention of radar. Bottineau said his skill was not rooted in sorcery or luck, but from his careful study of changes in the atmosphere, wind and sea. Did you guess that Bottineau was a Taurus? Your tribe has a special capacity for arriving at seemingly magical understandings by harnessing your sensitivity to natural signals. Your intuition thrives as you closely observe the practical details of how the world works. This superpower will be at a peak in the coming weeks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

According to a Welsh proverb, “Three fears weaken the heart: fear of the truth; fear of the devil; fear of poverty.”

I suspect the first of those three is most likely to worm its way into your awareness during the coming weeks. So let’s see what we can do to diminish its power over you. Here’s one possibility: Believe me when I tell you that even if the truth’s arrival is initially disturbing or disruptive, it will ultimately be healing and liberating. It should be welcomed, not feared.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Hexes nullified! Jinxes abolished! Demons banished! Adversaries outwitted! Liabilities diminished! Bad habits replaced with good habits! These are some of the glorious developments possible for you in the coming months, Cancerian. Am I exaggerating? Maybe a little. But if so, not much. In my vision of your future, you will be the embodiment of a lucky charm and a repository of blessed mojo. You are embarking on a phase when it will make logical sense to be an optimist. Can you sweep all the dross and mess out of your sphere? No, but I bet you can do at least 80 percent.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

In the book Curious Facts in the History of Insects Frank Cowan tells a perhaps legendary story about how mayors were selected in the medieval Swedish town of Hurdenburg. The candidates would set their chins on a table with their long beards spread out in front of them. A louse, a tiny parasitic insect, would be put in the middle of the table. Whichever beard the creature crawled to and chose as its new landing spot would reveal the man who would become the town’s new leader. I beg you not to do anything like this, Leo. The decisions you and your allies make should be grounded in good evidence and sound reason, not blind chance. And please avoid parasitical influences completely.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

I rebel against the gurus and teachers who tell us our stories are delusional indulgences that interfere with our enlightenment. I reject their insistence that our personal tales are distractions from our spiritual work. Virgo author A. S. Byatt speaks for me: “Narration is as much a part of human nature as breath and the circulation of the blood.” I love and honor the stories of my own destiny, and I encourage you to love and honor yours. Having said that, I will let you know that now is an excellent time to jettison the stories that feel demoralizing and draining—even as you celebrate the stories that embody your genuine beauty. For extra credit: Tell the soulful stories of your life to anyone who is receptive.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

In the Mayan calendar, each of the 20 day names is associated with a natural phenomenon. The day called Kawak is paired with rainstorms. Ik’ is connected with wind and breath. Kab’an is earth, Manik’ is deer, and Chikchan is the snake. Now would be a great time for you to engage in an imaginative exercise inspired by the Mayans. Why? Because this is an ideal phase of your cycle to break up your routine, to reinvent the regular rhythm, to introduce innovations in how you experience the flow of the time. Just for fun, why not give each of the next 14 days a playful nickname or descriptor? This Friday could be Crescent Moon, for example. Saturday might be Wonderment, Sunday can be Dazzle Sweet, and Monday Good Darkness.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

From 998 till 1030, Scorpio-born leader Mahmud Ghaznavi ruled the vast Ghaznavid empire, from current-day Iran to central Asia and northwestern India. Like so many of history’s strong men, he was obsessed with military conquest. Unlike many others, though, he treasured culture and learning. You’ve heard of poet laureates? He had 400 of them. According to some tales, he rewarded one wordsmith with a mouthful of pearls. In accordance with astrological omens, I encourage you to be more like the Mahmud who loved beauty and art and less like the Mahmud who enjoyed fighting. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to fill your world with grace and elegance and magnificence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

About 1,740 years ago, before she became a Catholic saint, Margaret of Antioch got swallowed whole by Satan, who was disguised as a dragon. Or so the old story goes. But Margaret was undaunted. There in the beast’s innards, Margaret calmly made the sign of the cross over and over with her right hand. Meanwhile, the wooden cross in her left hand magically swelled to an enormous size that ruptured the beast, enabling her to escape. After that, because of her triumph, expectant mothers and women in labor regarded Margaret as their patron saint. Your upcoming test won’t be anywhere near as demanding as hers, Sagittarius, but I bet you will ace it—and ultimately garner sweet rewards.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Capricorn-born Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) was an astronomer and mathematician who was an instrumental innovator in the Scientific Revolution. Among his many breakthrough accomplishments were his insights about the laws of planetary motion. Books he wrote were crucial forerunners of Isaac Newton’s theories about gravitation. But here’s an unexpected twist: Kepler was also a practicing astrologer who interpreted the charts of many people, including three emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. In the spirit of Kepler’s ability to bridge seemingly opposing perspectives, Capricorn, I invite you to be a paragon of mediation and conciliation in the coming weeks. Always be looking for ways to heal splits and forge connections. Assume you have an extraordinary power to blend elements that no one can else can.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Dear Restless Runaway, the next 10 months will offer you these invitations:

Senior Analytics Engineer (Health Catalyst Inc; South Jordan, UT): Guide & perform analyses to support client initiatives in clinical, operational & financial domains. Min req’s: Bach or equiv in IT, Math, Statistics, or business-related fld + 5 yrs exp in tech or tech-related occupation + add’l req’s. Telecommuting from anywhere in US permitted. Send resume to Lindsey Harris, People Ops at: lindsey.harris@healthcatalyst.com.

Reference: 00033620. An EOE.

Senior Analytics Engineer (Health Catalyst Inc; South Jordan, UT)(multiple positions): Guide & perform analyses to support client initiatives in clinical, operational & financial domains. Min req’s: Mast or equiv in IT, math, statistics, or related + 1 yr rel exp in tech or tech-related field + add’l req’s. Alt: Bach or equiv in same + 5 yrs rel exp in tech or tech-related field + add’l req’s. 5% nat’l travel req. Telecommuting permitted. Send resume to Lindsey Harris, People Ops at: lindsey.harris@healthcatalyst.com.

Reference: 00035181. An EOE.

Pamper Yourself

Sr Hybris Developer (Lehi, UT): Implement Hybris

Business-to-Consumer

customization to integrate w/ backend systems. WFH 2-3 days/ week w/in commuting distance of Lehi office. BS in comp. sci., IT, or related field + 5 yrs exp. Apply to jobs@medifastinc.com. Jason Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (dba Medifast).

Lead Business Solution Analyst. Ivanti, Inc. South Jordan, UT. Analyze & understan stakeholder & SME reqs. BS: CS or Info Sys. 5 yrs proj mgmt & buss analysis exp. Alt Reqs: MS & 3 yrs exp. Other exp reqd. Can work remotely or tele up to 100%. Apply:

www.ivanti.com/company/careers.

1. Identify the land that excites you and stabilizes you;

2. Spend lots of relaxing time on that land;

3. Define the exact nature of the niche or situation where your talents and desires will be most gracefully expressed;

4. Take steps to create or gather the family you want; 5. Take steps to create or gather the community you want.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

I’d love you to be a deep-feeling, free-thinker in the coming weeks. I will cheer you on if you nurture your emotional intelligence as you liberate yourself from outmoded beliefs and opinions. Celebrate your precious sensitivity, dear Pisces, even as you use your fine mind to reevaluate your vision of what the future holds. It’s a perfect time to glory in rich sentiments and exult in creative ideas.

ACROSS

1. Animal that goes through 20-/55-Across to become 5-Across?

5. Animal that goes through 20-/55-Across to become 1-Across?

9. Jan. honoree

14. Milky gemstone

15. Vibe

16. Element #5

17. Go up

18. “Now!”

19. First sign of the zodiac

20. Type of animal transformation

23. 33rd POTUS

24. Mimicked

25. Boston landmark, with “the”

27. ____ versa

29. It acquired Lucasfilm in 2012

35. Suffix with million or billion

37. Actor Beatty

38. Paul U.S. :: ____ : Italy

39. Animal that goes through

20-/55-Across to become 41-Across?

41. Animal that goes through 20-/55-Across to become 39-Across?

42. Etsy’s business

43. 1998 biopic starring Angelina Jolie

45. Enjoy a bath

46. He blasts “Fight the Power” on his boombox in “Do the Right Thing”

48. “A Man Called ____” (2022 Tom Hanks film)

50. Opposite of SSW

51. 1990s tape players

53. Sugary suffix

55. Type of animal transformation

61. Spelman and Morehouse, for two: Abbr.

63. Got litigious

64. Almond ____ (toffee brand)

65. Dizzying MoMA works

66. Unit of land

67. “The Little Rascals” assent

68. Monte ____

69. Animal that goes through 20-/55-Across to become 70-Across?

70. Animal that goes through 20-/55-Across to become 69-Across?

DOWN

1. Early bird’s prize

2. Andy’s son, on “The Andy Griffith Show”

3. Swan song

4. K9 Advantix II targets

Stepping Stones

If you travel to New York City and happen by Central Park, you’ll most likely see the horse carriages for hire. They generally seat four humans and charge around $150 for a 45-minute tour of the lower end of the park.

Salt Lake City used to offer carriage rides. But in August 2013, a carriage horse by the name of Jerry collapsed downtown and died from heatstroke. It was captured on video, went viral and 15 months later, the Salt Lake City Council unanimously outlawed horsedrawn carriages in the capital city.

Media Specialist (Draper, UT)

5. Burkina ____

6. Run faster than

7. All done, as a movie

8. Woodshop tool

9. Wharton degs.

10. Greiner of “Shark Tank”

11. Kardashian matriarch

12. Rocker Cocker

13. Med. caregivers

21. 1981 cable debut

22. Peculiar

25. Printer tray filler

26. Cowboy’s lasso

28. Bank earnings:

brewery in Detroit

55. C-section souvenir

56. Fling

57. Regarding

58. Think piece?

59. Tenn. neighbor

60. “Let’s Get It On” singer

61. Ad ____ committee

62. Compound banned from sippy cups, briefly

Last week’s answers

Back before cars, there were wagons, carriages and horses to get you from here to there. Many standing homes in Salt Lake—especially in the Marmalade, Avenues, University, Harvard/ Yale and Sugar House areas—still have carriage houses and even small barns where the “transportation” was kept at night. Nowadays, these structures are either small garages or have been converted to studio apartments and accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

If you’re walking or driving around downtown or in the Avenues area and periodically see a large sandstone block in front of a home, generally very close to the curb, you’ve stumbled onto a wee bit of history there.

The point of the big square rock by the curb was to enable humans to get up onto a horse or vehicle without us ing a ladder. They served as both a practical and decorative element in front of homes and public buildings— and were a symbol of social status.

I drive by these stone blocks all the time. There are five that I know of on South Temple alone (529, 731, 808 and 1135 E. South Temple) including one at 1167 E. South Temple with the name “Lynch” carved into it, which was probably the name of the original homeowners who lived there.

Plan or direct development or communication of media programs to maintain favorable public perceptions of the company’s accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility. Post and update content on the company’s Web site & social media outlets. Write media communications to promote clients. 40hrs/wk, Offered wage: $37,939/year, Bachelor’s Degree in Media / Marketing or related required. Resume to CUPBOP CO Attn: Yeiri Kim, 12184 S Business Park Dr #C, Draper, UT 84020

SUDOKU X

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

1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

In the mid-19th century, when Latter-day Saint pioneers settled in the Salt Lake Valley, they brought with them their knowledge of construction and architectural traditions. The use of sandstone—which is abundant in the surrounding Wasatch Mountains—in foundations for homes and businesses, became prevalent due to its durability as rock and its availability nearby in Red Butte Canyon.

Sandstone carriage steps were essential in the city’s early days. They were sometimes meticulously carved and crafted by skilled stonemasons, adding an element of elegance to the streetscape. They are generally about 1 foot tall, 2 feet wide and 2 feet long.

Are they protected? Michaela Oktay, deputy director for Salt Lake City Planning, says, “The historic overlay would protect any carriage steps from being removed if they were on a landmark site or within a local historic district. I have never had someone actually want to remove them to my knowledge.”

Oktay added that most of the existing steps sit on public, not private, property. “Generally, they are in the right of way,” Oktay said. “The city owns that land and would also have to approve removal if they were alerted to the removal.” n

WITH BABS DELAY Broker, Urban Utah Homes & Estates, urbanutah.com

NEWS of the WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

Thong and Cheek

Protesters at the Massachusetts Statehouse bared more than their souls as they demonstrated against climate change on June 15, according to an NBC-10 Boston report. Shouts began to rain down from the public gallery just after 1 p.m. from eight members of Extinction Rebellion, an international environmental movement, followed by a warning: “We are going to be mooning you ... You can look away if you wish.” At that point, the octet turned their backs on the senators and dropped trou, revealing pink thongs and bare buttocks emblazoned with the words “stop passing gas.” The protesters continued with chants of “You’re a senator, not an ass, why are you still passing gas,” and “Butts out for climate” for about an hour before they were arrested and escorted out of the chamber.

Reunited

and It Feels So Good

A first edition of George Orwell’s 1984 has been returned to the library ... 65 years late. UPI reported that the Multnomah County Public Library in Portland recently received the return from an 86-year-old patron. The patron attached a note to the book, explaining that they meant to return it in 1958 after checking it out as a Portland State University student, they just “never got around to it.” But talk about excellent timing: The library just went fine-free.

n Sheriff’s detectives in Kanawha County, North Carolina, made an odd discovery while executing a search warrant on an impounded vehicle in February: a 1965 class ring from Needham Broughton High School in Raleigh, bearing the initials “M.P.” Their investigation determined the owner was one Michael Pedneau, who told the Charleston Gazette-Mail that he only vaguely recalls losing the bling some 50 years ago, perhaps on a trip to Princeton, West Virginia. “There’s probably 40 or 50 of us,” he said of his alumni class.

Up in Smoke

A dispensary in Baltimore faces fines for blowing smoke ... literally. WMAR-2 in Baltimore reported that the Cookies dispensary opened May 27, only to be shut down less than a week later after a surprise inspection revealed a laundry list of violations, including “large plumes of medical cannabis smoke being blown from a large gun apparatus into the mouths of persons outside the dispensary,” according to the suspension notice. Cookies is part of a franchise, and Cookies San Francisco was the first to utilize a “Flame Thrower” smoke blower, created by Jeff Dick of Colorado. The blower has since become part of the Cookies brand.

Some Things Beg Certainty

Relatives were mourning Bella Montoya, 76, at her wake in Ecuador on June 9 when they heard strange sounds coming from the coffin. “There were about 20 of us there,” the woman’s son, Gilberto Barbera, said. “After about five hours of the wake, the coffin started to make sounds.” The supposedly deceased had been declared dead at the Martin Icaza Hospital in Babahoyo earlier that day, but that evening, “my mom was wrapped in sheets and hitting the coffin, and when we approached we could see that she was breathing heavily,” Barbera said. Montoya was rushed back to the hospital, but the Associated Press reported that she was intubated and is not expected to recover. Ecuador’s Health Ministry has launched an investigation into the incident.

Money Movers

Police in Clintonville, Ohio, are on the hunt after brazen thieves used a U-Haul truck to rip a safe out of a drivethru ATM in the early hours of June 15. WCMH-TV reported that the suspects used a chain secured to the truck to pull the safe free of the machine, then absconded in a getaway vehicle, leaving the U-Haul behind. Authorities had no description of the other vehicle or how much money the thieves stole, but they believe at least two suspects were involved.

A Bear’s Gotta Eat

Workers for American Plate Glass in Sunapee, New Hampshire, learned an important lesson about locking up their valuables on June 14, but it wasn’t at the hands of the typical thief, and the valuables weren’t the usual tools or construction materials. Curtis Fidler was working onsite when he noticed movement in his peripheral vision: “I turn and it was a bear nonchalantly just having lunch in the front seat of the truck.” The bear enjoyed all of the snacks it could find, left the truck and disappeared into the woods. Fidler FaceTimed his motherin-law, Melinda Scott, who watched the encounter live and later told WHDH-7 News that “There is not a single scratch on the box truck. He did no damage. He just had lunch and took a nap.”

The Agony of the Heat

The hopes of Bangkok residents were deflated on June 9, as a long-awaited art installation in Victoria Harbor lost steam. Dutch artist Forentijn Hofman’s giant rubber ducky, which tours cities around the world and captured the affections of Bangkok residents when it visited there back in 2013, returned to the city earlier this month, this time with two giant rubber duckies, which the artist said would bring “double luck.” Unfortunately, Yahoo News reported that rising temperatures put one ducky—and residents—at risk. The “rubber duck skin had become strained because the hot weather has caused air pressure to rise,” organizers said in a statement. They deflated the duck as a precaution.

Two

Paws Up, Way Up

Theatergoers in Thailand have a new pet-friendly place to bring their furry friends. Yahoo News reported that the country’s largest movie theater chain, Major Cineplex Group, started offering weekend showtimes for patrons who want to bring Fluffy or Fido with them. Of course, there’s a catch: Pets must weigh under 11 pounds and either wear a diaper or be kept in a carrier. Visitors turned out in droves for a pets-welcome showing of “The Little Mermaid,” cosplaying their creature companions as Sebastian the crab and Ariel the mermaid. Not everyone’s a fan, however; as one former resident said, “It’s so ridiculous dogs are not allowed in (most Bangkok) parks but they can go to a movie or cafe. What comes next, you bring your dog or cat to a massage parlor?”

I Hope That Someone Gets My ...

Almost exactly 34 years after it was thrown into the sea in Newfoundland, a message in a bottle was recovered in Quebec. “I was so excited. I mean, what I’m looking for all the time is a note in a bottle,” Trudy Shattler told Saltwire of her discovery. After some social media sleuthing, she learned that the bottle belonged to one Gilbert Hamlyn, who was known for writing messages on cigarette packs, stuffing them in bottles, and setting them to sea. Sadly, Mr. Hamlyn passed away two years ago, but his son, Rick, was all too happy to hear of the bottle’s recovery, and intends to place it at his father’s grave.

Aquaman, Is That You?

A Florida scientist who calls himself “Dr. Deep Sea” resurfaced on June 9 ... after spending 100 days underwater. CNN reported that Dr. Joseph Dituri, 55, a biomedical engineer who teaches at the University of South Florida, began his research mission on March 1, when he dove to the bottom of the Emerald Lagoon in Key Largo, Florida. Dituri stayed in Jules’ Undersea Lodge, an underwater hotel, during his record-setting stint below the surface, and he hopes that the data gleaned from all that time underwater will help researchers understand the effects of compression on the human body. “My greatest hope is that I have inspired a new generation of explorers and researchers to push past all boundaries,” Dituri said in a news release.

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Reference: 00038148. An EOE.

Accounting Manager II. Prep’n. of draw reqsts. for constr. projs. Maint. of reprts. for lenders & upper mgmt. detailing capital expenditures to date & comparisons to budget for ongoing constr. projs. Coord. w/ 3rd party CPA firm to ensure property level acctg. from 3rd party mgmt. firms is properly reflected in entity level fin. stmts. Maint. of check registers for mult. entities. Accts. Payable. Prep’n. of sched. for audits & tax filings. Prep’n. of reprts. showing fin. cond. of co. & ea. property. Review of closing stmts. & perf. other duties associated w/ property acquisition & loan closings. Review & implmnt’n. of insurance req’s. for co.’s properties. Compliance monitoring of debt covenant & fin. reprt’g. req’s. w/ mult. lenders.Prep. preliminary fin. stmts., review draw reqsts. & fin. reprts., review outside CPA’s reprts., & devise int. reprts. useful to acctg. dept. or other depts. as assgn’d. by Corp. Controller. Benefits incl. possibility of wk’ing. from home in hybrid model few days per mnth.; req’d. to commute into office most wkdays. for wk. perf., collab. & meetings. Req. Master’s in Acctg. or rltd. field (or foreign educ’l. equiv.). Send resume to: Utex Storage Partners III, 65 E Wadsworth Place Dr., Ste. 220, Draper, UT 84020 or Email:

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